[ExpatinJapan]

This is an interesting thread and I have read hundreds in the last few weeks, keep us up to date with the progression of this story.
As someone else new to this game-I am also on the cusp of spending a lot of money on a classy portable rig - and wonder If it is really worth it.

 

[Inks]

thanks a lot shigzeo. One of the main reasons I actually bought the T3D was because you spoke highly of it and because I tend to listen at low levels which the T3D would do well on because of it's digital volume control that fixes channel imbalance. Sorry to go OT, but I actually heard the monsters are a bit harder to drive which is why I went for an amp. Is this true based on your use of coppers and golds?

 

[shigzeo]

The Monster earphones aren't 'hard to drive' at all, but they may require more volume than some other earphones. Even from an iPod, you will get plenty of volume (way too much even before distortion sets in). The emphasis on distortion at loud volumes is silly because if you listen to music that loudly, you will lose your eardrums way before you'll ever hear anything better.
 
Thank you for the kind words. I love the T3D, but I use it for certain earphones, certainly not with every earphone. My review is over over over and out due, but it will be a 5/5 review. In particular, I love it for my hard to drive customs and a few of my hard to drive universals. But with my iPod touch, I keep my dynamics away from amps as all I have to do is raise the volume if the earphone isn't sensitive, but I tend to listen at pretty low volume levels. 
 
I hope you enjoy it and your earphones. I almost feel sorry that I upgraded to the iPod touch 2G as the 1G had a bit of trouble with low Ω earphones... now I feel surpremely comfortable without a bloody amp for ALL of my dynamic earphones.

 

[Inks]

thanks. I'll take back about hearing that they are "hard to drive" though, but more like they benefit from amping pretty well like the RE0s.

 

[shigzeo]

Some earphones do need a bit more power to the coils, but... the thing is that 'power' is exactly that: when raised, the volume is raised. That is why a voltmeter can volume match the outputs of a number of different sources. So, the RE0 may sound better with an amp, but as long as the source isn't deficient, it should sound better as the source volume level is raised too.
 
Some sources won't have headroom and will distort - sure, that makes sense. Or others will shift into another gear (change classes - very few do this). But volume is power and visa versa. How that volume sounds is another thing of course. I prefer almost any amp from the HPO of my Fuze V2 to the Fuze V2 HPO - most are smoother and can sound wider than the Fuze. But that isn't to say that they magically make the earphone sound better. They just hide the nastiness of the Fuze a bit!
 
cheers.

 

[superman0390]

is there something i can do with my T3D?? it feels so wasted. lol.

 

[Inks]

just sell it i guess, it is in quite a demand in a way.

 

[Ypoknons]

Give it a week first, you might notice something. Otherwise, I'll take it 

 

[superman0390]

hey guys. are the IE8 and the westone UM3X suitable for the T3D? if so, which is btr?

 

[rarebear]

Turn the EQ OFF.....................
 
I thought with a LOD it by-passed the on board AMP and EQ on my D4 but THE ANSWER IS: Turn off the EQ
 
The EQ is before the LOD and sound is worse at most evey setting, mine sounds best when OFF
 
General Setting> Music> EQ > Off  (is at top of list).......

 

[Ypoknons]

EQ is probably done at the digital stage, amping is still done at the analogue stage, so yea. 

 

[DaveyB]

Hi i'm a new postee to the Forum, not an audiophile but know what I want to achieve from my current portable rig and would greatly appreciate guidance from those in the know on how to achieve it.
 
My portable set-up is normally Ipod Touch 3g 64gb driving either UM2 or MTPC from the headphone out. I find the UM2 work very well at lower volumes but the MTPC require me to crank up the volume far more and I sometimes resort to using a Fiio5 with Fiio LOD to achieve the extra volume, I really don't notice any major enhancement in sound quality/modification.
 
I've never been happy with the EQ settings on the iTouch as I find them very artificial and usually use either Off, Acoustic or Treble Booster. I don't find any one of them to do the ideal job all of the time but then my music tastes vary a lot between Classic/Heavy Rock, Acoustic, Female/Male Vocal, Pop, Country... you name it. 
 
What i'm looking for is not a miracle cure but the possibility of being able to enhance/control the sound quality in a more natural manner than Apple's efforts and have been looking into the 'higher quality' portable amp (upwards of the Fiio5) route of equalisation, having the Ibasso T3/T3D or NuForce Icon Mobile in mind for the similar price range in the UK.
 
Shigzeo's comments in this thread indicate that the Ibasso T3/T3D would drive the UM2 (balanced armature) better and would not really be beneficial to the MTPC (dynamic), this intrigues me as I find that the UM2 appear easier to drive at lower volumes than the MTPC, maybe i'm misunderstanding what Shigzeo is explaining.
 
Anyway, I would very much value your opinions on whether a portable amp of this type would:-
 
1. Provide me with the ability to beneficially equalize my sound (to some degree, as I appreciate that it's not an EQ device) using a LOD
2. What limitations an amp would impose on sound modification (from what I understand the Ibasso facilitates gain control but doesn't this simply allow control of the bass but nothing else)
3. If I went down the Ibasso route, what are benefits/limitations between the T3 and T3D (is it just that the digital volume control on the T3D allows less control over the volume as it works in predefined increments
 
Sorry the post has been long guys but I really value your opionions. Many thanks in advance.

 

[Ypoknons]

The T3D might be predefined volume steps but a digital volume control prevent channel imbalance at the extremes; sound quality benefits are debateable. An amp doesn't just help with bass, it controls a headphone's drivers and the benefits vary from headphone to headphone. A EQ is a EQ, an amp is an amp, some amps are colored but that's not adjustable (usually), and frankly it's a bit wierd to switch the EQ from genre to genre, shouldn't your equipment be able to handle different genres on its own?

 

[DaveyB]

Thanks for the reply, maybe I didn't explain myself correctly, I don't
switch the EQ between genres, I switch when the specific track doesn't
sound either clear enough in the highs or deep enough in the lows and
when I use the EQ on bass booster or treble booster it seems to go too
far to the extremes.

I thought that an amp may enable me to keep the EQ on Flat or Off but
provide me with the ability to change the sound in a more subtle
manner so as to get just the right balance without being too bassy or
too trebley.

I guess i'm just misunderstanding the capabilities of the portable amp
though, as they don't have manual bass and treble controls, which
would be ideal, just thought that they may have something similar

 

[elfary]

I just got an iBasso T3 for my 2009 Classic + LOD + Shure SE420 and i'm more than pleased with the sound improvement. I was just curious to know how a decent amp (Other than the E5 i have) could improve the sound. And it really does. It brings many tiny improvements in many areas which altogether make for an audible difference really.
 
Before the T3 i preferred my 3GS hp out thant the classic + lod + e5. Now i'd take any day the classic + lod + t3.
 
So as for me goes i do think amps do matter.Not as the source or the headphones but once you have a good source and a good pair of headphones a good amp can really make them shine.