[Cevisi]

But wait can a amp be hi res. Is there not a dac reqiered to be hi res

 

[peter123]

So there will be a bluetooth amp but not a bluetooth dac coming. Thats sad

And how exactly would that work ha ha

 

[peter123]

But wait can a amp be hi res. Is there not a dac reqiered to be hi res

It's certainly an advantage with a DAC if you want sound, hi res or not

 

[waynes world]

Word about terrible economics (buttons) and “meh” sound spreading after the year of hype? (On sound, it’s all subjective, but I think so many reviews focused on more sterile-than-fun.)

I agree about the buttons - they could use work. Still an awesome device though imo.

 

[Mouseman]

Word about terrible economics (buttons) and “meh” sound spreading after the year of hype? (On sound, it’s all subjective, but I think so many reviews focused on more sterile-than-fun.)

I think the ES team (if learning lessons) can have much better products in the future. Right now there is stronger market competition as well with introduced W5 and more upcoming BT receivers. ES100, BTR3, A&K have been pretty much exclusive in this area / price range for a year or so..

Might also maybe general inventory unload? In any case, plenty of markup to be had on these devices (read: could have spent more in material).

Also, “new promos” aren’t really a discount, as they are paying for sign-up.

I agree completely with you on the buttons, but I really don't use them a lot since I can control my music from my phone or watch. I don't agree on the sound, though -- the EQ settings in the app and the other features are far better than any other BT unit I have, and I have a lot. I think the ES100 is better than the Fiio gear, in terms of sound and function. Can they improve it? Sure....better buttons, USB-C charging, better battery, better clip, but those aren't deal-breakers.

I'm not interested in the W5 since the "killer feature" is Android only (the "super hi-res") and it lacks the balanced out. I had high hopes since I really like my HiBy R3, but the W5 doesn't fit my needs. Hopefully some of the newer products do improve on the ES100, but that's a high bar in my mind for this size. I do have bigger units that sound better, but they don't fit in a IEM case.

 

[pstickne]

I agree completely with you on the buttons, but I really don't use them a lot since I can control my music from my phone or watch. I don't agree on the sound, though -- the EQ settings in the app and the other features are far better than any other BT unit I have, and I have a lot. I think the ES100 is better than the Fiio gear, in terms of sound and function. Can they improve it? Sure....better buttons, USB-C charging, better battery, better clip, but those aren't deal-breakers.

I'm not interested in the W5 since the "killer feature" is Android only (the "super hi-res") and it lacks the balanced out. I had high hopes since I really like my HiBy R3, but the W5 doesn't fit my needs. Hopefully some of the newer products do improve on the ES100, but that's a high bar in my mind for this size. I do have bigger units that sound better, but they don't fit in a IEM case.

I’ve actually dropped the balanced output as a requirement. I could not tell any difference with ‘semi-blind’ tests using same cable with 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter and SOUND RESET TO ZERO. More power to people who get more with balanced output.. just paper feature for me

This thankfully opens up more devices. I don’t follow “super Hi-Fi” codecs, which I think most are silly advertising. Mainly trying the W5 to see how the particular sound signature fairs (ES DAC), although I may be disappointed by single-charge battery life.

I think maybe 50% size increase would be a good target for me.. currently waiting for Q5s, but that will be so HUGE in comparison that it might be a pointless experiment.

I’ll definitely try Radstone gear in the future, but it feels like so many “fan boys” blinded on ES100 and specs and raving video reviews. If I seem out of place, consider that I am just more critical than many.

 

[Lurk650]

LOL, I had the ES100 for about a year now. Long before it was popular in review videos (such as Zeos) and the specs I could care less about. It sounds great to me and is a fantastic device.

 

[waynes world]

LOL, I had the ES100 for about a year now. Long before it was popular in review videos (such as Zeos) and the specs I could care less about. It sounds great to me and is a fantastic device.

Same here. I ordered mine on Feb21/2018 after I lost my BTR1. It quickly became one of my most satisfying audio-related purchases, and as a result I quickly became one of the early group of "fanboys" lol.

 

[chinmie]

well.. that heated up pretty quickly.

@pstickne saying "meh" to something is also belittling, if you really think about it. and if you read @waynes world reply from a third person perspective, it is not a direct counter to you personally, but just stating that the ES100 is mostly well received and well reviewed, so price slash from that point of reason is mostly unlikely.

so slight misunderstanding, let's move along and have a great discussions

you do have a point about the ES100 can be improved. i also don't really like the plasticky build material. i cracked mine a bit just a few days after receiving it because i put it in my pants pocket and slightly bumped it on the kitchen table.

soundwise it is also the most neutral among all the BT dongles that I've tried, but to this day the ES100 still is the most complete package among them all

the BTR3 is the closest competition that i also like with more engaging mids and more solid built, but in the end i stayed with the ES100, because in the long run it is still the most complete.

i tried the latest W5. it has a more boosted bass and treble compared to the ES100, solid build quality and form facfor (but i don't like the "electric massager" look ) and i also don't like the touch control :way too sensitive and unintuitive. even the first minutes i tried it i already paused and started the songs randomly. it really could benefit from a touch lock feature

 

[pstickne]

well.. that heated up pretty quickly.

