The e11 is used soley for the very clean dual level bass boost feature, not the volume, although its nice to have (gun theory - better to have and not need vs need and not have).
I love really good bass and the e11 and MG7s are a match made in heaven. You haven't lived until you've listened to NIN closer through bass boosted Atrios. Of course your hearing will never be the same, but....small price to pay, I say.
Seriously though, if that is in fact the case - 846s cannot be amped, and therefore bass boosted, it gives me cause to rethink the matter. The atrios boosted via the e11 and adjusted via poweramp's EQ literally gives you in-ear subwoofers that need to be heard to be believed. I leave the bass boost on max since it is a very clean way to enhance to 250hz and below levels and adjust the overall effect using the EQ, This gives me some very high quality bass / sub bass, and lots of it. i don't use all that is available, but again, the gun theory.
The atrios cost me 170.00. Now, I am sure - beyond any kind of doubt - the 846's mids and highs make the MG7s seem like a K-mart blue light special, but if I spend 999.99 on the shure flagship only to find that I miss the bass of the atrios, I'm going to feel pretty bad at having spent that money.
And this is the only reason they (the SE846s) are not in the mail to me now. I am going through every piece of information I can in order to determine whether or not the 846s are going to give me the bass I am looking for.
Really sucks having to buy on faith alone. So wish I could have just 3 minutes with a pair of 846s. Thought I had figured the bass part out, but now I'm not so sure.
At any rate, thank you so much for your input.
