scottiebabie

it is my humble opinion that any upgrade in source is well worth the $$$. since i subscribe to the "garbage in garbage out" doctrine, i believe one can never have too good a source. the RWA imod is perhaps the best portable source one can obtain presently. regardless of 4g or 5g imod, the choice btwn both boils down to asthetics, packaging and perhaps cost. i myself is in the process of R&D'in a local mod of of equivalent SQ (hopefully). else, i'd be lining up to get myself a unit too. that said, one should also consider upgrades of music files to higher quality lossy or even lossless. again better in-better out. LOL!

hey heady it just occured to me that i might have inadvertently stepped on your toes with my initial post. let me set the record straight by declaring there was NO intention on my part to infer that u cant discern any sonic differences nor do i mean that u do not posess equipment of reference quality. i was merely agreement with the OP and offering a reason why. as is my wanton habit, i wrote faster than common sense dictates - the proverbial "sticking my foot in my mouth" . you're right of course in that we all hear differently and its neither better nor worse. pardon my poor choice of words

X2!! ps: mayhaps u can hired some boobs oops..i mean good help. (wink! wink! hint! hint!)

if u can get access to a Zune, just try the M3 offa the headout. its crazy good i tell ya. Zune/M3 is now my alternate fun/casual portable rig and IMO sounds much better than the 1gen shuffle/M3 or 5g ipod/M3 pairing. btw YMMV=Your Mileage May Vary. LOL!

nope your ears are just fine. i find the M3 alittle grainy and unrefined too but most people maynot notice it unless they have something more refined as a reference. but what the hell, one cant expect champagne for the price of beer. overall, its great value for the $$$.

kewl! thats great! too bad you're not a hottie s'pore chick coz this can be the begining of a beautiful relationship!!

i'd try the sony or philips tips 1st to see how it fits. im using the philips she95 tips and find that they seal quite well. plus best of all, they are easy to insert and remove which is a big bonus considering i use iM716 triflanges. Now thats a b*tch to fit but provides great seal though. goodluck with your new M3. give it a weeks burn-in and u'll love it!

wow! am i reading this correctly? is the kind gentleman offering to open up the candy jar for me?? just kidding bud. if you dont think my limited reviewing skills and insufficient headfi knowledge is a barrier, i dont mind giving it the old college try although i must admit that writing about headgear isnt as easy as it seems . what i am interested in getting a set of the soon to be released Westone 3. if we can workout something (either outright purchase or whatever) do inform me. i'll try me best to do a fair and honest review

hey thanks for all the encouragement and support guyz. i just did this outta fun and games but its nice to know u folks enjoyed it. ai've learnt quite abit about this hobby in the past year. as for doing more of this, errrmmm.....if someone by the name of Aron from an certain EE shop care to "lend" me their toyz, i'll see what can be done ps:nope ah aint no shyster Oooops...lawyer that is but like them, i do like to cover my asss quite a bit

