[ostewart]

E11 is perfect and the right price, get a fiio L3 LOD too

 

[ExpatinJapan]

Quote:

 
more power yes. ( Not def inducing though )
More bass? In a way yes.
I don't want all out skull crushing bass,
More on the lines of a Warmer Detailed bass, One with more presence and the ability to be punchy or low down if needed. Does that make sense?
So Yes Im guessing a different sound signature.

from what you are saying , you just need to find a set of headphones that suit the sound you want, Not an amp.
 
My ATH-ESW9 sound what you may be looking for.
 
Also look at the top two Tiers of that thread I just posted.
 
Either that or try Sonicmaxpro app for the BBE cowon sound.
 
*And what Papander said on the last page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
*I had the E11, Didn`t do much I thought for my ipod touch 4G, so I simply just gave it away.
 
*An amp with my tiny ipod nano 4th Gen helped-because it had no power. an iphone is fine for power.

 

[Paul Graham]

Thanks again for the input.
 
Well the HD25's will be here tomorrow so I'll see how they go for a few days and then will come back to this thread if needs be.

 

[Paul Graham]

Im doing a little experiment now to see if I can find it within myself the ability to explain what I'm hearing and what I'm after.
 
What I'm using/doing...
 
Test one - 
 
iPhone as source ( eq off, 320kbps mp3 ripped from SACD Audiophile demo disc )
Sennheiser HD215's running from headphone out, volume at 2 thirds ( roughly )
 
 
Test two -
 
iPhone as source (  eq off, 320kbps mp3 ripped from SACD Audiophile demo disc )
Docked in iPhone dock ( Standard apple one ) using the line out.
Pro-ject headbox ii running from that line out.
And again using the Sennheiser HD215's. 
 
Results, & attempted explanation in a few moments...

 

[Paul Graham]

Quote:

Im doing a little experiment now to see if I can find it within myself the ability to explain what I'm hearing and what I'm after.
 
What I'm using/doing...
 
Test one - 
 
iPhone as source ( eq off, 320kbps mp3 ripped from SACD Audiophile demo disc )
Sennheiser HD215's running from headphone out, volume at 2 thirds ( roughly )
 
 
Test two -
 
iPhone as source (  eq off, 320kbps mp3 ripped from SACD Audiophile demo disc )
Docked in iPhone dock ( Standard apple one ) using the line out.
Pro-ject headbox ii running from that line out.
And again using the Sennheiser HD215's. 
 
Results, & attempted explanation in a few moments...

 
Ok, So Im Just over an hour in now...
 
And here's what I've found.
 
& I hope this makes sense to you all lol!
 
I'll keep it simple & say that with the head box ii running from the line-out of the iPhone instead of just running from the headphones socket does TO ME show an evident improvement in sound.
 
Obviously having the HD215's amped up means I could crank them right up if I wanted, However I didn't as I wanted at first to compare sound quality of both methods at the same volumes & settings.
 
Difference in sound...
 
iPhone on its own - 
 
I find the iPhone on its own a very nice sounding source, However, I always found the mids to harsh to my ears ( I will say that Being weird Ive never liked too much mids on any music / system, Its just me and my hearing )
So I usually use the iPhones EQ on something like Classic or Jazz as I find it smooths out the midrange to an acceptable level without losing it altogether.
The Lows / highs for me are just about right however and need no tweaking for me personally.
 
 
iPhone amped - 
 
Running the iPhone through the head box ii using the phones line-out did make an evident difference to me.
Was it a huge difference? Not massive, And to your average listener they probably wouldn't notice the difference or would be ignorant to it.
However, I'll try to describe the best I can, The difference to my ears...
 
Don't forget I ran this little experiment with everything flat.
I noticed using the headbox ii softened the mids to an acceptable level but without losing any detail.
the lows/bass were still there but i found they sounded far more present & more natural to me.
The highs however i found a tiny bit brighter coming through the amp, But not too much.
 
So In my opinion, Amping the iPhone, DOES make a difference.
Does the iPhone need amping? I suppose its down to personal taste and obviously depends on the headphones you use.
Im no expert, Far from it, But I have heard a difference that personally I like.
 
I will run this little test again with the HD25's and see how it goes.
 
If I feel the same then yes I would like to get a portable amp, One with similar quality etc to the project head box ii if possible.
If it costs more than i planned then i'll wait it out and wait until i have more funds.
 
Anyway, I hope this made sense and hasn't made me look like a pleb lol....
 
Paul  

 

[Lorspeaker]

v scientific and absoliutely make sense to u....and so to me.  way to go bro..trust your ears..and protect your pocket
 
 

 

[Papander]

Differences were subtle, could have been placebo. Anyways you wont hear those subtle differences in a busy city filled with all kinds of noises.

 

[Paul Graham]

I understand what you mean by the placebo effect, However I will argue that I know my ears, My hearing and I DID/do hear a difference.
Each person is individual and unique, We all have different levels of differences that we notice with everything in life.
 
