[Coldheart29]

It's a sensitive IEM, at 22 ohms impedance. So better have an amp with HP out at 2.75 ohms or less, otherwise its treble starts to roll off. E11 is bassy and too smooth to my ears (not heard the E11k), so I suggest try the E12A, but if budget doesn't allow, try the E06. All you need is to have full bits coming out of your player and lower the HP out's impedance to 2.75 ohms or lower (E06 is at around 1 ohms).

Yeah, i know about that, and the e11k should be just shy of 1.3 ohms at the output, so no problem there.
As i said, i was asking because i often read of IEMs and headphones that, despite having high sensibilities and loul impedamces, thus being easy to drive even from phones, show audible improvements when an external amp is added to the chain, while other earphones don't show such improvements even with the same setup.

So i was just womdering if the se215 was part of the first group or the latter.

 

[diamondears]

Yeah, i know about that, and the e11k should be just shy of 1.3 ohms at the output, so no problem there.
As i said, i was asking because i often read of IEMs and headphones that, despite having high sensibilities and loul impedamces, thus being easy to drive even from phones, show audible improvements when an external amp is added to the chain, while other earphones don't show such improvements even with the same setup.

So i was just womdering if the se215 was part of the first group or the latter.

It is transparent, so it scales up pretty good. IMO nothing dynamic is better in terms of transparency and realism. And before someone asks or tells, it is not a dark IEM. It is perfectly neutral, and you'll hear it if you have young ears not yet succumbing to the effects of age (less sensitive to treble). If you believe in the Harman curve, this is that IEM.

 

[goodyfresh]

  It is transparent, so it scales up pretty good. IMO nothing dynamic is better in terms of transparency and realism. And before someone asks or tells, it is not a dark IEM. It is perfectly neutral, and you'll hear it if you have young ears not yet succumbing to the effects of age (less sensitive to treble). If you believe in the Harman curve, this is that IEM.

Well I will say that the Fiio X3ii has a pretty powerful amplifier component (224mW max output at 16ohms, very low 0.2ohm output impedance) and my SE215's sound much better from my X3ii than from the output jack on my laptop while using bit-perfect (WASAPI) output.

Anyway, I don't agree about the SE215 being neutral.  They definitely sound bass-heavy (not overly so, but it's definitely there) and with some noticable roll-off in the upper-treble.  And my ears are VERY sensitive to treble, btw.

 

[Coldheart29]

 
And my ears are VERY sensitive to treble, btw.

Mine too, maybe even too much, in fact i'm buying the se215 because i previously had a pair of sony xba-h1, which i've found way too bright and harsh sounding, and based on many reviews, and |joker|'s suggestion, i've finally opted to go the shure route, as these seem to be smoot, warm sounding iems with a nice bass boost and gentle highs.
 
And BTW, in the end i cancelled my x1 order, and will get an x3ii instead, as the form factor is the same, but i'll get the USB DAC function that will be really handy, as my desktop's built-in sound card is quite bad (lots of hissing and an overly bright sound), and many people say that the x1+e11k combo sounds alot like the bare x3ii, but with the downside of being bulkier.

 

[goodyfresh]

  Mine too, maybe even too much, in fact i'm buying the se215 because i previously had a pair of sony xba-h1, which i've found way too bright and harsh sounding, and based on many reviews, and |joker|'s suggestion, i've finally opted to go the shure route, as these seem to be smoot, warm sounding iems with a nice bass boost and gentle highs.
 
And BTW, in the end i cancelled my x1 order, and will get an x3ii instead, as the form factor is the same, but i'll get the USB DAC function that will be really handy, as my desktop's built-in sound card is quite bad (lots of hissing and an overly bright sound), and many people say that the x1+e11k combo sounds alot like the bare x3ii, but with the downside of being bulkier.

The X3ii as a USB DAC is a great idea for improving on onboard sound with hiss and such, since it works as a fully asynchronous power-isolated DAC! The X3ii is great, I love mine   It's like I have two devices in one, and for only 169.99. . .I got mine used, although it wasn't really used, it had apparently been a floor-display model.

I also must say that I find the X3ii not only makes the SE215 sound better due to the better amping, but that it also just pairs well with them, in general.  The X3ii has an extremely flat, neutral signature so that the coloration in the signature of the SE215's comes across really well driven from it.  The X3ii also does very well with soundstage, so that on low-impedance IEM's like the SE215, their small and intimate soundstage takes on additional layers and complexity.  The imaging I get with them from the X3ii is superb.

And yeah, based on the stats I've seen for it, to achieve the same with the X1 you would have to add an additional amp like the E11k, and then you wouldn't have the functionality as a DAC.
 
