# Reconfiguring my rig - Random updates on the journey



## aamefford

*** EDIT ***
 This started out as a Q and A post, apparently either poorly written or lame...  It is now an occasional chronicle of my reconfiguring.
  
 My concerns with Portable gear:
 I listen at low volume levels, and have trouble with the likes of the Headstage Arrow (too much gain.  Rob even modified one for lower gain, and still too much gain, not enough volume travel, channel imbalance).
  
 Old Rig:
 iPod Touch 4G, 64  gb
 Leckerton UHA-4
  
 New Rig:
 EDIT - TTVJ Slim traded for a Pico Slim - see post #16
TTVJ Slim (Due 06/20/11)  Reasons - Digital volume and 0db gain, form factor, positive reviews
 CEntrance DacPort LX (traded to standard dacport with amp due week of 08/1/11)  Reasons - 24/96 capable, highly rated, well reviewed.
  
 Remaining Gear:
 Nice LOD (Whiplash TWAG, If I recall correctly)
 1964 Ears Quads:
 •  Impedance: 46 Ohms at 1kHz
 •  Sensitivity: 118dB SPL/mW
 Beyer DT1350's, roughly 80 ohm's, fairly sensitive.
  
 Past portable gear:
 Headstage Arrow
 Pico Amp/Dac
 RSA Tomahawk
 DIYMod
 iMod
 iPod Mini with CF card
 iPod Photo
  
 Impressions to follow.


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## aamefford

6/20/11 - My TTVJ Slim arrived today.  I've only had a couple of minutes with it, so no impressions yet.  Briefly, the build quality is very good, using Headamp and RSA as the "Excellent" markers on the scale.  The Leckerton UHA-4 is somewhere between "good enough" and "Good".  I mention this, because it seems that the TTVJ Slim and the UHA-4 may share the same extrusion for the case, with the TTVJ Slim being longer.  It is a nice form factor, slightly wider than my touch 4G, and about the same length.  OK, here it comes - I'm sure a few have noticed my constant whining about volume control - the TTVJ slim on low gain with my sensitive iem's has at least 6 to 8 volume steps before it is too loud for my comfort, so low level listening with the sensitive iem's is excellent!!!  Yea! (EDIT - maybe not so much, at least for me.)  The LED that changes color with volume setting is very cool, the USB charging jack is located so that a low profile side exit LOD blocks access.  Boo!  Also, the LED will make a nice flashlight as well...  All in all, so far, so good!  Sound impressions will follow "later."


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## aamefford

Just a note that I took one for the team and ordered a CEntrance DacPort LX today.  Should have it next week (week of 6/20/11).  Impressions to follow.  If it as good as the standard DacPort, it will have been an easy one to take for the team for sure...


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## lee730

aamefford said:


> Just a note that I took one for the team and ordered a CEntrance DacPort LX today.  Should have it next week (week of 6/20/11).  Impressions to follow.  If it as good as the standard DacPort, it will have been an easy one to take for the team for sure...




I also took one for the team and ordered the LX as well. Did you get the $50.00 discount available on the first 50 LX's purchased? I'm also curious to hear your impressions on your TVVJ Slim once burned in compared to you old UHA 4. If anything I was planning on upgrading from my UHA 4 to the UHA 120. I just need them to modify the gain for IEMs.


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## aamefford

Quote: 





lee730 said:


> I also took one for the team and ordered the LX as well. Did you get the $50.00 discount available on the first 50 LX's purchased? I'm also curious to hear your impressions on your TVVJ Slim once burned in compared to you old UHA 4. If anything I was planning on upgrading from my UHA 4 to the UHA 120. I just need them to modify the gain for IEMs.


 

 Cool!  Yes, I got in on the $50 discount.  Mine should arrive next week, my TTVJ Slim tomorrow.
   
  I'll be interested to hear your impressions of the DacPort LX.  I was waiting for it to release, as the standard Dacport wasn't quite what I was looking for.  I really didn't want a dedicated computer only DAC/amp, just a source.  If the standard dacport had a pure line out, I might have done that, as the amp is supposed to be really good.  I think blending it with the TTVJ Slim will work out well.
   
  I looked briefly at the UHA 120, and panned it for my use.  My iem's border on problematically efficient, (as do all multi driver customs I think, at least for my low volume listening).  My headphone choices always seem to be pretty efficient closed cans, so I don't really need a quite powerful brick of a class A portable.  What I need is a slim form factor, good control over the headphones being driven, excellent resolution of all detail the source is able to provide, but without being too bright (reports of brightness are what scared me off the ALO RX) and most importantly, a very low gain setting available, with a digital or other very precise volume control.  Hopefully, the TTVJ Slim will provide this.  The UHA-4 checked every box save for the detail retrieval, I think.  The end result may be that the UHA-4 was just perfect, and my touch 4G is worse than I thought...  Either way, it justified a new amp, so I'm good with that!  All comparisons will have to be from memory, as I almost always sell before I buy.
   
  *** Edit *** I re-read my comments above on the UHA 120 and it sounded like I was slamming it.  To the contrary, it sounds like an awesome amp - it just doesn't fit my current needs.  Apologies to the maker, and any fans out there!


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## lee730

Yeah I do look forward to your impressions on the TTVJ Slim. Don't worry I know you weren't slamming the UHA 120; we all have a right to our own opinion and you may just be right about it being to powerful. (BTW is that why Blastone was banned lol for bashing the arrow?) You could also be right about the lack of synergy with your UHA 4 & ipod touch. Then again I think the UHA 4 synergizes quite well with my iPhone 4 but it may not only be based on that. I'm quite positive the headphones you are using with the amp+DAP will make a difference. Both the Sansa Fuze and iphone 4 work wonders with my UHA 4 and Sennheiser IE8 and IE7's. Very good detail retrieval and they both have different sound signatures which go great with the IE8's. The Sansa is warmer and the soundstage seems a tad bigger with it. The iphone 4 has a tad better separation and is more edgy if you will. Guess it just depends on the mood for preference but I generally like the fuze's warm sound better. Also you could have an older ipod touch, the 4th generations sound quality is superior to the older models. What I really love about this amp is it has this extra clarity on the mids and that really makes the IE8's shine since I feel the IE8s have a slight veil on the mids but with the amp, problem solved. I also got an upgraded cable on eBay for the IE8's and I can't believe how it sounds. So much more balanced, its a different monster now. Not looking to upgrade anytime soon; I honestly couldn't be happier at this point. The cable tightens the bass significantly and improves the highs and vocals (now that's what you call synergy .
   
  I'll be mainly using the DACport LX at home with my Fiio E9 amp. As I know the E7 is a major bottleneck for this amp. For what you pay for the E9 it is a steal of a deal and I think its underrated for what it is capable of.
  
  Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Cool!  Yes, I got in on the $50 discount.  Mine should arrive next week, my TTVJ Slim tomorrow.
> 
> I'll be interested to hear your impressions of the DacPort LX.  I was waiting for it to release, as the standard Dacport wasn't quite what I was looking for.  I really didn't want a dedicated computer only DAC/amp, just a source.  If the standard dacport had a pure line out, I might have done that, as the amp is supposed to be really good.  I think blending it with the TTVJ Slim will work out well.
> 
> ...


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## aamefford

My touch is a 4G, and I had been quite happy with the sound.  It really boils down to one song that started this whole reconfigure!
   
  Cowboy Junkies - "The Trinity Sessions", "Mining for Gold."
   
  The song has an underlying rumble that I think is taped mining cars running on rails or mining vent fans.  It is eerily visceral with a good rig, such as my now down-scaled and departed D7000's and headroom uda, or a good mid-fi or better speaker rig.
   
  It was conspicuously absent with the UHA-4/Touch 4G/Beyer DT1350 rig, and barely audible with the same rig and 1964 ears Quads.  All this seemed a good enough excuse to start this whole reconfigure.  I am not yet ready to blame the UHA-4.  It may well be the touch, or the synergy, or the DT1350's, though my Nova into the 1350's does bring the missing rumble forward again.
   
  I view this positively - an excuse to juggle equipment.  Again!


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## lee730

Lol I'm trying not to juggle too much if possible. This hobby is gonna make me bankrupt otherwise . What I do notice about the UHA 4 is that the amp is actually a bottleneck to the internal DAC. When I hook up the UHA 4 to the Fiio E9 amp and hook up my IEM's or Dennon 5000's to the Fiio it sounds quite better. Soundstage is improved and overall dynamics is up.
  
  Quote: 





aamefford said:


> My touch is a 4G, and I had been quite happy with the sound.  It really boils down to one song that started this whole reconfigure!
> 
> Cowboy Junkies - "The Trinity Sessions", "Mining for Gold."
> 
> ...


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## lee730

Well I just got my DACport LX today and I'm enjoying what I'm hearing so far. Not sure if there will be any major changes in sound signature with burn in. Will leave some feedback l8ter. Did you get your in yet?


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## aamefford

I get mine tomorrow, fedex had in incorrect address, missing suite #. Not sure how I did that...


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## lee730

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> I get mine tomorrow, fedex had in incorrect address, missing suite #. Not sure how I did that...


 


  Well I have some bad news to report. My DACport is defective straight out of the box. The damn thing constantly cuts in and out. So I have to either keep unplugging it and plugging it back in to get audio out of it or disable it and cut it back on. Very annoying to say the least when I paid $300.00 for this device come to find that it obviously wasn't thoroughly tested before shipped out. They will replace it but nonetheless its very irritating to have to go through this b.s. Just like my Sflo2 same old crap, different day . I tend to have very bad luck with electronics in general, not sure why though.


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## aamefford

^^^ @lee730, we've had a bit of PM discussion on this - I hope yours can get sorted out.  Mine dropped completely out twice last night, had to restart itunes to get it back.  It was plugged into a powered USB hub that had a usb hard drive plugged in and was charging my TTVJ Slim at the same time.  The DacPort runs a bit warm, so I think it draws a fair amount of the available power.  I think this was the issue.  Anyway, when plugged directly into my macbook pro, it works just fine, and sounds excellent.  I let it run through the night this way, as my slim and DT1350's need a bit of time on them anyway.  It was running just fine this morning, so a good 8 hours straight.
   
   
  So far, mine is working well.  I'll report back with some impressions once I get a bit of time with it.


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## aamefford

A question came up via PM, how warm?  111 F, via the thermocouple on my trusty Fluke.  Warm for sure, cooler than my Macbook Pro when it is cranking on video conversion or something, and sitting in my lap.
   
  As to sound - a nice, detailed, non fatiguing sound.  Note that I pretty much started this system from scratch, with nothing much other than a Hedphonia dac cable to compare to.  Headphones are pretty new, dacport LX is new, TTVJ Slim is new.  The combo works well together, and the rumble is back in "Mining for Gold" though not visceral as it was with the D7000's unless I crank it.
   
  I am really happy with both my computer / home setup, using the dacport LX => TTVJ Slim => DT1350 / 1964 Ears Quads and my portable rig, as above but subing in my Touch 4G / iPhone 3GS.
   
  The Dacport LX is a nice source to the TTVJ Slim.  Between the two, good detail, sibilance is well controlled, not too bright, not too warm.  From what I've read of the regular dacport, the LX sounds like the regular dacport without an amp, and with a true line out.  It works very well for me.
   
  The portable rig is held back a bit by the itouch / iphone.  They are quite good, especially given how portable they are.  I use and LOD exclusively into the TTVJ Slim, and the dacport is better.  There may be better portable sources out there, but I'm pretty mac/apple-centric.  Any slight trade off in SQ is more than offset for me by the convenience and user interface.


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## burgunder

Nice impressions! If you got more please let us all know!


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## lee730

Well CEntrance is gonna replace my unit so crossing my fingers (Other than the issues I had with the first unit I really loved the sound). Now just gotta get the Sflo2 battery charging issues sorted out then I'm in audio heaven .


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## aamefford

A few new changes - I contacted CEntrance about trading my DacPort LX for a regular DacPort with the class A amp.  I always have to disassemble my portable rig to spring my amp for computer listening with the LX, so I figured I'd go ahead and get the DacPort with the amp.  Per CEntrance, the LX is essentially the regular dacport with the volume set at 1 o'clock.  CEntrance was extremely accommodating with the trade, even though I'd had the LX for a month or so.  That covers computer listening changes, and should work fine with my DT1350's, though I'm not so sure that it will have a low enough volume for my iem's.
   
  For the portable rig, I have a Pico Slim to compare to my TTVJ Slim (Thanks bwarfel!).  I like the TTVJ Slim's sound a lot.  It is excellent with my DT1350's, but the first volume step is right at, or just above my normal comfortable listening volume with my iem's and ipod touch, unless I use EQu, which has lower output.  EQu is a battery hog, though it is an excellent EQ program for the iphone and touch devices.  Hence the Pico Slim, which has the best volume control I have ever used for sensitive iem's.  The Leckerton UHA-4 comes in at number two for excellent iem volume control.
   
  Alas, the Pico Slim doesn't have the same intangible, ah, musicality? Fun? Soul? that the TTVJ Slim does.  The Pico Slim is a great amp, and probably the one I will keep, as it is perfect with my iem's, and quite good with my DT1350's.  It is detailed, has a nice punch.  It is a bit clinical though.  The TTVJ Slim by comparison, has some magic fun factor, warmth and soul that gives just a bit of life to the music, at the expense of a bit of accuracy.  As I said, the Pico Slim is a great amp, but I really wish I could afford to keep the TTVJ Slim as well.
   
