Review: Portable amp roundup! 56 portable amps reviewed and compared - FINAL update 12-20-10... - Page 139  

Wow

Just spent last 6 six hours reading from beginning, (not every word, but did went through every page), really admire the monumental efforts, sort of like the top 250 list of imdb (IMDb Top 250) [but this will be : amps that i wish to audtion them all in my lifetime]. Since I have limited budget, I decided to ordered a sr71a (will be my first commercial headphone amp), and will try to use it to power my 8 years old 580 together with my even older D-e905 PCDP line out, that would be my "hi end rig" , haha. I tried to built a cmoy, and it has issues, so i want to see what a good one sounds like, then I can compare...

several questions:

1) will 71a be re audtioned?

2) where is iQube made? (call me whatever, but it does affect my buying decision, I know I should only be concerned with how it sounds...)

3) 2move base look round, does it "rock" back and forth (i.e. not stable ) on table, for example?

4) does cable really improve 580, and why?

5) is there a thread that discuss the phase and amplitude response of different amps. Usually, amps, headphone, etc only quote the amplitude response. But with the spectral phase response, one should be able to attribute the listening experience to the complete response of the amp/headphone?

[for example, an amp can have +/- 1db throughout the audible spectrum but due to the non-ideal phase response, the time domain response can get messed up, and bass may seem less tight...etc]

Have been reading head-fi for years, but have few experience posting here or anywhere for that matter, so if I am not clear or asking the wrong question, please forgive me.

How about the Xin SuperMacro4 ?

Sorry if this has been brought up already, but is there any chance of a head-to-head between the old and new SR-71?

I've noticed some back and forth around the forum about whether it would be possible to offer the same sound with differently sourced parts. I can't imagine that lead vs some other material in a few components would make a difference...or would it? Lead-free solder certainly behaves differently from the leaded stuff, in my experience, but I don't know if that would apply to sonic performance.

I've been cash-constrained for a while, but based on everything I've read over the last year or so, I had decided that I probably wanted the original SR71 as soon as I could afford it (not yet, sadly). So I was pretty disappointed to learn of the discontinuation of the original. Wondering if I need to go back to the drawing board.

Thanks. I hope he decides to make it a regular inventory item in the future.

hahaha...
Maybe,I can send to you....

skylab advice

hi skylab,
firstly kudos to you for such an excellent job helping guide us through this minefield in a calm and measured way, very helpful to those of us who had not yet sold our souls to die on the bleeding edge of portable audio.
i know you must be fairly bored of this by now, but could you give me your personal preference for an one time purchase amp to go with 160g ipod, se530 and a varied but non-classical taste in music. home system has no headphones, but does have lots of vinyl and valves and a relaxing but accurate sound is what we're all after isn't it? by your reviews so far i have narrowed choices down to meier 2move or rsa tomahawk, in that no dac is needed, battery life is good and size should be as small as possible, but no real budgetry constraints.
your advice here is doubly valuable as it's virtually impossible to demo any of this equipment.
many thanks.

Hi Skylab,

Will you be adding a review of the new RSA SR-71A any time soon?

FWIW I prefer the sound of the original SR71 to the new SR71A The bass is in better balance to the highs. The new one has IMO to much bass for the highs.

As far as the Reference, I have one about 6 weeks old and I prefer the new SR71A to it. BTW, also IMO the iBasso D3 sounds better than the SR71A or the Reference.