[truckdriver]

Your post inspired me to go back to black filters over the weekend. I can truly see both points of view. Those black filters make for a pretty fun and exciting bass, and after a little time with them, going back to my brown Knowles dampers sounds ridiculously bright and splashy. But then again, after listening a bit longer with the brown dampers, going back to stock black filters sound awfully dark and boomy. Isn't that one of the joys of the SE846? You're free to choose and tune to your own preferences.

@truckdriver
, I can understand why, coming from those stock black filters, you might not have liked the KSE1500. The brown knowles dampers (plus SpinFit tips) are what I did to get the SE846 as close as I could to the (un-EQd) KSE1500 signature. And incidentally, this is much closer to the signature of something like the ER4XR (which Etymotic claim to be "neutral, with a 3-4 dB bump in the low end"). Obviously this is all down to personal preferences, but the neutral-with-a-slight-bass-lift seems to be a more common signature these days than that from the stock black Shure filter. But here's why you might want to consider the Knowles dampers - those yellow dampers are awfully dark and give a huge bass thump. You might just prefer orange or yellow dampers to stock black  

I EQ the bass down and the treble up with the black filters on the 846. I was after the thicker more present midrange note that I heard when I first installed the black filters. I don't know if the EQ is granular enough to reproduce that same effect with the other filters.

I did like the KSE1500, but probably not unEQed with a neutral-ish source. The KSE1500 took EQ so well that I didn't have a problem with the sound just the tiny soundstage and imaging. To be clear, everything sounds small (to me) without V4A even the Roxanne 2 and full size headphones. It was just that the room size effects of V4A didn't work with the KSE1500 (for some reason). I think I could have gotten better results with Dolby Atmos, but I didn't have enough time to try it. I didn't get it working until after I returned the KSE1500.

 

[ThomasHK]

Can someone tell me what the deal is with hiss and the DragonFly series? Any of the three that has lower hiss than the others? I keep reading different stories...

 

[zolom]

No hiss whatsoever on my Dragonfly Black (along with SE846 and Samsung S7 Edge European)

 

[theintrospect]

Does either the iBasso DX90 or Leckerton UHA-6S.MKII sound significantly better than the iPhone 6 plus with the 8s ? I'm not pleased with the sound of the iPhone. Looking for dap/dac amp that is zero hiss and an absolute day and night improvement to the iPhone.

 

[thefitz]

Does either the iBasso DX90 or Leckerton UHA-6S.MKII sound significantly better than the iPhone 6 plus with the 8s ? I'm not pleased with the sound of the iPhone. Looking for dap/dac amp that is zero hiss and an absolute day and night improvement to the iPhone.

Look for an amp or DAP with less than 0.5 ohms output resistance. The FiiO E12a is a match made in heaven. Phones tend to have over 2 ohms output resistance, which is terrible for the 846.

 

[cthomas]

I've owned the 846 for about a year and finally went to try the different filters the other day. Is it normal for the black seal you see when unscrewing them to be falling apart?

 

[tbritton]

I've owned the 846 for about a year and finally went to try the different filters the other day. Is it normal for the black seal you see when unscrewing them to be falling apart?

It seems to be pretty commonly reported. You can get a fresh pair with new seals within your warranty period.
https://www.shure.com/americas/support/service-repair
 
They may have them as a replacement part for a small cost, so you needn't be without your SE846 at all. Give them a call!
 800-516-2525 ext. 3
 
Terry

 

[cthomas]

It seems to be pretty commonly reported. You can get a fresh pair with new seals within your warranty period.
https://www.shure.com/americas/support/service-repair

They may have them as a replacement part for a small cost, so you needn't be without your SE846 at all. Give them a call!
 800-516-2525 ext. 3


Terry

Thanks but in Australia we only get 1 year warranty. Will losing the seals effect the sound?

 

[Gosod]

That didn't answer my question. I asked about the technological advancement that might make it superior. People make all kinds of proclamations about what is better to them. Years ago I use to buy based on proclaims by members here. I learned not to do that. There are two BA makers and they don't make magical BA drivers for one particular company or another. The tuning differences between IEMs can largely be compensated for by EQ. I don't fall for that stuff anymore. At least with the Campfire Vega they try to speak in marketing terms to get you interested (but I'm not to this point). I want a true step forward like the next version of the KSE1500 being a complete unit that you add music too and go with Android and many options minus the bulk and connections.

I can't listen to them on Android.
these headphones are high-end.

1.  

 

[TenderTendon]

Nozzles, nuts and inserts, oh my...
 
Today I was experimenting with inserts again, as I can't decide on the blue or the black. I installed the black and played a tune. I immediately noticed the sub bass had vanished, even though it should have appeared to have more with the black inserts installed. I went to remove the nozzle and noticed the nut was not screwed down all the way against the housing. Almost, but not completely. I tried to tighten it up, but it wouldn't go any further. I found that the nozzle was 180 degrees out of proper location and was not seating properly. That means that the o-ring on the nozzle insert was not seating either. This explained what I was hearing. Low frequency air pressure that was supposed to be directed through the nozzle insert and into the ear canal was leaking past the o-ring and escaping through the nut threads. Amazingly, I managed to misalign both sides. I loosened the nut a little, rotated the nozzle 180 degrees and the nut screwed all the way down. I know there are red marks to indicate the proper position, but those marks can be hard to see and wear off in time. I'm sure this issue has been discussed before, but is buried in the million or so posts in this thread. Here's a little guide. Maybe it will help newbies like me...
 
If your nut looks like this, your nozzle insert is not installed correctly in the nozzle:
 

 
 
If your nut looks like this, your insert is installed correctly, but your nozzle is not aligned in the housing. Loosen the nut and rotate the nozzle 180 degrees. You will feel it fall into the slots:
 

 
 
If your nut looks like this, you are good to go. Enjoy your extended bass!:
 

 
 
If your nut looks like this, you are on the wrong forum...:
 

 

[tbritton]

Thanks but in Australia we only get 1 year warranty. Will losing the seals effect the sound?

 
I do not believe that seal in particular had much of an effect on the sound. That one may have more to do with keeping the nut from loosening during shipping.
 
As long as you are in place as in the previous post you should be fine.
 
I would still give the parts department a call to see if they are inordinately expensive to replace yourself.
 
Terry

 

[tbritton]

   
If your nut looks like this, you are on the wrong forum...:
 
 

 
No discussing nuts on a forum thread where people spent $1000 on an IEM!
 
(Myself included...)
 
Or so I'm told.
 
Terry

 

[TenderTendon]

Thanks but in Australia we only get 1 year warranty. Will losing the seals effect the sound?

The purpose of the large o-ring on the nut (larger of the letter G below) is to keep sweat from entering through the threads.
 

 

[cthomas]

The purpose of the large o-ring on the nut (larger of the letter G below) is to keep sweat from entering through the threads.

Wonder if that could cause a problem down the road. I'd planned on keeping these for a long time hoping they'll last.

 

[ThomasHK]

Wonder if that could cause a problem down the road. I'd planned on keeping these for a long time hoping they'll last.

Just don't screw/unscrew them too regularly and it should be fine for years.