Best Portable Rig For Less Than $3K??

[oicdn]

You guys are crazy if you think a PRII sounds "worse" than an RSA amp. I love the punchy RSA house sound, but there no way in hell a PRII loses to a Hornet or TH, except in weight and rediculous ergonomics (1/4 inch jack...What???)

The PRII is punchy AND smooooooooth. God I want one, but christ, it's too expensive for both it's size sound/dollar ratio. Yeah is demolishes everything out there, but the jump from $300 to $500 is a LARGE leap....

Size, meh, people who are carrying around an 4g iMod should NOT be complaining about portability of an amp. 4gs are BRICKS....then you pair it with a huge dock, then an SMIV because it's small....I think the IC and huge DAP (ICs are what make rigs cumbersome anyways) completely overshadowed any chance of it being "small".

But to each his own....

 

[ojnihs]

the fact that we're thinking about a portable rig for under 3K is ridiculous

 

[grawk]

91 bmw 535i, ipod, alpine head unit

 

[NeObliviscaris]

a pair of custom iems should def be in the mix!

any spare cash could always be sent this way

hahaha!

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceroid /img/forum/go_quote.gif 5.5g 80gb iMod ALO Jumbo Cryo iMod Dock LaRocco Pocket Reference II Ultimate Ears UE-11Pro

x2
I have no doubt this would make an awesome portable rig.

 

[Quaddy]

5.5G iMod
XiN reference or Supermicro IV
V-CAP based dock (portable)
Etymotic ER4P/S customed.

 

[brospin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quaddy /img/forum/go_quote.gif 5.5G iMod XiN reference or Supermicro IV V-CAP based dock (portable) Etymotic ER4P/S customed.

x2. 5.5G iMod -> EFN V-cap dock -> Supermicro IV -> ER4S is what I'm using now and it's the best portable setup I have ever used for analytical sound (good for accoustic, classical, jazz). I f you wanna rock, I would recommend the HD 25-1 instead of the ER4S. You'll lose some comfort and isolation, but it's a very nice headphone. I don't recommend the UE-10, IMO it has a very poor isolation, thin bass, extreme dependency on perfect fit, very midrangy sound.

 

[brospin]

I f you're looking for the very best and price and size is no problem, you can try iMod -> RWA Signature 30.2 -> K1000.

 

[Quaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brospin /img/forum/go_quote.gif x2. 5.5G iMod -> EFN V-cap dock -> Supermicro IV -> ER4S is what I'm using now and it's the best portable setup I have ever used for analytical sound (good for accoustic, classical, jazz). I f you wanna rock, I would recommend the HD 25-1 instead of the ER4S. You'll lose some comfort and isolation, but it's a very nice headphone. I don't recommend the UE-10, IMO it has a very poor isolation, thin bass, extreme dependency on perfect fit, very midrangy sound.

nice setup, i am big fan of analytical sound!

that will be my setup also on mon tue next week!!

 

[NeObliviscaris]

gawsh i wish i cud jus hav $3k to spend on a rig! I am looking at buying a car as well!

 

[brospin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quaddy /img/forum/go_quote.gif nice setup, i am big fan of analytical sound! that will be my setup also on mon tue next week!!

You will enjoy it. I have an ALO portable V-cap dock on the way since I needed a more robust construction for portable use. But EFN's dock is very well built and you can use the caps of your choice. A friend of mine in Spain is also building me a custom portable dock with the much smaller Auricaps. I'll compare and decide!

 

[Iceroid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oicdn /img/forum/go_quote.gif You guys are crazy if you think a PRII sounds "worse" than an RSA amp. I love the punchy RSA house sound, but there no way in hell a PRII loses to a Hornet or TH, except in weight and rediculous ergonomics (1/4 inch jack...What???) The PRII is punchy AND smooooooooth. God I want one, but christ, it's too expensive for both it's size sound/dollar ratio. Yeah is demolishes everything out there, but the jump from $300 to $500 is a LARGE leap.... Size, meh, people who are carrying around an 4g iMod should NOT be complaining about portability of an amp. 4gs are BRICKS....then you pair it with a huge dock, then an SMIV because it's small....I think the IC and huge DAP (ICs are what make rigs cumbersome anyways) completely overshadowed any chance of it being "small". But to each his own....

I never said I thought the RSA amps sounded "better" than the PRII, just that "I" prefer the sound signature of the RSA amps.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rxc /img/forum/go_quote.gif iMod>P-Vcap Cable>P-Vcap Dock>RAL mini 2 mini>Xin Reference>UE11

I would suggest that the cables going from the dock to the portable v-cap be silver instead of copper. Of course this is a personal thing which you may or may not like.

This brings me to the subject of "best", it does not exist. For example, if size was not an issue I could recommend the iBasso D1 w/ upgraded op-amps. I would even say that the Mini^3 and the MiniBox-E warrant a listen.

 

[OverlordXenu]

Why reccomend an iMod? An iMod + LOD is the same price as a pacemaker, and it doesn't have a digital out. And the Pacemaker also has a line-level out, and a HP out...

Match that with a D1, and it should be great.

Edit: Oh, I'd also reccomend a Cowon Q5W for movies. It also has a digital out (coaxial), so you can hook it up to the D1 also.

And if you really wanted to, you could use the D1 as a DAC and something like the LISA III as an amp.

 

[xnothingpoetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OverlordXenu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why reccomend an iMod? An iMod + LOD is the same price as a pacemaker, and it doesn't have a digital out. And the Pacemaker also has a line-level out, and a HP out... Match that with a D1, and it should be great. Edit: Oh, I'd also reccomend a Cowon Q5W for movies. It also has a digital out (coaxial), so you can hook it up to the D1 also. And if you really wanted to, you could use the D1 as a DAC and something like the LISA III as an amp.

Why a peacmaker when a h120/140 is so much cheaper?

I'm running h120> modded D1> er4p>s and it all cost me around $600. Soon I will have a 60gb HDD and customs for my er4 while still being around $700.

If I had a $3k budget I would put the rest in a home rig and keep what I have now for portable.