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gmarcm

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Everything posted by gmarcm

  1. As much as I would love Cornwalls, I haven't the space or the budget. i ordered the BP-8000F II and they should arrive by Thursday. I am anxious to give them a deep listen. I'll listen with them for a few hours, then switch back to the Forte 1 for comparison. Then do the same several times. Actually not sure what to expect. I'll give a report soon. My personal feeling is that break in is overrated. After a few hours they should sound about as good as they are going to.
  2. Almost all of my listening is two channel, but I do use the DRX-5 for 5.1 when watching movies. For that reason, I won't change to a different source at this time. I am pleased with the Integra. Sure, an integrated or separates would make a difference, but that isn't in the cards at this point. My 2 channel listening isn't at ear bleeding levels, but I do listen fairly loud at times. Mainly jazz... Yellowjackets, David Sanborn, etc. Another thing is that I utilize the streamer and DAC in the Integra for Tidal. I'm sure the addition of an external streamer/DAC would serve me well.
  3. The only modification is new tweeter diaphragms. I did not hear them with the old ones, but everything I have read and heard is that they are smoother and not as harsh as the originals. Many people have made this simple and inexpensive upgrade. I run an Integra DRX-5. About 95% of my material is from Tidal. The Forte 1's replaced a 25 year old pair of Revel F30, and frankly, I feel that I made a mistake by selling the Revels. Live and learn. I have not heard the 8000F II so it is kind of a leap of faith if I get them. Just going on reviews and word of mouth. 8000F was a slight improvement over the 280, but the 8000F II is supposed to be quite an improvement over the original 8000F. I have spent time repositioning the Forte 1's. I have them roughly 18" from the back wall, slightly toed in. Room is fairly large. There is just something missing with the Forte 1's. I appreciate the replies and opinions.
  4. I have a recently acquired pair of Forte 1 with the tweeter upgrade. As much as I want to love them, I just don't. Good on some stuff but harsh and fatiguing on others. I am using higher wattage solid state amp, mainly streaming on Tidal. I am intrigued by the RP8000F II. Reviews say that it is smoother and more punch in the lows that the version 1. Just an all around better speaker. Just curious how they will compare with my Forte 1. I know I am comparing a 35 year old speaker to the newest technology, but will it be just a totally different type of sound? Easier to listen to? I'd like to hear some opinions on the 8000F II, and opinions on them vs. the Forte 1.
  5. The i just means that it has the i device controls. A bit more of a refined sound than the older S4. Not as bass heavy but still rolled off at the top. Not in any way as good as the X10, however. The X10 is very open and airy.
  6. You might want to check Amazon and see if they still have any. They were selling them for the incredible price of $89. That would probably be less than the repair charges and the shipping charges both ways. But maybe Klipsch will do something for you.
  7. I own both the S4 and the X10, as well as several Shure models. Neither were impressive out of the box. Matter of fact, my Shure SE535 weren't impressive out of the box. They all require a MINIMUM of 20 hours break in. 50 hours is really more like it, and I don't think they really hit their stride until about 200 hours. Put some music on an iPod or something, set it to shuffle, set it to about 1/2 volume and just let them play for three or four days. The difference will be striking. The S4's aren't my favorites but they do a very nice job, especially at that price point, and I never found them to be harsh or tiney. If anything they are rolled off at the top and EQ'ed with more bass. You got a great deal at the Shack - you should have held on to them and allowed them to break in properly. Maybe you can go get them back. I also highly suggest Comply tips. Less than $20 for three pair, and you can wash them and reuse them. I did not like the silicon tips at all but the Comply tips really help with the isolation. The S4 isn't perfect but it is way better than a lot of the stuff we see out there, some of which costs a whole lot more.
  8. Check out www.headroom.com. They have reviews on most headphones, both from users as well as by their staff. I would bet that you can find something there to help you. They also have great prices. Check out their "B" stock page with open box stuff and discontinued stuff. You can find some solid buys.
  9. Outlaw has a two channel receiver that I understand is also great for vintage speakers. Those guys make very good stuff. When I was in college in the early 80's I had a Pioneer SX450 that I used to power a pair of Heresy's. I think it was 15 wpc but it sounded good and powered those babies very well. I have a Marantz 2220 ( 20 wpc) with the old gyro tuner that is from the 70's. Very nice and clean - even better than the old Pioneer, which I also still have. I have not used the Marantz with a Klipsch speaker of any kind - it is in a closet waiting to be resurected one day. It needs a new power cord and a dial light. I would part with it if anyone is interested.
  10. Looks nice. Any idea how much $?
  11. gmarcm

