[Combat Audio]

When I bought the Senn HD 650s, I bought them and the Equinox cable at the same time after reading alot of cable comparisions here on Headfi. I guess that it would of been prudent to listen to them with the stock cable once but time was limited and I figured it was just best to start out with something better. There are many cables to choose from but there have been novels worth of good write ups and threads dealing specifically with this issue. If I ever get to a meet I would like to listen to some different cables and see if I made the right choice for my ears.

I would help you out with the Grado selection but the only set I have heard is actually the RS-1s that I own. I love the set and they really have a bueatiful sound that meshes well with my tastes. I am pretty hard pressed to switch cans at times as they really do it for me. The Eddie Current EC/SS was tuned to the RS-1s and it does have great synergy with these cans but I was quite impressed with the level that they added to the Senn HD650s! They really grab the drivers in the HD650s and make them move. I know that the RS-1s are a bit pricey (to say the least) but they have been well worth it (for me). The 225 have been listed by many as the rock cans and there have been many good reviews for the 325i's as well. There is a Grado thread here that pretty much runs through all the Grado/Alessandro line and has a long list of reviews, etc. It is another one of those threads that is pretty much all inclusive.

The Etys are great but you may want to look into the Shures or Westones as well if you are getting two sets. I like the Etys for their super detail but it is nice to have more presence in the low end at times as well. So, I find myself switching between the Etys and the Shures depending on what I am in the mood for.

The Beyers are the most open can that I have and have a great sound stage but I don't find them quite as intriguing as some of the other cans that I own. I let my son (see avatar) listen with them...it is pretty fun to watch his reactions to different genres of music...and a great way if he is a bit fussy to get him to fall asleep. I find that he finds the new Celtic Women Journey CD irresistible...though he seems to enjoy the Doors and Creedence as well

.

 

[philslade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Combat Audio /img/forum/go_quote.gif When I bought the Senn HD 650s, I bought them and the Equinox cable at the same time after reading alot of cable comparisions here on Headfi. I guess that it would of been prudent to listen to them with the stock cable once but time was limited and I figured it was just best to start out with something better. There are many cables to choose from but there have been novels worth of good write ups and threads dealing specifically with this issue. If I ever get to a meet I would like to listen to some different cables and see if I made the right choice for my ears.

Comparing sounds like fun. OTOH, if you are actually happy with your rig, it's only a matter of finding out whether the grass is a big greener over the hedge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Combat Audio /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would help you out with the Grado selection but the only set I have heard is actually the RS-1s that I own. I love the set and they really have a bueatiful sound that meshes well with my tastes. I am pretty hard pressed to switch cans at times as they really do it for me. The Eddie Current EC/SS was tuned to the RS-1s and it does have great synergy with these cans but I was quite impressed with the level that they added to the Senn HD650s! They really grab the drivers in the HD650s and make them move. I know that the RS-1s are a bit pricey (to say the least) but they have been well worth it (for me). The 225 have been listed by many as the rock cans and there have been many good reviews for the 325i's as well. There is a Grado thread here that pretty much runs through all the Grado/Alessandro line and has a long list of reviews, etc. It is another one of those threads that is pretty much all inclusive.

Thanks - I've started looking at those threads and I might focus on the midpoint in their line-up. Pretty much from the 225s up to the RS-2s...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Combat Audio /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Etys are great but you may want to look into the Shures or Westones as well if you are getting two sets. I like the Etys for their super detail but it is nice to have more presence in the low end at times as well. So, I find myself switching between the Etys and the Shures depending on what I am in the mood for.

Interestingly, the Etys can be made very linear with a bit of circuitry. OTOH, what goes on inside the ear canal is full of surprises... I think we'll be looking for a pleasant, non-fatiguing listen with decent isolation. And good bass won't hurt. We'd be more ambitious if we were carrying the iMods and RSAs around but this is really for nice entertainment on the go more than serious listening. I need to learn more about Westones...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Combat Audio /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Beyers are the most open can that I have and have a great sound stage but I don't find them quite as intriguing as some of the other cans that I own. I let my son (see avatar) listen with them...it is pretty fun to watch his reactions to different genres of music...and a great way if he is a bit fussy to get him to fall asleep. I find that he finds the new Celtic Women Journey CD irresistible...though he seems to enjoy the Doors and Creedence as well .