  Anyone else have the opportunity to compare the two Slims?  I'd be curious to hear other's take on these amps.  Bottom line, both are really good portable amps.  The Pico Slim's volume control is the best I've found for iem's, and that will likely be the deciding factor for me.


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## elnero

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Anyone else have the opportunity to compare the two Slims?  I'd be curious to hear other's take on these amps.  Bottom line, both are really good portable amps.  The Pico Slim's volume control is the best I've found for iem's, and that will likely be the deciding factor for me.


 

 I had TTVJ Slim with DAC and Pico Slim with separate Pico DAC here awhile back. My recollection of the comparisons I made were a bit different than yours, I found the TTVJ to have a bit more punch in the midbass which gave it a fun quality but I found it a bit hard through the upper mids/treble and a little thin which gave it a bit more of a clinical/fatiguing sound. By contrast I thought the Pico Slim had a more relaxed full-bodied sound that I found I preferred. These impressions were consistent regardless of which DAC I used with which amp.


  Quote: 





aamefford said:


> My touch is a 4G, and I had been quite happy with the sound.  It really boils down to one song that started this whole reconfigure!
> 
> Cowboy Junkies - "The Trinity Sessions", "Mining for Gold."
> 
> The song has an underlying rumble that I think is taped mining cars running on rails or mining vent fans.  It is eerily visceral with a good rig, such as my now down-scaled and departed D7000's and headroom uda, or a good mid-fi or better speaker rig.


 

 The story that I was told by someone who knew the producer was they turned on the heat which caused the pipes in the church to make all kinds of noise. The recording was done using one stereo mike direct to tape so anything you hear in the recording was happening during the recording sessions, nothing would have been added after the fact.


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## aamefford

Quote: 





elnero said:


> I had TTVJ Slim with DAC and Pico Slim with separate Pico DAC here awhile back. My recollection of the comparisons I made were a bit different than yours, I found the TTVJ to have a bit more punch in the midbass which gave it a fun quality but I found it a bit hard through the upper mids/treble and a little thin which gave it a bit more of a clinical/fatiguing sound. By contrast I thought the Pico Slim had a more relaxed full-bodied sound that I found I preferred. These impressions were consistent regardless of which DAC I used with which amp.
> 
> 
> 
> The story that I was told by someone who knew the producer was they turned on the heat which caused the pipes in the church to make all kinds of noise. The recording was done using one stereo mike direct to tape so anything you hear in the recording was happening during the recording sessions, nothing would have been added after the fact.


 

 To the first part, probably is the midbass bump that makes it a bit more lively.  I haven't listened to them enough to really draw good long term conclusions yet.  I suspect the Pico Slim will win based on the volume control.
   
  As to the second part - Really cool, I did not know that.  It is pretty amazing to me how visible or invisible the sound of the pipes is, depending on what equipment I use to listen to it.  With my now departed Denon D7000's, it was right there, under the singing.
   
  And last, I re-read some earlier posts where I said the TTVJ Slim had about 6 usable volume positions.  True, depending on overall gain of the song - I was listening to Dire Straights at the time, a quietly recorded album.  In general, the first setting from dead quiet is +/- just at comfortable listening with my iem's.  It is great with the DT1350's, which likely benefit from the mid-bass bump.
   
  Thank you elnero for your impressions.


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## neosoul

Aameford, 
   
A little off topic, when you had your Ipod Mini did you ever have the chance to pair it with the Pico Slim? If so how was the sound?


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## aamefford

Quote: 





neosoul said:


> Aameford,
> 
> A little off topic, when you had your Ipod Mini did you ever have the chance to pair it with the Pico Slim? If so how was the sound?


 

 I had the iPod mini a couple of years ago, and sold it a while later.  I just received the Pico Slim on Tuesday, so I never had the chance to pair them.


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## lee730

Wow aamefford so you got the DACport now? Do you like it better with the amp sound quality wise? I just got back my replacement LX and mostly everything seems to be working fine now. I'm gonna try out a USB hub to see if the issue may have been caused by a lack of power to this thing. Since I found I'd only be using the LX at home and that I could save $100.00 of the base price of the DACport I opted for the LX instead and I am quite happy I did so. I really enjoy this unit through my Fiio E9 which gives a more neutral sound over the UHA 4.
   
  Edit: And I seem to have solved that cutting in and out issue that you yourself experienced a few times. its quite funny honestly, the very USB hub you used which caused you this issue is what fixed my issue. Not sure why but I think my USB ports either couldn't give enough power to the DACport or it was overloading it. Now that I feel the DACport it is slightly warm but not extremely hot like it use to get whiled plugged into my area 51.


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## aamefford

Quote: 





lee730 said:


> Wow aamefford so you got the DACport now? Do you like it better with the amp sound quality wise? I just got back my replacement LX and mostly everything seems to be working fine now. I'm gonna try out a USB hub to see if the issue may have been caused by a lack of power to this thing. Since I found I'd only be using the LX at home and that I could save $100.00 of the base price of the DACport I opted for the LX instead and I am quite happy I did so. I really enjoy this unit through my Fiio E9 which gives a more neutral sound over the UHA 4.
> 
> Edit: And I seem to have solved that cutting in and out issue that you yourself experienced a few times. its quite funny honestly, the very USB hub you used which caused you this issue is what fixed my issue. Not sure why but I think my USB ports either couldn't give enough power to the DACport or it was overloading it. Now that I feel the DACport it is slightly warm but not extremely hot like it use to get whiled plugged into my area 51.


 

 My Dacport should arrive August 1.  I found I was tearing down my portable stack every time I wanted to use the Dacport, and decided the $100 extra was worth it not to have to do that.  I started out thinking I would always use an amp, due to the iem's, but decided I almost always use my DT1350's at home.  I can always set dacport volume at 1:00, and plug into my Pico Slim when I do use iem's out of the computer.  As to the usb hub, I think I was just drawing too much from it - Dacport LX, seagate external drive, charging the TTVJ slim.  It may be fine if I don't do all of that.  I just never bothered testing once I figured out it was fine straight out of my macbook pro.
   
  I'll post an update once I check it out for a day or two.


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## aamefford

Quick update - I've traded the DacPort LX in for a standard DacPort with the class A amp.  It turns out that the gain on the dacport coupled with the sensitivity of the DT1350's has me using the very bottom end of the dacport's volume travel.  CEntrance uses a nice pot in the dacport, so channel imbalance goes away at just past audible volume, at least on my unit.  I am able to use it this way. I still end up plugging it into my Pico Slim most of the time for finer volume control.  The DacPort is otherwise dead on with the many reviews (positive ones at least) on line and at head-fi.
   
  I have contemplated adding a bit of impedance to my DT1350's via resistors in some sort of pigtail cable between headphones and dacport, just to get a bit more volume travel.  So far, path of least resistance has won out and I just use the Pico Slim when necessary.
   
  Quick note on the Pico Slim - if I recall, gain is 0 to 2, with the most finely graduated digital volume control out there.  It serves me as a fantastic attenuator to get hot source signals (ipod touch, dacport) down to the low volume levels I prefer, even with very sensitive multi-driver iem's


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## aamefford

A quick note - components are still the same.  I have gotten away from using the Pico Slim with the DacPort almost completely.  The DacPort has enough volume adjustment to work for me, though barely, unless the recording is one of the Volume Wars victims...  (for reference, my constant gripe is enough volume control at low listening level with sensitive headphones and iems)  A lot of what I listen to is older stuff, so most of it is recorded with 0 db as the peak, rather than average...  Another note on that subject - Adele 21 is very well recorded, with LOTS of dynamic headroom.  Nice to hear!


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## lee730

aamefford said:


> A quick note - components are still the same.  I have gotten away from using the Pico Slim with the DacPort almost completely.  The DacPort has enough volume adjustment to work for me, though barely, unless the recording is one of the Volume Wars victims...  (for reference, my constant gripe is enough volume control at low listening level with sensitive headphones and iems)  A lot of what I listen to is older stuff, so most of it is recorded with 0 db as the peak, rather than average...  Another note on that subject - Adele 21 is very well recorded, with LOTS of dynamic headroom.  Nice to hear!




So you loving Adeles music too. She has some very good music. She also has some haters who obviously have no knowledge of what true music is. :rolleyes: Still using my LX as my desktop rig. I've found my Xi-fi card pretty much unusable now as I can hear major his through my IEMs and my logitech Z-5500 speakers. I actually use an adaptor to feed my Z-5500 speakers using the Fiio E9 and DACport LX


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## aamefford

Wow,  This is about the longest I've held still on a rig.  I'm getting the itch to try something new, but no real itch to sell anything.
   
  I did add an iPhone 4s to my "stuff".  I signed up for itunes match, and have only the itunes match added 256 kbs songs on the 4s.  It sounds darned good!  The 3GS is touted as great sounding, but I like the 4s better.
   
  Back to something new - closed, superaural (over ear), light, rugged, portable.  Big soundstage (understood, it's closed, but best I can do given closed), lush mids, smooth treble, fast, accurate, tight and controlled bass.  I want to stay $300 +/- or under, street or used price.  Prefer easyish to drive, or at least driven well by my DacPort, which seems to have impressive voltage swing for a bus powered unit.
   
  ThunderPants? Will the DacPort drive ThunderPants? Eh, too pretty anyway.  I've sold 3 expensive woodcup cans for the same reason - terrified to mar them.
   
  Any suggestions?


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## lee730

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Wow,  This is about the longest I've held still on a rig.  I'm getting the itch to try something new, but no real itch to sell anything.
> 
> I did add an iPhone 4s to my "stuff".  I signed up for itunes match, and have only the itunes match added 256 kbs songs on the 4s.  It sounds darned good!  The 3GS is touted as great sounding, but I like the 4s better.
> 
> ...


 

 Well if you look at my avatar you may have an idea of what I'm using . I modded my denon 5000s into open-back cans and I find them to match your description to a T. I tested this mod out before making it permanent and could not go back to stock; it is so much better than before. I was actually gonna sell my Denon 5000s before I tried this mod and now I've made it a permanent mod. I don't even have the slightest itch to upgrade to something like the LCD2 or HD800, I feel they have improved that much with this mod. What these open-back denons remind me of is the Sony EX1000s sound signature but everything is improved, sound stage is bigger, treble is more airy and detailed, bass is deeper, and has more quantity with excellent control, mids are lush and are very open.


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## aamefford

I thought I'd add an update on the iPhone 4s as a source.  Note that I ponied up for iTunes Match, and am using the 256 kbs material provided by this service, or Pandora as the only media on my iPhone.
   
  It sounds surprisingly GOOD!
   
  With my 1964 Ears Quads, I really prefer to use the EQu app.  One can reduce the gain by just sliding the whole spectrum down.  This helps immensely with my oft stated low volume listening habits.  I mostly use it set flat.  I will occasionally add +3 db from about 7K on up.  Sort of a sloped step function, just to add a bit of sparkle.  I do this quite rarely, though.  ***EDIT - EQu is a battery hog!***  The Touch 4G/Pico Slim with Apple Lossless is still superior, but by a much smaller margin than I had suspected.  This makes on the go listening a bit easier.  Funny, my iPhone in the Otter Box "you could almost drive over it with a truck" case is only very slightly wider than the touch/pico slim stack and is a bit thinner, but it is a uniform size, and not two things o-ringed together.  It really is easier to stuff in my pocket at work.  As for iTunes Match - I give it a big thumbs up for convenience.   I was going to transcode my whole lossless library down to a separate 256 AAC library just for our iPhones.  Match does this by default, and allows over the air music changes.
   
  With my Beyerdynamic DT1350's - the iPhone is good, but not at the same level as with the quads.  The beyers are 80 ohm vs I think 46 for the quads, and are a bit less efficient.  It still sounds very good, and functional.  The Touch 4G/Pico Slim stack works really well with the Beyers.  It offers more "life" (PRAT maybe?).  The convenience factor is negated for the most part, as I usually just pull my DT1350's off and hang them on my computer monitor when I leave my desk, so the extra size and odd shape of the touch/pico slim stack is less of an issue.
   
  Summary - iPhone / iTunes Match 256 media is a great combo with the quads.  The convenience more than makes up for any (very) minor reduction in overall sound quality.  The same setup with the Beyer DT1350's is still quite good, but just a bit flat.  The Touch/Pico Slim is noticeably better, and worth the little extra fiddling.  My best setup with the Beyers is my laptop and DacPort - now that sounds really good!  Same issue with convenience, though.  It sounds better, but is more fiddly.  I usually just grab the Touch/Pico Slim stack.


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## lee730

Good to hear you are enjoying your portable set up. I just opted for the Studio V as I want the long battery life along with the Class A amp that comes along with it. This amp is comparable to the RSA mustang in sound and can also be used to power other DAPs all in one package. With 85 hours of flac playback I think this was a steal of a deal at half off price (175.00). Will mainly be using this with my FX700s, IE80s and my Custom TF10s once they are done remolding. Looking forward to moving up to the Starkey SA-43 eventually though.
  
  Quote: 





aamefford said:


> I thought I'd add an update on the iPhone 4s as a source.  Note that I ponied up for iTunes Match, and am using the 256 kbs material provided by this service, or Pandora as the only media on my iPhone.
> 
> It sounds surprisingly GOOD!
> 
> ...