Battle Prologue: This review is the 2nd undertaking I’ve ever done of its type and genre. The 1st was about a new high end (as much as I know) headphone that I bought when I got after a coupla months into this headfi hobby. It’s been a year or so since the time I picked up a headphone with any serious ambitions. This review of portable (and affordable) headphones came about when I got a bit bored and saw some hype on this new Mylarone and decided to obtained a unit to test the waters (and debunk the myth if it were so). There was no intention on my part to do any review as I did not believe I have the requisite knowledge. However because of the enthusiasm and effort of Uncle Walabies (you know who you are ) in ensuring I get this unit, I promised him I’d step up to the plate and attempt a review if I thought the M3 was anywhere close to good. So let the wargames begin…. Ancillary Battle Equipment: Toshiba lappie>foobar 2k>AAC 256/320>xitel mini-link USB DAC>PCWork DIY Canare mini2stereo> 24v powered Govibe V6 (AD8620)>headphones Description of Combatants: (I left out the resource sucking pics as most can just froogle for it if the want arise) Ksc75: as most of us already know, the Ksc75’s are a pair of open clip-ons looking rather cheap and plasticky but nothing could be further from the truth. The Ksc75 is extremely well designed and made. IMO it also scales up incredibly with proper amplification. Although I’ve discerned no noticeable difference from new to a well burn-in unit, suffice to say that the Ksc75 I have is well used. Mylarone M3: the M3 is a pair of earbud/canal fons with typical cheesy-looking china build and flimsy thin cables (maybe a bonus afterall ‘coz cables microphonics are barely noticed). The included tips are so atrociously ill-fitting that I replaced it with a set of L philips SHE95 tips. IMO amplification helps in gaining a slightly larger headstage and in across the board frequency control although the bass can be unnaturally over emphasized (dependent on amplification). A dramatic difference was noticed after a 24hr burn-in with significant improvement after a week’s worth. ATH ES7: a superbly built closed semi portable supra-aural headphones with twistable earphone for ease of packing. Looks aside, geeky status will be upheld when worn. In this case, proper amplification balances out the frequency range by tightening and de-emphasizing the bottom and extending the highs with corresponding increase in details IMO. Again the last remark will be amp dependent. Massive improvements were heard after an extended burn-in of a few hundred hours. iM716: basically a Ety ER4 pretender and lookalike with all colors available as long as its white. Comes with microphonic inducing thick cable, a sonic inhibiting volume and sound switching pod and a set of triflange and foamies. Microphonics is addressed by using a cable clip and I settled with the triflange for best sonics. IMO the iM716 gains huge through proper amping with greater volume and increases in full range control, bass extension and impact. Although a significant amount of time was spent on burn-in and improvements were noted, the jury on the burn-in effect of the balanced armature drivers in the iM716 is still out. The improvements I noted maybe due primarily to learning the correct insertion and fit procedures of the triflange tips. Lastly FWIW I performed a podectomy mod which IMO improved sonics by a significant margin. THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND BATTLE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: Thing You Don’t Have To Do ( Norah Jones ft. Peter Mallick Group) Ksc75: good airy wide headstage, micros are present with clarity, most recessed vocals, leanest sound, has good impact but slightly sloppy and lacks extension, still fun and musical, (6.5 out of 10) ES7: deep extended bass with good control, vocals a tad more recessed than M3, smallest headstage width but lush and full sounding with no gaps, a fuller and more refined sound than M3, limited depth, good treble details, (7.5 out of 10) M3: decent bass extension only lacking slight definition, airy wide top end but still smooth, slight recess vocals, good headstage width with good detail resolution, slightly warm and lush, (7 out of 10) iM716: leaner but natural presentation, bass is tight, clearly defined and textured, wide deep headstage, nora vocals clear and natural, nicely backed up by rest of band, great imaging with air surround each instruments, great sparkle to music, (8.5out of 10) ratings:iM716>ES7>M3>Ksc75 Fragile (The Police) Ksc75: airy large stage with distinct micro details, stings voice leanest and slightly less defined, guitar riffs are clear with good sparkle, decent fore/aft, a more analytical leaner but fun presentation just bordering on but not quite sibilant, (7.5 out of 10) M3: