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Opinions Required! Portable Audio Rigs.

post #1 of 3
12/12/10 at 5:37am
Thread Starter 

Hi,

 

I'm currently looking in to getting a new PAP with the possibility of adding an amp if it is required, could any of you suggest a portable set up that will offer me the best sound?

 

I'm using my 80GB iPod Video with Westone 3 IEM at the moment and just want an improvement in sound quality. I only listen to CD's imported under Apple Lossless and feel like I'm not getting the best out of my W3's or music for that matter.

 

A few guidelines for you to play with:

 

Budget: £550 (total - for AMP, PAP or anything else you may recommend).

Requirements: It must support lossless encoding. Minimum 32GB memory.

Also: Is an AMP necessary / worthwhile for IEM? Info on DAC would be great too as I see a few people are bringing this up when talking about PA rigs.

 

I've done some research and skimmed reviews in the process but the personal opinion here is better, IMO. Players by Cowon & Sony are appealing and then there is the HiFiMan HM-801 and the two smaller players. Also, AMP wise the Emmeline and Pico Slim have grabbed my attention.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Cheers!

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post #2 of 3
12/12/10 at 6:09am

I'm in the middle of getting a Cowon J3 to replace my (rockboxed) iPod for FLAC playback. Better sound, more output power and I can still amp it if I want to use it with full size cans. My daily IEMs at work are a set of Atrio M5 so I won't need an amp for portable use, but I've been eyeing an iBasso D10 to use as headamp as well as USB dac for when I'm at my computer at home and I'm looking to get some full size cans again. 

 

The Cowon player will sound great with your Westones, but might be a little analytical or cold, as they are both very neutral sources. Perhaps something warmer, like the HM-601 with a 32gb microsd will have better, more "musical" synergy with your IEMs. Battery life won't be great, but you won't need an amp for it. 

 

Another route could be getting an amp and a nice LOD for your iPod. Better sound, familiar interface but more bulk.


Edited by Sorensiim - 12/12/10 at 6:13am
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post #3 of 3
12/12/10 at 8:26am
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the reply. So, is it the case that a player such as the J3 wouldn't require an amp with my W3's? I think the sound I'm acheiving at the moment doesn't have the depth I'd like. I've used these IEM with my Sony PCDP and there was a clear improvement, something I wan't to gain for the digital tracks.

 

I did go through a phase where i was very close to getting a HM-801 but after looking at the players in detail, I must admit, I'm not clued up enough to work out what the key benefits are for getting that over the 601 / 602, as I thought only the 801 had an amp. Any ideas on what the main differences are? I've also come across the Nationite S:Flo2 which appeals to me, yet again the whole portable amp thing is bugging me!

 

The LOD + Amp route sounds interesting but I think I'm just about sick to death of Apple products and want something new :D

 

 

 

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