[514077]

I want to say a big thank you to @csglinux who helped me a lot chosing a matching DAP for the ShureSE846.

As @csglinux mentioned its difficut to find a DAP which meets all the requirments of a high quality source that are capable of driving the SE846 without more or less drawbacks.
In the SPL diagrams of the DX200 you can clearly see the sub-bass roll off which @csglinux mentioned and as the SE846 have a dedicated sub bass driver that is capable of providing such low frequencies you don't want to have a DAP which is not able to provide this low frequencies and is limited here.

It is true that only from measurements, you can't say that an DAP (or amp) sounds really good.
The other way around however is true, that you can identify disadvantages with the measurements.

Long story short, a good matching DAP (+amp) is always essential and should be well considered, especially for difficult to drive properly IEMs like the SE846.
And measurements and helpful user descriptions here definitiv helps a lot (at least for me),
even when the last decision should be made in person with a physial listening experience.
Thanks for your support!

So what did you choose? The DX220?

 

[Christoph]

So what did you choose? The DX220?

Yes. I got the DX220 only two days ago and its a bit too early to give a final statement about it.
But i can say that it was the right decision for me and my expectations are all fulfilled and it seems to match very well to my equipment.

Initially the DX200 took my attention, because of the good tech specs that looks promising and that with some technical skills its possible to replace the battery on your own.

After i found out that the DX200 has this sub-bass weakness and @csglinux showed me the measurements that documents the experience of different users, the DX200 was out of scope for me.
A precise and present bass is essential for me and that is also one major key feature of the SE846.

Now i'm glad that i have chosen the DX220 which i really like from the sound and the features.
As nothing is perfect, it has some minor flaws, e.g. the leather case is too soft and the curry yellow colour is awful in my opinion, so i have to buy a 3rd party cover for it.
The volume knob of the DX200 already got critics, the DX220 knob personally i would design more tightly, however it has a tactile feedback when turning it.

But i can live with this minor issues as they are not essential for me and they don't affect the sound quality.
And the overall build quality is pretty good.

 

[unispeed]

Hello S846 community. Here is an updated version of my "Unispeed Mod for White Filter". I'm gonna call it Version 2! Same as original mod, its just that the blue and black foams swap places. Configured this way the sound is dampened in stages and progressively from the Low resistance white filter -----> Medium resistance blue foam -----> High resistance Black foam.

Also worth mentioning is that I'm using the standard Comply foam tips (not confort or sport). The increased presence of the bass when using Comply tips coupled with the clarity of the white filters makes for a very open yet thick sound. If the highs are still not where you want them, just go slightly deeper with the outer foam (I'm about half of a bolt thread past what's shown in the picture and it's about as much treble as I can handle). I've tried the same setup with the Shure olive-tips but the low end was not the same.

This mod really is the sum of all its components. I ask that you set aside your opinion of the Comply foams if you're trying this... at least just for a few hours. With the white filters it's not necessary to squeeze every last drop of treble out of the 846.. there is plenty of it that makes it past the less restrictive filter, allowing the Comply foams to work the way they were designed to.

What follows is some research that explains why foam position DOES affect what you hear. Thanks @tbritton for sharing these links with me. I took the liberty to cut the most relevant piece but the article is quite an interesting read if you're so inclined:
https://www.knowles.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/tb-14.pdf?sfvrsn=2
https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/how-balanced-armature-receiversdrivers-work

 

[trishd]

I've owned SE846 for ~3 years now. For inner ear MP3 players I own and use 1 sandisk sport players and 2 sandisk clipjams. From top expert here, I went on to pay ~$100-200 (?-I can't remember) for the Fiio X1 2nd gen: I can't use that all because it's total junk---it has 'bugs' that aren't fixable at all and, at best, when I've updated the software to fix the bugs - prob' 60Xs I've tried - it MIGHT work for a little while and then it goes to 'black screen' - I can't fool with than piece of junk anymore.
The top expert here told me about a Fiio X5 ___ model but I'll misplace my players for varying times and I'm also a 'rough and tumble' sort & there's definite risk somehow it might wind up broken.

I WANT TO BUY A COUPLE MORE INNER EAR PLAYERS NOW, and, too, I REALLY WANT TO BUY 'OVER THE EAR' OR 'ON EAR' HEADSET.
I haven't owned 'good' headphones since lol the 1980s and those were 'top end' Sonys.
I have owned Bose in-the-ear headphones back in the later 1990s (Target sold 1 model only, $100) and I'm tried those with the SE846 but it's like listening to, oh, 1/100th of the richness & fullness of the sound the FiioX1 2nd gen had.

EGs of music I listen to: I love audio from live concerts so I convert youtubes to .aac ---probably 95% of what I listen to is .aac from live concerts. Singers I like right now: 1.) Morrissey - makes me laugh, & his live versions of the 'same song', for EG, 'Please Please Please...' all vary so the 'feeling' is all different in each one.
2.) Keane. New album out mid-Sept 2019 btw - 1 song is released already, and it and 1 other song are on youtube, too, from live concerts.
3.) Above & Beyond - Alex Vargas.
4.) Betty Who

Please tell me what you think my best options are - people here are wonderful people !! tyia !!!

 

[csglinux]

Welcome back to the forum @trishd In your absence, your filter mod went viral and mutated into all sorts of fun stuff (check out the post just prior to yours!).

Sorry to hear about your FiiO DAP. If you're sure it can't be fixed, then the Shanling M0 is worth considering. At its price, everybody should own one. The M0 is not only a DAP, but it can also act as an LDAC BT receiver from your phone. And it has a perfectly black background (no hissing at all) with the SE846. Beyond that, I'm not sure. If you had difficulties with the X1ii, I would stay far away from any type of Android DAP - they all have quirks and aren't necessarily trivial to operate or fix if things go wrong. What's your budget for your new DAPs and full-sized cans?

