[DotChannel]

I think you've convinced me. Well overall, I think I'd just have to try it. But at the moment, I have a Cowon J3 and it is very accurate in both sound and in frequency tests. I would prefer to just focus on the J3 for now and figure out a way to make a balanced rig for that. When I have more disposable income, I will work on a Studio V rig. Thanks for the incite on the Studio V.  And weren't you the one who recommended Leckerton Audio? I think I will look into them. Would be a better replacement than my piece of **** FiiO E11. Broke in day.
 
Quote:

Why would I make it out to be that way? I don't find it to be over hyped at all. I bought it based on reviews and it really surprised me. If I thought it was **** I would be making that clear. I found my Hifiman 601 superior to my Sflo2 and I can say the Studio V is superior to the 601 in many aspects and superior to the Sflo2 in all respects. From a synergy standpoint I will be keeping the 601 still as not all IEM/headphones will pair well with the Studio V. The same applies to the Hifiman 601. I've recommended the player to a few headfiers and they have all confirmed the Studio V has met or exceeded their expectations. Now the device isn't perfect but for an audiophile player it is near perfect IMO. Most of these types of players have really lousy UI support, short battery life and reliability issues. Not sure how long this device will last though but I also bought a 2 year warranty from square trade so I am not worried the least bit. It also comes with a year warranty standard. I also agree with amping the cowon. There really is no point as the cowon has no true line out and its sound quality is okay for a mainstream player but its nothing special. Its EQ is about second to non but I see no need in using EQ anyways, at least that is the case with my portable rigs.
 

 

 

[lee730]

Isn't it still under warranty? You should look into having them replace the E11. Then you can sell it off. The Studio V is still on sale at the auction right now. Its going for a bit over $250.00 now. Full price is $350.00 which is too much IMO. If you want more power and an even better amp then get the UHA6. But it isn't as good with IEMs as the UHA4. So depending on what you will mainly be using it with keep that in mind. Also the UHA4 is quite smaller and more portable, has crossfeed, and low/hi gain.

 

[DotChannel]

That's exactly what I'm going to do. I think the FiiO is really overhyped. They make ultimately cheap products. I think I'll look into that Studio V auction. Would the Studio V be good paired with an amp? Or do you use the Leckerton Audio amp for the Studio V?
 
Quote:

Isn't it still under warranty? You should look into having them replace the E11. Then you can sell it off. The Studio V is still on sale at the auction right now. Its going for a bit over $250.00 now. Full price is $350.00 which is too much IMO. If you want more power and an even better amp then get the UHA6. But it isn't as good with IEMs as the UHA4. So depending on what you will mainly be using it with keep that in mind. Also the UHA4 is quite smaller and more portable, has crossfeed, and low/hi gain.

 

 

[lee730]

Quote:

That's exactly what I'm going to do. I think the FiiO is really overhyped. They make ultimately cheap products. I think I'll look into that Studio V auction. Would the Studio V be good paired with an amp? Or do you use the Leckerton Audio amp for the Studio V?
 
 

I think it pairs very well with the Leckerton. Especially if you are after a completely black background the Leckerton will give you that without the use of a ohm adapter. If you are using full size headphones though the Studio V should be hiss free. I notice some hiss with my IE80s and FX700s but its not bad enough to make me not want to use my Studio V. The music just sounds that good on the IE80s. I prefer the Hifiman 601 with my FX700s though. Just different synergy. I generally won't carry my Studio V around with my Leckerton because I love the portability that the Studio has. Its as small as a sansa fuze but quite a bit thicker. Still not a bad trade off for portability and super long battery life.

 

[DotChannel]

Thanks for all the help. The Studio V sounds excellent. I'm surprised it's that small. What would be some good full size headphones to use for the Studio V, you know?
 
Quote:

I think it pairs very well with the Leckerton. Especially if you are after a completely black background the Leckerton will give you that without the use of a ohm adapter. If you are using full size headphones though the Studio V should be hiss free. I notice some hiss with my IE80s and FX700s but its not bad enough to make me not want to use my Studio V. The music just sounds that good on the IE80s. I prefer the Hifiman 601 with my FX700s though. Just different synergy. I generally won't carry my Studio V around with my Leckerton because I love the portability that the Studio has. Its as small as a sansa fuze but quite a bit thicker. Still not a bad trade off for portability and super long battery life.

