[uelover]

After trying out so many different portable rigs and cables, I find that I get the best sound (neutral, well-extended, transparent, balanced) from my very very simple rig:
 
1) Westone ES5
2) Stock Cable (Not those fanciful USD300++ aftermarket cables)
3) Xperia Ray Phone (Not DX100, not Sony DAP, not CLAS with Pico Slim/Stepdance)
4) Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 (Not Gingerbread)
5) Xperia Stock Music Player (Not poweramp and other music apps)
 
I don't even think that the headphone out from my phone will measure well either.
 

 
I am of course not promoting the use of my mobile phone for music playback on the ES5. After more than 1 year of ownership of the ES5, I believe that a good synergy in the rig is more important than having the most expensive and newest toy to pair with the ES5.
 
The stock cable, while being despised by many to be merely 'stock', is actually the best cable I have had with the ES5. All the other aftermarket cables I tried are colored and have their own flaws (refer to my profile for the list of cables I previously used with the ES5).
 
It was just 4 months ago that I switched back to the stock cable after a big merry go round. I have never heard the ES5 unit rumbling in my ear while subkick and the bass guitar are played until I moved back to the stock cable. In fact, I have never had the experience of an IEM rumbling in my ear before. Bass asides, the other frequencies sounded more natural and the highs are well-extended.
 
With a wrong rig component and a wrong cable, the ES5 could sound lean, dull, bright, lack of bass, as well as other problems. I had several of those instances myself and when that happened, I don't feel like listening to my ES5 at all until I removed those from my audio chain. Back then I was still relatively inexperienced and I thought that the ES5 was not good, that it was overrated by some others. To my surprise, it was not the ES5 but the other components in my audio chain that is the culprit.
 
I happened to be unlucky in the sense that I have gotten more instances of wrongs than rights in setting up the rig for my ES5 but I am happy that right now I have one of the leanest portable rig around on head-fi.
 
Nonetheless, to date, I still can't forget the joy of listening to jazz on the Whipmod with the Fat Boy LOD with Pico Slim. If I had a lot of cash lying around me, that will be the rig for me to spend on listening specifically to jazz/vocals. It may be a little too slow for classical and rock but its seductive warm sound is really something that mates really well with the ES5.
 
Ok, enough of me saying so much unrelated stuffs.
 
Lillee, I hope that you will enjoy the ES5 as much as we do over here =)

 

[uelover]

Edit: Do give the stock cable a try before jumping over to the toxics

 

[Lillee]

Nice write up. I am surprised about stock cable preference. The stock cable on the Westones do look better than anything from Shure (woefully inadequate). I will find out for myself soon I suppose.
 
Might I suggest that DAC is your weakest link? I personally have tried the following:
 
iMod (with Blackgate caps) > $$$ LOD > RSA Tomahawk
iPhone 4S
iPhone 4S > $$$ LOD > RSA Tomahawk
iPod Classic 7G
iPod Classic 7G > $$$ LOD > RSA Tomahawk
HP-P1
 
The HP-P1 is Hands down better than anything from those phones/DAPs due to one big thing, superior 32bit DAC chip. I am now in the belief that no phone has a high end DAC that can match the discreet DAC of HP-P1 or CLAS, or whatever else in this price range (Jaben's GoVibe Porta Tube Amp with DAC). The step up from phone DAC to discreet DAC is significant and even on the (now) lowly Shures there is a surprising and great resolution/performance increase in all fronts. 
 
Most noticeable is when I run out of battery on my HP-P1 and have to listen to headphone out on iPhone or Classic, the difference is significant. I can confidently say iPod/iPhone is unrefined and 2D. I want to say Rubbish but that's too harsh, they are great for a phone but nothing compared to mid to high end discreet components.
 
Read my review that I wrote back then: http://www.head-fi.org/t/596755/fostex-hp-p1-vs-gen5-5-imod-rsa-sr-71b-balanced-output-now-with-fostex-hp-p1-review-page-2/15
 
Sorry back to ES5.

 

[uelover]

Quote:

Might I suggest that DAC is your weakest link?

 
I will agree that the DAC in my phone, and also the amp in my phone, are the weakest link.
 
I had the CLAS before as well as DX100 (uses Sabre 32bit DAC chip). These DACs are much more technically superior than my Xperia phone. There are also many amps out there to pair with these DACs that are also much more technically superior than the headphone out on my phone. Some examples are the O2, Stepdance, iQube, Pico, etc.
 
My experience, however, is that as a composite whole, from the perspective of the entirety of the whole rig, I still prefer listening directly out from my phone as compared to those rigs.
 
I don't use 'cheap' interconnect between those components either.
 
Thus comes my comment that I believe synergy is still very important, or perhaps the most important thing in any rig for the ES5 to truly shine.
 
If I am not wrong, Googleli posted back then that the HP-P1 doesn't pair well with the ES5. Could be the HPA.

 

[googleli]

I think among the custom IEMs, Westone ES5 is relatively sensitive, and amping, while definitely changes the way it sounds, does not make as big a difference as with other customs, say my UE18 Pro.
 
Honestly, I still love the sound of ES5 (Twag v2 cable) with Galaxy Nexus the best, among all the portable DAC and amp rigs I have had. Although I have changed to the Samsung Galaxy S3 now, I think the Galaxy Nexus had a better synergy with the ES5. Looking forward to the Voodoo Sound kernel for the S3.

