[goodvibes]

Quote:

I see what you are saying the more powerful the device the better. I think I'm going to get the 64gig Itouch/solo/jh3a+16 i hear mixed reviews is the 16 a better sounding IEM compared to the 13 because I'm only paying a 50 dollar difference here. I know the bass is supposedly better. but with how the Jh3a works does it benefit having the extra speakers.

 

Don't know as the combo does EQ so I'd talk to JH. More drivers may mean less distortion if balanced but on their own, the 13 is more natral for consumer use. The extra bass/warmth of the 16 could be useful for stage as noise tends to mask bottom.

 

[Hero Kid]

It's probably too late but god. It sounds like you jumped on the very first recommendation.
Spending such a large amount, it seems to be silly to jump into a purchase like that.
 
So if it isn't too late I suggest you look into things more. Consider what IEMs/Headphones you will get first, then worry about your source and amp.
Sure the JH-3A sounds like an awesome piece of gear but don't be a fool, do your research!

 

[wazzupi]

to be honest I am waiting on the Jh3a amp battery life before I really make a decision. >_< But I am sold if its over 8 hours XD I currently use a p3>headstage arrow>re0/1/audio technica es10 mostly re0 and es10 both sound different but I prefer the es10 when I am really listening to music and re0 just to space out. but I am looking for the ulitmate portable setup at the moment as far as SQ goes itouch 64 gig>solo>jh3a+16 I'm also probably going to buy the qls wa350 as well. Only problem is the solo looks transportable not portable unless I carry a bakpack around to put my amp/solo in and just have my ipod in my pocket lmao. But in my head I believe everything will go right thats why it seems like I am jumping into things But I am still doing my research and trying to get all the questions answered about these products.

 

[batphink]

Quote:

It's probably too late but god. It sounds like you jumped on the very first recommendation.
Spending such a large amount, it seems to be silly to jump into a purchase like that.
 
So if it isn't too late I suggest you look into things more. Consider what IEMs/Headphones you will get first, then worry about your source and amp.
Sure the JH-3A sounds like an awesome piece of gear but don't be a fool, do your research!

Amen.  You could put together a pretty good system for a third of that.  If it were me, I'd get a Zune HD 64 designer series, Pico portable amp/dac and Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors and still have over $1000 left over.

 

[Br777]

Quote:

Amen.  You could put together a pretty good system for a third of that.  If it were me, I'd get a Zune HD 64 designer series, Pico portable amp/dac and Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors and still have over $1000 left over.

It seems the whole premise of this thread is not to do that. 

 

[violinvirtuoso]

Honestly speaking, $1000 will get you an awesome portable rig (ex. Westone ES5 + Sansa Clp+). But if you want to go all the way, get the JH-3A. For an on-the-go, you have two good source options:
 
Option 1: iPod + AlgoRhythm Solo. You have already heard of this option. The only problem is it is big, expensive, and doesn't have the best battery life (~20 hours). Please correct me if I am wrong, but the AlgoRhythm Solo hasn't been released yet.
 
Option 2: Viliv S5. This is basically a 5 in. tablet PC. It can run Windows 7 or XP. It can do almost everything a tablet can, but is still on the small side. It is expensive, depending on the memory configuration it can go from ~$500 - $1200. It even has a USB port for a USB flash-drive or external hard drive. Because it has USB, you can get a digital signal straight from the Viliv S5.
 
In my opinion, the Viliv S5 + JH-3A would be pretty much the best portable rig available. If that money is well spent for you, than go for it!
 
PS: I have said it before, and I will repeat it now, when sending a digital signal from a DAP, all the SQ-changing components in the DAP are bypassed. So all players with digital out will sound identical. BTW, the Hifiman HM-801 and HM-602 do not have digital out, they have digital in.

 

[ZARIM]

It's Ultra portable rig(5G iPod Nano+JH13Pro+Pico Slim+Micro Elite Twag Dock Cable)with great sound quality.

 

[krismusic]

Pardon my ignorance but how would you get a digital out from an iPod?

 

[violinvirtuoso]

Quote:

Pardon my ignorance but how would you get a digital out from an iPod?

The Cypher Labs AlgoRhythm Solo is a new device that takes a digital signal from an iPod. There is a nice DAC inside the AlgoRhythm Solo, but you can also use the digital out on the Solo as well. The device has not been released yet, and expects to retail for ~$600.

 

[Wingnut198244]

"The DAC/amp is portable with 20 hours of battery life… It’s… exactly what I was looking for."

 

[batphink]

Quote:

It seems the whole premise of this thread is not to do that. 

There is the law of diminishing returns.  Beyond a certain point, you're spending money for the sake of spending money.

 

[fhuang]

if the OP simply want the best(there's no the best), maybe headphone is still the way to go.  i only heard the demo(ordered and coming though) jh13 and 16, also the new beyer portable t5p but i though t5p sound much better even with just a pico slim.  so ed8 and/or t5p? 

 

[fhuang]

by the way, 3k isn't "that" much if you consider a top notch headphone(ie, t5p - 1200) plus a custom iem(1000), only 800 for your source and an amp.  scary isn't is? 

 

[wazzupi]

fhuang you said you've heard the jh16pro correct but not the jh3a+16 which everyone says is superior plus you get a dac/amp already so you don't need one just a source like an ipad+camera kit+solo or Viliv S5 or an ipod+solo. But with the t5p you need a portable amp/dac/viliv s5/ipod+solo*dac not needed but if you know of anything better go ahead XD*/ipad+camera kit+solo.
 
Question is there a benefit to getting the Viliv S5 vs a laptop or any other tablet device or you recommended it because of its size and capability ?

 

[Hero Kid]

 
Quote:

by the way, 3k isn't "that" much if you consider a top notch headphone(ie, t5p - 1200) plus a custom iem(1000), only 800 for your source and an amp.  scary isn't is? 

Why would you buy both a Headphone AND an IEM?
It's more like $1,000+ for a IEM/Headphone then the rest on an amp, source and cables.