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Hxxdhippy
PC38X sound leakage into mic
Recently purchased the mic for the PS5 and I am receding gameplay sound leakage into the mic and was curious if there is a way to fix this without having to lower my mic volume and sacrifice audio
Dec 3, 2023
Endymion
Best reasonably priced desktop DAC/AMP combo
I currently use the HD 58X with the 7HZ 71 portable AMP/DAC. It works but I don't know how close to it's full potential. For some songs (rarely) the song sounds OK with the volume set to 40%, but usually 60% is the sweet spot (but sometimes, I need to crank it up even more, especially with metal songs). My friend who has the same headset, he has them connected directly to the motherboard. It's probably because he has a high-end mobo that the audio sounded better directly off his mobo (20% was enough to play most songs OK). As I said in the title, I want a DAC/AMP combo because I want it to take less space and usually from what I saw online, they are cheaper than separate (but if we have anything good, worthy of going split, then why not). I plan in the future to get more premium headphones like the HD 8XX/800S/820 series (or a planar magnetic of the same price range). They say that you don't see much difference (like less distortion and more power being delivered to each driver)...
Nov 30, 2023
andrei.v
Why does Drop think it's ok to not honor warranty claims?
Bought the PC38X in Dec 2021. Stated on the item - and still on the product page - that they have a 2 year warranty. For the last 2 weeks the balance is not working anymore, and the sound ends up in just the R side or L side of both. It especially happens when I adjust the volume knob. I tried different cables and devices, same problem. The Drop rep so far has tried to lie to me several times, saying that: 1) I should try things I already mentioned I tried (they never read my first e-mail carefully) 2) That they're not in warranty anymore (bold lie, as per the website, and they confirmed the order date is within 2 years) 3) That they're in warranty, but no stock is available, so would I accept a $20 Drop credit instead (again a bold lie, they're available and IN STOCK on the website) Why does Drop think it's ok to blatantly not honour warranty on a defective product, and why is it ok to make-up random excuses every step of the way?
Nov 28, 2023
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Gear Used During Testing: · Shanling M2s · Fiio X3 · Mojo Chord · Schiit Valhalla 2 · Google Pixel 2 · Pro-Ject Carbon Esprit
Other Gear Referenced: · Nu Force EDC IEMs · Shure SE215 IEMs
Playlist Used For Testing Across Devices: · Joanna Newsome – Go Long · Boris – Blackout · Mulatu Astatke – The Way To Nice · Hans Zimmer – No Time For Caution · Ratatat – El Pico · Thelonious Monk – Monk’s Dream · Pavement – Grounded · Earl Scruggs – Flint Hill Special · Between The Buried and Me – Prequel to the Sequel · Future Islands – Seasons (Waiting On You) · The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever · Ryan Gustafson – Hard Drugs and Long Relationships · Elliott Smith – Alameda · Om – Thebes · Tom Waits – Dirt In The Ground · Southern Nights – Glen Campbell
Obviously, the audio files I used were higher quality than you’ll get from streaming, but if you wanted to listen to the playlist here is a link: https://8tracks.com/livingspeedbump/audio-gear-testing
So, let me just jump right into the soundscape and overall sound qualities of the EDC3’s. Midrange is king here, and the real shining start of the EDC3s. Unlike so many headphones on the market with a v-shaped sound signature (boosted bass and treble with cut mids), the EDC3s are much more neutral with well-defined and exceptionally smooth mids, giving the EDC3s a very warm sound overall. Vocals are incredibly pleasing and really stand out. To many people that are just used to cheaper consumer headphones (which tend to have the v-shaped sound signature), the EDC3s may require an adjustment period. The bass is present and just slightly boosted, but not exaggerated. Highs are the weakest aspect sonically of the EDC3s, being just airy enough not to get lost in the mix. This definitely isn’t the end of the world, while very clear and present highs are great for some genres and situations, it isn’t ideal for every day listening with multiple devices.
I walk 2 miles to and from work daily, and get a lot of on-the-go listening in. I have the Fiio X3 paired with the Mojo Chord for days I want to use over-ear headphones, and use the Shanling for IEMs, generally. The biggest difference, of course, was due to the Chord, which really helped bring the EDC3s to life.
I tested the EDC3s with my Xbox One controller as well to test the microphone. After a few hours of Rainbow Six and Rocket league my friends said there was no issues with the way I sounded, though the audio wasn’t as clear as they were used to with my Cloud II’s. This was to be expected though. I love having the option of a braided cable, or a cable with the in-line microphone and controls. If I was using my phone for listening on the go, I would absolutely make use of the cable with the in-line mic, but I ended up just using the braided cable. I do wear glasses, and the cable gave me no discomfort.
