[tomjtx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednamalas1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pico is an amazing little amp and it's a bargain with that great DAC. However, I still haven't seen portable amps that can drive K701s adequately. If you're playing mp3/flac/aac files off your computer, I may suggest: standalone DAC-> Gilmore lite -> K701s. I prefer tubes, but Glimore lite is a great bargain. and say no to portable amps for K701s!

I respectfully disagree

The Move will "adequately" drive the 701 in a musically satisfying way.

Is the DV337 another world ?........... Yes...........but a portable amp can be satisfying.
Eg. traveling in a hotel I would still prefer the Move>701 more than Move>UE Triple-Fi, or SE530 or etyer4s etc. etc.

 

[Rednamalas1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjtx /img/forum/go_quote.gif I respectfully disagree The Move will "adequately" drive the 701 in a musically satisfying way. Is the DV337 another world ?........... Yes...........but a portable amp can be satisfying. Eg. traveling in a hotel I would still prefer the Move>701 more than Move>UE Triple-Fi, or SE530 or etyer4s etc. etc.

I also have the move - but after hearing entry-level home amps (millet hybrid, Glite), the move is nowhere near what home amps can provide. Portable amps are vastly superior over no amps, but dedicated home amps offer even more.

Furthermore, K701 is not a portable can, never is, never was, never will be. Why bother mating it with battery-powered amp? As a transportable (hotels etc).

Anyways this dead horse has been beaten down several lifetimes over, and I'll end it here, and let the OP decide what's right for her.

Basically to sum it up:

1. portable amp + integrated DAC: relatively good sound, great portability, don't need to find a plug.
2. dedicated home amp and source(CD player/dac): great sound(if it's mated to a right amp, zero portability, can be expensive.

I hope you agree with this, tomjtx.

 

[Podtweaker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatto /img/forum/go_quote.gif so there isn't much reason to get one if I don't use my PC for music too often?

Well there isn't much reason to get a portable amp w/ a dac for your portable music player if it doesn't have an digital out line & you don't intend to use it w/ a PC . Plenty of reason to get a non dac portable amp, as a decent one will wipe the floor of just about any DAP in terms of SQ whether the DAP can drive the IEMS or Headphones efficiently or not. It's not about the quantity of volume it's about the quality of volume. When the quality is there you find you don't need the volume you thought you needed & you end up saving your ears a bit & enjoying the music even more.

 

[Gatto]

I have to ask, what is the move? I'm assuming its an amp but I was looking around google and all the other usual spots but couldn't find any information on it.

I do agree with everybody that the k701s suck as a portable set of cans, for fun I've tried around campus, it just looks silly and awkward and gets me stared at. the problem is they are perfect for work, open so I can still hear pages and my phone and people trying to get my attention but high SQ for working at my desk listening to music for 8 hrs.

 

[Rednamalas1]

earlier version of this:
Meier-Audio

great price for a portable amp, I should mention.

Gatto, do you have your own storage with Lock? or have a separate office? (unless you need to be moving computer from computer - in which case, I do think you need a portable setup) If you can leave your audio stuff in your office and work in your office, something like gilmore lite makes a great office rig IMO. Its dimensions are:
5.75 (L) x 4.5 (W) x 1.2 (H) inches and 3lbs - fairly small for an amp.

I should mention that another option would be to leave K701s for home use (which you can mate to a dedicated home amp, now or later) and use an actual set of portable cans such as ESW9 (which are pretty much best portable cans I've heard so far) that has little isolation that are needed for your work.

My gf uses ESW9 for studying, and uses TF10s for commuting. Either of those two drive well without an amp (although it helps), and I personally think that using a relatively huge portable amp with iaudio7 or nano is silly anyways

. (IMO, of course - there should be tons of people who would disagree with this)

 

[tomjtx]

I hope you agree with this, tomjtx.

[/QUOTE]




As an American, I have only 2 choices: Agree and go to sleep,

disagree and declare war on Canada.

I'm tired, so I'll agree.

If we get lucky and Obama wins we can disagree in peace

 

[ManuLM]

Blame canada as they say in South Park movie...

enjoy

OK, back to headsets.
I have a K701, use it together with a RSA predator. I use the predator as DAC, in low gain mode (warmest profile).

I find the result very good, and frankly speaking, I cannot let you guys say not portable amp matches the K701. It gives the 701 this little warm touch that make it sound great.

"chloe and seth - tiny bomb" really sounds like a bomb then

 

[dd051]

tomjt, what dac are you running?

 

[tomjtx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd051 /img/forum/go_quote.gif tomjt, what dac are you running?

Depends,
Dv337 is fed by my SlimDevices Transporter which many consider to be one of the best DACs at any price YMMV. IMO etc etc etc

The Transporter also feeds my home rig balanced direct to Jeff Rowland amp to Watt/Puppies.

