[Yubacore]

 

What's the general view on the best DAC for the Adel A12??

 
I gather from reviews and what I hear that the Hugo plays well with the A12 in terms of detail, soundstage and imaging. I've also seen the DX100 mentioned as a good match. I don't know about "general view" though - maybe it's too soon?
 
Except for these observations the Mojo seems near unbeatable in both its price and size classes. In fact, maybe it's not that the Mojo is the wrong choice for the A12, but rather that the A12 is not the top choice for the Mojo? Idk, still very few impressions on that particular combo, but none of the few I've seen are enthusiastic.
 
I'm only reading reviews like yourself, trying to gather an impression... I really wish I could audition some of this stuff before making a purchase. If further impressions align with Jude's findings, I'm leaning towards the KSE1500, since I listen more to jazz and classical, and for that the strengths of electrostatic systems align nicely with what I'm looking for. The fact that they're universals is not a big minus for me. I like the idea that my wife or my friends can try it if they want to (tips are cheap), and if I at some point wonder why I spent $3000 on earbuds, I can always sell it and get some of that money back

 

[vnmslsrbms]

I sure hope the KSE1500 is like 4K to TOTL BA C/IEM's 1080p (level of clarity).

That's tough man.  It's hard to quantify audible (audio) improvements.  That kind of improvement doesn't exist for audio and can't be realized by the customer.  It's like saying we're now sending audio signals over 30khz into your ear!  Not only might it be impossible for human ears to hear, it might also be detrimental for IEM performance/preference.  At the same time, 4k looks amazing up close.  But in a living room setting, most eyes are not good enough to really see a difference.  

 

[truckdriver]

That's tough man.  It's hard to quantify audible (audio) improvements.  That kind of improvement doesn't exist for audio and can't be realized by the customer.  It's like saying we're now sending audio signals over 30khz into your ear!  Not only might it be impossible for human ears to hear, it might also be detrimental for IEM performance/preference.  At the same time, 4k looks amazing up close.  But in a living room setting, most eyes are not good enough to really see a difference.  

I am skeptical about improvements in clarity every time a new IEM comes out. That's why I haven't even bothered with any other IEM since I purchased the 846 over two years ago. There's only a few BA manufacturers and I don't believe they are making better sounding BAs every 6 months (like better smartphones). I almost tried some of JH's Siren models for the crossover improvement claims, but in my final assessment, it just wasn't compelling enough even to try (on a 30 day no risk).

The KSE1500 seems different to me. The electrostatic tech claims sound compelling. Electrostatic headphones (like the Stax) are widely praised for micro-detail retrieval and speed. There is reason to think that this may actually be an audible improvement over yet another overhyped BA earphone with 12 or 20 drivers.

 

[ubs28]

I am skeptical about improvements in clarity every time a new IEM comes out. That's why I haven't even bothered with any other IEM since I purchased the 846 over two years ago. There's only a few BA manufacturers and I don't believe they are making better sounding BAs every 6 months (like better smartphones). I almost tried some of JH's Siren models for the crossover improvement claims, but in my final assessment, it just wasn't compelling enough even to try (on a 30 day no risk).

The KSE1500 seems different to me. The electrostatic tech claims sound compelling. Electrostatic headphones (like the Stax) are widely praised for micro-detail retrieval and speed. There is reason to think that this may actually be an audible improvement over yet another overhyped BA earphone with 12 or 20 drivers.

And no loss of sound quality due to no crossovers also.

 

[speedracer1]

The 37dB of isolation seems to be interpreted as a new claim from Shure.  The SE846's are listed as the same isolation.  I don't believe I obtain anything close, but that's what they claim. 

Yes I agree maybe with custom sleeves you will get closer. The black olives supplied by Shure are really good and very comfortable and much better than a anything else on the market but 37db is a marketing bull
sincerely
speed

 

[Yubacore]

 

What's the general view on the best DAC for the Adel A12??

 

Spoiler: Off topic, sorry :-)

New impressions in the Mojo thread seems to suggest they are good friends (albeit review is not from someone experienced with high-end gear). http://www.head-fi.org/t/784602/chord-mojo-the-official-thread-read-the-first-post-for-updated-info/6195#post_12131804

 

[goodvibes]

As I mentioned earlier, that spec is frequency dependant it reaches 37db at 1000hz where the spec is taken, gets better above and worse below. This is an independent measurement of the se846 from innerfidelity. Notice where it passes 1Khz. If olives, it's spot on, if not it will actually get better with them. My guess is that it's not and the tips used are flexing a bit, allowing the entire phone to very slightly react at 200hz relative to other frequencies. Just a guess.

