[Dobrescu George]

for example, it is only the best i am after
* budget - about 2000Euro
* isolation requirements - the better the best
* cable preference (up or down) over the ear 
* what type of signature you prefer (bassy, neutral, bright etc) - anything goes as long as it is the clearest has the best separation and soundstage, i love everything, bass mids, treble, i love something that has lots of bass of treble, and of mids, sounds sweet.
* what headphones you've used, what you like about them, what you disliked ultrasone dj one pro, sennheiser ie8, yamaha eph 30, sennheiser hd380pro, sony xb700. i enjoy the most ultrasone dj one pro and ie8, but ie8 needs a lot of eq before sounding as i want it.. i enjoy soundstage, bass, guirars, treble, everything as long as it sounds nice.
* what type of music you listen to (genre / artist examples) every genera ever. i listen more to metal, but i listen to every genera.
 
i am going to also post this in portables, to be more visible, but shortly, i can only choose from ie800 and k3003, because of the fact that i want to not complicate with buying from outside my country.

 

[uzi2]

  for example, it is only the best i am after
* budget - about 2000Euro
* isolation requirements - the better the best
* cable preference (up or down) over the ear 
* what type of signature you prefer (bassy, neutral, bright etc) - anything goes as long as it is the clearest has the best separation and soundstage, i love everything, bass mids, treble, i love something that has lots of bass of treble, and of mids, sounds sweet.
* what headphones you've used, what you like about them, what you disliked ultrasone dj one pro, sennheiser ie8, yamaha eph 30, sennheiser hd380pro, sony xb700. i enjoy the most ultrasone dj one pro and ie8, but ie8 needs a lot of eq before sounding as i want it.. i enjoy soundstage, bass, guirars, treble, everything as long as it sounds nice.
* what type of music you listen to (genre / artist examples) every genera ever. i listen more to metal, but i listen to every genera.
 
i am going to also post this in portables, to be more visible, but shortly, i can only choose from ie800 and k3003, because of the fact that i want to not complicate with buying from outside my country.

If you are looking for high levels of isolation, then neither the ie800 or k3003 will suit you. I'm guessing that you did all your testing in a quiet environment. Dynamic or hybrid drivers by their very design cannot provide the levels of isolation found with BA units.

 

[nmatheis]

[@]skerry2006aj[/@]: Consider the E12 DIY over E12 & E12A. The ability to try out different buffer + opamp combinations keeps it interesting and helps you find your preferences.

 

[Dobrescu George]

@skerry2006aj: Consider the E12 DIY over E12 & E12A. The ability to try out different buffer + opamp combinations keeps it interesting and helps you find your preferences.

i considered, e12DIY is not avalaible in Romania, and neither through anything that delivers to Romania.

 

[jaker782]

   
My advice - take your time, enjoy each step.  Update your headphones and use them with the X5.  If you need an amp (or even if don't but still want one), go with an E12 or E12a (or an Arrow) - they won't break the bank, and they will be more than enough to power what you're intending. The X5 DAC is very good. Save your money and worry about your next upgrade in another 6-7 months.
 
One thing you will find eventually in this hobby is that you'll start looking back, and wondering if the blind pursuit of better gear is actually stopping you enjoying the music.  Enjoy what you have. Spend time with it.  Get to know it.  Most of all keep buying new music - that is where the real gold is 

 
This is great advice!  I don't own near as much gear as many of you, but have purchased multiple pairs of iems in the past several months and found that while it is a very addictive and enjoyable hobby,  it is easy to get focused too much on listening to the new iem/amp/dap instead of the music.  Sure it is fun to make comparisons to figure our your preferred signature or whether the new gear you bought is the upgrade you hoped it would be, but it is arguably more exciting to listen to new music for the first time.

 

[Dobrescu George]

   
This is great advice!  I don't own near as much gear as many of you, but have purchased multiple pairs of iems in the past several months and found that while it is a very addictive and enjoyable hobby,  it is easy to get focused too much on listening to the new iem/amp/dap instead of the music.  Sure it is fun to make comparisons to figure our your preferred signature or whether the new gear you bought is the upgrade you hoped it would be, but it is arguably more exciting to listen to new music for the first time.

Actually second or third time. for the first time, most of times you are not paying lots of attention to what you should... this is how it happens to me every single time.

