[HiFiChris]

The se846s seemingly unpredictable impedance response always bugged me. I found the sound seemed to change a lot depending on what i had it plugged into and i constantly had to change around filters and tips to get it to sound how i liked. It seems to be a common problem with multi ba iems imo.

yep, that's because of the uneven impedance response which is mainly caused by the crossover and different impedance of each driver.

 

[Whazzzup]

Im back to basic blues and love em with hugo and dhc fusion cable. Just about perfect.
 

 

[animan]

Update... Was trying out various things and decided to turn the volume up on my ZX2 a couple of notches. The previously muddy sound suddenly just opened up across the whole spectrum and I started to hear more detail. Even the soundstage just opened up. Bass sounds quite good with a lot of punch, the high-end also improved.
 
I guess these phones need a little more juice to get it vibrating on all cylinders. Quite impressed with the soundstage now, lay in bed listening to the Chesky Binaural album until the wee hours of the morning, quite pleased.
 
Gonna give it some more burn in time.
Thanks to all the folks that jumped in to help!

 

[JaZZ]

  I just took a look at the SE846's impedance response again (now that I am on my desktop PC and not on my tablet PC which is also the reason why is made a typo when I wanted to write "with" and "dimensioned") - there will be a high frequency increase, as I said, but it will be at about 20 kHz -> inaudible.
In fact I was right that the SE846 will have more highs beeing connected to a high impedance source and one will be able to measure it, but you'll not be able to hear it. 

 
As I said, the ammount of which areas of the frequency response will be altered by which amount depends on the source's output impedance and the iems' impedance response.

 
Chris is absolutely right.
 

 
A serial resistance (the output impedance of the amp used) will inevitably modify the SE846's amplitude response according to above curve – the higher, the more of it.
 

  On my Pono, which is NOT a low-impedance DAP, my 846s sound great except for the highs (an area  I love).  I love the richness in the bass and mids, but I was having to reach to hear the highs, even in balanced mode.  And the tickety-tack noises?  Nope.   The white filters were the best at bringing them out, but even then it wasn't doing it fully for me.  So I went bareback with these suckers, no filters at all, and now I have upper end.  Not quite as much as the Fidues, and certainly not as much as the Altones, but neither of those gave me the mids and bottom I get with the 846.  So far I really like this sound, I have good bass and mids, although the mids are not quite as syrupy as with the blue-modded filter.  There will always be tradeoffs.  
 
So if there is a treble spike due to impedance, it must be above my threshold of hearing.

 
Yes, the treble spike is – partly – above your hearing threshold. The Pono's 5 ohm will make you slightly benefit from it, though. I'm glad that you now like the filterless operation, which I still have to try (maybe tonight). BTW, I know a trick which would allow you to raise the upper treble even more, but I don't reveal it to you.

 

 

[Jazzi]

  Update... Was trying out various things and decided to turn the volume up on my ZX2 a couple of notches. The previously muddy sound suddenly just opened up across the whole spectrum and I started to hear more detail. Even the soundstage just opened up. Bass sounds quite good with a lot of punch, the high-end also improved.
 
I guess these phones need a little more juice to get it vibrating on all cylinders. Quite impressed with the soundstage now, lay in bed listening to the Chesky Binaural album until the wee hours of the morning, quite pleased.
 
Gonna give it some more burn in time.
Thanks to all the folks that jumped in to help!

We knew you'd eventually come around. 

 

[olddude]

 
 
BTW, I know a trick which would allow you to raise the upper treble even more, but I don't reveal it to you.

 

No eq on the Pono and I'm not going to mess with 300 or so albums to manually change their eq.  

 

 

[JaZZ]

  No eq on the Pono and I'm not going to mess with 300 or so albums to manually change their eq.  

 

 
I wasn't thinking of albums, just the SE 846. However, you definitely have the right player.

 

[cvbcbcmv]

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[olddude]

A- The red means right.
 
B- Don't over-tighten.  Make sure the filter is properly seated.  Make sure the red mark on the tube lines up as it is supposed to when you tighten it down.  Read the directions re doing this.  

 

[cvbcbcmv]

deleted

 

[Jazzi]

 
 The memory wire was just really causing me some issues maneuvering these around. I'm sure they will get a lot easier to fit in once I got the sensaphonics and eventually a new cable. 
 
 

If you're feeling up to it, Moedawg's instructions for removing the memory wire could be just what you need:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/723306/review-sensaphonics-custom-sleeves-in-crystal-blue-for-the-shure-se846#post_10637587

 

[Sound Eq]

did anyone try to do DIY custom ear sleeves, its pretty easy and cheap but I wanna see if anyone tried such thing before
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb7bTe5XZPs

 

[zephex]

Could anyone compare the SE846 to the IE800? Keen on getting either one...

 

[AndrewH13]

Could anyone compare the SE846 to the IE800? Keen on getting either one...

I couldn't decide. Auditioned both, still undecided. Plumped for 846 eventually. Then three months later bought ie800 to join it. Went to UK Head-fi meet yesterday and with no intention of doing so, bought the Chord Hugo and both IEMs have gone up several notches over using an isolated DAP, x5 or dx90. Which really surprised me as I never realised there was so more to be had from them, so great scalability.

Ie800 lightweight, comfortable, cable too short, have to wear upwards. 846 larger, worn round ears, changeable with filters. Also good range of tips and sleeves.

Bass great with either. Perfect midrange with Shures. Sennheisers extended treble although modded blue or white filters bridge the gap.

Really couldn't decide which to give up if I had to. Only thing I'm certain of, the addition of a Hugo much larger change than the difference between these two. Enjoy whichever you buy!

 

[Caruryn]

  Could anyone compare the SE846 to the IE800? Keen on getting either one...

Go to post #9677.Based on my own experience with both Dragonsan's comparison is the most accurate yet.