[Ike1985]

I have $3-$400 dollars to spend on each item, $800 total.
 
Prefer to save money buying used phone/DAP(more value), so if it is an item that frequently appears in for sale section that's a bonus. IEMs must be new, open to custom as long as priced within range.
 
Would like input on choosing between the following two paths for listening to lossless formats:
 
1. Dedicated DAP + IEMs
 
2. HTC One M8 + IEMs
 
My music is taste metal: thrash, black, symphonic black, cinematic, epic, doom, death, etc.
 
Thank You
Ike

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Originally Posted by iKE1985 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
1. Dedicated DAP + IEMs
2. HTC One M8 + IEMs
----
I want this to be something I buy once and last me 10 years.

 

You'll have to manage your expectations here, considering the following:

 

1. At the very least, the batteries on either phone or DAP wouldn't last ten years, and HTCs don't use user-replaceable anything - you can't switch out the battery, and you can't even use a microSD card to expand storage.The only way to do the latter is to use a portable wireless HDD, and as for the former, I'm not sure for how long they'll service the unit for a new battery instead of offering you a discount on a later model. Two Ibasso DAPs however use Samsung S3 batteries, so that one's worth looking at. Get a spare battery+charger kit for it so the batteries are charged slowly (but then you keep several) to minimize heat build up on the battery and in the device itself whenever you charge, minimizing wear and tear.

 

2. Depending on how you use a smartphone, that might not last more than four years. Putting a case on it helps protect it from physical damage, but that tends to help trap heat, increasing the effects of wear and tear on its components. Plus it's running constantly at all times, unlike a DAP which is switched off when not in use, a phone has to stay running for it to function as a communications device.

 

3. IEMs also tend to be very vulnerable. The most well-built IEM with the most careful user still needs only that one mistake to drop it or for sweat or earwax to get in the bore or for the cable to snag something (even the closing mechanism on the case that's meant to protect it). At the very least, get an IEM that has a replaceable cable, so at least that one's an easy fix.

 

[Ike1985]

Ok so forget about 10 years, and just think about normal use, i'll edit the original post.

 

[Ike1985]

   

You'll have to manage your expectations here, considering the following:

 

1. At the very least, the batteries on either phone or DAP wouldn't last ten years, and HTCs don't use user-replaceable anything - you can't switch out the battery, and you can't even use a microSD card to expand storage.The only way to do the latter is to use a portable wireless HDD, and as for the former, I'm not sure for how long they'll service the unit for a new battery instead of offering you a discount on a later model. Two Ibasso DAPs however use Samsung S3 batteries, so that one's worth looking at. Get a spare battery+charger kit for it so the batteries are charged slowly (but then you keep several) to minimize heat build up on the battery and in the device itself whenever you charge, minimizing wear and tear.

 

2. Depending on how you use a smartphone, that might not last more than four years. Putting a case on it helps protect it from physical damage, but that tends to help trap heat, increasing the effects of wear and tear on its components. Plus it's running constantly at all times, unlike a DAP which is switched off when not in use, a phone has to stay running for it to function as a communications device.

 

3. IEMs also tend to be very vulnerable. The most well-built IEM with the most careful user still needs only that one mistake to drop it or for sweat or earwax to get in the bore or for the cable to snag something (even the closing mechanism on the case that's meant to protect it). At the very least, get an IEM that has a replaceable cable, so at least that one's an easy fix.

 
I thought HTC ONE's have expandable memory, that's a "deal breaker" for me.  Forget them then.  Any device I use must have expandable memory using commonly available cards.
 
Appreciated the IEM tips.
 
Lets move the emphasis away from things that last forever, I went awry there.  Let's just look at typical devices, I want QUALITY above all else.  Any devices failures can be resolved with manufacturers.
 
Thank you.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

For performance, I'd say it's a toss-up between the X5 and DX90. The differences in sound, provided neither is distorting more with whatever headphone/IEM is being used to compare them, is tinier than what reviews make them all seem like.

 

It will really come down more to ergonomics - which interface (buttons vs buttons+touch screen, etc) you prefer, whether you really need it thinner or you can make do with a thicker one if it has a swappable battery. That latter part is potentially about more than just the battery itself though - sometimes charging alone (and more so when you use "fast" chargers) can build up a lot of heat, and that can affect other components. Although it isn't as bad  with the X5 - unlike a phone which is perpetually running, if you charge a DAP you're likely to switch it off, so when it's full the system kicks in and stops anything beyond trickle charging.

 

Still, what carrier are you with? If you have one, or can upgrade to, something like a Note, you should try that out first with any IEM you get before you buy a DAP. The IEM might be efficient enough that it can't get the Note to audible distortion levels, and you can just use something you would have otherwise paid for anyway since you'll need a phone regardless (maybe just get a spare battery+charger). The thing with the DAPs is that if you had a full-size headphone that needs a lot of power, the DAP can function as a spare (like if your desktop gear breaks or the power is out), or you can use them as a transportable system; otherwise, most of what it does is prevent your phone from the additional wear and tear from playing music for long periods, which aside from the battery life, wouldn't really be noticeable.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I think I might spend the whole $800 on CIEMs and keep listening to whatever you listen to now. For example, the 1964Ears V6S, JH Audio JH7 or Heir Audio 4.A S are all $700, and that leaves $100 for impressions and any misc costs like shipping.

