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Now I am looking for a portable amp, any recommendations?
I'm looking at the Pico Slim and iBasso T3D? Any thoughts?
Also, how do the custom earmolds work for Ear Sonics? Do I need to send them an impression?
For any custom earmold, you will have to send in your ear impressions. You may also want to check out the Westone UM56 tips. They might be faster and/or cheaper for you.
Honestly, I haven't found portable amps to be that effective with the Earsonics SM3. They improve the sound, but they are not worth the cost/size. Here's a quote from someone far more experienced than I (Shigzeo):
The grit: drivability
The SM3 is an EASY to drive earphone – it sounds great from almost any source. At 122dB sensitivity @17Ω, it can pick up a bit of background noise, but miraculously, much less than many other earphones. Therefore, my hissy
Sony’s and
AMP3 are remarkably ‘listenable’ when paired with the SM3. The iPod touch and iPhone 3GS of course, are remarkably ‘black’.
In other words, you don’t need a portable headphone amp to make the SM3 really sing. Firstly, the SM3 gets bleedingly-loud from any source; secondly, it simply doesn’t weigh down reasonably mature audio circuits. That isn’t to say that a portable amp doesn’t help things along. My personal (and tiny) favourite is the
iBasso T3D, a perfectly balanced iem amplifier that pushes out great stereo image and perfect frequency response while maintaining a perky sound character. Paired with the iPod touch and SM3, there IS a tad more sparkle and in those frequencies where the iPod touch gets a little stuffy, the
T3D opens the windows and lets the air in. For me, however, the difference isn’t worth it – and that is a good thing.
This mature behaviour is a plus, and here’s why: the SM3 is a great earphone for audiophiles who laze around on their beds with 20Kg of audio equipment digging into their sternums; but it is also a professional earphone. Stage musicians strap tiny wireless mic/amps to their sides; they don’t have the ‘luxury’ of pulling audio trailers behind them. Since the SM3 performs flawlessly from almost any source, the professional can hear her voice, her instrument with perfect clarity, which translates into better recordings/performances.
Full Review:
http://www.touchmyapps.com/2010/06/24/earsonics-sm3-earphone-in-review/