Overall, the EDC3s are another very solid collaborative offering from Massdrop and Nu Force. They perform well out of their price range and provide a much different experience that many other IEMs in the same price range. If you have any questions feel free to ask me and I will answer to the best of my ability!
If you could please do me a favor and listen to the recording that I made on NYE and tell me how these sound with the link below, I'd GREATLY appreciate it 😎👍
Lotus NYE Recording with Schoeps mk4 mics>Sound Devices Mixpre6 recorder! These are the 24/96 FLACs FWIW 😉😇🎧
https://archive.org/details/lotus2017-12-31.mk4.60v-pfa.mixpre6.bean.flac2496
This is a multi thousand dollar Recording rig, so I'd really appreciate a quick listen with your review pair of the EDC3's 👍😀
I NEED my FiiO E11k HP Amp if I'm listening to my recordings with the original EDC's, since they have a rather low sensitivity of 90db. However I can push my Primo 8 IEM's without the FiiO E11K HP Amp, since they have a MUCH higher sensitivity of 118db.
But as far as listening to regular albums and music, you probably don't need a HP Amp at all!
Oh and my Sony NW-A35 Walkman can playback the high resolution 24bit FLACs that I make myself, and can even handle DSD files up to 11MHz. My Google Pixel 1 phone doesn't have much storage, nor can it be expanded with a Micro SD Card, so listening through my phone is only capable of streaming mp3's!
If you plan on listening to mp3's and that's it, then your phone will probably do everything you need it to. However, if you plan on listening to high resolution files in 24bit Quality, then I'd definitely recommend getting a DAP like my Sony NW-A35 Walkman, or the Shanling M2 like the reviewer above is listening through 😉
Hope that helps you understand the difference between the two (phone vs. dedicated DAP)👍🎧
Google Pixel 2 doesn't have and SD card slot, so very limited music can be put on the phone. And since that is the case I just would rather keep the space open for pictures. I also like using my phone as little as possible, just a distraction in so many ways. Finally, I'm not using my phone battery all day to listen to music.
Having a dedicated audio player = more storage for music (Shanling has 128GB on it currently), arguably better sound, and great battery life. (It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack, unlike my phone). It is so tiny that it's not annoying to have in my pocket all day either.
I could definitely go on about getting better sound from a DAP over a Phone, but that really all depends on the model. It can go from a slight difference to night and day difference in quality .
The EDCs, in this case, sounded slightly better to me. The cut mids helped cut some of the audience background noise from being so present. The boosted bass fit the music as well.
But the EDC3s definitely made it seem like you were actually at the show a bit more thanks TO the mids being more front and center.
Definitely just preference which one you'd like best though.
Like I said, I already have the Nuforce EDC and Primo 8 IEM's, and both are a little bit lean in the low-end. However, I prefer detail and resolution slightly more than explosive bass, so I will definitely be grabbing a pair of the EDC3's as soon as they're dropped again, and hopefully on a daily drop like the original EDC's have been!
I always have my trusty old Monster iSport Victory (totally beat up and still kicking somehow lol) and Skullcandy (even more beatup than the iSport Victory's) earbuds if I want more bass than resolution! And since I upgraded to the Comply tips for both of those as well, they sound MUCH better than they ever did with silicone tips, at least in my opinion! But those don't sound anywhere close to the EDC's and especially the Primo 8's FWIW 😉
One of these days when I hit the lottery or get a massive inheritance (yeah right haha) I'll be saving up for some Westone W80's ($1,500) or something similar, and I can hopefully quit buying IEM's! However, as of right now, I'm straight hooked on grabbing more and more IEM's, and it might take me 20 more years to get Exactly what I want, just like my live recording rigs that I have now!
So please leave your wallet at the door LoL 😁 I really hope that these get on a daily drop, and without the knowledge of you fine folks on Massdrop, I wouldn't know half of what I do now about IEM's in general! I came to this site a couple of years ago, but just bought my first "real" IEM's this past December with the original EDC's! So thanks again for all of your help, and I hope that everyone enjoys their EDC3's!
If someone gets their EDC3's and DOESN'T like or care for them, please get ahold of me at: (diskobean@gmail.com) and I'll gladly take them off of you for a fair price!
Thanks again livingspeedbump😎
Thank you for your input.
Scott emember556
$74.99
I don't know the xduoo nano d3 specs, but I'll always recommend a dedicated DAP over a phone (mostly anyway), and the EDC's and Primo 8's that I own are amazing for the price! I haven't heard the EDC3's personally yet, but if they sound half as good as the original EDC's do, then you'll definitely be a happy customer!
I do highly recommend the Comply size 100 memory foam tips though. $20 for a 3-pack is totally worth it IMO. I prefer the Isolation+ Large size tips with Waxguard personally! Much better than any silicone tips IMO, and even better than the foam tips that come with the EDC and EDC3 IEM's!
