radioactive28

If you're using the earbud types, I think the Mylarones and IEMs will easily top them where details is concerned. The most important thing is preference though. Something that the crowd say is better, you may not like because it has too little bass, or too little treble, or (as you mentioned) you can't hear the difference anyway. There's very little point in amping IEMs because by their very nature, they usually perform well even at low power. Plus, they go deep into your ears and block out a lot of external noise, so it's quite easy to hear a lot of details at low volume. While people do use IEMs with an amp, the difference is usually not day-and-night.

Interesting read. I'm not familiar the term bench test, but the frequency response of the SF5 EB was certainly a surprise. Never heard them myself, but enough reviews tell me that I probably couldn't take all that bass. It's interesting how the reviewer shows measurements, but doesn't explicitly correlate them to his opinions of the sound actually heard. He doesn't describe the sounds like the reviews we find around forums. I wonder if the scores given are due to his actually hearing or just based on the graphs.

SE has them at $2 a pair. I don't know about Jaben, but shouldn't differ by too much. The yellow foams have a problem though, IMO. I can get a brand new pack, and some of them leak naturally. Often gave me L-R imbalance, and sometimes, I could never find a pair whose isolation matched. Complys don't seem to have this problem, but they're damned expensive.

IMO, that may not always be the case to every user, especially if the MS-2 is also part of the OP new toys. I haven't heard the Ultimate Link yet, but among the Analogue Reference, I believe there's one that's not as obviously different in terms of sound. @ OP: if the MS-2 is indeed new to you, you might want to spend some time with it on just the the iPod, or what ever source it may be. Let its sound signature and nuances burn into your mind. With that, you will have a more solid reference when comparing the amp and the ICs.

"My iPod is not only scratch-proof, it'll scratch yours too. And just about anything else in this world " You know, I'm almost sure a gold or gem iPod has already been done.

Just a note while browsing a bit. The link to the Stereophile glossary has been changed. They seem to have made it more apparent and relevant. http://www.stereophile.com/reference/50/index.html It now includes a reverse glossary, i.e., "What terms can I use to describe a certain quality of sound?" instead of just "What does this term mean and refer to?"

What to get rid of depends on your purpose. If you're looking at portability, which option is more portable? iPod with one dock, or the other, or even, without? If you're concerned about sound quality, which option sounds better? Again, is it the iPod with one dock, or the other, or even, without? (In case you're wondering, this is entirely subjective, so you actually need to listen to find out. We're not going to have an answer straight out.) A natural question before these 2 would be: are you going to put in more money now to get a new dock, or maybe later, or not at all? I have this feeling you took the plunge without much thought at all. I think he got the i-affinity or i-cresendo, which has the line-out 1/8" jack built in, hence the dilemma of having to dump one of his new toys.

Were you just following a hype or something? iPod -> dock -> interconnect -> amp -> MS-2 If the dock can connect directly to your amp (meaning it has a 1/8" jack), congrats on having an extra IC.

Well, the Shure deal isn't a good deal. The units are priced above RRP, and the MP3 player is, apparently, 256MB.

As seen in today's IT show special. Got my e4c a month too early

I suppose you're right, but a recommended way? The long complys and tri-flanges probably make it possible to get a good seal, but still... IMO, it's pretty glaring and I needed to get the thought out of me. Let people be, I guess.

Just wondering, but has anyone noticed people wearing UM1s with cables straight down, normal earbud-style? The module isn't sitting in the ear, it's sticking out and looks weird. I've always felt like asking these people if they know it's not meant to be worn that way.

Thanks

I felt the wobbling, 22nd floor of a building along Robinson Road. Colleagues got all excited and evac'ed. Japanese bosses couldn't be bothered, LOL Reminded me of my days in the Navy =D

Time for sales consideration =D Depends on: - market demand (e.g., suddenly, everyone thinks a brushed metal iPod is cool, or the idea starts spreading somehow) - market supply (e.g., someone in Singapore starts a service to 'brush' the iPod for a small fee, or Apple sells a 'brushed' version) Currently, there's neither, so it partly depends on how you advertise in the Classifieds or online auctions. That, and go toss a coin.

If you can adjust your EQ by frequencies, you can try subtracting a few dB at 8~10kHz. I'm not entirely sure on this one, but play around a bit - that frequency range is commonly found on 5- or 6-band equalizers. And I find the treble clarity of the UM1 to be quite suspect, but I guess it's one of the better options for its price point.

At some point, Creative had major issues with QC. I can't remember where I heard horror stories of poor soldering on the PCB. But. The issue in the end is about how you use and take care of your player. HDD players are no-go if you intend to listen while running, jumping et cetera - the standard advice. The iriver T10 and T30 look pretty sturdy, but I've no actual experience with them, and they cost quite a premium, being what they are. metrablue has a good point about the after-sales service, though I think locally, most companies only offer up to a year of warranty. Strangely enough, the warranty is usually gone when you need it most.

Looks very much like the im716. The foams are a new touch though. Is this another one where they re-package and sell on brand power? EDIT: Ooh! A collaboration with Ety!

I never quite understand why people say they increase the volume as they listen. I listen on 10% volume and find that I need to turn it down as time goes. As a quick and dirty guide, find the level where you can hear comfortably well when in a very quiet place. Resist the urge to turn up the volume from this, even when in a noisy place. In fact, regularly turn down the volume. If the surroundings totally overwhelm the music, switch the music off and keep the earplugs on

Hence I singled out the more isolating models. The hiss level is fairly low, enough to be masked by the normal everyday sounds. IEMs and canalphones, on the other hand, gives about 20~30dB worth of isolation, which makes the hiss apparently louder than the surroundings. In addition to the UE or Shure volume attenuators, you can probably make your own attenuator by soldering resistors between a pair of male/female connectors. More trouble, but the components costs less. Lots of info on this at Head-Fi. EDIT: I thought you have a P->S adapter? You were asking about impedance some time ago, no?

Doesn't take too much to completely and utterly squash the iPods, if the 4G iPod I heard is representative. iriver and Creative are the better of the lot I've heard, but Creative's on the bassy side.

Try this shop on the ground floor of SLS, can't remember the name. The shop is not within the building itself though, it's at one of the exits.

Your earphones are basically too sensitive, picking up the inherent noise in the electronics. Add some serial impedance (read: P->S) to solve the problem. It's not limited to higher-end stuff. Affects all low-impedance earphones, just that it's more apparent in the more isolating models.

Hmmm? The E5c has a similar form factor to UM1/2, very snug in the ears, but customs? Nothing look like customs except customs

Perhaps you're looking at a crowd that really loves their E5c