[NaiveSound]

Today I had 1 hour to listen to lcd x and hd800s.

Both are great st headphones,.
I used them from my chord mojo. It was capable of powering them just fine, I'm sure there are plenty better pairings, but it was fine

LCD X

nice solid build, screams quality, and it better at that price. Heavy... Can't look down, you better not dance.

Bass was great, (compared to jh 16, or se846 it was lacking detail)
Mids were good highs were fine.

Non engaging tone, couldn't exite me really. Comfort was good if stayed still and looked forward. Not really eslly impressed, just not at that price.

Coming from se846 (which I'm thinking I'll have to get again the r bass, the detail, the clarity the resolution and fun just is better then these full sized hps)



Hd800.

Nice imaginng , surprised me way more then this Soundstage I keep hearing about. Imaging was orgasmic. Clarity was also present even tho I feel se846 was far better in clarity and bass of course. Bass wasn't horrible, but slam was lacked. The highs were amazing, mild sharpness on certain recordings but that's understandable due to the details this thing can come up with.

Each good headphone, but leavese wishing for se846.


Both models dominated he 400i but that's not a fair comparison








Looks like I'll have to get some se846... They spoiled me

 

[kyle1010]

Today I had 1 hour to listen to lcd x and hd800s.

Both are great st headphones,.
I used them from my chord mojo. It was capable of powering them just fine, I'm sure there are plenty better pairings, but it was fine

LCD X

nice solid build, screams quality, and it better at that price. Heavy... Can't look down, you better not dance.

Bass was great, (compared to jh 16, or se846 it was lacking detail)
Mids were good highs were fine.

Non engaging tone, couldn't exite me really. Comfort was good if stayed still and looked forward. Not really eslly impressed, just not at that price.

Coming from se846 (which I'm thinking I'll have to get again the r bass, the detail, the clarity the resolution and fun just is better then these full sized hps)



Hd800.

Nice imaginng , surprised me way more then this Soundstage I keep hearing about. Imaging was orgasmic. Clarity was also present even tho I feel se846 was far better in clarity and bass of course. Bass wasn't horrible, but slam was lacked. The highs were amazing, mild sharpness on certain recordings but that's understandable due to the details this thing can come up with.

Each good headphone, but leavese wishing for se846.


Both models dominated he 400i but that's not a fair comparison








Looks like I'll have to get some se846... They spoiled me

Whoa buddy. I have the se846 and to be fair my properly amped LCD-X (WA-22 with nos tubes) blows the doors off my 846s in every aspect you mentioned and it's not even close. The properly amped hd800s I've heard at CanJam do the same. The 846s are absolutely amazing for what they can output from modest sources like a Mojo(which I also own), or a phone. They're definitely my choice when I want some LCD-X style sound on the go, but in no way can those things step in the ring with the heavy hitter beasts like the Xs and 800s with proper amps. Have you heard what those headphones can do with the right gear? It's insane. Engaging and fun is an understatement. Even out of my old WA7 the Xs are miles ahead of the 846s. Listen to those cans again on better gear. The way they scale up in sound quality is not subtle.

 

[tbritton]

While on the subject of properly amping headphones in order to get the most out of them...
 
I already have a nice DAP that plays well with the low, low impedance of the Shure SE846 (9-ohms). But I also use these in the house, and in the studio, reason being the isolation is important during the summer months as air conditioner noise is a constant here. (My over-ear headphones are Ultrasone Proline 750's, but they seem to amplify via cup-resonance the darn air conditioner noise!)
 
I need a decent amp that has like a .5 ohm output impedance (ideally) or lower to drive these Shures. All my "normal" headphone-outs are in the 30-100 ohm bracket and they bloat the bass. This includes the MOTU 828 mk3 hybrid and Ultralite mk3 hybrid studio-grade USB DAC interfaces I have and use daily. (30-ohms at 200mW)
 
So, what are my options? I wouldn't mind a portable solution, but a desktop-style unit would be adequate. I do not want to spend a fortune - I'd like to max-out at $300 or so. Less is better. The primary criteria for me is to have an amp that can drive these 9-ohm IEMs (and it would be nice if they had power to drive the Ultrasone's too, but that is not a primary concern).
 
