[nmatheis]

Linum BaX looks like a nice, super thin and lightweight cable

 

[negroswamy]

hey guys im def a newbie at all of this.  wouldnt consider myself an "audiophile" (i hold that term up to higher standards than myself) but just a fan of my music and i like to be comfortable.
 
anyways, the more i read on head-fi, the more i realize i have absolutely NO idea what im doing.  just wanted any foresight from anyone who used to be in my shoes...
 
so without knowing too much about headphone-related stuff, i bought the 1964 V2 because i was going more on the company's reputation. its not that i feel disappointed in my music quality, but i wanted to see if i am missing anything.  i also like the thought of personalized earbuds to the shape of my ear canal.  thats why i was looking for the entry-level models around black friday (initially wanted JH5 Pro, but settled on 1964 V2 due to sale).
 
so, then i knew that [edit: my new] headphones dont really matter if youre listening to mp3, so i am looking into FLAC files now.  then i realized that my iphone/ipad wont handle FLAC, so i started looking for apps that would.  then i realized that in order to utilize the power of my new 1964V2s, i would have to get a headphone amp. again, there are several FiiO models on sale, but since im starting from the bottom, i figured that getting the cheapest, entry-level model would be a large step up...
 
so, slickdeals told me that the FiiO E11K was on sale for like $45 on buydig, so i got those.  is there anything else i need to know before i start putting all these pieces together?  
 
do i have to worry about compatibility between these devices or range limitations (is that even a thing?) or any other factors that im just ignorant of at the moment?
 
thanks so much, friends...your posts have been quite helpful so far
 
***iphone 6/ipad mini 2 + 1964V2 + FiiO E11K + FLAC apps & files = good enough for a newb that doesnt know what he is missing out on???

 

[agapeo]

  hey guys im def a newbie at all of this.  wouldnt consider myself an "audiophile" (i hold that term up to higher standards than myself) but just a fan of my music and i like to be comfortable.
 
anyways, the more i read on head-fi, the more i realize i have absolutely NO idea what im doing.  just wanted any foresight from anyone who used to be in my shoes...
 
so without knowing too much about headphone-related stuff, i bought the 1964 V2 because i was going more on the company's reputation. its not that i feel disappointed in my music quality, but i wanted to see if i am missing anything.  i also like the thought of personalized earbuds to the shape of my ear canal.  thats why i was looking for the entry-level models around black friday (initially wanted JH5 Pro, but settled on 1964 V2 due to sale).
 
so, then i knew that headphones dont really matter if youre listening to mp3, so i am looking into FLAC files now.  then i realized that my iphone/ipad wont handle FLAC, so i started looking for apps that would.  then i realized that in order to utilize the power of my new 1964V2s, i would have to get a headphone amp. again, there are several FiiO models on sale, but since im starting from the bottom, i figured that getting the cheapest, entry-level model would be a large step up...
 
so, slickdeals told me that the FiiO E11K was on sale for like $45 on buydig, so i got those.  is there anything else i need to know before i start putting all these pieces together?  
 
do i have to worry about compatibility between these devices or range limitations (is that even a thing?) or any other factors that im just ignorant of at the moment?
 
thanks so much, friends...your posts have been quite helpful so far
 
***iphone 6/ipad mini 2 + 1964V2 + FiiO E11K + FLAC apps & files = good enough for a newb that doesnt know what he is missing out on???

I'm sure a lot of people here have plenty to say about FLAC vs mp3 files. Honestly, unless you are listening to music with a very unforgiving/revealing set of cans, you will not notice a difference between FLAC and high bitrate mp3. Since you are on an iPhone/ipad, your computer should automatically put AAC music files on it when you sync. If you make sure the bitrate is a minimum of 256kbps, you shouldn't have any problem with sound quality. My main cans are a set of AKG K550, they are pretty revealing when it comes to lower quality recordings and I (usually) only notice "artifacts" or crummy sound at about 192kbps or lower. 
 
The V2 aren't very hard to drive at only 22 ohms, so an amp isn't really necessary, but then again...amps are a good thing for any audiophile to have

 (no matter how new they are). If you've never owned a really "decent" set of headphones, you will be plenty satisfied, for the time being anyhow, until the never ending quest for end-game cans begins 

.
 
