[Cinders]

Not sure if this has been done, (don't feel like looking through over 20 pages), has anyone compared this to the ibasso t4? I'm very curious as to the differences.

 

[jant71]

I was thinking of pairing my blue icon mobile with a blue Sony. The color and size match up very well. The silicone band can go right in the middle without getting in the way, the controls are great for in jacket pocket control. Anybody try the Nuforce and Sony portables? I have a small Toshiba and it may still sound better than the Sony and it synergizes well with the Nuforce but it is only 2GB and skinny and thicker. So I would gain some style and 2GB and lose about 5mm thickness. The final piece of the puzzle is finding out if the Sony and icon pair well together. Thanks!

 

[rohorn]

Any experience with the Icon Mobile and DT880s? It would go on a laptop and, whenever I get one, some sort of small MP3 thingy.

I was going to get a Total Bithead, but it looks like things have changed in the amp manufacturers market since I last looked ? years ago.

 

[sidtai]

Can anyone describe the sound signature of icon mobile after burn-in? And any comparisons between this and the T4?

 

[clownzee]

omg. i just had a big scare. This morning, my icon mobile started to have intermittent sound in the left earphone .. and after a while, the sound in the right earphone just outright died on me!!

But after letting it rest a while, both sound all right again. Anyone experience this too? I really hope I dont have to RMA it as I really like the sound sig of the Icon Mobile and wouldnt want the hassle of sending it back and forth

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidtai /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can anyone describe the sound signature of icon mobile after burn-in? And any comparisons between this and the T4?

The Nuforce is strong, energetic and quick with strong bass, forward mids and a little brightness, but never thin sounding. Good detail through the USB DAC, occasionally bordering on etched with some headphones like Grado (or Beyer per other head-fiers) but not too bad. Sounds better via USB DAC than analog input. I enjoy the Nuforce's tighter sound more than the looser or sloppier sound of the iBasso D2 Boa with most phones - while the D2 Boa is better with HD600 and Grado, I prefer the Nuforce more with Denon and Ultrasone and several IEM like NE-7M and Westone 3 and Klipsch Image X10. The Nuforce can be aggressive sounding, and apparently isn't for everyone, but it seems to have about an 80% "I Like" ratio.

It sits in the middle pack of USB DAC amps with Vivid V1 and D2 Boa, although none of those 3 amps are very neutral. If you don't need the DAC a better choice would be the Meier Headsix, or Headstage Lyrix Pro which sound a little similar to each other with the Meier being a little more forward sounding and the Lyrix a little more laid back. The amp sections of these two are a little better, but the Lyrix DAC isn't quite as detailed as the Nuforce (Headsix has no DAC).

If you want a little better USB DAC amp with better neutrality and transparency in the $200-280 range, the iBasso D3 is a noticeable upgrade, as is the Practical Devices XM5 and Meier 2MOVE (or 3MOVE). At the high end are the Pico and Predator at close to $500 each, but the XM5 and 3MOVE come close to those for less. None of the DAC in those amps can match the DAC performance of the Pico, which is like a desktop DAC it is so good.

In the end, I will be keeping the Nuforce and 3MOVE and XM5, as well as Pico and Predator. If I end up needing money later I may possibly sell one or both of the iBasso (D2 and D3) because I have too many portable amps and not because they are bad.

 

[Argyle Shepard]

HPA, I read your detailed review on the amps but now that you're here and I know you tested these phones, for the ESW9's which would you recommend, Nuforce or iBasso D2 boa? Thanks!

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argyle Shepard /img/forum/go_quote.gif HPA, I read your detailed review on the amps but now that you're here and I know you tested these phones, for the ESW9's which would you recommend, Nuforce or iBasso D2 boa? Thanks!

I haven't heard the ESW9.

PS: I got the Nuforce back today, and listening to it with my woodied recabled Denon D2000 and HD600 for the first time since 12/23/08 I still like the way it sounds via my Macbook with lossless music.

