[Cybcom]

Hey guys!
 
I've been trying to find some good jet effect settings that will pair up well with my grado sr60i, I listen mainly to ambient, downtempo, " chill out music ", and the like. Tycho, Slow Magic, Nujabes and other similar artists are among some of the guys that I listen to. If anyone has some suggestions that would be great. Also, I've owned my J3 for many years now and am wondering if there is anything more that I can get in terms of portable audio solutions? Like, what are some of the best DAP + portable amp combinations out there that would yield me the best sound quality? Will they surpass the J3? Any help would be appreciated, thanks! 

 

[kmhaynes]

I have a J3 and set of Alessandro MS-1, which is a Grado SR-80 tweaked to have a slightly smoother sound.  I find the J3 plenty powerful enough to drive the MS-1 with no problems, and when I did have the Fiio E11 (and a couple other $100 amps), it only raised the volume to the earphones -- I was really hard pressed to hear much improvement in sound quality over just the J3 itself.  So, I sold the 2 portables amps I owned.
 
As far as JetEffect setting, I don't use too many for the MS-1.  The native open sound of the MS-1 as it is, so I leave the Stereo Enhancemt, Reverb and 3D Surround all off.  In the EQ section, I have the bass and mid-bass both at 0, the mids and mid-highs at 1, and the highs at 2.  On the BBE tab, I have the BBE at 5, Mach3Bass at 2-3 depending on bass already present in the song, and MP Enhance on.  That's it for me.  Your tastes might get you to land on different settings, but you could start with those and then tweak and experiment for yourself.
 
My main listening phones are Etymotic ER4, so I tend to prefer a balanced, clear sound, but the MS-1 is such a different animal than the ER4, and I use the MS-1 for extended listening to lots of guitar-driven rock music, or for live music since the open feel of the MS-1 makes a believable recreation of being in the front couple of rows of a concert.

 

[Cybcom]

I see, thanks! Looks like I won't be needing an amp, but are there any other combinations that provide better sound quality over the J3?