[SpudHarris]

The announcement of the Merlin release also shook me a little as I was about to send my payment for the ES5's. But after careful consideration I've bitten the bullet and decided the ES5 is for me. Payment and impressions are sent so it's now a waiting game.
 
As the drop down boxes for colour/artwork/faceplates at the Earplugstore didn't quite reflect the visuals and endless choices became frustrating, I decided to ditch the artwork and air on the side of understatement - I've ordered Merlot with a clear cable as per the picture on the site. Can't wait....
 

 

[DimitrisZ]

 
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Hello all.. I had been a member to Head-Fi for years but about 5 years ago I decided to do the transition to speakers, and I just left the headphone hobby for a long time… 
 
Now that I am working in a really loud office with a lot of irritating people talking all the time, I started again to consider buying a really nice pair of headphones so that I can isolate myself in my personal music space… I am thinking to order the ES5 some time in the next months. It seems they are the best of the best someone can buy for the moment. I had a question though concerning the reviews and the opinions I have read from many users in this thread. 
 
How is it possible to review headphones like these by using just ipods and iphones (in the best cases with amplifiers). The internal DACs of any iphone/ipod dac produces a flat sound, two dimensional and plastic. Isn't it like you are buying a magnifying glass just to magnify a really bad printed photo?
 
Do these headphones in the end scale well in a good dac/amp system? Is someone going to get sound compared to really good speakers? 
​

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[Kunlun]

 
Quote:

 I've ordered Merlot with a clear cable as per the picture on the site. Can't wait....

clear cables turn green, you might be better off with a black one.

 

[Jazzyfi]

Hey DimitrisZ, Welcome to Head-Fi.
 
I think you shouldn't under estimate the iphone dac. Surprisingly it is quite good when combined with a good LOD and amp. And of course there are options other than iphone/ipod dac: the solo is quite popular this day, the imod, whipmod (basically ipod 5.5g with improved signal path). Try to listen to a proper mobile setting and you will be surprise how much it can do.
Quote:

 
[size=medium]

Hello all.. I had been a member to Head-Fi for years but about 5 years ago I decided to do the transition to speakers, and I just left the headphone hobby for a long time… 
 
Now that I am working in a really loud office with a lot of irritating people talking all the time, I started again to consider buying a really nice pair of headphones so that I can isolate myself in my personal music space… I am thinking to order the ES5 some time in the next months. It seems they are the best of the best someone can buy for the moment. I had a question though concerning the reviews and the opinions I have read from many users in this thread. 
 
How is it possible to review headphones like these by using just ipods and iphones (in the best cases with amplifiers). The internal DACs of any iphone/ipod dac produces a flat sound, two dimensional and plastic. Isn't it like you are buying a magnifying glass just to magnify a really bad printed photo?
 
Do these headphones in the end scale well in a good dac/amp system? Is someone going to get sound compared to really good speakers? 
​

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[cooperpwc]

Quote:

clear cables turn green, you might be better off with a black one.

I agree. Especially since black and Merlot will look great together.
 
 

 

[DimitrisZ]

I havent heard the whipmod so I cant disagree with what you said.. But dont we still talk about non upsampling DAC? Can it handle high resolution files? Personally I find a huge difference between 44 and 192 Khz.. Isn't just that limiting such headphones?
 
Quote:

Hey DimitrisZ, Welcome to Head-Fi.
 
I think you shouldn't under estimate the iphone dac. Surprisingly it is quite good when combined with a good LOD and amp. And of course there are options other than iphone/ipod dac: the solo is quite popular this day, the imod, whipmod (basically ipod 5.5g with improved signal path). Try to listen to a proper mobile setting and you will be surprise how much it can do.


 

 

 

[Jazzyfi]

All apple devices are limited to 48KHz. I never heard Hifiman HM801 but they are able to handle 96KHz. I personally like my music to stay original, if the file is 24bit, 96KHz then I'll play it with my macbook pro to a capable DAC to hear it like it is supposed to be heard. Anyway, most of my music are still CD quality so I don't find the need to listen to my music with 192KHz upsampling.
 
Quote:

I havent heard the whipmod so I cant disagree with what you said.. But dont we still talk about non upsampling DAC? Can it handle high resolution files? Personally I find a huge difference between 44 and 192 Khz.. Isn't just that limiting such headphones?
 


 

 

 

[SpudHarris]

I've got a black cable already and have alway opted for the black when ordering customs, guess I just fancied a change. I may drop them a mail and change it, how long generally till the clear turns green??
 

 

[Jazzyfi]

Mine turns green within 1 year of intensive use.

 

[dj nellie]

Quote:

 

Hello all.. I had been a member to Head-Fi for years but about 5 years ago I decided to do the transition to speakers, and I just left the headphone hobby for a long time… 
 
Now that I am working in a really loud office with a lot of irritating people talking all the time, I started again to consider buying a really nice pair of headphones so that I can isolate myself in my personal music space… I am thinking to order the ES5 some time in the next months. It seems they are the best of the best someone can buy for the moment. I had a question though concerning the reviews and the opinions I have read from many users in this thread. 
 
How is it possible to review headphones like these by using just ipods and iphones (in the best cases with amplifiers). The internal DACs of any iphone/ipod dac produces a flat sound, two dimensional and plastic. Isn't it like you are buying a magnifying glass just to magnify a really bad printed photo?
 