----------



## aamefford

@lee730, stop back by here and post an update on your impressions of the Studio V after you have lived with it for a few weeks and the new wears off!  I am curious about this and the Rocoo.  I'm really pretty Apple-Centric when it comes to portable source gear, just for the convenience of it - I am really pretty Apple-Centric in general...  Still, I am curious about a source and good amp combo - something Apple does not really offer.  Apple offers portable "good enough."  I'd really like to find and try portable "excellent" in one reasonably sized box.


----------



## lee730

I must agree apple really does have some good products. Just they are very controlling and I don't like being controlled  Until Media Monkey offers support for the IOS5 I won't be loading music onto my iphone4 as I am just too stubborn to have to use itunes... There seems to be a weird workaround but I'll have to do this on Windows XP and Media Money version 3. Not so much in a rush to do that ATM... Yeah I'll be sure to chime in on my impressions on it. May give some early impressions as well but I know this device will need some burn in time. Will keep you posted. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  Quote: 





aamefford said:


> @lee730, stop back by here and post an update on your impressions of the Studio V after you have lived with it for a few weeks and the new wears off!  I am curious about this and the Rocoo.  I'm really pretty Apple-Centric when it comes to portable source gear, just for the convenience of it - I am really pretty Apple-Centric in general...  Still, I am curious about a source and good amp combo - something Apple does not really offer.  Apple offers portable "good enough."  I'd really like to find and try portable "excellent" in one reasonably sized box.


----------



## aamefford

I was just asked via PM my thoughts on the Pico Slim vs, the TTVJ Slim with the Beyer DT1350's.  I thought it might be worth posting here:
   
  Pico Slim is awesome with the DT1350's.  If your plans include lower impedance and especially very sensitive headphones and especially multidriver IEM's, there is not a better amp in my opinion.  The reason?  The incredible volume control the Pico Slim has.  I struggle with most amps, especially with my custom iem's, as one click is too quiet, and likely has channel imbalance.  Either the next click is too loud, or by the time the pot moves enough to get past channel imbalance, it is too loud for me.  Note that I usually listen more quietly than most seem to.  I save the ear-bleed sessions for the car, or the speaker rig when the lovely wife and daughter are out.  The Pico Slim is NOT a powerhouse.  It is best thought of as a clean amp with a brilliant attenuator.  It powers the DT1350's just fine, though.
   
  If your plans do not include sensitive iem's, and any higher impedance headphones or less sensitive headphones, the TTVJ is also a great choice.  There is just something about the TTVJ Slim and the way it sounds, that I really like.  It has a warm, fun tonality to it that is really captivating.  While larger than the Pico Slim, The TTVJ Slim is not much thicker, especially if you leave the Pico Slim in it's leather case.  The TTVJ Slim also is a better shape with a DAP strapped to it, as it is the same length or longer.  With the Pico Slim, you have a very small, slightly odd shaped box strapped to the back.  Both are very portable, and both fit fine into a sweatshirt pocket or something.
   
  So - Custom or universal multidriver sensitive iems - Pico Slim without question.
  No iems - Either works well.  Pico slim is much closer to neutral, wonderful volume control  TTVJ Slim has a warmth and fun coloring that really sounds wonderful.  Less sensitive / higher impedance cans - I would lean toward the TTVJ.  Both the Pico and TTVJ Slims are excellent with the DT1350.


----------



## lee730

Is the Picos volume pot significantly better than the UHA4s?
  Quote: 





aamefford said:


> I was just asked via PM my thoughts on the Pico Slim vs, the TTVJ Slim with the Beyer DT1350's.  I thought it might be worth posting here:
> 
> Pico Slim is awesome with the DT1350's.  If your plans include lower impedance and especially very sensitive headphones and especially multidriver IEM's, there is not a better amp in my opinion.  The reason?  The incredible volume control the Pico Slim has.  I struggle with most amps, especially with my custom iem's, as one click is too quiet, and likely has channel imbalance.  Either the next click is too loud, or by the time the pot moves enough to get past channel imbalance, it is too loud for me.  Note that I usually listen more quietly than most seem to.  I save the ear-bleed sessions for the car, or the speaker rig when the lovely wife and daughter are out.  The Pico Slim is NOT a powerhouse.  It is best thought of as a clean amp with a brilliant attenuator.  It powers the DT1350's just fine, though.
> 
> ...


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





lee730 said:


> Is the Picos volume pot significantly better than the UHA4s?


 
   For me - yes.
   
  For most - yes, but - The UHA-4 likely offers enough range and fine enough steps to find a comfortable level.  In other words - it is good enough.  I used it for a while quite happily.  The Pico Slim is still the king of fine volume control with sensitive iems or headphones, or if you listen at quite low volume as I do.


----------



## aamefford

Pointless post number 1500 - Finally reached Coneheadus Souffleus status.  What?  Harps and Angels singing?  Oh, no, just gas...  Last Head-fi milestone...


----------



## lee730

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Pointless post number 1500 - Finally reached Coneheadus Souffleus status.  What?  Harps and Angels singing?  Oh, no, just gas...  Last Head-fi milestone...


 
   
  You've finally made it. You are one of the big boys now.


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





lee730 said:


> You've finally made it. You are one of the big boys now.


 
   
  I bit too big fer me britches actually.  No, seriously, my pants are tight.  I gotta go on a diet...


----------



## aamefford

I sold my DacPort.  Not that I wanted to part with it, I just never seem to have time to set up my laptop rig and listen, so off it went.  The funds offset my new Sony PCM-M10 digital recorder.  While it does play AAC, WAV, MP3 files, it isn't the best quality for a playback device.  What it does well, is record WAV files at up to 24 bit, 96Khz stereo on the nice onboard omni mics, as well as with external mics.  I thought I'd branch out into recording my daughter's school programs and the odd acoustic show or street band.
   
  I also picked up a used pair of Audio Technica AT853 cardioid mics,  I see a pair of Soundman Binaural in - ear omni mics coming soon.
   
  i also plan to run line out into my Pico Slim to see if the Sony PCM-M0's mediocre playback is due to the onboard amp, just for fun.


----------



## lee730

Not sure when I'll part with mine. Depending on funds next year I may be doing some major upgrading . So how do you like that Pico Slim. How good is the digital pot on it. Also what is the sound signature like?


----------



## aamefford

I'm a big fan of the Pico Slim.  That digital volume control is excellent.  I have yet to find a source that can't be cleaned up by running through the slim.  iPods have too much gain, so they get too loud at click 2, 3 or 4 for me.  The digital volume control works wonders here.  I ran my Sony recorder line out into it.  The recorder has decent volume control, but hisses.  Line out to the Slim, it is good enough to use as a music player.  On the same level as my iPod touch, anyway.
   
  Sound signature - pretty close to neutral.  Doesn't do much to the signal, near as I can tell.  It probably leans toward warm, as I like it, and my preference leans to warm...


----------



## lee730

Interesting. I may end up picking up a unit in the future instead of a UHA4. My unit was stolen or lost but I did get the UHA6 MKII which is better IMO. But I want better volume control for Sensitive IEMs.


----------



## aamefford

Volume control for sensitive iems is the big reason I love the slim. I haven't found anything better. UHA4 wasn't bad though. Really wish I could find a smallish box that takes digital from an iPod touch, runs it through a good dac, 24/96 would be nice, and runs it through an amp with a volume range and control comparable to the slim. A stand alone dap with an amp section as described would also work. This is what I'd hoped the Rocoo BA would be. What a horrible disappointment that turned out to be for me! Oops. I was gonna not say anything if I couldn't say anything nice about the BA...


----------



## lee730

Well it's better to state the truth than cover it up. If the problems aren't brought up then there is no way Hi-sound can fix them in the future.


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





lee730 said:


> Well it's better to state the truth than cover it up. If the problems aren't brought up then there is no way Hi-sound can fix them in the future.


 

 Oh, all right then -
   
  The Rocoo BA had the clunkiest UI I've used, and hissed like a cat cornered by a dog through my sensitive, multi-driver iem's (1964 Ears Quads, for the record) - exactly the use for which the Rocoo BA is targeted.  I returned mine for a refund after a replacement unit behaved just like the first.  It did sound very nice with my Beyer DT1350's, but that is not what I bought it for.  Decent looking, and not bad for a $69 player, but it lists for $249.
   
  On the plus side, it does sound nice with at least some cans, it seems, and Jack and Todd were very reasonable to deal with.  I really wanted to like the Rocoo BA, but it just did not suit my needs.


----------



## lee730

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Oh, all right then -
> 
> The Rocoo BA had the clunkiest UI I've used, and hissed like a cat cornered by a dog through my sensitive, multi-driver iem's (1964 Ears Quads, for the record) - exactly the use for which the Rocoo BA is targeted.  I returned mine for a refund after a replacement unit behaved just like the first.  It did sound very nice with my Beyer DT1350's, but that is not what I bought it for.  Decent looking, and not bad for a $69 player, but it lists for $249.
> 
> On the plus side, it does sound nice with at least some cans, it seems, and Jack and Todd were very reasonable to deal with.  I really wanted to like the Rocoo BA, but it just did not suit my needs.


 
   
  In the near future you may find your self very surprised. I'll be the guinea pig fist though and then will give you the go-ahead since we both seem to be real sensitive to hiss . If I can hear hiss I'm generally not a happy camper myself. I love a black-background after being spoiled .


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





lee730 said:


> In the near future you may find your self very surprised. I'll be the guinea pig fist though and then will give you the go-ahead since we both seem to be real sensitive to hiss . If I can hear hiss I'm generally not a happy camper myself. I love a black-background after being spoiled .


 
   
  Oh now that is just plain mean!  A hinted promise of what I'm looking for, and no further details, and no release date!  Keep me posted, give up what details you can, either here or via PM.  Or just keep me hanging - your call!


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> I sold my DacPort.  Not that I wanted to part with it, I just never seem to have time to set up my laptop rig and listen, so off it went.  The funds offset my new Sony PCM-M10 digital recorder.  While it does play AAC, WAV, MP3 files, it isn't the best quality for a playback device.  What it does well, is record WAV files at up to 24 bit, 96Khz stereo on the nice onboard omni mics, as well as with external mics.  I thought I'd branch out into recording my daughter's school programs and the odd acoustic show or street band.
> 
> I also picked up a used pair of Audio Technica AT853 cardioid mics,  I see a pair of Soundman Binaural in - ear omni mics coming soon.
> 
> i also plan to run line out into my Pico Slim to see if the Sony PCM-M0's mediocre playback is due to the onboard amp, just for fun.


 
   
  Just an update - I have run the PCM-M10 line out into a Headamp Pico Slim, into my 1964Ears Quads and into the Beyer DT1350's.  Very nice, gets rid of the amp hiss into my Quads.  It is on par with line out from a 4th gen iPod Touch, at least to my ears.  This makes it a nice player option.


----------



## lee730

I'm currently being spoiled by a pair of Hyrbid Custom IEMs in universal form (paired with DX100 and UHA 6 MKII). The company is not live yet but it is the best sounding IEMs IMO so far. The presentation is like full size headphones with very good and deep bass. Reminds me of IE8/IE80 but spot on detail of BA.


----------



## aamefford

I sold my DacPort because I rarely listened to my laptop rig, and to generate some cash.  I think I netted $310 or something.  Now, I miss my laptop rig, as all my lossless music lives there (and on the server in our office).  Now I feel an Apogee Duet 2 coming soon.  There goes the cash I generated, plus another $125 at least.  Damn I'm fickle.  Or maybe just a gear slut.  Anyway, I had the original firewire duet a couple of years ago, and really liked it.  I'm afraid "here we go again" is coming up soon.
   
  The Duet 2 is not as frequently discussed here as the Duet firewire version was a few years back - the original Duet was a bit of a cult classic here.  I am real interested to see how the new Duet 2 fares as a dac/amp, as well as for my very occasional recording efforts.


----------



## lee730

Don't think I'll be getting rid of my LX anytime soon. Just love the clarity and the mid range on it .


----------



## aamefford

Can't go wrong with the DacPort or LX. A really fine dac in 
my opinion. I thought about buying another, then ran across Currawong's duet 2 and curiosity got the best of me. I'll report back after a good test drive or two.


----------



## lee730

Well Jack is releasing the Studio V 3rd Anniversary Edition. This unit is suppose to address the hiss issues with the Studio V. I'll fill you in on my findings once I've received my unit. If they miraculously solved hiss problem then this would be "the player" IMO. You think the Rocoo BA was good (from a sound quality standpoint, the studio is on a whole different level ....
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/t/621204/trade-for-the-perfect-player-in-the-world-hisound-s-studio-3rd-anniversary-edition#post_8607404


----------



## aamefford

If the new Studio V 3rd edition equals or bests my Touch 4th / Pico Slim combo, and doesn't hiss with my Quads, I'd be in, even with the clunky UI.
   
  I've been using a Sony PCM-M10 (digital recorder with DAP capability) with my Pico Slim on occasion, and it is a very decent combo. - I really just want a usable one component soluition.


----------



## lee730

Well my unit was shipped out to me on the 11th so hopefully I'll have it later this week. I'll keep you posted.


----------



## aamefford

My Duet 2 just arrived from Currawong (4 -5 days from Japan - quick!) - I can hardly wait to try it out!


----------



## lee730

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> My Duet 2 just arrived from Currawong (4 -5 days from Japan - quick!) - I can hardly wait to try it out!


