[Boxyard66]

Hi everyone
new member here
thanks to my wife I got in this mess, the IEM rabbit hole. Thanks to her because I like to hear music on my speakers, klipsch-rp-600m Il and paired with SMSL ad18 amp
she doesn’t agree with the volume that I play my music so I saw this IEMs on Amazon and problem solved, on her side but not on my wallet, LOL!
I went the Kz route (kz-zs10 pro) as my first IEM and now I have several of them. The recent ones are the S12 pro and the ea500lm, love them! And salnotes, wan’er that I use daily at work. And got the qudelix 5k.

the SMSL ad18 amp is been with me for years, I guess over 6-8 years? I saw this guy on YouTube recommended it, Z reviews I guess is his channel? And bought it, I like it!
one question. I tried to “upgrade“ this amp and bought the SMSL ao300, I didn’t like it. Don’t know the terminology to explain what I heard but the sound was just flat, no matter what I did still didn’t improve. More bass, less bass, different eq. More treble, less treble, the same results, if I pumped up the volume would get worst. I compared both amps and mine got the upper hand. I returned this amp and bought a second one. Loxjie A30, same situation.
did I get a custom as how mine sounds? I tried same parameters that I have in the ad18 amp on both that I bought from Amazon and flat results, increased and decreased them and same results. Tried with the speakers, with the IEM and mine, I heard all the instruments playing as with the new ones just flat! Increasing the volume and it got worst.
???
what you guys think?

thanks and have a good Sunday!

in less than 3 months and I have 8 IEMs
Time to just enjoy what I have

 

[Redcarmoose]

Well welcome! There is still time to get out while you save your sanity.

I used to sound exactly like you. As far as amplifiers go you simply need to try a bunch of stuff. Manufacturing makes many house sounds.

It may be too that you are changing, and need better gear. That can happen. But my only desktops are a TA-ZH1ES, and I have an old Asgard One laying around. I recently got a couple Dongles. The truth is it is a mixture of everything. Meaning it is the IEMs, the cables, the DAP or desktop that you use to power them and it is the found synergy. I recently did a review of an under $30 IEM called the NiceHCk DB2 and I combined it with an under $80 cable called the SIMGOT AUDIO LC7 then I plugged it into this little tiny DAP called the HiBy R3 II. And you know what, I found it again, the sound I like. All for under $250!

So even though I have done this for years it is still a surprise when you find your sound again. At times you know why, and at times you don’t know why. But I kept coming back to the set up just to make sure it was still sounding totally correct, and it was every day for days....and I could listen a long time too, and not get bored.

But just keep trying different stuff until you find it, at times before you have a known house sound, you just have to do that. Later on you may land on a manufacturer who caters to your whims, but until then you have to play the field. You can try and analyze it, but still not get anywhere? Later I learned to like tube amps, but then I moved onto Sony DAPs and that is primarily where I stayed.

 

[Boxyard66]

Thanks for your reply
i saw that IEM that you mention from niceHCk when I bought a cable from them
there is this other company, iviq I guess? I bought 2 cables from them and now they are on IEMs too

i said to my wife that this amp is been with me for several years and serving me well, zero hiccups.., and what about if it stops?
what am I going to do? I know, get the same model as Amazon still selling them, but better treat it well and don’t look to replace it…

yeah, no more spending for this madness
just out of curiosity
how a $2k IEM sounds?
im asking as I have no experience and nowhere to compare, lets say, let Shuoer 12 pro compared to this high dollar IEM?
what can you expect to hear from this IEM?

 

[HiFiWar]

Thanks for your reply
i saw that IEM that you mention from niceHCk when I bought a cable from them
there is this other company, iviq I guess? I bought 2 cables from them and now they are on IEMs too

i said to my wife that this amp is been with me for several years and serving me well, zero hiccups.., and what about if it stops?
what am I going to do? I know, get the same model as Amazon still selling them, but better treat it well and don’t look to replace it…

yeah, no more spending for this madness
just out of curiosity
how a $2k IEM sounds?
im asking as I have no experience and nowhere to compare, lets say, let Shuoer 12 pro compared to this high dollar IEM?
what can you expect to hear from this IEM?

Some 2k IEMs sound great. Some sound terrible. I didn't like the letshouers I've heard, but they're all different. A Campfire Audio Black Star will beat most IEMs at $2k for 1k. So will the Custom Art Fibae F5. Quite a few used IEMs under $2k are a steal as well. My website in my sig has IEM rankings that could help you if you choose to go that route. It's a slippery slope though.