[Mimouille]

i myself want to buy a cable for the zeus r, but i learned one thing not to follow any hype for items that barely can make a difference in improving sound quality or spend money on something will be difficult to quantify as improving sound quality or perception

But that does not mean at all that I am not open to the idea of buying a cable but if  i pay 300 USD or above on a cable then I expect that I will hear a difference and an obvious difference. I am open to the fact that cables would make a difference that i easily heard when changing cables but I need to be guided to the right cable 

for example I have 3 cables around me

1- the cheap stock cable from EE that i got with my savage 5
2- BTG starlight cable that came with Zeus R
3- pure copper cable from Headlounge from Ted

do i hear any difference among them, honestly I do not hear a difference and if there is a difference then its so minute that i can not distinguish that difference, the good thing is the cables above are not expensive

so if i pay 300 USD or above then please recommend something that really will allow me to hear a clear difference

my preference is warm, big bass, big sound stage, full mids, and keep treble as is with zeus r, as I do not like harsh or cold sounding signatures

Cables will only change the sound if their impedance is different. I would much recommend you play with sources before investing in cables.

 

[Sound Eq]

Cables will only change the sound if their impedance is different. I would much recommend you play with sources before investing in cables.

on that note can u make an iem less sensitive to hiss, and what would u look at specs to have iem hiss less

 

[FlySweep]

The Spartan seems to be one that most users recommend for rock music lovers.  Potentially inter

Nice, it's not always about totl but what fits with your system and sound signature.  How about some pics of your spartan to liven things up a bit? 

I can definitely see why it's recommended for rock lovers.. The Spartan possesses excellent micro and macro dynamics (it belies what one might typically expect from a quad driver in this regard). The clean, fast, crisp attack coupled with accurate timbre and perfectly balanced note weight makes it a match made in heaven for guitar distortion and other rock elements.

I listen to a really wide variety of music.. But primarily (indie) hip hop (both instrumental and vocal), downtempo breaks, liquid drum and bass, electronica (that leans to the more soulful, organic side.. less synth-oriented bleeps and bloops stuff), jazzy soul/funk/fusion, and a lot of sample source material (psych rock, vintage soul, etc.). Even with hip hop, I've always preferred a neutral-ish sound. I found the Spartan to be a really awesome match for this disparate range of music. I'm a "resolution junkie" who can never get enough low level detail retrieval.. As long as it doesn't come at the cost of timbre or excessive coloration. Spartan comes through in spades here.

A quick shot of my Spartans below. Same design as my Apollo-X.. translucent smoke shells (they actually look much lighter in color when seen in real life) and clear faceplate. Nothing fancy.. But I like the simplicity.. And hour I can easily marvel at the beautiful internals.

 

[Mimouille]

on that note can u make an iem less sensitive to hiss, and what would u look at specs to have iem hiss less

Hum I doubt the impedance of the cable would make a significant difference. An impedance adapter can.

 

[bavinck]

I know all the rage is the Zeus/Zeus-R as of late.. but I've had the Spartan-IV (custom version) for a short while now and I find it nothing short of fantastic.  It possesses a near perfect blend of the tonal profile and technicalities I prioritize.  Tied with the UERM, the Spartan is probably my favorite custom IEM to date (I like it more than the CFA Andromeda, too).  In fact, I'm almost certain I like it more than the EE's own Apollo-X custom that I used to have.  It's not as technically adept as the Apollo-X in some area.. but in more than a few areas (in accordance to my preferences), the Spartan excels.  I'll have more thoughts on the Spartan soon.. but so far, I'm too busy enjoying it to type about it.

Thanks for sharing. I was eyeing the spartan too, just waiting for the Asius announcement. How does it compare to Apollo? I think the current prices for iems are rediculous and will not go over $800 or so.

 

[Sound Eq]

Hum I doubt the impedance of the cable would make a significant difference. An impedance adapter can.

i have the 75 ohm impedance adapter and it makes the zeus r sound bad, will never use that adapter 

 

[Mimouille]

i have the 75 ohm impedance adapter and it makes the zeus r sound bad, will never use that adapter 

The UE seems to help I think.

