Years ago when recorded music on vinyl was first available, music fans would dress up as if going to a concert in order to listen. It seems daft now, but with their limited frame of reference and their respect for musicianship, we can understand.
And the same has happened many times since; with developments in technology over the past century or so, our relationship with music changes again and again. The development of such things as amplification in the 1920s, magnetic tape, and the famous Sony Walkman all affected our lives in one way or another. It brought more options when listening, and it brought more lifelike and better-recorded music to us. So much so, that we can now take it for granted to the point of listening to our musical heroes in our underpants.
Apple created its own musical revolution years ago with the iPod; although these little players tended to cost big bucks, it was another Walkman-like effect on how we consume music with the iPod’s (then) huge capacity of 20 or 40 gigabytes. Since then we’ve had micro SD cards which increase capacity, but the lasting perception since the iPod is that decent mobile audio is expensive. Step forward, Shanling!
The M0 achieves the mobile audio holy trinity; it’s small, can accept Micro SD cards of up to 512Gb, and costs only £99. Added to that, the M0 has features such as Bluetooth Hi-Res transmission, a touch screen and build quality you can bang nails in with.
Don’t believe us? Give the M0 a try and if your relationship with music doesn’t change within 30 days, we’ll give your money back!
What is it with the French wanting us to see the insides of things? The Pompidou Centre is all very well, but anyone wanting to fix the air conditioning needs a good head for heights. The Eiffel Tower, although a good effort, could do with a spot of rendering. Some nice Spanish arches and stone cladding would look a treat. And that glass pyramid – no self-respecting Pharaoh would be seen dead in it, I’m sure.
However, if I’d managed to squeeze 6 speakers into a package which fits into the bowl of my ear, maybe I would want to show it off too. Lauri Cular took these transparent treats home for a weekend, but do they sound as good as they look?
The Earsonics S-EM6 comes in a neat little briefcase-type box, but don’t be tempted to assume that these are for the conservative bowler-hatted commuter. These are a little more rock ‘n roll than that!
When I put the E-SM6s in, I was struck by the size compared to what I’m used to – usually 2 BAs are enough, and the housing for this half-dozen did seem relatively bulky. However once in place, they were as unobtrusive as any in-ear, apart of course from the isolation they offered. I live with a very noisy pet, and enjoyed the isolation aspect to the full. With audio coming through it’s very easy to ignore everything else.
One thing I will say is that these are not for the bass-shy. I popped them on and listened through my E12 which is relatively cool-sounding. My first thought was ‘now let’s try it with the bass boost off’ – but it was already off. Most of the time this wasn’t such a problem; the bass doesn’t get in the way of anything else in particular, and only a few tracks offered a problem when it came to bass.
I decided to capitalise on this and tried some rap and dance music. The S-EM6s gave some excellent sub-bass and seemed to suit these genres well. Separation and space is amazing. I’m sitting in the office dancing in my chair as I try to type. The midrange reminds me of the Final Audio Pianoforte X I tried a few months ago; amazingly real and engaging, with a very real sense of the space in which the presentation is contained. Detail is superb, and placement is as good as anything I’ve heard from an in-ear.
Classical music is very involving as well as more jazzy soundtracks. As I type, I’m enjoying the slowly building tension in Lalo Schifrin’s ‘Shifting Gears’ from the Bullitt soundtrack. The bass is of a very low frequency in this track (an alternative version, track 25 on the CD) – but quite voluminous. It threatens to detract from the other instruments but doesn’t quite. Bass boost is not an option here either.
I have found that tracks like this are in the minority however, most well produced music will not offer a problem. But if you hate too much bass, avoid the S-EM6!
There is a bit of a top-end roll off as well, but this is a problem for all of 10 seconds. The mids and high mids are so real-sounding, any desire to have the higher frequencies boosted just gets forgotten. I’m now listening to ‘Beat It’ by Michael Jackson – just before Van Halen’s guitar solo there’s a knocking sound. I knew it was there, but it scared the life out of me!
All in all, the S-EM6 is a very well built and solid model from Earsonics, but I would prefer to see some sort of porting option to ease the bass down a little.
