[schtinkmeaner]

   
Are those in reverse order? Do you have a pic of the finished product?

the second last pic man is finished.. clik on it   See also how the cable hangs freely behind ear . They are in complete forward order, cept for first pic doesnt show the second layer because i forgot . the second layer is that 1cm long peice of thikness where the wire ends ,  its just some unnesesary reinforcement to stop wire poking through any way the first layer should be able to be pulled over it >1 snip plastic long enough to be able to pull to length required 2 then go back and snip of the second layer underneath 3 Pliers to cut the wire 4  be patient or u will stab yourself i did this for both cables and the cable is 100% unstabbed but my fingers have a couple of small holes in them

 

[Black Label]

Ah hah. I'm not game enough to do likewise; the cable beyond seems to soft to withstand the sweat, wear & tear of residing in that murky, dark place that lies between the ears and the side of the head.

 

[schtinkmeaner]

Ah hah. I'm not game enough to do likewise; the cable beyond seems to soft to withstand the sweat, wear & tear of residing in that murky, dark place that lies between the ears and the side of the head.

Thats fair enough sweaty blind people are not to b trusted with scissors anyways ,,wheres my 50 bucks ? lol

 

[Black Label]

The 1950s are in that room over there lol.

I am looking forward to having a shorter, customisable cable. It's been quite the opposite experience to the IE800s in that I occasionally snag my hand while walking. One of these days I am going to lose it altogether while speed walking up / down the steep ramps at Melbourne's inner city railway stations!

 

[headwilier]

First test of SE846 with ibasso DX90. As a step up from using an iPhone 5, I was taken aback by the clarity of the sound! It was breathtaking. Not sure why the headphone jack 3.5mm is on the bottom though.

Then tried the AK120 with SE846 at three times the price of DX90 and was surprised by the clunky and ugly touch interface. The sound signature also sounded slightly colored and artificial compared to the DX90.

I'm new to this DAP world but was pretty impressed by the purity and smoothness of the sounds... I feel a headfi inspired addiction developing....

 

[vkalia]

Then tried the AK120 with SE846 at three times the price of DX90 and was surprised by the clunky and ugly touch interface. The sound signature also sounded slightly colored and artificial compared to the DX90.

 
It is pretty much the same interface.   Except that the AK players are able to read ID3 tags without any issues.   

 

[headwilier]

The AK120 interface just seemed less smooth and the typeface etc was smaller and uglier in general. I guess that I was a bit disappointed by the lack of polish on the software side... For the premium price I just expected a bit more...

Just my personal taste I guess

 

[Black Label]

First test of SE846 with ibasso DX90. As a step up from using an iPhone 5, I was taken aback by the clarity of the sound! It was breathtaking. Not sure why the headphone jack 3.5mm is on the bottom though.

Then tried the AK120 with SE846 at three times the price of DX90 and was surprised by the clunky and ugly touch interface. The sound signature also sounded slightly colored and artificial compared to the DX90.

I'm new to this DAP world but was pretty impressed by the purity and smoothness of the sounds... I feel a headfi inspired addiction developing....

May I ask which filters you use in conjunction with the DX90?

I thought the AK to have a warm overall presentation, almost caramelly (which I suppose is an abjective that infers colouration...), but did not at the time perceive it to be "coloured". A second trial and opinion may be the order of the day for tomorrow

Your assessment now, for mine, hones the DX90 right back into focus.

 

[schtinkmeaner]

rock boxed 50 is wayyyy beter than stok 90 bro.  bit of a learning curve but very intuitive now so many custom options , but wen u get it the way u want it its nothing but awsome   + its cheap so you can buy an amp aswell - if u want to try get more but i really cant see how .. the signal is ultra clean and uncolored still there is the issue of hiss might be worth an extra 200 too get rid of it but.. even bass and treble adjustments work very nicley im not sure how they work other than majic , the 90 is just a 50 without hiss and slightly different sound  . the one i tested was goin on for about a weeks usage . rockbox is def the way to go - still has a couple of minor bugs that they working on tho , battery meter and power button somtimes takes a few goes to get the screen bak on and no baklight off have to wait -

 

[headwilier]

I was using neutral stock filter (blue I think) with the dx90. Was mesmerized. Great price point on dx90.

 

[headwilier]

What does rock boxed mean? A separate amp with the dx50 or a mod? I wanted to avoid too many devices...

 

[schtinkmeaner]

its a aftermarket firmware that gratly improves on dx50 sound features and interface not available on the 90 yet but keep a look out for it

 

[Black Label]

I have kind of reached a critical juncture here... When listening to metal at a good, loud - but not too loud - volume, I find the 846s become a touch overpowering.

Fatiguing? Yes. Hot? Yes.

At least until I change my source, I may need to change filters to cool the jets e a wee bit. Too much of a good thing, and let's face it - metal cannot be enjoyed at the "fine wine" volumes suited to other genres. It loses its involving impact otherwise. Of course a conundrum ensues, for I loathe the thought of having to switch between filters on a daily basis. I do need a well rounded fix-all solution that will once again satisfy my (rather sensitive) ears.

Perhaps I will find myself eating my words (pass the hot English mustard and sourkraut please)... The black, modded filter could be the answer after all.

Rockbox has been around for years. It has always tickled my fancy because of its customisable font size and EQ settings (for older iPod models). In terms of filtration, iBasso, as far as I know, have always produced amps with brighter sound, hence the blue filter would probably prove ideal.

 

[schtinkmeaner]

rock box is natural yeh man too me the whites out of stok dx50 had no bass and sounded harsh not as good as sm64 so used black just so had nice bass atleast, but they still did not have that high end quality that i expected , now with my modded micheal jackson filters and rockbox they are atleast 50 percent beter than equalling to infinatly beter than , sm64  i cant take them out of my ears its like stikin my head in a bucket of music .. I actually emailed earsonics to see what i could do about the repair on broken nozzle because i was not satisfied with 846 they said they would fix for free so will probably sell sm64 they are a great phone

 

[Black Label]

Keep your Earsonics as back up bro. If you go out for drinks, leave the Shures at home. Remember your blind brother isn't home in Perth to help you (successfully) locate them in the park!

The Shures are definitely source dependent, and dependent on individual tastes and sensitivities as well. This is why all interest in any A&K product is now fully extinguished. Each of their models is treated like luxury cars but more pertinently, I am now fed up with hearing all this talk of each model, each firmware upgrade having its own unique sonic presentation.
When you find a good curry place, you stick to it. They get the spices just right. Well I'm not sure where I am headed with this. It is late, I am still literally full of cold and my pillow beckons but the point I am trying to make here is that I am not at all convinced with the A&K brand.

Maybe my tune will change tomorrow, but for now all I know is that I do not wish to move too far away from the sound of the iPhone 5. The end goal being bringing out the best in it while providing an equally visceral but somewhat less fatiguing presentation of metal.