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Originally Posted by lmf22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I can't seem to decide which path to go:
1. Get APureSound upgrade cable for my current Etymotic ER4P.
2. Sell ER4P and get Shure SE530.
3. Keep the current setup and save some money.
What every choice I go with, it will be used with my iPod Classic 160GB and iPod Touch (2nd generation), unamped.
I like the sound of my ER4P but wondering which of these choices will give me the best sound and value.
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Originally Posted by Caution /img/forum/go_quote.gif
How about adding an amp?
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Originally Posted by qusp /img/forum/go_quote.gif
the cable upgrade will give you the least amount of upgrade in SQ. and thats coming from someone who makes cables. upgrading your cable should be the last thing you do when you are totally happy with your sound and don't really have anywhere else to go with the setup.
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Originally Posted by nc8000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Very good advice. I have had the APS P and S cables and...love what these cables do the the ER4 that I already love. I have never heard the SE530...my guess is the going to SE530 is more of a crossupgrade as they might be better than ER4 but are almost certainly also a fair bit different.
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Here's my entry to add to your consideration (confusion?).
I have the APS ER4P. I have tried the SE530. I have also tried cable upgrades in RCA, Mini-2-Mini and headphone cable forms. My portable/transportable explorations have been far more considerable than I would have hoped for originally and I attribute this to the broader diversity of sound signatures and sound quality you might find with the various 'voicings' of equipment. To me the GIGO principle is VERY much balanced with finding the right
synergy of all the equipment you choose to place in the signal path.
Persoanlly I think the iPod Touch offers a good deal. The suggestion to add an amp could be of benefit if you want to change the dynamics and 'voicing' of the signal but it also adds mini-2-mini cabling as an issue plus, of course, finding the amp that sounds 'best' to you when synergised with your other equipment. For instance I think even with the APS 'P' recable for an ER4 you will benefit from an amp that has a bit of a warm bass emphasis (e.g. RSA SR-71). I personally also think the recabled ER4 still lacks punchiness and drive in the bass area so I'd look for that in an amp. What appeals to you, though, even with all the good advice and threads on this site, will really be totally up to your explorations.
In terms of replacing the ER4 I think you need to consider what you like about the overall presentation of what you are listening to. If it is the scintillating highs and solid midrange the ER4s are correctly famous for, then I personally would feel you could be disappointed by the SE530s (unless you paired them with a brighter amp). I think you'd love the much punchier bass but I also think you'd miss that crystal top end.
In terms of your 3 choices I have already chosen '1' and am pleased with the differences. However I would also suggest that if you were o.k. with a little DIY you might find playing with the resistance of the original cable could make the changes you want - I am PMing ATM with a HeadFi-er on a budget who is finding good results for himself with this approach (PM me if you want more details).
What has really blown me away though in the last 2 weeks is a recabling I have had for my Livewires T1s - it's given me almost everything the APS ER4Ps have (one micro step less in the highs I think, but it really is micro) yet a very full, rich, deep and punch bass (much clearer/cleaner than the SE530s). The problem with this? The cable cost the earth
Which might be o.k. for me, as I finally (think I) have the sound I'll settle with portably. But this cable has made far more of a change than the standard copper vs silver mini-2-mini approach. So there are cables (and I admit only a few compared to the vast majority out there) that do provide more than "the least amount of upgrade in SQ". So much so that I altered the chip in my DAC to a cleaner chip that didn't need to provide the bass emphasis I felt I needed still with the APS ER4Ps.
But I must stress, as always, those are MY conclusions for MY ears with the equipment I am using.
You really do need to explore for yourself.
So, if money is an issue, perhaps '3. really is the best option - at least until you get so disgruntled with what you perceive is missing in comparison to your home setup(s) that you need to start 'investing' here and there and trying how to further improve what you have - with amp or IEMs first, then mini-2-minis, then IEM recable (you can see the dollars building up, can't you...).