[TYATYA]

Today I felt myself one step closer to KSE1500. I read on a German forum, from a Shure guy that there is no analog->digital conversion being done on the line-in channel, which is great. That means an external DAC will be used to its full potential - if ever it is needed (and for me this would only happen in office or home situations). Can someone confirm that?

Confirmed. Surely.
It is pure analog path line in.
The dac doesnt act in audio path unless you use EQ. A fully parametric is fine but that is NOT the one in kse. Kse own a semi-parametric (for me, as a crappy eq).
If eq turn ON then audio path for line in will be analog source - ADC - eq processing - DAC - opamp - elect. drivers.

There are 2 things is NOT CLEAR here in this thread : Pad input and Limiter for analog in.
Imo, it IS digital processing to decrease signal strength to -10dB or -20dB.
But some one will say that is pure analog w/o digital process. Hm, how to do it w/o physical varistor ?
Btw Input pad is seem no change the sq (to my ears) but Limiter does it in negative meaning

 

[csglinux]

Today I felt myself one step closer to KSE1500. I read on a German forum, from a Shure guy that there is no analog->digital conversion being done on the line-in channel, which is great. That means an external DAC will be used to its full potential - if ever it is needed (and for me this would only happen in office or home situations). Can someone confirm that?

That's exactly right - and I think this justifies Shure's choice of internal DAC. It's great that it has one, but almost anything they'd have put in there would have been bettered by some other choice of external DAC. (E.g. $20k+ BluDave FPGA DAC, etc.)

 

[csglinux]

Confirmed. Surely.
It is pure analog path line in.
The dac doesnt act in audio path unless you use EQ. A fully parametric is fine but that is NOT the one in kse. Kse own a semi-parametric (for me, as a crappy eq).
If eq turn ON then audio path for line in will be analog source - ADC - eq processing - DAC - opamp - elect. drivers.

There are 2 things is NOT CLEAR here in this thread : Pad input and Limiter for analog in.
Imo, it IS digital processing to decrease signal strength to -10dB or -20dB.
But some one will say that is pure analog w/o digital process. Hm, how to do it w/o physical varistor ?
Btw Input pad is seem no change the sq (to my ears) but Limiter does it in negative meaning

This is correct about the EQ - you turn it on and you're again using the internal KSE DAC. That makes it very easy to do a SPL-matched comparison of an external vs the internal DAC. Use your best external DAC, then turn on the EQ, set completely flat. Try to hear a difference
BTW, I love the parametric EQ on the KSE1500.

I actually don't know how Shure does the input pad. I did talk to Sean Sullivan about the limiter and that's there mainly for legacy reasons. It's designed to clip the waveform if the amplitude is driven too high (protecting your ears and the IEM), however Sean wasn't even sure at what level it kicks in and thought it unlikely most people would even notice it on the KSE1500, because it doesn't go that loud. If you're listening at reasonable volumes, this limiter should never cause an audible effect.

 

[TYATYA]

This is correct about the EQ - you turn it on and you're again using the internal KSE DAC. That makes it very easy to do a SPL-matched comparison of an external vs the internal DAC. Use your best external DAC, then turn on the EQ, set completely flat. Try to hear a difference
BTW, I love the parametric EQ on the KSE1500.

I actually don't know how Shure does the input pad. I did talk to Sean Sullivan about the limiter and that's there mainly for legacy reasons. It's designed to clip the waveform if the amplitude is driven too high (protecting your ears and the IEM), however Sean wasn't even sure at what level it kicks in and thought it unlikely most people would even notice it on the KSE1500, because it doesn't go that loud. If you're listening at reasonable volumes, this limiter should never cause an audible effect.

Yup. I know that audio path when eq on. Exactly I did a try as you said : custom eq1 with all zero set.
By that way, it is the worse case (in comparision) bcs both DAC and ADC works. If try that to see how good or not good internal dac is, it is not precision.
To compare the dac, use usb in so that only DAC work alone (not together with ADC ).
Input pad I not feel the decrease of sq but I set it 0dB. I dont know if SP1000 line out is dac direct or through its amp ( I mean a true line out or not). If not a true line out, simply use volume to turn untill kse signal bar are green.

Limiter, it decrease sq and I feel it hear it. May be I listening hi volt. Vol 120 on sp1000 and vol 20 on kse is that to loud for every one (?).
P.S limiter of PC windows Media center 23 is fine. It doesnt decrease sq like in kse

 

[csglinux]

May be I listening hi volt. Vol 120 on sp1000 and vol 20 on kse is that to loud for every one (?).

The KSE1500 only goes to 25! Unless you have a large-dynamic range recording and you're listening only to the quietest moments, that is quiet a lot louder than any volume I ever listen at. Hard to say for sure, because it will depend on the style, gain, dynamic range, etc. of your recordings. But this is probably a bit on the loud side. Maybe you are running into clipping with the limiter on.

Yes, you're right about the ADC->DAC with a flat EQ. But it still doesn't make a big difference to the sound - at least to my ears. Do you hear big differences toggling a flat EQ on/off?

 

[DarginMahkum]

For anyone interested in KSE1500 and did not buy it yet. I called today Thomann and they told me that it is just a temporary reduction of the price, and they are not expecting a new model. And the price will not stay like this for a long time. Am I just lucky or what. So... I guess I will buy one today.

Edit: Ordered! My wallet hurts...

 

[csglinux]

Edit: Ordered! My wallet hurts...

Congrats and welcome to the club!