 

[Lillee]

 

If I am not wrong, Googleli posted back then that the HP-P1 doesn't pair well with the ES5. Could be the HPA.
 

 
 
Quote:

I just tried my ES5 on my HM801. The UE18 Pro with the Hifiman 801 is a nightmare. The ES5 is better with the Hifiman but still a big nono. The HIfiman 801 is really only suitable for something like the ER4P or UERM if you ask me. I prefer the HP-P1 headphone out or the HP-P1/CLAS -> SR71A/Stepdance combo for the ES5 any day.
 
 

 

Man, I thought I was starting to become jaded with this stuff, but listening to Lucy in the Sky with Dynamites on iTouch-> Fostex HP-P1 -> ES5 yesterday was incredible.  I don't know if the HP-P1 is really ideal for the ES5's, but it works out better than my Hifiman.
 

 
Can you post links to where they say it's not good??? I am wondering this as well. It's a $$$ problem for me if it is...
 
Here's Techpowerup's HP-P1 review, they are using ES5
 
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Fostex/HP-P1/3.html
 
 
 
I guess I will find out for myself in two weeks. It's all good, I've learnt long ago to trust my own ears for these things...

 

[uelover]

Quote:

Can you post links to where they say it's not good??? I am wondering this as well. It's a $$$ problem for me if it is...

 
Seems like it is not Googleli. Can't remember who was it that told me not to get the HPP1 for the ES5. I was on the verge of ordering one last year before someone warned me. I then went on to get the iBasso DX100.
 
I will be interested to try out the sound of the Samsung Nexus should the opportunity arise for me to lay my hands on it. The only downside is that it does not support expandable micro sd.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

The only downside is that it does not support expandable micro sd.

 
FAIL!!

 

[Lillee]

On a separate note, I am nervous and confident all at the same time that my impressions came up OK. It was a tight feeling impression and in fact right ear hurt a little as the sponge was so far into my ear. I told the audiologist this but both of them (there were two!) said not to worry as the tips will be cut off a lot earlier than where the sponge was inserted. Also using bight block she asked me to open as wide as I could, I guestimate 1.75 inches or so wide. When she removed them once set, there was a popping sensation, this is a good thing yes?

 

[uelover]

Quote:

FAIL!!

 
Yeah it really cripples the Samsung Galaxy Nexus' ability to function as a portable media player.
 
I am using a Lexar 32gb micro sd on my Xperia phone and have a Sandisk 64gb micro sd on its way to me.

 

[Lillee]

Quote:

 
Seems like it is not Googleli. Can't remember who was it that told me not to get the HPP1 for the ES5. I was on the verge of ordering one last year before someone warned me. I then went on to get the iBasso DX100.

 
Can I ask what the warning was about? Too high gain? Hiss? or SQ problems?
 
Another headfi member here and good friend who also has HP-P1 and UM3X as well as W4's and he only has praise for the SQ. He demoed ES5 recently at Jaben with HP-P1 and only had praise. His only problem was choosing between ES5, JH16 and FitEar ToGo334s.
 
I have personally tested nearly 2 dozen headphones and earphones with HP-P1 and the conclusion was, almost everything sounds great in general with HP-P1. I am confident the HP-P1 will be fine, will let you know in two weeks.

 

[uelover]

Quote:

Can I ask what the warning was about? Too high gain? Hiss? or SQ problems?

 
It's about the resultant frequency response. ES5 is unlike any of the other iems (including Westones universals) when it comes to equipment matching.
 
Yup I hope that it will work out for you.

 

[b0ck3n]

Quote:

 
It's about the resultant frequency response. ES5 is unlike any of the other iems (including Westones universals) when it comes to equipment matching.
 
Yup I hope that it will work out for you.

 
Doesn't that just imply that you simply don't like the ES5 as is? You've obviously tried it with proven "clean" sources such as the iPhone 4.

 

[uelover]

Quote:

 
Doesn't that just imply that you simply don't like the ES5 as is? You've obviously tried it with proven "clean" sources such as the iPhone 4.

 
I'm sorry but I didn't.

 

[Girls Generation]

I'm too lazy to quote all the posts I'm about to reply to.
 
Lillee, your audiologist is a pro, it seems she knows what she's doing, and she was giving you a musicians fit. The ES5s are going to be extremely tight at first, but with some oto-ease and some getting used to, your canals will adjust to them, trust me.
 
Googleli: Well, after A/Bing from DX100 to O2, I noticed slightly more textured bass and impact, that's around 5-10% more. The only use for my O2 really is to clean up the sound, where I would hear extreme amounts of hiss from my iMac, but when it goes through my O2, it'll become extremely clean. Same goes for my Galaxy Note.
 
Uelover: I guess I prefer slightly more open highs, where I can hear more "sparkle" and I cannot stand the muffled sound the ES5 stock gave me. I didn't want to EQ anything, and all I tried many different combinations of gear. The only solution that retained the exact sound of the ES5 while giving it slightly more sparkle and an open sound (getting rid of the muffledness), and with more textured bass, was my aftermarket cable from DHC. I guess YMMV and it's all subjective. I tried to keep as transparent as possible since I love the ES5's sound, and so I just stuck with ODAC and O2.