[Booda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClieOS /img/forum/go_quote.gif For the custom IEM and the shrinking number of universal IEM with user replaceable cable, the portable balanced amp (PBA) might be a good idea. The is a few problems though: 1) Most universal IEM with no replaceable cable can't benefit from PBA easily, since recabling is a hassle and comparatively more costly. 2) There is no standardized miniature balanced connector , recable/reterminate will mean very limited compatibility, and user will need to keep swapping cable (from balanced to single-end) when (s)he want to go 3.5mm / unamped. 3) Upgrading (for both amp and IEM) will be a hassle as well, due to (1) and (2). I would imagine PBA might get support in Head-Fi from the more dedicated few, but it will have very limited impact on the IEM market as a whole. Instead, I am more interested in Dr. Meier's active balanced ground implementation on a portable amp.

I do agree with you. I think the selling point of the balance amp is good. but for practice, it is an extra burden to have recable for it is antinomy with portable aim.

The best way to design a decent audio products is to make it more simple with more reality sound.

 

[qusp]

I dont think you have been really listening, the connector mentioned is actually smaller than a mini. things must move on and we are only at this moment talking about those with removeable cables. otherwise we will be stuck forever with the mini; the balanced portable amp is a paradigm shift and an opportunity to take things to a new level. these will not replace the old way until that is what people want; for now we are talking about something for those that have the impetus to do what is needed

 

[krmathis]

Yeah, I do indeed.
With balanced portable amplifiers and IEMs I bet it is just a matter of time before we get matching balanced DAPs as well.

 

[Lil' Knight]

Got this email from iBasso:

Quote:

Dear sir, Thank you very much for your email. We dont have pricing for the balanced amp at this moment. We are going to develop a balanced source for it. Sincerely iBasso Audio

 

[qusp]

hehe nice, but of course they are; with at least one dac/amp so close to being balanced anyway and a prototyping phase for a balanced amp happening. what else would they be doing?

 

[Edwood]

Portable balanced amps for IEM's make no sense since there are no real quality portable balanced sources.

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif Portable balanced amps for IEM's make no sense since there are no real quality portable balanced sources.

You don't have to have a balanced source to have benefits from a balanced amp or balanced dac to balanced amp. I have done this on a home speaker system and it works great, though I built it with tubes and output transformers. I have been listening to a portable balanced amp and there is a sound improvement/difference.

 

[charlie0904]

ibasso is developing a balanced source? cool.

maybe it could be a future upgrade for me.

 

[theory_87]

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlie0904 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ibasso is developing a balanced source? cool. maybe it could be a future upgrade for me.

the source should come in dac form.

 

[qusp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif Portable balanced amps for IEM's make no sense since there are no real quality portable balanced sources.

sorry, this is not the case. you dont need a balanced source to take advantage of a differential signal path. thats a misnomer I see around here a lot too. true you cannot use a single ended dac with a regular balanced amp and get benefit, but if an amp or other circuit is designed with a SE to diff conversion circuit you will still get all the noise rejection and extra swing from that point onwards in the circuit. and that is what is going on here from what I can tell. sure if the dac is balanced too, you get that benefit from earlier in the signal path, but that is all

 

[itsborken]

True, the voltage swing is the thing. If the amps are designed to toss the common ground and recreate - it should be the same thing. The question is are the amp designers doing this.

For the extremely short runs noise rejection shouldn't play into the equation. If the EMI is that bad worry about your health

 

[qusp]

ok i'll pay that, but the common modes weapon against crosstalk is not to be sneezed at either

 

[Ray Samuels]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qusp /img/forum/go_quote.gif sorry, this is not the case. you dont need a balanced source to take advantage of a differential signal path. thats a misnomer I see around here a lot too. true you cannot use a single ended dac with a regular balanced amp and get benefit, but if an amp or other circuit is designed with a SE to diff conversion circuit you will still get all the noise rejection and extra swing from that point onwards in the circuit. and that is what is going on here from what I can tell. sure if the dac is balanced too, you get that benefit from earlier in the signal path, but that is all

Thanks qusp, I couldn't have said it any better.
Ray Samuels

 

[xuan87]

Quote:

Originally Posted by theory_87 /img/forum/go_quote.gif the source should come in dac form.

as long as the balanced source is portable ( my definition of portable source will be a size no bigger than the ipod touch ), i'll seriously consider it. of course, there are many other factor to consider before i'll actually decide to get it. still thumbs up to ibasso for their foresight!

 

[itsborken]

I'd gladly accept digital solution to a balanced dac (laptop usb, toslink from pcdp/h140) for work.