Matthew420 said: For some parts of my signal chain, I really want build quality. But for what the ES100 does, minimal mass is where it’s at. And sure, it would be cool if that featherweight build was accomplished with carbon fiber and titanium. But that stuff is really expensive.



It’s not a conspicuous consumption device. It’s a device that makes smart compromises in order to make good sound portable—at a good price. I have zero temptation to pay more to get the same audio performance with swankier materials. Click to expand...

So for which part of your audio chain would you want build quality then?If you ask me, that question basically is the same for all „portable audio“ devices. No matter whether it’s dongles, daps, portable amps or IEMs. If you really think about it, from a logical standpoint something like the SP1000 or metal built IEMs really do not make much sense. They could also be built from lighter materials while still sounding (almost) the same. Though, nice haptics represent an (maybe emotional) part of our hobby, don’t they? I used the ES100 for two years now and still really it, though I might switch the BTR5 soon. Just because it fascinates me a lot more. And I feel its size and weight is still really ok at around the same price as the ES100.