[Ryokan]

I run off both ZX507 and NW-WM1A, max I need is mid 50s on both. Are you streaming or from local files? I don't really stream but the occasional time I have on the ZX507, I did need to crank it up a lot.

I only play music from the SD card, locally, and was surprised how much I need to crank it compared with other iems, but they're all BA's and easier to drive.

 

[Scubadevils]

I only play music from the SD card, locally, and was surprised how much I need to crank it compared with other iems, but they're all BA's and easier to drive.

Strange, even now at vol 52 on the ZX507 it's a bit too loud for me. I have high gain on also.

 

[jmills8]

Strange, even now at vol 52 on the ZX507 it's a bit too loud for me. I have high gain on also.

Bet no live show would turn their volume to 52.

 

[Philo]

I've read somewhere that the balanced output offers a little bit more clarity...

 

[jmills8]

I've read somewhere that the balanced output offers a little bit more clarity...

Yes power will do that.

 

[Ryokan]

Strange, even now at vol 52 on the ZX507 it's a bit too loud for me. I have high gain on also.

Yup I thought so to, but I can only say what it is. Low gain 85 +/-, I've tried High gain but prefer the sound using 'low' gain. I usually only use High for the rare times I use Headphones.

 

[fzman]

So that's all?

It's not really that simple. Real balanced, aka 'dual differential' requires exactly mirror-imaged circuits, one for the pos side of the music signal, the other for neg. IN single-ended, ground is referenced and hot changes from + to - as the sine wave goes "up and down". getting balanced to be totally-perfect exact mirror-image is quite difficult, and takes twice the number of parts, and more real-estate, which also opens up the possibility of more "parasitics", aka side-effects. So, "balanced" is not automatically better - unl;ess it is properly implemented.

As far as power goes, it's not just about "volume". There are lots of "power" specs that tell less than one would think. Flashlights quote hgh lumen numbers, but that is not always how much light intensity actually comes "out of" the flashlight. Measuring horsepower of a car engine, not actually "ceonnected" to a car is another- gear ratios, weight of the car, aerodynamics etc also play a role in 'how fast' the car can go.

Speakers/headphones/iems are almost always reactive loads, and have back emf (i.e., they are moving targets, and they fight back-- it's like the difference between sitting on a tame horse used for "kiddy rides led by a handler holding the reigns and walking along side, vs a rodeo bucking bronco. So, more power contribnutes to the effortlessness of the sound, espcially if the amp is well designed, does not have its global feedback messed-with by the load's back emf, and can keep the load under control thru various impedance swings, etc... Many manufacturers of portable dacs/daps/amps quote maximum power under quite optimistic circumstances, so some raw numbers do not tell as much as some folks think they do.

Lastly, the quality of an electrical connection is a function of (among other things) contact area and contact pressure - 4.4s are instrinsically better than smaller connectors, So it's not just the 'balanced' part of the situation either.....

 

[Scubadevils]

Yup I thought so to, but I can only say what it is. Low gain 85 +/-, I've tried High gain but prefer the sound using 'low' gain. I usually only use High for the rare times I use Headphones.

Trying low gain now on the 1A, I'm up at 75 so that is certainly the difference. A good 24bit album too so there would be others I'd need more volume.

 

[Ryokan]

Trying low gain now on the 1A, I'm up at 75 so that is certainly the difference. A good 24bit album too so there would be others I'd need more volume.

Phew, glad I'm normal

 

[riverground]

The wait for your review is a bit too long, and so I’ve placed an order with my dealer hoping to get them 2nd week of July.

I honestly think for the price and the generous return policy, it’s worth hearing one yourself.

Hopefully some of the tips would work for you. If not, definitely tip roll!

I guess my slow writing is good so people would just get impatient and buy one already.

I once saw a post that describes the KSE as the perfect IEM for Spock, I can’t argue with that! In the right mood it’s probably second to none but for 95% of the time the IE900 is just better IMO.

Agreed, the IE900 if I own it, it would be my go to EDC for its “all-rounder” tuning. But If someone would make a full-range electrostatic a la KSE + slap in the DD bass of the Z1R, I think I’ll be done in this hobby

I agree. Before the IE900 I put a lot of weight on technicalities in my assessments. That's still true, but tuning >>> technicalities for me. If the KSE1200 sounds anything like Stax headphones, it wouldn't be my cup of tea either (and based on most reviews I've read/see, that seems to be the case). And besides, anything other than DD bass in an IEM is a poor imitation if you ask me.

Now imagine the setup I mentioned above…

 

[fzman]

When you are young you use low gain, as you get a bit older high gain, and when you get my age -- ro-gain!

 

[feverfive]

 

[Ryokan]

Spoiler: Rogaine

These things certainly go Deep

 

[zikarus]

Anybody out there using the IE900 with a Shanling M3x? Asking because I have the latter on order and am curious of course....

 

[gLer]

I only play music from the SD card, locally, and was surprised how much I need to crank it compared with other iems, but they're all BA's and easier to drive.

You're not alone. The IE900 definitely needs extra power to drive to what I consider comfortable volume. On my very powerful R8 I'm on 42 high gain with turbo and it's comfortable. That's the same volume I use for the power hungry Legend X. By comparison most of the 64 Audio IEMs I owned were around 30-32 volume. Great thing about the IE900 is that you can drive them louder with zero distortion or harshness. Just watch your hearing.