[smaragd]

Thanks Kelvin for the elaborate testing.
Would you mind also testing the iPhone 6 with the Neutron Media Player software?
Neutron Music Player by Neutron Code Limited
https://appsto.re/hk/eAvTT.i
There is a free evaluation version.

I found this player to make a huge difference on the iPhone 5s and ipad 4 running 8.1
Would love to hear your findings. I'm still contemplating moving from Android to IOS.
The audio chips in I devices are customized Cirrus Logic supposedly soundnt better than most android smartphones. The biggest issue I have with Android 4.x is the audio stuttering, a well known bug. I hear it once every 15-20 min. As if the playback chokes a microsecond and then resumes...
I use both Poweramp and Neutron on an LG G Pro playing hi res flac files.

Cheers.

 

[Artmuzz]

I managed to jailbreak my new iPhone 6 Plus. However, it looks like it's next to impossible to be unlock the dreaded EU volume cap as I cannot find the volume limit file in the preferences using iFile and I have tried using EU volume disabler and EUunlimited but the volume is still the same.

 

[elfary]

Thanks Kelvin for the elaborate testing.
Would you mind also testing the iPhone 6 with the Neutron Media Player software?
Neutron Music Player by Neutron Code Limited
https://appsto.re/hk/eAvTT.i
There is a free evaluation version.

I found this player to make a huge difference on the iPhone 5s and ipad 4 running 8.1
Would love to hear your findings. I'm still contemplating moving from Android to IOS.
The audio chips in I devices are customized Cirrus Logic supposedly soundnt better than most android smartphones. The biggest issue I have with Android 4.x is the audio stuttering, a well known bug. I hear it once every 15-20 min. As if the playback chokes a microsecond and then resumes...
I use both Poweramp and Neutron on an LG G Pro playing hi res flac files.

Cheers.

When i had the European 5s i managed to remove the cap, meaning that volume matched my iPad and got rid of the colored volume dots. I installed the repo from hackmyiphone which featured the cap removal.

But it was on 7.0.6 and the jailbreak was not via Pangu.

Back on topic on my 4th listening session with my own files i still think that at loud volumes the iPhone 5s headphone amp seems to be a bit more powerful than the one mounted on the iPhone 6. Sound is more controlled and open.


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

 

[ubs28]

50% on the iPhone 5S is way too loud for me already. I don't see the point of removing the volume cap. At 100% you'll go deaf for certain.

 

[johsti]

Kelvinwsy - Are you using the IFI Nano or Micro iDSD?

 

[moedawg140]

  50% on the iPhone 5S is way too loud for me already. I don't see the point of removing the volume cap. At 100% you'll go deaf for certain.

 
It depends on what earphones/headphones you are using with the iDevice.   With the SE846, 50% is starting to get pretty loud depends on which tips/custom sleeves you use, but for a hard-to-drive headphone like the HE-6, putting my iPhone 6 at 100% with them makes the headphone listenable but does not get loud.  So depending on what you use, I could definitely see there being a legitimate concern regarding a volume cap.

 

[Artmuzz]

When i had the European 5s i managed to remove the cap, meaning that volume matched my iPad and got rid of the colored volume dots. I installed the repo from hackmyiphone which featured the cap removal.

But it was on 7.0.6 and the jailbreak was not via Pangu.

Back on topic on my 4th listening session with my own files i still think that at loud volumes the iPhone 5s headphone amp seems to be a bit more powerful than the one mounted on the iPhone 6. Sound is more controlled and open.


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

I'm not sure if you are quoting the right person when you mention the EU volume cap. It was me who mentioned the volume cap not smaragd.

 

[youngarthur]

I am using 6 plus with HiFi M8.Shure 846,and Westone 4 R. Now  also using HA 1, and HD 800. The 846 ( For me) have been more difficult to get the right tip. Having spent many hours trying,I have settled on the silicon ones. Others have lost sound stage, or lack of bass,due to loss of seal.This for me is the perfect set up. The only thing i seem to notice,is that further up the chain you go,the more you notice bad recordings.

 

[elfary]

When i had the European 5s i managed to remove the cap, meaning that volume matched my iPad and got rid of the colored volume dots. I installed the repo from hackmyiphone which featured the cap removal.

But it was on 7.0.6 and the jailbreak was not via Pangu.

Back on topic on my 4th listening session with my own files i still think that at loud volumes the iPhone 5s headphone amp seems to be a bit more powerful than the one mounted on the iPhone 6. Sound is more controlled and open.


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

I'm not sure if you are quoting the right person when you mention the EU volume cap. It was me who mentioned the volume cap not smaragd.

That's correct.Tapatalk misdemeanors. LOL.

Anyway i think that on the iPhone 5s thread i wrote an step by step guide to uncap the European 5s (though i don't know if it would work with the 6 & iOS 8....)




Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

 

[moedawg140]

  I am using 6 plus with HiFi M8.Shure 846,and Westone 4 R. Now  also using HA 1, and HD 800. The 846 ( For me) have been more difficult to get the right tip. Having spent many hours trying,I have settled on the silicon ones. Others have lost sound stage, or lack of bass,due to loss of seal.This for me is the perfect set up. The only thing i seem to notice,is that further up the chain you go,the more you notice bad recordings.

