[Ray Samuels]

I called Ray Samuels Audio in the summer (following reading these forums), I left a voicemail about working with a singer and IEMs as I wanted some recommendations and to audition some amps for use on the road. Unfortunately I never received a call back.

That is strange, my friend, we talked about a week ago regarding your needs for an amp for recording & traveling with both sensative phones & HD600 & I spend 30-40 minutes with you explaining every amp I have & what is designed for, you asked for SR-71A & I replied that we don't have it in stock.
Could that have been some one ELSE?????
Ray Samuels

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfen68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Since the OP mentioned also wanting to use HD600's...I think the only portables that would even have a chance of providing enough power to properly drive them would be a Lisa III, SR71, or SR71a. Having 18v of voltage swing would be superior to most portables such as the P-51 which has approx. 5v.

I agree that a higher voltage swing (and desktop amps) are better for the HD650. The HD6x0 scale up as the amp gets better. But don't forget the Pico can deliver 200-250 ma at 300 ohm to the HD600/650, which is pretty much the max power handling of those. Anything better is icing on the cake with better dynamic range, but according to his needs it still has to be small enough to hide with the wireless belt-pack and run IEM too. The SR-71(a) would fit that concept better than Lisa III I think, assuming he doesn't need a DAC for the laptop because he is connecting the mixing board to it somehow.

 

[VooX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Samuels /img/forum/go_quote.gif Quote: Originally Posted by VooX /img/forum/go_quote.gif I called Ray Samuels Audio in the summer (following reading these forums), I left a voicemail about working with a singer and IEMs as I wanted some recommendations and to audition some amps for use on the road. Unfortunately I never received a call back. That is strange, my friend, we talked about a week ago regarding your needs for an amp for recording & traveling with both sensative phones & HD600 & I spend 30-40 minutes with you explaining every amp I have & what is designed for, you asked for SR-71A & I replied that we don't have it in stock. Could that have been some one ELSE????? Ray Samuels

Thanks for the personal response, Ray. I did leave you a message in the middle of July as I had a late August and September tour lined up with a pop star doing her IEMs.

If someone did speak to you a week ago about the same matter, I can assure you it was not me... I have only tried calling the one time last summer. Maybe someone saw this thread and had a similar problem, did they give a name?

If you would like to discuss your amps, Ray, PM me and I will send you my contact info.

Regarding my amp budget, yesterday a tour that was planned for over a month now, and had me booked for the entire month of March doing IEMs, just got completely canceled. Major bummer as I declined other work to do this tour. It will be doubtful that I can fill up my month with another tour(s) so quickly. January until April is a very slow time of year for concerts and events.

So, while I WAS looking to buy an amp in the next month or so, I now have to push back my purchase into the spring/early summer when other tours will be booked. I can't justify, today anyways, buying the amp with no tour booked.

In the meantime, I am still keenly interested in finding an amp that would work for my needs. So far the SR-71A and the Lisa III have intrigued me the most, although that is not necessarily a final list. I am open to all advice.

If it would be possible for me to audition either amp, please let me know. I am being upfront about my temporary budget hold so I don't take a sale away from a customer who also wants an audition and is ready to pay.

And Headphone Addict, 99% of the time when doing IEMs I run off a wireless beltpack on the same frequency as the star. The console is rarely used as I can't monitor the wireless transmission and know if the star is having reception problems. I also am very unfamiliar with the Pico amp by Headamp... how many people have had a chance to try it out?

Thanks again, Head-fiers.

 

[qusp]

in my experience the pico only has that type of performance and swing when used in dac mode. when used as a dac it has a considerable amount more output than it does as an amp only. I have a pico too. i'm not sure it really has enough power to drive HD600 to 'real' output levels as amp only. I will test again to see. it is a fine amp. really nice and small too, with 25hrs run time on a charge (amp operation) but again not power like lisa III or to a lesser extent SR71A (which I still believe is too coloured for your needs) the RSA house sound is well regarded, but it is not known for being neutral. it is well on the warm side. the pico is more neutral, but still a bit warm in the mids. the bass presentation on the pico is quite neutral with good extension and the highs are as sweet as can be. but the mids are a bit euphonic which is great for personal listening; I love it. but its probably a matter of preference whether it would be any good for monitoring as you would have to take this into account

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

What is more important, desktop power levels for the HD650 or small size for wireless IEM?

Do you need the HD650 to play painfully loud or is fairly loud good enough?

Why is the belt-pack not loud enough for IEM? What kind of IEM (usually high sensitivity Westome or UE)?

What will you be using the amp and HD650 for, monitoring a performance or in the studio for producing the music recordings?