Cantate uses either it's own USB DAC (when I listen via Macbook) or the DAC in the SB3

I use the Meier Move DAC with computer and ,of course, just the move amp with Ipod.

I am looking forward to getting the Ibasso D3 to hear it's DAC .
I once compared all my DACs to the Transporter DAC.
The TP is clearly better but it is surprising how good inexpensive DACs can be.

I think the differences between DACs and between amps are FAR smaller and more subtle than the diffferences between phones. Again YMMV, IMO, IME

Playing around with different phones is more fun for me.
Although ,w D3 I will now have 3 portables: D3, Move, Total Airhead

And 2 home amps: DV337 and Cantate.

Curse you head-fi

 

[Gatto]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednamalas1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif earlier version of this: Meier-Audio great price for a portable amp, I should mention. Gatto, do you have your own storage with Lock? or have a separate office? (unless you need to be moving computer from computer - in which case, I do think you need a portable setup) If you can leave your audio stuff in your office and work in your office, something like gilmore lite makes a great office rig IMO. Its dimensions are: 5.75 (L) x 4.5 (W) x 1.2 (H) inches and 3lbs - fairly small for an amp. I should mention that another option would be to leave K701s for home use (which you can mate to a dedicated home amp, now or later) and use an actual set of portable cans such as ESW9 (which are pretty much best portable cans I've heard so far) that has little isolation that are needed for your work. My gf uses ESW9 for studying, and uses TF10s for commuting. Either of those two drive well without an amp (although it helps), and I personally think that using a relatively huge portable amp with iaudio7 or nano is silly anyways . (IMO, of course - there should be tons of people who would disagree with this)

as of right now I don't have my own space with any type of security to leave audio gear, in a few months I'm moving into our network room (once my clearance goes through) and I'll be sharing it with only my direct boss, so then I can get a good stationary set up going. I am getting customs from hearyourself.com that aren't here yet so I will have portable headphones but at work I just don't think IEMs are a good idea, I won't be able to hear anything. is it a good idea to get a high quality amp for my IEMs or will a little cmoy drive them fine? I was going to sell my Cmoy to a friend for what I paid and use that + extra money to buy the new amp.

 

[Podtweaker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatto /img/forum/go_quote.gif as of right now I don't have my own space with any type of security to leave audio gear, in a few months I'm moving into our network room (once my clearance goes through) and I'll be sharing it with only my direct boss, so then I can get a good stationary set up going. I am getting customs from hearyourself.com that aren't here yet so I will have portable headphones but at work I just don't think IEMs are a good idea, I won't be able to hear anything. is it a good idea to get a high quality amp for my IEMs or will a little cmoy drive them fine? I was going to sell my Cmoy to a friend for what I paid and use that + extra money to buy the new amp.

You're absolutely right about using IEMs in a work situation, it's not a good idea for numerous reasons. It may be because I'm getting a bit older , but when I see someone w/ IEMs in an office I have to wonder if the person is being distracted by what they are listening to. Just a little too casual, but I guess if you work in a laidback casual work enviorment & the boss isn't shooting occasional darts at you from his eyes then it's cool (bosses are funny people though & they might disapprove & not say anything). Having been long winded (Yet again!) , I find that I end up ear fatigued much sooner using even comfortable IEMs(Westone UM2s) at reasonable levels, so I gave up trying to use them. Oh,one other thing, if you haven't decided on an amp yet you might want to check out the Zen Head ZH1 from Decware. I have one for about three weeks now & love it, & it is still getting better everytime I listen .

 

[Gatto]

that zen head amp looks nice, what headphones do you use it with?

 

[synaesthetic]

Gatto, the Channel Islands Audio amp that I use at home, the VHP-1 (or the newer VHP-2, which is an updated version with a better volume pot and some other component upgrades), is totally something you should think about.

It's VERY small... the footprint is smaller than that of a CD jewel case, and it's only about 3 inches high. I love mine to death, for the tiny footprint and the sound it puts out. It also has a gain switch, which I consider to be an absolute must on headphone amps.

It would also be easier to get your hands on one, as opposed to a Gilmore Lite which people tend to hang onto, and when they do sell here, they go FAST.

It should be able to drive K701s, though I have heard that K701s require a massive load of power. Something to think about for sure.

 

[wynn]

shouldn't use K701 with a portable amp imo

 

[olblueyez]

You can buy a portable and it will improve the sound you get out of the 701s but you need to know that you will need to replace the 701s if portable use is what you want. A portable that is able to drive the 701s properly doesn't exist at all. If you really are set on the 701s then I would recommend you tale a look at something like the Little-Dot Mk V, or some other AC powered desktop amp that has a lot of power driving low impedance headphones. Another option is to sell the 701s, you should be able to sell them for 200 easy if they are in good shape.