Any suggestions?
 
Thanks for reading this, folks!
 
Terry

 

[Ray1684]

  While on the subject of properly amping headphones in order to get the most out of them...
 
I already have a nice DAP that plays well with the low, low impedance of the Shure SE846 (9-ohms). But I also use these in the house, and in the studio, reason being the isolation is important during the summer months as air conditioner noise is a constant here. (My over-ear headphones are Ultrasone Proline 750's, but they seem to amplify via cup-resonance the darn air conditioner noise!)
 
I need a decent amp that has like a .5 ohm output impedance (ideally) or lower to drive these Shures. All my "normal" headphone-outs are in the 30-100 ohm bracket and they bloat the bass. This includes the MOTU 828 mk3 hybrid and Ultralite mk3 hybrid studio-grade USB DAC interfaces I have and use daily. (30-ohms at 200mW)
 
So, what are my options? I wouldn't mind a portable solution, but a desktop-style unit would be adequate. I do not want to spend a fortune - I'd like to max-out at $300 or so. Less is better. The primary criteria for me is to have an amp that can drive these 9-ohm IEMs (and it would be nice if they had power to drive the Ultrasone's too, but that is not a primary concern).
 
Any suggestions?
 
Thanks for reading this, folks!
 
Terry

 
Currently using the AudioQuest Dragonfly Red with my SE846 and they are more than sufficient.

 

[miketlse]

  While on the subject of properly amping headphones in order to get the most out of them...
 
I already have a nice DAP that plays well with the low, low impedance of the Shure SE846 (9-ohms). But I also use these in the house, and in the studio, reason being the isolation is important during the summer months as air conditioner noise is a constant here. (My over-ear headphones are Ultrasone Proline 750's, but they seem to amplify via cup-resonance the darn air conditioner noise!)
 
I need a decent amp that has like a .5 ohm output impedance (ideally) or lower to drive these Shures. All my "normal" headphone-outs are in the 30-100 ohm bracket and they bloat the bass. This includes the MOTU 828 mk3 hybrid and Ultralite mk3 hybrid studio-grade USB DAC interfaces I have and use daily. (30-ohms at 200mW)
 
So, what are my options? I wouldn't mind a portable solution, but a desktop-style unit would be adequate. I do not want to spend a fortune - I'd like to max-out at $300 or so. Less is better. The primary criteria for me is to have an amp that can drive these 9-ohm IEMs (and it would be nice if they had power to drive the Ultrasone's too, but that is not a primary concern).
 
Any suggestions?
 
Thanks for reading this, folks!
 
Terry

 
The Mojo is above your budget (new, but maybe there are some ex-demo or open box, being advertised for sale), but it has an output impedance of 0.025 ohms.

 

[NaiveSound]

Whoa buddy. I have the se846 and to be fair my properly amped LCD-X (WA-22 with nos tubes) blows the doors off my 846s in every aspect you mentioned and it's not even close. The properly amped hd800s I've heard at CanJam do the same. The 846s are absolutely amazing for what they can output from modest sources like a Mojo(which I also own), or a phone. They're definitely my choice when I want some LCD-X style sound on the go, but in no way can those things step in the ring with the heavy hitter beasts like the Xs and 800s with proper amps. Have you heard what those headphones can do with the right gear? It's insane. Engaging and fun is an understatement. Even out of my old WA7 the Xs are miles ahead of the 846s. Listen to those cans again on better gear. The way they scale up in sound quality is not subtle.

I understand that with thr hd800, but lcd x was made easy to drive and I fee Mojo made it work out sufficient, it had good slam and great bass, but to me thr clarity and details were not there as they were with se846. I also plugged them into a Marantz HD-DAC1
While that improved some expecially thr hd800. The Lcd x remained relatively thr same. I just don't see it being worth the asking price considering the performance. Se846 just from memory had far better detail and clarity and bass detail

 

[Whazzzup]

Speaking of memory have you not been there and back and all over 846 already. Love hate, owned don't own.

The thing that's relevant is only you know what you like, no one can confirm or deny what you hear. No one can solve your pre and post purchase cognitive dissonance.

