[Mbarbieri]

100% true & agree, exactly the same experience with KSE on my end. Same tracks, but they are not the same now. Real insight. Inspired and exciting.

Thanks milion for all the replies, guys!! This forum is brilliant!
One more thing that keeps me wondering. It’s in regards to dB levels and hearing health. Some say that IEM usually produce higher volume levels than full-sized cans. I tried to measure the dB levels of a shure SE846 and a AKG K812 using an app on the phone and it seemed to be true. So, an IEM would be more harmful to the ears. But, what about electrostatic technology? Is it supposed to do less damage? Thanks again.

 

[Mbarbieri]

Did anybody compared the full-sized AKG K812 with the KSE1500? Tks.

 

[csglinux]

I've no experience with the AKG K812, sorry. As for the relative amplitude at your eardrum, I don't think I'd agree with your measurements. Properly isolating IEMs like the KSE1500 let you listen at a lower volume level. Most other headphones (especially open-backed headphones) are going to require you to raise the volume to fight against any background or ambient noise. The KSE1500 amp actually doesn't go all that loud - for sure it goes loud enough to damage your hearing, but way less than other amps and DAPs I've owned.

Ultimately, you control your own volume level

 

[plinth]

I can only compare mine to my HD800 and my Stax 007. They are so much more enjoyable than the Sennheiser HD800, better bass grip and extension and just greater musicality. On hearing levels there is an electrostatic effect in that the sound levels give no obvious cues that the levels are getting higher. The sound remains clean and effortless I often do not know how loud it is. There is a linearity in that all the soundstage gets louder together but in total balance. Using the internal DAC the KSEs certainly go too loud to listen to, with the line in they could go louder but keep an eye on the VU meters to ensure that you are not clipping (i.e. do not increase the line level so that the lights go into the yellow or red).

My only warning would be that it is very hard to go back after you have been seduced by the electrostatic sweetness.

 

[AlexanderV]

I've no experience with the AKG K812, sorry. As for the relative amplitude at your eardrum, I don't think I'd agree with your measurements. Properly isolating IEMs like the KSE1500 let you listen at a lower volume level. Most other headphones (especially open-backed headphones) are going to require you to raise the volume to fight against any background or ambient noise. The KSE1500 amp actually doesn't go all that loud - for sure it goes loud enough to damage your hearing, but way less than other amps and DAPs I've owned.

Ultimately, you control your own volume level

Again agree. Adel technology is well-sold myths to audiophiles (physically you can convert any IEM to Adel just with seal). But what really matters in this subject is [seal + subsequently outer noise isolation] and [level]. Just care about good isolation all the time and try to set the same allowable level every time. This will allow you to enjoy not being harmed by extra decibels. We appreciate Shure did very good in this direction and made visible level adjustments to make sure it's ~constant all the time. BTW, many other DAPs or Amp on market fail here due to tendency to be old school with analogue regulators having no scale. In such cases we are just turning volume wheel/knob being provoked by good song and not considering well enough where we are with levels, then you forget to set it back and get used to it. Some source I found on Noise levels - http://dangerousdecibels.org/education/information-center/decibel-exposure-time-guidelines/ But it's hard to precisely measure what IEM produce as was just mentioned by csglinux.
How I always follow for my KSE case - set '-10dB' in settings and always listen at volume 8 not allowing myself to go higher (even of you really want even if next tracks are impressive . If you get used to this then you are pretty much safe. Level of records itself can be neglected because they are nearly the same all the time.

 

[DarginMahkum]

Is that good? really? I was thinking of going for a Focal Utopia + Mojo + Poly. But after reading this I feel like giving the KSE1500 a try. My issue with over-ears is that they always feel heavy and end up giving me headaches. What about soundstage? Does it lose too much in comparison to over-ears?

For me, they were really that good. After listening to KSE1500 for some time, I went to a shop to get myself an over-ear. None of them, including the Utopia did really satisfy me. I was leaning towards a closed back one and bought the AKG K872. Utopia for me was a very much in-your-face experience and I grew tired of it very quickly. It is very revealing but definitely not as transparent as the KSE1500. KSE1500 is especially great for low volume listening.

The issue with the partial hearing loss is, I think, inescapable for a music lover. Especially after age of 40, the 4kHz-6kHz region starts to become weaker and weaker. Many older producers are not still that good when they are older because they can hear everything, but more because they are experienced to hear what needs to be heard. For us, the music lovers who are not producers doing mixing the whole day, it could just be a little bit better, I think.

I have now the K872, which I found to be a very good compromise between being closed cans and comfort. I am used to the studio sound as I am using also studio monitors (from HEDD) for listening to music or watching movies. I have not tried the K812, but if you like the studio sound signature, the KSE1500 is simply a bliss.

