hi all u fellow head-fiers, i'm soon gonna blow up my wallet for a true portable setup which will comprise of a high-end universal iem, a quality dap or even an iphone, and headphone amp (if u think its needed really). I'm currently thinking of the following setups :-
1) ipod classic/iphone > GS Voyager > SE530/Westone3 (UM3X anyone?)
2) ipod > RSA mustang P-51 > Westone 3
3) cowon D2+ > SE530 (any amp needed?)
4) iphone 3g/NWZ-S639 > westone 3
5) iphone 3g > Fiio E5 > phonak audeo PFE
Which of the above setups do u think will be fine and complement each other.
Btw i like it being minimal and sounding great.
How do u think the IE8 stacks up against the triple balanced armatures?
Oh i like the sound of my bose QC2 coming out from the N91 8gb and the sansa clip (my current setup). I like the huge soundstage and the soft yet extended treble of the bose. I listen to a wide genre of music which really depends on my mood.
Pls feel free to post any other magical setup if u may think of.
Any useful opinion is highly appreciated.
Thanks....

Do you like a smooth sound with soft silky treble and very detailed midrange or extending and crisp sparkly highs and powerful deep bass with a very good midrange?

The Shure SE530's will give you a very soft treble which is still very detailed but at a lower volume to reduce listening fatigue. The midrange from the Shure's are very lush and forward with soooo much detail it's scary. The bass blends with the midrange wonderfully...punchy, deep and very detailed.

The Westone 3's highs are very extended and sparkly beating the Shure's. The midrange from the W3's are good but not as good as the Shure's. The bass from the W3's are powerful and full yet very detailed and not boomy at all.

All boils down to personal preference. As for a portable setup I'll choose iPod-LOD-P-51 Mustang-and whatever IEM you chose. Should be a nice setup dude.

its depends on what sound u like, the above mention have different sound sig. whether amping is needed depends on what iems u choose.

IE8 has the widest soundstage among all iems right now IMO, focus on mids and lows.

current magical setup i know,
ipod, LOD(crystal piccolino?), minibox e+, phonaks
ipod, LOD(crystal piccolino?), p51 mustang, westone 3
ipod, LOD(crystal piccolino?), GS voyager/D10, IE8

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but i'm scared of the IE8's fit and isolation issues when investing in a high-end gear. Btw i've heard some people complain about the IE8 being harsh and shrill at the high-end (in few occasions though).

I agree that you sound include the Minibox E+ into your list of amps.

IE8s and even IE7s fare very well against the triple drivers. Don't be lead astray with the more drivers the better the sound misconception.

well where do we start. IMO the best sounding, easily available and most portable rig would include DIYMOD->(with or without VCAP)->D10->UM3X w UM56 custom tips. the iphone is a really nice sounding player right out of the HP jack and works great with my W3 w UM56.

best rig I have currently is less portable and a bit rare these days as the irivers are getting rare and quite expensive. h120->D10 via optical->IEMs is a good compromise as sounds brilliant, especially with upgraded opamps (running OPA2350); add a Lisa III and use the D10 as dac only and OMG!!! but you have to be pretty committed for this type of rig. the irivers are getting a little old and you kinda have to be prepared for a little tinkering to keep them going

you might want to hang on for a little while and see how the slim pico pans out; sounds very interesting for a really portable rig.

I have plenty of piccolino cables in my rigs and I love them, but my advice would be to sort the rest of your rig out first before spending that much on cables. and depending on how much you were thinking of spending on your amp and cables, maybe consider getting ES3X ad just sticking with iphone 3G HP out, as that will sound amazing and be very portable; then later on you can add an amp. the ES3X are $850 though, but amp and cables can add up. all good choices though

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wouldn't it be fair to say for BA, more is usually better; but since dynamics are different so they can't be compared in similar fashion?

to OP:
since you have W3 in the list, have you thought of the new UM3X that is receiving endless praises(often over W3 on style, dual-tone > black+flame imo)

ps. i am with you on bose, listened to QC3 and i quite like it, except for the price for obvious reason. the additional 50dollars for mic adapter is also a good idea too.

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That lisa 3 and D10 as a DAC is smart. Ok, I have a dell laptop. How would I enable it where the D10 replaces my laptop's built in DAC?
Thinking of making my home rig:
Dell Laptop - D10 DAC only - Lisa 3 or P-51 Mustang - JH13 PRO Custom IEM
And my portable will be:
Zune 120 - JH13PRO Custom IEM.....(P-51 Mustang would be included if I purchase it)

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Wow. Finally got someone in head-fi who likes the bose sound as me.

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You like BOSE because you haven't heard better sounding headphones or earphones which are actually cheaper.

So i've more or less decided on the ipod > ALO Bling Bling > mustang > W3 combo.
How do u think would it compare against the ipod > GS voyager > IE8 combo?

How about iPod - Pico - IE8?

That's what I'm using right now.

it seems like the new UM3X are the best for this price...dunno

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Can u explain a bit in detail about this combo. How is the sound characteristic coming out of this combo? Its the fit-isolation and the high-end shrill complain which is bothering me about the IE8. Otherwise its a no-brainer as its half the price of W3 in UK from where i'll buy.

There are degrees of portability. I would argue that a lot of what is considered "portable" in these discussions aren't practical, and are amongst the worst values in audio. Not only that, but they totally defeat the purpose of having a portable rig, in the truest sense.

I'd recommend getting the ES3X and running it out of a 3g Iphone. When you start getting into amps/dacs/LOD etc.. you should really consider whether your purposes aren't better suited to a full-sized rig. Again, IMHO.