nicely detailed, stings voice is nicely focused infront, sweet smooth syrupy presentation, good sparkle, leaner but not bass deficient, good ear2ear width, (8 out of 10) ES7: no veil, good micro details, stings voice not as forward and more inline with soundstage, sweet smooth syrupy presentation, good height in headstage, missing fore/aft stage, nice weightier presentation, (8 out of 10) iM716: clear, detailed, intimate with every nuance delineated, vocals very upfront to almost infront of head with corresponding rear spatial feel, provides a very intense 3d spatial headstage, wide airy headstage with solid imaging, leaner but natural, transparent without being cold, bass not as thumpy as the rest but realistic with loads of detail, (9 out of 10) ratings:iM716>ES7/M3 (tied)>Kcs75 Savor (Santana) ES7: sounds superb on drum dynamics, fast and hard hitting, full control with deep impact, decent instrument delineation, smallest headstage, a hair too warm but with good resolution, lacking in headstage depth, fun and musical, (7.5 out of 10) Ksc75: leaner but clear and still impactful, deepest bass drums significantly roll off and muffled, good separation, larger stage, fast dynamics, overall a lightweight presentation, not as fun, (7 out of 10) M3: good balance in of warm, bass impact and upper end, ever so slightly veiled in clarity, slower than koss, bass not as deep nor controlled in bass n drums than es7, overall fun and musical, similiarly lacking in headstage depth, fun and musical. (7.5 out of 10) iM716: super fast, slightly lean comparatively but sounding realistic with good impact, zero distortion, background organ comes out clear and defined, biggest, widest, longest headstage, every instrument in its own defined space, leaner bass but sounding clear and defined, great headstage depth, (8.5 out of 10) ratings:iM716>ES7/M3 (tied)>KSC75 Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered (Stacey Kent) M3: vocals slightly nasally, less airy but still decently full lush headstage, a more intimate presentation, similar to ES but a tad less refined, (7 out of 10) iM716: Stacey sounds so real and intimate with zero nasalness, every breath nuance and foot movement are clearly heard, very clearly Stacey is upfront and the band is backing behind, horns are clearly a step behind Stacey sounding full and real, piano has nice weight and impact, cymbals are clearly delivered, (8.5 out of 10) ES7: vocals a hair nasal, but warm, sweet and lush, even though roll off in highs but good details, overall sounds closed comparatively, horns placement not as distinct but lush and full, grand piano weight to piano, romantic and musical, (7.5 out of 10) Ksc75: edgy nasal vocals, bass lacking definition and depth, good airy headstage with details, piano slightly less weight, horn presented very naturally and relaxed, cymbals are distinct and clear, (6 out of 10) ratings:iM716>ES7>M3>Ksc75 Me And Mrs.Jones (Michael Bublè) M3: decent headstage width, good bass depth and impact, Michael’s vocals comes thru sweet and full, big open sound with good treble sparkle, fun lush and musical, (8 out of 10) ES7: full headstage, great bass depth, syrupy and lush, vocals even fuller than M3, though colored but sweetly and musical, overall similar but more refined, slight lazy sound, good detailed treble sparkle, (8.5 out of 10) Ksc75: leaner sloppier bass but not inhibiting and still full of impact, vocals more recessed and has a hair edgy, slightly more sparkle with good clarity, cleaner more natural reproduction, wide big soundstage, the koss is in its element, clean but fun and musical, (7.5 out of 10) iM716: leanest but tight and natural sounding bass with good impact, clean clear but still sounding sweet and alluring, voice is so forward its almost like Michael’s singing right infront, onstage seating, brightish but big headstage, intimate and intense, horns are very extended without sibilance, (9 out of 10) ratings:iM716>ES7>M3>Ksc75 Nothing Sacred (Russell Watson) iM716: vocals sound realistic and intimate, full airy headstage, brightish but not sibilant, very good upper extension details, (8.5 out of 10) Ksc75: vocals recess and a hair edgy, wide airy headstage, treble is clean clear sparkly, bass is lean lacking definition, lightweight lacking warmth, (7 out of 10) ES7: vocals warm but alluring, good weight to music, lush and romantic, small headstage lacking depth, fun and musical, (8 out of 10) M3: vocals a hair grainy but musical, smallish headstage, lightweight sound, good air with sparkle, middle in bass impact, nice balance, (7 out of 10) ratings:iM716>ES7>M3/Ksc75 (tied) Lithium (Nirvana) Ksc75: nice guitar riffs, drums have nice punch/impact, open clear airy headstage with good details, good dynamics, kirk’s vocals more inline with band, nice open effect, grainy at upper transients, (7 