 

 

[lee730]

I'm not so sure on this part. I can tell you that is pairs very well with the IE80s so a headphone that is slightly on the warmer to dark side will benefit greatly from this DAP. But then again ie2han finds it to pair very well with the EX1000 which is in no way warm or dark.  I find my denon 5000s to sound nice on it but I don't think that is a very portable can. Are you limited to headphones? Did you ever consider IEMs?
Quote:

Thanks for all the help. The Studio V sounds excellent. I'm surprised it's that small. What would be some good full size headphones to use for the Studio V, you know?
 
 

 

 

[jono454]

My portable rig right now is the Cowon s9-->PA2V2-->MTPC. I just did a test to see any audible difference between non amping it and amping it and the differences were very minimal. I would figure unless you have some really hard cans to drive, then it wouldn't make much of a difference if you get an amp.

 

[DotChannel]

Oh yes I consider IEMs. I just don't see the reason to buy some IEMs for a grand (JH 13) while you could get some much more powerful over-ear headphones for a grand (Edition 8's). I also just like the look of over ears. I'm a fashion guy, so I want to show people with good taste in fashion that you can have great headphones while still maintaining style. Edition 8's are a perfect example because they look awesome (Audez'e LCD-3's are amazing sounding headphones but they look like ****). I am on a budget right now, so I would for sure get IEMs if they are the best I can get on a budget now (under $500). Anything that accurately portrays the sound is just fine for me.
 
I'm not going to buy a Studio V until I hear more when the iBasso DX100 comes out. Now that looks like an awesome DAP. An Android DAP is a dream come true for me. I wonder how it would be if it was rooted and rockboxed. That would be just fantastic.
 
Quote:

I'm not so sure on this part. I can tell you that is pairs very well with the IE80s so a headphone that is slightly on the warmer to dark side will benefit greatly from this DAP. But then again ie2han finds it to pair very well with the EX1000 which is in no way warm or dark.  I find my denon 5000s to sound nice on it but I don't think that is a very portable can. Are you limited to headphones? Did you ever consider IEMs?


 

 
Minimal is still an improvement. I bet that if you kept doing research on amps and improving it that it would sound even better and better. When I get my rig complete, I am going to keep testing it through RMAA until it gets just perfect. You should probably test your rig through the RMAA (RightMark Audio Analyzer) and see exactly what it could improve on. I run all my audio through there. The problem which lots of audio judgement is that it is done blindly, digital audio is something to be analyzed with trained ears and with equipment in order to properly judge, in my opinion.
 
Quote:

My portable rig right now is the Cowon s9-->PA2V2-->MTPC. I just did a test to see any audible difference between non amping it and amping it and the differences were very minimal. I would figure unless you have some really hard cans to drive, then it wouldn't make much of a difference if you get an amp.

 

 

[lee730]

True but going based on only graphs will also lead you to disappointment. In the long run you are better served to find what suites your ears and trust them. Believe me you could end up with a rig that measures near perfect and it could sound like **** to you still. Its not always whats on paper that tells you the truth.
 
Regarding the DX1000 I actually ordered one for myself and will be doing a short review/comparison on it.
 
I find IEMs to be better overall due to the portability and the price to performance ratio. With custom IEMs I think they surpass full size cans in many respects, especially in detail and bass extension. If this wasn't the case there wouldn't be such a market for these types of IEMS. You also have IEMs that have sound stages that are as large if not larger than full size headphones. My IE80s are an example of this.
 
Quote:

Oh yes I consider IEMs. I just don't see the reason to buy some IEMs for a grand (JH 13) while you could get some much more powerful over-ear headphones for a grand (Edition 8's). I also just like the look of over ears. I'm a fashion guy, so I want to show people with good taste in fashion that you can have great headphones while still maintaining style. Edition 8's are a perfect example because they look awesome (Audez'e LCD-3's are amazing sounding headphones but they look like ****). I am on a budget right now, so I would for sure get IEMs if they are the best I can get on a budget now (under $500). Anything that accurately portrays the sound is just fine for me.
 