 

[VooX]

HA,

For the first question, it will have to be a balance of the two. Obviously I would use my X-Cans at home, as it is a good desktop amp. On the road, I would, like I wrote earlier, be looking to use it for both the IEMs and the HD600 while mixing off my laptop.

I would prefer that the headphone amp were able to drive the HD600s comfortably. It's not so much about volume, but having enough drive to get the most out of the HD600s performance at any volume.

My ES-2 Westone IEMs are very sensitive, so they are not hard to drive. Most performers don't notice the sonic limitations of wireless beltpacks, and that's fine, but I do. So even if the performer doesn't ending up using a headphone amp, I would like one to get more consistent sound from show to show. We often get whatever wireless kit the production company in that city uses... unless we get a mic/wireless sponsor that is, and that is on an artist-by-artist basis.

In studio, most consoles I work on are very high quality, so headphone amps are not an issue. When I am in studio with a "budget" board, I use my X-Cans to drive the HD600s.

PLUS, when I am not working, I would like to be able to use the amp with a LOD and my iPhone/iPod to get reference quality sound in my pocket (or jacket). When I carry the IEMs recreationally, I always carry a small pelican case to store them in. They are too expensive tools to get damaged, so I always have pockets when using my IEMs to store the pelican case.

 

[Kees]

You may want to consider the iQube and the Rudistor XJ-03.

 

[justin w.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qusp /img/forum/go_quote.gif in my experience the pico only has that type of performance and swing when used in dac mode. when used as a dac it has a considerable amount more output than it does as an amp only. I have a pico too. i'm not sure it really has enough power to drive HD600 to 'real' output levels as amp only. I will test again to see. it is a fine amp. really nice and small too, with 25hrs run time on a charge (amp operation) but again not power like lisa III or to a lesser extent SR71A (which I still believe is too coloured for your needs) the RSA house sound is well regarded, but it is not known for being neutral. it is well on the warm side. the pico is more neutral, but still a bit warm in the mids. the bass presentation on the pico is quite neutral with good extension and the highs are as sweet as can be. but the mids are a bit euphonic which is great for personal listening; I love it. but its probably a matter of preference whether it would be any good for monitoring as you would have to take this into account

The power of the Pico is exactly the same in DAC mode or amp mode. However, the Pico's USB DAC likely has a higher output than most portable sources. It just means with a portable source you have to turn the volume up higher. This is psychological and the maximum power output is the same

 

[jamato8]

The P-51 drives the HD650 with no problem. It would be a small pocketable amp that would do great with most any IEM or headphone used.

 

[jordinario]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VooX /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks to all for the advice so far. I have not been ignoring the forums, just have been quite busy with some projects lately which have taken a lot of my time. Portability and battery requirements, I should clarify. well the lisa uses very high quality batteries that will handle many many cycles, and if you are a lttle intrepid you can just open it up and replace them fairly easily, so you could bring a few extra 9v lith ion batteries with you and extend life passed 8-10hrs. well its not really pocket sized; the amp itself is but the rig would be a bit larger than that including interconnects. would fit nicely in a coat pocket though and definitely in teh side pocket of your bag; thats how I use it; inside a pelican case in my bag. well I still think the lisaIII is by far the best amp for your requirements as you would already have a decent audio interface I would imagine, so no real need for an integrated dac. the sound is unsurpassed IMO and not coloured, passed a tiny bit of magic. cool no problem absolutely try before you buy, if you are serious i'm sure this could probably be arranged through triad. I can almost guarantee you wont send it back no comment yes you can use another PSU, but it does have pretty strict operating ranges. the use of a switching PSU will kill it. so it needs to be a 24v regulated non-switching PSU. there are some good PSU's designed for laptops that will work, ranging from $30USD-$150USD no problem on the multiple charge cycles, its roughly the same time to charge as to use the power, so roughly 1:1 but slightly more efficient than that. easy to replace the battery i'll leave that for someone else wit experience to answer. Lisa III FTW IMO the only portable amp that will power the HD650 with ease. the mustang may be very good, but with battery specs like that it makes you wonder where all the power is coming from; I cant imagine there is a huge amount of current. but sure try them out if you can; its the only way you will know for sure.

Sir, your advice about the LISA III is great I learn a lot from it. I want buy the XP but Im worrying about the battery replacement of these batteries 12(AA) pieces, when these batteries lifetime ended someday(maybe 3years). How will I replace them? Surely I dont want to ship my XP all the way to USA just for a battery replacement. What are my options for replacing it myself? Can I buy an extra XP battery pack and just solder it myself? Please enlighten me on this issue.