out of 10) iM716: surprisingly tight defined impactful bass, super treble extension, drums in background where it belongs, slight treble edginess, headstage airy and detailed, otherwise good solid and realistic musical presentation, (8 out of 10) M3: good full bass impact with good upper treble, well balanced sound, slight edginess on vocals, nice full smallish headstage, (7 out of 10) ES7: full, tight and punchy in bass and overall sound, bass in forefrt as usual, euphonic smooth, again detailed with no hint of sibilance, smallest headstage, too euphonic for realism but very musical nonetheless, (7.5 out of 10) ratings:iM716>ES7>Ksc75/M3 (tied) Sexual Healing (Sarah Connor) ES7: deep tight bass follow by sara’s sweet lush voice, euphonic, warm and musical, full headstage, great meathy impactful presentation, good treble resolution, no sibilance or graininess, (8 out of 10) M3: good bass extension although a smidgen less than ES7, bass is more in line with background allowing Sara’s vocals to come thru, nice full headstage, good balance sound, euphonic, warm, sweet lush sounds, upper treble comes through with clarity, (7.5 out of 10) Ksc75: most roll off in bass, least impact/slam, sara’s voice slightly lean and a tad edgy, open and airy, bass slightly unrefined (as in thumpy), decent headstage and treble details, neutral fore/aft stage, (6.5 out of 10) iM716: good punchy and defined bass with drums clearly delineated, good bass depth, Sara’s vocals sweet and real, amazing fore&aft 3d headstage with great air and separation, perfect blend of realism and intimacy,not thin nor euphonic, solid tightly focused imaging, slightly bright, (9 out of 10) ratings:iM716> ES7>M3>Ksc75 Broken Drums (Beck) Ksc75: bass is totally overwhelmed almost distorting, vocals are leaner, nice big headstage, whole experience collapsed by lack of bass extension, (5 out of 10) ES7: bottom are extended, deep and impactful, warmish vocals, organs are nicely placed at background, great bass slam, smallish but full headstage with lots of details, smooth impactful fun and musical, (8.5 out of 10) M3: good bass impact and extension though just shy of ES7 but good slam nonetheless, bass just a tad loose, good full headstage, good upper extension but a smite grainy, otherwise a similar to ES7 presentation, 8 out of 10 iM716: surprising amounts of bass, not as impactful in quality or quantity as ES7 but well defined, highs well extended without being harsh, good headstage with solid imaging, neither lean nor warm, (8.5 out of 10) ratings:ES7/iM716 (tied)>M3>Ksc75 Jammin’ (Bob Marley) M3: opened detail with good bass slam, Marley sounds upfront and intimate, smallish but full headstage, balanced fun and musical, (7.5 out of 10) ES7: opened detailed with deep full bass that’s not muddy nor overwhelming, bobs voice blends more with band, warm smooth silky fun and musical, smallish full headstage, (8 out of 10) Ksc75: bass lean and tight but missing slam, good airy headstage with treble extension, quick dynamic, losses out in bass but gains in clarity and openness, fun and enjoyable, (7.5 out of 10) iM716: loses abit of weight and impact comparatively but gains depth and bass definition, bass only leaner compared with ES and M3, moves bass guitars to wayyy in the back with total emphasis on vocals, bob sounds real and intimate, deep headstage with good clear air surrounding instruments, imaging is rock solid, width of stage widest, fun and musical but bright, reggae genre its not its forte, (7 out of 10) ratings:ES7>M3/Ksc75 (tied)>iM716 Revelations (Audioslave) iM716: beginning lead guitar riffs are placed perfect in the background, drums entre is solid, tight with plenty of slam, vocals come on in the forefront, supported by ear2ear guitars, electrostatic like quickness, overall a brighter edgier fatiguing performance, (7 out of 10) ES7: delicate beginning guitar riffs following with controlled defined slammin’ drums, vocals ever so slightly forward but smooth and lush, not as wide a stage but works in rock/metal scenario, overall a lush full slamming but smooth rock presentation but still sounding balanced with WoW factor, no fatigue at all, a definite head bobbin’ time, guitar riffs full of impact, (8.5 out of 10) M3: good upper extension, good bass slam, slight upper graininess, decent headstage, vocals slightly lean, fun and musical but just slightly behind ES7, (7.5 out of 10) Ksc75: clean and clear with surprising bass impact, vocals recess with more emphasis on guitars, widest stage, slightly grainy in upper end, a quicker clearer lighter presentation but still impactful and musical, (7.5 out of 10) ratings:ES7>M3/Ksc75>iM716 BATTLE DAMAGE ANALYSIS: Ksc75: What else need said ‘cept it’s the undisputed King of Budget audiophile headphones. The Koss is my 1st purchase and foray in an audiophile quality