[118900]

Thanks @IEMusic!

Do the iFi IEMatch need to be plugged into my SR25, or another source (like my phone) - can you recommend any other portable daps that I can look into?

I do really like bass, that's the thing but like I said in my previous comment, the BLON bass sounds more textured (and to me a tiny bit deeper) - if that makes sense?

the impedance on the SE846 is approximately 9 Ohm but can drop even lower at some frequencies. There is a general rule that the output impedance of anything used to drive a headphone needs to be at least 8 times LOWER than the impedance of the headphone itself (as a minimum).

Make sure that anything you use to drive your SE846's has an output impedance of 1 Ohm or even less. Considering the fact the impedance of the Headphones drops to (I think) about 4 Ohm I would even recommend you avoid anything that has an output impedance of 0.5 Ohms or above.

 

[davidcotton]

I really messed up getting the hiby r6 Put me in a bit of a cul de sac really. Not that I've got the shures but has rather limited me!

 

[mw7485]

You're right I've re-screwed it after playing around with it for a bit. To be fair, the sound quality wasn't bad (or no noticeable) before I did the re-screw...

Thanks for the heads up..

In case you encounter something similar again (or change the filters), you should assemble by aligning the mark on the metal nozzle with the corresponding mark in the female part of the mmcx connector (mine have red marks), because the nozzle is actually keyed. You'll know for definite when its seated correctly, as you should not be able to rotate the nozzle in situ using your index finger and thumb. Once the nozzle is correctly seated, just slip the collar over and screw down gently (checking that the nozzle hasn't become unseated as you go) before tightning with the supplied tool. If all is well, there should be no gap between the collar and the iem housing - and audio nirvana will be re-established.

 

[kutya]

Hi

I took it in my head a few days ago
but I'm a little hesitant
is it worth buying 846 next to andromeda / vega or should I put the money aside for cable?

 

[plakat]

Hi

I took it in my head a few days ago
but I'm a little hesitant
is it worth buying 846 next to andromeda / vega or should I put the money aside for cable?

it’s of course always a matter of taste... I once owned the Vega, but sold it rather soon. The SE846 I kept... I had it before I got the Vega, and still own it today. To me the SE846 ist much easier to listen to than the Vega, but that of course depends on one’s taste.

don’t spend that much on cables though, it’s simply not worth it. 200-250,- will give you a very competent cable if you feel the need to switch. There’s much more difference to be had with another in-ear than with cables...

 

[kutya]

thanks for the answer
of course i don't want to buy that many cables
I am simply interested in the fact that there is this drastic difference in this segment
I'm definitely going to listen to 846

 

[plakat]

They are definitely worth a try. I think the activity in this thread after all these years is a testament to the SE846. Just handle the connectors with care. I've never had problems with them, but that's the only problems reported I can remember.

 

[mw7485]

thanks for the answer
of course i don't want to buy that many cables
I am simply interested in the fact that there is this drastic difference in this segment
I'm definitely going to listen to 846

Any of the models you list will sound good - but you are asking your question in the Shure thread !

The Shures have the big advantage that you can customise the sound through the use of the supplied filters. This fine tuning is really useful as we all perceive sound slightly differently and the Shure filters do allow a level of customisation not present with the Campfire's. Don't get me wrong, I really like ALO gear - pretty much anything they make is quality in its category (both my iem cable and DAC/AMP are ALO products). But, if you can't do some sort of direct comparison, the Shures do at least allow more flexibility out of the box than the Campfires. And there is a reason the 846s have been around for a while now - they do sound pretty damn good and Shure haven't seen the need to change something they got right first time round. Why not get the 846s through Amazon, and see how you go for a month? You can always return them.

You can spend forever debating one product against another - but that way lies madness and probably bankruptcy. With the amount of gear there is and the quantity of new stuff coming out almost weekly, you need to aim to get something that sounds good, works well wth your source and that you are happy with NOW. There may be something better out there today or tomorrow, but unless you spend forever comparing stuff, you will never satisfy yourself that you have the best there is - and what exactly by the way is the best? I personally am delighted with the 846s and my only regret is that I didn't try them years ago.