The X3ii also pairs really well with my V-Moda Crossfade M-80s.  But at the same time, it doesn't do too shabby a job with harder-to-drive cans, either!  When I got the chance to demo them recently, the Audeze LCD-2 and LCD-3 (70 ohms and 110 ohms impedance, respectively) planar-magnetics were driven quite respectably, achieving a nice sound indeed, from the X3ii, although the LCD-3, for one, did achieve a very significant improvement when an extra amp (the one they had there in the store) was added between the X3ii and the headphones, while the improvement with the LCD-2 was significant but more subtle.  Meanwihle the LCD-XC (20 ohms) was driven SPECTACULARLY by the X3ii, even though despite being low-impedance it is a planar magnetic which tends to be driven better by a more powerful amp.  On the other hand, the Sennheiser HD 800 sounded absolutely crappy from the X3ii, but the HD 800 is 300 ohms with moderate sensitivity and most certainly meant to be driven from powerful amps.

 

[Coldheart29]

Yeah, i've been pondering for a long time on wether to get a x1+e11k or a x3ii. Well, x3ii will be then, looks like a really solid entry point for the portable hi-fi world, and might as well pair it up with a e12 or e12a in the future if i'll ever get particularly demanding headphones, tought i doubt it, as i'm more the portable kind of guy, as i move a lot.
 
Well, thanks for the impressions, better get back in-topic i guess

 

[goodyfresh]

  Yeah, i've been pondering for a long time on wether to get a x1+e11k or a x3ii. Well, x3ii will be then, looks like a really solid entry point for the portable hi-fi world, and might as well pair it up with a e12 or e12a in the future if i'll ever get particularly demanding headphones, tought i doubt it, as i'm more the portable kind of guy, as i move a lot.
 
Well, thanks for the impressions, better get back in-topic i guess

You're definitely making a very nice choice!  One last word on the issue though. . .be aware that the screen on the X3ii is pretty crappy.  It's one of the reasons theyw ere able to make it so cheap.  In indirect sunlight the screen becomes very, very difficult to read without shading it with your hand, and in direct sunlight it becomes impossible.

And yes, let's get back to talking about the Shure SE215.  Again. . .ummmm. . .I like the way they do dynamics

 

[Coldheart29]

 
You're definitely making a very nice choice!  One last word on the issue though. . .be aware that the screen on the X3ii is pretty crappy.  It's one of the reasons theyw ere able to make it so cheap.  In indirect sunlight the screen becomes very, very difficult to read without shading it with your hand, and in direct sunlight it becomes impossible.

 
Ah, that's not a really big issue, what i'm looking for in a DAP is SQ, if i'm only listening to music i tend to take my phone out of the pocket only to choose a new album to listen to when the one currently playing ends. So i'd have very little contacts with the UI and the screen of the DAP.
 
Quote:

  And yes, let's get back to talking about the Shure SE215.  Again. . .ummmm. . .I like the way they do dynamics

 
Uh, i'm still fairly new around here, and must admit that i have yet to get a grasp on many of the expressions, with "dynamics being one of those i haven't really figured out (english is not my native language, and this complicates everything a bit).
 
 
Oh, another question about the se215: Usually, how often should the olive tips be replaced? I read that they are much more durable than the yellow tips, but i haven't found any precise info about it.

 

[goodyfresh]

   
Uh, i'm still fairly new around here, and must admit that i have yet to get a grasp on many of the expressions, with "dynamics being one of those i haven't really figured out (english is not my native language, and this complicates everything a bit).
 
 
Oh, another question about the se215: Usually, how often should the olive tips be replaced? I read that they are much more durable than the yellow tips, but i haven't found any precise info about it.

Well, the Shure Olives do last a lot longer than Comply foam tips.  I've heard that they can easily last four to six months for many folks.  However, it can vary widely.  The biggest variables are: how rough you are with them, how much earwax you produce (ew), and how acidic your earwax is (EWWWWW, Lol).
 
Okay, so, "dynamics":  They're basically about how "hard hitting" stuff sounds.  Think of something like a hard drum-kick.  Does it have a really sharp edge to the start of the sound, and a really sharp fade-out when the sound is over, the way it should?  Does it sound nice and punchy, with good impact that really punches into your skull?  Or say someone is playing a really fast guitar-solo. . .do all the notes have really sharp definition, no matter how fast it gets?  That's dynamics.  It is most related to what we call "transient response" in terms of the actual mathematical measurements of how headphones and other equipment operate, although there are a few other factors that go into it as well.  Dynamics also refers to shifts in volume, and how accurately wide shifts in volume are conveyed both in terms of the volume itself, and the speed of the response.

In the end, you could say Dynamics are very similar/related to Attack, although they are not quite the same thing.  In fact, what I should have said before, instead of just "good dynamics," would be good dynamics/attack, because the way the SE215 performs well, to my ear, is a combo of hte two.  In fact I'd say they do better with the attack than with the dynamics.
 