headphone and had me gushing expletives of holy sh*t and fooking ‘el, this is good! At least way better than anything I’ve heard that came with any ipod or ancient sony walkmans. I thought it had it all. But a year has come and gone and sadly, the koss has barely seen any duty. To me its strengths are its clarity, open extended airy headstage, good upper extension with resolution combined with what I thought was good bass slam. With a pittance year’s worth of headfi experience, I’ve come to the sad realization that the once slammin’ bass is just a bump in mid/upper bass and that infact, the bottom end of the koss is seriously rolled off. Their once extended sparkly highs now contain a buncha underlying sibilance and graininess just simmering at the surface. The once vaunted mids now seemed so recessed that I find it barely acceptable. I like my music with the vocals being the centerpiece, the main attraction, the raison d’être, with the rest and everything else being its supporting cast (the one reason I’m so enamored of the iM716 is ‘coz it throws the mid vocals so forward and upfront that it almost extends way outside my temple). The koss’s biggest downfall for me is that I find the vocals so recessed that it’s buried in with the rest of the music - a total bummer for me. That said, the koss still puts a smile on my face with how it portrays rock and rock guitars and even jazz/latino tracks. Perhaps my disappointment lies not with the koss’s shortcomings but with my personal tastes and preferences. O…and being seen wearing hubcaps (wheelcovers for the rest of the world) as earrings and hearing snippets of other people’s conversations don’t quite cut the mustard nor does it float my boat. ES7: The ES7’s repertoire includes sweet lush mids, smooth silky but surprisingly detailed highs and a slammin’ jammin’ poundin’ bass. As good as the mids and highs are, the pièces de ré•sis•tance of the ES7 is its full and extended bass. It’s deep, it’s big, it’s bad (ass) and not in any way muddy nor sloppy. It’s one of those special cans that have great subwooferish bass upfront as much as the iM716 has the vocals upfront but still allows the rest of the frequencies to shine. Indeed, I’ve been surprised on more than a few occasions at how much micro details are served alongside the thunderous bass. Nothing is hidden because of its big bottom (sadly I can’t say same about some of my dates ). Indeed for someone needing a taste for an ES7 but finding the pickings sparse, go try a M3. The ES7’s presentation reminds me of a bigger badder Mylarone M3 with bigger badder better defined bass, slightly more refinement and better upper extension (and perhaps a touch more clarity and sparkle but that depends on the amp IMO), and just a hair more recessed in the vocals/mids. The smooth highs (though slightly rolled off) are abundant with micro details delivered silkily and never sibilant, harsh or grainy. The mids being just a smidgen less forward than the M3 giving the ES7 a more balanced though smallish (expected as it’s closed cans) headstage. More than just a jack of a whole buncha trades, the ES7 truly excels at electronica, rap and genres where bass slam is most called for. It goes well with most material but some care should to be taken with ancillary equipment. Because of its warm romantic nature and a tendency to glaze everything over with a liquid coat of honey and caramel, a quick, lively analytical oriented amp (eg. GV6 with AD8620) would best suit the ES7 to balance out its sound spectrum. The sweet-toothed here can disregard my last statement! And did I mention that on top of the geeky factor of wearing fullsize cans (albeit goodlooking and well built), the GAF/WAF (girlfriend/wife acceptance factor) is superb considering they have a coupla mirrors 6stuck to your ears to powder their noses with. Now that’s gotta be worth the price of admission . iM716: The iM716 at its best presents wonderful intoxicating music that puts the vocals way upfront and the rest of the supporting cast and instruments at the background to portray an intimate and surreal headstage that can be literally heard and felt (only the ATH W5k does this for me out of the cans I’ve heard). At the same breath, the width of headstage coupled with air on each instrument is the best amongst all the cans here. Indeed all other cans here sound 2D comparatively. Mids are full and wholesome but devoid of artificial warmth so much so that the music sounds natural and real. Vocals and instruments such as guitars and horns are rendered with such realism, speed and intimacy, it gives this listener a feeling of a live performance shimmering in (and out of) the head. Micro details are not just heard but are seemingly thrown at me. Bass is not just thuds but filled with nuances and texture. A prima facie case of quality over