    Bluetooth

    I just read it but I'm not buying it. I would love to listen to them myself but a bluetooth signal does not have the bandwidth to faithfully reproduce music like a wired set up can. Fact of life. I hope it gets to that point one day and it probably will, but not yet.
  12. gmarcm

    X10 vs s4

    I'm not familiar with the E6. Does FiiO make it? I can't imagine a $25 amp soundng good, but I believe you. Headroom sells FiiO stuff now and they seem to be pretty impressed with it.
  13. gmarcm

    X10 vs s4

    You said "when I first got them". That might be the key. These do require some break in time. Put them on your Nano or even on your stereo and let them play at a moderate volume for about three or four days. I think you will hear a noticeable difference. The S4 is bassy out of the box but they do smooth out after a little time.
  14. Comply tips are just another option. They work great for me but they aren't for everyone. I'm glad you enjoy them with the stock tips.
  15. Which Comply did you try? I use the T100, which go a little deeper in the ear. They stay put and seal well. As for coming off..... mine were a real snug fit. Had to work to get them on. Are you sure you have the right ones for your IEM's?
  16. gmarcm

    X10 vs s4

    I also recommend the Headroom Total Airhead. They run it on special for $99. It doesn't replace the iPod amp but it does a very nice job, especially for the price. I use it with an older 4gb Nano with lossless files on plane trips. I am kind of surprised that Klipsch hasn't come out with a small portable amp to go alone with their IEM's. But then, I am also surprised that Apple hasn't come out with one to mate with iPods. Are you familiar with the C-Moy amps? A small DIY amp that can be made for less than $30. Google it and check it out. I'm sure it doesn't sound as good as after market amps but I have been threatening to make one just for the heck of it. If it turns okay I might make several of them to give to my kids and their friends.
  17. gmarcm

    X10 vs s4

    You said that the X10 doesn't sound as good to you when listening to your iPod. I wonder exactly what you are listening to. Is it something that you got from iTunes? If so, it is most likely copied at a lower bit rate. Even music that is ripped from a CD is at a lower bit rate unless you go in and manually change it in Settings before you rip the disk. The X10 is really kind of overkill for that. I have the S4 and the X10. With well recorded music on an iPod at a higher bit rate I clearly favor the X10. Matter of fact, it isn't close. The S4 has a bunch of bass EQ'd into it, so if that is what trips your trigger, go with the S4. But try to spend some time with a CD played through a good player with a good receiver or A/V system and listen to all three IEM's. You will hear things on the X10 that you never knew were there on the S4. And don't confuse good bass with boomy bass. I was surprised and impressed with the tight and accurate bass on the X10 vs. exagerated and boomy bass on the S4, but I use higher bit rate files and that makes a lot of difference. I do like the S4, just not for critical listening.
  18. gmarcm

    Bluetooth

    Alex - are you prepared to tell me that there is a bluetooth audio technology available to the masses that sounds as good as a direct connection to a processor, or even to an mp3 player with high quality files? And I don't mean something that is close. It has to be the same or I am not interested. I don't think we are there yet.
  19. gmarcm

    Bluetooth

    I am actually not familiar with these models so it would be wrong for me to comment on them. I can say without hesitation that bluetooth audio does not sound nearly as good. I have a new Ford Fusion with the Sync system. I have a USB port that I keep a thumb drive plugged into with about 300 sougs. I also have the option of USB audio, which I use sometimes for audio books or podcasts when I travel. Spoken word doesn't really make much difference and I like it for the convenience factor. But if I try to listen to music via bluetooth audio it is awful. Terribly compressed with no dynamics. I can't live with it. Sorry I can't help with your other question. I am just not familiar with those models. I'm sure that someone else on this forum will be able to help you.
  20. gmarcm

