Sithspawn 0 Report post Posted February 14, 2011 (edited) I'm currently using the Sony MDR EX 700 in-ears for about a year now and i'm satisfied with it except for a couple of things which I hope a portable headphone amp will solve. My on-the-go source is an iPod 120G: Firstly i'm partial to the sound of Sony headphones and earphones. I was using a pair of V600s before and I was quite happy with the loud and yet tight bass and smooth highs. Against a pair of grado SR80s the were pretty much similar except the highs were cleaner and more refined on my V600s (My friend who own the grados agreed with me). These EX 700 in-ears opened up a whole new dimension in my music listening. I was hearing a lot more detail while preserving that tight bass and clear highs. The only problems with these in-ears are: they are a bit too shrilly especially when listening to classical music with violins. Overall they are fine with most pop and rock music but they do have a tendency to tire your ears out. The second problem I find is that it has good focus but it narrows the sound stage a bit too much. Making it sound a bit more open would be a great relief to my ears as well. I've tried them out with an iBasso D10 for a few weeks and it made them even worse sounding. They became even more harsh so I need a recommendation for portable amp that can tame them down without losing the detail too much. I'm also interested in geting a LOD cable and need a recommendation for one. Just FYI, I'm a sound engineer so my hearing is a bit more detailed that the average ear, I have a tendency to get irritated by things that don't quite sound right. (well, we all do, but even more that the average fussy user anyway) As for the budget, I'm open to not too ridiculous suggestions. I'm willing to spend money on things that are worth it (I'm considering getting the JH16 pro after all) and I do understand that after reaching a certain level of price/performance, anything more that you pay for is just gonna be for just a slight refinement like the Sony MDR EX 1000 I tried out today. Thanks for any suggestions/advice. Edited February 15, 2011 by Sithspawn Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sithspawn 0 Report post Posted February 18, 2011 Anyone got any recommendations? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtl 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2011 (edited) Hi there, have you ever considered getting another earphone if the MDR 700 didn't match up to your expectations on the ibasso D10? Personally, I use the JH13 straight from my iPhone. No amp required. If you are already considering getting the JH16, I suggest getting it first and put a hold on the amp. Or the ES5s. Which Can be had for around $1500 including shipping from the dealer in Singapore. Plus they would take care of shipping on refits! Edited February 22, 2011 by gtl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
talip bin osman 0 Report post Posted February 22, 2011 IMHO, the problem you are perceiving is not brought about by amplification but your IEM's transparency... your IEM just exposes the limitations or the overall character of the ipod's DAC... i maybe wrong but just to be sure, hook up your IEM to a USB DAC/amp to your PC... listen to a few tracks from your audio files and if im correct these proplems you sre perceiving will go away... instead of using your budget to purchase a portable amp, allocate it for the hifiman 602... its a DAP, amp and USB DAC anyway... hard to go wrong with that one man... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