quantity. Source and amplification (and DIY mods) changes and improvements can and will have a significant effect on the music so synergistic matching is critical. For eg. the Tomahawk brings warmth and fuller, lusher mids while retaining upper resolution and clarity – a great balance for the bright and analytical iM716. On weaker material, the extended and high strung treble can and may overwhelm and at times some harshness and fatigue can manifest. Although bass quantity is not its forte, meaningful bass slam can be heard but only if the material contains that information. Its honesty dictates that nothing more or less will be heard. The iM716 will not be the weapon of choice for technoheads or rapperholics. The clarity, honesty and extension of its mids and highs are its raison d’être. The iM716 is for the discerning headphiler who demands super clarity and accuracy combined with an intimate and natural presentation. This honesty ensures that not all types of material and genre will be compatible but when it is right, (eg. Michael Bublè with “Me And Mrs.Jonesâ€) Michael is not just doing a number but singing and whispering intimately to me about a certain Mrs.Jones! IMHO the iM716 (and to a higher extent, its ER4 brethren) can and deserves to be the standalone centerpiece with which a wonderful headfi rig can be built around. Now if only my ears can cease feeling like a non stop repeat of DeepThroat! (god I hate to say this but my ears know how Linda Lovelace feels!! ) M3: Let’s begin by saying what the Mylarone M3 will not do. It will not replace your fullsize mega dollar cans. It will not have the deepest bass nor the biggest headstage nor the most resolution nor the best accuracy….and it will not be the basis of a hi-end headfi rig. If you’re not fazed by all that, let me tell ya what the M3 can do. The Mylarone M3 can sound sweet, silky and lush with vocals, can provide the weight and energy to give piano and guitar life, can give deep impactful bass for R&B and electronica, can be flexible enough for all kinds of rock/metal and can provide an abundance of micro details to keep jazzophiles smiling. While not a master, IMO the M3 is a tad better than a jack of all trades. On top of dishing it all out with aplomb filled with dollops of creamy syrupy goodness, the M3 is also most forgiving of material, genre and ancillary equipment. Even though it did not score the highest in any category, the M3 is proof that the sum of its whole is greater than its parts. Indeed it does most things well and none badly, amped or just off a DAP headout. Infact the M3 has this crazy good synergy with my recently acquired MS Zune. Thus paired, it does lose a smidgen of bass slam and exhibits this ever so slight mid/treble edginess (although only barely if noticeable at all), it gained a whole barrel of clarity and sparkle that keeps me enthralled. If Bill Gates (or whomever in charge of Zune marketing) ever hopes to kick Apple’s Ipod’s ass, all they have to do is to bundle the M3 with the Zune! When cost, convenience, size, form, synergy and comfort are factored into the equation, IMHO the M3 is among the best (if not the best) headphone value for a portable DAP rig in the price2performance index. If I didn’t already own one, I would run not walk to the nearest Mylarone dealer to audition the M3. Anything less and I’d be doing my ears a disservice. Quod Erat Demonstrandum Collateral Damage Disclaimer: Firstly it must be reiterated that all impressions, findings and ratings are only my personal opinion (which maybe biased towards my own sonic preferences) and applies only in the context of this review of these 4 headphones. So do feel free to disagree with and/or come to different conclusions. The usual YMMV applies and everyone should be strongly (and forcibly IMO) encouraged to audition for themselves and believe what the grey matter between the ears says. Secondly I find that equipment synergy plays a huge role. The Ksc75 happens to scale up and perform extraordinarily with the D2’s discrete headamp while I much prefer the RSA Tomahawk with the iM716 and the ES7 paired with a GV6. I picked and used the GV6 amp for convenience and as a fixed variable (and also because it’s a good portable amp IMO). The results will be vastly different with using just an Ipod’s headout. Thirdly do be aware that not only am I being hypercritical, I’m attempting to split hairs. Some of the differences I noted may not be as noticeable or as dramatic when listening in a relaxed non critical environment. Fourthly because of the involved fitting/seating process of the iM716 triflanges, abx’in was only done with the ES7, M3 and Ksc75. Comparison of iM716 with the rest of the pack is basically done from memory. Some resultant skewish is possible from my lack of Total Recall (one of my fav Arnold movies btw ). phew...!

