[Sound Eq]

here is the final e ear tips on kse1500, using a westone tip stem to fit the final ear tip on kse 1500

I get better bass in quantity and mids and highs not affected

best tips with kse1500 among tens of tips I tried

refresher

 

[TYATYA]

Thank you @TYATYA. I have ordered all cp155s and cp800s tips. I will modify it like yours once received. Surely will enjoy.

Sorry bcs CP145, not cp155.
Difference of 145 against 155 are : bore 4.5 v.s 5.5, dome shape parabol v.s sphere.

Both of them need "adapter" for fitting bore size.
To my ear parabol shape fitting and comfort is better than sphere.
Tube of cp800 WONT fit as a adpater to cp155.
My post mistake in naming spinfit item(pics is correct).

H

how do You attach the filter ? With glue ?

Filter from stock black foam is a tube. After peel of the foam you got the tube.
Cut this tube 2/3 out, filter with 1/3 tube length will be use for filter.
In stock foarm it is dust filter. On this diy it works not only dust filter but sound filter.
I cant describle how it affect, but it is about highs.
Guess a spot light, bright zone is narrow, the filter diffuse it to make larger zone but not darkenning. Same brightness but not strain the eyes...

 

[473983]

I've recently purchased the KSE1500 after auditioning a few other IEMs but mostly listening to closed-ear headphones like the Focal Stellia as well as top-end stuff like the LCD4 and the Utopia. I had already purchased the Hugo2 in anticipation of buying a 'normal' headphone. I was looking for a single can which would work at the office but also serve as a reference at home.

I'm quite happy with the SQ running Roon locally from my work laptop (this is my desk setup) > Chord Hugo2 > (ADL iD short RCA>1/8" cable or Moon Audio Silver Dragon 2m RCA>1/8" cable) > KSE1500 (black foam small tips). I'm listening mostly to redbook Quobuz or TIDAL streaming, mostly classical and choral baroque music with some electronica and ambient. Once I found the right output level of the Hugo (greenish blue in Chord speak) I haven't had any problem overloading the input of the Shure.

As has been widely reported the internal DAC (driven by a standard laptop and cheap cable) is unimpressive, and definitely doesn't live up to the quality the cans are capable of IMO. So it's worth hooking up the ridiculous configuration with the Hugo.


However the Shures really open up and sing running from my home rig: PS Audio DirectStream DAC (playing Roon via the Bridge II) with the attendant power treatment, cables, etc., running the 2m Moon Audio Silver Dragon from the DS single-ended outputs. Compared to the Hugo2 the DS provides more low-end umph, a wider and deeper soundstage, and a more textured level of detail and realism. (This actually mirrors the differences between the two DACs I heard driving a pair of large ATC active monitors directly.) Running the Shures off of the SE output of of my PS Audio BHK Preamp is interesting: bigger, bolder, juicier, more saturated, at the cost of a higher noise floor. In any event, the Shures seem to easily display any upstream changes as well as differences between masterings, etc.

I'm interested in getting the most from the Shures so I have a couple questions:
> Have users found significant SQ differences between the different included tips? (yellow foam, flange tips, etc)
> Has anyone experimented with the impact of better USB cables into the DAC? (I have a Curious Cable micro USB on order) What about better servers / digital transports? Given that it's an off-the-shelf chip DAC I'm assuming that upstream improvements might help make the best of the built-in DAC.
> Is there any potential of having a hot rod (analog-only) amp at home in future? Along the lines of the various electrostatic amp options available for Stax models. Is anyone doing this? Is the Shure implementation in any way potentially compatible with electrostat energizers from Stax, et al? AFAIK the cable/termination is totally custom so this seems unlikely.
> How far up the line of DACs has anyone run these? dCS? CH Precision? etc. I could conceivably be upgrading to the dCS Bartok and would expect a jump in performance via the Shures.
> Finally (and I hate to ask this question) has anyone compared the KSE1500 amplifier vs the KSE1200 unit for analog-only performance?

 

[nanaholic]

Ear tips will give the most significant sound change without question. A good fitting ear tip is a must when you use the KSE1500, the rest like better DAC and cables are relatively minor in comparison.

 

[csglinux]

I agree with @nanaholic. If you search back through this thread you should find some measurement comparisons I made with various eartips and custom shells.

 

[csglinux]

Here are those two sets of measurements on KSE1500 eartip comparisons:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/shu...tatic-earphones.785377/page-207#post-13714398

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/shu...tatic-earphones.785377/page-213#post-13828869

 

[Kitechaser]

I've recently purchased the KSE1500 after auditioning a few other IEMs but mostly listening to closed-ear headphones like the Focal Stellia as well as top-end stuff like the LCD4 and the Utopia. I had already purchased the Hugo2 in anticipation of buying a 'normal' headphone. I was looking for a single can which would work at the office but also serve as a reference at home.

