Hmn, if you like neutrality, sounds like you are a JH13 guy as oppose to JH16 even though everything I've read says the JH16 doesn't color the other frequencies that much.
Thanks Jalo, Hopefully i will find out on April 30th when i finally get to go to my UK JH dealer to demo the 13 & 16's and make my choice and get my ear impressions done and get the order in pronto!
Although i stated i do prefer the more balanced neutrality type of SQ i have sold my Shure Se530 & Senn IE8's recently to help fund my grand adventure i am left with a pair of jvc fx500's whilst in my "transition phase" to my JHpros and the fx500's are the most heavy bass in an iem i have experienced and am enjoying them as much as my Senn IE8's in many ways that where twice the price, i digress there slightly as my point is i may just like the 16 sound perhaps if i am liking the low deep bass of these fx500's, all though i am under no illusions of grandeur that the quality of the 16 bass will be a galaxy apart to the fx500, but the natural depth and layering albeit not always controlled tight enough bass, but for a $130 pair of iems is quite an achievement although the trade of for this bass is they do cloud and recess the mids to the point it really bugs me!
As for Protector connection, it all depends on how much you are using the JH13/16, if it is more than 50% of the time with the portable set up, just go ahead and terminate the TWag in balance protector connector and order an adaptor from a female balance protector connector to you home amp. This way, you will get the best sound out of the Protector when use it in portable settings.
Furthermore, even if you make an adaptor from the viablue jack to the balance protector, you are still listening to it single ended. There is no point of doing it because you can just plug the viablue into the mini se output of the Protector but you miss the whole point of getting the protector this way.
This is a tricky dilemma for me as A) i am do not know for sure how long the gap between me getting the JHpro with my twag and the Protector will be if i do, and B) i will in certain circumstances still need to go portable without the amp with the need for the jack into hp socket on the dap.
I think i see what you are saying about the last paragraph there you have stated, just thought i had read somewhere that whiplash was doing an adaptor without the need for retermination of a standard twag with viablue jack, but most probably read that wrong in my infancy of learning about the wisdom's of going balanced on here! as your point does obviously make sense reading that out aloud, bit of a doh! moment i feel
As for the reason that the Protector does not have a digital volume control, please read the MOT thread on the Protector and get it straight from the horse's mouth.
Managed to track down that thread if i have the right one started by the man himself and a few pages in even though an interesting read that thread, there is a lot more technical talk than i am comfortable with
As long as it just sounds damn good at the end of the day that is all that matters, it was just after seeing a lot of amps including the Shadow start to have digital volume control it perplexed me a bit, but now know the reasons as to why Ray has not gone that route.
The balance Protector does not sound dry or dark.
I am familiar with all these parts as I have the protector and the TWag and the JH13. It is a nice package.
Ruling out a dark or dry sound moves me a step nearer this amp, i am sure if i do go this route by what i have read i would be pretty happy with that combo setup of the JHpros which are well renowned for sounding good anyway without a twag cable let alone a balanced porta amp such as the one Ray is making so really cannot wait to see when all those ingredients are put together and hear what magical sound would greet my inner hollow chamber of a head through entrance of my pink lug holes will be like!?
Just think i will want & need to use my JH pros with twag in SE mode with other sources at times which makes it a bit tricky in this respect, maybe i will have to bite the bullitt and when i get the Protector amp get another twag cable and have it balanced and just be very carefull swapping them over on the JHpros between the SE twag and a balanced twag cable!
Thanks Jalo, much appreciated the direction through the forest as i cannot see the trees!
