Lil' Knight
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2007
- Posts
- 6,872
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So after owning the iQube v2 for almost 3 months, I think I need to share some thoughts about it. I'm not a good writer so don't put flame on me for not using flowery words.
Firstly, I must say I don't have much experience with portable stuffs. The only IEMs I owned were the ER4ps, W3s, SE530s. Nothing fancy. However, I had chances to fool around with some nice portable amps, such as the Mini3, Move, P51, Predator, SR71a and Pico w/ DAC. Of them, I like the P51 and Pico most. That was a good time enjoying some great sound out of small stuffs. However, the journey in the portable world stopped a year ago, when I got a chance to build a balanced setup around the HD650s, and then the amazing Stax O2, and finally the HD800s. That was an ears-opening experience for me to know how good high-end, full-size rig can do. I never thought I would come back to the portable world again, ever.
Things changed dramatically last summer when I had to keep changing places, which I realized that it was such a hassle to keep a desktop rig. I sold my HD800s and then the O2s, which I still feel so regretful, but can't help. Being a student who has to live in the dorm all the time, it's not easy to have those stuffs cramped in my room. Plus, my friends kept asking me why on earth I had to spend a lot of money on those weird looking stuffs (!).
So I decided to pull the trigger on the JH13s, my second set of custom IEMs. In the mean time, I tried to find a small, portable USB DAC/Amp to pair with the JH13s. I thought of buying the Pico DAC/Amp again since I had some great experiences with it. However, the Qables iQube v2 showed up and Hans, at that time, was offering a promotion price. I was always curious about the iQube so I thought this was a good time a give it a try. Drew at Moon Audio gave a great helping hand answering all my questions. 3 days after I ordered, the iQube v2 was a the post office's door step (sorry, no house!).
To my surprise, the iQube v2 was surprisingly light, not that heavy like I thought. Moreover, I felt in love at first sight by how elegant the design was. Very classical, simple but still eye-catching. I especially loved the symmetry. It can be said that Hans did a wonderful job designing the best looking amp I've ever seen. So, I let it burn-in for about 100 hours and began listening. First impression? 'Wait... what the heck? Did I plug my JH13s into the amp?' I wondered. There was almost no difference from what I heard straight from my iTouch! I began to feel regretful about my purchase. 'Man, this amp costs me 650 bucks! It should make something fun, or at least, different!'. Having that thought in my mind, I still decided to give it a longer trial. Surprisingly (again!), the more I listened to the JH13s and iQube v2, the more I found how different my music collection was. They were just neutral, dead neutral. There was almost no coloration or fun, good stuffs in, good stuffs out. In some songs, I kept asking myself what exactly happened to them when I listened by the HD650 and SE530s. The sound at that time were full of fun but now, I felt I could appreciate the songs on a different aspect, positively, of course. Music was still extremely smooth but the details were unrivaled. I was hearing what exactly the musicians wanted me to hear. Nothing more, nothing less. The iQube v2 is simply an amp that totally disappears in the music chain. All it does is to bring more energy and body, brings out the details that hide behind the notes of songs. The bass it offers is the best I've ever heard, much better than that of the HD650s. I can say without hesitation that I prefer the JH13s and iQube v2 than the HD800s and M3. I know I didn't try any balanced amp with the HD800s, but hell yeah, who cares about that when I have an excellent and tiny setup that I can bring to anywhere? Much as I love them, I still don't think they are in the same level of my Stax setup (O2mk1 + 007t/717). The O2s have some magical sound that can blow any headphones away, no exception for the JH13s. Their transparency is just sublime! I was sad to sell them but some days after I graduate, they will come back to me. Moreover, I felt intrigued about the specs of the iQube v2's DAC. It was not mentioned clearly on Qables website. So, I decided to find a Pico DAC to see if there is any improvement. Sadly, it was not. The Pico DAC is an excellent one but somehow it made the sound too warm and I felt like there was a veil on the music (hey hey, I was listening to the JH13s, not the HD650s!). I might be too used to the sound of the iQube v2 with its own DAC. That only mades me feel happier to see how well the iQube v2 performed as a combo. But I'm not totally given up. My Buffalo32s is almost finished and it would surely provide some more details for the JH13s.
However, like any other headamp, the iQube v2 still has some disadvantages. Firstly, the hiss. It was there in the v1 and since the amp section wasn't changed, it's also here in the v2. It's not really annoying since when music is on, I can barely hear the hiss. But, it's still not a 'dead silent' amp. Secondly, it has some difficulties driving high impedance headphones. Using the high gain, I have to crank to volume control to ~11-12h to make the bass of my PK1s go out. Using an resistor adapter of my JH13s also makes it harder for the v2 to drive them properly. And lastly, I can't charge by the wallwart and play the v2 simultaneously. It would be a problem if you decide to use your own DAC for the v2's amp section. Somehow Hans eliminated the switch so it can't do both tasks at the same time. If I could make a chance, it would be adding a switch and optical input. The USB DAC surely does a great job but to my experience, the optical input will bring the DAC to its full potential. I don't think it would be a big problem to add this input to the v2.