Here's a link to the Comply Isolation+ tips FWIW 😎
http://www.complyfoam.com/products/t-100/
So I will say, when getting into high-res audio, the BIGGEST change you will ever have is going from the regular consumer grade stuff (cheap headphones or speakers from computer/phone, streaming or low quality audio files) to entry grade audiophile gear.
After that big leap, you'll be paying exponentially more for exponentially less in terms of audio quality. Is it worth it? I can't ever say one way or another, but I think there is a sweet spot for everyone.
One thing to keep in mind is that I believe it is of the utmost importance to scale up as you go, this way you KNOW the difference in sound every step of the way. If you jump straight to a 20k audio setup, you won't know what you missed in between, and perhaps even missed a setup that you would appreciate the sound of better for less.
So in regards to these paired with something like the XDuoo I think it would be a good pairing for what it sounds like you want. Jazz, classical, classic rock, vocal-centric tunes will really shine.
When you get these/or a new setup in place I'd strongly recommend you just spending time in a quiet comfortable place just listening to tunes without distractions and really get to know the sound and see what you like/dont like. This way if you think "hm, I would like a little more air in the treble" or "I really like mids in front" you'll have direction should you ever want to add gear to your arsenal, instead of just buying what "is hot" at the time. Listen for a few days, first impressions generally aren't truth when it comes to audio.
Finally, Id recommend buying one of your favorite albums that you have listened to over and over at the highest resolution your player can play, and A/B it with an MP3 version of the album to really hear a difference and that it is enjoyable enough to warrant the cost.
Don't buy gear/audio stuff for anyone else but yourself. You don't have to impress anyone. Whatever sound YOU end up liking is the sound and gear that is right for you :D
If you WANT to upgrade for sound quality that is a different story. Personally I think a good $100-$150 DAC is generally all most people will ever need. The Dragonfly would be a good one to pair though. It is generally a good rule of thumb to have gear that is all within the same price range if you want to get the best bang for your buck.
Having a crazy expensive DAC with cheap headphones won't do the DAC justice, and having a cheap DAC with super high end headphones will not showcase the headphones to their full potential, etc.
I'll take your advice and not buy a DAC/HP Amp. straight away. I can always add things later and evaluate as I go along !! Makes sense.
No matter which Comply tips that you end up getting, I highly recommend the Waxguard version since it keeps wax and debris from entering the TINY sound nozzle of the IEM's, especially the Nuforce, Westone and Shure IEM's which have the smallest nozzles of any IEM's. For the few dollars more that they cost, they're totally worth it IMO 😎👍
I recommend Star tips and triple flanges (which can be trimmed to a double flange) personally as they give me the best isolation and comfort over an 8 hour period. Be careful with foam as different densities can effect the sound depending on the earphone.
I was told once that the best way to isolate noise / improve sound was through an electronic circuit. I imaging it's like white noise. But this way is benign and adjustable.
Cost-wise, silicon is your best bet as they last damn near forever without losing shape. The Star Tips are my face since they come in longer lengths like a flange and the typical short stub: https://www.amazon.com/Westone-Silicone-Universal-Replacement-Eartips/dp/B00DD2BZRY?th=1. Also, a pack of foam and silicone is $15 which you really can't beat for testing stuff out.
Shure triple flanges don't last as long before they start losing their shape but I find them very comfortable for long periods of time. A 6-pack is only $7 and enough to last me at least 3-6 months. They can also be trimmed to be a double flange if you find the triple to be too long. Really great value.
Shure also makes yellow foam that's pretty good for working out which I tend to use when I'm biking: https://www.amazon.com/Shure-EAYLF1-10-Sleeves-Included-Earphones/dp/B001O3TZ3K/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1520438893&sr=1-1&keywords=shure+yellow+foam. I can't wear them for as long due to the pressure they put on my ear canal but they have a very snug fit for when you're active and a different foam that's better at moisture wicking compared to the standard foam.
But the upgrade bug hit me already and I threw down on a pair of Westone UM Pro 30 IEM's last night, hoping that they have a TAD more low-end than the Primo 8's do! I'll probably end up keeping the Primo 8 and EDC IEM's regardless though, since they have amazing bang for your buck!
I hope you enjoy your EDC3's emember556, whenever they actually show up LoL 😁
But concerning wearing glasses and the over-the-ear type of IEM's, I wear my glasses all of the time with my Primo 8 and EDC IEM's, and they never give me any issues or problems like that! In fact I prefer those to the cable straight down method since it keeps them locked in place much better, and I have zero issues taking my glasses on and off!
However, I shaved off my LONG hair back in 2000 (old Phishhead right here lol) so I can't comment about that. But I'd think that the over-the-ear type IEM's would be better for that too since your IEM's are locked into place better and you can let your hair do whatever it wants to haha 👍 But like I said, EVERYONE is different!