Oh and, after getting the KSE1500, I decided to listen to some music which I did not listen to a very long time. Like the Opeth, Blackwater Park. Damn, even the distorted guitars did sound crazy transparent. And I came to realize once again how warm and sweet sounding the PRS guitars are.

 

[bmichels]

Testing tips again....

I thought that I has reached the end of my search with the orange Symbio Mandarina large bore, but I finally find them not so much confortable for long listening cession. It looks like my ears need a size between their Medium and their Large tips.




So, now I test the Spinfit CP800 They are for sure more confortable but also do isolate much less. Nothing is perfect ! As for sound signature, I am not sure I can hear any difference.



I will report which one I kept between the 4 options I have approved in the last year : Symbio orange Mandarina, spinfit CP800, triple flange, and the Shure Olive Foam (with filter in the middle, medium to large boree)

--> Any other suggestion as for end-game TIPs for KSE1500 ?

 

[Negyt]

Testing tips again....

--> Any other suggestion as for end-game TIPs for KSE1500 ?

I am enjoying the Spinfit cp240 M and is my personal choice, followed by shure olives.
Still debating if i should try westone tips, i am currently happy with this set up for long sessions.

 

[Solarium]

I never looked back once I tried my P-series comply's. They isolate better than pretty all non-custom tips out there and they are extremely comfortable for hours on end.

I've tried the spinfits, mandarin's, olives's, triple flange's and honestly don't find them either comfortable, isolating enough, or having too much sibilance.

I don't think I'll ever find another piece of IEM as amazing as these, just sold my Encore's and my old SE846's. The KSE is definitely a grade above my already sold HD800's also, and very close in performance with the SR009. I've demoed the Utopia and cannot move back to dynamic driver. Once you hear the electrostatic sound... you cannot undo it.

In fact I'm on the verge of selling my Mojo too, I'm pretty satisfied with the KSA1500 DAC, which completely eliminate all popping for me. The KSE will remain my only piece of head-fi gear as I move toward speakers as I'm building my new HT room. Hello AVSforums

 

[MRT-Man]

I thought the P-Series were pretty good, but personally I found the Westone foam tips to be even better, with respect to both the sound quality and isolation. So those are my end-game tips. P-Series would probably be my second choice.

I used to use the Shure olives with other IEMs, but with the KSE1500 I didn't find them to be sufficiently isolating. I've tried some of the silicon tips but found that they didn't isolate enough.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

Is it possible to use a tube preamp with KSE1500? Is the effect prohibitively noisy? Also, what do you do to make the KSA not drain your iPhone's battery when you plug it into the lighting port?

What kind of reception has USB-C gotten in the audiophile market generally? Do we see (m)any daps and dacs that use it? Is there any reason to think that in the revision to the KSA would change the USB port? (Obviously, improving the DAC is far and away job #1, though improving the UI would be a close #2.)

 

[bmichels]

As promised here are my Tests results with the Spinfit CP800.

Well... results are very convincing, I have a cleaner sound than before. Very enjoyable, and good confort for long listening time (but... not very good isolation. I guess you can't have all).

But also I must share another "revelation": I finally followed Jude's advice and set the KSE1500 input to - 10 dB, so that I can now set the A&K SP1000 at full volume (150), changing the volume level only through the KSE1500's knob.

and... I have the strong impression that the sound is really better ! May be it is because the A&K's volume level set at 100% , I have now a "real" line out, bypassing the distorsion of the SP1000's volume level management, or, may be it is... effect placebo

Anyway, I am now very happy with my Spinfit CP800 and also the BRIMAR 16x cable.

 

[Solarium]

I thought the P-Series were pretty good, but personally I found the Westone foam tips to be even better, with respect to both the sound quality and isolation. So those are my end-game tips. P-Series would probably be my second choice.

I used to use the Shure olives with other IEMs, but with the KSE1500 I didn't find them to be sufficiently isolating. I've tried some of the silicon tips but found that they didn't isolate enough.

Interesting, what size Westone foam tips (red vs orange?) should I use if I use the large P-series sizes? I think the Westone's run a bit larger as they are a bit firmer, if that's the case I'm thinking the red one?

 

[MRT-Man]

Interesting, what size Westone foam tips (red vs orange?) should I use if I use the large P-series sizes? I think the Westone's run a bit larger as they are a bit firmer, if that's the case I'm thinking the red one?

I use the orange ones. The red will give me a seal, but if if I move my jaw a certain way, I no longer have a seal... while with the orange, I have a perfect seal all the time. Though they're a little large. I used to get a little bit of discomfort in one of my ears, from the orange, after wearing them for more than an hour, although my ear seems to have gotten used to it. Actually, for a while, I was doing red in one ear and orange in another (I didn't notice any stereo imbalance when doing this), but now I'm fine with orange in both.

The foam is certainly denser than the comply-P, hence the better isolation.

 

[Solarium]

I'm trying to find a preset EQ setting for my Equalizer APO using the default DAC. Can anyone point me to the right direction?