He's a cute little guy. And I see you keep the drivers at a safe distance from his ears...

You know very young babies have the best hearing in some ways? They can tell the difference between any two phonemes in any human language. Or more correctly, they can hear every distinctive feature in a human speech sound. They are the ultimate audiophiles!

 

[Combat Audio]

I had read an interesting article on that awhile back. That a very young child can recognize the different vocal patterns from different languages to higher degree than at any other age. That they are capable of learning any language though they lose the ability before they actually gain the ability to speak if that makes sense....sort of pick one and drive on with it. I found this interesting as I have picked up a couple of languages and I wish that is was easier than it is. I wondered if a young child was introduced to multiple languages consistantly if they would be more prone to the skill later on....

My wife was worried when I had him listening to the Beyers as they are very open and it sounds like the volume is up very loud even when they are at low volumes. I explained this to her and gave her a listen....she seemed to think that it was cheating of some kind to get him to sleep with the HPs....lol. He seemed to be very content, good sign! My wife does such a great job with the little man that I have to concede to her...

We have some driving to do and he will get to listen to alot of music. It will be a challenge though as we have a couple of long days and I imagine that he will get bored in the child seat. It will be fun though, lots of time for a change to relax as a family.

 

[philslade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Combat Audio /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had read an interesting article on that awhile back. That a very young child can recognize the different vocal patterns from different languages to higher degree than at any other age. That they are capable of learning any language though they lose the ability before they actually gain the ability to speak if that makes sense....sort of pick one and drive on with it. I found this interesting as I have picked up a couple of languages and I wish that is was easier than it is. I wondered if a young child was introduced to multiple languages consistantly if they would be more prone to the skill later on.... My wife was worried when I had him listening to the Beyers as they are very open and it sounds like the volume is up very loud even when they are at low volumes. I explained this to her and gave her a listen....she seemed to think that it was cheating of some kind to get him to sleep with the HPs....lol. He seemed to be very content, good sign! My wife does such a great job with the little man that I have to concede to her... We have some driving to do and he will get to listen to alot of music. It will be a challenge though as we have a couple of long days and I imagine that he will get bored in the child seat. It will be fun though, lots of time for a change to relax as a family.

It seems the process is one of specialization/attrition. The neural networks that get reinforced, persit, while the excess - what allowed the universal perceptiveness in the first place - gets trimmed over time.

Languages are always hard work once you're not a kid any more... It's interesting that if you grow up using more than one, it's mostly a matter of whom you're communicating with. Best way for your baby to grow up bilingual or more would be to switch environments, even locally. Just introduce a person into his life who'll only communicate in Spanish or Tagalog or Andamanese and that will do the trick (well, the latter might be very hard to find).

You could also hang out among serious missionaries... Interesting thing is I recall a translator/interpreter who taught at Monterrey IIS telling me that the US is not training people as effectively as they do in the best schools in Europe. Market opportunity, here we are. He's working in SLC, UT now. Which reminds me that our architect here grew up in Chile, the son of a Mormon missionary, and is a solid bilingual. For an exceptional example of bilingualism, see Julian Green, whose shorter, self-translated pieces I read with some fascination. He went from being a highly talented writer in English to becoming a major novelist in French. All seamless. Then of course there's Milton. To me such a level of proficiency is akin to being a major virtuoso on different instruments. It's truly rare. I have a friend who's an ultra-gifted linguist and one of the abilities he displays is perfect pitch. He started playing the piano in his late 30s and did very well.

Hope the car trip goes well. We just dropped our neighbors off at the airport, bound for Zurich and planning to drive down to Ravenna. We're green with envy.

 

[Combat Audio]

I recently passed through Zurich. The airport is quite nice in the modern European chic sort of style. A couple of good resturants as well though I didn't like their business class lounge. I purchased a large selection of Swiss chocolate for my wife and realized as I hit US customs that I had left it in the overhead bin much to my dismay as well as to the dismay of my wife...Switzerland is a bueatiful country. I spent a week in mountains and did some hiking awhile back.

