[torbendj]

Hi. This is my first post and first of all I am relative new to portable audio.

I have recently bought SE530 having had SE110 for about a year. My problem is that they sounded terrible (right out of the box. Allthough I`m using lossless compression. (I`m hoping that they will come together after a few hours but I don`t know if these in-ears require any burn in time....)
Especially s-sounds, VERY sharp highs, and very rolled of lows. Allthough the lows were very thight they lacked presence and power.

I now am considering returning these and maype "investing in larger open-backed cans.

What I need help to is som info about a solution to make my iPod touch sound as good as possible (swtiching source is not an alternative). I can spend max 1000USD/875 Euros. If buying an portable amp/interconnect cable like some from ALO Audio would result in a better sound or the sound I`m looking for. And if so what portable amp/interconnect cable to buy...

If anyone could come with suggestions (cans, amps, cables) and details about what the different suggestions may result in with regards to audio quality, type of sound ie, warmth, neutrality, basspower, definition in high and lows and so on....

My Hi-Fi equipment and the sound I am looking for is (if anyone is familiar with this equipment)
Lyngdorf Audio (TACT) CD-1, Lyngdorf Audio (TACT) SDAI2175, DALI Helicon 300, Nordost Red Dawn rev.2 (speaker cable), Nordost MoonGlo RCA.

The sound is:
warm,
airy, detailed and smooth highs
Powerfull, detailed and super tight and balanced lows.
Well detailed, natural and tonal-balanced mids (perfect in reproducing human voices)

Good separation, for instance in classical music with large synphony orchestras.

I`d appreciate any help or hints at all!

 

[Pianist]

I am pretty sure that your problem is the fit. Try all of the tips that came with your Shures. Also, try to mod the tri-flange tips to bi-flanges, if they don't fit you. Fit is the key to good sound with IEMs. Also, even if you think that you are getting a good seal because the isolation is good and the IEMs are comfortable, that does not mean that the fit is actually good - the tips may be getting squashed in your ears, affecting SQ in a negative way. This means that if you don't own the right ear canals, then getting custom-fit sleeves may be the only option unfortunately.

 

[Aimless1]

Good advice. The ipod touch may also be part of the problem. I have one and I have to say it just is not very good.

All ipods and mp3 players are going to have rolled off bass. I am not getting sibilance with the SE530/touch combo which also leads me to believe it is a fit issue.

Good luck!

 

[torbendj]

I would have wished it to be so.... But I have already used the shure se110 for about a year, with perfect fit and actually quite good sound (for just 120USD). I have even tried the tips that I used with SE110 with no luck. Using the triple flangs only worsned the problem. S-sounds (sibilants) ie Diana Krall -The girl in the other room sounds terrible. With the SE110 or on my Hi-Fi system this is an non-problem. I`ve also tried listening from my Hi-Fi system and allthough the quality is MUSCH better the same problems are ther.

The SE530 sounds unimpressive to say the least! The soundstage is messy, it`s like everythings a blur... Separation is poor and it is very sharp and not tonally balanced (peaks in several areas of mids and highs) at all. So what I was wondering is if this will settle down as the SE530 has played some time (1-20 hours???) or if the problem areas would be solved by adding a interconnectcable/portable amp.

 

[Spyro]

No, it wouldn't matter, they are already very efficient so an amp won't do much and they don't burn in. If you enjoy SE110 better than SE530 consider yourself lucky. But it would certainly be a first on Head-Fi

 

[forsberg]

No. Don't get anything from ALO Audio. Their stuff is insanely overpriced. Any cheap LOD will do.

 

[mark2410]

to me it sounds like they may be broken. since u have the se110 you should know how to get the fit right then sound wise they should blow the 110 out of the water.

 

[torbendj]

First of all, thanks for all your answers! Since I am relative new to "high end" portable audio i really appreciate this!

Im not thinking on how to get a higher volume, this is not an issue, but I`m thinking on the fact that my iPod sounds extremely good out from my wadia 170i bypassing everything (even th iPod`s DAC) and sending a clean digital signal to the DAC of my Lyngdorf amp, even with a Denon docking station connected to my brothers Denon 2809 the sound is many, many times better and almost uncompareble to what it is when connecting with minijack-RCA from the iPod`s headphone jack.

I suspect that the iPod`s own headphone amp and the circuitry to and from, even the DAC is of poor quality.

As I havent found a portable device which can extract a "
clean digital signal from the iPod (not an analog signal converting it to digital) the only solution for improving the sound is to use a portable amp.

So I`m interested in someone who has a portable amp, good interconnect cable and who can tell me if there is any notable difference in sound quality and if so to what degree and in which areas...

 

[manaox2]

Dude, an amp and interconnect is going to add to the problem IMO. If the amp and interconnect somehow forgive issues from the source, that sounds like it means much lower quality. You said the problems were still there on other sources as well, seems to me like something there is wrong (IE fit, manufacturing, etc.). Headphones are the greatest part of the equation, probably should try a replacement and then returning them for something else if that doesn't work to save you some time, grief and money.