[luq92]

Thanks for your replies!
I'll be probably getting those soon

 

[Sid-Fi]

Has anyone tried IE8 with the Matrix M-Stage headphone amplifier (or the Lehman Black Cube Linear it seems to be trying to clone)?
 
I've been using IE8 with Ibasso D10 and HiFlight's topkit for about a year and have been very happy with it, but now that I bought an Onkyo ND-S1 dock, I'm looking to start adding an affordable desktop dac, amp, and full-size cans over the next several months for a bedside rig.
 
I'm wondering if IE8 might go okay with those stronger amps so that I could add the amp and DAC before the full-size cans? I'm planning on getting a Denon D2000 and modding it a LA 2000 lite over time, but since I expect it to be a lateral move from IE8 until I sink a bunch of cans into the Lawton upgrades, I'd rather enjoy the DAC and amp first (leaning Matrix mini-i and Matrix M-stage) so long as they might be compatible with IE8.  
 
HPA, I read your review thread on Nuforce HDP. Any idea if that would be a considerably better bet for me compared to the Matrix combo (which I've read amazing reviews on as well) considering IE8 and Denon D2000? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[cravenz]

Quote:

Has anyone tried IE8 with the Matrix M-Stage headphone amplifier (or the Lehman Black Cube Linear it seems to be trying to clone)?
 
I've been using IE8 with Ibasso D10 and HiFlight's topkit for about a year and have been very happy with it, but now that I bought an Onkyo ND-S1 dock, I'm looking to start adding an affordable desktop dac, amp, and full-size cans over the next several months for a bedside rig.
 
I'm wondering if IE8 might go okay with those stronger amps so that I could add the amp and DAC before the full-size cans? I'm planning on getting a Denon D2000 and modding it a LA 2000 lite over time, but since I expect it to be a lateral move from IE8 until I sink a bunch of cans into the Lawton upgrades, I'd rather enjoy the DAC and amp first (leaning Matrix mini-i and Matrix M-stage) so long as they might be compatible with IE8.  
 
HPA, I read your review thread on Nuforce HDP. Any idea if that would be a considerably better bet for me compared to the Matrix combo (which I've read amazing reviews on as well) considering IE8 and Denon D2000? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 
I have the Matrix, but I don't have a suitable adapter to plug the IE8 into the Matrix and the 702 adapter doesn't exactly work as a proper fit. Though I am sure that at 10 gain, there is considerable hiss and was only eliminated when switching the Matrix's gain to 0 for this. That's about all I can help with, with the Matrix M-stage unfortunately.
 

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Has anyone tried IE8 with the Matrix M-Stage headphone amplifier (or the Lehman Black Cube Linear it seems to be trying to clone)?
 
I've been using IE8 with Ibasso D10 and HiFlight's topkit for about a year and have been very happy with it, but now that I bought an Onkyo ND-S1 dock, I'm looking to start adding an affordable desktop dac, amp, and full-size cans over the next several months for a bedside rig.
 
I'm wondering if IE8 might go okay with those stronger amps so that I could add the amp and DAC before the full-size cans? I'm planning on getting a Denon D2000 and modding it a LA 2000 lite over time, but since I expect it to be a lateral move from IE8 until I sink a bunch of cans into the Lawton upgrades, I'd rather enjoy the DAC and amp first (leaning Matrix mini-i and Matrix M-stage) so long as they might be compatible with IE8.  
 
HPA, I read your review thread on Nuforce HDP. Any idea if that would be a considerably better bet for me compared to the Matrix combo (which I've read amazing reviews on as well) considering IE8 and Denon D2000? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I found that with the IE8 there was no way to predict what they would sound best with - the only amps I had that I liked them with were the Amphora (pretty darn good), then Vivid V1 and Nuforce Icon Mobile (fairly good).  The IE8 were too dark and bassy for me with everything else.  The HDP is great with Denon but I wont try to guess about the IE8.  The fact that the HDP is great with my UE11Pro might indicate that it would control the bass well with the IE8.

 

[Sid-Fi]

Thanks for the quick reply Larry. I should throw that question out there on the Nuforce HDP thread as well to see if anyone has tried it out. I definitely know what you mean about IE8 being hard to predict. I have really enjoyed them with D10 and HiFlight's topkit, but think I'll end up being frustrated with them much as you were once I start getting more gear and finding them incompatible.
 
The issue I am struggling with the most now is what order I would enjoy my next upgrades best in, since each one would take me a month or two to save for due to a fairly small budget for spending money. I'm thinking my next setup will be Mini-i or HDP, M-stage, and Denon D2000. I'd like to get D2000 first, but it will be depressing to save for a couple of months and pick them up only to have them not sound any better than my IE8 until I save for another couple more months to make them LA2000 lite...sigh.

 

[skyflux]

Are these IEMs suitable for monitoring usage? If not can anyone recommend some?

 

[Photofan1986]

HI, skyflux
 
I would not use those for monitoring, as they are quite coloured, with the midbass hump and huge bass.
They are very fun to listen to, but not really "reference" phones.
I would use something like Hifiman RE-252 or other "flat sounding" phones.
Have a look at Average Joe's top tier thread, you should find an answer to your question.

 

[anomalouscode]

skyflux, were you the one looking for ath-m50 replacements?
 
i've just had the SM3's in for a few days, after IE8's,... 
 
I havent produced or mixed anything on them yet, still learning them, but they sound like they're gonna be perfect for monitoring. 

 

[skyflux]

Yeah I was the guy looking for the M50 replacement. So I guess the IE8 isn't suitable for monitoring then.

 

[cravenz]

Quote:

Yeah I was the guy looking for the M50 replacement. So I guess the IE8 isn't suitable for monitoring then.

nope. not unless ya just lookin' for fun fun

 

[anomalouscode]

indeed, its fun, fun, fun,... but i was able to mix a few things on them after living with them for ages. 
 
its actually no different to learning any monitors really, just that the flatter ones might be faster to learn.

 

[skyflux]

I heard some there were isolation issues with these IEM , but will they isolate better than most cans , say the SRH840 or the HD 280 Pro ?
 

 

[D4R]

@skyflux
 
Short answer, yes.  The IE8 isolates from higher frequencies better than the SRH840 or the 280pro (like computer fan noise).  The 280pro isolates better than the SRH840.  But the SRH840 sounds better than the 280pro.
 
Depending on the tip, it isolates better with the black foam ones and doesn't do a good job at all with the single flange black squishy silicone tips.
 
I tend to use the spikey grey silicone tips the most with a shallow insertion and it isolates fine.  It does not completely knock out all exterior sound but it does a better job than the 840 or the 280.  Whether at the mall or at the office.
 
If you really want to knock out a whole lot of ambient noise, use the IE8 with the black foam tips and then wear a cheap but comfortable firing range ear protector over them like the Silencio (you have to loosen the headband first).
 
my 2 cents.

 

[D4R]

@ianmedium
 
I enjoy the sound of the IE8 out of the Nuforce Icon Mobile.  It tames the bass.  But it's such a minor improvement, I don't mind using it straight out of the iPod Touch's headphone jack.  But both work well together as HeadphoneAddict mentioned.

 

[midoo1990]

Of all the things I sold since joining headfi,ie8 is the only one I regret selling. I wish I would have kept it even if I had better gear.