nope as far as i know, GV6 is non opamp rollable. everything is smt'd. U might be able to roll opamps if u can solder/desolder smt pcbs.

if i understood Norm of Govibe correctly, the new V6 comes with 12v charging circuit to charge the internal 9.6v NiMh battery. downside is V6 can only be powered up with 12v linear regulated PSU. any higher V and the 9.6v battery gets fried. V6m comes without the internal battery charging circuit so it can be powered with up to 24v for maximum SQ. downside is the 9.6v battery has to be charged externally. i wrote Norm and discovered that the V6 can be effective turned into a V6m by removing the 9.6v NiMh before plugging in 24v PSU. to me, the reg GV6 is a more convienent choice. YMMV.

i had a fren DIY me a infinitely variable 5-26V linear regulated PSU coz i know it'll be useful for lotsa things. my Govibe6 is a non M model but according to norm, i can power it up with 24v if i remove the battery. plus i can also power it with 12V and charge the battery. so i got the best of both world really. i also got lucky as the RSA Tommy i adopted already has 600-800 hrs. saved me a whole buncha burn-in time i tell ya. re. SQ, in battery mode only, i believe the Tommy's better. goes deeper with a full, lush 3D soundstage while being very detailed - its almost tube-like. the Goshow6 OTOH gives a wider soundstage, with similiar high resolution but a little light in the bottom end and not quite the lush 3D effect of the Tommy. Tommy goes great with iM716/ER4 coz it brings out more bass and smooths the extreme highs while retaining the detailed clarity and lush mids. the Govibe goes great with my ES7 coz it opens up the closed fon soundstage slightly and made it much more balanced by de-emphasizing the heavier bottom while providing open detailed highs. all in all, they both complement each other depending on the cans used. powered by 24V, the Goshow gains more control over all frequencies but esp. bass. much better slam, impact and PRaT. 24V Goshow give a very impressive "big" home amp type sound that to these ears is comparable to my Zhaolu D2 discrete headamp and PPAv2 (3xopa627s). YMMV

