[kingice10]

No problem!  Though I am not available in SG this month until August...It's nice to have some audiophile meets if SG has one.

 

[cooperpwc]

It does seem a shame to blame tinny sound from the iPod Classic on the ES5. CLAS definitely works with Classic. That's my rig. Regarding auditioning equipment, come to HK and visit Kingsound Audio. They have just about everything - including the CLAS.

I just had an amazing afternoon comparing universals to the ES5. None could match it but the Westone 4 did a nice job. It just doesn't integrate the sound as well. You still feel that the sound is entering your head via two ears. It made me appreciate how that aspect of headphones (and sound in general) just disappears with the ES5. It's one continuum.

The other great universal IEM - and a big shock for me - was the Grado GR10. These are really good. They actually integrate better than the Westone 4 - probably because they disappear deep in the ears. I am not saying that they better the Westone 4 in every regard but they are very smooth and musical. A pleasant surprise. As a tiny complement to the ES5, they have their appeal. They're definitely on my list.

 

[Jazzyfi]

Dude, we already told you several times in several pages in this thread. Buy an amp, a good one! Since you live in the Netherlands/Belgium, you can just drive to Nuenen to try the iQube and some RSA amps.
 
Quote:

In short; in order to benefit from the sound quality the ES5 is capable of, I need to equip my iPod with either an amp and maybe a DAC. If I understand it correctly, this will solve the tinny sound and makes the bass more noticable. Thus will create a fuller sound??
 

 

 

[b0ck3n]

The iPods measure really well with one caveat, as Anaxilus already described, a high output impedance that creates problems with all headphones that have non-linear impedance curves. Touch is 7 Ohms, Classic's 5, Nano is 2 and iPhone 4 less than 1. The Nano is unlikely to create audible problems, and the iPhone even less so - I don't know just how wild the ES5 curve really is but to make sure I'm hearing what the engineers intended for me to hear I'll look into the ZO with its 0.2 Ohms output impedance.

 

[uelover]

Quote:

No problem!  Though I am not available in SG this month until August...It's nice to have some audiophile meets if SG has one.

Haha nice travelling around with a good portable audio rig =)
 

 

[Jazzyfi]

Not true. I just bought a Nano and it still can't drive the ES5 bass properly. Flabbered, not defined. I think an amp is a must to drive the ES5. Without amp my FX700 is better than the ES5.
 
Quote:

The iPods measure really well with one caveat, as Anaxilus already described, a high output impedance that creates problems with all headphones that have non-linear impedance curves. Touch is 7 Ohms, Classic's 5, Nano is 2 and iPhone 4 less than 1. The Nano is unlikely to create audible problems, and the iPhone even less so - I don't know just how wild the ES5 curve really is but to make sure I'm hearing what the engineers intended for me to hear I'll look into the ZO with its 0.2 Ohms output impedance.

 

 

[b0ck3n]

I did say unlikely, I didn't speak in absolutes. I don't agree that an amp is a must, as long as you get a good enough source.

 

[uelover]

Quote:

I did say unlikely, I didn't speak in absolutes. I don't agree that an amp is a must, as long as you get a good enough source.

I will agree that with ipod, an amp is a need.

 

[Jazzyfi]

I stil doubt any "i" source can drive it properly. I had an iPhone 4 (stolen), still have an iPad, iPod 5.5g, iPod Nano 6g, none of them can drive the ES5 to the fullest. An amp will for sure improve the bass quality. Probably the Hifiman stuff (with an internal amp) can do it.

 

[uelover]

Quote:

I stil doubt any "i" source can drive it properly. I had an iPhone 4 (stolen), still have an iPad, iPod 5.5g, iPod Nano 6g, none of them can drive the ES5 to the fullest. An amp will for sure improve the bass quality. Probably the Hifiman stuff (with an internal amp) can do it.

Haha not talking about fullest here. At least ES5 should sound reasonably better than ipod earbud =)
 
Anyway, try comparing hooking the fat boy to the whipmod against any other ipod playing the same track. You are in for a surprise!

 

[pcmike]

Well I got my ES5s, not really impressed with the artwork. My images had no white anywhere in them, but the printed images managed to get a white edge which ruins the effect for sure. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't put any of my own artwork on them; live and learn.

So far all I can comment on is the fit, which is tight! When I had my impressions made I had one finger in my mouth, thank goodness I didn't use two. Its going to take a week or so of constant usage for my ears to adjust to how tight these are, but at least the seal doesn't break no matter what.

I'll quickly comment on bass... Coming from UM2s with foam tips, the bass directly out of an iPhone 4 is not lacking at all, in fact there is more of it then on the UM2s.

 

[b0ck3n]

Personally I prefer credit given where credit's due. The ES5 was designed to be used without amplification, and it is a remarkable sounding headphone straight out of an iPhone 4. That said alot of audio enthusiasts will want to try tweaking around with different set-ups, but saying that the ES5 sounds bad without an amp is taking things a bit too far IMHO.

 

[b0ck3n]

Grats pcmike! Your ears and tips will adjust, and hopefully they'll remain tight and secure.

 

[Jazzyfi]

It depends on what you think is "good". I'm used to listening to my ES5 with a whipmod + fatboy + protector with a balance TWag V2, of course ES5 with westone cable from a dap sounds "bad" to me.

 

[uelover]

I wonder why many people are saying that the stock westone cable is bad.
 
Seriously it isn't.
 
I have had twag and twspc and I still feel that the stock cable, while not as revealing, has a very natural sounding signature that I could not find anywhere else.