[dj nellie]

Well to be fair, custom IEMs are extremely sensitive and have very low impedance.  The drivers were, of course, originally designed for hearing aid purposes, and so they need very little power.  Add to that the high degree of isolation, and even very low gain amps suddenly become too loud at the lowest possible volume.
 
It seems that most of the mid-size portable amps were designed with the goal of being able to drive high-impedance full-size cans, which leaves little room at the bottom for customs.  With some sources, this is a problem, but with other sources and types of music--I find that vintage jazz, classical, and classic rock seem to need more volume for some reason--these amps have enough (but not a lot of) listenable volume range.

 

[Kunlun]

Quote:

Well to be fair, custom IEMs are extremely sensitive and have very low impedance.  The drivers were, of course, originally designed for hearing aid purposes, and so they need very little power.  Add to that the high degree of isolation, and even very low gain amps suddenly become too loud at the lowest possible volume.
 
It seems that most of the mid-size portable amps were designed with the goal of being able to drive high-impedance full-size cans, which leaves little room at the bottom for customs.  With some sources, this is a problem, but with other sources and types of music--I find that vintage jazz, classical, and classic rock seem to need more volume for some reason--these amps have enough (but not a lot of) listenable volume range.

How did it work with your ie8?
 
Imagine an ie8 with a ttvj slim and an ipod, Do you think you'd have the same issue? You can give a guesstimate if necessary, thanks.
 
 

 

[The Monkey]

Just a couple of brief observations from me here: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/501668/pico-slim-or-ttvj-slim#post_6800336 Not sure how helpful they'll be.

 

[Kunlun]

Monkey, did you have the same issue that dj nellie did?

 

[dj nellie]

Quote:

How did it work with your ie8?
 
Imagine an ie8 with a ttvj slim and an ipod, Do you think you'd have the same issue? You can give a guesstimate if necessary, thanks.

 
I haven't tried it yet, but I think the IE8 would be fine with the TTVJ and an iPod lineout.  The IE8 generally requires a little more volume on my sources than my customs, plus the iPod lineout isn't anywhere near as hot as the Solo's.  The question is whether the TTVJ's alleged warmth would not synergize well with the IE8.  But I haven't heard the TTVJ enough to confirm that it really is that warm.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Monkey, did you have the same issue that dj nellie did?

No.

 

[MHinGA]

 
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iPod Classic > CLAS > TTVJ Slim into a variety of ear/headphones: Shure SE535, Etymotic ER-4S, Sennheiser HD 650, Audez'e LCD-2.
 
Standard disclaimer: I am not an audiophile, just a guy who likes music. That being said:
 
The Slim drives the SE535 effortlessly on the lowest gain setting. The Shures can't compete with a good custom IEM, but hey, they were a gift so I'll live with them. The ER-4S can also be driven at the lowest gain setting; these earphones deliver more clarity in the upper range than the Shures IMO, and that is an area where I think the TTVJ amp shines. I do not experience the problems mentioned above regarding custom IEMs with my non-custom earphones.
 
I listen to the HD 650s and LCD-2 on the middle gain setting if I'm using the portable rig. Notably, while the Audez'es cannot be driven nearly as well by the TTVJ Slim as by a desktop setup, they still sound very good on the portable setup.
 
Compared with a HeadRoom Micro, the TTVJ is much more detailed and the bass is tighter, while the HeadRoom Micro sounds bigger at the cost of comparatively muddled bass. The TTVJ really out-delivers the Micro in treble, IMO. Overall I prefer the TTVJ and so my HeadRoom Micro is in a desk drawer. I may invest in an RSA SR-71B at some point, but until then the TTVJ Slim is just fine for me as a portable amp.
 
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[estreeter]

Thanks again for all the feedback, guys - really good to see so many positives for an amp that has been out long enough for the usual 'wow! this is the best ever !' brigade to have moved on to something else.

 

[Kunlun]

I just bought the ttvj slim and it's very nice so far. People say amps improve a bit over time and that'll be nice if it happens, but just out of the box (1 hour listening time), it's quite smooth. Nothing harsh, everything blended and coherent. Extension seems good. This is really just the right size, anything bigger would be a problem to carry in one's hand on a commute. The gain is perfect out of an ipod for my dynamic driver Future Sonics MG6Pro Ear Monitor customs at the low setting. The digital volume is nice, everything balanced at low volume levels. So far, so good. We'll see how it goes with more time, but a truly nice step over the ibasso t3 I have.

 

[estreeter]

Thanks for the impressions, Kunlun.
 
Guys, Todd has just pushed me over the edge on this amp - I'll be placing my order first thing Monday. Emailed him re build/delivery time, expecting the usual '2 weeks' and fearing that it might be even longer (cough, Arrow, cough), but he replied that they can ship as soon as they receive payment as they have plenty of amps in stock. Todd has a good rep here, and I have no reason to doubt him - I especially appreciated how quickly he got back to someone asking about a $345 portable when most of the stuff he sells is considerably 'higher end'. I dont doubt that Ray or Jan would have been equally quick to respond, but it has taken me months to get to this point and I'm going to go with it.
 
Bring on those liquid mids 

 

[Kunlun]

Yes, the customer service was excellent, several people over at Todd's were all working together and making sure everything got to me, questions all answered, things done right (any problems smoothly dealt with). A very good experience.

 

[The Monkey]

Todd's one of the good guys.

 

[estreeter]

I know, Monkey, but I also get a perverse thrill reading about the rogues in this industry. Probably less so if they had my money, tho ..... 

 

[edvardd]

so I think my gain swtich broke. It's very hard to move and I was using a pencil. is that common? Is it possible to fix it myself or do I have to send it back?

 

[MHinGA]

Quote:

so I think my gain swtich broke. It's very hard to move and I was using a pencil. is that common? Is it possible to fix it myself or do I have to send it back?

The gain switch is recessed and isn't easy to move... both of which I consider design advantages! The last thing I want is to blow an eardrum by inadvertently switching a too-easy-to-move gain control. Use a paper clip or a flat toothpick (you know: the ones that are supposed to be better for your teeth; they're stouter than a regular toothpick), and keep in mind that one thing that is a bit of a design flaw is that the three gain settings on the TTVJ aren't perfectly aligned with the tab, so you have to push it all the way one direction or the other to find where you're at the first time.