    Bluetooth

    The sound will certainly be degraded with blue tooth. No way around it. That is the price you pay for the convenience of wireless. And it is very noticeable.
  21. gmarcm

    X10 vs s4

    I have a set of HD595. A step below the 600 but slightly more efficient. I love them, and yes, they are balanced. I have a set of the closed back Denon cans as well that I like for certain types of music. The 1000 series, I believe. I was at CES last year and got to experience the HD800. Those were otherwordly, but so is the price. I also have an old set of AKG monitor cans that are pretty sweet, and very efficient. I guess I meant that the X10 is balanced in comparison to the S4. I paid less than $70 for my S4 about 4 or 5 years ago to replace a set of Shure 3 series that died. For the money and for what I use them for they are great. Probably at least as good as anything else in that price range, and maybe better. It is easy to compare them to the X10 as an $89 IEM and say that for such a small price difference there is no comparison in sound. But when you take into account that they are really a $320+ IEM you start to be a bit more picky and you look for more justification. Since I own a set of SE535 and absolutely love them I would never have purchased the X10 at the original price. But at the $89 price I had to give them a go and I'm glad I did. I have several different IEM's and these have moved into the # 2 position behind the SE535. I can't listen to the S4 for long periods of time (unless I'm mowing the yard) but I can with the X10. I may buy another set just to have on hand.
  22. gmarcm

    X10 vs s4

    Good post, and I agree. A few things that I might add..... I purchased a set of the $89 X10's a few weeks ago. I normally don't do this but I spent about 5 minutes with them before I broke them in. I was not terribly impressed as they lacked depth and had almost no soundstage. I broke them in for roughly 60 hours plugged into Total Bithead amp which was plugged into the headphone jack of my desktop speakers, at rough half volume. I spent over an hour with them listening to lossless files as well as a nicely recorded Yellowjackets CD. They sounded like completely different IEM's and I enjoyed listening to them. Very smooth and balanced. Were they as nice as my SE535's? No, but they were at least in the same neighborhood, which is an accomplishment for a single driver IEM that initially costs more than $200 less. I suspect that they will get even better with 200 or so hours. I like them and I think $89 is an extreme bargain that doesn't come along often enough. I also listened to some old stuff on an iPod that is not recorded at a higher bit rate. These are quite unforgiving in that they reveal poor recordings for what they are. No cover up with these! Crap in - crap out. But they reward you when you feed them high quality files or CD's or LP's. The only real issue I had with them was the silicon tips, which I do not like. I "modified" a set of Comply tips for my SE535 to use on the X10 and they worked okay. I have ordered some for the X10 an I look forward to what should be an obvious improvement. Regarding the S4 - I have a set of them as well. They are just a totally different sound than the X10 and they should be for the difference in price. Lots of bass EQ'ed into them. I use them at the gym or working in the yard where I do not require audiophile level sound and I do not want to take a chance damaging a higher priced IEM, and I use them with an iPod Shuffle that does not have an external amp. They are two completely different animals designed for different types of listening.
  23. Can't blame you a bit. 0 for 3 isn't good odds. I have had a pair of S4 for about 4 years. I like them a lot and they have held up well. They aren't my "go to" IEM's but they are fun and do a great job with rock. I use them at the gym and working in the yard. I pretty much abuse them but they keep hanging in there. I just recently purchased a pair of X10 on Amazon for $89. After about 60 hours of break in I really like them. Smooth and balanced. I would suggest that you order a pair but with the bad taste in your mouth I can see why you wouldn't. Have you called Klipsch? They have a good CS department and generally take care of customers with these kinds of issues. Good luck,
  24. When you place your order, type 20OFFCOMPLY in the coupon code box. It takes 20% off of the price of your order. Every little bit helps.
  25. The quality is very good. Even better than the Shure tips, which are also good. Try the medium. You pinch them, insert them and hold them in place a few seconds, and they expand to seal and stay put.
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