DLI in Monterrey does a good job in giving the basic fundamentals to their students...the real piece that they lack is follow on immersion training for their students. If they gave them a plane ticket and a pat on the back and sent them on their way for even a month....the students would have much better chance at mastering a life time skill. The threat of knowing you are going to be out there on your own is a good encouragement for study and then the realization that you can communicate is a great confidence booster. I am very glad for my time in South America to hone the Spanish skills. It helps being young and having plenty of "encouragement" to practice your Spanish as well....ah the younger, more single days

.

The world of chance is still pretty much at my finger tips so the little man my still get the chance for some first hand language training here or there. He still is on his syllable strings....so first words are still on the agenda. We were looking at some swim suits and some swim diapers today for him. He is going to get his first swim time here soon. He is still at that nice age where there aren't too many fears. Strangers are still interesting, not threatening and the world is still a place of learning and exploring without the thought of danger or worry...the great age of innocence.

 

[philslade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Combat Audio /img/forum/go_quote.gif I recently passed through Zurich. The airport is quite nice in the modern European chic sort of style. A couple of good resturants as well though I didn't like their business class lounge. I purchased a large selection of Swiss chocolate for my wife and realized as I hit US customs that I had left it in the overhead bin much to my dismay as well as to the dismay of my wife...Switzerland is a bueatiful country. I spent a week in mountains and did some hiking awhile back. DLI in Monterrey does a good job in giving the basic fundamentals to their students...the real piece that they lack is follow on immersion training for their students. If they gave them a plane ticket and a pat on the back and sent them on their way for even a month....the students would have much better chance at mastering a life time skill. The threat of knowing you are going to be out there on your own is a good encouragement for study and then the realization that you can communicate is a great confidence booster. I am very glad for my time in South America to hone the Spanish skills. It helps being young and having plenty of "encouragement" to practice your Spanish as well....ah the younger, more single days . The world of chance is still pretty much at my finger tips so the little man my still get the chance for some first hand language training here or there. He still is on his syllable strings....so first words are still on the agenda. We were looking at some swim suits and some swim diapers today for him. He is going to get his first swim time here soon. He is still at that nice age where there aren't too many fears. Strangers are still interesting, not threatening and the world is still a place of learning and exploring without the thought of danger or worry...the great age of innocence.

All that lost chocolate... now that's tragic!

You are 100 percent right about full immersion. My grandfather graduated in Mandarin Chinese and was shipped off to Beijing in the 30s. He learned in a hurry trailing the Kuomingtan government with the Communists and the Japanese creating an interesting mix. Decades later a smart young man who was bored with studying history heard a couple of his anecdotes over lunch and decided to go in for oriental languages. He graduated in Japanese and promptly shipped off. Some years later, by now a serious bilingual writing for Japanese publishers, he explained how his first experience in Japan was to realize all his training did not enable him to hold a basic conversation in the street. He pretty much learned real everyday Japanese in full immersion, with plenty of input from his Japanese wife (another remarkable bilingual).

I'm always hats off to anyone who dares to take the plunge. And it certainly triggers natural mechanisms that are not always consistent with school learning...

 

[philslade]

AND NOW BACK TO THE BUSINESS OF CHOOSING IEMS...

I've been reading up on Future Sonics' Atrios on HeadFi and elsewhere and I'm very impressed with the reports. Despite the cheesy looks, these IEMs seem to be overachievers at their price point, with a high boogie factor. Plus, they can be upgraded with custom fit sleeves.

At $199/pair (maybe even less if the eBay seller Road Dog On Line is reliable) they seem like a very good potential match for the portable nano 1G>iBasso T2 rigs. And they are probably good enough to be used occasionally with the iMod G4>RSA SR-71/Hornet M rigs at home, for silent, insulated listening. Maybe even out of a good DAC/amp connected to a desktop Mac's optical out as well, especially if they are fitted with custom sleeves.

My finger is inching closer to the proverbial trigger...

 

[philslade]

...WHILE GETTING CLOSER TO PICKING THE 2ND PAIR OF CANS.

Something tells me that with a pair of AKG 701s, adding a pair of Grado RS2s would make sense.

I'll start boning up on them...