 

 Enjoying my Studio V as we speak. Sadly it will have to go back for warranty support but hey sh%t happens. I'm happy with the sound regardless .


----------



## aamefford

Listening to the new Duet 2 with my DT1350's.  It sounds great.  It is a pretty beefy piece of equipment for being a portable / laptop solution, which is a mixed blessing - big to carry, but cables don't drag it around.
   
  I haven't decided whether to keep it.  I don't know if I'll have the opportunity to use it enough to justify the cost.  If I keep it, I *may* trade my DT1350's for a higher impedance and/or lower sensitivity closed can.  The Duet is -63 db at first click, which is relatively loud on the Beyer's.  I am open to suggestions on new closed cans, by the way.  Beyer's are 80 ohm, 109 db @ 1 mW @ 1000 hz.
   
  I'd like to get up around 250 ohm (input impedance of Duet 2 is around 35 ohm, supposedly 8x is a good value, so 250 to 300 ohm is a good range to eliminate interaction) and less sensitivity, without being so inefficient that it requires more current / voltage than the Duet can produce - Duet swings roughly +/- 7.5 V from USB bus, which isn't bad.  Comfy, over ear and relatively light / portable with minimal sound leakage in or out, while I'm at it.  And how about *relatively* inexpensive (like I could sell my beyers, buy the cans and still net a few bucks...).


----------



## Armaegis

I saw an HD25-13-ii for sale on the forums the other day. It's not often you'll find a 600 ohm portable can 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 (and they sound pretty nice too)


----------



## aamefford

armaegis said:


> I saw an HD25-13-ii for sale on the forums the other day. It's not often you'll find a 600 ohm portable can   (and they sound pretty nice too)




I saw those. HD25's aren't real comfortable for me though. It was tempting. 

I actually have the Duet 2 listed as an IC / for sale. I seldom use my laptop rig, and I've satisfied my curiosity with the Duet 2. It is a really neat rig, but I don't really need it. I'll list it here for a bit, then off to fleabay if it doesn't get any love here.


----------



## Armaegis

Yeah I just saw your other thread there. Though I guess if you're selling the Duet2 now, then you don't really need something higher impedance. 
   
  Have you considered jumping on the ortho bandwagon?


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> ...Have you considered jumping on the ortho bandwagon?


 
   
  Yes, in fact I have.  I haven't made the jump due to my amp being a Pico Slim, efficiency, impedance, cost(?) lack of knowledge.  With the Duet 2 (Yeah, it's for sale, but Currawong had it posted for a couple months, I think, and I'm not in a big hurry at the moment) I might consider jumping in.
   
  Any recommendations for something non-vintage (to me, vintage always means not as good as current, and more likely to break and become a project), representative of the ortho sound, great with vocals and acoustic, good with classical and at least decent with rock, and about $200 +/- $50 new or used?


----------



## Armaegis

The only non-vintage ones that don't break the bank are the Fostex models.
   
  There are a couple modded options available somewhat commercially, such as the MrSpeakers MadDog, LFF Paradox, Smeggy Thunderpants, Martin Custom Audio, KODA... and there's probably another couple that I can't remember. Of those, I think the MadDog might be the only one within your price range. If you want something more portable, you could also poke around and see if someone would be willing to do a transplant into a more suitable frame. It's not *that* hard to do (I've done a few myself), but with a new frame comes the unknown of how it'll sound and then relying on the modder's experience. 
   
  All orthos are generally quite inefficient though. I have my own modded T50rp's and they generally sound best from a receiver, though my FiiO e10 does a pretty good job actually. A PicoSlim really wouldn't be enough to drive an ortho however. 
   
  Some of the vintage stuff sounds really good. I actually have a super rare Fostex T10 which is portable and can be driven reasonably well from my Sansa Fuze and sounds excellent (better than the stock  modern T50rp in my opinion). If I didn't already have it pending trade to someone else, I'd offer it to you.


----------



## aamefford

Great, now I want a pair of $299 Mad Dogs, because I really just don't want to mod my own...  Luckily, He's closed until September 4, so I'll talk myself out of needing a pair.  Or not.  Anybody want to buy my DT1350's?


----------



## Armaegis

I'll trade you my modded pair of T50rp's


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> I'll trade you my modded pair of T50rp's


 
  Hmmmmmmmm....  Switch to PM's for the rest of this conversation


----------



## aamefford

Well, my foray into orthos will be another day.  I have a pair of DT770 Premium 600 ohm phones on the way.  I will update here when they arrive and I get a little time with them.  In theory, they should do nicely for me.
   
  If I like them will enough, I'll probably move the DT1350's along to help pay for some of my goodies.  An Apogee Duet 2, Sony PCM-M10 digital stereo recorder, 2 sets of Church Audio mics + preamp, the DT770's.  I need to start recovering my fun fund a bit!


----------



## aamefford

Apogee Duet 2 and a pair of DT 770 600's - this part of my rig is barely portable...


----------



## Armaegis

Time to start investing in an appropriate man-bag (I prefer the term "satchel" myself) to sling your gear around. 
   
  About a year ago I had this ridiculous idea to build an M3 into a suitcase and power it off an Energizer XP18000. I've got the parts for the amp actually, as well as an unfinished b22 sitting on the workbench. I suppose the idea can work with any desktop amp that takes a DC supply within working range of the Energizer.
   
  Laptop, external battery, usb dac, powerful amp, headphones, all nestled neatly into a suitcase. Hmmm, now I'm thinking about it again...


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> Time to start investing in an appropriate man-bag (I prefer the term "satchel" myself) to sling your gear around.
> 
> About a year ago I had this ridiculous idea to build an M3 into a suitcase and power it off an Energizer XP18000. I've got the parts for the amp actually, as well as an unfinished b22 sitting on the workbench. I suppose the idea can work with any desktop amp that takes a DC supply within working range of the Energizer.
> 
> Laptop, external battery, usb dac, powerful amp, headphones, all nestled neatly into a suitcase. Hmmm, now I'm thinking about it again...


 
   
  Now that is plain outrageous!  I'm not sure whether to be concerned, proud of you, or envious of the idea...
   
  Man-bag - I have one of these - bought it used on eBay when I had my 15" macbook pro.  I've downsized to an 11" macbook air, and upsized all the stuff I carry around - power adapter, DT1350, ipod touch and pico slim, 1964 ears quads, Apogee Duet 2, sony PCM-M10, mics and preamp.  I never touch the stuff - I just seem to carry it around in hopes I'll get a quick break at work that will let me play with one of my toys...


----------



## Armaegis

You call that a man-bag? This is a man-bag... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  edit: or this
   
  In my bag I've got... laptop and power brick, Pioneer HDJ-2000, V-Sonic GR07, Nuforce NE-770X, Sansa Fuze, NI Traktor 2 (a proaudio interface with 4 channel output), Nuforce Cube (dac, amp, and speaker), and I used to carry the iBasso D10 as well though I never used it. And seriously, when I'm on the go I pretty much just use an iem with my Fuze. If I'm sitting in my lab I used to break out whatever usb dac/amp I had with me and plugged in my Pioneers, but nowadays I cart around the Cube since it's sort of an all-in-one that does a pretty good job. 
   
  In the Stepdance thread there's a guy with a big bag carrying around a Sony M10 (or maybe a different model), I forget the dac he uses, the Stepdance, hooked into the XP8000 with a 15V regulator, and I think it's the LCD-2. Crazy!


----------



## aamefford

Nice bag - mine's bigger, though yours looks great! 

And looking at what we carry, I think perhaps we just ain't quite right. Not as bad as that other guy though. HE'S got a problem...

Personally, I could quit any time. I just don't want to...


----------



## Armaegis

Oh I wish I had a bag like that (though leather is so heavy). 
   
  I've been intrigued by that Dragonfly dac/amp that seems to be generating a lot of buzz (not pun intended) lately. Seems like a mighty fine portable solution.


----------



## aamefford

The Saddlebag stuff is nice!  Pricey, though.


----------



## lee730

Enjoying my MDR-7550s . Thought I banned Sony (EX1000 nightmare). Guess I let them back in lol.


----------



## aamefford

The DT 770 / 600's arrived today, I got a couple hours with them at work.  My impressions so far:
   
  Comfortable!
   
  Nice bass extension, but not boomy.  Airy but a bit dry highs, mids much more up front than my D7000's.  Lacks a bit of refinement compared to the D7000, and sounds a bit well, more closed in, yet the sound stage seems a bit better.  So far, I am enjoying them.  I'll need a bit of time to decide if they are keepers.  They might be, just for the comfort, and the fact that they sound really quite good.
   
  I listened to them out of the Apogee Duet2, and it was really a nice pairing.  The Duet2 is better than the Duet firewire, and really deserves to reclaim it's cult status around head-fi.  It is quite good.  That said, it is also kinda big and heavy, so it may not stay with me.
   
  Surprise, surprise!  The DT 770 / 600's have a mini plug, with screw on 1/4" adapter.  Curiosity got the best of me, and I plugged it into my iPod Touch / Pico Slim combo, wondering if it would even get to a moderate volume.  It actually got more than loud enough around 1 to 2 o'clock, and would go to well past my comfort range easily.  It didn't sound as solid as the Duet2 did, but it was surprisingly not bad at all.  Good enough, in fact, that my DT1350's will go up for sale a bit more aggressively as soon as I get some photos of them for the FS post.
   
  Who'd a thunk it?  DT 770 / 600's and a Pico Slim are nicely listenable!  The little Pico Slim never ceases to amaze me.  It is getting to where it may be the only piece of kit I don't sell off in exchange for a new flavor.


----------



## Armaegis

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> It is getting to where it may be the only piece of kit I don't sell off in exchange for a new flavor.


 
   
  That's just silly talk


----------



## aamefford

armaegis said:


> That's just silly talk




No kiddin' especially given my usual pattern. The DT 1350's were never gonna get sold either...


----------



## Armaegis

I have yet to listen to a Beyer that I've really liked. The DT1350 was the closest, and even then I was kinda *shrug* as I preferred the M80 and HD25. After the DT1350 I think I'd pick the DT880, though it and the 770/990 are a bit too clunky for me to consider portable. There's that new "Custom One Pro" with the variable ports that seems intriguing though.


----------



## aamefford

The HD 25 is too punchy for me, and I can't get past the M80 looks.  I like the DT1350's a lot, but new flavor-itis has hit.  The 770 / 600's are interesting.  There's a lot I like, and a fair amount i'm not so sure about yet.  I'm still interested in the modded Fostex - I'm really thinking about the Mad Dogs. Dan and I have corresponded a bit, so I figure it is just a matter of time.  The Mad Dogs do command a reasonable resale value, which fits into my buy/listen/sell MO pretty well.  As to the DT 770 / 600, not sure yet.


----------



## Armaegis

I'm comfortable with the fact that I will never settle with just one sound. It's all about the adventure of new toys and listening to the music all over again.


----------



## aamefford

I have a nice, low priced, upper mid-fi quality speaker rig, lousy car stereo, a nice pair of custom iem's, and generally only one pair of headphones at a time, as my listening time is really restricted lately.  That will change, and my headphone collection will grow, I'm sure.  I cycle through the one pair of headphones 2 or 3 times a year, give or take.  I also seem to cycle through some sort of desktop or semi/portable dec/amp combo a couple of times a year.  The Pico Slim may just get a permanent home though - unless something comes along that does what it does better.  Compared to cars, motorcycles, gambling or womanizing, headphones are a pretty cheap hobby.


----------



## Armaegis

My speaker rigs are budget-mid fi at best. Some old Paradigm speakers and an HK receiver for my dance studio (aka basement), and some interesting sets in the Cambridge Soundworks Model Twelve and the NuForce Icon2 + S-X speakers + W-1 sub. The car stereo is whatever came with the car; if I ever decide to put any money there it'd probably go into noise reduction before speakers. Headphones I seem to go through at an alarming rate, although I've slowed down significantly. A couple summers ago I think I probably had something incoming/outgoing every week during my massive trading flurry. Right now I'm sitting on one peak of summit-fi and don't really know where to go from here. My voyage through amps has been slower, though it also sparked off several DIY projects that have been sitting idle for too long now. 
   
  I'm not sure where I want to go for the iem route. I have a lot of trouble finding something that fits me properly. Customs seems like the way to go, but it's hard to justify jumping into that blind, especially when it's hard to sell if I don't like the sound. 
   
  Or y'know... just get budget oriented bang-for-the-buck gear because the higher the pricetag the picker I become. My lowly PX100-ii probably has more headtime than my higher end stuff.


----------



## aamefford

Same car stereo you have, but with a low end pioneer head so I can plug in my iPhone. I'm not sure I'll do custom iems again. Same reasons you list, plus they really aren't all that comfortable and the whole process from impressions through refits to finished product is really "fussy".A


----------



## lee730

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Same car stereo you have, but with a low end pioneer head so I can plug in my iPhone. I'm not sure I'll do custom iems again. Same reasons you list, plus they really aren't all that comfortable and the whole process from impressions through refits to finished product is really "fussy".A


 

 Just one reason why Universal Custom IEMs are becoming a norm and I bet will be much more common in the near future (resale value and comfort).


----------



## aamefford

My customs are about as comfortable as universals, probably a bit more so, but not that much. Universals have resale value and generally lower price, and none of the fiddling with molds and refits. Lots of fussing with tips though.


