[Adonai]

The part that is 'distorted' gave me a mini heart attack the first time i heard it. Hehe

 

[Solrighal]

Just check out any of the threads here that talk about the E18 or the JDS Labs C5D. It's just a wee cable that attaches to the USB on the phone and to a USB input on the DAC/amp. Not all phones do it but I think the majority do these days. I used an E18 with my Note 3 but then bought a Sansa Clip+ and the sound was damn close. Certainly close enough to sell on the E18 & save my phone battery. Plus, if I lose or break the Sansa it's no big deal to replace. In fact I bought two Clips just in case. They're not the most solidly built devices. Good enough though & crucially they sound excellent.

 

[BobMonkhouse]

You can look at the posts in the Note 3 thread related to OTG connections:
 
=678952&advanced=1]http://www.head-fi.org/newsearch/?search=otg&resultSortingPreference=recency&byuser=&output=posts&sdate=0&newer=1&type=all&containingthread[0]=678952&advanced=1

 

[Adonai]

Thanks a lot for the help and suggestions. I've been reading around a bit and I have the impression that the people who are satisfied with their setup tend to attach amplifiers (or different other instruments) to their current devices and then connect the earphones to the add-on. So in that scenario, the weakness of your portable player will be overcome? Is it preferred to have something else to 'feed' the headphone instead of the headphone getting all the signals from the player itself?

 

[Takeanidea]

Some over the ear and full size headphones might well sound better with a better quality amp and in my opinion my Note II sounds a lot better through my Odac / HPA 200 SE headphone amp

 

[Adonai]

Thank you for the replies! I didn't know that when you view someone's profiles, you will see their inventory.  
 
My wallet cringed after looking at the hpa-200 price.. hehe

 

[Adonai]

Just to give an update to the kind people here, I bought a second hand iphone 3gs for listening on the go. I just tether my other phone's internet to it if I'm listening to streaming music or anything on the internet. I also got a second hand fiio e18 for when I'm steady on the bus, or in the office, I use it through the micro usb port of my android. The sound improved a lot.. I might go look for open headphones and try if I might like them better than my qc15..

 

[Tail]

 
I was listening to Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis

 
It's the song. It is so bad, must have been mastered by some (curse word). Those bass drops are like farts, too emphasized. If you want to test something similar try listening to Imagine Dragons - Radioactive for example (tho quite few songs from that album are mastered badly), similar bad sound quality with uncontrolled bass drops (or as I call them - the farts). Which is really a shame since these songs aren't bad at all!
 
I know this reply didn't sound too serious because of my choice of words but I'm serious. It's the song.
 
Also it can sound better if you have some earphone with more drivers (like those with balanced armature drivers) and good crossover (active like JHA's or Unique Melody's solution, or passive). Because when the song has such drops like that Bleeding Love one driver can't do other freqs fast, so that affects whole sound. While when having a nice crossover higher frequencies (mid range and highs) will be played regardless of those low ones.  

 

[Solrighal]

There's nothing 'wrong' with the song. That bass sound is intentional.

 

[Tail]

  There's nothing 'wrong' with the song. That bass sound is intentional.

Of course it's intentional, which doesn't mean it's good. 
There are so many intentional sounds in music which are bad decisions, from this particular song all the way to the likes of Death Magnetic.

 

[Solrighal]

Of course it's intentional, which doesn't mean it's good. 
There are so many intentional sounds in music which are bad decisions, from this particular song all the way to the likes of Death Magnetic.

You're missing the point I'm making though. It's not bad mastering or anything like that. They actually set out to achieve that sound.

Death Magnetic is different. That is entirely down to lousy mastering.

Both are s***e though, I'll give you that.

 

[Tail]

You're missing the point I'm making though. It's not bad mastering or anything like that. They actually set out to achieve that sound.

Death Magnetic is different. That is entirely down to lousy mastering.

Both are s***e though, I'll give you that.

 
It's still the song that is problem and that is reason why it sounds so horrible at 00:36, intended or not. And yeah, you are right about mastering for Death Magnetic and this, this was just a bad choice, not bad mastering. 

 

[Solrighal]

   
It's still the song that is problem and that is reason why it sounds so horrible at 00:36, intended or not. And yeah, you are right about mastering for Death Magnetic and this, this was just a bad choice, not bad mastering. 

 
I wouldn't say it was a bad choice. I bet it sold like hotcakes. Not for me though.

 

[Takeanidea]

  Thank you for the replies! I didn't know that when you view someone's profiles, you will see their inventory.  
 
My wallet cringed after looking at the hpa-200 price.. hehe

I went a bit mad a few years ago with my spending , but the HPA 200 was bought 2nd hand using the money I got from selling my Audeze LCD 2 rev 2s. I then upgraded it to SE spec , this cost another £200. It's too powerful for my ACS Encore CIEMs but fine for my Alpha Dogs and HD800s.
As for the sound I am getting now , if I am missing the last 1 or 2% I'm fine with that, I've got more than enough to keep me happy (famous last words around this forum)