I'm not going to buy a Studio V until I hear more when the iBasso DX100 comes out. Now that looks like an awesome DAP. An Android DAP is a dream come true for me. I wonder how it would be if it was rooted and rockboxed. That would be just fantastic.
 
 
Minimal is still an improvement. I bet that if you kept doing research on amps and improving it that it would sound even better and better. When I get my rig complete, I am going to keep testing it through RMAA until it gets just perfect. You should probably test your rig through the RMAA (RightMark Audio Analyzer) and see exactly what it could improve on. I run all my audio through there. The problem which lots of audio judgement is that it is done blindly, digital audio is something to be analyzed with trained ears and with equipment in order to properly judge, in my opinion.
 
 

 

 

[Matter]

Quote:

True but going based on only graphs will also lead you to disappointment. In the long run you are better served to find what suites your ears and trust them. Believe me you could end up with a rig that measures near perfect and it could sound like **** to you still. Its not always whats on paper that tells you the truth.
 
Regarding the DX1000 I actually ordered one for myself and will be doing a short review/comparison on it.
 
I find IEMs to be better overall due to the portability and the price to performance ratio. With custom IEMs I think they surpass full size cans in many respects, especially in detail and bass extension. If this wasn't the case there wouldn't be such a market for these types of IEMS. You also have IEMs that have sound stages that are as large if not larger than full size headphones. My IE80s are an example of this.
 
 

Looking forward to your review! I was unfortunately late for the 1st batch.
 

 

[hyogen]

Quote:

Very interesting that you want a flat, neutral sound, but you are using UE 700's -- they are very colored, IMO.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by DotChannel /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I'm using Ultimate Ears 700's right now. I should probably upgrade to some better headphones, but they will do for now. Thanks for the advice on RSA.
 

 
I am also of the opinion that the J3 does not need any amplification.  Over the past 2-3, I tried several different portable amps with my J3 + ER4P combo -- I could not discern much of any "improvement" in SQ other than some volume increase.  The J3 sounds very good all by itself, IMO.

 
 

agree
 
agree
 
I have the J3 and Fiio E17 and E17 doesn't seem to color at all.  I also had the IPod 5.5gen...now THAT's way more true to the performance than the J3.  The J3 warms up the sound--ask anyone...  that said, i LIKE this warm sound and I don't miss my iPod 5.5gen at all.
 
Having the E17 which is a much better amp than the E7....I still don't think that the J3 needs it.  It sounds just as good without it in my opinion. 
 
I also have a Galaxy S phone and with it rooted and Voodoo sound control installed----I don't think it needs an amp.  It's that good...the 5dB amp with Voodoo---SUPERB, althought a little less refined than the E17.  and it's pretty much the same as the J3 sound. 
 
I could easily sell either the E17 and/or either of my J3/Galaxy S phone and be SATISFIED.  This is coming from someone who placed a ton of importance on UNCOLORED headphones--  (beyerdynamic DT880 and TF10).  The only real reason I would keep the E17 for sure is if I upgraded to the 600ohm version of the dt880 from the 250ohm. 

 

[DanishSound]

I use the Cowon J3 with the Arrow 4G + Grado HF-2/custom Martin Bloodwood
 
The setup is really slim and fits my normal use. The Arrow has some nice eq that i benfit from. 

 

[hyogen]

What eq settings do you use on the j3 when amping?

 

[F900EX]

I'm in the same boat as the people who think the J3 does need an amp. From the few portable amps I have bought, I have yet to come across one that really makes a difference.
 
But then again I love EQing my J3 like a V shape .. A flat EQ to me sounds dull, but each to his own.

 

[hyogen]

have you tried the E17 amp? might be worth a try. I'm liking it both on flat J3 and also some recommended EQ/BBE settings from this board for the J3. Music sounds much more alive--just the J3 pretty much suffices for me with TF10...and with amp it's just maybe a tiny bit better for my DT880 250ohm (but again J3 is sufficient for my ears). I thought I liked a flat EQ....but J3/Wolfson/BBE have seduced me