----------



## lee730

I've been pretty fortunate with my selections. I have a few tips and I find 1 in particular to fit my needs in most cases. Even on my Custom universal IEMs.


----------



## aamefford

Well, I sold the DT1350's.  Cheap too - $200 shipped.
   
  "Portable" rig now consists of Pico Slim / Touch 4G / 1964 Ears Quads, and strangely enough, DT 770/600's on occasion.  Not a great pairing, but not so bad - didn't expect that one.
   
  Laptop Rig is an 11" macbook air / Apogee Duet2 / DT 770/600's.
   
  Both the Duet2 and the DT770/600's are in jeopardy of being moved along.  The Duet2 weighs a pound, and is pretty large, the DT 770/600's are non portable (can live with that) and I haven't decided on the sound signature yet.  Very comfy though!
   
  I may jump on the ortho bandwagon with a pair of Mad Dogs or Paradigms (yeah, I could mod my own, but no time or desire.  I went through the process with a pair of HFI780's a couple of years ago), and that dragonfly dac/amp - if it will drive the Fostex spinoffs well enough.


----------



## lee730

The novelty phase always wears fast on you doesn't it? .


----------



## Armaegis

Did you mean a Paradox? Or is there a Paradigm mod out now? (man I can hardly keep track)


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





lee730 said:


> The novelty phase always wears fast on you doesn't it? .


 
   
  Yes.  Unfortunately.  If it hits my triggers, i.e. sounds a little like a D7000, or is shiny and works for my needs (like the Pico Slim I never seem to shut up about) I may keep it for a while.  The D770/600 may hit the sweet spot, but may not.  Nice bass extension, but not as prominent as the D7000 (good), mids are a bit better than the D7000, highs have a touch of sparkle, but seem a bit papery dry - could be the Duet2, could just be the headphones.  They sound actually really nice, but I haven't decided if they are for me yet.
  Quote: 





armaegis said:


> Did you mean a Paradox? Or is there a Paradigm mod out now? (man I can hardly keep track)


 
  Paradox.  Got confused.


----------



## lee730

Not sure if you had a chance to check out the Tralucent thread yet. To get you familiar with the review product. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  http://www.head-fi.org/t/623514/new-custom-iem-company-tralucent-audio


----------



## aamefford

So....  TTVJ has this:
   
  http://www.ttvjaudio.com/Apex_High_Fi_Audio_Glacier_portable_headphone_amp_p/aaa0000010.htm
   
  Apparently taking the place of the TTVJ Slim.  I really liked the slim when I had it, but I could not get the volume quite low enough with my iem's, and the adjustment was not quite fine enough.  It went from silent, to too quiet, to not quite loud enough, to too loud with my custom iems.  That is how I ended up with the Pico Slim, and the rest is very recent history I just won't quit repeating, because, well, I need a life....
   
  I'd love to know more than what is mentioned on TTVJ's site.  Pete MIllet designed - I generally like the sound of his amps of the couple I've heard, including the TTVJ Slim.  24/96 dac - preferred for me, as I have a few albums in the format.  Digital volume - excellent if it goes low enough on low gain, and has small enough steps between settings to offer reasonably fine adjustments.  I should take care of any low volume channel imbalance.  Footprint to match idevices.  Thin and light.  Most important - it is shiny, and new, and I'm pretty sure I want one, if it meets my volume control needs, and can do any justice at all to my DT 770/600's (likely, they sound surprisingly OK with my Pico Slim).
   
  Anybody know anything about the Apex Glacier?


----------



## Armaegis

New and shiny... how about the V-Moda Vamp?
   
  (I don't know anything about it, just throwing more toys your way 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




)


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> New and shiny... how about the V-Moda Vamp?
> 
> (I don't know anything about it, just throwing more toys your way
> 
> ...


 
  Hah - thanks for that.  I'm about due for a retail therapy session - work has been evil.  I looked more closely at the Apex Glacier.  It has the same amp section as the TTVJ Slim, with improved DAC and power supply.  I suspect that it has the same volume control, which means it won't work for me any more than the TTVJ Slim did.  Unless I don't use it with the quads...  I really liked the sound of the TTVJ Slim though.  It just had some sort of life to it.  Lee730 is touting the Leckerton UHA6S or whatever it is.  I liked the UHA-4, it is a really nice little amp, dac is ok, volume control is the only one besides my Pico Slim that actually worked OK with my custom iem's.  I might try one if it shows up for sale.  Who knows.  Something shiny will come my way soon...


----------



## Armaegis

Just so long as you don't go scuttling into the corner with your new shinies...
   
   
... my precioius... hsssss...


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> Just so long as you don't go scuttling into the corner with your new shinies...
> 
> 
> ... my precioius... hsssss...


 
  I DO NOT!
   
  as far as you know...


----------



## Armaegis

Wow, how the heck did I misspell precious?


----------



## aamefford

Sold the Apogee Duet2 on Fleabay, and just bought a pair of Mr. Speakers Maddogs.  Will probably do some source/amp switching about.  Comments on theDragonfly?  Comments on a good stand alone (battery powered) 24/96 dac/amp $250 or under, new or used?
   
  Wanna buy my DT770/600's?


----------



## Armaegis

You mean you're not going for that shiny Glacier? C'mon, take one for the team and write a review. That's the best excuse for buying new toys 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  Lately I've been kinda looking at the Focusrite Forte and Echo Audio Echo2, both slightly cheaper (and not exclusively Mac) alternatives to the Duet.


----------



## aamefford

Glacier is a bit pricy.  Really tempting though - I loved the sound of the TTVJ slim, and it is the same amp section with an upgraded dec.  It would be perfect, and match my macbook air.
   
  Dan says he recommends at least 100 mW with the Mad Dogs, and the Pico Slim is at least rated at 350 mW @ 35 ohm, so it should do fine, at least until I rebuild the toy find a bit.


----------



## Armaegis

Hmm, I see a dragonfly on the FS forum... just sayin


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> Hmm, I see a dragonfly on the FS forum... just sayin


 
   
  Dangling bait like this out in front of me is cheap entertainment for you isn't it 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 .  It's ok, I find it pretty entertaining as well.  My Mad Dogs showed up this morning, and work is finally blissfully quiet for a few moments.  Comments - Mr. Speakers' new "dog pads" leather ear cushions are nice, and very comfy.  The Pico Slim is at least acceptable with them.  The sound signature seems to be close to my general likes.  Pretty cool so far.
   
  Anyone want to buy my DT 770-600's?  Such a deal...


----------



## aamefford

Hahahahaha - I went looking for that Dragonfly, and found my old DacPort up for sale - literally mine, I sold it to Sadique a month or two ago:
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/t/630338/centrance-dacport
   
  It's really tempting to buy it back...


----------



## Armaegis

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Dangling bait like this out in front of me is cheap entertainment for you isn't it
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  Spending other people's money is fun 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  If I know of anyone looking for a DT770, I'll send them your way. What are you asking for them? I've got a friend looking for some 990's, though I might convince him on 770's maybe. 
   
   
   
  Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Hahahahaha - I went looking for that Dragonfly, and found my old DacPort up for sale - literally mine, I sold it to Sadique a month or two ago:
> 
> http://www.head-fi.org/t/630338/centrance-dacport
> 
> It's really tempting to buy it back...


 
   
  Ha really? I bought a dacport from him last year. Guess he must have missed it.


----------



## lee730

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Hahahahaha - I went looking for that Dragonfly, and found my old DacPort up for sale - literally mine, I sold it to Sadique a month or two ago:
> 
> http://www.head-fi.org/t/630338/centrance-dacport
> 
> It's really tempting to buy it back...


 

 You know you want it.... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  No way I'm parting with my LX until I find something to replace it with. I still haven't felt the need to upgrade it though. It just does its job so well and the fact that it is more transparent/resolving then the DACport and cheaper is a big plus. Pair it with a good amp and its bliss. The UHA6 MKII is the best pairing so far to these ears.


----------



## aamefford

What I want is stand alone, 24/96 from USB, something over 350 mW per channel. Dacport isn't stand alone, but I think checks the rest of the boxes, except it is also 8 ohm output impedance. I'd rather it be below 5 ohm, but probably ok with the ortho's. They have a flat impedance vs. freq. curve. 

Any other ideas?


----------



## aamefford

My DT 770 - 600's:
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/t/629799/beyerdynamic-dt-770-600-ohm-version-bargain-price-drop


----------



## Armaegis

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> What I want is stand alone, 24/96 from USB, something over 350 mW per channel. Dacport isn't stand alone, but I think checks the rest of the boxes, except it is also 8 ohm output impedance. I'd rather it be below 5 ohm, but probably ok with the ortho's. They have a flat impedance vs. freq. curve.
> Any other ideas?


 
   
  Random listings... iBasso D6/12, Leckerton UHA-6mk2, Practical Devices XM6, Matrix Mini Portable (not sure if it has 350mW power though)...


----------



## lee730

I keep hinting at the UHA 6 MKII as it is a huge upgrade over the UHA4. The Pico and UHA4 are not comparable at all. The DACport LX isn't standalone but pair it with a good portable amp and it's audio bliss.


----------



## SennHI808

Quote: 





lee730 said:


> I keep hinting at the UHA 6 MKII as it is a huge upgrade over the UHA4. The Pico and UHA4 are not comparable at all. The DACport LX isn't standalone but pair it with a good portable amp and it's audio bliss.


 
  x2


----------



## aamefford

The Leckerton 6SmkII is not 24/96 via USB. I do downsample all of my 24/96 for idevice use, but I would like to be able to enjoy it in native format from a laptop rig. I've owned the dacport LX, and traded for the dacport with class A amp. Both were excellent, and I could go back to a dacport, it had a bunch of power and sounded great. It isn't stand alone, and it is about 10 ohm output impedance. Not deal killers. The practical devices stuff always interested me. The XM-6 is $395 though, and dacport is $399, though closer to $300 used. I'm interested in the ibasso stuff also. I've heard mixed reviews on fit and finish. Any feedback on the ibasso stuff? I guess I'll just keep cruising the FS section until an interesting deal pops up. I'm trying to find a good 24/96 USB dac and amp combo, and stay under $300, the closer to $200, the better. I did some reading on the Headfonia site regarding the Fiio Alpen, or E17. I haven't seen power specs on it yet, but it seems interesting. I usually snobbishly snub the Fiio stuff, but kind of like the new Hyundai and Kia, they may be worth paying some attention. I'm fine with a ford or chevy level solution - doesn't have to be a mercedes or ferarri...

Oh, and what is the difference between D6 and D12? Obvious ones - D12 has optical inputs, which don't matter to me - macbook air is usb only. D6 advertises 650mW x 2 into 32 ohm, which is in the neighborhood I'm looking for.


----------



## Armaegis

Off the top of my head I don't think the e17 has as much power as you're looking for... but don't quote me on that. 
   
  I've had the iBasso D10 for a while now. It's quite good, though I don't really use it these days (too many toys... you know the drill) except when evaluating new gear. I've always found their build quality to be excellent. 
   
  The D6 is basically trading the D12's versatility for power, and requires external charging since it has a higher voltage battery.
   
  Hmm another option might be the new Meier PCstep.


----------



## burgunder

Ibasso D7 is another option and it seems to deliver 500 mW at 50 Ohm.


----------



## Armaegis

I was just reading on the forums (but can't find it now) that you can get the dacport factory modded to under 1ohm output impedance. Not sure on the cost, but maybe an option to look into. There's also the iBasso D7 which is another usb dac/amp only, but is also the only other usb dac I know of that runs in class A.


----------



## aamefford

armaegis said:


> I was just reading on the forums (but can't find it now) that you can get the dacport factory modded to under 1ohm output impedance. Not sure on the cost, but maybe an option to look into. There's also the iBasso D7 which is another usb dac/amp only, but is also the only other usb dac I know of that runs in class A.


 
  I've considered that - $100.-- adder though, I emailed them about it a while back.  I'd really like a stand alone option, as it would be nice to use with an ipod on occasion.  I may decide the little Pico Slim is enough, but I'd like to try something with a bit more volt-amps.
   
  Here's what I have so far:
   
   

 amp Price Current Voltage Watts @ Ohms Resolution Pico Slim Have 0.22 4.1     na Pico D/A $350 used 0.22 8     16/48 Pico Power ??? 0.22 16     na DacPort $300 used 0.34? 4.4 1.5 32 24/96 iBasso D6 $275 new   12.6 .650 x 2 32   iBasso D7 ???   5       Matrix Mini $349         24/96 RSA Predator $475 new          
   
  Lots of blanks...


----------



## Armaegis

More bait dangling... http://centrance.com/products/hifi-m8/


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> More bait dangling... http://centrance.com/products/hifi-m8/


 
   
  I'm very intrigued by this.  I like Centrance's stuff.  @ $699, I'll wait for someone to offload theirs in the FS forum for $500-ish in a few months.  If it is as good as most of Centrance's offerings, it could be one box nirvana for me.
   
  Oh, and thanks for the carrot on a stick - I do find your baiting infinitely entertaining!  It seems you feel the same.  Cheers -


----------



## Armaegis

There's a thread somewhere on the forums. They're offering a 20% off preorder price after RMAF.
   
  /more carrots


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> There's a thread somewhere on the forums. They're offering a 20% off preorder price after RMAF.
> 
> /more carrots


 
  Hmmm.... $560-ish.  That is getting close to doable.  You are a funny guy!