 

[Argyle Shepard]

Bah, I meant ESW10.

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't heard the ESW9. PS: I got the Nuforce back today, and listening to it with my woodied recabled Denon D2000 and HD600 for the first time since 12/23/08 I still like the way it sounds via my Macbook with lossless music.

For some unknown reason to me, the Nuforce Icon Mobile makes my ESW9 sound closer to my ESW10JPN than anything I have. Maybe it does harm to the 10's sound. I don't know what to think about this. I think I am going to have to take some more time with this and get to the bottom of it. Maybe this weekend.

I still like the way Nuforce sounds too.

 

[Argyle Shepard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif For some unknown reason to me, the Nuforce Icon Mobile makes my ESW9 sound closer to my ESW10JPN than anything I have.

Sorry for my ignorance, but what do you mean here? Do you mean that this amp increases the SQ so that your ESW9's sound like the ESW10's on the same amp/DAC? Like you think it may be either hurting the 10's or helping the 9's?

 

[nsx_23]

Do you guys think this would be a good DAC to link to a Little Dot MkIII? I'm thinking of buying one to hook my laptop up to a LD MKIII when I'm home.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif For some unknown reason to me, the Nuforce Icon Mobile makes my ESW9 sound closer to my ESW10JPN than anything I have. Maybe it does harm to the 10's sound. I don't know what to think about this. I think I am going to have to take some more time with this and get to the bottom of it. Maybe this weekend. I still like the way Nuforce sounds too.

I like the Nuforce Icon Mobile, even with ESW10JPN - I spent the first few days burning the amp in with those phones as well as my Westone 3 and NE-7M. I almost exclusively use it as a USB DAC amp, and it does seem to sound a little better via USB than analog input.

The ESW10JPN is one of those headphones that sounds good with most of my amps or iPods. The Nuforce amp is brighter than the D2 boa or other portable amps, which is probably why the ESW9 sound more like the ESW10. But I have no idea why the ESW10 don't become too bright with it. The HD600 are not too bright with it, but the D2000 are somewhat bright with it but still enjoyable. I did mention in my review that the Grados were better with the D2 Boa than Nuforce, because of that little bit of upper mid/lower treble etch that surfaces at times (similar to the Vivid V1).

That's why I say the Nuforce is a little bright and aggressive, while Skylab thought it was more piercing at times. I didn't know what to expect when I got the amps back today, thinking my memory of the amp was flawed - but plugging it in and listening again this afternoon I just don't hear it the same way as Skylab.

 

[slwiser]

I agree that the 10s to me don't get over bright but I have to say the TTVJ gives the 10s much more justice in a comparison...They do scale with a better amp. But for only 99$ I feel the Nuforce is almost a steal or one of the great values on the electronic side of our hobby. Many say the KCS75s are the best headphone value, well the Nuforce to me sets this point on the Dac/Amp side of the house.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsx_23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you guys think this would be a good DAC to link to a Little Dot MkIII? I'm thinking of buying one to hook my laptop up to a LD MKIII when I'm home.

The D2 Boa seems to work a little better as a DAC/Preamp to feed a full size amp, than it is feeding headphones. I tried feeding the Nuforce into a Headamp Gilmore Reference Amp with a $385 ALO Audio SXC mini-RCA and it was a little bright, while feeding the D2 Boa into the Gilmore sounded more transparent and clean and balanced. Switching to my Apogee mini-DAC was noticeably better than either one as a DAC/Preamp.

But, it will work and your full size amp will take on some of the tonality and coloration of the Nuforce or D2 boa, but with the drive and control of the full size amp. The Gilmore is like a wire with gain, and it sounds like whatever is going into it without changing the sound. The LDIII may add some coloration to the already colored sound of the Nuforce, and I don't know if that will be a good thing or a bad thing, as I have never heard an LD Mk III. If the LD is a dark amp and you want to brigthen it up and energize it the Nuforce may be the one for you.