Just out of curiosity, how does it compare the H2/Empyreans or Clears vs Mojo/KSE?
I listened to them in a hifi show but didn’t have the KSEs to compare right away.
H2/Empyrean detailed, musical, wide soundstage. Haven’t really listened to clears on H2 since I got the Empyreans. I bought both at same time. Mojo/KSE less detailed, much brighter, slightly more narrow soundstage. But the combo isn’t fatiguing (unlike kse/H2).
I don’t know if you can really directly compare in ears to full size cans very well.
Some earlier posts suggested that RCA output yields better sound quality. And I prefer to use a 4.4mm IEM cable with my DAP.
Hence, I bought the connector for experiment purposes.
Happy day~
Bring back my old memory where I connected TRRS to TRS plug from my Sony ZX2's 3.5mm output.
I think I have some final thoughts on my Shure KSE1200 pairing with the Hugo 2. … (Shure KSE1200 is a £1650 pair of electrostatic IEMs.)
I think possibly the most important point, is how long it took me to get used to the KSE1200. It was about two whole months before I settled completely to the sound signature of the KSE1200.
At first I was trying to hear what was better compared to other IEMS I have. I could hear improvements, and figured they were definitely worth the money in line with other IEM costs. I bounced around the Hugo 2 thread with a couple of posts about them back then. With the Hugo 2 they worked very well but I was still unsure in some respects. With TT2 they seems to take ages to get the hang of.
The thing was, I couldn't quite understand what it was that I didn't quite get with them. I could see the value in them; in their detail retrieval and beautiful tonal balance. (Those two qualities are enough for me any-day.) What I didn't figure on, was exactly how long 'brain burn-in' would take. Brain burn-in was it; it was the key. Sometime maybe after a month I almost fully clicked with them. Plus I was still growing fonder of them every time.
Then by the time two months came along I had finally really got to grips with them. This following explanation is now how I listen with them. It's best to be laid back, and have a relaxed approach to music on them. Meanwhile being prepared to follow musical detail at point-blank lightning speed, and throughout the soundstage. ..... Without this mix of relaxation and concentration, you don't hear the whole story. Much like listening to music and typing at the PC at the same time.
They are to me one of those audio purchases that makes complete sense. They pay me back every time I plug them in. Well, very nearly every time. On the odd occasion I just can't seem to get the cable right for no cable noise. 9.5 times out of 10, the cable sits fine.
The Shure KSE 1200 scale fine between Hugo 2 and TT2. I use them most on my Hugo 2, and the effect on me is like cat-nip. (Although the TT2, is fully TT2 standard better with them.)
For someone else's perspective, What HiFi mentioned their speed. They said the KSE 1200 made the Focal Stellia sound a little slow and blurry. (Anyway that makes me think, "Does that mean Focal Utopia speed?".) I know the Stellia, and slow they are not. Just the Shure KSE 1200 turn corners like .. well I can't even describe it. 3D comes to mind, but with detail everywhere. Individual music elements/sounds seem to have their own identity, and clearly defined place. The tonality; it almost bring tears to my eyes thinking about it now typing.
Rest assured, it's not just clinical detail either. The signature is smooth, exact, and stated and timed like an atomic clock. Rest assured too about an argument that electrostatics are bass weak, not punchy, and less dynamic. The KSE1200 are tonal balanced, full or life and fire, with the right kick, and also subtle to the extreme.
To me the KSE1200 bring the Hugo 2 thoroughly into its own. I do still hear slight limitations of the H2 and the KSE1200. (I bet the M-Scaler would fix that limitation though.) That aside, it's a perfect pairing. It would of course be nice if they were full size headphones, for more soundstage. The KSE1200 do have an exceptional IEM soundstage in my opinion though. Sometimes I am listening thinking, yup an IEM soundstage. More often, I am lost and trying to figure out how an IEM made a soundstage this scaled and revealing.
I bought a Digital Coaxial cable from Chord to use in the Coax In socket of the Hugo 2. It doesn't fit, and on checking the manual the jack in the graphic looks totally different, it's described as 3.5mm Digi coax and the jack is almost headphone shaped.
Have I made a schoolboy error here, apart from not checking the manual first!!!?? What coaxial cable should I have bought?
Some headphone connectors have crosstalk issues. Possibly the sockets too. Using RCA instead can solve that, so you get what seems like a larger soundstage from lower crosstalk.
So... today a COWON Plenue R2 arrived at my door. Yay! New Toy!
I have it connected to the Hugo 2 by a short optical cable and the sound is exceeding my wildest expectations. It's somewhere far away beyond merely awesome. I have actually cried today at the sheer amazingness of the sound. There have been shivers up and down my spine. This literally didn't happened for a long while until Hugo 2 arrived. Happily, connecting Hugo 2 to the optical output on the Quiet PC sounds no different than the optical from the PR2. Just incredible sound. This with the T1.1 of course. If I could only keep one headphone, it would be this one. The LCD-X is good but it tends to invite me to analyse the music. The T1.1 invites me to listen to it, bathe in it, chair-dance to it, float away on an ethereal stream of it...
One happy bear.
Thank you COWON. Thank you Chord (and @Rob Watts ). Thank you beyerdynamic.
So... today a COWON Plenue R2 arrived at my door. Yay! New Toy!
I have it connected to the Hugo 2 by a short optical cable and the sound is exceeding my wildest expectations. It's somewhere far away beyond merely awesome. I have actually cried today at the sheer amazingness of the sound. There have been shivers up and down my spine. This literally didn't happened for a long while until Hugo 2 arrived. Happily, connecting Hugo 2 to the optical output on the Quiet PC sounds no different than the optical from the PR2. Just incredible sound. This with the T1.1 of course. If I could only keep one headphone, it would be this one. The LCD-X is good but it tends to invite me to analyse the music. The T1.1 invites me to listen to it, bathe in it, chair-dance to it, float away on an ethereal stream of it...
One happy bear.
Thank you COWON. Thank you Chord (and @Rob Watts ). Thank you beyerdynamic.
I have a quick question which I have researched but cannot find a conclusive answer to and would appreciate any feedback.
Considering my Hugo2 is doing the actual D/A conversion, is using an iPhone (with the music and/or Onkyo HD player app) giving me the best I can get or would I notice a difference going to an actual stand alone player?
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