I'm quite happy with the SQ running Roon locally from my work laptop (this is my desk setup) > Chord Hugo2 > (ADL iD short RCA>1/8" cable or Moon Audio Silver Dragon 2m RCA>1/8" cable) > KSE1500 (black foam small tips). I'm listening mostly to redbook Quobuz or TIDAL streaming, mostly classical and choral baroque music with some electronica and ambient. Once I found the right output level of the Hugo (greenish blue in Chord speak) I haven't had any problem overloading the input of the Shure.

As has been widely reported the internal DAC (driven by a standard laptop and cheap cable) is unimpressive, and definitely doesn't live up to the quality the cans are capable of IMO. So it's worth hooking up the ridiculous configuration with the Hugo.


However the Shures really open up and sing running from my home rig: PS Audio DirectStream DAC (playing Roon via the Bridge II) with the attendant power treatment, cables, etc., running the 2m Moon Audio Silver Dragon from the DS single-ended outputs. Compared to the Hugo2 the DS provides more low-end umph, a wider and deeper soundstage, and a more textured level of detail and realism. (This actually mirrors the differences between the two DACs I heard driving a pair of large ATC active monitors directly.) Running the Shures off of the SE output of of my PS Audio BHK Preamp is interesting: bigger, bolder, juicier, more saturated, at the cost of a higher noise floor. In any event, the Shures seem to easily display any upstream changes as well as differences between masterings, etc.

I'm interested in getting the most from the Shures so I have a couple questions:
> Have users found significant SQ differences between the different included tips? (yellow foam, flange tips, etc)
> Has anyone experimented with the impact of better USB cables into the DAC? (I have a Curious Cable micro USB on order) What about better servers / digital transports? Given that it's an off-the-shelf chip DAC I'm assuming that upstream improvements might help make the best of the built-in DAC.
> Is there any potential of having a hot rod (analog-only) amp at home in future? Along the lines of the various electrostatic amp options available for Stax models. Is anyone doing this? Is the Shure implementation in any way potentially compatible with electrostat energizers from Stax, et al? AFAIK the cable/termination is totally custom so this seems unlikely.
> How far up the line of DACs has anyone run these? dCS? CH Precision? etc. I could conceivably be upgrading to the dCS Bartok and would expect a jump in performance via the Shures.
> Finally (and I hate to ask this question) has anyone compared the KSE1500 amplifier vs the KSE1200 unit for analog-only performance?

I disagree with both the replies above. The DAC on the 1500 is pathetic, it's bad. I don't think the USB cable will make much of a difference, yes tips do affect Sound Quality, but bypassing the Shure DAC and using the analogue input makes by far the biggest difference to my ears. That's where this iem starts to sing. I would focus on that, the digital input is pretty much useless.
I noticed the differences by listening to both the KSE1500 (USB in) and the KSE1200 (3.5mm in from an SP1000CU)
COURTESY of @cj3209

Never did an A/B test on the analogue input SQ differences, others might be able to chime in on that front.

 

[tjl5709]

The DAC on the 1500 is pathetic, it's bad

Thats why I went with the 1200. My DAP has a way better DAC, let alone my desktop rig.

Change out the TIPs. I've evaluated alot of them. Find Spinfits work best for me. CP800 is good. The CP240's are excellent.

 

[473983]

Fascinating. For some reason this reminds of debates I've witnessed / tried to avoid about speaker footers (spikes versy mushy vs complicated mechanical devices) and how they utterly change the character of speaker x vs speaker y.

The only experimenting I've done so far is changing from midsize 'Olive' foam tips to the smaller size. Regretably if I'm listening at work I ocassionaly have to take them out and the midsize are *too* tight a fit for me to remove quickly.

With all that said, I don't think that changes in tips can be greater than changes in source; primarily the difference between the built-in DAC and a good DAC (i.e. a DirectStream or high-end DAP)... the whole point (for me) of this IEMs is their transparency. If you can't hear a difference of that magnitude, I think something's missing.

@Kitechaser I'm holding out hope for the Curious USB cable specifically because it *is* a bad DAC... to my understanding, great DACs do a great job of eliminating electrical noise and jitter from incoming sources. (Again, the source I'm using here is a bog-standard Lenovo corporate laptop). In my mind, *bad* (inexpensive or just badly designed I guess) DACs should benefit from good cables and good digital sources even more than *good* DACs (which have spent all the money to 'fix' incoming badness). So anyway I've plunked down my whatever is it was, ~$280, and we'll find out. But I'll use the cable for the Hugo2 for more often, and I'm hoping it will make a difference there. (although if I follow my own argument it may make *less* of a difference)


@csglinux Thanks for the links - searching for that stuff is a pain. Very insightful... I guess you have a headphone test measurement rig at home? .... As intense as I am about audio I'm always amazed at how much further other people are down the rabbit hole. . So assuming I want to acquire and try all these different (non-Shure) tips, how do you get them? It may be unusual here, but I do *not* have 24 different high-end IEMs lying around like some of the members here... I have the Shures, my old pair of Etymotic ER8s which I've lent to a friend and ... a pair of Sony noise cancellers that I should now I guess sell. Oh and Apple Earbuds. but that's it.