 
I had the same issue with the SE846.  Getting the Sensaphonics Custom Sleeves took care of every fit, seal and isolation issue, and resulted in elevated perceived sound quality as well, in my honest opinion.  Check out the review of the SCS and find out if it may be right for you.

 

[FunnyCrow]

Have you experienced audio glitches with iphone 6 plus and ios8? Sometimes I hear some "jitters" while listening to music and performing other action at the same time (ex surfing the web with safari).

 

[youngarthur]

I could not get on at all with the 846 memory cable., so removed it,and cut the plastic up to about one inch from the phones. Did this as well with the Westone 4R. Now a perfect fit. I have found no problems at all with the iPhone 6 plus as you have. Using the 800,with a balanced cable. I cannot seem to find a balanced cable for the 846 though.

 

[moedawg140]

  I could not get on at all with the 846 memory cable., so removed it,and cut the plastic up to about one inch from the phones. Did this as well with the Westone 4R. Now a perfect fit. I have found no problems at all with the iPhone 6 plus as you have. Using the 800,with a balanced cable. I cannot seem to find a balanced cable for the 846 though.

 
Email Ted Allen at headphonelounge.com (he is having surgery on Dec. 9th) and he can hook you up with a great balanced cable for the SE846.  I used Ted's HL Silver (non-Litz) MMCX Balanced cable in The Intruder review (below), and it sounded great.  I would opt for the updated Silver Litz cable though.  You can even customize your headphone plug, plug barrel (if you use the regular one) and Y-connect.

 

[kelvinwsy]

I took a hit for all of you guys. Neutron music player is USD4.99 at the apps store in Singapore (as a request from smaragd). The Neutron music player sounds great on first listen. Within a few seconds I could tell there was a mismatch with the Iphone 6. There was audible ringing in the treble. So I mess about with all the settings. Does not seem to improve much; until I set everything to FLAT. In comparison to the Accuaudio TM Pro set at Zero Gain EQ off, the SQ of the Accudio TM Pro is much more to my preference. To characterize the differences in SQ, I would categorize Neutron as 'digital sounding" and Accuaudio "analogue".
 
But it gets worst. I thought I would give these 2 players the Acid test - my Acid test.
I use "Careless Love" album from Madeleine Peyroux as a Test for most of my equipment tests. First track "Dance me to the end of love" is a killer track. The bass riff is firm and pulsating. But the piano solo at mid point of the track is very telling. I use this to set up my main rig - All tube system.
Right hand plays the high notes and accompanied by the left hand playing the mid bass notes.
On the Accuaudio - it sounds pretty damn good even compared to my main speaker rig with all tubes pre- and power monoblocks - You can hear the fingering postion on the piano keyboard. Clear SQ very clear Sound stage positioning even on my UE900's.
 
Switch to Neutron music player - Oh Oh. Even with all DSP, 64 bit switched off there is still perceptible ringing. Finally I switched everything off. The SQ improved but I could still hear some subtle ringing.
 
I replayed the track "Dance me to the end of love" again with Neutron on flat setting on everything. SQ improved but the piano solo definitely is still muddled in Sound stage and location of each piano key being struck. In comparison, on Accuaudio TM Pro, you can hear the attack and decay of each piano key clearly and without the overhanging ringing. The position of left hand and right hand is so much easier to hear.
 
The above test was repeated 3 times over yesterday evening, night time and this morning, in order to avoid any bias or imaginary delusions either way.
 
...
ON the matter of sound stage difference between the 2 different Music players. I use another track. "Sting Live in Berlin - Whenever I hear your name".
The same impression I get with the lead violin and then Jo Lawry position on stage is more vague and narrower with the Neutron player and much more clear and well separated on the Accuaudio TM.
 
My reference is my main rig - PS Audio PWD II using elyric music player from my Win 8.1 SSD laptop server and tube pre- and 2 monoblocs on my Horn speaker system. The Accaudio matches the Soundstage and instrument/voice positioning of my main set much more than the Neutron player.
 
The above is just my views. Hope I don't get flamed by any fans of the Neutron player. I think it may be more suited for electronic and pop music. I am into more vocal, acoustic, big band/orchestra works. Accuaudio suits my sound preferences more
 
Thanks and Keep enjoying the music

 

[smaragd]

Thanks Kelvin!
 
This is exactly the information I was looking for! Very much appreciate your efforts and analyses of the interaction between devices and software.
My LG Gpro is a much more laid back sound and works fairly well with Neutron. But I miss out on the dynamics and the sparkle.
The Iphone sound (Cirrus Logic audio chips) is more energetic and more engaging which is what I'm looking for.
I will give Accuaudio a try as well. Your UE900 also has a different character than my UM-Pro50 which tends to roll of at the top end, but I've fixed that by replacing the stock cable with a DIY Silver Poison from Toxic Cables.
Still burning in that custom IEM cable as we speak... so there are a lot of factors at play here.
 
Again thanks for the effort! 
If you're ever in Hong Kong by any chance, PM me and I'll buy you a drink