[limathy]

just recently got a pair of RE1's, burnt them in and started listening
at first i loved them coming from im716's for their warmness and how easy it was to insert/remove for on the move listening.

after a few days starting to miss the highs as i listen to a lot of acoustics and vocals as well as rock, which the RE1's do fabulously.

just wondering if the right amp can improve the highs substantially, or am i better off selling and buying a different iem.
i like them quite alot, they just need a bit of a kick in treble extension

 

[Cannabizzz776n99]

If you like them a lot and just miss some highs go with bright amp. It should be helpfull.

 

[ClieOS]

I find my XM3 with AD8620 does a wonderful job with RE1, and it is not even an expensive amp (~less than $130 now, I guess?). A fast and detail amp will indeed improve the SQ by quite a large margin.

The thing is, if you sold your RE1 and get another IEM for $170, what you'll get will not sound as good as RE1 with a good amp. You'll need to pay at least $200+ (most likely >=$250) to get back the same SQ of RE1 + amp. It is really up to you ro decide how much you are willing to spend for SQ.

 

[Pianist]

You really should get an amp for RE1. Without an amp it's quite underpowered and doesn't perform anywhere near its best. In my opinion it needs a good source and amp a lot more than the Yuin PK1 I used to have.

 

[limathy]

oh thats interesting. cause i just sold off the pk1's becuase i didnt really have too many uses for it.

cost wise i was thinking. if i buy an amp. or use the amp money plus money from the phones to go for something else.
if i say 150 for an amp, plus what ever i can get for the phones. i'd be looking at the 250+ range i guess. which is why i'm so undecided.

 

[moonboy403]

If you don't mind carrying an amp around, then RE1 + amp is a very good option since an amp will be beneficial to just about all future headphones that you buy. An amp is essentially a must for all upper echelon of full size headphones.

 

[limathy]

yeh thats what i was concerned about, the portability of it all,
i just sold off a Meier XXS because i thought i didnt want the hassle, but the RE1 reminds me of why its worth it.
any particular amp recomendations that are more bright and suit the re1 well?

smaller is better i guess. to get the benefits would a simple amp do the job (cmoy, minibox-D) do the job, or is it more recommended to go for sumthing more expensive? if i'm spending more i guess i may as well get something with a DAC.