@nanaholic I see that you have both a Chord Hugo 2, Sony DMP-Z1. Have you compared them as analog sources to the KSE1500?

 

[csglinux]

Fascinating. For some reason this reminds of debates I've witnessed / tried to avoid about speaker footers (spikes versy mushy vs complicated mechanical devices) and how they utterly change the character of speaker x vs speaker y.

The only experimenting I've done so far is changing from midsize 'Olive' foam tips to the smaller size. Regretably if I'm listening at work I ocassionaly have to take them out and the midsize are *too* tight a fit for me to remove quickly.

With all that said, I don't think that changes in tips can be greater than changes in source; primarily the difference between the built-in DAC and a good DAC (i.e. a DirectStream or high-end DAP)... the whole point (for me) of this IEMs is their transparency. If you can't hear a difference of that magnitude, I think something's missing.

@Kitechaser I'm holding out hope for the Curious USB cable specifically because it *is* a bad DAC... to my understanding, great DACs do a great job of eliminating electrical noise and jitter from incoming sources. (Again, the source I'm using here is a bog-standard Lenovo corporate laptop). In my mind, *bad* (inexpensive or just badly designed I guess) DACs should benefit from good cables and good digital sources even more than *good* DACs (which have spent all the money to 'fix' incoming badness). So anyway I've plunked down my whatever is it was, ~$280, and we'll find out. But I'll use the cable for the Hugo2 for more often, and I'm hoping it will make a difference there. (although if I follow my own argument it may make *less* of a difference)


@csglinux Thanks for the links - searching for that stuff is a pain. Very insightful... I guess you have a headphone test measurement rig at home? .... As intense as I am about audio I'm always amazed at how much further other people are down the rabbit hole. . So assuming I want to acquire and try all these different (non-Shure) tips, how do you get them? It may be unusual here, but I do *not* have 24 different high-end IEMs lying around like some of the members here... I have the Shures, my old pair of Etymotic ER8s which I've lent to a friend and ... a pair of Sony noise cancellers that I should now I guess sell. Oh and Apple Earbuds. but that's it.

@nanaholic I see that you have both a Chord Hugo 2, Sony DMP-Z1. Have you compared them as analog sources to the KSE1500?

Well, it's hard to give each of these subjective impressions marks out of 10. The Hugo 2 (what I use as a source) is a better DAC. I completely agree about shielding - and I suspect that is a large part of the experience.

When I mentioned about sound changes with various eartips, I'm not just talking about swapping a medium Shure Olive for a small size. Try going from Sensaphonics custom shells to Shure triple flange to SpinFit Cp240, for example. The differences there are huge. I agree with the others that have commented on this - the Cp240 tips are an excellent choice for the KSE:

SpinFit CP240-M – Patented Silicone Eartips for Replacement – Double Flange – (1 Pair, Inserts Included) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06VVRXHG1

 

[nanaholic]

@nanaholic I see that you have both a Chord Hugo 2, Sony DMP-Z1. Have you compared them as analog sources to the KSE1500?

I have.
I prefer the Hugo 2 for source over the DMP-Z1, only because with the Z1 I'm so overwhelmed by the treble sparkle of the pairing that my ears get tired after about 3 songs when using the DSD re-mastering engine. I haven't tried different filter settings but that's because I don't usually listen to the KSE system at home.

 

[mat.1]

Sorry bcs CP145, not cp155.
Difference of 145 against 155 are : bore 4.5 v.s 5.5, dome shape parabol v.s sphere.

Both of them need "adapter" for fitting bore size.
To my ear parabol shape fitting and comfort is better than sphere.
Tube of cp800 WONT fit as a adpater to cp155.
My post mistake in naming spinfit item(pics is correct).


Filter from stock black foam is a tube. After peel of the foam you got the tube.
Cut this tube 2/3 out, filter with 1/3 tube length will be use for filter.
In stock foarm it is dust filter. On this diy it works not only dust filter but sound filter.
I cant describle how it affect, but it is about highs.
Guess a spot light, bright zone is narrow, the filter diffuse it to make larger zone but not darkenning. Same brightness but not strain the eyes...

Do you need the CP 800 ? as the stock tube is already fit with CP 145 .

 

[TYATYA]

Do you need the CP 800 ? as the stock tube is already fit with CP 145 .

Absorption and fitness seriously affect the sq. 145 is not able to match.
Stock black foam cant use (except the filter). Stock rubber tip, may be use as an adapter but im not sure the sq.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

I use medium olive in my left ear but small olive in my right. Ears are weird.

As far as DACs go, sure it's not the best, but I guard my pocket space jealously, and my phone plus KSE is about all I care to give over to audio - and even then I often leave it at home. There are a lot of beautiful sounds to listen to in the city without one's own private orchestra.

 

[nanaholic]

I use medium olive in my left ear but small olive in my right. Ears are weird.

Nothing weird about it, our body is not symmetrical.

In fact it's more weird if your body IS symmetrical.