O btw, i also run a 24v regulated PSU to my govibe 6 (with NiMh battery out) and to my ears, it scaled up a notch or 2 so i highly recommended u do a comparo with that 2. IMO it turns into a very nice home amp to drive even HD600s. FWIW i also recently adopted a RSA Tomahawk and the Govibe complements the TH very nicely.

im gonna throw u a curve ball and tell u to audition a GoVibe v6 (ad8620). super detailed airy soundstage with good dynamics and decent bottom end (its not a bassheads dream however). background is totally black on mine (low gain version used with iM716/ES7/ksc75 and occationally HD600). best of all, its 1/3 the price of a Tomahawk and 1/4 the Hornet. u do the math

the best portable source bar none is iwine imod 4g 60gb ipod available from iwine audio in the states. u can buy it online and it takes 2weeks and will play flacs (and other formats) if u install rockbox. only caveat is the imod turns the headout into a true lineout and u have to pair it with an (preferably good) amp. cost about us500 for the whole shebang inclv 60gb ipod or us200 for the imod only. if u care about SQ OTG, its the best investment u can make at the moment.

i believe the iBasso P1 also allow opamp rolling which mite greatly improve the sound sig. the ebay price of about us100 makes the p1 a superlative buy. however the slightly bigger/heavier size and a medium battery life (20hrs or so) mite make it an issue for some. another great choice is the new govibe v6. i believe norm delgarno will customize the gain if u want it specifically for the ER4. its also similiar in cost to the iBasso P1. im sure theres also a whole buncha other porty amps available now. great time for portaphile headfiers to be alive!

X2. unless ur gonna spring for a lineout dock and a very decent amp (a RSA HORNET is realy nice ), i dont think u'l garner much improvments.

although i've only had a brief audition (not enuff to make a concrete statement though), i'd say MS ZUNE has one of the better headouts for a DAP on the market. give it a shot and let us know. its widely available and priced quite reasonbly AFAIK.

havnt heard the px100 (its an open can btw) but despite the lack of love for the ATH ES5 here, i personally like it quite a bit. its closed (cuts out quite abit of ambiant noise), very dynamic, good clarity and decent bass extention/impact with very pleasant highs. IMO the ES5 is very musical with a ever so slight emphasis on mid range so its good with vocals2. if theres a bug, its the comfort issue for me. the headband is basically a coiled metal band wrapped in plastic and is held on ur head by the force of the coiled metal band. the pro is that the headband doesnt have to touch (hence wont mess up ur hair ) the top of the head at all. the downfall is that the headband is basically non adjustable. after a while, i do feel the pressure on the ears . otherwise, the ES5 is bulletproof in build quality. makes a great alternative to the ksc75 IMO. ps:IMO burn-in smooths out the treble quite abit.

k. will be eagerly awaiting your review.

aron@SE, any update on the HF HA01 with the W5k? very interested to know how they synergize. thxs

dont rich ppl just make u sick! it does to me..sick with envy ! hehe! only kidding razor dude..we all just wanna be u on the subject of W5k fit, mine's fit very loosey goosey and i dont believe i have a midget head. howeva, i dont find that the fit has any sonic deficiencies. while pressuring my ears by compressing the 2 wooden cups with the hands do make the bass abit deeper, i find the bass sans hand pressure just fine. if its lacking, dont blame the W5k. it waznt in the recording in the 1st pl

unfortunetly, the budget is never enuff ! if u know whats good for u, i suggest u get yourself an ipod (or whatever), a decent set of IEMs (superfi 5pro, etymotics, etc..) and voila....u got yourself a portable tunesystem for the office or watever u maybe. believe me, your bank acct will thank me and maybe your wifey will still speak to ya . if not, welcome to the world of audio poison...

bro, FWIW I'l try to answer u as best as i can although im sure there are more well informed sifus here. 1. any of the source u noted will do but ofcoz, the better the quality will usualy (but not neccessary) get u better sound. a quality redbook CDP should give u the best SQ. lappies usualy come with crap builtin sound cards so u mite think about a decent pcmcia external solution. all the rest should be fine if SQ isnt of prime importance. 2. IIRC the icute or little country are both headamps for headphones. they are both connected from your source, be it CDP, PCDP, PDAP or watever to your cans. 3. for speakers, you would need a stereo hifi amp. the above 2headamps will not drive the bookshelfs. if u spend abit more, there are some headamps (eg. LDIII+, high bias M^3) that mite drive very efficient speakers. 4. u realy should get a DAC with built in headamp if your gonna use your lappie. then all u need is a usb/spdif out that will hookup to the DAC. an eg. of DAC with decent headamps are ZHAOLU D2/2.5 with discrete headamp, LAVRY D1, etc.. GOODLUCK SHOPPING