@pstickne saying "meh" to something is also belittling, if you really think about it. and if you read @waynes world reply from a third person perspective, it is not a direct counter to you personally, but just stating that the ES100 is mostly well received and well reviewed, so price slash from that point of reason is mostly unlikely.

so slight misunderstanding, let's move along and have a great discussions

you do have a point about the ES100 can be improved. i also don't really like the plasticky build material. i cracked mine a bit just a few days after receiving it because i put it in my pants pocket and slightly bumped it on the kitchen table.

soundwise it is also the most neutral among all the BT dongles that I've tried, but to this day the ES100 still is the most complete package among them all

the BTR3 is the closest competition that i also like with more engaging mids and more solid built, but in the end i stayed with the ES100, because in the long run it is still the most complete.

i tried the latest W5. it has a more boosted bass and treble compared to the ES100, solid build quality and form facfor (but i don't like the "electric massager" look ) and i also don't like the touch control :way too sensitive and unintuitive. even the first minutes i tried it i already paused and started the songs randomly. it really could benefit from a touch lock feature

Aww shucks, I’m probably not going to appreciate the “electric massager” controls either then Maybe version-2’s of all these devices..

Yeah usage of “meh” was indeed a bit dismissive: summarily, the ES100 comes off as overly ‘analytical’ on mid-high for my tastes.

 

[kakaworu]

Has anyone got Es100 EQ settings they can share for the iSine20? The ones posted on the Audeze thread don't seem to correlate to our options.

I have iSine10+ES100 on my ears now. I've tried to use some real-time correction technique adjusting the EQ in Earstudio to match the graph with the measurement of Cipher one while playing pink noise.
Sorry for bad English. Just see the pictures.

Equipment: DAYTON iMM6

Graph matching: Green curve referring to iSine with Cipher cable
Orange curve is the best matching I can do in the Earstudio EQ adjustment section.
You can see the peaks between 2k~4k just couldn't match no matter how i tried.

This is how I did to match the graph. BUT it sounds totally OFF.

Then I desperately tried to make an EQ curve "looks like" the official EQ curve from KMANN's post.

In this 10 bands EQ system this is the best i can do. And it sounds way better than the matching curve I've tried above.
And I am using it right now. It is not the Cipher sound in anyways but I am getting used to it.

 

[chinmie]

Aww shucks, I’m probably not going to appreciate the “electric massager” controls either then

and to top it all, it also indeed vibrates everytime you touch the controls

 

[Rowethren]

Having 100% source is also borderline fatal for switching between ES and direct phone jack (Did I mention sensitive easy-to-drive IEMs?)

Once you stop using the Bluetooth and plug into the 3.5 of your phone the volume should default back to whatever volume was set the last time you used it as the volume controls are separate. I guess that might not always be the case but that is how it was on any phone I have owned since the smartphone uprising.

 

[lukedss]

I have iSine10+ES100 on my ears now. I've tried to use some real-time correction technique adjusting the EQ in Earstudio to match the graph with the measurement of Cipher one while playing pink noise.
Sorry for bad English. Just see the pictures.

Equipment: DAYTON iMM6

Graph matching: Green curve referring to iSine with Cipher cable
Orange curve is the best matching I can do in the Earstudio EQ adjustment section.
You can see the peaks between 2k~4k just couldn't match no matter how i tried.

This is how I did to match the graph. BUT it sounds totally OFF.

Then I desperately tried to make an EQ curve "looks like" the official EQ curve from KMANN's post.

In this 10 bands EQ system this is the best i can do. And it sounds way better than the matching curve I've tried above.
And I am using it right now. It is not the Cipher sound in anyways but I am getting used to it.

Wow that's really helpful. Thank you for sharing! Although it sounds like you are not 100% satisfied with the result?
I
have reached out to Audeze and KMan about Es100 EQ and am hoping to hear back from him on how we can accomplish this.

I will post up when I do and will be interesting to compare

KMan responce-

Hello Luke,
There is no easy way to do this. Look up the EQ I posted: https://cdn.head-fi.org/a/9950577.jpg

Then try to approximately match the gain (in dB , on the right side of the graph) for the bands supported by ES100, then tweak more by listening.

Thanks,

 

[rkw]

But wait can a amp be hi res. Is there not a dac reqiered to be hi res

It's an integrated amp (for desktop) with Bluetooth as one of its inputs. The hi-res part refers to aptx HD and LDAC.