[moedawg140]

I see you like to listen to iphone 6 directly without an amp, do you listen to spotify or your own music? If it's your own music, what quality is it and does it sound better than iphone 5s? Unfortunately I have the lowest capacity 5s so I just use spotify or listen to podcasts on the go. At home I listen to music/movies/games on a sound blaster z (amp) on PC and it is night and day (better soundstage, clearer details, more bass). Have you tried an amp with your iPhone? I would never carry one for convenience sake but also wonder if different players or amp would make a big difference.

I do listen to my iPhone 6 without an amp. I mostly listen to Spotify - Extreme Setting (320kb) and my offline/local content is mostly 320kb - I listen to the content via Neutron Music Player. I compared the 6's audio to the 5S' audio using the same YouTube songs, and A/Bing using the SE846 didn't yield huge auditory differences to my ears. From my 5 before, I could tell a marked difference very quickly, as there is more power that emits from the 6, and the dynamics improved (especially regarding the low end). You can also check out the iPhone 6 Audio Quality thread, and you'll read a lot of opinions regarding the iPhone 6 quality compared to other smartphones and boutique DAPs.

As for trying an amp with my iPhone - yes, I have tried several DAC/amps with my iPhone. My RSA Intruder balanced amp review is in my profile if you're interested.

Regarding the amp being worth it discussion, it is seriously up to you. You may feel that the perceived increase in SQ is worth the extra device and cable(s) that will be added to the iPhone, or you may feel that certain DAC/amps may not synergize well with your particular application (impedance issues, input incompatibilities, cost, etcetera). If I was going to add an extra device, my choice would be the Chord Hugo, as it really does sound blissful and creamy smooth to my ears.

 

[Earbones]

Thanks for a wonderful, comprehensive review.
 
While I do use a DAC/amp with my iOS device (an IFI Micro iDSD with an iPod touch in my case), I'm always telling people on here (and a few other sites) that iOS devices used alone are nothing to be sniffed at. Dunno if you've checked out Ken Rockwell's tests, but the iPhones put up some of the best FR and THD numbers in the industry, better than the vast majority of sub $1k dedicated audiophile solutions that are sold to "improve" the sound of a phone, or replace the phone entirely. Not saying one can't improve on an iPhone's sound... But it will generally take some proper coin to do so... 
 
For a mobile rig, I used to listen to my iPod by itself, and was holding out for a Hugo... But after reading a comparison of the Micro iDSD with a Hugo, I picked one up to see for myself. It's a stupid, stupid, stupid machine. Completely bonkers, off-the-charts good. Just insane for the money. IFI is going to run their parent company out of business. Anyway, I listened to it for a day, then packed it along for a trip to my Chord dealer, and compared the two myself. Fully 99% of the sound, $499. Anyway, worth a look.

 

[cuiter23]

  Thanks for a wonderful, comprehensive review.
 
While I do use a DAC/amp with my iOS device (an IFI Micro iDSD with an iPod touch in my case), I'm always telling people on here (and a few other sites) that iOS devices used alone are nothing to be sniffed at. Dunno if you've checked out Ken Rockwell's tests, but the iPhones put up some of the best FR and THD numbers in the industry, better than the vast majority of sub $1k dedicated audiophile solutions that are sold to "improve" the sound of a phone, or replace the phone entirely. Not saying one can't improve on an iPhone's sound... But it will generally take some proper coin to do so... 
 
For a mobile rig, I used to listen to my iPod by itself, and was holding out for a Hugo... But after reading a comparison of the Micro iDSD with a Hugo, I picked one up to see for myself. It's a stupid, stupid, stupid machine. Completely bonkers, off-the-charts good. Just insane for the money. IFI is going to run their parent company out of business. Anyway, I listened to it for a day, then packed it along for a trip to my Chord dealer, and compared the two myself. Fully 99% of the sound, $499. Anyway, worth a look.

 
Very well put. I was going to get the A200p for the iphone but after reading some reviews and verifying some charts I don't believe that the A200p will actually improve the sound of the iphone on the DAC portion alone, perhaps the amp section will be the bulk of the sq upgrade from a stock iphone. I would just suggest a clean low impedance output amplifier and save yourself the money from the DAC and AMP combos. 

 

[moedawg140]

  Thanks for a wonderful, comprehensive review.
 
While I do use a DAC/amp with my iOS device (an IFI Micro iDSD with an iPod touch in my case), I'm always telling people on here (and a few other sites) that iOS devices used alone are nothing to be sniffed at. Dunno if you've checked out Ken Rockwell's tests, but the iPhones put up some of the best FR and THD numbers in the industry, better than the vast majority of sub $1k dedicated audiophile solutions that are sold to "improve" the sound of a phone, or replace the phone entirely. Not saying one can't improve on an iPhone's sound... But it will generally take some proper coin to do so... 
 
