[ag8908]

I'm not sure why anyone uses anything but the white filter. With the other filters, it's literally no different than listening to headphones, after plugging your ears with some sort of filler. I've never heard of anyone doing that ever, and so I don't see any reason to fill the IEM sound tube with filler either.
 
By the way, is anyone getting a little tired of the sloppy loose nature of the bass on the SE846? I wish it were more resolved and faster, but I'm not sure that' spossible in an IEM, especially an IEM driven by a cell phone or mobile player.

 

[slashd0t]

  I'm not sure why anyone uses anything but the white filter. With the other filters, it's literally no different than listening to headphones, after plugging your ears with some sort of filler. I've never heard of anyone doing that ever, and so I don't see any reason to fill the IEM sound tube with filler either.
 
By the way, is anyone getting a little tired of the sloppy loose nature of the bass on the SE846? I wish it were more resolved and faster, but I'm not sure that' spossible in an IEM, especially an IEM driven by a cell phone or mobile player.

 
Funny, I never even tried the white filter until I read this.. The white filter paired with the Sony PHA-2 really sounds perfect.. I was finding the blue filter with the PHA-2 to be a bit boomy and too warm, but, totally solved with the white filter.. 

 

[christrz]

I'm not sure why anyone uses anything but the white filter. With the other filters, it's literally no different than listening to headphones, after plugging your ears with some sort of filler. I've never heard of anyone doing that ever, and so I don't see any reason to fill the IEM sound tube with filler either.

By the way, is anyone getting a little tired of the sloppy loose nature of the bass on the SE846? I wish it were more resolved and faster, but I'm not sure that' spossible in an IEM, especially an IEM driven by a cell phone or mobile player.

I enjoyed the bass tremendously, but ultimately found it a little fatiguing and also a tad boomy and slow for my liking. The bass is really something special and gets you when you first listen to it. But I agree over time it doesn't satiate! (To my tastes at least)

 

[elindil]

I agree. Bass really does sound very artificial. Its definitely unique in its own way and i find my self enjoying genres such as techno.
 
My biggest gripes about this iem is that vocals sound very separated from the music. I would tend to think coherence also refers to how well the voice melds with music. In this case shure 846 doesn't sound coherent. Furthermore Adele sounds way too smooth. Female singers who have a raspy voice, sound very smooth through this iem. It takes out some of the realism from the music which you are used to. Would have definitely preferred tad more mid base from these iems.
 
Otherwise this is a solid iem. IMO details are all there. Great build. The only upgrade I can think of is a UM-Mentor.

 

[Seamaster]

  I agree. Bass really does sound very artificial. Its definitely unique in its own way and i find my self enjoying genres such as techno.
 
My biggest gripes about this iem is that vocals sound very separated from the music. I would tend to think coherence also refers to how well the voice melds with music. In this case shure 846 doesn't sound coherent. Furthermore Adele sounds way too smooth. Female singers who have a raspy voice, sound very smooth through this iem. It takes out some of the realism from the music which you are used to. Would have definitely preferred tad more mid base from these iems.
 
Otherwise this is a solid iem. IMO details are all there. Great build. The only upgrade I can think of is a UM-Mentor.

That is a lots of otherwise 

 , vocal makes a large part of music. Have you tried after market cables?

 

[headwilier]

Finally pulled the trigger and replaced my SE530 with the SE846...
 
I did try IE 800s but despite liking the airy sound (very unique for an IEM), found that that they kept moving about too much and would fall out. For that price, i really can;t accept that design issue.
 
Currently burning in the SE846. Have to say they fit my ears amazingly well... really ergonomic even though they are bigger than the SE530s. I just wish they had a shorter cable, so I can use my existing Shure mic and remote (which already has a long lead.
 
On some songs, the bass is physically moving and sometimes a bit "loose" and "booming"! I guess it is mixed but overall a great improvement over the SE530s which had major roll off at the low levels.
 
Excited! Can;t wait to try my old songs on this. 

 

[Solude]

   The white filter paired with the Sony PHA-2 really sounds perfect.. I was finding the blue filter with the PHA-2 to be a bit boomy and too warm, but, totally solved with the white filter.. 

 
The Sony really isn't built for iems.  The high output impedance on it is dropping the presence region on the 846.  Or thinking about it the other way... boosting the bass.

 

[elindil]

Hi seamaster, it was my first major iem purchase and together with it came alot of expectations. So there was a tendancy to scrutinize the flaws of the IEM.
 
Yes i tried silver cables from effect audio, which was like one of the less pricier cables available in Singapore. I was able to hear a significant difference in the sound quality. From my short listen I could tell that the bass was much tighter. I am also considering getting the cables from headphone lounge as per spook's recommendation. 

 

[spook76]

Hi seamaster, it was my first major iem purchase and together with it came alot of expectations. So there was a tendancy to scrutinize the flaws of the IEM.

Yes i tried silver cables from effect audio, which was like one of the less pricier cables available in Singapore. I was able to hear a significant difference in the sound quality. From my short listen I could tell that the bass was much tighter. I am also considering getting the cables from headphone lounge as per spook's recommendation. 

You will not regret getting Headphone Lounge cables. If you want tighter more controlled bass with greater overall dynamics OCC silver or OCC silver litz is the way to go.

 

[spook76]

The Sony really isn't built for iems.  The high output impedance on it is dropping the presence region on the 846.  Or thinking about it the other way... boosting the bass.

Without sounding like a broken record or too obsequious, Solude's point should be stamped on the SE846 box.

"Warning the 846 has one of the lowest input impedances of any headphone/IEM. Please select your components carefully."

I spent the summer before I bought mine in August 2013 researching my components. I went so far as to call Ray Samuels to confirm the output impedance of the RSA Protector and Lightning amps before I purchased the SE846. With a high output impedance DAP and/or amp you may like the sound but realize that is not how the 846 was designed to operate.

 

[Tony1110]

The best filter will depend on the type of music you're listening to, the output impedance/character of your source/amp and possibly the cable. When I got my SE846 I used the blue filter with the AK120 and it sounded way too boomy. I swapped to the white filter and that improved things somewhat. When I got the Pico Slim and upgraded the cable, the white filter sounded positively bright so I switched back to the neutral and this seems to be a happy medium. I'd like to experiment more with the filters but swapping them out is tedious.

 

[Tony1110]

Without sounding like a broken record or too obsequious, Solude's point should be stamped on the SE846 box.

"Warning the 846 has one of the lowest input impedances of any headphone/IEM. Please select your components carefully."

I spent the summer before I bought mine in August 2013 researching my components. I went so far as to call Ray Samuels to confirm the output impedance of the RSA Protector and Lightning amps before I purchased the SE846. With a high output impedance DAP and/or amp you may like the sound but realize that is not how the 846 was designed to operate.

Agree.
 
I would go so far as to call Ray Samuels too. If you're spending this much money on audio gear you don't want to be disappointed

 

[joshuachew]

Anyone using the Sony ZX1 with the SE846? Is it suitable? is the output impedance of the ZX1 suitable to be used with the SE846? 

 

[Solude]

Anecdotally people have liked the ZX1 with iems.  Objectively no one has measured the output and it isn't on their spec sheet so... meh.  That said it better be because the gimp 15mW output power isn't going to power many full sized cans.

 

[Tony1110]

For a one-box solution I'd be looking at either the DX90, X5 or one of the modded AK models. The Vorzuge Pure II sounds astonishing with the SE846 but I don't particularly like carrying two boxes around.