You'll soon forget about your wallet when you start listening to that KSE1500

 

[TYATYA]

The KSE1500 only goes to 25! Unless you have a large-dynamic range recording and you're listening only to the quietest moments, that is quiet a lot louder than any volume I ever listen at. Hard to say for sure, because it will depend on the style, gain, dynamic range, etc. of your recordings. But this is probably a bit on the loud side. Maybe you are running into clipping with the limiter on.

Yes, you're right about the ADC->DAC with a flat EQ. But it still doesn't make a big difference to the sound - at least to my ears. Do you hear big differences toggling a flat EQ on/off?

Case 1 : ak120ii feed kse analog in and eq off
Case 2 : ak120ii feed kse analog in and eq on (eq set zero)
Case 3 : galaxy note8 feed kse digital in and eq off.
Case 1 v.s case 2 is not correct to tell about internal kse dac. Yes, case 2 ADC work and make unfair comparision.
Case 3 v.s case 1 is fair to tell sq of the internal dac.
I find case 3 has more sharp sound but less bass comparing to case1.
Case 1 bolder bass and less sharp, can say more musical.

But case 2 compare to case 3, I prefer case 3 sq : I will chose direct digital line in and leave internal dac doing its task

 

[csglinux]

Case 1 : ak120ii feed kse analog in and eq off
Case 2 : ak120ii feed kse analog in and eq on (eq set zero)
Case 3 : galaxy note8 feed kse digital in and eq off.
Case 1 v.s case 2 is not correct to tell about internal kse dac. Yes, case 2 ADC work and make unfair comparision.
Case 3 v.s case 1 is fair to tell sq of the internal dac.
I find case 3 has more sharp sound but less bass comparing to case1.
Case 1 bolder bass and less sharp, can say more musical.

But case 2 compare to case 3, I prefer case 3 sq : I will chose direct digital line in and leave internal dac doing its task

Comparing cases 1 & 3 via a proper (i.e., reasonably rapid) A/B switch requires an SPL meter and (ideally) two identical KSE1500s. It's not an easy test to get right.

I completely understand that case 2 (flipping the EQ on/off) is an unfair test of the DAC, but my point is - even though it's an unfairly stringent test, it's an easy test, and you'll still struggle to hear differences (at least I do) when flipping the flat EQ on or off. By which I conclude that the cumulative damage done by the ADC and DAC isn't significant. I will just leave it at that, because I fear I'm starting to beat the dead horse at this stage.

 

[tonyl59]

There is no analogue to digital conversion provided that you leave EQ set to Bypass. I use mine with Chord Mojo or Hugo 2 and either sounds appreciably better than the KSA’s dac (to me, anyway).

 

[JR Draper]

There is no analogue to digital conversion provided that you leave EQ set to Bypass. I use mine with Chord Mojo or Hugo 2 and either sounds appreciably better than the KSA’s dac (to me, anyway).

I agree with @tonyI59 that the Chord Mojo sounds noticeably better than the KSA's internal DAC. Regarding the Mojo, the Chord Poly streaming DAC makes it very easy to use the KSE1500 without a bunch of interconnects. Sends the Hi-Res audio via Bluetooth or WiFi. Highly recommended.

 

[bmichels]

My next IC cable to come. It is on it's way....

Will report how it compare to the 3 other that I have already tested.

 

[plinth]

I bought my KSE1500s a couple of months ago after reading this entire forum. Even so I was not prepared for what a remarkable piece of equipment Shure has produced. They are remarkable of a staggering amount of detail representation, have a huge deep bass and the sweetest extended treble. They are lightening fast and completely free of bloom throughout the frequency range. The only thing that I did not hear that most owners report was the small soundstage. I have never really heard the soundstage extend behind me, even though I listen to them every day I still find myself looking behind me to see who is coming in when it is in the recording. I think the profound sense of separation expands the perceived soundstage.

The only thing I would say is that they resolve way beyond the range of the inbuilt DAC. Apart from the fact that my unit gives constant crackles with my iPhone X and iMac 5K I started listening through my Mojo-Poly and then Hugo 2. I now use them at my desk with a Sonore Ultrarendu with Uptone LPS1 into the Hugo2 into the KSE1500. I have never heard so much detail even in live concerts. But moreover, the Hugo gives such a sense of rhythm, I just find it so hard to turn off even when I am testing combinations. It just puts such fun and life into everything it plays. The stats are so good that they deserve something better than the built in DAC. It is not a bad DAC, and certainly more agreeable than any of the Naim DACs I have ever owned, but it just does not portray the sense of animus I get with the Chord products.

All my testing is done using blind A-B and I have to be able consistently to choose a favourite in order for me to conclude it is better. This is not double blind, but also I do not have to work to identify which is which.

Interestingly, I have never found any sound deterioration using the built in EQ, in fact it is quite remarkable how well it does here. However, in my listening I prefer the sound flat so I disable it.

I have already taken my KSE1500 back to Shure once to resolve the crackling (that they instantly heard) and they gave me a new USB cable but it is just as bad. So for me at this time I do not have an option but at home even if I resolved it I would still listen via the Hugo 2.

By the way, Shure are a wonderful company to deal with and I will go back to them to have another crack at my unit.

 

[DarginMahkum]

Congrats and welcome to the club!

You'll soon forget about your wallet when you start listening to that KSE1500

Can't wait. I am actually not planning to buy any external DAC ( I will definitely not invest in any AKxyz) but seems there is no device which is portable and is only a DAC with line out (without any headphone amplifier). A market hole for a new product, maybe?

 

[TYATYA]

My next IC cable to come. It is on it's way....



Will report how it compare to the 3 other that I have already tested.

Im so jealous !