[artsci]

Since I travel frequently, mostly on airplanes, I've been experimenting with a convenient, secure, compact, and lightweight way to take my iPod 160gig, iQube V2, ad Sleek wireless equipped UE10s, and related accessories on the road.

I've finally found solution using the very nicely made aluminum case that came with the UE 10 Pros. I cut an opening in the side to expose the controls for the V2 (I didn't want to have to keep opening and closing the case to control the volume), mounted a jack on the other side for the Sleek transmitter (so it can sit outside the case where the wireless signal will not be impeded by the aluminum case), lined the whole thing with black foam and fit all the pieces inside the foam, and found a way to mount the Sleek W-1 equipped UE10s around the perimeter of the case top with foam pads that protect the monitors in transit.

With the case closed, the iQube V2 controls are accessible.

Various view of the case open. Note the UE10s mounted in the case lid and the monitors in the protective foam pads. I carry spare Sleek W-1 transmitters. I've also mounted a rubber ring on the V2 volume control to make it easier to grip and turn. I try this out Monday on a cross-country flight to California.

 

[grahamnp]

Might seem like a dumb question but how does the amplifier work if it's connected to the wireless transmitter anyway?

 

[artsci]

The wireless transmitter takes the audio output from the amplifier and transmits it to the wireless receiver attached to the UE11 monitors. It transmits whatever it gets from the amp. So the principle is the same is being plugged in -- the better sound coming from the source, in this case, the amp, the better the sound received headphones, in this case the Sleek equipped UE10 in-ear monitors.

With the Sleek Kleer technology, the sound quality as good as wired, that is, with the monitors plugged into the amp output. It's CD quality.

 

[qusp]

sorry but that logic is totally flawed IMO; the point of using an amp with IEMs such as the very sensitive, but power hungry UE(11 or 10 you say both), is to provide more current to greater control the drivers, with a lower noise floor and more swing than the internal ipod amp. You totally negate this by using the transmitter, which uses its own amp in the receiver to drive them, meaning the iqube in this case is extraneous and actually just adding more stuff in the signal path unnessecarily, while not providing the benefit it is designed to provide ie. power. IMO you would get a cleaner signal by just using one of those LODs with a simple female minijack and plug the transmitter into that, you would not need this fancy case then though, so that might be a disadvantage to you

now if you were using its dac fed by a laptop or other USB audio source, that would be a different story, but you are not and this seems to be a massive waste of money for nothing. of course if it sounds great to you, great, but please do realize that your logic regarding the benefit and where it is from is flawed IMO. at least it makes zero sense to me

a better way (for sound quality anyway) would be to connect the kleer transmitter to the ipod LOD with an adapter, plug the receiver into the iqube and the headphones into the iqube. kinda the negates the purpose of the transmitter/receiver, but better than negating the purpose of the amp IMO

 

[artsci]

What's important to me is the quality of the sound and the convenience of wireless, because in the end, that's what matters to me. I detect no difference whatsoever with the UEs plugged directly into the amp or listening via the Sleek via the setup I have. And the UEs are not at all power hungry -- the Sleek transmitter and receiver provide about 8 hours of listening time without a recharge..

 

[LingLing1337]

This forum is almost as full of "More money than sense" types as the exotic car forums.

 

[qusp]

^^all too true sadly. i'm afraid the OP has not much of an idea of the concepts he is playing around with

i'm glad you are happy OP, really I am, but if you cannot hear the difference between cable and wireless, then...... I rest my case

why the iqube, because the iqube will not provide any benefit past a volume control the way you have it set up. it is an amp, it is there to provide more power and control to the drivers than what you have without it, by doing it the way you are, you do not utilize this superior power/control AT ALL

and despite the high sensitivity, UE10/11 are power hungry, they need more current, not more MW (amperage) In my experience very low impedance headphones are a very difficult load that suck a lot of current, an ability of the iqube which you circumvent with your set-up, you are in effect driving the transmitter (which has its own battery power anyway) and this drive ends there, only the signal goes on. The UE10 pro are being driven by the reciever not the iqube, so the iqube does (or at least a quality amp should) nothing in this setup. if the amp was a colorful amp, maybe there would be some residual coloration that was desirable, but the iqube is probably the most transparent portable amp I have heard; some would even find it bland/boring because of this. I suppose it is possible that the extra power is driving the transmitter into clipping and because of the uber transparency of the iqube->UE10 pro synergy, you are enjoying this added colour

regardless, I repeat, glad you are happy, but seriously man, the iQube is a fantastic amp...what a waste

try it with the sleek W1 plugged directly into an LOD (you MUST use the Line out to compare) and I can almost guarantee you will get performance on par or more likely superior than what you are getting now.
regardless of what I think of the signal chain, the actual mod of the UE10 case and other bits is cool, kudos for that

 

[artsci]

I appreciate all of the good advice. I listen mostly to classical music, so I think I have a very sensitive ear for all the nuances of sound produced by orchestras and chamber groups, which create an extraordinary range of tone, timbre, harmonics, and the like. So I don't think the sensitivity of my hearing is a question.

Based on the advice provided, I will definitely be doing some further experimentation with the set-up (by nature, I experiment all the time anyway) but the ultimate test for me will always be what I hear in the monitors. Until I switched to the Kleer wireless technology, I, too, thought wireless was crap (largely based on my disappointment with Bluetooth).

Quote:

Originally Posted by qusp /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^^all too true sadly. i'm afraid the OP has not much of an idea of the concepts he is playing around with i'm glad you are happy OP, really I am, but if you cannot hear the difference between cable and wireless, then...... I rest my case why the iqube, because the iqube will not provide any benefit past a volume control the way you have it set up. it is an amp, it is there to provide more power and control to the drivers than what you have without it, by doing it the way you are, you do not utilize this superior power/control AT ALL and despite the high sensitivity, UE10/11 are power hungry, they need more current, not more MW (amperage) In my experience very low impedance headphones are a very difficult load that suck a lot of current, an ability of the iqube which you circumvent with your set-up, you are in effect driving the transmitter (which has its own battery power anyway) and this drive ends there, only the signal goes on. The UE10 pro are being driven by the reciever not the iqube, so the iqube does (or at least a quality amp should) nothing in this setup. if the amp was a colorful amp, maybe there would be some residual coloration that was desirable, but the iqube is probably the most transparent portable amp I have heard; some would even find it bland/boring because of this. I suppose it is possible that the extra power is driving the transmitter into clipping and because of the uber transparency of the iqube->UE10 pro synergy, you are enjoying this added colour regardless, I repeat, glad you are happy, but seriously man, the iQube is a fantastic amp...what a waste try it with the sleek W1 plugged directly into an LOD (you MUST use the Line out to compare) and I can almost guarantee you will get performance on par or more likely superior than what you are getting now. regardless of what I think of the signal chain, the actual mod of the UE10 case and other bits is cool, kudos for that