Lauri Cular gets his magic towel and liniment ready for The Big Rig Showdown – which is the true mobile music master? The Cypher Labs Theorem 720 vs The Cypher Labs Solo -R / Just Audio AHA-120.
For many a year, we’ve had great fun at the expense of the music fan on the move; what about those roller skaters with half a coconut over each ear? Then of course there’s the Atlas figure with a ghetto blaster and curvature of the spine, and who can forget that legion of listeners with those white buds of mediocrity?
“Darn these Confederate batteries!”
For some however, no compromise is acceptable; great sound quality just has to be paramount. A lump in the trousers causes no embarrassment in such cases. So who exactly is trying to get these big things in our pants?
There’s a wide selection of portable bits and bobs as we all know; with the more static listener, there’s known to be an entry or ‘low’ end of the market and a high end. Portable devices, by the nature of who they’re generally aimed at, are mostly built around price and convenience; some of them only accepting MP3s or similarly lossy file formats.
Apple’s recent impact on the portable audio market is well known, and although their products have a fair reputation for out-of-the-box audio quality, it’s very difficult to satisfy all scrumpers. Due to the success of Apple’s fruits, other manufacturers deem it worthwhile designing ways to improve the sound quality of these devices.
It’s well known that a low-cost cable can be attached to a 30-pin connection which provides a line-out signal; a signal which bypasses the internal amp of the iDevice, to be fed into an external amplifier. This can give sound quality a boost, certainly where less sensitive headphones are involved. Line-out lightning connectors for newer devices are available via Apple, but they ain’t giving them away.
However, this cuts little ice with those who strive for their jive – Apple’s DAC is still doing the conversion to analogue. Perhaps understandably, Apple would not have such a marketable product if all components were as high-spec as possible, and the DAC is no exception. It’s to get the job done adequately.
Apple has been protective in the past when aftermarket manufacturers wanted to get in between their rind and pips; indeed a hefty royalty has been required should anyone want their product to truly interface with the iDevice’s software. This has affected the price of available gadgets greatly; hopefully this is changing.
Fostex’s HPP1 is one example of a DAC which will decode music on an iDevice, but here we will compare two high-end arrangements provided by Cypher Labs and Just Audio.
..The Theorem 720 with iPod Touch
On one side we have the new Theorem 720 from Cypher Labs; an all-in one solution providing both digital-to-analogue conversion and amplification. On the other, we have the Cypher Labs Solo -R, with separate amplification provided by Just Audio’s A-Class AHA-120. How do these compare, and is the extra bulk of a separate amp (and extra connections) worth it?
The headphones I used for this are at a similar level – the effortless Beyerdynamic T1. Being a semi-open headphone, these are not the first choice for portable use but are excellent for judging the subtle differences in sound quality between high-end rigs, and for illustrating how powerful the amps are.
The Theorem 720 blew me away with its accuracy and power, but the latter depends on the mastering of the recording. For instance Aha’s ‘Take On Me’ (what better to test this against the AHA-120?) was blisteringly loud, but Queen’s ‘Another One Busts the Dust’ needed more headroom. Of course, the T1 headphones are rated at 600 Ohms with 102 dB sensitivity, so the bar’s unrealistically high for portable power requirements. It gives a good comparative impression though.
Bass was present and under good control. The mids had great detail and strength, and the highs were crisp and clean. Soundstage and separation were very immersive, and I was very impressed with what I heard. However, specialist interconnects such as those supplied by ALO Audio were not used, just the standard 30-pin to Micro-B USB connection provided with the Cypher Labs unit.
It’s not hard to imagine that a plethora of high quality interconnects will be available soon for the Theorem.
..Just Audio AHA-120 with the Solo –R and iPod Touch
So then I popped on the T1s with the same 30-pin iPod – now with a Cypherlabs Solo -R, and the Just Audio AHA-120 headphone amp. There was an ALO Audio interconnect between the iPod and Solo -R, and an iBasso 3.5mm to 3.5mm between
the Solo -R and AHA-120. This rig has a slight advantage here.
The bass was a little more present, but by no means excessive. Mids were more recessed than with the Theorem, and high frequencies not so clinically accurate. The soundstage was a little narrower too.
