Well I just arrived back from Thailand with a few goodies from the guys at Jet Live Audio and Mungkong Gadget. First auditioned the Shure 535 Ltd-J Red at Jet Live Audio, and I was amazed at the sound they produced even with the stock cable. I then listened with an upgrade cable and was left stunned at the sound quality these Shures put out.
Upon auditioning the Westone 4 I found them to be very accurate but a bit of a flatter soundstage and not as involving or engaging as the SE535 Red. I did not audition the regular 535 so it basically came down to a choice and I chose the SE535 Reds.
I then went off to Mungkong Gadget at Pantip and got a JDS C5 (Red) portable amp to go with the 535 Reds. As well as the iBasso D-Zero to use as a DAC with my MacBook pro.
Also from Munkonggadget I got the ALO Audio CRYO SXC 18 line out connector dock to use from my iPhone / iPod.
First impressions listening to this setup on the flight from Bangkok is the sound is absolutely jaw-dropping. And that was using the stock cable. I elected not to get the upgrade cable from Jet Live at the time, as I figured I had spent enough for one day and I wanted to do a bit more research on upgrade cables before purchasing one.
I listened to the 535 Reds straight out my iPod for about 2 hours on the flight home and then another 2 hours using the ALO LOD connected to the JDS C5 Amp and the difference was startling, the clarity was simply amazing. The amp also has a nifty bass boost switch which comes in useful for tracks where you want a bit extra bass emphasis; it is subtle and well-controlled. All in all the JDS C5 was well worth it for me. I have not had a chance to listen to the iBasso D-Zero yet, but will post my impressions later on. It had some very positive reviews online, in particular as a DAC, which was the reason for purchasing it.
I think apart from an upgrade cable, my search for IEM aural nirvana has ended; as I can't imagine anything non-custom sounding as good or better than what I am experiencing. And I am not really interested in spending substantially more to find out. I do plan on getting the best cable I can afford for my Reds however, any suggestions will be appreciated.
For those interested - I will post some photos soon.
Thanks Pitak! if it was not for you I would not have been able to audition these and make an informed decision. Much appreciated
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