[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fr4c IMO, the SR-71 is warm and rich sounding, like a cup of hot Geneva chocolate. the Supermacro on the other hand is crisp and punchy, like a cold 20 oz. bottle of coke on a summer day.

Hey, that's a pretty accurate description.

 

[Spaghetti]

I haven't listen to any other portables, but I love my SR-71.

 

[mirage]

What canalphones will go well with my H140 and an amp?
Is the improvement in sound quality justifiable for me to
amp my Shures e3c from my Iriver H140, because they sound mighty fine the way they are now...

Lastly, do amps actually help if your source is coming from 128kbps MP3s.... some of my songs are encoded in that bitrate.

 

[mr.karmalicious]

They'll probably sound worse.... it'll amplify the artifacts from encoding at such low quality.

 

[BRBJackson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZackT Does anyone have a final word for me before I trawl the web with my credit card?

Yes. "Old people, though slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose..."

Oh, you mean about amps?? Well, comparing the Porta Corda Mk II to my old (4AAA version) Airhead amp, I'd say the PC has significantly better (but not bloomy or sloppy) bass, slightly extended highs, a more subtle crossfeed effect, and a bit lower noise floor. There was a massive group buy on PC's some time ago, so you might see more coming up in the for-sale forum as time rolls on.

 

[ZackT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BRBJackson Yes. "Old people, though slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose..." Oh, you mean about amps?? Well, comparing the Porta Corda Mk II to my old (4AAA version) Airhead amp, I'd say the PC has significantly better (but not bloomy or sloppy) bass, slightly extended highs, a more subtle crossfeed effect, and a bit lower noise floor. There was a massive group buy on PC's some time ago, so you might see more coming up in the for-sale forum as time rolls on.

Hmmm... the SR-71 does seem really expensive, I'm sure it's great though. I've found a group buying thing for the Porta Corda Mk II for 119 Euros (which I think makes it about HALF the price of the SR-71!).

Still much confused... especially as I'd rather get my kicks from a good espresso than a frosty coke any day.

Sigh.

 

[AficionadoZone]

Is the group buy still on?

 

[BRBJackson]

If you can justify spending the $$$ (or whatever they use for money in New Zealand... sheep?

), you can't go wrong with the SR71. Ray and his amps have stering reputations around here, and the SR keeps getting compared to larger (and more expensive) units. That said, if you've found a current GB deal (the original group buy is over...) on the PC for 119 Euros SHIPPED, you might jump on it. If you should end up not liking it, a big chunk of your investment could always be recouped on the used market.

 

[nakedtoes]

if u can find a used SuperDUal it will serve yr purposes well

 

[ZackT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fr4c well it also depends on what source you are using and now much you'll willing to go for an upgrade. IMO, the SR-71 is warm and rich sounding, like a cup of hot Geneva chocolate. the Supermacro on the other hand is crisp and punchy, like a cold 20 oz. bottle of coke on a summer day.

Done it! Went for a cold Coke.

Reason: Read a comparison review which said there was very little in it sound-wise. The Supermacro has a Bass Booster so I can tweak the sound - and it is smaller than the SR-71 (though I know with batteries it will weigh about the same). And it's a few bucks cheaper too.

Hope this is all worth it. Oh the upgrade agony!

ZT

 

[ILikeMusic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fr4c IMO, the SR-71 is warm and rich sounding, like a cup of hot Geneva chocolate. the Supermacro on the other hand is crisp and punchy, like a cold 20 oz. bottle of coke on a summer day.

I'm not understanding this comment. If true then those are pretty poor amplifiers... a good amplifier should increase the sound level of a source without having any effect on the quality of the sound itself.

 

[dmoffitt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fr4c well it also depends on what source you are using and now much you'll willing to go for an upgrade. IMO, the SR-71 is warm and rich sounding, like a cup of hot Geneva chocolate. the Supermacro on the other hand is crisp and punchy, like a cold 20 oz. bottle of coke on a summer day.

awesome description, might have to pick up an sr71 to use on trips. i miss my syrupy-sweet Mullard-tubed XCAN v3 and the bass of my rs1s... currently "stuck" with my iPod and my 'beater' sr60s (i feel terrible saying/thinking that, considering how few people will ever even have the good fortune to enjoy what many of us call 'entry level junk' - but i've spoiled myself).

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILikeMusic a good amplifier should increase the sound level of a source without having any effect on the quality of the sound itself.

very idealistic. if you are living in a bubble, maybe... every piece of equipment from source to output colors things, what you eventually realize when you have spent the cost of a german sports car or two in audio gear is that it's really about balance and synergy and paring equipment to flavor said coloring to your preferences.

why else do people talk about pairing a warm am with bright cans.

it's very easy to buy "accurate" stuff and end up with a thin, brittle, bright fatiguing rig (even IF you can "hear everything that is there") - lately i've been favoring pacing, rhythm and musicality over accuracy, i want my music to sound like music, not sound. sorry, that's just as idealistic as what you wrote

but i guess my point is you either take an accurate source with an interpretive transducer or vice versa. my home rig consists of a somewhat cold almost clinical DAC, a ballsy solid state amp and a very liquid speaker (totem acoustic). my non-portable headphone rig is the opposite, a polite DAC (not soft but just uber-neutral), and the "sweet" is from the tube amp...

it's all about balance and preference.