But for all that, I far prefer the Solo -R/AHA-120 combo as it sounds so effortless and natural. The difference is like that of spandex and silk. Spandex is functional, comfortable and easily cared for. Silk on the other hand reqiuires a little more TLC and is expensive. But all that trouble seems unimportant when hitting the town with my silk shirt on – the pleasure of wearing ultra-stylish, comfortable and cool fabrics makes all that seem unimportant.
And so it is with the Solo -R/AHA-120. Even the sound of fingernails scraping the surface of a blackboard would create a large smile across my face when heard through this rig.
Lauri Cular and infidelity are very familiar with each other; but here’s a fine pair of headphones to reintroduce Lauri to the straight and narrow path of audio absolution..
Musical Fidelity MF-100
On inspecting the clean, white box which contains these latest objects of curiosity, one feature stands out – there appears to be the packaging equivalent of Tippex: a sticker placed over an erronious line of text. Tantalisingly, the words ‘Balanced Armature’ show through – is Musical Fidelity planning a full-size BA hybrid? Is it text meant for a smaller box containing in-ear headphones but accidentally printed on a bigger box?
Stand by sleuthers; I also have the EB-33 in-ear (not reviewed here). It has the same sticker covering the same indiscretion. Is someone at Musical Fidelity getting their driver types mixed up or is something in the pipeline?
What’s wrong with all this speculation? It’s the natural consequense of hearing the MF-100s. I like them and I want more. The prospect of clapping my ears on a BA equivalent is attractive to me; what else can I do?
On first seeing the MF-100s I was struck by the design; not too flashy but with just enough pazzazz to get them looking attractive. With their sturdy black and chrome build, they remind me of the mid-1990s hair salons in which I would be tempted to get the occasional perm. I just have the combover now, and on windy days I daren’t go out for fear of looking like a walking pedal bin.
However now I have my MF-100s I can dally with a dust-devil or tarry in a tornado. The clamping force is on the high side with these, though it may be possible to bend the headband back and relieve the pressure – I daren’t with my review pair though.
The sound is detailed and on the cool side. The MF-100s are a great match for the Just Audio UHA120 which has a warmer output, but a pairing with something like a Fiio E12 will take a fan of a sound which is bass light and detail rich. Although the earcups do not enclose the ear, they do cover it so the cold wind does not bother me too much, and with the featured mic/button I needn’t take my gloves off should I get a phone call.
This is unlikely as I’m very unpopular, but that’s the power of the combover.
Final Audio’s high end in-ear, the Final Audio Design Piano Forte X, is causing a stir, and it’s not all due to the price or styling. Lauri Cular takes them home after leaving his sister behind as security.
Piano Forte, when directly translated into English, means ‘soft and loud’. With appropriate amplification they certainly go loud, but in terms of their outward design they struggle with softness. Indeed they could be used to mug someone – and with the hefty price tag here the proceeds of a few muggings could come in handy.
If only these were available years ago. All those hours spent collecting conkers and ruining my mum’s roast dinners by sneaking them in the oven to harden them could have been more fruitfully spent. Never mind pretending to miss, and hitting your mate’s hand on a cold morning, what fun!
More seriously, the ‘soft’ is quite accurate when describing the sound of these. The first thought which struck me was ‘where’s the treble?’ followed closely by ‘surely these are the Emperor’s new headphones, has everyone gone mad?’ but I’m glad I reserved my judgement. I collected together some pieces of music which would bring out the strengths of the Piano Fortes – a recording of Hariprasad Chaurasia’s bansuri (with genuine jungle sounds accompanying), Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks and a work which I think reflects Beethoven’s best period – Beethoven’s Greatest Hits. Added to this is the Temperance Seven, which is just perfect – the music brings to mind the huge acoustic horn speakers of the 1920s and the Piano Forte Xs really bring this quality to it. Not the scratchiness or the narrow frequency range, but the liveliness of it all – it really gets me involved. Also tagging along is my Wurlitzer CD from Blackpool Tower ballroom and my fairground Gavioli LP. Rockin’!
These don’t do electronica or pop, and rock is not recommended – unless particularly atmospheric, that is. The Piano Fortes are designed to be at their best for one type of performance or production only – the acoustic. Hence my selection of twiddly stuff.
