Portaphile V2 Owners Thread

[atx]

1) If you have the optional DC back plate, do you have to remove the battery to use it?
2) If not, then does this back plate charge the battery if it is rechargeable?

Yes, the dc back plate replaces the battery, so you have to remove the battery in order to connect the back plate to the battery snaps. It would be nice if it can charge the battery inside the amp so you don't have to remove the dc backplate, but a little inconvenience is worth the sound.

[lan]

Originally Posted by atx

Now save up for an sr-71

Having 2 different sounding amps prevents your ear from adjusting to the sound of one amp-- making it more mundane, like a drug addict who needs higher and higher doses to get the same effect.

hehe although I'd just save up for a real home amp. SR71 can pass as a home amp but it's not THAT good.

[Oski]

I just got home after a long day of work and was pleasantly surprised to have a package waiting from Cesar! I must say, Cesar has been a pleasure do deal with, friendly, responsive, and forthcoming with all updates. Even when I thought I wouldn't get my amp until later this week, it was already here. His motto seems to be "underpromise and overdeliver."

Upon opening the the box, my first impression was...OMG, it is so ADORABLE! No matter how many times you see pictures of this hammond enclosure with a credit card on it, it just doesn't prepare you for how tiny amps like this are. However, despite all the foam peanuts in the box, one suggestion for Cesar would be to wrap the amp with some bubble or thin foam wrap because the amp managed to float to the top against the cardboard box and could have been damaged by some oafish USPS courier, but mine did arrived without a scratch.



Cesar did a great job with the cosmetic design of the new Portaphile v.2. The front faceplate has a great layout with the switch and volume knob on the top plane, followed by nice hex screws with contrasting black that flank the sides of the front panel, and the input and output jacks that are located on the bottom. Once fully plugged in, everything has its own space and is very nicely balanced visually. I do have one minor gripe with the faceplate though, and it is with the way the input and output jacks holes are milled. In my case while the output jack hole is drilled smoothly, the input hole is pretty rough. Of course this doesn't show when you have your gear plugged in, but it's a minor detail that detracts from what is a beautiful amp. Cesar emailed to let me know that he's looking into an alternative shop to provide the front face plates.



The power switch actually flicks left to right (instead of the usual up and down) to lessen the chance that it might turn on or off when it is accidentally snared, yet another thoughtful design element. The machined aluminum volume knob has rubber rings that give a nice tactile response and the two black rings echo the Hammond case's black bezels nicely. The knob itself is quite tight and gives more than the usual resistance to turn, which is what I would want for a portable player.



The new thumbscrews for the backplate is very rugged with deeply cross-cut channels allowing for secure grip, much better for out-on-the field battery changes than the previous hardware store screws. As ATX mentioned in the previous thread, the amp uses a battery clip. I was intially worried that a 9V may not be held securely inside. But my Maha PowerEx fits inside snugly without as much as a single rattle.



In terms of the sound...the amp sounded nice right out of the box. So far I've listened to it for about 2 hours, and the sound is starting to open up a bit and evolve. I do not plan on giving anymore feedback on the sound quality until it has had more time to burn in. But I would not be crushed if didn't improve at all. However I will update this review soon with further impressions on the sound and maybe a comparison against the SR-71 (possibly even the LaRocco Pocket Reference when I get it).

Overall I am very pleased with the amp and Cesar's service. This is exactly what I want out of a portable amp, with only one 9v, the amp is amazingly small and light for on-the-go use. Descriptions of the physical measurements can be very deceiving, though the SR-71 is a bit bigger in length, width, and height, in reality the Portaphile is just so much smaller and portable. The price is also an extremely good value for the quality of amp that you will receive. I would, even at this early stage, recommend the amp to anybody without reservation.

[Oski]

Originally Posted by lan

hehe although I'd just save up for a real home amp. SR71 can pass as a home amp but it's not THAT good.

I don't know about that...I use it as my home amp.

[atx]

hehe although I'd just save up for a real home amp. SR71 can pass as a home amp but it's not THAT good.

That may be true, but my sources aren't that good either. Everything I listen to come off my computer. I don't have a sacd player and never intend on getting one (I think cd players is a gadget that's slowly going away).