P.S. Looking forward to that new Keane album! You should seriously consider either buying the CD or the lossless download. Those compressed YouTube audio files aren't doing justice to your SE846.

 

[holsen]

I strongly suspect the answer is thread-dependent. Have you asked the same question on the ER4 thread?

I own both the ER4XR and SE846. My SE846 has the brown Knowles damper mod, which (to my ears) takes the treble closer to that of the ER4XR, though the SE846 still have more of a bass lift, especially the sub-bass, which even the ER4XR still lacks somewhat (although it is an improvement over both the ER4S and ER4P in that regard). In terms of clarity, they're close. I used to think my old ER4P had better clarity in the upper treble than my SE846 (back when I was using blue or modded blue filters). Comparing ER4XR and SE846+brown Knowles dampers, I no longer feel that. In fact, I would give the edge in terms of detail to the SE846. However, in terms of isolation, the ER4XR wins. No IEM on this planet isolates like an Ety

Im a little late to this party but if you're still reading and responding, I've got the opportunity to pick up a new set of SE846 for $500 or an ER4XR for $260.Dollar for dollar which is the better deal. At these prices are the 846s $240 better? I've currently got the SE535s with Knowles white filter and I do love them. But if I can extend the bass and clarity, I'm ready for an upgrade but but want to maximize the value of the $$ I spend. Appreciate any comment or insight you could give.

 

[tbritton]

Im a little late to this party but if you're still reading and responding, I've got the opportunity to pick up a new set of SE846 for $500 or an ER4XR for $260.Dollar for dollar which is the better deal. At these prices are the 846s $240 better?

If it is for a clear version, you might be getting a genuine SE846. If an opaque colored shell is involved, I would be very wary, as there have been a flurry of counterfeits floating around this year.

Terry

 

[holsen]

If it is for a clear version, you might be getting a genuine SE846. If an opaque colored shell is involved, I would be very wary, as there have been a flurry of counterfeits floating around this year.

Terry

These are genuine Shures of that I'm sure! Still I'm not sure whether to pull the trigger on them or get the ER4XRs. I actually did buy the ER4s but they haven't been delivered yet. The Shures I have the right of 1st refusal but my window to decide is today. The ER4s will be an easy resell if I go for the 846s. Hmmmm....?

 

[435279]

These are genuine Shures of that I'm sure! Still I'm not sure whether to pull the trigger on them or get the ER4XRs. I actually did buy the ER4s but they haven't been delivered yet. The Shures I have the right of 1st refusal but my window to decide is today. The ER4s will be an easy resell if I go for the 846s. Hmmmm....?

What's your source? The ER4XR is quite easy to drive, although not as sensitive as the Shure the Ety presents a much more compatible impedance.

 

[holsen]

I'll be driving them with a Shanling M5s DAP and or an Astel & Kern AK120 I also from time to time use a Fiio BTR3 BT DAC/ Amp to stream off my phone in LDAC. Ithis combos work pretty well with my SE535s.

 

[435279]

I'll be driving them with a Shanling M5s DAP and or an Astel & Kern AK120 I also from time to time use a Fiio BTR3 BT DAC/ Amp to stream off my phone in LDAC. Ithis combos work pretty well with my SE535s.

Yep either IEM should be OK with those, certainly the M5s will make them both sound their best.

I own both the 846 and ER4XR, they are so different to be honest it would be tricky (impossible) for me to pick one over the other.

 

[holsen]

Thanks, In one one sentence could you say what you like best about the ER4XR, The 846 and the biggest difference between them? OK, maybe that would require 2 sentences

 

[435279]

ER4XR - Isolation, no thumping from footfalls when walking, although the cable is microphonic, unadulterated clarity.
846 - Bass, Bass, Bass. A sub-woofer in your ear With the right pairing nice mids and treble too. They are rolled off a bit at the top end so they loose a bit of sparkle.

 

[holsen]

Awesome. Thank you!

 

[csglinux]

Im a little late to this party but if you're still reading and responding, I've got the opportunity to pick up a new set of SE846 for $500 or an ER4XR for $260.Dollar for dollar which is the better deal. At these prices are the 846s $240 better? I've currently got the SE535s with Knowles white filter and I do love them. But if I can extend the bass and clarity, I'm ready for an upgrade but but want to maximize the value of the $$ I spend. Appreciate any comment or insight you could give.

@SteveOliver pretty much nailed it. I agree everything he's said. Just a quick update from my previous post when I was using the brown Knowles' damper mod. I'm now using the blue-filter Trishd mod in my SE846 (I want to get around to trying all of @unispeed's new mods soon - I just need more hours in the day!). Here's a quick comparison:

Like Steve said, they are very different headphones. That alone might make me want to go for the SE846 ($500 is an awesome price for these, and honestly how much different will the ER4XR be to the ER4SR you already own? Their differences will be much more subtle). Also, bear in mind that the slightly-improved treble extension with the ER4XR shown above is a best-case scenario that I rarely achieve, because these were measured with the stock Ety medium triple-flange tips which I can't use because they hurt my ears Eartips make a big difference to the sound, and I've not yet found a comfortable eartip for the Etys that extends the treble as well as the triple flange.

I love both these headphones.The ER4XR is more reference/neutral, but overall I prefer the SE846. I just find the SE846 more fun and enjoyable to listen to. I can't say this on the ER4 thread, but most of the time my Etys just get relegated to yard work where I need to block the sound of the mower