So, those are my short impressions on the iQube v2. I'm totally satisfied with the purchase and will recommend it to anyone who is looking for a companion for the JH13s.
Firstly, I must say I don't have much experience with portable stuffs. The only IEMs I owned were the ER4ps, W3s, SE530s. Nothing fancy. However, I had chances to fool around with some nice portable amps, such as the Mini3, Move, P51, Predator, SR71a and Pico w/ DAC. Of them, I like the P51 and Pico most. That was a good time enjoying some great sound out of small stuffs. However, the journey in the portable world stopped a year ago, when I got a chance to build a balanced setup around the HD650s, and then the amazing Stax O2, and finally the HD800s. That was an ears-opening experience for me to know how good high-end, full-size rig can do. I never thought I would come back to the portable world again, ever.
Things changed dramatically last summer when I had to keep changing places, which I realized that it was such a hassle to keep a desktop rig. I sold my HD800s and then the O2s, which I still feel so regretful, but can't help. Being a student who has to live in the dorm all the time, it's not easy to have those stuffs cramped in my room. Plus, my friends kept asking me why on earth I had to spend a lot of money on those weird looking stuffs (!).
So I decided to pull the trigger on the JH13s, my second set of custom IEMs. In the mean time, I tried to find a small, portable USB DAC/Amp to pair with the JH13s. I thought of buying the Pico DAC/Amp again since I had some great experiences with it. However, the Qables iQube v2 showed up and Hans, at that time, was offering a promotion price. I was always curious about the iQube so I thought this was a good time a give it a try. Drew at Moon Audio gave a great helping hand answering all my questions. 3 days after I ordered, the iQube v2 was a the post office's door step (sorry, no house!).
To my surprise, the iQube v2 was surprisingly light, not that heavy like I thought. Moreover, I felt in love at first sight by how elegant the design was. Very classical, simple but still eye-catching. I especially loved the symmetry. It can be said that Hans did a wonderful job designing the best looking amp I've ever seen. So, I let it burn-in for about 100 hours and began listening. First impression? 'Wait... what the heck? Did I plug my JH13s into the amp?' I wondered. There was almost no difference from what I heard straight from my iTouch! I began to feel regretful about my purchase. 'Man, this amp costs me 650 bucks! It should make something fun, or at least, different!'. Having that thought in my mind, I still decided to give it a longer trial. Surprisingly (again!), the more I listened to the JH13s and iQube v2, the more I found how different my music collection was. They were just neutral, dead neutral. There was almost no coloration or fun, good stuffs in, good stuffs out. In some songs, I kept asking myself what exactly happened to them when I listened by the HD650 and SE530s. The sound at that time were full of fun but now, I felt I could appreciate the songs on a different aspect, positively, of course. Music was still extremely smooth but the details were unrivaled. I was hearing what exactly the musicians wanted me to hear. Nothing more, nothing less. The iQube v2 is simply an amp that totally disappears in the music chain. All it does is to bring more energy and body, brings out the details that hide behind the notes of songs. The bass it offers is the best I've ever heard, much better than that of the HD650s. I can say without hesitation that I prefer the JH13s and iQube v2 than the HD800s and M3. I know I didn't try any balanced amp with the HD800s, but hell yeah, who cares about that when I have an excellent and tiny setup that I can bring to anywhere? Much as I love them, I still don't think they are in the same level of my Stax setup (O2mk1 + 007t/717). The O2s have some magical sound that can blow any headphones away, no exception for the JH13s. Their transparency is just sublime! I was sad to sell them but some days after I graduate, they will come back to me. Moreover, I felt intrigued about the specs of the iQube v2's DAC. It was not mentioned clearly on Qables website. So, I decided to find a Pico DAC to see if there is any improvement. Sadly, it was not. The Pico DAC is an excellent one but somehow it made the sound too warm and I felt like there was a veil on the music (hey hey, I was listening to the JH13s, not the HD650s!). I might be too used to the sound of the iQube v2 with its own DAC. That only mades me feel happier to see how well the iQube v2 performed as a combo. But I'm not totally given up. My Buffalo32s is almost finished and it would surely provide some more details for the JH13s.
However, like any other headamp, the iQube v2 still has some disadvantages. Firstly, the hiss. It was there in the v1 and since the amp section wasn't changed, it's also here in the v2. It's not really annoying since when music is on, I can barely hear the hiss. But, it's still not a 'dead silent' amp. Secondly, it has some difficulties driving high impedance headphones. Using the high gain, I have to crank to volume control to ~11-12h to make the bass of my PK1s go out. Using an resistor adapter of my JH13s also makes it harder for the v2 to drive them properly. And lastly, I can't charge by the wallwart and play the v2 simultaneously. It would be a problem if you decide to use your own DAC for the v2's amp section. Somehow Hans eliminated the switch so it can't do both tasks at the same time. If I could make a chance, it would be adding a switch and optical input. The USB DAC surely does a great job but to my experience, the optical input will bring the DAC to its full potential. I don't think it would be a big problem to add this input to the v2.
So, those are my short impressions on the iQube v2. I'm totally satisfied with the purchase and will recommend it to anyone who is looking for a companion for the JH13s.