Sources aside, I've pretty much hit my limit with the sr71. Though no doubt there are better dedicated home amps, I'm just not willing to pay the premium for a differential increase in sound quality. Also, a non-portable amp goes against the concept of the headphone-- which is portable. I want my amp to go where my headphone goes, not the other way around.

[Romanee]

Great Pics, Oski. Razor sharp, balanced light. Whatyause? Howdyashootem?

[Oski]

Originally Posted by Romanee

Great Pics, Oski. Razor sharp, balanced light. Whatyause? Howdyashootem?

Thanks Romanee...umm, I'm embarrased to say that it's nothinfancie just a PhD (Push Here Dummy) Casio Exilim EX-Z4 digital. I have a Nikon 8008s SLR for regular photography. As for the light, I have an Achille Castiglioni Toio lamp in my living room that uses a car headlight as the bulb. It projects to the ceiling for the diffused effect.

[Romanee]

Even if you used a tissue box with a pinhole and an overhead skylight -- great results.

[maxxfell]

How does the Portaphile performance on a 9v compare to how it does with the Elpac? Also, anyone compared alkaline vs. NiMH?

I've been following the thread and didn't see this specifically addressed. Apologies if I missed it.

[Romanee]

Originally Posted by maxxfell

How does the Portaphile performance on a 9v compare to how it does with the Elpac? Also, anyone compared alkaline vs. NiMH?

I've been following the thread and didn't see this specifically addressed. Apologies if I missed it.

I've been too busy to pay attention. I'll start comparing tonite (if I'm not swamped).

[Romanee]

I know there are more than 3 or 4 Portaphile V2 owners out there. What Happened? Too shy to post? Hate your new amp? Love your new amp and can't tear yourself away from it? All new owners just happen to be the types who absolutely never divulge anything publicly?

Be bold and daring. Dare to be silly. Say something! {Can't be sillier than this thing!}

This ain't spintronics computing (just figured "rocket science" is way passé). It's relatively non-threatening. It's supposed to be fun. Share a little.

[maxxfell]

Originally Posted by Romanee

I've been too busy to pay attention. I'll start comparing tonite (if I'm not swamped).

Be interested if you can. I've been running the Portaphile in on batteries since Monday. Thought I had a 24v supply that would fit, but the plug was wrong.

[Oski]

Originally Posted by Romanee

I know there are more than 3 or 4 Portaphile V2 owners out there. What Happened?

How many amps were shipped from each of the first two batches?

By the way, I've had the amp burning in ever since my preliminary impressions, pretty much rotating between two rechargeable batteries continuosly. You guys were not kidding about the burning in on this amp. While it sounded okay out of the box, it has really perked up now after 48 hours with the sound really blossoming quite dramatically. But as stated before, I'll followup with a more detailed review after giving it more time to burn in.

[atx]

This amp really takes a long time to burn. The sound now has a smooth, silky characteristic like the 637. NICE. It's probably hitting 100 hrs now, while my sr71 isn't making any noticeable difference after 30+ hrs or so of burn-in.

What are you guys burning the amp with? I'm using stereophile's burn-in noise (their 3rd cd).

[Romanee]

Originally Posted by maxxfell

Be interested if you can. I've been running the Portaphile in on batteries since Monday. Thought I had a 24v supply that would fit, but the plug was wrong.

Power comparisons tests ... to be continued. I was going to say that I listened to it a lot at work today with ELPAC 24VDC and it seemed to be crisper and slightly more energetic with a bit more bass -- and was going to add that I've had an insane day of rush work, so I can trash whatever ideas I had.....

Then..... I finally remembered ... (lightbulb over head): The amp is still in the throes of burn in, so there's not much point to comparing power sources. The sound will keep shifting (subtly and not so subtly) for quite a while, so no way to tell what's attributable to power sources until the amp is reasonably stable, in terms of burn in. I'm sure how long it will take since I've never tried this amp with these BG NX caps.

Sorry... Later...

Enjoy the music and the burn-in entertainment and check the power much later.

{...one 'o these days, there'll be new smileycons, Hoppy... mark my words --Windy [Gabby Hayes] to Hopalong Cassidy}
...yes... it's true... I have been workin' too many hours? what day is this, anyway?