For a mobile rig, I used to listen to my iPod by itself, and was holding out for a Hugo... But after reading a comparison of the Micro iDSD with a Hugo, I picked one up to see for myself. It's a stupid, stupid, stupid machine. Completely bonkers, off-the-charts good. Just insane for the money. IFI is going to run their parent company out of business. Anyway, I listened to it for a day, then packed it along for a trip to my Chord dealer, and compared the two myself. Fully 99% of the sound, $499. Anyway, worth a look.

 
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it!  I hope it was of some assistance to you.
 
With regards to Ken Rockwell, there are positive and negative reviews/impressions pertaining to his tests - the iPhone 6 & 6 Plus Audio Quality thread goes into detail about Mr. Rockwell and most everything else iPhone 6/iPhone audio related.
 
The reason why I do not use an additional DAC/Amp attached to my iPhone 6 is because I have not found a DAC/Amp that sounds so amazingly better than the iPhone 6 by itself that I must use it.  The Chord Hugo is my favorite portable DAC/Amp that I have tried, but it is just not a consideration for me, as I like having as slim an overall profile as possible, hence the iPhone 6 128GB, Neutron Music Player/Spotify - Extreme Setting, IEM (Legend R/SE846 + SCS) setup.  The sound is divine, and I am able to move around at ease.  Only one battery to deal with, don't have to worry about quirks of DAC/Amps and no extra devices and interconnect cable(s) to deal with.  
 
Also, I do not use any boutique DAPs.  The newer DAPs for the most part sound amazing, but none that I have tried (including the A&K series) have the robustness or intuitiveness of the iPhone's (or other smartphone's) user interface.  I would have to carry another device with my iPhone 6, as the DAPs can not take calls, text or perform smartphone tasks.  The fact that the iPhone 6 is a high percentage sounding (or even better sounding than DAC/Amps/DAPs, etcetera depending on various factors) DAP in its own right is more than enough for my wants and needs.
 
This is precisely why I focus a lot on cable synergy with the particular C/IEM I am listening to, and love a cable that performs well with regards to my setup and sound signature preferences.  Having a great seal and impeccable isolation is paramount as well - the SCS in full shell form performs seamlessly, and making sure that silicone and acrylic CIEMs fit just about as perfect as can be is of utmost importance - which may result in needing a refit or two, but is truly worth it for the utmost of bliss in the end.

 

[Earbones]

Sounds like you have your chain pretty well thought through... I agree the the iPhone/iPod touch is pretty tough to beat (if not impossible to beat) as source, when both sound quality and ultimate portability are the top considerations...

Have you checked out Tidal? I'm listening to it almost exclusively as far as streaming goes, these days...

 

[moedawg140]

Sounds like you have your chain pretty well thought through... I agree the the iPhone/iPod touch is pretty tough to beat (if not impossible to beat) as source, when both sound quality and ultimate portability are the top considerations...

Have you checked out Tidal? I'm listening to it almost exclusively as far as streaming goes, these days...

 
I knew that you were going to ask if I listened to Tidal. 

 
Regarding the answer to your question (if I have checked out Tidal), this is from my profile:

Tidal High Fidelity Music Streaming Service - http://www.head-fi.org/t/733890/iphone-6-6-plus-audio-quality/390#post_11000304 (scroll down to #405) *except in this case, you should not need to scroll.*

 

[Monty Burns]

  How are your clear/opaque SCS' holding up, @Monty Burns?

Sorry Moe took me a while to find your question re my "Clear" SCS. I am happy to report that they are in PERFECT condition. No discolouration Now this could be my ears are the right Ph or it could be that after each use I rinse them off in warm soapy water and then run them under the tap with cold water.... Air dry and ready to go....The perfect interface between human an Cylon

 

[Mooses9]

very nice

 

[Earbones]

   
I knew that you were going to ask if I listened to Tidal. 

 
Regarding the answer to your question (if I have checked out Tidal), this is from my profile:

Tidal High Fidelity Music Streaming Service - http://www.head-fi.org/t/733890/iphone-6-6-plus-audio-quality/390#post_11000304 (scroll down to #405) *except in this case, you should not need to scroll.*
 

 
Ha ha, yeah, it is pricy, for what it is... Everything in this damn hobby is pricy...
 
My experience with Tidal was "Yeah, I'll take the free seven days, and cancel then... No way I'm going to pay $20 for this..." Then a few days later during a listening session, I went to check an email, and when I was done, I unconsciously opened Spotify and played a track... A muscle-memory thing, since I was still used to using Spotify. It sounded weird and thin. Opened the same track on Tidal... "Dammit. I'm totally going to pay $20 for this..." 

 

[moedawg140]

 
Sorry Moe took me a while to find your question re my "Clear" SCS. I am happy to report that they are in PERFECT condition. No discolouration Now this could be my ears are the right Ph or it could be that after each use I rinse them off in warm soapy water and then run them under the tap with cold water.... Air dry and ready to go....The perfect interface between human an Cylon

 
Thanks for the update, and it's great to hear regarding your clear sleeves!  I agree, no discoloration could be because your cerumen is the right pH and washing the sleeves thoroughly after each use.  As for the renovations, it's great that you have the opportunity to spend some money, hopefully it will be all worth it in the end, my friend.  