 

[Ike1985]

 

For performance, I'd say it's a toss-up between the X5 and DX90. The differences in sound, provided neither is distorting more with whatever headphone/IEM is being used to compare them, is tinier than what reviews make them all seem like.

 

It will really come down more to ergonomics - which interface (buttons vs buttons+touch screen, etc) you prefer, whether you really need it thinner or you can make do with a thicker one if it has a swappable battery. That latter part is potentially about more than just the battery itself though - sometimes charging alone (and more so when you use "fast" chargers) can build up a lot of heat, and that can affect other components. Although it isn't as bad  with the X5 - unlike a phone which is perpetually running, if you charge a DAP you're likely to switch it off, so when it's full the system kicks in and stops anything beyond trickle charging.

 

Still, what carrier are you with? If you have one, or can upgrade to, something like a Note, you should try that out first with any IEM you get before you buy a DAP. The IEM might be efficient enough that it can't get the Note to audible distortion levels, and you can just use something you would have otherwise paid for anyway since you'll need a phone regardless (maybe just get a spare battery+charger). The thing with the DAPs is that if you had a full-size headphone that needs a lot of power, the DAP can function as a spare (like if your desktop gear breaks or the power is out), or you can use them as a transportable system; otherwise, most of what it does is prevent your phone from the additional wear and tear from playing music for long periods, which aside from the battery life, wouldn't really be noticeable.

 
 
Wow, a lot to contemplate here.
 
A screen is necessary.
 
Thick or thin doesn't matter.
 
With AT&T, considering going changing to a carrier without contracts, like TING.

 

[Ike1985]

I think I might spend the whole $800 on CIEMs and keep listening to whatever you listen to now. For example, the 1964Ears V6S, JH Audio JH7 or Heir Audio 4.A S are all $700, and that leaves $100 for impressions and any misc costs like shipping.

 
I would be playing the lossless files from an iphone 3gs.  Wouldn't CIEMs require a higher quality source device to get proper performance.

 

[Ike1985]

I looked up the HTC one m8, it does accept microSD cards, so it's back on the table.
 
http://www.htc.com/us/support/htc-one-m8/howto/464859.html

 

[ProtegeManiac]

   
I would be playing the lossless files from an iphone 3gs.  Wouldn't CIEMs require a higher quality source device to get proper performance.

 

Not necessarily going to be a night and day difference going from a decent smartphone to a dual DAC DAP. In most cases the amplification is the more important thing, but with IEMs that isn't even necessarily the problem, considering they can be easily driven by a smartphone, and any gains are minimal. In some cases the volume control will be the real benefit depending on the settings on the phone, the efficiency of the IEM, and its impedance (and unfortunately it's hard to anticipate these mathematically, since isolation levels could be a factor).

 

One thing to note though, it also depends on the smartphone. I have the Galaxy S3 and the Aurisonics ASG-1, and it kinda sucks if I nitpick, thanks to some quite obvious bass distortion, however the thing I complain about more is the lack of steps in the smartphone's volume control. In louder environments, the settings can go from "almost there" (my listening volume in a quiet environment) to "TURN IT DOWN!!!" with just one press of the + button. The Fiio X1 was a lot better than my smartphone in both - the bass is louder but none of the obvious bass distortion (loose bass, abnormal bloom, etc) but what I really appreciated more is that it had about five or six steps between the equivalent volume settings described.

 

BTW, the X1 was specifically designed for IEMs (and is powerful enough for many headphones actually), so you might want to look into that one. For $99 I can't imagine how I neglected to mention it - that still leaves you a lot more cash for the IEM. You could go for a custom with that kind of cash.

 

  I looked up the HTC one m8, it does accept microSD cards, so it's back on the table.
 
http://www.htc.com/us/support/htc-one-m8/howto/464859.html

 
Looks like they listened to complaints about the other Ones. My cousin's didn't have a microSD slot, but coming from an iPhone and using 128kbps, he never complained about that, and neither did my friends who had the same model.

 

[Ike1985]

I have read that the HTC mini 2 has better audio quality than the one M8, is this true? If that's true, great, because it's cheaper too.

 

[cel4145]

For performance, I'd say it's a toss-up between the X5 and DX90. The differences in sound, provided neither is distorting more with whatever headphone/IEM is being used to compare them, is tinier than what reviews make them all seem like.

+1

Either of these would be an excellent choice

 

[billybob_jcv]

Many CIEMs are very low impedance and quite efficient. An amp may not be required. For example, here's the 1964ears V6:

Impedance: 15 Ohms at 1kHz
Sensitivity: 116dB SPL @ 1mW

No amp is required, and if you do amp them, you better make sure it is an amp with very low gain and a very low output impedance.

I also think lossless files for portable use are just a waste of space. I would rather have twice as many 320Kbps mp3 files and CIEMs!