 

[blazin_it_alwyz]

the Atrio M5's from road dogg can be bought for exactly 130.00, no higher, no less. Go to his store, find the pair, and then when you are at the product's page, click Make an Offer. Be sure not to put anything like 129.99, because he rejected that offer.

I offered 129.99, and he immediately counter-offered with 130.00, telling me he couldn't accept less than that price, which I accepted immediately.

My pair should be arriving Friday.

I wouldn't worry about him being legit, he is a power seller, he has 99.9% positive feedback (which is INSANE, me being a eBay seller) and like 6000 sales under his belt. Trust me I would be willing to foot you bill if anything goes wrong, that confident in this guy.

So considering you were going to get them for 200 (or 150), 70 (30) dollars off at 130 is a really good deal huh?! Especially since I think people were comparing that pair of IEM's to Shure E500, which are 500 dollars in price.

 

[tnmike1]

My two cents: go on Ebay, get a 40 gig 4g Ipod--unless you want to watch videos and this won't do--which will play ONLY your music but you can get it cheap. Send to Vinnie and also get a bigol' battery from one of the Ipod sources -- you can google this--and have it sent toViinnie directly. OK, you've got your Imod with a huge capacity battery.

Nopw go buy the Portaphile maxxed out. When you get it, go into its guts, set the gain to"high", set the bandwidth to "off" and you're going to get about 8 hrs out of a rechargeable NiMH. Set the bandwidth to "on" and you'll get a couple hours--maybe four. BUT you might notice more detail and depth to music. No problem playing with the switches. check out Cesar's website for more info. O and get the Elpac charger he recommends.

Now get a pair of Ety4p IEMs or V-Moda Vibes for trule portaility. OR do like I did, splurge on a pair of Beyer 990s--I bought Skylab's manufactures--and you're all set.

The portaphile will drive most anything you throw at it, mrarroyo is correct that it'll take at least 400 hrs to burn in, but you've got a very sweet sounding system that has excellent synchronicty with the above mentioned 'phones

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blazin_it_alwyz /img/forum/go_quote.gif the Atrio M5's from road dogg can be bought for exactly 130.00, no higher, no less. Go to his store, find the pair, and then when you are at the product's page, click Make an Offer. Be sure not to put anything like 129.99, because he rejected that offer. I offered 129.99, and he immediately counter-offered with 130.00, telling me he couldn't accept less than that price, which I accepted immediately. My pair should be arriving Friday. I wouldn't worry about him being legit, he is a power seller, he has 99.9% positive feedback (which is INSANE, me being a eBay seller) and like 6000 sales under his belt. Trust me I would be willing to foot you bill if anything goes wrong, that confident in this guy. So considering you were going to get them for 200 (or 150), 70 (30) dollars off at 130 is a really good deal huh?! Especially since I think people were comparing that pair of IEM's to Shure E500, which are 500 dollars in price.

Using Amazon, I got my ATH-ANC7 from RoadDogOnLine.com . They are an Amazon reseller with very good service. They have site called by that the name if you want to check that out. They are located in Franklin, Tn. BTW.

I hope this is the same RoadDogOnLine anyway.

 

[philslade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnmike1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My two cents: go on Ebay, get a 40 gig 4g Ipod--unless you want to watch videos and this won't do--which will play ONLY your music but you can get it cheap. Send to Vinnie and also get a bigol' battery from one of the Ipod sources -- you can google this--and have it sent toViinnie directly. OK, you've got your Imod with a huge capacity battery. Nopw go buy the Portaphile maxxed out. When you get it, go into its guts, set the gain to"high", set the bandwidth to "off" and you're going to get about 8 hrs out of a rechargeable NiMH. Set the bandwidth to "on" and you'll get a couple hours--maybe four. BUT you might notice more detail and depth to music. No problem playing with the switches. check out Cesar's website for more info. O and get the Elpac charger he recommends. Now get a pair of Ety4p IEMs or V-Moda Vibes for trule portaility. OR do like I did, splurge on a pair of Beyer 990s--I bought Skylab's manufactures--and you're all set. The portaphile will drive most anything you throw at it, mrarroyo is correct that it'll take at least 400 hrs to burn in, but you've got a very sweet sounding system that has excellent synchronicty with the above mentioned 'phones

Already bought 2 4G iMods from ALO!

