[RobertW]

Hi all,

My primary earphones that I use at work are the Etymotic ER6i's. I use them almost exclusively with my laptop.

Lately, I've become frustrated with the audible "hiss" one can hear when listening to music. I attribute this to the ER6i's high sensitivity, but this is troublesome since I generally listen at very low volumes.

I'm looking for an amp that I can use with my laptop that will give me better sound quality and most importantly, eliminate the "hiss".

I've heard good things about the iBasso D10, but if it would make a huge difference I can also stretch my budget for the RSA Predator amp (listed at $475, this is more or less at the top end of my budget.)

Since I've never owned a headphone amp before, I have a question:
- How will the amp actually connect to the laptop? Do you use the USB port (so that the amp literally becomes like a secondary sound card) or do you need a RCA adapter to run from the laptop's headphone output?

To summarize, my requirements are:
- Amp to use with laptop
- Source would be MP3's, ripped at 256KBps or better.
- Eliminating "hiss" with ER6i's is very important
- Budget definitely to remain in the $400 range, could stretch a little bit (e.g. RSA Predator), but not beyond that. iBasso D10 is very attractively priced at $275 for me - not sure about availability, their website says "out of stock".
- I'd prefer an amp that have alternative power options beyond batteries (not sure how long these amps last running on battery power alone.)

Any recommendations welcome, if I need to clarify something please ask.

Cheers!
Rob

 

[mark2410]

erm why not get the er4p instead?

would eliminate the hiss, give you better sound quality and be rather a lot cheaper

 

[RobertW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark2410 /img/forum/go_quote.gif erm why not get the er4p instead? would eliminate the hiss, give you better sound quality and be rather a lot cheaper

Hmmm, didn't consider replacing the earphones. Apart from the hiss when coupled with my laptop, I actually like them a lot.

I was thinking that for my next earphone upgrade I might go the custom route - Live Wires or Westones, which are more expensive. If I get a decent amp now, it won't matter as much if I upgrade the phones later.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Jaska]

I definitely agree with mark2410 on this. The ER-6i will hiss even out of an iPod, Karma (I've tested both) and probably about every other portable player. Add a headphone amp and you'll likely accentuate the hiss even more. Although I've never tried it and don't own the ER-6i anymore, you might have some success in tinkering with different impedance adapters. However, the ER-6i is no match for the ER-4x in all-around quality, and I really don't see how it would be worth it to invest in a dedicated headphone amp for them. Even with the ER-4S, you can *almost* get by without a headphone amp, but it's a stretch... in any case, if you like the Etymotic sound and want to get the best out of it with the least expense, fuss and muss, then the ER-4P is definitely the way to go.

 

[sugrhigh]

Do they hiss because of a resistance difference?
If not, do we know why?

 

[RobertW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugrhigh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do they hiss because of a resistance difference? If not, do we know why?

That's a good question, I don't really have a scientific answer for you.

I think it could be just the laptop's internal sound card that generates some signal noise.

All I can tell you, is that even if I turn the volume on my laptop to it's minimum, I still hear a quite audible hiss. The level seems to be consistent when I increase the volume, i.e. it does not become louder or softer based on the laptop's volume setting. It just remains constant.

The ER6i's are rated at 16 Ohms impedance. I have a pair of Sennheiser HD280's at home rated at 64 Ohms. I'll try them and specifically listen to the "noise", but I'm fairly certain it would be a lot quieter.

 

[Brian_the_King]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertW /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...I think it could be just the laptop's internal sound card that generates some signal noise...

I would bet money that's by and far the greatest cause for 'hiss' in your system.

 

[Yikes]

The ER6's are just reproducing what your putting into them. Less sensitive IEM would reduce the hiss, but you'd still be limited by the crappy Laptop audio out. IMHO you should get an amp with a USB DAC built in such as the HeadRoom Total BitHead $159+ This would kill two birds with one stone, a better amp and a better D/A.

Problem Solved

 

[RobertW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yikes The ER6's are just reproducing what your putting into them. Less sensitive IEM would reduce the hiss, but you'd still be limited by the crappy Laptop audio out. IMHO you should get an amp with a USB DAC built in such as the HeadRoom Total BitHead $159+ This would kill two birds with one stone, a better amp and a better D/A. Problem Solved

That's kind of what I was thinking as well.

Since I have never owned a headphone amp before, I was wondering how the amps actually work, hence my initial question.

So if this USB Amp/DAC combo does indeed function like a separate sound card that you use with the laptop, that way I completely bypass the internal sound card circuits built into the laptop, correct?

If that's the case, I may want to get a good USB Amp/DAC right now, that will also work well if I choose to get better earphones or headphones later on.

Does the Total Bithead, iBasso D10 and the RSA Predator-type amps all function in this way?

If so, it looks like there may be several options out there, and maybe I should just pick one from the several reputable manufacturers out there, since I'm sure any one of them would do a decent job in replacing the laptop's internal sound card circuitry.

Does that make sense?

Thanks!

 

[member1982]

humm i never got any hiss from ER6i... not from iPod Classic, iPhone, iPod Mini 2nd Gen, not even from my Realtek HD onboard sound (Asus P5 and macbook pro 2006), sony LBT555V home stereo, or Corda 3Move amp.

 

[dazzer1975]

cheapest way would be to just pick up this:

ETYMOTIC ER4P TO ER4S RESISTOR ADAPTOR (3.5MM PLUG) - eBay (item 300311394167 end time May-05-09 21:38:06 PDT)

or try and find one with a length of cable attached so as to not put any strain on the jack.

For the money, I'd try that first if your happy with your set-up barring the hiss.

 

[RobertW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dazzer1975 /img/forum/go_quote.gif cheapest way would be to just pick up this: ETYMOTIC ER4P TO ER4S RESISTOR ADAPTOR (3.5MM PLUG) - eBay (item 300311394167 end time May-05-09 21:38:06 PDT) or try and find one with a length of cable attached so as to not put any strain on the jack. For the money, I'd try that first if your happy with your set-up barring the hiss.

Ok, I ordered myself one of those.

However, I think I've been bitten by the headphone amp bug... The pure "gadget" factor seems very appealing to me...

Anyways, from what I've read on this forum so far, a few names stood out:

- Pico
- Predator
- iBasso D10
- Topaz

There seems to be a lot of "emotion" regarding Pico and Predator. However, price-wise the D10 seems like a bargain!

Based on HeadphoneAddict's massive review on this thread, I'm thinking the D10 might be a very good choice.

Thoughts?

thanks!
R

 

[lifesundeath]

Dude that hiss is from your laptop...mine (dell xps) does the same thing. I'd say get a DAC amp like mine (Nuforce Icon mobile) and that'll give you a clean source to work with.

 

[RobertW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dazzer1975 /img/forum/go_quote.gif cheapest way would be to just pick up this: ETYMOTIC ER4P TO ER4S RESISTOR ADAPTOR (3.5MM PLUG) - eBay (item 300311394167 end time May-05-09 21:38:06 PDT) or try and find one with a length of cable attached so as to not put any strain on the jack. For the money, I'd try that first if your happy with your set-up barring the hiss.

Update: the resistor arrived yesterday, I must say it works beautifully.

"Hiss" is definitely a lot less audible, almost gone in fact.

So this was a great suggestion, thanks!

 

[dazzer1975]

Your welcome mate, glad it has helped your situation.