 
To answer your question, no, there isn't any incompatibility among those devices that I'm aware of.

 

[LostArk]

so, then i knew that headphones dont really matter if youre listening to mp3

That's not true; mp3 encoded at 320kbps (or even v0) is going to audibly transparent for all intents and purposes, especially for the purpose of portable use. Don't take my word for it, feel free to conduct your own ABX test with apps freely available for both Windows and Mac (foobar2000, ABX tester). As for your iPhone / iPad, iTunes gives you the option to convert all files to 256kbps AAC, which is just as good as mp3 320kbps, if not better.

I hate to be a wet blanket, but going for the entry level V2 was a bad move. The V2 is no better dollar-for-dollar than similarly priced universal IEMs, some of which can be made "custom" with silicone sleeves (such as the Westone W line or Shure SE line). I would contact 1964 Ears first thing Monday morning and request to upgrade your order to the V3, as it is (imho) the "cheapest" model that is going to give you a worthwhile bang for your buck.

All the E11k is going to do is make the signal your iPhone produces louder, and I'm sure your iPhone is well capable of driving a V2 or V3 to dangerous volumes. I personally prefer maximum portability, so I skip an amp altogether.

Revisiting the FLAC / mp3 issue, I would keep your music library stored on your hard drive in lossless, and convert it to 256kbps AAC when syncing with your iPhone.

If you want to go hog-wild with FLAC or ALAC, you're going to want a portable amp / dac combo like the Beyerdynamic a200p. An external dac does the job of turning your digital music into an analog waveform instead of your phone, but it's really only worth using if you use lossless files, which aren't necessary imho. If you go down the lossless road, you're going to be spending additional hundreds of dollars on maybe 1-2% improvement. For some people that's worth it, but I would strongly suggest you conduct some ABX tests before taking the plunge.

PS - Feel free to call yourself an audiophile. The only requirement is that you love great sound!

 

[agapeo]

I hate to be a wet blanket, but going for the entry level V2 was a bad move.

PS - Feel free to call yourself an audiophile. The only requirement is that you love great sound!

Go with this, I'm not very knowledgable on the V2, as I was never very interested in it, so his opinion is more than likely a better one than mine. I do know the V3 to be a very capable model though, so I'll second that suggestion.

 

[nmatheis]

Just heard the entire 1964 lineup this week and definitely agree about upgrading to V3 if possible.

As far as an amp just making things louder, well...

The E11k has different audio circuitry and will have a different sound signature than an iPhone. Some will find that to be an improvement. Others will prefer iPhone sound signature to E11k. Depends on the person...

 

[Jobbing]

Linum BaX looks like a nice, super thin and lightweight cable

Ordered mine 30% off
http://www.linum.dk/webshop

 

[nmatheis]

Waiting to hear back from US reseller to save some $

 

[negroswamy]

That's not true; mp3 encoded at 320kbps (or even v0) is going to audibly transparent for all intents and purposes, especially for the purpose of portable use. Don't take my word for it, feel free to conduct your own ABX test with apps freely available for both Windows and Mac (foobar2000, ABX tester). As for your iPhone / iPad, iTunes gives you the option to convert all files to 256kbps AAC, which is just as good as mp3 320kbps, if not better.

I hate to be a wet blanket, but going for the entry level V2 was a bad move. The V2 is no better dollar-for-dollar than similarly priced universal IEMs, some of which can be made "custom" with silicone sleeves (such as the Westone W line or Shure SE line). I would contact 1964 Ears first thing Monday morning and request to upgrade your order to the V3, as it is (imho) the "cheapest" model that is going to give you a worthwhile bang for your buck.

All the E11k is going to do is make the signal your iPhone produces louder, and I'm sure your iPhone is well capable of driving a V2 or V3 to dangerous volumes. I personally prefer maximum portability, so I skip an amp altogether.

Revisiting the FLAC / mp3 issue, I would keep your music library stored on your hard drive in lossless, and convert it to 256kbps AAC when syncing with your iPhone.