When I read your forum I've decided I will purchase the LISA III Standard because it seems that the battery replacement is user frendly. When you said that if we want to extend the play to more than 8hours, we can always carry an extra 2(9v)batteries and replace the dying batteries anytime . Is this true? ofcourse any type of 9v battery(rechargeble/not) will work. How easy really is it to replace the batteries at LISA III standard? I read somewhere that the batteries are attached to tape. Just curious and so excited heheeh...

Also I heard that there are certain types of PSU(rechargeble) that only works for LISA III. I thought that as long as you have 24volts AC/DC then its good. Is there any technical specifications for a 24v(AC/DC) charger?



Thanks,
Joey

 

[Keppel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VooX /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am looking for the best portable headphone amp for professional use.

The answer to your question is Practical Devices XM5 (maybe not so much the XM4). It seems to have been invented just for you, VooX.

I've done some research for ya...

The 'phones you've mentioned in your post were Sennheiser HD600, Fostex T20RP mkII, Westone ES-2 IEMs, AKG K702, Sennheiser HD800, and UE-10/UE-11 IEMs. XM5 is built for 300 ohm monsters, and will drive HD600s to pain. The lower impedence ones (and IEMs) will do perfect as well if you turn off the gain boost to get more headspace.

The battery is a Li-ion 9 volt, replaceable with other standard 9 volts, but comes with a quick charger that takes 1 hour. There's also a on-board voltage meter, and early warning flashes when the battery is close to pooching out, which would probably jive with your live show requirements. There's no waiting list.

To really get down to the nitty gritty, RTFM.

 

[qusp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keppel /img/forum/go_quote.gif The answer to your question is Practical Devices XM5 (maybe not so much the XM4). It seems to have been invented just for you, VooX. I've done some research for ya... The 'phones you've mentioned in your post were Sennheiser HD600, Fostex T20RP mkII, Westone ES-2 IEMs, AKG K702, Sennheiser HD800, and UE-10/UE-11 IEMs. XM5 is built for 300 ohm monsters, and will drive HD600s to pain. The lower impedence ones (and IEMs) will do perfect as well if you turn off the gain boost to get more headspace. The battery is a Li-ion 9 volt, replaceable with other standard 9 volts, but comes with a quick charger that takes 1 hour. There's also a on-board voltage meter, and early warning flashes when the battery is close to pooching out, which would probably jive with your live show requirements. There's no waiting list. To really get down to the nitty gritty, RTFM.

9v just isnt enough current IMO to run cans like HD650 with any authority. no amount of buffering will give you what you dont have. that would be a neat trick

 

[qusp]

well you can do it, but if you do it constantly you will strip the threads on the screws for the faceplate. if you want mega operating time; get XP

 

[qusp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordinario /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sir, your advice about the LISA III is great I learn a lot from it. I want buy the XP but Im worrying about the battery replacement of these batteries 12(AA) pieces, when these batteries lifetime ended someday(maybe 3years). How will I replace them? Surely I dont want to ship my XP all the way to USA just for a battery replacement. What are my options for replacing it myself? Can I buy an extra XP battery pack and just solder it myself? Please enlighten me on this issue.

no soldering needed; it has a plug that you can just plug in, you can buy a battery pack yes; I will find a link for you. you can get them at battery world

Quote:

When I read your forum I've decided I will purchase the LISA III Standard because it seems that the battery replacement is user frendly. When you said that if we want to extend the play to more than 8hours, we can always carry an extra 2(9v)batteries and replace the dying batteries anytime . Is this true? ofcourse any type of 9v battery(rechargeble/not) will work. How easy really is it to replace the batteries at LISA III standard? I read somewhere that the batteries are attached to tape. Just curious and so excited heheeh...

yeah you can do it, but really I dont know if I would recommend it for every day. because you will strip the thread on the faceplate/hammond and it wont hold on anymore if you do it continually. so yeah you can do it, but only recommended for 'emergencies' thats why I mentioned it above, because he might actually be in a situation where it was crucial that he had more run-time or he wouldn't get the set or whatever. if you want longer life for personal listening I would still recommend the XP

A Quote:

lso I heard that there are certain types of PSU(rechargeble) that only works for LISA III. I thought that as long as you have 24volts AC/DC then its good. Is there any technical specifications for a 24v(AC/DC) charger?

like I said above, you need a PSU that operates in non-switching (regulated) mode at 21-27v there are a couple of others around that are suitable like the Igo charger which is international. where are you man??


Quote:

Thanks, Joey

no problem PM me

 

[imademymark]

another vote for the pico, its so much more detailed and smooth than any of the portable mentioned here (Sr71a, p51, predator), bettered only by the lisa III

i'm using it as a preamp out into my desktop amp and it's so clean it works well enough for that