[spook76]

I agree with all of the above posts. Since switching to Spinfit tips I no longer even use EQ to boost the low end. There's no need. I find the bass from my KSE1500 (fed from my QP1R) to be directly comparable to that from my SE846 with modded blue filters.

P.S. Props to spook on his excellent choice of source material! Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree sound awesome on the KSE1500. I would add Chris Squire (Yes) and Steve Babb (Glass Hammer) as some more excellent low-frequency listening

Oh my does Chris Squire shine on the Steven Wilson remixes (in glorious 96/24) of the classic Yes albums ('The Yes Album', 'Fragile', 'Close to the Edge' and 'Relayer') and the drumming of Bill Bruford on the first three albums to accompany Squire's bass is magical on the KSE1500.

 

[AnakChan]

I am not enjoying my kse1500 as much as I like to, not that it sounds bad, by far it is far from it. I had a chance a while back to pair the kse1500 with a number of high end dac, pricing easily twice of what kse cost and ever since I just cannot enjoy the kse for what it has to offer as I know what it can get better, quiet better. It is not really a problem of the product my more so a problem of my audio-psyche, if i can call it that. 

So the issue is the DAC? I think I've already forgotten the KSE1500 has a DAC as I use my AK380's DAC instead.

 

[spook76]

[deleted] Move on, nothing to see here

 

[y2jdmbfan]

So I've got the SE846's and I just got some custom JH Audio Angie's a couple of weeks ago. I haven't gotten on well with the custom Angie, they almost have a muffled sound to them, I'm not too good at describing sound in detail yet, but there is a lack of upper treble clarity in the Angie. This will probably be the last time I buy customs, as I am going to probably have a hard time finding someone to sell them to, because they will have to be re-shelled.

I was at the airport last week and they had the KSE1500's for demo. I was blown away by the clarity and the highs/trebles. It's like a veil had been lifted vs. my Angie's. I didn't get to compare against the 846's but was impressed by the 1500's, but not for $3000. If I could find a used pair at a decent price I might pounce.

I just wonder if there is enough difference between the 846 and 1500 to justify the price difference and if having to have the extra amp/dac at all times is worth it, as they will mostly be used when traveling.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[spook76]

So I've got the SE846's and I just got some custom JH Audio Angie's a couple of weeks ago. I haven't gotten on well with the custom Angie, they almost have a muffled sound to them, I'm not too good at describing sound in detail yet, but there is a lack of upper treble clarity in the Angie. This will probably be the last time I buy customs, as I am going to probably have a hard time finding someone to sell them to, because they will have to be re-shelled.

I was at the airport last week and they had the KSE1500's for demo. I was blown away by the clarity and the highs/trebles. It's like a veil had been lifted vs. my Angie's. I didn't get to compare against the 846's but was impressed by the 1500's, but not for $3000. If I could find a used pair at a decent price I might pounce.

I just wonder if there is enough difference between the 846 and 1500 to justify the price difference and if having to have the extra amp/dac at all times is worth it, as they will mostly be used when traveling.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Is the KSE1500 better than the SE846, absolutely yes. Is it three times better, of course not but the law of diminishing returns would tell you that fact. However it depends are what you are looking for in an IEM if the price is justified. The KSE is an end game portable listening earphones at least to me and presents the music in a way that is unique in a portable set up therefore I am entirely satisfied in both the performance and the price.

 

[dc-k]

Still waiting for a UK release date. End of April is the last I heard.

 

[35FLE]

So I've got the SE846's and I just got some custom JH Audio Angie's a couple of weeks ago. I haven't gotten on well with the custom Angie, they almost have a muffled sound to them, I'm not too good at describing sound in detail yet, but there is a lack of upper treble clarity in the Angie. This will probably be the last time I buy customs, as I am going to probably have a hard time finding someone to sell them to, because they will have to be re-shelled.

I was at the airport last week and they had the KSE1500's for demo. I was blown away by the clarity and the highs/trebles. It's like a veil had been lifted vs. my Angie's. I didn't get to compare against the 846's but was impressed by the 1500's, but not for $3000. If I could find a used pair at a decent price I might pounce.

