IMO for something like a bl03 a dac/amp can be pretty negligible but if you’re planning to go up in performance tier your source chain should match. Note that it also depends a bit on the source as some phones like the LGs, and desktop motherboard audio has gotten pretty decent. however laptop integrated audio is generally not very good due to it’s size and proximity to other electrical components.
Also worth mentioning that the fiio products in my experience really should be used balance (own a btr5) as there is a pretty massive difference in quality between the single ended and bal outputs, which for something like an fh3 would just need a 15ish dollar 2.5mm cable you can find off amazon.
IFI IEmatch is a great gizmo as it pretty much silences any noise… purchased one when I got my ridiculously sensitive Andromeda’s… Hell No !! I would not trade them for anything… well almost anything…Totally eliminates noise and I can run them absolutely run them on high gain through my Asgard 3 and rock out to zero noise !!
I’m planning on spending 200 USD, so I was looking at the BTR3K + FH3. Could I get more for my money? Ideally I’d want an IEM with a nice v shape. Something like my BL03.
I guess that would do it. I would personally grab a Kbear TRI i3 if you can find it for around the same as the FH3. It has a very deep bass extension, very clear top end, and the mid-range isn’t too recessed - so I am not sure if this is something that you don’t want, since you did mention you want a V-shaped IEM.
However… if you do get the TRI i3, you will have to buy a more powerful amp/dac. So maybe the FH3 is the best option, give it a shot
Wow that is a good question… For comfort it is really hard for me not to pick the FH3 as it just fits so well… sound wise Hmmmmmm… Each has their strengths… Your ears are going to decide this…Not mine. I really like both… Never used for sleeping but still fh3 probably better comfort wise.
I think BLON 03 is pretty good at the center of its sound, but the fit is plain bad, and there’s really nothing magical or addictive about the sound(unlike the FH3). FH3 has a shallow insertion, so the fit is more loose than ideally(use the foam tips to help them stay more snug). I wish FH3 had the same shell(and cable) as Legacy 3.
I didn’t think the BTR3k was worth it compared to using the apple dongle as I couldn’t hear a difference. I’ve sold my FH3 because I think I definitely prefer a brighter sound. It is still a very good IEM though.
A quality DAC is important, yes. But I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any significant difference yet, between a DAC+amp and a DAC alone with IEMs. So, I really can’t recommend an amp as a necessity, but they do give you a volume control and pre-amp outputs. ^ ^
the btr3k reviews says its a warmer profile and better fit with ChiFi IEM’s that need tamed at the top end. But FH3 is probably already smooth. Would a btr5 be a better choice, or other?
This discussion peaked my interest a bit. Recently I was involved in a discussion on a different forum, where a person asked questions about the Blon 01 and if the playback on a phone would be okay (didn’t say what type of phone). I said that the Blon 01 sounds just fine on my iPhone SE 2020, but needs about 10% more volume than my other iems. I listen at about 45% volume, the Blon 01 is at about 55%.
Quite a few forum users indicated that nearly all the BLONS need amping to sound decent. And it was even said that a phone just doesn’t cut it for the Blon iems. Huh??? I’m confused… there is no way that the SQ of my iems is anything close to abysmal. What am I missing?
I use the Apple $10 lightning to 3.5 dongle, and I also use a Radsone ES100 (single ended). I’ve been listening to my Mangird Tea, switching back and forth between the two… and the SQ sounds a tad bit better with the ES100, but it isn’t dramatic. Maybe the SQ would be considerably better when I begin using Balanced on the ES100?
All of my iems are low impedance 16-19 ohm, 100-112 dB sensitivity, and none have planar drivers. I continue to research, trying to understand if there would be any benefit to using some sort of amp with my iems, to where it would increase the sound quality over what I am already hearing (which is very good imo).
Anyone have thoughts on this? Am I so far away from an “audiophile” listening level, that I am missing something here?
In my opinion, all you really need is the Lightning dongle now that I’ve tried different sources, I bought a FiiO K5 Pro and BTR3k and I cannot tell a difference between those and the dongle. I’ve tried them with my DT880s too and I couldn’t tell a difference there either.
In my honest opinion, it doesn’t make much of a difference. So long as the amp has enough power to push whatever you’re listening to, you’ll be fine.
DACs can improve detail and separation, but honestly not by much, and I believe there’s a hard wall that’s rather low in the price range of diminishing returns nowadays.
The only difference I hear with my Blon 01s and 03s in terms of amping is the background noise between a clean amp and my phone. My phone just isn’t as sensitive. The 01s do need a tiny bit more power than the 03s, but… it’s almost nothing more.
Balanced… oh boy. I never heard a difference when volume is properly balanced. Much of what I consider the “OMG so much better” factor is simply down to turning the volume up or expectations for stuff like this. Most balanced outputs deliver more power.
My iBasso IT01 is the easiest to drive, Blon 01 is at the other end, and the others in the middle. It isn’t more than a 10% variance in volume adjustment for all of them to be at the same dB listening level.
Although, I keep hearing the same thing… more source power (not talking about volume) provides better overall sound quality. The Blon 01 isn’t THAT hard to drive, so I guess I don’t understand the theory behind “better SQ through more power” regarding iems.
oh well… Led Zeppelin, Hats Off To (Roy) Harper… sounds freakishly good with Blons, iPhone, and lightning dongle.
Sorry guys I’m just jumping into the conversation but would this not also depend on the kind of amping that is being used? Like class A amping will sound different from class D and also tube amps would have a different sound? Personally I’m very interested to know what a class A portable amp (like the aune B1s) would sound like with IEMs.
