Empire Ears - Discussion & Impressions (Formerly EarWerkz)
Sep 2, 2020 at 8:18 PM Post #24,692 of 40,345
I also found it strange but to be honest it looks like some kind of trend now. I really don't understand why to buy top iems and listen on the average dap.
i use my erlky on the mojo...sounds phenomenal.
 
Sep 2, 2020 at 8:23 PM Post #24,693 of 40,345
Sep 2, 2020 at 10:43 PM Post #24,695 of 40,345
A $3400 IEM on a $500 DAP!? Next thing you'll be telling us to try our phones! :scream_cat:
Wow...I'm doing a sacrilege though. :)
I use all my IEMs/headphones with my Samsung S10e and BTR5. Have been using them more often than my AK.
 
Sep 2, 2020 at 10:53 PM Post #24,696 of 40,345
Wow...I'm doing a sacrilege though. :)
I use all my IEMs/headphones with my Samsung S10e and BTR5. Have been using them more often than my AK.

As someone who is far more into full size gear setups and is only starting to explore iem/dap setups, I’m not convinced the same level of scaling happens with your DAP in the IEM world. There are so many other factors that go into full size rigs (cables, balanced, power conditioners, etc). Then there’s the whole issue of your source, I have never been a believer that tidal streaming matches a hi res or dsd file. And I’m still a bit shocked that most of these daps only take one micro sd card, and 1tb cards are so massively expensive (if your dap is even compatible with it). So in other words your typical dap just can’t hold that much music.

I’m sure a 2k dap will be better in some respects than a $500 dap, but my view thus far is most of the work is coming from the IEM itself. I agree with the previous point about synergy, that seems important (e.g. might not be best to pair a warm IEM with a warm dap). But I own a modest Sony dap and a fiio m11 pro and think they perform admirably for my staple of 2k range IEMs. Granted I’m still fairly new to the IEM world, and fully realize the Odin may be in a different class.
 
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Sep 2, 2020 at 11:40 PM Post #24,698 of 40,345
I think we can all settle on this. To extract the most from BLONs you need a DMP Z1.
Fair enough, save on the IEM and buy the "most expensive" DAP available. :)

Don't get me wrong guys, I love my music the way it is and love the flexibility of Tidal Offline, I don't use other format at all. BTW, I can notice difference from DAPs/DAC/AMPs/Streaming services. And, I don't judge enjoyment by the price tag. Anyone can feel free to do whatever they want, it's a hobby and if that brings joy, I'm happy for you.

Ps.: My post about the sacrilege was a joke. :)
 
Sep 3, 2020 at 12:17 AM Post #24,700 of 40,345
Sep 3, 2020 at 12:31 AM Post #24,701 of 40,345
As someone who is far more into full size gear setups and is only starting to explore iem/dap setups, I’m not convinced the same level of scaling happens with your DAP in the IEM world. There are so many other factors that go into full size rigs (cables, balanced, power conditioners, etc). Then there’s the whole issue of your source, I have never been a believer that tidal streaming matches a hi res or dsd file. And I’m still a bit shocked that most of these daps only take one micro sd card, and 1tb cards are so massively expensive (if your dap is even compatible with it). So in other words your typical dap just can’t hold that much music.

I’m sure a 2k dap will be better in some respects than a $500 dap, but my view thus far is most of the work is coming from the IEM itself. I agree with the previous point about synergy, that seems important (e.g. might not be best to pair a warm IEM with a warm dap). But I own a modest Sony dap and a fiio m11 pro and think they perform admirably for my staple of 2k range IEMs. Granted I’m still fairly new to the IEM world, and fully realize the Odin may be in a different class.

I always wonder when someone views one dap sounding better than another whether the perceived improvement is more likely a tonal difference between the two, not necessarily any technical improvement. I wouldn’t say this if this comparison is done on a high quality speaker system since in my view, technical differences are much more readily apparent in this case, but less so with IEMs. With that said, being new to this tier of IEM performance, the Odin may change my opinion on this. Additionally, some comparisons wouldn’t apply since a $3,000 dap with its refined design should sound technically superior than say, a dap under a grand. But a $1,000 dap compared to a $500 one? ... I don’t know.
 
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Sep 3, 2020 at 2:43 AM Post #24,702 of 40,345
As someone who is far more into full size gear setups and is only starting to explore iem/dap setups, I’m not convinced the same level of scaling happens with your DAP in the IEM world. There are so many other factors that go into full size rigs (cables, balanced, power conditioners, etc). Then there’s the whole issue of your source, I have never been a believer that tidal streaming matches a hi res or dsd file. And I’m still a bit shocked that most of these daps only take one micro sd card, and 1tb cards are so massively expensive (if your dap is even compatible with it). So in other words your typical dap just can’t hold that much music.

I’m sure a 2k dap will be better in some respects than a $500 dap, but my view thus far is most of the work is coming from the IEM itself. I agree with the previous point about synergy, that seems important (e.g. might not be best to pair a warm IEM with a warm dap). But I own a modest Sony dap and a fiio m11 pro and think they perform admirably for my staple of 2k range IEMs. Granted I’m still fairly new to the IEM world, and fully realize the Odin may be in a different class.
Yeah there's no "different class" happening here WRT DAPs and Odin. If Odin is as transparent as is being claimed, it'll reflect the quality and tonality of the source it connects to. It'll sound "better" on an SP2000 than a midrange FiiO if you think the SP2000 sounds better, but some might prefer the tonality of the FiiO over the SP2K (especially the THX FiiO with its clinical THX amp sound), and that's before you take features into account, which play a big part in the decision on which DAP you use. The point is, it's going to be the same for Odin as it is for any other IEM - match it with the DAP you think it sounds best with, unless it has some special power requirements which I don't believe it does.
 
Sep 3, 2020 at 4:10 AM Post #24,703 of 40,345
i use my erlky on the mojo...sounds phenomenal.
That's because Mojo is one of the best dac/map combos I've ever heard. I really miss it and thinking about selling my DAPs and buying Mojo again of Chugo.
 
Sep 3, 2020 at 4:12 AM Post #24,704 of 40,345
That's because Mojo is one of the best dac/map combos I've ever heard. I really miss it and thinking about selling my DAPs and buying Mojo again of Chugo.
It's a usability nightmare though. Pocket furnace, ultra mediocre battery, charging issues, hisses with sensitive IEMs, buttons are impossible to use while it is in your pocket unless you count them with your finger - it's great with headphones though, and pretty much nothing else lol - might as well remove the battery from it imo
 
Sep 3, 2020 at 6:04 AM Post #24,705 of 40,345
It's a usability nightmare though. Pocket furnace, ultra mediocre battery, charging issues, hisses with sensitive IEMs, buttons are impossible to use while it is in your pocket unless you count them with your finger - it's great with headphones though, and pretty much nothing else lol - might as well remove the battery from it imo
True :) I just wrote about sound quakity. The other thing is I used to use it at home mostly.
 

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