I just wonder if there is enough difference between the 846 and 1500 to justify the price difference and if having to have the extra amp/dac at all times is worth it, as they will mostly be used when traveling.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Is the KSE1500 better than the SE846, absolutely yes. Is it three times better, of course not but the law of diminishing returns would tell you that fact. However it depends are what you are looking for in an IEM if the price is justified. The KSE is an end game portable listening earphones at least to me and presents the music in a way that is unique in a portable set up therefore I am entirely satisfied in both the performance and the price.

 
Another thing to take note about the kse1500 is the precise timing and response of the audio signals. When compared back to my se846 and K10 you notice a slight delay between frequencies because will the drivers are trying to work together. 

 

[spook76]

Another thing to take note about the kse1500 is the precise timing and response of the audio signals. When compared back to my se846 and K10 you notice a slight delay between frequencies because will the drivers are trying to work together. 

Excellent point. When I listen to my SE846 it is now readily apparent the coherency a lightning fast single driver like the KSE1500 brings to the presentation. This is not a criticism of the superb SE846 but a limitation of any multidriver set up. A single dynamic or planar magnetic driver suffers from inherent resonances, lack of linearity of the driver and acoustic energy storage to name three problems that the designers electrodynamic drivers have to take into consideration absent from electrostats.

 

[raypin]

mmm......I've observed that the KSE is tip-dependent, meaning SQ is dependent on how well the tips works for you. Maybe not as fussy as the universal Layla but it still has that problem, aggravated by the fact that the KSE cable is on the heavy side. Move around a bit and the tip easily loses seal. It has to be customized shell from Snugs or Sensa.

 

[y2jdmbfan]

[/quote]
Is the KSE1500 better than the SE846, absolutely yes. Is it three times better, of course not but the law of diminishing returns would tell you that fact. However it depends are what you are looking for in an IEM if the price is justified. The KSE is an end game portable listening earphones at least to me and presents the music in a way that is unique in a portable set up therefore I am entirely satisfied in both the performance and the price.[/quote]

So if I can get a used unit for around $2000, do you guys think it is reasonable that I should be able to get most of my money back if I decide to list them here on Head-Fi if I do purchase them and decide they aren't for me? These were purchased in January and still under US warranty.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[35FLE]

Is the KSE1500 better than the SE846, absolutely yes. Is it three times better, of course not but the law of diminishing returns would tell you that fact. However it depends are what you are looking for in an IEM if the price is justified. The KSE is an end game portable listening earphones at least to me and presents the music in a way that is unique in a portable set up therefore I am entirely satisfied in both the performance and the price.[/quote]

So if I can get a used unit for around $2000, do you guys think it is reasonable that I should be able to get most of my money back if I decide to list them here on Head-Fi if I do purchase them and decide they aren't for me? These were purchased in January and still under US warranty.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk[/quote]

 
I think once you experience the sound quality of the kse1500 I doubt you would want to sell it, that is certainly for me.

 

[audionewbi]

So the issue is the DAC? I think I've already forgotten the KSE1500 has a DAC as I use my AK380's DAC instead.

Maybe I was to excited when I was auditioning those dac but to me kse has the ability to offer alot more than the current portable source has to offer.

I currently like to double amp it with 627x, to my surprise it pairs nicely with kse.

 

[AbdullaSaleh]

I demo the unite but in noisy place it seal very good but couldn't compare them to any of my ciem roxxanne or heir 10 .
if it's an upgrade over both then I'll order one .
 anyone compare them to ciem like Spiral Ear SE5-way Ul. and He1000 ?

 

[y2jdmbfan]

Is around $2100 for a supposed lightly used pair with the original box and accessories aside from some of the used tips? Just trying to make sure I don't get stuck losing money if I decide they aren't for me. Thanks!

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[M Coupe]

I am not sure if the warranty is transferrable. You may want to double check that. If it is transferrable, you have very little to lose. If the unit does not carry the warranty, it would have to be more than 1/2 off for me to consider it. With the added complexity of having a dedicated DAC/AMP and nonreplaceable cables, I think the warranty is a necessity.