There is an ongoing argument/debate amongst the DJ community that use digital files.
 
Is there a noticeable difference between 128kbps / 192kbps
Is there then a difference between 192kbps / 320kbps ......
 
Now put yourself in a crowded nightclub/arena with a lot of background noise, then take into consideration 
the acoustics of said environment, The quality of the gear being used, The increased volume and the varied hearing of everyone there.
 
some argue there is no difference at all in any circumstances, Some say there is a huge difference. 
 
I among a few others agree that sat in a listening room with no background noise or interference,
You should notice a difference. However in a noisy club, It doesnt really stand out at all.
 
Anyway, Im going off on a tangent now lol.

 

[Paul Graham]

Well a lil update since i started this thread...
 
I bought the HD25's and an amp. 
I opted for the TCG Audio T-Box in the end.
Silver Leopard LOD and got lucky and got a iPod Classic.
 
So......
 
iPhone can run HD25's easily? Yes in short, I'll return to this in a moment...
Don't need an amp/dac for iPhone/iPod? Hmmm, Need? - No.,
Do they make an improvement in sound? Distinctive enough to justify buying amp/cans etc? Uh, Yes.
 
Returning to the iPhone being able to drive the 'easy to drive' HD25's....
 
Yes they're easy to drive. I can't disagree with that.
Do they & the iPhone/iPod sound &/or perform any better with a decent amp/LOD in the signal path?
VASTLY!
 
Using the LOD and Amp to drive the 25's has made a huge difference to sound, depth, presence, bass extension. I could go on for hours.
And this is using a relatively 'Entry/budget' setup.
 
So I don't really understand the statements 'Against' the need or desire for an amp at the very least. As they certainly make a noticeable difference to my ears anyway lol.
 
I suppose its down to the individuals passion and quest for excellence in sound at the end of the day, Whats unacceptable to some of us is perfectly comfortable for others.
And thats completely OK in my books
 
Thanks for the help folks up to this point, Much appreciated

 

[Mutnat]

I agree with you 100%, Paul.  The HD25's sound *good* out of my iPod directly, but much *better* through a decent amp (in my case JDSLabs C421-OPA2227). My experience pretty much echos yours. 
 

 

[Paul Graham]

Thankyou Mut Glad to know Im not alone on this one

 

[Paul Graham]

Thought I would revisit this thread now my opinions, My hearing etc have matured...
 
I now understand what the posters said about using the HD25's unamped.
Im using EQ Pro ( Thanks for the heads up on that Expat, Took me a while to give in, But glad I did. AWESOME app!
And I kinda have two opinions on this subject now...
 
When Im out and about even if the 25's are sealing really well, I cant really tell the difference amped or unamped ( If Im running them single ended - Will get to that in a bit )
This is as some of you said due to ambient background noise etc.
 
However at home or away ( Hotels, B&B's etc ) its a different ballgame. 
 
Since I last posted in here I bought then upgraded from the FiiO E11 to the E17, That in itself made a difference ( Utterly HATE the E11, Sounds awful ) 
But then I upgraded to the iBasso Pelican PB2 & the Graham Slee Voyager. And eventually added the SOLO and an iBasso Boomslang to the mix.
At home when I have the time to sit down and listen, I run one of the following two rigs -
 
iPod Classic or iPhone 5 ( With EQ Pro ) - SOLO - Voyager - HD25's/Beyer Hybrids/Sony MDR SA5000s for single ended. ( I use either FAW or Toxic Cables interconnects with this rig )
iPod Classic or iPhone 5 ( With EQ Pro ) - SOLO - Boomslang - Pelican - HD25's with Balanced re cable for fully balanced. ( I use all Toxic Cables interconnects with this rig )
iMac 2007 - Audirvana Plus - Boomslang - Pelican - HD25's again balanced.
 
Listening to the HD25's Balanced, Changes everything!
Now when Im out If Im in the mood to I run a half balanced rig, 
Rockbox'd iPod Vid 5.5g - Mundorf Gold LOD ( Single Ended ) - Pelican - HD25's Balanced.
Now this does sound completely different to iPhone - SE HD25. A LOT different. 
 
Saying that It has been a while and Ive been fortunate enough to upgrade and get my first taste of balanced audio.
BUT, a LOT of the time I do still carry just my iPhone 5 or the RB'd 5.5g with either my HD25's or my V-Moda M80 Truebloods and it rocks.
 
For me, NOW, It comes down to practicality, Choise of Genre and what my day ahead has in plan for me lol.
 
Thanks for all your input folks. It may not have helped when I originally posted this thread, But it has now lol
 
p.s. I will add that although at the time my thoughts were that the TCG TBox made a vast difference, I don't now think it did, 
I know this as when I with back from balanced, and listen to them with and without the amp, I know I can have better control over the volume and more power, But the sound isn't all that different when Im out and about.
 
Hope that all makes sense lol!