Do these headphones in the end scale well in a good dac/amp system? Is someone going to get sound compared to really good speakers? 
​

Hey, welcome back to Head-fi.  First, I would say that we should avoid thinking that any headphone is "the best of the best."  I prefer to think of headphones as being groupable in tiers by certain characteristics and overall quality.  Based on the IEMs I've heard, the ES5 definitely seems to be in the top-tier, but I can't say it's any "better" than the UE Refererence Monitors or the JH16, which I've heard, or the JH13 and UE18, which I haven't.  I feel that all of these IEMs are probably more similar than they are different, since all should be on roughly the same level in terms of technical ability to resolve details, locate images, create a soundstage, etc.  The differences are subtle ones in the way that each IEM presents music, by emphasizing or cutting back certain frequencies.
 
I can't compare custom IEMs directly to good speakers, although it seems clear to me that customs:  (1) don't need a top-tier source and amp to sound close to their best, and (2) the sensitivity and low impedance of customs probably doesn't make them well-suited to being used with amps that were designed for high-impedance phones or speakers.  The few times that I've tried plugging my customs into high-end amps, the loud humming and hissing made it clear that I would need some kind of impedance adapter.
 
If you can somehow solve the impedance issue, then I would say yes customs definitely improve with better sources and amps.  What the ceiling is, I don't know, but one of the main advantages of customs for me is that high quality portable sources and amps don't cost all that much compared to speakers or full-size headphone systems, and yet portable sources like the HM-801 and the various iPod mods/digital extraction tools can definitely harness most of the power of customs.

 

[DimitrisZ]

Thanks so much for your response! I hope in the end I will not end up creating a second rig in the office just for the headphones… But .. well we are crazy here… Its gonna be the only desk with dac /amp and thick cables! all around!!
 
Thanks again for your responses guys! Im going to keep you updated. I am not going to wait for the Merlin, as I suspect that it's going to have more bass than I like. I am quite a purist an I don't like exaggerated bass (or highs). I think the ES5s (and 3s) are quite a long time out there so people have unbiased opinions on them
Quote:

Quote:

Hey, welcome back to Head-fi.  First, I would say that we should avoid thinking that any headphone is "the best of the best."  I prefer to think of headphones as being groupable in tiers by certain characteristics and overall quality.  Based on the IEMs I've heard, the ES5 definitely seems to be in the top-tier, but I can't say it's any "better" than the UE Refererence Monitors or the JH16, which I've heard, or the JH13 and UE18, which I haven't.  I feel that all of these IEMs are probably more similar than they are different, since all should be on roughly the same level in terms of technical ability to resolve details, locate images, create a soundstage, etc.  The differences are subtle ones in the way that each IEM presents music, by emphasizing or cutting back certain frequencies.
 
I can't compare custom IEMs directly to good speakers, although it seems clear to me that customs:  (1) don't need a top-tier source and amp to sound close to their best, and (2) the sensitivity and low impedance of customs probably doesn't make them well-suited to being used with amps that were designed for high-impedance phones or speakers.  The few times that I've tried plugging my customs into high-end amps, the loud humming and hissing made it clear that I would need some kind of impedance adapter.
 
If you can somehow solve the impedance issue, then I would say yes customs definitely improve with better sources and amps.  What the ceiling is, I don't know, but one of the main advantages of customs for me is that high quality portable sources and amps don't cost all that much compared to speakers or full-size headphone systems, and yet portable sources like the HM-801 and the various iPod mods/digital extraction tools can definitely harness most of the power of customs.

 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

I havent heard the whipmod so I cant disagree with what you said.. But dont we still talk about non upsampling DAC? Can it handle high resolution files? Personally I find a huge difference between 44 and 192 Khz.. Isn't just that limiting such headphones?

You should click on DACPort and 602 in my signature and have a look at it.  There is a wide variety of DACs in the portable market.  Also the flat 2D sound is not always a function of the DAC but the poor power delivery in most portable devices.  The gap between the best portable DAC and the best desktop DAC is a highly diminished return if there is a return to be had at all.  That's a topic for the science forum.  There is also debate as to whether the hi rez capability is what matters of being able to play those high quality masters.  Try downsampling a 24/192 to 16/44 and do an AB and see if you hear it.  Not saying this is my position, just presenting the arguments.  Anyway, these are topics for a different thread.  The ES5 will handle whatever you throw at it.  
 

 

[Jazzyfi]

I think you will have a great time with ES5. Just keep in mind that you don't need a powerful amp to drive it, most desktop amps will make a hiss when connected to it.
Pico DAC to a stepdance might be an elegant solution for your setup. Its an upsampling DAC to 24bit 96KHz. Both pico and stepdance has great reviews here in Head-Fi.

 

[Anouk]

@dimitriz If you dont need the solution on the go but only at your desk then also take a look at the ibasso line of products, they do have some integrated amp+dac solutions for headphones. For me I will mostly use the es5 on the road and when I am on a stationary location away from home so while I like ibasso these are not really an option and I am more looking into an all-in-1 mp3-player solution that works wellw ith headphones like the hifiman hm601 or the upcoming fiio x3 (may) or little dot player (june). Greetings, Anouk,

 

[lootbag]

I just use a Cowon J3 (+ EQ) with my ES5s on the road.
Sounds great to me!
Less bulk to carry around too.
 
I am however considering getting an amp or some sort.
Leaning towards the iBasso P4 at the moment.
 
I agree with Anouk above that the all-in-1 DAP solution is a very good choice.
Wanted to get the 601/602 but the J3 went on sale locally so I sprung for that.
Don't regret it at all.