 

[harmonix]

  That's tough man.  It's hard to quantify audible (audio) improvements.  That kind of improvement doesn't exist for audio and can't be realized by the customer.  It's like saying we're now sending audio signals over 30khz into your ear!  Not only might it be impossible for human ears to hear, it might also be detrimental for IEM performance/preference.  At the same time, 4k looks amazing up close.  But in a living room setting, most eyes are not good enough to really see a difference.  

4k does and doesn't - you ever notice the color looks often over saturated, "cartoonish" where the subtle shades are not there - well digital....
I remember an article somewhere stating that the DAC on current panels have no where near the bit width to fully display the true color gamut... sounds familiar ehh?

 

[goodvibes]

Your ears are more sensitive and lack the lag or memory that your eyes have. Consider that light bulb over your head is flashing at 60hz. More sensitive is probably the wrong phrase as the eye noise floor is very low but at least they are different enough mechanisms. Some correlations are not going to to be practical. Ears work over more octaves, not sure about dynamic range or contrast capabilities.

 

[miceblue]

The SR-207 was a disappointment!
Almost "screechy" and "cheap" sounding!
Bass was clearly lacking, treble was shrilly.

As someone who owns the SRS-2170, and has had the SR-207 measured on Innerfidelity, I strongly disagree with these impressions, but your mileage may vary I suppose.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/StaxSR207SB2217.pdf

It has among some of the cleanest bass I've heard in a headphone, as clearly evident by the 30 Hz square wave there and exceptionally low bass distortion.

The treble does have a spike at 9-10 kHz, but it retains the etherreal electrostatic feeling overall and doesn't sound piercing compared to dynamic or planars with a similar spike. Actually the SR-207 follows the Harman target headphone response quite well overall.

 

[analogsurviver]

As someone who owns the SRS-2170, and has had the SR-207 measured on Innerfidelity, I strongly disagree with these impressions, but your mileage may vary I suppose.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/StaxSR207SB2217.pdf

It has among some of the cleanest bass I've heard in a headphone, as clearly evident by the 30 Hz square wave there and exceptionally low bass distortion.

The treble does have a spike at 9-10 kHz, but it retains the etherreal electrostatic feeling overall and doesn't sound piercing compared to dynamic or planars with a similar spike. Actually the SR-207 follows the Harman target headphone response quite well overall.

Oh, well... - you should connect the SR-207 to some serious amp. What you say/claim is true - but it can not play nearly as well as it is capable from an underpowered amp...

 

[miceblue]

I've heard it on the Blue Hawaii, and I wasn't too big of a fan of it sound honestly. It paired much better with the SR-009 of course though.


The SRM-006t is a nice pairing for Lambdas in general from my experience (SR-207, SR-202, SR-404, Lambda, Lambda Signature) since it adds some warmth to them.

 

[analogsurviver]

I've heard it on the Blue Hawaii, and I wasn't too big of a fan of it sound honestly. It paired much better with the SR-009 of course though.


The SRM-006t is a nice pairing for Lambdas in general from my experience (SR-207, SR-202, SR-404, Lambda, Lambda Signature) since it adds some warmth to them.

I agree Lambdas in general tend to be a bit cold and that SRM-006t can bring some warmth.

 

[musicday]

Should be out in UK in January and we can see if this is the best earphone ever made.

 

[speedracer1]

  As I mentioned earlier, that spec is frequency dependant it reaches 37db at 1000hz where the spec is taken, gets better above and worse below. This is an independent measurement of the se846 from innerfidelity. Notice where it passes 1Khz. If olives, it's spot on, if not it will actually get better with them. My guess is that it's not and the tips used are flexing a bit, allowing the entire phone to very slightly react at 200hz relative to other frequencies. Just a guess.

Hi goodvibes,
 
Thank you for providing the chart.  I'm going to retract my statement above about "marketing bull". I guess it's a fact @ 1kHz that you can reach 37Db of isolation. I just honestly don't fully understand your comment:
 
" My guess is that it's not and the tips used are flexing a bit, allowing the entire phone to very slightly react at 200hz relative to other frequencies"
 
Do you mean that somehow the physical shell of the SE-846 (BTW a really wonderful IEM) is interacting or somehow canceling ambient external noise and that's maybe how Shure achieves these amazing specs?
 
Sincerely,
Your friend in audio,
-Speed
-speed