The hunt is where the fun is, everything else is the fondant. Enjoy the ride.

 

[NaiveSound]

Speaking of memory have you not been there and back and all over 846 already. Love hate, owned don't own.

The thing that's relevant is only you know what you like, no one can confirm or deny what you hear. No one can solve your pre and post purchase cognitive dissonance.

The hunt is where the fun is, everything else is the fondant. Enjoy the ride.

Your right,
My first entry into hifi was se846. I liked it but I may of expected more. After having it stolen I had went to full sized headphones, I tried some, bought thr 400i. And been trying as many as I could lately. And they seem to none have thr extreme clarity and detail of se846, they do other things better, but just not those 2 things. So now I'm just starting to feel maybe thr se846 is one of thr best things at that price range.
I wish I could try other IEMs, but I simply cannot. It's hard enough to try headphones.

I drove 1.5 hrs yesterday just to try lcd x and hd800

 

[kino lau]

The hunt is where the fun is, everything else is the fondant. Enjoy the ride.

 
Maybe for those that have unlimited finances. This is a pay to play gig, and for those that have extremely limited funds...there are other threads to check out like the VE Monk & Monk Plus  

 
 
(I own two pair of the Monk Plus)

 

[youurayy]

Today I had 1 hour to listen to lcd x and hd800s.

Both are great st headphones,.
I used them from my chord mojo. It was capable of powering them just fine, I'm sure there are plenty better pairings, but it was fine

LCD X

nice solid build, screams quality, and it better at that price. Heavy... Can't look down, you better not dance.

Bass was great, (compared to jh 16, or se846 it was lacking detail)
Mids were good highs were fine.

Non engaging tone, couldn't exite me really. Comfort was good if stayed still and looked forward. Not really eslly impressed, just not at that price.

Coming from se846 (which I'm thinking I'll have to get again the r bass, the detail, the clarity the resolution and fun just is better then these full sized hps)


Hd800.

Nice imaginng , surprised me way more then this Soundstage I keep hearing about. Imaging was orgasmic. Clarity was also present even tho I feel se846 was far better in clarity and bass of course. Bass wasn't horrible, but slam was lacked. The highs were amazing, mild sharpness on certain recordings but that's understandable due to the details this thing can come up with.

Each good headphone, but leavese wishing for se846.

Both models dominated he 400i but that's not a fair comparison

Looks like I'll have to get some se846... They spoiled me

I watched 2 movies yesterday on my HD600, amped through a 2x KT77 tube amp --- then at the end I plugged them directly to the receiver to see the difference -- they literally sounded like a garbage compared to the tubes.
That said, I believe the headphones of the future are many-driver IEMs, will probably have a component of type "driver-array" -- similarly to TV and cameras having "pixels" today. Single driver can never beat multi-driver because it cannot output multiple frequencies at the same time. Just common logic. I haven't tried the Shure's yet but I do believe you they may sound very compelling compared to the big guys.
 

  While on the subject of properly amping headphones in order to get the most out of them...
 
I already have a nice DAP that plays well with the low, low impedance of the Shure SE846 (9-ohms). But I also use these in the house, and in the studio, reason being the isolation is important during the summer months as air conditioner noise is a constant here. (My over-ear headphones are Ultrasone Proline 750's, but they seem to amplify via cup-resonance the darn air conditioner noise!)
 
I need a decent amp that has like a .5 ohm output impedance (ideally) or lower to drive these Shures. All my "normal" headphone-outs are in the 30-100 ohm bracket and they bloat the bass. This includes the MOTU 828 mk3 hybrid and Ultralite mk3 hybrid studio-grade USB DAC interfaces I have and use daily. (30-ohms at 200mW)
 
So, what are my options? I wouldn't mind a portable solution, but a desktop-style unit would be adequate. I do not want to spend a fortune - I'd like to max-out at $300 or so. Less is better. The primary criteria for me is to have an amp that can drive these 9-ohm IEMs (and it would be nice if they had power to drive the Ultrasone's too, but that is not a primary concern).
 
Any suggestions?
 
Thanks for reading this, folks!
 