Now I’m not one to go for the classical or acoustic out of habit, so it made quite a change to don these gold blobs and be immersed. The usual half life for this stuff is about 10 seconds with me, so it’s a feather in the Final Audio cap to keep me listening. Closing my eyes, I could imagine the space and myself in it very easily. The classical, and music of a higher-brow-than-mine variety is all very well but I don’t know it intimately – these aren’t reference tracks for me. The Temperance Seven CD full of them though, and I thoroughly enjoyed the various instruments involved. I was hit with as much information as any great headphone; it was just that the emphasis here is on the midrange and it matches the music perfectly.
It’s like the best of both worlds – the charm and ease of an old-style phonograph presentation, but with the sound quality and convenience of 21st Century technology. These are not necessarily designed for the hectic lifestyles of now, as evidenced by their tendency to drop out when leaning forward or moving the head rapidly. This may be more to do with my ears than anything; I checked Final Audio‘s website to check how they were fitting me, and the chap on the page had managed to ingest the things almost completely. On me, most of the body tended to balance half in and half out of my concha, and the nozzle up against the opening of my ear canal kept it in. They stayed there and would offer no trouble if used in the same manner as full-size headphones of the same calibre.
In summary, these headphones may not be the most practical for our busy modern lives, but they are not meant to accompany any activities other than relaxation. With the Piano Forte X, it might be said that any foul mood can easily be conkered!
So what’s the weakest link? I’m not talking about BBC quiz show tedium here, but something that every headphone enthusiast has probably asked at some point. If upgrading your system, whether it be portable or home-based, there is likely still something which is holding it back. Spending a grand on some sumptuous headphones is all very well, but they may be a waste of money if you are then plugging them straight into an iPod. Sound quality is limited in part to what the iPod can put out, and expensive headphones will simply reveal with greater resolution the flaws and limitations of the standard iPod DAC and amp.
For those who accept no compromise, there are bits of specialised kit which can take digital information from the iPod (from the 30-pin, or new lightning connections on the 5th gen. iPod) and process that into a much better quality analogue signal. This would need to be fed into an amplifier as the Algorhythm Solo -dB puts out a line-level signal only.
So what’s the dB for? This is a newer version of the original Algorhythm Solo which would work exclusively with Apple devices. Cypher Labs has upped the stakes and provided greater functionality by making these units compatible with the USB ports of Apple computers and PCs alike. Once drivers are installed, the computer will be able to use the unit as an external DAC, beating all pre-installed motherboard DACs to a pulp, and most aftermarket DACs as well.
I decided to check for myself what these things can do, so I put the Solo -dB against my M-Audio Audiophile 24bit/96kHz PCI sound card. If not already, this card is nearly ten years old; and although I have investigated upgrading there really is no need. It’s excellent, so the Solo -dB’s work is cut out.
And so was mine; there was likely a weak link in my chain elsewhere which made properly appreciating this level of quality a challenge. Perhaps with the cables/connections or the amps I was trying it with, the Fiio E12 or my old Behringer 802A mixing desk – neither of which are aimed at truly high-end ears. Looks like that’s my next upgrade.
However I did manage to perceive some difference through my HiFiMAN He-400s before fatigue set in, but not by listening to what was there; I listened to what there wasn’t. On The Sweet’s ‘Blockbuster Blitz’ I found it a real challenge to favour one or the other version (both PCI card and Algorhythm Solo going through the mixing desk at the same volume level) but on trying to analyse the space in between the instruments, I found that the glam snare drumroll parts definitely had a more 3D feel coming from the Algorhythm Solo; I could detect space all around them. From the M-Audio PCI card, the same parts had a flatter presentation.
Although the differences may be subtle, I am comparing a PCI card with all its requirements (like a desktop ball and chain) with a self-contained unit which can go in a pocket (albeit not a small one).
So if you are looking at upgrading your sound with some pricey headphones or a similar high-end gadget, just spare a thought for the entire chain. And if you can’t tell the difference between the iPod’s DAC and the Algorhythm Solo, perhaps you’re the weakest link!