These should be a good point fo reference for you:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/220770/describing-sound-a-glossary
http://www.head-fi.org/a/glossary-of-terms
http://www.head-fi.org/t/563656/audiophile-terms-for-dummies
 
That's just for getting started with, though

 

[Coldheart29]

Woah, thanks for the explanation, now i've definitely got what "dynamics" means
And yeah, i've been checking the two glossaries every time i read a review and find a term that is new to me.
 
Well, if the se215 do well in the dynamics/attack department, i'll surely enjoy them, as with the genres i listen most (metal, rock), a good attack is always welcome. And thanks for the info about the tips!

 

[goodyfresh]

  Woah, thanks for the explanation, now i've definitely got what "dynamics" means
And yeah, i've been checking the two glossaries every time i read a review and find a term that is new to me.
 
Well, if the se215 do well in the dynamics/attack department, i'll surely enjoy them, as with the genres i listen most (metal, rock), a good attack is always welcome. And thanks for the info about the tips!

Yeah, they do drums (ANY kind of drums) very well for single-dynamic-microdriver IEM's.

However, keep in mind that in the end, they are only/merely single-dynamic-microdrivers!  You won't get the SAME level of dynamics/attack, let-alone detail resolution and soundstage, from them as you will from IEM's with hybrid driver configurations (at least one dynamic, one balanced-armature).  Of course, for hybrid driver earphones, you've got to pay more

 

[Coldheart29]

 
Yeah, they do drums (ANY kind of drums) very well for single-dynamic-microdriver IEM's.

However, keep in mind that in the end, they are only/merely single-dynamic-microdrivers!  You won't get the SAME level of dynamics/attack, let-alone detail resolution and soundstage, from them as you will from IEM's with hybrid driver configurations (at least one dynamic, one balanced-armature).  Of course, for hybrid driver earphones, you've got to pay more

Yeah, i know. I'm starting with the se215, as right now i'm still figuring out what kind of signature i like most (as of now, definitely not something bright like the xba-h1, and i've just got a pair of dunu dn-12 which i'm enjoying, maybe a tad too much bass presence related to the mids, and i want to try the se215 to find out if i like less recessed mids), so it's better to stay on cheaper IEMs for now, and i'm also looking to buy the DAP, so the budget is split between those two.
 
For what i gathered till now, the se534 might be a good choice for me (and the 846 even better, but those are just a wee bit out of my reach 

), but first i want to try the smaller sibling, and if i find miself comfortable with more present mids, i might consider getting the 535 the next christmas.

 

[goodyfresh]

  Yeah, i know. I'm starting with the se215, as right now i'm still figuring out what kind of signature i like most (as of now, definitely not something bright like the xba-h1, and i've just got a pair of dunu dn-12 which i'm enjoying, maybe a tad too much bass presence related to the mids, and i want to try the se215 to find out if i like less recessed mids), so it's better to stay on cheaper IEMs for now, and i'm also looking to buy the DAP, so the budget is split between those two.
 
For what i gathered till now, the se534 might be a good choice for me (and the 846 even better, but those are just a wee bit out of my reach 

), but first i want to try the smaller sibling, and if i find miself comfortable with more present mids, i might consider getting the 535 the next christmas.

There's a new IEM coming out called the Trinity Delta that by all accounts is absolutely AMAZING, and will be cheap (compared to other IEM's with the same quality) as well!  It will also have multiple filters for tuning it to different frequency-responses.

 

[Coldheart29]

Uhuh, i noticed the announcement of the upcoming trinity IEMs, and was interested in the delta.
But i'm fairly sensible brightness in the upper mids/lower trebles region, and the delta, based on brokoo's and mark2410's reviews, might be too bright sounding for me, maybe on par with the xba-h1.

 

[goodyfresh]

  Uhuh, i noticed the announcement of the upcoming trinity IEMs, and was interested in the delta.
But i'm fairly sensible brightness in the upper mids/lower trebles region, and the delta, based on brokoo's and mark2410's reviews, might be too bright sounding for me, maybe on par with the xba-h1.

I was talking to Brooko about the same thing in some PM's, and that's the thing. . .the Delta is MORE OR LESS bright depending on which of the tuning filters you used.  Brooko recommended that I rule-out a number of other IEM's, such as teh Dunu DN-2000J, based on being too-bright and the fact that my ears are very treble-sensitive, but he told me specifically that with the various tunings being available, the Deltas should probably not pose an issue for my sensitivity to treble notes.

If you're concerned about it and want to know more specifics about the Delta, feel free to PM Brooko like I did, I'm sure he'd be glad to give you his advice, since he's a really nice guy