[olddude]

Someone suggested using baby oil on the Complys (I'm sure the olives would enjoy that as well) to create a better seal and, amusingly, it did.  I've been babying up my 846s for about three weeks, and the seal is very good.
 
Now that I have the Sensaphonic sleeves, it was recommended that I use hearing aid oil on them.  Found a bottle on Amazon and have used it with the sleeves (it was also suggested that a more... personal... lube be used, but I passed on that one).  Dry, the sleeves work great.  The oil is, I believe, to help with smooth insertion into the ear canals.  The seal is fantastic, much better than the olives or the Comply Pros.  It's not quite as all-encompassing as when they fill up your ears with goo to make impressions (total silence) but it's close.  Really the best of both worlds (iem/ciem).
 
So I've gone from baby oil to hearing aid oil.  Sort of like New Year's Eve but in reverse (baby to geezer instead of geezer to baby).  
 
I got my 846s on Massdrop as well.  I think it was the same price you just paid.  After buying the impressions and the sleeves, the cost is just about the list price of the 846 alone.  With the Silver Dragon balanced cable and the Pono it's a whole other world, sound-wise.  

 

[cvbcbcmv]

deleted

 

[Chodi]

  Someone suggested using baby oil on the Complys (I'm sure the olives would enjoy that as well) to create a better seal and, amusingly, it did.  I've been babying up my 846s for about three weeks, and the seal is very good.
 
Now that I have the Sensaphonic sleeves, it was recommended that I use hearing aid oil on them.  Found a bottle on Amazon and have used it with the sleeves (it was also suggested that a more... personal... lube be used, but I passed on that one).  Dry, the sleeves work great.  The oil is, I believe, to help with smooth insertion into the ear canals.  The seal is fantastic, much better than the olives or the Comply Pros.  It's not quite as all-encompassing as when they fill up your ears with goo to make impressions (total silence) but it's close.  Really the best of both worlds (iem/ciem).
 
So I've gone from baby oil to hearing aid oil.  Sort of like New Year's Eve but in reverse (baby to geezer instead of geezer to baby).  
 
I got my 846s on Massdrop as well.  I think it was the same price you just paid.  After buying the impressions and the sleeves, the cost is just about the list price of the 846 alone.  With the Silver Dragon balanced cable and the Pono it's a whole other world, sound-wise.  

I was the one who suggested the baby oil. I use it on all my iems. I was interested in your comments about the Sensaphonics. My concern is that they feel like you have stuffed a bunch of cotton in your ears. I cannot wear double flange tips for the same reason. I don't like anything going that far into my ear canal. 
 
Funny story. I ordered about every tip you can imagine over time since I own several iem's and I was always looking for the most comfort with the best fit. I can't use the memory foam stuff as it starts to cause my ear to burn after a few minutes. So....I made a mistake on an order through Ebay and pressed the buy button on the wrong tips. Turned out it was some unique made in China copy of Ortofon tips. When I went back to look after I ordered I saw that they said that these were not the same as Ortofon but like Ortofon with their own material. They were very cheap for a bag of six. Got them in and almost threw them out without even giving them a look. Finally tried them. They are absolutely perfect for two of my iems and fit me like a glove. I cannot even feel them in my ears. They seal like a trap door. Call it fate or dumb luck but they aren't going anywhere. Sometimes fate deals a strange hand. Cost about $6 for six. 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291322887633?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=590447489426&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
The material is so soft I can't even feel them but for me they seal perfectly and sound great.

 

[JaZZ]

  A 10 band eq supplied with some portable daps may get you to where you want to go but it is a very basic eq. It is all down to personal preference. No reason to argue about it. If a 10 band eq gets you the sound you want then go for it.

 
A while back I have mentioned that it is limited – I certainly would prefer a parametric equalizer and have stated my corresponding wish in FiiO's firmware thread. But it's not true that it's «very basic». In fact it's quite good, has 0.2 dB steps and bandwidths corresponding to the octave steps of the 10 bands, which is ideal in my book. In any event it is much better than no EQ if you're a perfectionist and want your headphones to sound as flat as it gets. Note: None of the available headphones has a flat amplitude response, not even close. So what is it that speaks against caring for that? I don't preach that everybody has to use EQs, but if people try to present their EQ abstinence as a more mature approach, I will respond. Or if Head-Fiers are complaining about the rolled-off treble, but are not allowed to compensate for that for maximum enjoyment.

 
Moreover, the SE846 is a portable earphone for on the go in the first place. So who wants to carry studio equipment around for that purpose?

 

[JaZZ]

  Never heard that  before.  Usually people try to get me to crawl back inside my shell.

 
As you certainly may have realized, my statement was related to the actual topic – where you consequently refuse to leave it. But let's leave it at that if you feel better this way!

