[javiereky]

Hey all, I bet this question has been asked a lot of times before but I just cannot get the information I'm seeking for for all my questions which explains why I am starting this thread, to help myself and other fellow music lovers to better understand, hopefully.
 
TL;DR version
Should I get an amp for my Fiio x1?
Why am I getting worse quality out of a 44.1khz 16 bits FLAC file as compared to spotify 360 kbps?
Best IEM headphones under $200 w/ good bass, soundstage.
 
 
 
 
Firstly, I used to own a pair of JVC HA FXZ 200, and before that I owned a budget pair of Senheisser CX300 which started the quest to seek for higher quality audio. I got a lot out of the Senheisser until I lost it, and upgraded to the JVCs. The JVCs were great, but somehow not worth the $200 upgrade as compared to the Senheisser's. I felt like there was something more that I was actually seeking. So I bought a Fiio x1 based on good reviews, and also a pair of Grado Sr80e. Before the Fiio x1 purchase, all of headphones were plugged into my iPhone 5. I got some FLAC files with 44.1 khz and 16 bits, not sure if that is good enough though. All I got was utter disappointment, much worse as compared to the JVC/Senheisser + iPhone 5 combo. I even tried the JVC flagship fxt 1200 with both the iPhone 5 and Fiio x1 but it sounded the same as default iPhone headphones. 
 
I am planning to get an amp, but I heard that I don't really need one unless the sound is distorted or not loud enough. However this would be on my number 1 list if I were to get one. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/analogartistry/leo-vintage-analog-sound-from-any-modern-device?ref=category They promised rich mellow sound which were not possible with other amps.
 
Would be great if anyone could share their experience before they found their one true headphone. 
On a side note, I already sold off my JVCs, and I currently have my Grados, Soundmagic e10, apple headphones, fiio x1 and iphone 5.

 

[cel4145]

An amp should generally not be needed to drive IEMs with the X1 and may offer little or marginal benefit.

I would not personally recommend ordering Kickstarter audio equipment unless you like taking risks. Better to go with equipment that is already available and well-reviewed by audio fans.

I have no idea why Spotify sounds better than your flacs. Perhaps it would help to say why they sound worse? Also, you might take a CD and make a flac and a 320k mp3 from a song yourself and compare them. Generally, you should find that they sound very similar, if not the same, with maybe the flac having a slight edge. Flac is lossless; mp3 audio is lossy.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I have no idea why Spotify sounds better than your flacs. Perhaps it would help to say why they sound worse? Also, you might take a CD and make a flac and a 320k mp3 from a song yourself and compare them. Generally, you should find that they sound very similar, if not the same, with maybe the flac having a slight edge. Flac is lossless; mp3 audio is lossy.

 

A few guesses:

1. His IEMs are too bassy for his tastes, so with MP3 trimming down a bit off either end, it basically EQs the sound.

 

2. We don't know where the FLACs came from - if they came from a pirate torrent, it could be anything. It could even have been converted up from lossy file.

 

3. Spotify might be applying EQ correction, like BBE MediaXPander on ///////ALPINE MP3 receivers that applies a wideband EQ boost at either end to "correct" what MP3 compression usually shaves off, so in effect it can sound better than a bad FLAC conversion

 

4. The FLAC files might actually be better files, meaning they have lower gain, even if applied only during ripping; the "normal" (normal now is high gain) gain on music on Spotify will initially sound better to most people - the same way that we now have the "Mastered for iTunes" label (one of the features being high gain so they sound great to the general populace)

 

 

[javiereky]

I

A few guesses:


1. His IEMs are too bassy for his tastes, so with MP3 trimming down a bit off either end, it basically EQs the sound.

2. We don't know where the FLACs came from - if they came from a pirate torrent, it could be anything. It could even have been converted up from lossy file.

3. Spotify might be applying EQ correction, like BBE MediaXPander on ///////ALPINE MP3 receivers that applies a wideband EQ boost at either end to "correct" what MP3 compression usually shaves off, so in effect it can sound better than a bad FLAC conversion

4. The FLAC files might actually be better files, meaning they have lower gain, even if applied only during ripping; the "normal" (normal now is high gain) gain on music on Spotify will initially sound better to most people - the same way that we now have the "Mastered for iTunes" label (one of the features being high gain so they sound great to the general populace)


 

I guess you might be right about the flac! As I was still not ready to invest buying flac files so I just got a couple from torrent sites. I'm actually a guy who likes bass, have been enjoying bass heavy music, and more of rock music recently. Have done a lot of research and turned out the v shaped sound signature is what I should be looking for. Got a couple of iems recommended such as the tf10 (which price is extremely inflated now) and the vsonic gr07, thinking of getting shures, but heard they are weaker on the treble and bass. Is it true?

