Amp suggestion, other general improvements?

[dazzer1975]

Hi Guys,

I am looking into dipping my toes into the sea of better sound quality with regards my portable equipment. The players I have are Iriver h340, nano 1st gen, sansa clip, ipod 160 gb classic and the sansa e200.

I have always rated the iriver with the best sound quality out of the payers I own and have always used stock earbuds however, last week I ordered some etymotic er 6i's to go with the ipod and was blown away with the difference in sound, it is hard to imagine that sound can, er, "sound" so differently lol

Anyway, I have given my nephew my eti's (His 16th birthday yeserday, along with getting him an ipod classic) and have just ordered my replacement earphones, the shure se530pth.

I am wondering what suggestions, if any, you guys have for amps and cabling etc or anything else that wuld tweak the sq that bit further?

I am a complete audiophile naive newbie, if you haven't guessed from this post but am eagerly anticipating making the first tentative steps down this enticing road.

Any comments, suggestions ideas, etc will be most welcome and apprecated.

Cheers.

p.s. I take it the imod is not availabe for 6th gen ipods? How does the imod stack up against the iaudio x5?

 

[dazzer1975]

bump

 

[Capunk]

iPod is a good portable source, if you're using the line-out dock.
It can further improved if modded into iMod, and even better with V-CAP extension. However only 4th Gen ipod or 5th Gen ipod that mod-able (by Red Wine Audio), that's the only limitation.

RWA states that iMod is comparable to thousands grand high end source, maybe a bit exaggerating, but it's still a damn good source. You will need a separate headphone amp for it, as the inner amplification is cut off, so it's a pure audio signal from the DAC.

With a good headphone amp, and interconnect cable, also good headphone (this is important), iMod setup will shine on, it will outshine any great digital audio player out there.

 

[bobloblaw]

A well amped iMod can compete with most $1k cd transports, and is certainly as good or better than any portable you'll find.

I haven't seen much info out there about recabling Shures, but that's not to say it can't be done. They're not detachable connectors, are they?

 

[Uncle Erik]

You shouldn't need to amplify IEMs. They're extremely sensitive and engineered to be driven by an iPod's internal amp.

If you're looking for a new experience, try a pair of Grados with your iPod. An iPod will drive Grados well enough and you'll probably get hooked on the sound.

I don't think modding an iPod is a good idea. A later 'n' greater version will always be out in 6-12 months and the product lifespan is fairly low. You can get a Grado SR-225 for less than an iMod. If I were you, I'd read through a SR-225 appreciation thread or two before making a decision.

 

[dazzer1975]

Hi guys,

Ok well there's some food for thought there regarding my next steps.

I have just received the ety er4p along with the conversion cable to 4s as I found after listening to the shures, I kinda yearned for the clarity and analytical sound I got through the er 6i's. Dont get me wrong, the shure's are awesome, but I suspect it is the sound signatures of the two manufacturers I am being torn between as opposed any particular defecit or advantage in either iem?

As for cans, I have had some senneheiser 485's for listening to my averge and old home hifi (kenwood series 21, so nothing to write home about) and was a little dissapointed with them but hey, for 35 pounds...

That is an interesting pointregarding the lifespa of the ipod and the costs involved in purchasing a 4/5gen playr and then imodding it but the wolfson chip does have me intrigued,I have heard that name crop up over the last couple of years on several dap forums and now to discover it is regarded by you audiophiles as somethign a bit special has really wheted my appetite.

I don't know, I think I am just after a respectable portable solution which will make me not want to take my earphones or headphones off.

Ok then, thanks a lot for your replies and input, I really appreciate it guys.

Cheers