[soundbear]

$29 USPS first class shipping to China is what's keeping me from returning the ibasso t3 and their LOD that I got 10 days ago.(not having enough membership status is preventing me from selling it on the site.)
   After careful reading and not enough rereading about amps and the Xcapes and my quest for iem perfection, I bought the T3  for my already amazing Sunrise Xcapes.   Without burn-in I noticed no difference in bass or mids but did notice decreased headroom in my already beautiful sounding Xcapes!  There was a definate loss of air and space around highs including voices.  I was looking for a more "impactful" bass from an amp and thought I would get a cleaner bass boost by just an amp, not an amp with that had a bass boost too. I leave the amp flat, but the 3db gain boost is across the whole frequency range and really had no effect on the bass, and I didn't like its effect on the high end, so I just leave it flat.
 
So I sent an "all points bulletin" to headphone addict of my distress, and I don't think he will mind my referencing him because this will be helpful to other members:
  
"I am listening to Xcape and T3 with 5G Nano right now as I type so that I can give you advice.  The T3 is a warm and transparent amp after burn-in, unlike the T4 amp which is warm and bassy but slightly darker and less transparent - no matter how much burn in I gave the T4 it would never sound as open and transparent as the T3.  Jamato8 says the T3D never opens up completely, due to the digital volume control holding it back.  The T3's sound quality after 250-300 hours is close to that of the Meier Headsix which costs more and is larger.  My T3 has several hundred hours on it, and it sounds good with the Xcape, certainly better with the T3 than my 5G Nano headphone jack.  But there is not a bass boost with the T3 (nor does it have a bass switch like the T4).  The bass is still just enough for me with the T3 to enjoy them, although I would like a little more. 
Your options right now are to give the T3 250-300 hours of burn-in and see how much it opens up for you.  I found the T3's air and openness to be worse than the iPhone headphone out before burn-in, and better and more open after burn-in.  The frequency response wont change a lot with burn-in, but the micro-detail and transparency does change a lot and it sounds warmer than my iPod.  If after burn-in you don't like the combination, then I would consider an amp or IEM upgrade.  I should warn you that the Nuforce NE-700x I compared to the Xcape have a more v-shape curve than the Xcape, and if you like the Xcape you may not like the Nuforce.  The Nuforce may be a side-grade for you, and I would consider some of the other IEM I listed at the top if you want an Xcape-like sound.  For my preferences, a clear step up in sound would be the DBA-02 or Westone 2, paired with a fully burned in T3 amp. 
As for amps for the Xcape - The Pico Slim only has a little more bass with Xcape than the T3, but I still prefer it.  The best amp I have for the Xcape is my Practical Devices XM5 with bass boost, but it's as expensive as the Slim and 3x more $ than the T3.  I use the bass boost switch on the XM5 and the Xcape sound much better to me.  I would still prefer the DBA or W2 with T3 over the XM5 with Xcape.  As for other amps I have here, the Fiio E5 is kinda like the T4 and warms up the Xcape very well, but while it has more bass it is not as open and transparent as a fully burned in T3 or an unamped Nano." """""""""
 
Now at around 80 hrs of  burn-in still no difference in bass and mids but more breathability in the highs, now it sounds much closer to my Ipod touch 4.2.   I should add this, iBasso said the T3 only needs 100 hrs to burn-in, and NCT didn't recommend an amp for the Xcapes.   So my question to the forum is:  Should I keep the amp and burn baby burn, sell it through the site later, or lose $29 and ship it back? (I only have 15 days from receiving to send it back)

 

[kmhaynes]

I'd say hold on to it and sell it in a couple of months -- it will sell quickly here.  I'd also say your ears must be very sensitive -- to me the T3 and T4 both improved the RE0 and SW-Xcape -- in a nice general listening way.

 

[ClieOS]

Diminishing return - I'll say sell or return the amp and enjoy the Xcape as it is.

 

[s0lar]

I have a T4 and with the RE0 it makes quite a big difference. The Xcape on the other hand does not really sound better with the T4.
Without T4 I prefer the Xcape, with I prefer the RE0.

 

[mootookang]

You can post in the F/S section after you posted 15 times, just hold on to them until you do. Maybe they'll grown on you.

 

[soundbear]

I am surprised by so many responding to a newcomer and appreciate your responses!
 I reread what headphone addict(special thanks and gratitude to him)  wrote  about the 250+ burn-in and I do enjoy having the amps easy volume control.   Guess it can't hurt to wait, post more, and then if I decide to sell it here then perhaps I can get a good price if the time I spend burning it in will offset the fact it will be "used".  My next iem will probably be the DBA02's if and when they come back in, and sounds like they really don't need an amp either.  

 

[dfrost]

I use both Xcapes and DBA-02 direct from my iPod Classic without an amp. Having never had an amp, I can't give you pro/con advice on that, except to note that joker's review of the DBA02 says "will ... run fine off of portable players and scale relatively well with added power", and for the Xcape, "An amp, even a relatively powerful one, can therefore easily be used to modify the sound signature of the earphones though I can’t recommend purchasing one just for the Xcape. Since the earphone is so well-balanced, a V-shaped amp will result in the earphone attaining a slight v-curve in its sound signature and vice versa." OTOH, LFF says that Fischer's new Audio Mystify amp provides amazing synergy with the DBA-02.
 
Both IEMs unamp'ed give me excellent quality and quantity of bass. They transmit what's in the recording mix, no more and no less. I just did a comparison last night with several tracks that seemed quite bassy on the Xcape, and found that the DBA, my car stereo, and home stereo gave the same results with those tracks, but with different perceptions of smoothness.
 
I've been trying to quantify the differences between these two rather similar IEMs and the best I've come up with so far is that the DBA-02's integrate/smooth the sounds across the frequency range better, while the Xcape (after its thoroughly burned in) can give a little more of the texture and "oomph" that is characteristic of a dynamic driver-IEM. (And the DBA inserts to a great fit/seal more easily in these old ears.) Both are eminently listenable, but I pick up the DBA's more often.