[kubig123]

Just looked these up and they look intriguing...looks like they aren't available in the UK yet.

Are there any other IEMs that come with 4.4mm plug?

They are already available in the UK, few head-fier already have them.

 

[purk]

Anyone tried Ie800S with 1Z yet ?

Just get a CIEM man. It is better for your hearing anyway. Lower listening...less damage to our old(er) ears.

 

[Lemieux66]

They are already available in the UK, few head-fier already have them.

Oh. I saw on hifiheadphones that it says they are available to pre-order...

I'll see if they can be found elsewhere.

 

[kubig123]

Oh. I saw on hifiheadphones that it says they are available to pre-order...

I'll see if they can be found elsewhere.

Here is the link

https://en-uk.sennheiser.com/in-ear-headphones-earphones-ie-800-s-ceramic

 

[Lemieux66]

Thank you for the link

 

[Whitigir]

Just get a CIEM man. It is better for your hearing anyway. Lower listening...less damage to our old(er) ears.

Lower listening level Purk ? I couldn’t do it with Stax 009 and T2 man....had to blast my eardrums out....every time

 

[sne4me]

Late to the party and wanted to say, 1063 pages; thats sick!

Sony makes a custom sized IEM called 'Just Ear' and you can get them in person in Japan. They cost $2000-$2500 depending on configuration. It is available balanced using the 4.4mm.

Since they are custom shaped to your ear by a medical doctor and hand made in Japan by one of Sony's legendary engineers, they take 1-2 months to fulfill.

 

[Blueoris]

What do you guys think about connecting the WM1 models to external headphone amplifiers? Would that change their sound characteristics to the extent that they will become a DAP different to the one that was originally designed by the manufacturer?

 

[Kervsky]

What do you guys think about connecting the WM1 models to external headphone amplifiers? Would that change their sound characteristics to the extent that they will become a DAP different to the one that was originally designed by the manufacturer?

If it's run through an amp, it shouldn't change characteristics of the sound, only the volume. But if it's run through a dac, then the dacs sound characteristics take over.

 

[gerelmx1986]

What do you guys think about connecting the WM1 models to external headphone amplifiers? Would that change their sound characteristics to the extent that they will become a DAP different to the one that was originally designed by the manufacturer?

It depends on how do you se it. I had an Oppo HA-2 which is a DAC+ Amplifier and there are also other manufacturers such as fiio that produce amp-only modules as well as dac + amps.

If you use it with a DAC/amp using the sony digital out cable, then your WM1 will only serve as a "Hard drive" and the external DAC amp implementation will decode the music - a completely different sound signature.

Using a pure amp or the amp section of the dac amp, like idid with my HA2, perhaps a slight change in sound sig, i noted my HA2 added a bit of warmth to the NWZ-A17 walkman stock sound, but perhaps there are neutral amps, i haven't used one other than hte HA2 and that was only for a short period of time

 

[Blueoris]

If it's run through an amp, it shouldn't change characteristics of the sound, only the volume. But if it's run through a dac, then the dacs sound characteristics take over.

It depends on how do you se it. I had an Oppo HA-2 which is a DAC+ Amplifier and there are also other manufacturers such as fiio that produce amp-only modules as well as dac + amps.

If you use it with a DAC/amp using the sony digital out cable, then your WM1 will only serve as a "Hard drive" and the external DAC amp implementation will decode the music - a completely different sound signature.

Using a pure amp or the amp section of the dac amp, like idid with my HA2, perhaps a slight change in sound sig, i noted my HA2 added a bit of warmth to the NWZ-A17 walkman stock sound, but perhaps there are neutral amps, i haven't used one other than hte HA2 and that was only for a short period of time

I think the challenge is to find a total transparent solid state amplifier that just do that, amplifying the analogue DAP output. While reading reviews of SS amps, I always find comments about the changes that amplifiers bring to the tonality, speed, dynamics of the system. I think that a completely transparent amplifier circuit doesn't exists though

 

[gerelmx1986]

I complained to f this album of being a bit dry sounding, boy, I was wrong, balanced unleashed it's potential

 

[ezekiel77]

My first listen with a brand new WM1A via balanced wasn't as good as I thought. At the time the balanced cable (Kumitate Labs Licht) and IEM (AAW W900) were new too so I was listening to the entire chain for the first time. The treble was grainy and had a metallic tinge, it was horribly annoying. I couldn't pinpoint which was the weak link in the chain, so with no other choice I went to burning in. After 200 hours, the changes were noticeable. I played the same track (something by NIN) that produced the metallic treble and it was smoothed out and musical. After a cable upgrade, the WM1A > W900 has been my go-to combo for months.

This is purely anecdotal, I didn't do any measurements, but if even Sony suggests that I burn-in the 1A for 200 hours, there might be some truth to running in the player before passing judgment.

 

[Kervsky]

I complained to f this album of being a bit dry sounding, boy, I was wrong, balanced unleashed it's potential

That's what I've told people, on the wm1a/z balanced output brings out the best in the music played. Though I feel with the 1a, balanced is significantly better than single and on the 1z just slightly so. Probably a sign of the price difference.

 

[ezekiel77]

I wear the 1000 hours playtime like a badge of honor, then see another guy with 2500 hours in his Walkman and I'm like "dang, mine's too short".