Terry

http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/micro-idsd/
Sub 1 Ohm, with IEMatch on it's even less.
$200 over your budget, but a true swiss knife, will drive all classic-jack headphones you throw at it. Check their crowd-design thread here on Head-Fi.

 

[tbritton]

   
Currently using the AudioQuest Dragonfly Red with my SE846 and they are more than sufficient.

The AudioQuest site says in their FAQ, "DragonFly is versatile enough to drive virtually any headphone on the market today, from impedances of 10ohm and higher."
 
This being a 9-ohm IEM, is that pushing it? 
 
Nice that the Red seems to push more power and so could be used for the Ultrasone's as well, but would the Black suffice?
 
"While all DragonFly models offer enough output to drive most headphones, DragonFly Black (1.2-volt output) comfortably drives most medium- to moderate-efficiency models and DragonFly Red (2.1-volt output) easily drives even the lowest-efficiency models."
 
Source: http://www.audioquest.com/dragonfly-series-faq/#general
 
 

   
The Mojo is above your budget (new, but maybe there are some ex-demo or open box, being advertised for sale), but it has an output impedance of 0.025 ohms.

I'm tempted, believe me! (So also does that Hugo sorely tempt!)

  http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/micro-idsd/
Sub 1 Ohm, with IEMatch on it's even less.
$200 over your budget, but a true swiss knife, will drive all classic-jack headphones you throw at it. Check their crowd-design thread here on Head-Fi.

I just knew you folks would try to push me over my budget! (Geesh, where am I? Head-fi.org?) (um... yeah... engage wallet protector)
 
[Edit] Would this little guy do?  Nano iDSD says it is less than 1 ohm output impedance. It is much less expensive.
 
I will look at used stuff to see what can be done in that upper realm! Thanks for the suggestions - I'm sure I would be happy with either the Mojo or the Micro-iDSD.
 
Any other suggestions? I just need that low impedance, primarily. Would a Fiio E12 do it? Or one of the Shiits - the Asgard2 or Magni 2 Uber?

 

[kino lau]

 
Any other suggestions? I just need that low impedance, primarily. Would a Fiio E12 do it? Or one of the Shiits - the Asgard2 or Magni 2 Uber?

 
Definitely "try" to stick to a single device to drive. If you can't and you're considering an E12...bypass it and go with an E12A which is geared for IEM's and has bass boost that works the way it should. The downfall...the volume adjustment isn't as fine grained as many would like. Again...try to work around getting into an outboard amp if possible. 

 

[tbritton]

   
Definitely "try" to stick to a single device to drive. If you can't and you're considering an E12...bypass it and go with an E12A which is geared for IEM's and has bass boost that works the way it should. The downfall...the volume adjustment isn't as fine grained as many would like. Again...try to work around getting into an outboard amp if possible. 

Not certain I follow you. I am trying primarily to properly drive my SE846 @ 9-ohms, and none of my headphone-outs have a low-enough impedance, so getting an inexpensive amp IS my workaround!
 
I'm not worried about the Ultrasones - they sound fine out of the MOTU interfaces' headphone outs. Actually, things sound acceptable (though with some bass emphasis) from those MOTU boxes with the SE846's... But the Shozy Alien shows me what a properly matched amp sounds like with these IEMs. So, down the rabbit hole I went!
 
[Edit - just saw why you said to stick with one device - the Fiio 12A does seem to be a very good option!]
 
Terry

 

[Deftone]

Would you recommend the SE846 to someone who already owns HD600 (2nd most popular on the charts section of this site) and doesn't need to be mobile?

I'm happy with the HD600 but I feel like in-ears can get me "closer" to the actual music, with less total dB pumped to the ear drum (not just because the sound isolation) = longer listening time.

Besides fidelity, I crave wide soundstage and signature faithful to the source/original.

I guess the closest thing to the SE846 that I own are the Sony XBA-4 iems.

If thats what you crave then i dont think the shure is for you. Look in to HD800.

 

[Adam Saparudin]

err hello,
 
I just bought second hand se 846. I was using sony headphone before with my iPhone..
 
right now I was confused which DAP should I go..
AK300 or Sony ZX2 ?
 
or do you others have any other opinion ?
 
I'm listening to pop and edm..