ER 6 goes with which Headamp

[beetlez 0]

Hi, hope you guys dun mind that I post this question in this forum, was thinking maybe I should put this in portable audio forum instead...

 

First of all, I would like to know who owns an etymotic ER6. How does it sounds without an amp and plugged directly to a pcdp?

 

Second, I would like to know which headamp goes well with ER6. Planning to build a Meier DIY Headamp. Just like to know if it goes well with ER6. Or should I build a PPA Headamp to go with ER6.

 

(BTW, I'm planning to get an audio system: pcdp + ER6 + DIY headamp)

 

Appreciate if anyone would give their comments. Thanks!

[Firefox 0]

Frankly, a simple amp like a low-gain, battery powered cmoy would be fine..

[peekarwe 0]

I thought earphones shouldn't need much amplication. Not sure lar. I thought I didn't hear much difference with my sony ex71s when I amped them. Louder yes, but that's about it. They were pretty loud in the first place already.

[lekguan 0]

To some extent yes, but I do note that EX70 which I own does improve a little with amping (using only MINT). Earbuds benefit tonnes from amping, especially Sennheiser MX300 (didnt try mx400, mx500). By far, I find canalphones(tried shure e1c, and etys er4 with and without amping) are very forgiving towards amping as well as source. They are detailed but not so revealing, and amped or not, they benefit quite little. YMMV.

 

OTOH, you might consider a PCDP with a good head out. A great example would be D777. Nice warm, smooth head out.

 

I would say either get a PCDP with good head out or spend the money on a better canalphones, e.g. get the etys ER-4. More worth your buck than spending on amping for the ER6.

D777->ER4 = great! YMMV

[peekarwe 0]

I just thought that due to the low impedence, it is mostly un-neccesary unless you are trying to alter the sound to your liking.

 

LekGuan, I like your recommendation of getting a good PCDP with a good headout. At least, when you want to spend on the amp again in the future, you've got a good headout to begin with already.

[Absolute0 0]

I used to own a pair of ER-6's, and it sounds great unamped out of a PCDP as well as a flash-based mp3 player, albeit with a hint of harshness in the highs.

 

IMHO, using a headamp will not "alter the sound to your liking" (amping doesn't change the sonic characteristics of canalphones too much, IMHO), but would rather give you punchier bass (the ER-6's is notoriously bass-shy without amping/EQing), and smoother highs, as well as more details and slightly better imaging. But all these are rather subtle, so ultimately, you would have to decide for yourself whether it is worth the investment.

 

I used a Supermicro with mine, and liked the combo a lot, but a cmoy, Headsave's vibe series, a portable pimeta or a porta corda should do fine as well. PPA would definitely be overkill, and to start with, it is not exactly portable. The best bet might be to first find a decent source with line-out and then a better set of cans before going for the PPA.

[peekarwe 0]

IMHO, using a headamp will not "alter the sound to your liking" (amping doesn't change the sonic characteristics of canalphones too much, IMHO), but would rather give you punchier bass (the ER-6's is notoriously bass-shy without amping/EQing), and smoother highs, as well as more details and slightly better imaging.

 

Actually, if the amp is not really neutral, I am sure it will impart some kind of 'sound alteration' to the music. I mean, if you think about it, even cables can alter sound, much less a series of cables, solder, electronics, chips and knobs...

 

just for discussion, you cool?

[jealousy never dies 0]

We are all cool.

Edited June 2, 2004 by jealousy never dies

[Absolute0 0]

Haha, it's all IMHO, and of course YMMV. I am perfectly cool with that. I'm sure too that there will be "sound alteration", but not always be "to your liking".

 

I perceive that the sonic characteristics don't change too much with amping for canalphones, at least for both the ER-6's and ER-4's with which I have done critical listening for months on a daily basis. The bass just becomes more prominent (you still will never get the kind of bass you get with other cans, say HD650 or CD3K), highs get smoother, etc. but it's all subtle and you don't suddenly get a drastically different sounding beast. I personally feel that the colouration with amps on canalphones is not as prominent as on full-sized cans, and again, YMMV.

 

Moreover, whether it is "to your liking" will also depend on the type of music you listen to. But overall you do not get an amp just to "alter the sound to your liking", but perhaps more of doing so to better tap on the cans' inherent potential.

 

Hmmm... And there still are many cable skeptics out there, and I won't want to be drawn into this debate about whether cables alter sound due to a lack of experience with them. But it's really interesting what both camps have to say.

 

[peekarwe 0]

Moreover, whether it is "to your liking" will also depend on the type of music you listen to. But overall you do not get an amp just to "alter the sound to your liking", but perhaps more of doing so to better tap on the cans' inherent potential.

Wow! This is totally well said! I used to tell a friend, that as long as the system is to your liking, why you bother with the review and what others are listening to? Yes, you do not get an amp to alter the sound to the liking. But you have to think in terms of overall system coloration. For example, if your amp and cans are sounding overly bright for you (may be alright to another person), you want to tame it down with cables tonally biased towards mids and lows.

 

[peekarwe 0]

Hmmm... And there still are many cable skeptics out there, and I won't want to be drawn into this debate about whether cables alter sound due to a lack of experience with them. But it's really interesting what both camps have to say.

Cable Skeptics. Well, talking about that, I was one myself. But I remember the first time I heard a difference in cabling setup, I was convinced myself and from that point onwards, became more critical when it came to cable setup and have always used cables to match or slightly boost a system in the areas where it needs help. This sounds very methodological but honestly, when it comes to doing it, is more subjective than anything.

 

The song which I heard differences in cabling was Kit Chan's song, Zi Yao Gong Ni Huo Yi Tian, the song in Snow Wolf Lake. Superb acoustics, superb recording, no instruments (in the beginning), just her voice. With different cables, you can pick out small naunces in her voice and the depth of field/imaging/soundstage is different. Quite amazing. All this experimentation done courteousy of a friend trying to prove cabling differences to me. No comments from him, very unbiased experimentation. From then on, I was more atuned to what to listen out to. Having a friend with a sharp ear helps.

 

Then again, all the above are based on my preference for music. For someone else, it may not apply to the kind of music they listen to. Or even taste of that particular form of music might differ.