(Açaí smoothie in my glass)
 

   
Ha ha, yeah, it is pricy, for what it is... Everything in this damn hobby is pricy...
 
My experience with Tidal was "Yeah, I'll take the free seven days, and cancel then... No way I'm going to pay $20 for this..." Then a few days later during a listening session, I went to check an email, and when I was done, I unconsciously opened Spotify and played a track... A muscle-memory thing, since I was still used to using Spotify. It sounded weird and thin. Opened the same track on Tidal... "Dammit. I'm totally going to pay $20 for this..." 

 
It takes real will power to not make the hobby too expensive for yourself.  I have not spent too much money since I have first joined Head-Fi - I have even cut down on purchasing G-Shocks every so often.
 
I'm glad that you like Tidal, and I like it a lot as well, but paying four times as much than what I currently spend now does not outweigh the various issues/comparisons that were apparent when comparing Tidal to Spotify.  I am still hoping that Spotify will come out with a HiFi service soon - as I really enjoy Spotify's algorithms, new releases, playlist creations, low to no lag time with loading tracks, and other reasons as well.

 

[lisztian420]

Ive received my scs for two weeks now. After spending some quality time with them, I would also like to contribute my $.02 on the fit and sound.

it is by far the most comfortable ear pieces ever!! The silicoN is so much more comfy than Acrylics.

There's also a ~10% improvement in sq. Mostly tighter bass and more pronounced treble presence. I decided to switch my silver cables to a silver/copper Hybrid which Has noticable effect on the midrange.

Then I decided to tesT all my available filters and settle on modded blaCk.

I found my sweet spot and I cannot be happier with the overall sq. everything is just so perfect now!! I probably won't be usinG my jh13 for a long time now. In comparison my jh13 sounds boring and lack textures to my ears!

I got the sweet shure se846s^.^

 

[moedawg140]

Ive received my scs for two weeks now. After spending some quality time with them, I would also like to contribute my $.02 on the fit and sound.

it is by far the most comfortable ear pieces ever!! The silicoN is so much more comfy than Acrylics.

There's also a ~10% improvement in sq. Mostly tighter bass and more pronounced treble presence. I decided to switch my silver cables to a silver/copper Hybrid which Has noticable effect on the midrange.

Then I decided to tesT all my available filters and settle on modded blaCk.

I found my sweet spot and I cannot be happier with the overall sq. everything is just so perfect now!! I probably won't be usinG my jh13 for a long time now. In comparison my jh13 sounds boring and lack textures to my ears!

Thanks for the impressions!

Just wondering; what model IEM are you using with the SCS? What color/swirl color(s) SCS did you choose? Also, do you have any pictures?

Congratulations on the SCS and glad it is working out splendly for you!

Edit: Thanks for updating your post. The rest of the questions still kindly apply. :bigsmile_face:

 

[umgoblue2008]

Just got my full shell sleeves, and they are fantastic. About 10x better than the half shell ones i got last year. Sound quality/isolation is about the same, marginally better with the full shell. However, the full shell envelopes over the entire earbud drivers, and seems like they would never fall out on its own. The half shell only covered 60% of the earbud, and fell out all the time (how i lost one). For the new ones I have to put real effort to separate the sleeves from the earbuds. Big ups.

 

[moedawg140]

  Just got my full shell sleeves, and they are fantastic. About 10x better than the half shell ones i got last year. Sound quality/isolation is about the same, marginally better with the full shell. However, the full shell envelopes over the entire earbud drivers, and seems like they would never fall out on its own. The half shell only covered 60% of the earbud, and fell out all the time (how i lost one). For the new ones I have to put real effort to separate the sleeves from the earbuds. Big ups.

 
Glad you like the full shell sleeves!  What color(s)/swirl did you choose and what IEM are you using with the SCS?
 
As for the full shell sleeves seeming like they may never fall out, I thought the exact same way.  However, once I took the sleeves on and off, again and again, and there was more sweat, dirt and dander around as well as inside of the sleeves, the sleeves did not hold onto the SE846's body very well and would slip off rather easily.  Making sure to clean the sleeves, preferably after each use with warm water and mild soap will help keep the sleeves nice and tight while they are on each IEM housing.

 

[umgoblue2008]

   
Glad you like the full shell sleeves!  What color(s)/swirl did you choose and what IEM are you using with the SCS?
 
As for the full shell sleeves seeming like they may never fall out, I thought the exact same way.  However, once I took the sleeves on and off, again and again, and there was more sweat, dirt and dander around as well as inside of the sleeves, the sleeves did not hold onto the SE846's body very well and would slip off rather easily.  Making sure to clean the sleeves, preferably after each use with warm water and mild soap will help keep the sleeves nice and tight while they are on each IEM housing.

 
Thanks for the heads up, I'll try to clean them often (still a big improvement, i remember getting the half shell ones last year and right after i got them they started falling off). As for color I went with the default clear . i actually like it clear, makes it look cool when you can see the components inside.