If you want to go hog-wild with FLAC or ALAC, you're going to want a portable amp / dac combo like the Beyerdynamic a200p. An external dac does the job of turning your digital music into an analog waveform instead of your phone, but it's really only worth using if you use lossless files, which aren't necessary imho. If you go down the lossless road, you're going to be spending additional hundreds of dollars on maybe 1-2% improvement. For some people that's worth it, but I would strongly suggest you conduct some ABX tests before taking the plunge.

PS - Feel free to call yourself an audiophile. The only requirement is that you love great sound!

Haha maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut. I was almost at a level of peace and satisfaction. I hope they will give me the BF Friday price for the upgrade (seriously placed the order at 11.30 pacific time due to all the last minute research & customization). So the Jh5 is the rival of the v2 & it's highly recommended but the v2 isn't worth the price!? That blows that jh skipped their bf sales this year without any prior notice...I didn't plan for this major purchase properly!

I rarely had issues with not enough volume from my "cheap" headphones before other than the airplane noise. But comply foam tips or even howard Leight earmuffs fixed that for me (except with the earmuffs my earbuds wouldn't stay in my ear very well). So I thought isolation via customization would compensate for that.

A friend of ours is a prominent otolaryngologist and I remember a conversation we had about him noticing the upward trend of ear damage in younger patients due to new earbud trends and I thought that ciems would allow me to listen to music at lower volumes due to isolation factor. I bought the amp because I thought that it was needed to justify earbuds of this calibre, not for volume.

So, I hear many people say that using these types of headphones with your iPod is a gigantic waste of money...does that belief have to be qualified by adding "depending on your iTunes sync preferences "?

I thought an audiophile was almost like a subculture because who doesn't love great sound?

Thanks again everyone it's truly taught me a lot

 

[LostArk]

For a "newb that doesn't know what he is missing out on" you came admirably close to an ideal level of peace and satisfaction on your first effort; you are to be commended! I'm reasonably sure they'll give you the Black Friday price on the V3; the level of customer service I've received from 1964 Ears has been exemplary.

You don't need an amp, dac, or flac to justify your headphones, as long as your device can adequately drive them. There are many full-size headphones such as the Beyerdynamic T70p that are happily driven by an iPod. That being said, pairing a Sennheiser HD800 with an iPod might be a mistake. But virtually all custom IEMs are very easily driven, so no worries.

Your earphones, when adequately driven, give you 90% of your sound quality. FLAC gives you an extra 1-2%. An external amp / dac can give you an extra few %. But pairing a V3 with an iPod is a massive, massive improvement compared to pairing Apple Earpods with an amp, dac, & flac. Hope that makes sense!

 

[b0ssMax]

Ordered mine 30% off
http://www.linum.dk/webshop

For he linum cables: Where ahould the dot be?

Front facing or should it be facing the back?

 

[georgelai57]

For he linum cables: Where ahould the dot be?

Front facing or should it be facing the back?

I was told it doesn't matter as long as you're consistent for both the left and the right sides.

 

[tmorterlaing]

Sorry man I'm not too sure about what you mean about commenting on its everyday use. To be blunt here, think of it as a very refined beats (just an example as beats sound is a so called mainstream sound). The bass comes out feeling like it's producedfrom dynamic driver rather than balanced armatures hence it is very filling. Love to use it on trance music but I'd avoid more vocal genres or artist such as Adele while using the V8 on stock cable unles I'm able to pair the V8 with a cable that can increase its clarity will reducing bass slightly. You can think of the V8 as playing cards when it comes to certain genres, sometimes on the appropriate genres, it will show jand and you will be amazed, other times it will just bid its time and do its best, although it knows the time isn't right to show hand.

There's still virtually no science that supports the idea of a cable improving sound. All evidence is anecdotal. 

 

[AegisYeo]

There's still virtually no science that supports the idea of a cable improving sound. All evidence is anecdotal. 

You're right, but would you believe science once you've felt it? It's all a matter of believes and experiences

 

[tmorterlaing]

You're right, but would you believe science once you've felt it? It's all a matter of believes and experiences

That sounds like superstitious language to me I'm also very aware I'm just as susceptible to placebo as everyone else, and I think if I just spent a silly amount of money on a bit of wire my brain would tell me the difference was spectacular