 

[Sound Eq]

The UE seems to help I think.

what u mean the UE

 

[Cotnijoe]

The UE seems to help I think.

what u mean the UE

The buffer jack

 

[boblauer]

  what u mean the UE

http://pro.ultimateears.com/adjustable-ambient-filters-199
 
EE used to have it one their site as well before the redesign i  believe. I use a Penon sourced 75ohm version with my Spartans for certain source material. For most rock, the background is so colored I rarely pick up any hiss. My source is a laptop running Foobar 2K, USB out thru AQ Jitterbug into iFi iPurifier2 and finally iDsd Nano pretty silent background 99% of the time. 

 

[Sound Eq]

The buffer jack

so did anyone use it and what is the experience with it, does it affect sq or an iem negatively

 

[twister6]

 

 

The UE seems to help I think.

what u mean the UE

The buffer jack

 
Tried buffer jack (the active one, right?) - doesn't help.  75ohm adapter - attenuates the noise flow along with a signal, and the sound quality goes does too.  Also tried it with UE airplane adapter, I think it's equivalent to 75ohm.
 
In this case Mi' is right, need to match Zeus-R with the right source.  Love PAW Gold and Opus#1, but those yield some hissing.  On the other hand, L3 and L3 Pro are dead silent, and the same with Plenue M2 (testing now and loving it).  A&K DAPs will keep it quiet as well.

 

[Sound Eq]

   
Tried buffer jack (the active one, right?) - doesn't help.  75ohm adapter - attenuates the noise flow along with a signal, and the sound quality goes does too.  Also tried it with UE airplane adapter, I think it's equivalent to 75ohm.
 
In this case Mi' is right, need to match Zeus-R with the right source.  Love PAW Gold and Opus#1, but those yield some hissing.  On the other hand, L3 and L3 Pro are dead silent, and the same with Plenue M2 (testing now and loving it).  A&K DAPs will keep it quiet as well.

looking forward to ur m2 review
 
i have this
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ETYMOTIC-ER4P-TO-ER4S-RESISTOR-ADAPTOR-3-5MM-PLUG-/291329605627?rmvSB=true
 
and i tried it with zeus r and fiio x7 and i make things very bad sound wise

 

[Mimouille]

Tried buffer jack (the active one, right?) - doesn't help.  75ohm adapter - attenuates the noise flow along with a signal, and the sound quality goes does too.  Also tried it with UE airplane adapter, I think it's equivalent to 75ohm.

In this case Mi' is right, need to match Zeus-R with the right source.  Love PAW Gold and Opus#1, but those yield some hissing.  On the other hand, L3 and L3 Pro are dead silent, and the same with Plenue M2 (testing now and loving it).  A&K DAPs will keep it quiet as well.

AK DAPS are quiet but the 240 is far from sounding as good as the LPG with the R.

 

[scottcocoabeach]

 
​I'm probably getting the R too but have been intrigued by the ADEL. Too be honest I do not like companies claiming their headphone reduce hearing loss when there has not been a single proper study. I even researched the guy who developed ADEL technology. He published an abstract with Vanderbilt University. It had no patient data at all. When you read reviews from 64 ears users, there is going to be strong "investment bias." Not saying they don't sound good.

 
As someone who owns some (C)IEM's with Adel technology and an SPL meter I will simply say this. I can listen at lower volume on my (C)IEMs with Adel modules than on my non-Adel IEMs while maintaining a nice full spectrum of sound (usually around 10db lower). I don't feel the need to turn up the volume at all when listening. In fact, the other difference I have noticed is that in longer listening sessions I actually find myself turning the volume down when using Adel equipped IEMs versus up with others.
 
I hate to say "never" but I will say I have no plans to buy any IEM's in the future that don't have the Adel tech. I already have some minor high frequency hearing loss and tinnitus in my left ear, so anything I can do to protect my hearing while being able to enjoy my music I am going to do. My own "studies" have been enough to convince me of the value. As always, YMMV.
 
Now I am just awaiting for an announcement from the next company to incorporate the Adel technology before I buy my next (C)IEM's.