[stephenm22]

I have been listening to Tidal Masters on my iPhone 13 with a pair of wireless Sony WF1000XM4. It's ok but even with the highly-rated earbuds, it's not the best. Decent but not great sound, the buds are forever falling out, no matter which tips are used.

I want to upgrade my system for listening on the go mainly. But I'm lost in the swamp and need some help. I've read dozens of reviews and am now simply confused. It looks like there are a couple of directions -

iPhone, DAC and a decent set of IEMs

DAP and a decent set of IEMs.

Each time I think I have the story straight in my head, another soundbite knocks me off path.

Budget is around £1,000/$1,200.

Two questions - DAC + iPhone or DAP; and recommendations for each route. You would save my time and eyesight by giving me a decent steer!

 

[msing539]

What kind of sound signature do you like, or what do you listen to?

There are so many iems... have you heard any that you liked?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Basic rule of thumb: if you don't need portable gear, don't buy portable gear.

 

[stephenm22]

Basic rule of thumb: if you don't need portable gear, don't buy portable gear.

I need portable gear, I commute and travel on business a lot.

 

[stephenm22]

What kind of sound signature do you like, or what do you listen to?

There are so many iems... have you heard any that you liked?

I haven't tried any IEMs, even though I live in London there are next to no places that have them in stock to try, it's pretty much all online sales. Hi-fi stores in the area have over-ear stuff, which isn't really for me out of home

 

[msing539]

I haven't tried any IEMs, even though I live in London there are next to no places that have them in stock to try, it's pretty much all online sales. Hi-fi stores in the area have over-ear stuff, which isn't really for me out of home

Without a baseline, I would start with something cheap like the Salnotes Zero and Apple dongle. Both are worth owning and you'll figure out what you want more of pretty quickly.

 

[o0genesis0o]

I have been listening to Tidal Masters on my iPhone 13 with a pair of wireless Sony WF1000XM4. It's ok but even with the highly-rated earbuds, it's not the best. Decent but not great sound, the buds are forever falling out, no matter which tips are used.

I want to upgrade my system for listening on the go mainly. But I'm lost in the swamp and need some help. I've read dozens of reviews and am now simply confused. It looks like there are a couple of directions -

iPhone, DAC and a decent set of IEMs

DAP and a decent set of IEMs.

Each time I think I have the story straight in my head, another soundbite knocks me off path.

Budget is around £1,000/$1,200.

Two questions - DAC + iPhone or DAP; and recommendations for each route. You would save my time and eyesight by giving me a decent steer!

IMHO, get one good DAP for situations where you can sit down and focus on music for enjoyment and one good pair of TWS for when you are on the move. I tried many options to avoid DAP and TWS, but in the end, I had to go back to these two.

From a practical point of view, dongle DAC + wired IEM in your pocket can get tangly and make the phone difficult to handle. Sound wise, I haven’t tried the best dongles out there like Questyle M15, but the usual dual DAC dongles that I reviewed can get too loud for IEM without providing me the same soundstage imaging that I get from desktop gear or good portable gear. So, dongles are out for me.

The step up would be a portable DAC/amp such as Topping G5 (my review). Now we are talking. The sound is quite close to my desktop gear. But as you can see in the review, the whole phone + amp combo can be too thick for pocket use. When I sit down in my office, the whole setup is easier to handle, but not easy to pack up quickly.

Thus, in the end, I ended up with Shanling M6 Ultra DAP and a pair of TWS called Fiio FW5. The TWS is good enough that I can listen when running errands or doing chores without missing my high-end gear (comparing to my AirPods Pro 1). The DAP + good IEM or earbuds is nearly as good as desktop listening experience. And I can pack everything and go quickly.

 

[pbui44]

This DAC will work very well to fit in your pocket, no matter how you throw your phone back into your pocket :

https://www.mtmtaudio.com/collectio...for-iphone-android-smartphone-with-3-5mm-plug

 

[dunring]

I'd keep it simple and go with the Sennheiser momentum 2 or 3 ear buds and call it a day. They sound terrific, much better battery life than the original, and a power brick will charge them and your phone.

 

[stephenm22]

Thank you everyone. I went with the FiiO BTR7 Amp and FiiO FA7S in ear. Remarkable difference from my wireless `Sony and Sennheiser buds when using Tidal Masters. I'm very pleased.