But RSA amps to drive the cans. I'm still very interested in the descriptions of the Atrios experience. Now, if I wanted very revealing IEMs mainly for use with the iMods, I'd consider Ety4s's with a equalization circuit to restore linearity - or maybe Earpeace Livewires. I'd go all the way to UE-10 Pros if I were using a source superior to the iMods, though.

 

[philslade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif Using Amazon, I got my ATH-ANC7 from RoadDogOnLine.com . They are an Amazon reseller with very good service. They have site called by that the name if you want to check that out. They are located in Franklin, Tn. BTW. I hope this is the same RoadDogOnLine anyway.

Cool - I'll check it out!

 

[Combat Audio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philslade /img/forum/go_quote.gif Already bought 2 4G iMods from ALO! But RSA amps to drive the cans. I'm still very interested in the descriptions of the Atrios experience. Now, if I wanted very revealing IEMs mainly for use with the iMods, I'd consider Ety4s's with a equalization circuit to restore linearity - or maybe Earpeace Livewires. I'd go all the way to UE-10 Pros if I were using a source superior to the iMods, though.

I honestly think that the UE-10 Pros would work fine in this set up. The Etys are extremely detailed and sound great with my Imod running lossless/ RSA SR-71 and the UE-10s would only sound better as they should at their much higher price point. Funny you mention the UE-10s as I was looking at them yesterday...the custom molding is a bit difficult for me now. Being custom molded, you would not be able to share them with your wife or vice versa. There are a couple of threads that talk of a UE-11 coming out that will have dedicated drivers for lows, mids and the highs....sounds like it will be a winner.
The UE-10s are made for live stage performance so they will stand up very well to the rigors of daily life...or if you are in an air guitar mood as well.

You will have to let me know what you think of the iBasso as I was looking at picking one up for my brother. I bought him a set of Grado Prestige Series SR60 Headphones...figured I'd get him started in the world of non off the shelf audio...but stuck with the 60's as he doesn't have an amp. I will wait a bit before I give him a listen to the RS-1s....

 

[philslade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Combat Audio /img/forum/go_quote.gif I honestly think that the UE-10 Pros would work fine in this set up. The Etys are extremely detailed and sound great with my Imod running lossless/ RSA SR-71 and the UE-10s would only sound better as they should at their much higher price point. Funny you mention the UE-10s as I was looking at them yesterday...the custom molding is a bit difficult for me now. Being custom molded, you would not be able to share them with your wife or vice versa. There are a couple of threads that talk of a UE-11 coming out that will have dedicated drivers for lows, mids and the highs....sounds like it will be a winner. The UE-10s are made for live stage performance so they will stand up very well to the rigors of daily life...or if you are in an air guitar mood as well. You will have to let me know what you think of the iBasso as I was looking at picking one up for my brother. I bought him a set of Grado Prestige Series SR60 Headphones...figured I'd get him started in the world of non off the shelf audio...but stuck with the 60's as he doesn't have an amp. I will wait a bit before I give him a listen to the RS-1s....

I will be happy to share first impressions on the iBasso T2 - I might make an early attempt to drive the little Senn CX300s and the AKG 701s and swap with the Tomahawk and SR-71... That would also serve to compare nanos and iMods.

(BTW, member Mrarroyo is selling his Tomahawk.)

The UE-11s sound like the new ultimate IEMs... Reading around, I gathered the impression that the UE-10s can hardly be touched for sheer sound quality. If I understand correctly, armature drivers struggle in the bass, hence the rising figures for bass drivers. I'm guessing that at that level of transducer performance, you could go with a high-end source and amplification and not reach the limits of the UE-10s. At that level, though, you're also pretty much competing with a pair of the latest Grados or better...

Regarding custom molds, you might have an option to have add-on sleeves made for IEMs that accommodate them - like the Atrios - or just check out the poor man's custom IEMs, aka Livewires. You could easily afford two pairs, too.

I wonder how well the iBasso T2 can drive two pairs of IEMs at once.

Returning to the Etys, I'd be tempted to listen to classical/jazz on the go if I could linearize their output and give the reportedly light bass a boost. It seems those IEMs do well with solid amplification. The iBassos would certainly give them a lift in the bass, from what I've read.