----------



## Armaegis

Good or bad, you're gonna wind up blaming me huh?


----------



## lee730

Does it have a line out to it's DAC? I really have no need for an amp/DAC combo although this does look quite tempting. Having my doubts this will compete with my Triad L3.


----------



## aamefford

armaegis said:


> Good or bad, you're gonna wind up blaming me huh?




DUH! As an old friend once said - "when things start going wrong, I start looking around for someone to blame..."

Seriously, whatever I end up doing, it will be my doing. Doesn't mean I won't tease you a bit either way though!

Oh, and balanced XLR's on the hifi m8? Seems like they will take up valuable battery space. I'm just not likely reterminate my cans.


----------



## aamefford

armaegis - looks like you are off the hook!
   
  I found a trade deal - DT770-600's plus cash for a Pico Dac/Amp - I had one in the past and miss it.  I think it will be a fine match for the Mad Dogs.  It has twice the power of the Pico Slim, which drives the Mad Dogs just fine.  Now I've got a dac/amp again for the laptop.
   
  I also purchased a UD100 dac from Stoner Acoustics -
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/t/626632/tiny-dac-big-sound-impression-of-stoner-acoustics-ud100-vs-odac
   
  A Sabre 9023 dac on a tiny PC board, with a USB plug and 1/8" jack, covered in heat shrink for $52.  Definitely an impulse/curiosity purchase.
   
  Last - if you are looking for a dacport, FullCompass has them for $299. with a note to "Call for sale price."  Tempting...  I liked my dacport.
   
  Now I don't have to start saving cash for the hifi m8 - I was seriously considering it, save for the 3 pin xlr jacks - I just don't get that...


----------



## Armaegis

Oh nice! I've always been kinda curious about the Pico as I've heard the Slim and thought it was quite good but could use more power for the bigger cans. 
   
  No interest in a Dacport at the moment. Had one and sold it... I've got far too many usb dacs at the moment (a D10, e10, VRMbox, DacDestroyer, NI Traktor 2). Buying US retail really sucks for us Canadian anyways, what with the shipping and taxes and stuff.


----------



## aamefford

The postman just delivered the Pico that I received in trade for my DT 770-600's plus a bit of cash on my end.  I gave it a quick listen just to be sure it is working.
   
  It works great, Mad Dogs are fine on low gain, it does appear to sound better than the Pico Slim, though I cheated and used my laptop into the dac instead of iPod Touch 4G to line in.  I'll do the proper comparison with same source soon enough.  I suspect there will be little audible difference between the Pico and Pico Slim with the Mad Dogs and Touch.
   
  I'll have to re-try my 1964 Ears quads with the Pico.  If that works, I could offload the slim.  I suspect I'll have the usual channel imbalance/hiss/not enough volume control sensitivity at low volume that I have with everything but the pico slim.


----------



## Armaegis

So how long do you think it'll be before upgrade-itis strikes again?


----------



## aamefford

Oh, not long I'm sure. I think I just like to buy and sell gear when you get down to it.


----------



## lee730

It's always nice to get new-toys. The best part though if finding the toys you cannot part with .


----------



## aamefford

I'm on my second Pico Dac/Amp - so I obviously like that piece of kit.  I can't seem to justify getting rid of the Pico Slim, at least yet - I haven't found a better amp for sensitive iem's.  My iem head-time has dropped way, way off, though.  I just don't have time to have what are effectively custom fit ear plugs that play music stuffed in my ears.  At work, headphones are much more convenient.  I rarely listen at home any more it is either the speaker rig or my daughter's cartoons....   The iem's are reduced to travel use, and I don't travel all that much.  As well as the Mad Dogs isolate, I could travel with them, though they are kinda big.
   
  A couple more notes on the Picos - I finally gave a bit of time to the big Pico with my touch 4G (ALAC files).  It is a bit better than the slim, maybe.  Overall, the Pico Slim does a fine job with the Mad Dogs, though.  The big pico is not enough better to need to carry it with the touch for a portable mad-dog rig.  That said, the Pico used as a dac / amp from the laptop with lossless files is MUCH better, so the Pico still fills the main need I bought it for.  So would a DacPort, though, since it seems the Mad Dogs do not benefit so much from the added power with the touch 4G.


----------



## Armaegis

I'm curious to see impressions of the Pico Power when it's released. And I think Justin is working on a companion dac to it as well.


----------



## aamefford

I am interested in the Pico Power.  Supposedly 16 V swing, twice the power of the Pico, 4 times the power of the Pico Slim.
   
  I love Justin's products - They are well conceived, very fine build quality, they drip cool from them when you look at them, and they work and sound excellent.
   
  I hate waiting for Justin's stuff!  I buy it used, just because I hate waiting for pre-orders or for his build times.  Add on mediocre communication skills, and it is just frustrating to buy his stuff new.  I do get it - he is an army of one, and a perfectionist, which is why his stuff is so good.  I am a fan, I have a Pico Slim, and I'm working on my second Pico Dac / Amp now, but I bought all of them used - I did spend an inordinate amount of time on the Pico Slim pre-order and finally bailed.
   
  If I ever get a pair of the up-end orthos or something else harder to drive, I may have to own a Pico Power as well.  Probably be a while, though.


----------



## Armaegis

I'll sell ya my HE-6 when you're ready


----------



## aamefford

I just tried my 1964 Ears Quads with the Pico Amp / Dac.  It went as I expected.  Zero volume to too loud in a pretty small range maybe 7 to 10 degrees rotation, channel imbalance audible at (very) low listening volume, which doesn't resolve until comfortable to too loud for me.  My usual gripes.  No slam against the Pico Dac / Amp.  The quads are really sensitive / efficient.  Also note that I did not hear any hiss, which is impressive - I get hiss with everything but the Pico Slim with the quads.  I guess I gotta keep the Pico Slim.  I'm closing in on having that thing longer than anything head-fi related I've owned.  I have not yet found anything better for iems.  I just don't see the hifi-m8 competing as far as sensitive iem's are concerned - I am really curious to see.


----------



## Armaegis

I think you really just need something with selectable gain.


----------



## lee730

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> I think you really just need something with selectable gain.


 
   
   
  So far the only amps that have done it for me wtihout having to use a program to attenuate the sound (asio bit for bit is best  would be the UHA4 and Triad L3. Surpriginly the Triads volume pot is superb even down to minimal settings.


----------



## aamefford

More than selectible gain, the actual volume pot figures in as well. Pico slim's digital is awesome. I don't think I've tried one with a so called zero gain. The Pico has +2 and +6.


----------



## Armaegis

I can't remember which ones, but I know I've seen a few amps that actually have negative gain. Something small like -2dB or so, then a regular gain setting as well. 
   
  How about one of Jan Meier's amps? He uses a digital control as well. I believe he just released the PCstep not too long ago.


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> I can't remember which ones, but I know I've seen a few amps that actually have negative gain. Something small like -2dB or so, then a regular gain setting as well.
> 
> How about one of Jan Meier's amps? He uses a digital control as well. I believe he just released the PCstep not too long ago.


 
   
  
 Oh man!  You are leading me around by my nose again!  The PC step does have -2 gain at low setting, fairly whopping +14 @ high gain (Pico has +6).  It also appears to swing up to either 15V or 30V, depending on how one interprets the "Internally the supply voltage is doubled to increase driving capacity."  statement.  Runs from USB (site says 6V, more like 4.2, I think) 9V battery or up to 15V power adapter.  20mA of current means theoretically up to either 300mW or 600mW, depending on the doubling statement again, and also depending on output and load impedance - which is well beyond my somewhat vague recollections of "bonehead electronics for Mechanical Engineers" that I took back in about 1980 or so....
  
 I had looked at this earlier, and moved on, because Jan didn't even note the specs on the dec - 16/44.1?  24/96 capable? Who knows...  Also, not really a fan of removable 9V, as recharging separately is kind of a pain, and replacing is kind of expensive.  It is nice to be able to pop in a 9V when you don't have access to a wall outlet for charging, though I can't imagine that being a frequent occurrence for me.
  
 Anyway, I'm curious enough to email Jan.  I've shot him an email or two over the years, and he always seems pleasant.  I've tried a couple of Justin's amps, one of Ray Samuels (Tomahawk - nice amp for iem's also, and one I always forget about), it would be nice to try one of Jan's amps sometime.  I kind of count those 3 as the venerable gentlemen of headphone amps - all 3 have been around since near the beginning, all three are quirky in their own ways, there seems to be a bit of respectful competition between them, and they all put out a good, higher end product.
  
 I'll post up the question answer exchange if it appears informative and appropriate to do so.


----------



## Armaegis

The amps swing up to 30V (actually 32V), as people have been plugging it in with an Energizer XP8000 battery pack for transportable use in their man-bags. 
   
  Ray's got his new Intruder usb dac/amp as well...
   
  Haha, carrots I say. Carrots!


----------



## justin w.

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> More than selectible gain, the actual volume pot figures in as well. Pico slim's digital is awesome. I don't think I've tried one with a so called zero gain. The Pico has +2 and +6.


 
   
  The Pico Slim volume control is actually a gain adjustment


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





justin w. said:


> The Pico Slim volume control is actually a gain adjustment


 
   
  It works very, very well.  The Pico Slim is a heck of a fine amp.


----------



## ExpatinJapan

Quote: 





justin w. said:


> The Pico Slim volume control is actually a gain adjustment


 
  That is quite interesting, please say more.


----------



## lee730

Yeah that is interesting. I've heard both good and bad comments. Seems the bad outweights the good comments from what I've been reading though.... Kiteki feels the amp is lacking in energy (life).


----------



## aamefford

lee730 said:


> Yeah that is interesting. I've heard both good and bad comments. Seems the bad outweights the good comments from what I've been reading though.... Kiteki feels the amp is lacking in energy (life).




I love mine. I don't really look for an amp to add or take away from the recording. That said, I sure like the TTVJ Slim, and it has its own color that it adds. Over the long haul, I really like the Pico Slim. Heck, it did a very serviceable job with the DT 770-600's, and I love what it does for the Mad Dogs modded Fostex. It shines best with sensitive iems. Still haven't topped it.


----------



## Armaegis

Centrance has now dropped the price of their Dacport to $300.


----------



## aamefford

I am so close to pre-ordering the Centrance hifi-m8 (kinda silly name...).  I already have the email with order info.  Since they decided to go with the 4 pin for balanced, I am pretty much there.   I find that 95% or more of my listening is from my iPod touch.  I have used that Pico Dac/Amp I bought all of once.  I guess the Centrance unit will cover the few times I need a DAC, at least as well as the Pico, if the DacPort is any indication.
   
  I am so close, that I put my Pico Dac/Amp, and the Pico Slim up for sale!  Both for best offer, and I'm motivated to move one of them.  I'll close the other post as soon as one of them sells.  I need to keep something around until the M8 arrives.  That is assuming I buy one.  Tomorrow...  Not that I have new toy fever or anything...
   
  I am so fickle...


----------



## Armaegis

Haha, the journey continues. I just recently picked up a few too many toys for my home rig... I really need to stop using the "I can write a review for these" as an excuse to buy


----------



## lee730

I pretty much try to shuffle gear now and sell things off before buying. Although at times that is even nearly impossible....


----------



## Armaegis

I've been telling myself that I should sell stuff first, and I even actively seek trades to move several of my items for one. Just a couple months ago I traded 7 headphones for one. I thought I was doing well.
   
  And now suddenly I find myself with several more extraneous headphones and somehow my amps have doubled in number...


----------



## aamefford

Hello everyone, My name is aamefford and I'm an audioholic. 

"Hi aamefford. Welcome..."

I'm different though. I could quit any time. I just don't want to. 

"Denial!"


----------



## RingingEars

I can relate to this thread. Happy one minute, disappointed the next.
  So far though the gear in my sig synergises really well. So for now I am happy...


----------



## aamefford

ringingears said:


> I can relate to this thread. Happy one minute, disappointed the next.
> So far though the gear in my sig synergises really well. So for now I am happy...:etysmile:




Not so much disappointed as fickle and impulsive in my case. I like new toys, and head-fi gear is cheaper than bicycles, dirt bikes, jeeps or race cars. Or skiing. I think the longest my rig(s) have held still is somewhere around 6 to 9 months.


----------



## Armaegis

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Not so much disappointed as fickle and impulsive in my case. I like new toys, and head-fi gear is cheaper than bicycles, dirt bikes, jeeps or race cars. Or skiing. I think the longest my rig(s) have held still is somewhere around 6 to 9 months.


 
   
  Longest is about two years for me with my Sextett and Bottlehead Crack and Pioneer HDJ-2000. I probably won't part with either of them since the Sextett was NOS and I paid far too much for one in that condition. The Pioneer I just like and I've modded the bejezus out of it, and again it cost way too much to get it here in Canada. The Crack pairs incredibly well with the Sextett, though that's actually my second one as I sold the first to buy another kit because it was fun to build. Which reminds me, I've got a Smack kit that's been sitting there for a while now...


----------



## lee730

I've held on to the Senns from the get-go. Ended up ownining 4 pairs in less than a year but still have the IE80s . Also the Dacport LX has been in my collection the longest I think. Almost a year now if not already.


----------



## aamefford

lee730 said:


> I've held on to the Senns from the get-go. Ended up ownining 4 pairs in less than a year but still have the IE80s . Also the Dacport LX has been in my collection the longest I think. Almost a year now if not already.




