My portable rig of choice over the passed 6 months has been Campfire Andromedas run via 4.4mm balanced cable to my Sony zx300a. However, on a recent flight I lost them while wrangling my kids through airports somewhere in Asia and so I'm now in the situation where I'm looking for a new portable...

I would just like to make a suggestion: if you don't really know what a DAC/Amp are doing for your headphones then I think it's probably a mistake to jump right in with a $1300 spend with the idea that you'll suddenly have this magic setup. The key realisation about hifi audio for me is that...

I usually go out to Zongguancun. It isn't the location of the best individual shop, rather it's a big electronics market with at least 3 headphone focused stores where you can try out a reasonably large variety of cans,s plus there's some more brand specialty stores like Senns and Beats...

I treat me headphones really badly. I throw them in my bags main compartment along with everything else, and I almost never bother with the nice case the Andros came with. I also shove them in my pocket along with keys and cash, or drop them on my desk without a thought. I really bash them...

Wow, thanks for the response! Just to give some clarity, my home studio is more visual effects orientated, I don't have much audio equipment really. I've got calibrated monitors, a couple of computers, racks of storage, a TV etc. I actually was thinking of putting speakers/monitors on stands...

Thanks! Yes I was looking at the KEF LS50 wireless speakers ... it would simplify a lot of things and, while expensive, I assume the savings on an amp would pay for much of the cost difference. My only concern is that if I want to change speakers later, or add more speakers, then I'll end up...

So speakers and headphones need different amplification, which can be done in the same box/unit but thats not common I'm gathering? Also it is may not be desirable as one of the outputs is probably a compromise? It seems this sort of single unit isn't recommended at least... So it's better to...

Money isn't a huge issue. I'm happy to drop $5k-6k if needed. I'm more trying to understand what the best way is to run both speakers and headphones from a single 'setup' rather than ask for absolutely specific pieces of equipment (although that advice is also valued). I am happy to get pieces...

I was wondering if someone could provide me with insight into my options for adding high quality monitors, or bookshelf speakers, to my current studio. I work from home doing visual effects and have a small studio. Usually I have my focal Elears plugged into an Aune x1s, into my PC. I'm having...

Well if you want good portable sound you either use an audiophile phone or you necessarily are taking one more device with you. You could make it a portable DAC or Amp, or combo, and use your phone to drive that with cables and rubber bands for stacking etc ... Or you can make it a DAP and not...

I moved to a Sony zx300a DAP using a custom balanced cable, and I think it's amazing. I prefer this setup over iphone to mojo, which is what i was usibg before. I can't stream from this setup but with a 400gb sd card that isn't a problem. Also, even mp3s sound pretty good this way, and there'...

yeah I was curious about this ... because when you switch to high gain it lowers volume setting but objective volume stays the same ... so I guess gain doesn' really do anything that impacts sound on the zx300a? (other than volume of course)

Just wanted to chime in saying that Campfire Andromedas, custom balanced cable with 4.4 jack, running direct, high gain, with hi-res flac files is amazing on the zx300a. Every day I'm impressed all over again. I will say that it's given me much more appreciation for a well recorded and mixed...

Ack! Really? I keep setting this manually in the menu ... :dt880smile:

You select which output is used via the menu, I don't believe you can have both play at the same time because of this.