 

[H20Fidelity]

An external amp can be added to FiiO X1 for bypassing its internal amp section, quite a few members are doing this.
 
Generally, depending on the IEM used (which in most cases are low impedance / easy to drive) an amp isn't required and the FiiO does perform nicely, however, in the case of FiiO X1 switching to line out and adding an amp will remove the warm FiiO house sound coming from its internal amp section. Personally, I've gained quite substantial improvements in sound quality doing this as many of the reviews also agree.
 
You can see here my X1 as an experiment tied to a $500 amp.
 

 
(I don't recommend you go this extreme, its only for the sexy people) 

 
 
Most importantly, its the IEM that makes the most difference. If you're after a bass signature with good soundstage I recommend Dunu DN-1000, a hybrid I often throw around loosely due to its high versatility and well-tuned performance. So, this is what I would do to move up to better sound.
 
1) Start researching IEMs. To begin, check out Dunu DN-1000 review from Brooko below.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/dunu-dn-1000/reviews/10120
 
(keep note of what he's highlighted in the "pros and cons")
 
2) You may find yourself completely satisfied with X1 and a new IEM, though if you ever want to play with bypassing the internal amp like mentioned, read about little amps like Topping NX1 with great run times.
 
Thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/696825/topping-nx1-portable-headphone-amplifier-impressions-thread
 
As for your files, try and stick to no lower than MP3 320kbps or 256 AAC, and I have no idea why your FLACs sound that way!

 

[tomb]

 

I have no idea why Spotify sounds better than your flacs. Perhaps it would help to say why they sound worse? Also, you might take a CD and make a flac and a 320k mp3 from a song yourself and compare them. Generally, you should find that they sound very similar, if not the same, with maybe the flac having a slight edge. Flac is lossless; mp3 audio is lossy.

 

A few guesses:

1. His IEMs are too bassy for his tastes, so with MP3 trimming down a bit off either end, it basically EQs the sound.

 

2. We don't know where the FLACs came from - if they came from a pirate torrent, it could be anything. It could even have been converted up from lossy file.

 

3. Spotify might be applying EQ correction, like BBE MediaXPander on ///////ALPINE MP3 receivers that applies a wideband EQ boost at either end to "correct" what MP3 compression usually shaves off, so in effect it can sound better than a bad FLAC conversion

 

4. The FLAC files might actually be better files, meaning they have lower gain, even if applied only during ripping; the "normal" (normal now is high gain) gain on music on Spotify will initially sound better to most people - the same way that we now have the "Mastered for iTunes" label (one of the features being high gain so they sound great to the general populace)

 

this ^
 
Very good post!

 

[javiereky]

An external amp can be added to FiiO X1 for bypassing its internal amp section, quite a few members are doing this.

Generally, depending on the IEM used (which in most cases are low impedance / easy to drive) an amp isn't required and the FiiO does perform nicely, however, in the case of FiiO X1 switching to line out and adding an amp will remove the warm FiiO house sound coming from its internal amp section. Personally, I've gained quite substantial improvements in sound quality doing this as many of the reviews also agree.

You can see here my X1 as an experiment tied to a $500 amp.




(I don't recommend you go this extreme, its only for the sexy people) 


Most importantly, its the IEM that makes the most difference. If you're after a bass signature with good soundstage I recommend Dunu DN-1000, a hybrid I often throw around loosely due to its high versatility and well-tuned performance. So, this is what I would do to move up to better sound.

1) Start researching IEMs. To begin, check out Dunu DN-1000 review from Brooko below.

http://www.head-fi.org/products/dunu-dn-1000/reviews/10120

(keep note of what he's highlighted in the "pros and cons")

2) You may find yourself completely satisfied with X1 and a new IEM, though if you ever want to play with bypassing the internal amp like mentioned, read about little amps like Topping NX1 with great run times.

Thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/696825/topping-nx1-portable-headphone-amplifier-impressions-thread

As for your files, try and stick to no lower than MP3 320kbps or 256 AAC, and I have no idea why your FLACs sound that way!

Thank you for your helpful input. Just got my hands on a pair of dunu 1000 that you recommended. It was really what I was looking for, I'm definitely not a pro with the terms, but this masterpiece has awesome deep bass, with clear vocals. A perfect combination that many would favor I would say!

 

[H20Fidelity]

Thank you for your helpful input. Just got my hands on a pair of dunu 1000 that you recommended. It was really what I was looking for, I'm definitely not a pro with the terms, but this masterpiece has awesome deep bass, with clear vocals. A perfect combination that many would favor I would say!

 
Glad you're enjoying them. =) Do you find them just fine from the X1 alone?