I think you can look back through this thread and see about when you bought it!


----------



## aamefford

Well.... I did it.


----------



## Armaegis

And now begins the journey of balancing all your gear


----------



## aamefford

armaegis said:


> And now begins the journey of balancing all your gear




Yup - curse you head-fi! Curse you Centrance! We'll have to talk a bit a out balancing the Mad Dog Fostex. I want to keep single entry, and the 1/8" jack. I'm thinking I can use a TRRS mini jack at the headphone to 4 pin XLR. I think it will then also work with a second cable - TRS on both ends and be single ended. Comments?


----------



## Armaegis

Balanced single entry would be possible, though to do removeable you'd need a TRRS or 4-pin mini xlr at the cup, both of which would require some extensive modding as you'd have to remove the existing jack and shove in another. The TRRS might be the simplest if you can find one of the same form factor.
   
  Then have a cable for TRRS to TRS when playing normally, and another cable TRRS to 4-pin XLR when going balanced.


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> Balanced single entry would be possible, though to do removeable you'd need a TRRS or 4-pin mini xlr at the cup, both of which would require some extensive modding as you'd have to remove the existing jack and shove in another. The TRRS might be the simplest if you can find one of the same form factor.
> 
> Then have a cable for TRRS to TRS when playing normally, and another cable TRRS to 4-pin XLR when going balanced.


 

 Basically what I was thinking.  I thought a TRRS plug defaulted defaulted to TRS when plugged into a TRS jack.  If not, I would just do a TRRS to TRS, with both commons connected at the TRS end, anda second TRRS to 4 pin for balanced.  Will just have to find a TRRS that is a relative drop in on the Mad Dog Fostex.


----------



## Armaegis

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Basically what I was thinking. * I thought a TRRS plug defaulted defaulted to TRS when plugged into a TRS jack*.  If not, I would just do a TRRS to TRS, with both commons connected at the TRS end, anda second TRRS to 4 pin for balanced.  Will just have to find a TRRS that is a relative drop in on the Mad Dog Fostex.


 
   
  I don't think so. It depends where/how the plug makes contact with the jack, and I don't believe there's a standard either which is why some devices won't work properly with a TRRS plug.
   
  There's a guy who modded his Mad Dog with a mini-xlr jack which looked pretty nice. If you're trying to stick with the stock plug location, then you'd have to find an angled TRRS plug.


----------



## aamefford

If you have a link for the mini XLR mod, you'save me hours! Wouldn't have to be TRRS, but it would be slick. Basically, I'd like to duplicate the vmoda cable plug in, with a TRRS to 4 pin XLR. In the big picture, probably half a dozen ways to do a nice looking side entry removable balanced cable and unbalanced cable.


----------



## Armaegis

I thought the pics were in the mad dog thread, but I can't find it now. All I remember is that he used a stepped drill bit to put in the hole on the bottom of the cup for the mini-xlr jack. I think he did one on each side, but you could easily do single ended.


----------



## aamefford

I might either pick up a pair of stock or used up by a modder T50RP's to practice on, or pay someone to mod my MD's for a se/balanced set up. No particular hurry. 

My biggest issue, I sold my Pico Dac/Amp, shipping it out this morning, and someone is interested in my Pico Slim. I wouldn't mind selling it, but I still need an amp for at least the MD's. guess I need to try the Quads straight out of iPod and see if I can stand it. If not, no point in selling the Slim.

Edit - Closed the Slim post for now...


----------



## aamefford

Interesting - I listened to my customs straight out of my touch 4g. I haven't done that for a while. It wasn't as bad as I remember. The Pico slim sounds better, but the touch isn't bad. It also doesn't seem as loud at low volume as I remember it. Maybe it was my iPhone 3GS that was too loud. I haven't tried my iPhone 4S. Anyway, I could sure live with the iPod touch 4g and no amp. Hmmmmmm....


----------



## aamefford

Well... An iBasso PB2 + DB2 on the way for the interim until the HIFI-M8's ship.  The Pico Slim is up for sale - a 2 day fire sale at the moment:
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/t/634579/big-fire-sale-pico-slim-166-black
   
  The IBasso pair is probably overkill, but I've been curious for a long time about them.
   
  Pico Slim has been exquisite with the iem's, but for some reason, I am finding the iem's better with just the iPhone than I remember.  I'll have to try the iPod touch 4G, and see if that was the issue...
   
  Now to either order a bunch of cable stuff and dig out my workstation, or have someone build me a balanced cable, and modify the Mad Dogs for a balanced split or single entry set up.  I really prefer single entry - much easier cable management at work.  I'll try out the iBasso gear SE in the mean time.
   
  I don't think I'll bother with balanced for my iems.


----------



## aamefford

haven't checked in here in months.  Since last update - still waiting for the HIFI-M8 to ship, maybe June...
   
  Updated the Mad Dogs to Version 3.1 or 3.2, with a balanced cable prototype.
   
  A new (to me, used mint) HD650's.  I've wanted to own these for years.  Finally decided it was time to try them out.  A reterminated stock cable set up for balanced 4 pin XLR.
   
  Still have the 1964 Ears.  Customs are a bit of a pain, I've decided.  Getting a good fit is a bunch of work.  Mine are still not all that great in the left ear, but good enough.  If I ever do it again, I'll go straight to top of the line, and do refits until the fit is perfect.  I would strongly consider silicon bodies.  I have a pair of silicon ear plugs that are great.  Pretty good chance I'd go to Westone and do the comfort tips.  Oh, and no more boosted bass.  Done with that.


----------



## Armaegis

I was highly intrigued by the M8, though didn't bite on it. I did wind up selling a bunch of stuff and picking up a DacMini PX though. Yeesh, this crazy hobby...


----------



## aamefford

Dac Mini PX - speaker amps in that one, right?  How do you like it?  If I ever end up in an office with a door at work, I'd like to do a near field set up.  I had considered the dac mini CX with actives, or the PX with passives.  Are you using yours with speakers?


----------



## Armaegis

I have the whole ADS package actually, so that's the PX along with their speakers and travel case.
   
  I'm really liking it so far. My direct comparison is vs the Nufore Icon2 and their S-X speakers, which are another mini all-in-one unit and 2.0 speaker set. The PX is a step up from the Icon2, but at the price point I wasn't expecting that. The Icon2 paired with the HDP as dac and LPS power upgrade is a very close match and I'd say is a matter of preference (with me leaning towards the Nuforce). Price-wise the Nuforce stack and PX are roughtly the same, but the PX wins for size easily now. Just the Icon2 by itself is much smaller than the PX though.
   
  I've got the bigger Nuforce stack as well, with the DAC/HAP/STA-100, which I do feel is a step up from the PX, but not a huge one, and it comes at a higher cost and a much bigger size.
   
  I haven't done a direct comparison of the speakers, but from memory the 2504 is better than the S-X, although the 2504 is more directional while the S-X has a better room filling capacity.


----------



## aamefford

Mostly a test post. Balanced Mad Dogs in the house. Very nice craftsmanship. Oh yeah, they sound great too.


----------



## Armaegis

And soon the M8 to power them...


----------



## aamefford

Yup, Jonesin' hard about now.  Pretty sure I'm in the first group.  I leave for Denver for a week on the 16th, so if I don't receive it by the 15th, I'll be boned until the 29th.  The M8 will sit unopened on my desk at work, and I'll be traveling...


----------



## lee730

Quote: 





aamefford said:


> Yup, Jonesin' hard about now.  Pretty sure I'm in the first group.  I leave for Denver for a week on the 16th, so if I don't receive it by the 15th, I'll be boned until the 29th.  The M8 will sit unopened on my desk at work, and I'll be traveling...


 
   
  I'm sure you'll have your M8 before the 1Plus2s swing your way. The tour has taken much longer than expected progress. But it is getting there.


----------



## aamefford

Looks like my M8 ships August 23....


----------



## Armaegis

So the question is... what toys will you be acquiring in the meantime?


----------



## aamefford

Got an email from CEntrance today, a reply to my so... when is it shipping.... (imagine valley girl voice and gum cracking).  They are waiting on a batch of 30 pin cables arriving in the next day or so, then mine should ship.  Yea, maybe next week!  As to toys purchased in the mean time, I did buy a pair of HD650's a couple months ago.  I sure like them, been wanting a pair for several years.  I run into a pair to hear every now and again at meets, so I finally caved and got a pair.  Interestingly, they are a better work can for me than the Mad Dogs - I need to hear people and the phone, so an open can is actually better.  Unless the shop is using an impact hammer or air arc cutter or something - those are freaking loud!


----------



## Armaegis

I've been thinking of picking up one of the Senns for a while now too. They're kinda like old faithful in the headfi kingdom. I've also been intrigued by the Philips Fidelio X1 and L1 too.


----------



## aamefford

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> I've been thinking of picking up one of the Senns for a while now too. They're kinda like old faithful in the headfi kingdom. I've also been intrigued by the Philips Fidelio X1 and L1 too.


 
  I really like the Senns, and the HD650 just a bit more than the little time I've spent with the HD600, and the HD580 I owned as my second good pair of cans.  I feel the same way about my Mad Dogs.  They are both similar and different at the same time, but they both share one thing for me.  Listening to them is kinda like holding my lovely wife in my arms - beautiful, familiar, comfortable.  Wow, I said that out loud, didn't I....  Oh well, unmanly, but true.


----------



## Armaegis

Though depending on their moods, sometimes the womenfolk do not like being described as familiar and comfortable


----------



## aamefford

armaegis said:


> Though depending on their moods, sometimes the womenfolk do not like being described as familiar and comfortable



Good point. Familiar and comfortable and exciting like an F16 to a veteran navy pilot.


----------



## aamefford

HIFI-M8 in the house.  Arrived 09/03/13, which is I think 10 months to day from preorder.


----------



## Armaegis

Have you hit your 'end game' yet?


----------



## aamefford

Nah. Most of the fun for me is trading stuff around. I'll do the Alpha Dog upgrade. I liked them a lot. I may settle in for a while after that. I have no doubt something shiny will come along soon enough. Mid-fi gear is cheap enough to buy and sell used. Cheaper than cars or motorcycles, that's for sure. I guess I'm not searching for end game at the moment. I like music, and I'm a gear slut. I fit right in here.


----------



## lee730

aamefford said:


> HIFI-M8 in the house.  Arrived 09/03/13, which is I think 10 months to day from preorder.


 
  
 How does it compare to the DACport LX and DACport? I know you don't have them anymore but would you say its any better than those two?


----------



## aamefford

lee730 said:


> How does it compare to the DACport LX and DACport? I know you don't have them anymore but would you say its any better than those two?



The DAC implementation is "better" I think. The amp is much more robust. Much, much more. The dacport twins are really good, but you don't run them from a 19V, 2.6A charger or BAB (Big Arsed Battery). The M8 is far more like a DacMini with a battery than it is like the dacports. It is not a svelte portable device though. Think Zena the Warrior Princess.


----------



## Armaegis

I had more of a thing for Gabrielle anyways


----------



## aamefford

armaegis said:


> I had more of a thing for Gabrielle anyways


 
  
 Gabrielle was probably much more nurturing, and seemed to have the guts to rise to whatever was required.  I think she was far less likely than Zena to cut your head off once she was done weith you.  Unless you pissed her off.


----------



## Armaegis

I also couldn't deal with that Xena battle cry... that's just a little *too* intense if ya know what I mean...


----------



## aamefford

Yeah, pretty annoying. She looked good in leather though. No getting around that.


----------



## aamefford

This has nothing to do with my portable rig.  Centrance has their 2504 Master Class or whatever speakers on sale.
  
 Should I or shouldn't I?
  
 http://www.centrance.com/store/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16178&category_id=259
  
 Damnit!
  
 EDIT - I think it is no for now.  Unless I find a way to liberate about $300.


----------



## lee730

aamefford I was wondering if Spkrs01 has been in contact with you? You should be coming up soon on the Tralucent Tour.


----------



## aamefford

PM'd


----------



## aamefford

Well…  A pair of HD650's came and went.  I miss them already - I've always liked their sound signature.  I just never got to listen to them.  Home means closed cans.  Strangely, work was the right place for the HD650's, as I always need to hear the phone and people around me.  I need to interact with folks and run out to the shop and back to the office so much most of the time that headphones are really not the best for work, hence the sale.  I'll upgrade my Mad Dogs to Alpha Dogs in the next couple of weeks.  Beta tester privilege was jumping the queue when we decide to purchase or upgrade.  I'll probably set up that desktop rig with the proceeds from the HD's at some point.  I think quiet speakers will be a better fit at work.  I want something relatively inexpensive that sounds good at low volume and extremely near field, front ported or no port.  It may boil down to FraGGleR's little T-amp that he keeps dropping the price on, and some old polk or pioneer bookshelf speakers from the garage.  Either that or @Armaegis 's cool NuForce class D stack…  How much of that can I get for $300...


----------



## Armaegis

I saw this the other day... http://app.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-nuforce-icon-amp-2013-10-06-amplifiers-20879-laytonsville-md
  
 It's probably my lack of an audiogon account that's stopping me from messaging the guy, lol. For the price though, it's a great option to consider. I have the Icon2 (same amp, plus a usb dac and preamp function) which I can run speakers and my HE-6 off of. I liked it enough that I got one for my brother which powers his sub and satellites (doubly impressive since it's a passive sub).