 

[AndrewH13]

I amped my DX50 with a BH and then a JDSLabs C5 and it sounded great -  never sounded good by itself to my ears, even driving iems.  When I got the X5, I tried it unamped for a week and loved it.  Then I plugged in the C5 and thought the sound suffered for it.  Removed it and sold it.  It may be a matter of synergy  with my iems, but the X5 sound was very good "naked."  Now, with the Pono the sound is better than the X5, and that also is unamped.  Sometimes louder is not better. At least to my ears.  

Hi Dude, know you liked the X5 so interested in your views where the pono beats it? I'm safe at present as Pono not available in UK. But always good keeping an open mind.

 

[AndrewH13]

thanks for the advice... then i am going to just remain with e12 and e12a, and go for some headphones and iems... i don't know if you are familiar with these, but would you recommend akg k3003 or sennheiser ie800 for iems?

I have transformed listening of X5 since buying ie800. And Shure 846s. I loved both so much in demos from my X5 and DX90 unamped I ended buying one then two months later the other. 846s best isolation, 800 quicker insertion and don't know they are in ear!

 

[audioxxx]

I can't verify the seller, but the item seems to ship world wide.

http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32254976696.html

i considered, e12DIY is not avalaible in Romania, and neither through anything that delivers to Romania.

 

[Dobrescu George]

I can't verify the seller, but the item seems to ship world wide.

http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32254976696.html

Romania is not worldwide, for one reason or another most sellers don't ship here...
 
I am going to try anyways, thanks!
 
Anywasy question for everybody, should i leave headphones in through the night, or plug them out?... i remembered now why i was so scared of always plugging in and out, i used to own an iriver player, an e100, and the jack broke after one or two years of usage... 

 

[olddude]

Hi Dude, know you liked the X5 so interested in your views where the pono beats it? I'm safe at present as Pono not available in UK. But always good keeping an open mind.

How does it not is a better question.  Better trebles and mids, more forward mids, clear bass (maybe slightly lighter than X5), and so much more detail across all frequencies that it's irrefutable.  I was a non-believer.  Now I'm a believer.  With the balanced cables even more so.  

 

[howdy]

How does it not is a better question.  Better trebles and mids, more forward mids, clear bass (maybe slightly lighter than X5), and so much more detail across all frequencies that it's irrefutable.  I was a non-believer.  Now I'm a believer.  With the balanced cables even more so.  

The way you're describing it is night and day, I have a DX90 which has a lot of pro's but I would not say that is better in every aspect to the X5. Are you still having new toy syndrome or is it really that much better.

 

[Sonic Defender]

  Romania is not worldwide, for one reason or another most sellers don't ship here...
 
I am going to try anyways, thanks!
 
Anywasy question for everybody, should i leave headphones in through the night, or plug them out?... i remembered now why i was so scared of always plugging in and out, i used to own an iriver player, an e100, and the jack broke after one or two years of usage... 

Sadly there is a supposed to be a great deal of fraud in much of eastern Europe. That is a shame as I'm sure there are far more honest people than there are dishonest in Romania so the decent people suffer despite having done nothing wrong. Here for instance if you look at official advisories published by government agencies and the RCMP that advise Canadians about fraud risks when conducting international business many African and eastern European nations are rated as very risky. I haven't seen any recent versions of such advisories so perhaps much has changed.

 

[olddude]

It's the detail that makes me say this.  It's a holy cow kinda thing.  I don't have a DX90 so I can't say about that.  With the balanced cables on the Fidues, it's a double decker holy cow.  
 
I do think the X5 has slightly more bass than using the Ponos with a non-balanced  cable.  Not much but slightly less (the Pono).  With balanced, not even in the same universe, at least with my Fidues.  

 

[howdy]

It's the detail that makes me say this.  It's a holy cow kinda thing.  I don't have a DX90 so I can't say about that.  With the balanced cables on the Fidues, it's a double decker holy cow.  

I do think the X5 has slightly more bass than using the Ponos with a non-balanced  cable.  Not much but slightly less (the Pono).  With balanced, not even in the same universe, at least with my Fidues.  

I'm trying to get a buddy of mine to buy the Pono so I can have a listen so hopefully he will buy it. I think I have to many DAPs already so I'm not in the market for, I'm wanting some CIEMs really bad so that will be my next purchase!