I have to admit that I have been slow in moving to the "ultimate source party" due to my apple ecosystem. The iPhone, iTunes, and iEverythingElse have been too convenient and too beautiful. I didn't want to carry around one of those ugly bricks held together by rubber bands just to listen to music. I felt I could just use high end headphones/iems and lossless formats to get most of the way to musical [size=small]nirvana anyways. [/size]
[size=small]However, in ordering a Hidition NT-6 Pro based on average_joe's multi-CIEM review, I figured that I would give the Clip+ a try. His review suggests that the listening experience on a scale of 1 to 10 goes from a 4.5 with my iPhone to a 6.5 with the Clip+. For $29 on Amazon to get a 50% listening experience improvement, what the heck. I want to be able to know what the Hidition can do when I get it.[/size]
[size=small]Buying the Clip+, and after the painful transition from AIFF to FLAC for a few of my favorite playlists, the sound quality improvement was immediately obvious. At first listen, there was additional slam and space/imaging between the instruments that I wasn't getting from my iPhone, but my TF10 sounded very congested like listening to a concert next to the stage through a small window in a sound proof wall. It was also missing the in your face guitar that the iPhone has that makes you feel like you are the guitarist. But the sound was absolutely superior in every way and very addicting.[/size]
[size=small]Unfortunately, after a few days of use, the Clip+ battery started to poop out lasting only an hour between charges, then yesterday it would not start nor charge. So I am returning for a replacement and have been forced to go back to my iPhone 5 as source. Wow, the iPhone is hardly worth listening to now. It has the effect of the lights coming on at the bar at the end of the night. The iPhone sounds really bad now that I am used to the Clip+. The imaging is all gone and the sound is very confused - probably why I didn't notice how congested the TF10 is until now. But now that I listen again, The Clip+ seems like it was wider. The lack of black space between instruments is now glaring making the overlapping sounds feel harsh and grating. The guitar is back, but now it just seems wrong as if the guitarists are in the audience in the back of the auditorium with me and the band is way up front in the back of the stage. At times, certain instruments sound like they are being played in another distant room with the door shut. Another weird effect with the iPhone is that when my poor fitting right iem tip comes loose, all bass is gone sounding like a cheap glaring AM mono radio. With the Clip+, when the tip comes loose, the bass falls a bit, but the sound is still thick and detailed. That alone makes my TF10's much more listenable.[/size]
[size=small]So is the Clip+ really that good? Yes, especially at $29, and especially when coming from expensive Apple products. I didn't even mention the form factor that is awesome being able to clip it to my shirt rather than having to wear a large armband to wear my iPhone 5 in the gym.[/size]