----------



## aamefford

Here is a cross post to one of the CEntrance HIFI-M8 threads regarding my recent (and rare) opportunities to sit down and listen to my ciems in a quiet calm environment, using the HIFI-M8.


----------



## Armaegis

Now you just have to set up your speaker rig...


----------



## aamefford

armaegis said:


> Now you just have to set up your speaker rig...



Yup. I keep looking at those Fostex you mentioned. I need something SMALL for my desk, and cheap. Active or really efficient preferred. 

I sure still like my HIFI-M8. It suits my needs real well right now.


----------



## Armaegis

More random suggestions:
 http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Powered-Speaker-Systems/A2-plus-B-Powered-Desktop-Speakers
 http://outlet.nuforce.com/nuforce-s3-bt-wireless-bluetooth-cd-quality-loudspeaker-refurbished/


----------



## aamefford

Wow. I haven't been here in a while. A couple of notes - my 1964 Ears quads died. It turned out to be ear lube jell in ine of the tubes. During the repair, I also had them adjust the fit for a second time. They fit better than ever, and work good as new. 

I also have an amb mini3 that drives even my Alpha dogs quite well.


----------



## Wild

Hey aammefford, first off this is a really fun thread. I have a quick question for ya though: how do your quads compare to the Alpha Dogs? I'm having a hard time deciding between the 1964 Ears V3 and the Quads, and I've spent plenty of time with the Alpha Dogs so it's a good frame of reference.
  
 Specifically the soundstaging and imaging, mids (for vocals), and bass (depth, quantity) if you don't mind. Thanks a million!!!


----------



## aamefford

@Wild, thank you for the kind words!  As to the Quads and Alphas; I've considered the question as well.  
  
 I'll start with another point of reference - the Denon D7000's.  The Quads are the ciem version of the D7000's (at least to me).  The Quad's highs are detailed and articulate, the mids are not as scooped out as the Denons.  The bass has a really similar quality to the D7000's - powerful, robust, and bleeds into the mids a bit, which causes them to seem just a little scooped out.  The D7000's suffered a bit more from this.  Note that while this sounds pretty negative - it is not.  I loved the D7000's, and they have a cult following that has driven the used price way up.  The Quads have a similar warm, bass emphasized sound signature.  The bass is boosted on the quads - have no doubt about that.  It is boosted on the D7000 also.  Both are really enjoyable headphones.
  
 Now the Alphas.  I've been listening to planers almost exclusively for the last year and half or more.  There is something that the planers have, that balanced armatures do not.  Some little bit of life and reality or something.  I didn't notice it missing so much when I was listening with dynamic headphones.  Pretty vague, hard for me to describe.  I'll leave it at that.
  
 The Alphas are near neutral with a nod to the warm.  They are Dan's interpretation of neutral / reference / summit fi / accurate to live sound.  I love them, Dan hits my preferred sound sig right in the small circle on the bull's eye.  Not exact though.  I love the Oppo PM-1's.  I think Dan, not so much.
  
 Anyway - the Alphas are not (or not nearly as much) bass boosted.  They have deep, powerful, fast bass when called for.  The mids are present and luscious.  The highs vary depending on the doggie treat tuning.  Mine started out a bit edgy in places, and with one dot and one disk each ear, are near perfect.
  
 The Quads are less forward in the mids, and less present in the treble, but incrementally, not drastically.  The bass is boosted over the Alphas, and has a bit more decay, and spans a broader frequency range due to the boost.  Alphas are more accurate, quads are more fun.
  
 If you love the Alphas and want to mimic the sound signature, I would consider what ever is the new 1964 ears version of the triple driver that came out with the original quads. Based on reviews I've read (@project86's is a good one) of the triple, and my experience with the Quads (remember, mine are the old version, not the "i"), the triple, or whatever 1964 Ears' is tuning to that signature, will be a closer match.  If you want a nice, bassier counterpoint, the quads are probably the choice.
  
 My tastes have changed such that I kinda wish I had the triples now.  I lean to less bass boosted, but still euphonic sound signature.  That said, most of my listening to ciems is when I fly.  The added bass stands above the airplane drone nicely.
  
 Hope that helps.  if you have more questions, I'm happy to keep this going.  It's fun to see this thread pop back to life once in a while.  I think I started it back in 2011 or so to chronicle my journey....


----------



## Wild

aamefford said:


> @Wild, thank you for the kind words!  As to the Quads and Alphas; I've considered the question as well.
> 
> .....
> 
> Hope that helps.  if you have more questions, I'm happy to keep this going.  It's fun to see this thread pop back to life once in a while.  I think I started it back in 2011 or so to chronicle my journey....


 
  
  
 No problem my friend! Just wanted to let you know that sometimes these old threads are still being read. Thanks for taking the time to describe the differences for me. I'm sure it'll help other people as well.
  
 As for the Quads, I feel like I'm inclined to go with your recommendation (if you call it that) with the triple driver from 1964 Ears. I used to love a bass-heavy sound signature, but being around Head-Fi for as long as I have, I've started straying away from that and moving towards a more balanced sound. It's funny you mention the D7000, since I've owned them in the past, and loved them. I still am kicking myself for selling them, but now I mostly use my HE500 and K712. The triples, from reviews, seems to be more along those lines (warm with a moderate bass bump) than the Quads.
  
 Also, 1964 Ears has since updated the Quads to the "Qi" version, which from the very few impressions around seems to have brought the bass down a notch and the mids/highs up one so its a more balanced sound (still bass-heavy though). Definitely interesting though.
  
 Thanks again Aamefford. I'll update if I decide one way or the other. Should be soon either way


----------



## aamefford

It sounds like the Qi is even closer to the D7000. That said, I'd still head toward the triple driver and a more neutral signature these days. I had a chance to hear the universal demo of the UERM. I'm sort of saving up for a pair. 

Aaron.


----------



## aamefford

I added an HRT Microstreamer and traded my mini3 for some speaker stands. The microstreamer is great with the PM-1's and Quads, but pretty soft with the Alpha Dogs. Ok for now, and I'll eventually do something else if I decide I need portable power for the Alphas.

Edit - with the lower power firmware, the Microstreamer works from my iphone with the CCK. Cool!


----------



## aamefford

Wow, over a year. Potable for me died and then resurrected with a solo-db and ALO Rx Mk3-B. And then died again. Waiting on a Cavalli Liquid Carbon, and deciding which Ether to get. And trying to talk myself out of an NFB-1 amp. And added a dac-19. Ok that covers it for now. I'll check in in another year…


----------



## ExpatinJapan

Always like reading your posts.


----------



## estreeter

Mate, I think your journey parallels that of many here - falling in and out of love with portable gear whilst constantly asking ourselves whether the money might be better spent on desktop kit. Or non-essentials like _food_ and _shelter _ 
  
 Subscribed.


----------



## aamefford

OK, got the Liquid Carbon, and love it - not surprising as I've heard a couple of the prototypes.  I liked it so much, I jumped on a used and well priced Cavalli Liquid Crimson.  I've also heard the Crimson in the past, and loved it.  The downside - I spent my headphone money.  This means the Oppo PM-1 may go, and the Liquid Carbon may even go.
  
 Next up is a pair of Ether C, and maybe a Mojo for more portable use.  Once I liberate the PM-1's and/or the Carbon.
  
 My dac has remained fairly stable as the Audio-gd Dac-19 10th Anniversary Edition.  A really nice, semi-affordable R2-R dac using the 1704 chip.  I'm looking to compare the Dac-19 to the BMB and the GMB to finally decide on a Dac.  My rig is getting more mature, with less trading around, though there are fits of it.  For instance, the 5 days with the Schiit Vali 2 that I bought on a whim on release day.  Extremely cool amp, by the way.  I turned around and sold it at a loss though with the Crimson incoming.
  
 I'll report back in randomly once I get the Ether C and get some time with the Crimson, and the Mojo or whatever I get for portable (lounge chair) use.


----------



## aamefford

*** NOTE ***
 I changed the title and dropped the word "Portable" as my portable rig building has really slowed down.  The desk top / bedside rig is in a slowing state of flux, and has become the primary subject of this intermittent and random thread....


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## aamefford

Got the Ether C, then the 1.1 upgrade. Balanced DUM cable, which is a nice cable. I just now bought a used HD650. I've been wanting to get another pair ever since I sold my last pair. I still have the Carbon, no Mojo or other portable solution as of yet. Well, the iPhone. Ether C sounds better than one would expect from the iPhone. Also still have my 1964 ears ciems. 

I'm really liking the Ether C by the way. The simple $10 upgrade to 1.1 was a strong improvement in balance across the frequency range, smoothness and cohesion. I generally also use one black tuning felt to take the edge off the treble - I'm pretty treble sensitive.


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## aamefford

Update, just for fun.  The Liquid Carbon left.  I was not using it after getting the Liquid Crimson.  A Questyle QP1R has entered the scene.  It has really good sound quality.  Way better than I'd expect from a DAP.  It is also a really nice transport using optical into my Dac-19.  It does not offer streaming, and this *may* be it's downfall for me.  I'm not sure yet.  Wonderful sound, drives the Ether C very well, makes my old 1964 Ears Quads sound really good.  No streaming.........


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## lee730

aamefford said:


> Update, just for fun.  The Liquid Carbon left.  I was not using it after getting the Liquid Crimson.  A Questyle QP1R has entered the scene.  It has really good sound quality.  Way better than I'd expect from a DAP.  It is also a really nice transport using optical into my Dac-19.  It does not offer streaming, and this *may* be it's downfall for me.  I'm not sure yet.  Wonderful sound, drives the Ether C very well, makes my old 1964 Ears Quads sound really good.  No streaming.........




Nice. Have you looked into the new Studio 6? Really enjoying it as a portable solution and bang for your buck in terms of pure sound quality.

I liked it so much I packed up my Triad L3 and Firestone PSU and brought it over to the other house. I tend to stay in town when working but normally not bothered to brings extras lol.


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## aamefford

This studio 6 is not so portable....  Can you link to yours?


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## aamefford

Oh - Hisound.  I had a less than stellar experience with the Rocoo BA.  Sounds like this might be better?


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## lee730

aamefford said:


> Oh - Hisound.  I had a less than stellar experience with the Rocoo BA.  Sounds like this might be better?


 
  
 Yeah I think the sound quality is much better personally. Plus you have 4 signature options to choose from. A and B modes for both the HO and LO. I am extremely impressed with 3 of those functions as is. Love the B mode for my IEMs. A mode is great for more power and powering dynamic drivers IMO. Loved that on the Flat 4 Sui.
  
 UI is also more friendly than before. There is a back button function added. More music formats. They are working on DSD support still with future firmware updates.
  
 The unit is a bit thicker than the Rocoo BA. Not a ton though. Battery life is about 30 hours. Amazing portable..... When amped via the setup above it definitely hangs with my AK 120 S-mod unit. This unit beats players in the $1000+ range IMO in terms of pure sound quality, versatility with the signatures, portability, battery life..... The UI of course is not world class by any means. Rather basic. Does what I need it to do though. I am hoping they will improve it a bit more in this regards. I am set with my go to portable DAP nonetheless .


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## aamefford

I like the QP1R, UI is a bit clunky still.  No streaming kinda kills it for me though.  The Studio 6 doesn't stream Tidal or anything does it?
  
 I may be stuck with phone and another device, which always works out to be a Kluge of some sort or other.  I might just go the iFi iDSD or something and a long phone cord if I decide to bail on the QP1R.


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## lee730

Yeah unfortunately it doesn't do streaming. DigitalFreak did mention while plugging it in via usb in his car it connected with his car stereo and played music.


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## aamefford

I ended up with a Mojo and AK100ii or iPhone stack. Clunky, but good UI on both, and both stacks sound excellent. Probably my best portable option for now. Works well with my ether c's and my ciems.


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## lee730

Good to hear. I mainly use S6 for portable usage. Will use the S-mod again once I replace battery charge port in the T1 amp. Really couldn't ask for more in terms of portability, power and battery life in one unit .


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## ExpatinJapan

I always like these aamefford rig updates


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## aamefford

Woohoo!  I had stumbled across this thread last week or so.  It started with the "up numbered" up market AK players, and was promised for the modest AK100ii (which is actually perfect for my use) *later*.  About 6:45 this morning, I fire up my AK100ii and am treated to a firmware update opportunity including Tidal.  Installed and working nicely!
  
 This is a game changer for me.  When I stream Tidal for headphone listening it is via WIFI for almost always, and with my Mojo.  If I'm using a phone to stream Tidal, I don't need my mojo as I am using my ciems and traveling light.  Using the Ether C?  Wifi is available 99% of the time.  I'm stoked, stoked, stoked - no more constant stack restacking!
  
 So, for the record, 5+ years after starting this thread, the rigs are:
  
 Portable:
 AK100ii
 Chord Mojo
 1964 Ears (I think they've changed the name at some point) Quads, the original ones
 OR - Ether C
  
 Bedside
 AK100ii / iPhone / Macbook Air
 Audio-gd Dac19 10th anniversary (not the NOS one)
 Cavalli Liquid Crimson
  
 Downstairs:
 Peachtree Nova with a half decent built in headphone amplifier
 I often use the AK100ii + Mojo into an auxilliary for the source, rather than the Peachtree onboard dac, both for speakers and the occasional headphone listening I do through this rig.
  
 That's it for now.....


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