With regard to the cable, there is no doubt the supplied cable is "functional" but I suspect it has been designed and manufactured more with stage monitoring rather than pure audio listening in mind. To my perception cable choice does colour the sound, but it is the icing on the cake. I decided to keep the shures based upon what I heard out of the box and only ended up with my ALO cable because I was really lucky to snag it at a 40% discount, otherwise I probably would have settled for something a little less flash, cheaper but equally comfortable.

 

[Spie1904]

After a long time of neglect I turned back to my shure today and I forgot how comfortable they are.
These and Technics EAH-Tz700 are really the only IEM’s that I can wear for extended periods of time.
At times I really enjoy the darker signature as it’s just an enjoyable listening experience without fatigue.

 

[Motagaly]

After a long time of neglect I turned back to my shure today and I forgot how comfortable they are.
These and Technics EAH-Tz700 are really the only IEM’s that I can wear for extended periods of time.
At times I really enjoy the darker signature as it’s just an enjoyable listening experience without fatigue.

So true, I tried several IEMs in the past 5 years, and I never bought any, just kept the SE846 as the only IEM I have.

It is a Gem, to my ears!

 

[tropicana]

the impedance on the SE846 is approximately 9 Ohm but can drop even lower at some frequencies. There is a general rule that the output impedance of anything used to drive a headphone needs to be at least 8 times LOWER than the impedance of the headphone itself (as a minimum).

Make sure that anything you use to drive your SE846's has an output impedance of 1 Ohm or even less. Considering the fact the impedance of the Headphones drops to (I think) about 4 Ohm I would even recommend you avoid anything that has an output impedance of 0.5 Ohms or above.

I am considering the SE846 and will be using it with a DAC/ Amp with 16-600 Ohm output impedance.
What would that mean plugging in the SE846 which has an impedance of 9 Ohm?
Will work? Or the sound is not optimzed?

Also how much should i be paying for a SE846 today, where I am, it is going for more than 1KUSD.

 

[IEMusic]

I am considering the SE846 and will be using it with a DAC/ Amp with 16-600 Ohm output impedance.
What would that mean plugging in the SE846 which has an impedance of 9 Ohm?
Will work? Or the sound is not optimzed?

Also how much should i be paying for a SE846 today, where I am, it is going for more than 1KUSD.

The se846 is really picky about the output impedance of the source, it really needs to be less than 1 ohm, o/w it tends to sound veiled, muddy, bloated. It is a sensitive IEM, so power is not an issue at all.

I think it should be sold for a good amount less than $1K IMO. I bought the version with the bluetooth cable (typically $1K) for around $700, but that was during Amazon Prime Day.

 

[TK33]

I am considering the SE846 and will be using it with a DAC/ Amp with 16-600 Ohm output impedance.
What would that mean plugging in the SE846 which has an impedance of 9 Ohm?
Will work? Or the sound is not optimzed?

Also how much should i be paying for a SE846 today, where I am, it is going for more than 1KUSD.

16ohm output impedance would definitely be too high. I use them with a Dragonfly Cobalt (currently listening to them right now) and it sounds great for such a compact and simple solution.

I am guessing you are not in the US so I can't really comment on how much they should cost where you live. Every country is a little different due to exchange rates, taxes/tarriffs, etc. They are going for USD $900 on Amazon in the US but are discounted once in a while. I have seen other sites sell them in the $700-$800 range but, once again, this is in the US. I also bought the version with the old BT-1 cable back in February for less than $700 on Amazon but I am in the US and that was a limited time sale price. I think if I saw that price again, I might be tempted to get another one along with a TW1.

 

[tropicana]

Thanks for the responses.

My Dac/ Amp has an impedance of 16-600 Ohm.
My headphone tube amp has an impedance as low as 1 Ohm.
But is probably not the best idea to plug an IEM into a tube amp I suppose.

Maybe I should consider the 535 LTD.

Just concerned about the bass because I'm very used to the sound of Fostex TH900.

 

[rlw6534]

Thanks for the responses.

My Dac/ Amp has an impedance of 16-600 Ohm.
My headphone tube amp has an impedance as low as 1 Ohm.
But is probably not the best idea to plug an IEM into a tube amp I suppose.

Maybe I should consider the 535 LTD.

Just concerned about the bass because I'm very used to the sound of Fostex TH900.

16-600 Ohm doesn't sound right to me for output impedance. Is that maybe the recommended range for the attached device? Just a thought and I may be wrong.