 

[amf123]

Does anyone know of any frequency response charts of the 846 with no filters inserted at all.  Was just curious what this would do.

 

[Whazzzup]

Cvb..., I can't comment on all cables, just the ones I have heard. There is debate as to the sonic reality to cable upgrades in general. Maybe there is a sub 150 cable out there, but chances are high end cans, iem, have sufficient cable to enjoy in the first place. My opinion, and yes I have heard improvement, is a cable should provide comfort, technical properties that effect resistance conductivity etc that are superior to the stock provided or why bother. Again just one guys opinion.

 

[olddude]

The Sensaphonics don't sound/feel like cotton in my ears.  So far they are very comfortable, certainly better (to me) than the olives and Complys.  I don't have the feeling of them sticking way in, which I did with the long Comply Pro tips.  The nice thing is that they stay in your ears.
 
As far as cable, since I walk while listening the big issue for me is microphonics.  I need a cable that is quiet.  The stock 846 is very quiet when I use it, except that it rubs a bit on my glasses if I don't arrange it correctly.  My Moon cable has a bit of the same, but, again, if I arrange it there's no sound from my glasses.  It sounds much better than the stock cable, but it's balanced as well as silver so it's hard to pin down what is creating the quality difference.  My Ted's, unfortunately, was very microphonic, I had to wear it inside my shirt and clip and slide it to me to avoid a lot of noise.  It sounded great other than that.  

 

[Whazzzup]

My dhc is like wearing butter

 

[fzr100098]

  I was interested in your comments about the Sensaphonics. My concern is that they feel like you have stuffed a bunch of cotton in your ears.

 
I don't see that at all, they are very comfortable and not bothersome in any way.  When I had the foamies I was constantly adjusting the fit because they aren't secure, those days are gone

 

[MarcusL]

Hello SE846 camp!

My pair hasn't been shipped by Massdrop yet but I'm so stoked (thanks to the polarizing energy of this thread) that I already contacted Ted Allen and paid for his Reference Silver Litz and also had Amazon ship some Westone star tips. Even my amp, the Centrance Skÿn is still in the assembly phase.

Now the wait. And yes, my wallet Is whimpering in the corner.

 

[325xia]

The Sensaphonics don't sound/feel like cotton in my ears.  So far they are very comfortable, certainly better (to me) than the olives and Complys.  I don't have the feeling of them sticking way in, which I did with the long Comply Pro tips.  The nice thing is that they stay in your ears.

As far as cable, since I walk while listening the big issue for me is microphonics.  I need a cable that is quiet.  The stock 846 is very quiet when I use it, except that it rubs a bit on my glasses if I don't arrange it correctly.  My Moon cable has a bit of the same, but, again, if I arrange it there's no sound from my glasses.  It sounds much better than the stock cable, but it's balanced as well as silver so it's hard to pin down what is creating the quality difference.  My Ted's, unfortunately, was very microphonic, I had to wear it inside my shirt and clip and slide it to me to avoid a lot of noise.  It sounded great other than that.  

I find the stock cable is great. Both for lack of microphonics and for sound quality. I can't justify spending money on third party cables. I really am enjoying the 846.s.

 

[Whazzzup]

The Sensaphonics don't sound/feel like cotton in my ears.  So far they are very comfortable, certainly better (to me) than the olives and Complys.  I don't have the feeling of them sticking way in, which I did with the long Comply Pro tips.  The nice thing is that they stay in your ears.

As far as cable, since I walk while listening the big issue for me is microphonics.  I need a cable that is quiet.  The stock 846 is very quiet when I use it, except that it rubs a bit on my glasses if I don't arrange it correctly.  My Moon cable has a bit of the same, but, again, if I arrange it there's no sound from my glasses.  It sounds much better than the stock cable, but it's balanced as well as silver so it's hard to pin down what is creating the quality difference.  My Ted's, unfortunately, was very microphonic, I had to wear it inside my shirt and clip and slide it to me to avoid a lot of noise.  It sounded great other than that.  

I find the stock cable is great. Both for lack of microphonics and for sound quality. I can't justify spending money on third party cables. I really am enjoying the 846.s.

Of course who would want to spend that extra money, the stock cable is certainly the path of least financial resistance. However my dhc is way more flexible and easier to handle and the sonic improvement is noticeable. But not trying to convince just putting it out there.

 

[jayaudio116]

@olddude hows the sound with the custom sleeves, would you say its more consistent? is there any sound improvement beside clarity. i was waiting on what you thought before purchasing and im glade that you mention they did not feel like the tripel flang tips, that was one of my biggest concern. the other would be how they sound but if they can give at the very least the same sound but more consistent that will be good enough for me to pull the ttrigger

 

[olddude]

They sound great.  Look at the Sensaphonic thread on Head-Fi to get more info.  
 
I've gone to the white filters as I'm getting plenty of bass using these.