BeeEss
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2002
- Posts
- 104
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Hey all, it has been a while since I have posted, but I am in a conundrum and was hoping you fine folks could help me out.
Essentially, I have two sources for my portable rig - a MacBook Pro and an iPod 5.5G (80GB). Both contain a mixture of Apple Lossless and high-bitrate lossy files. In addition, I carry newly acquired Shure E500s with said laptop and iPod. I listen to a ton of music this way - at work, coffeeshops, travelling, anywhere I happen to land. More often than not, the laptop is the source - if I am using the laptop I will plug in the iPod and play music from it through the laptop's sound card so that I can hear system sounds and whatever else may come directly from the laptop. Also, in my experience the laptop's headphone out sounds better than the iPod's.
At a minimum, I need portable amplification for the E500s. I also only have space in my bag for one more device.
Enter the Total Bithead. The functionality it provides seems perfect - a DAC that is (most likely) better than that of my MBP along with an amp for when I'm using the laptop; just an amplification section for the iPod when I'm not (such as for flights, etc.)
Here's the conundrum. Cost (within reason) isn't an object, but space and convenience are. Assuming that I can only fit one more device in my (already strained) pack, would I be better off with a significantly higher quality amp (thereby relying on the DACs in the MBP/iPod) or going with something like the Total Bithead (I know the Bithead's DAC can't be used with the iPod; this is fine.)
As a frame of reference, I'm using an OBH-11 with this setup right now. In my comparisions, the MBP to OBH-11 to e500 sounds slightly better than iPod to Apple Universal Dock line-out (using cheapish cables) to OBH-11 to e500. The SQ from either setup is acceptable to my ears, but I am certainly willing to spend the money if there is much better SQ to be had.
Here are my questions:
1. Are there any comparable devices to the Total Bithead that I should consider? The Micro DAC/Micro Amp combo looks nice, but that is two devices, two sets of batteries, additional cabling, etc. The SQ advantages over the Micro line would need to be substantial in order to offset the convenience factor.
2. Suppose I went with something like an RSA Hornet and the best quality interconnects I could find (probably an ALO dock connector for the iPod and a good mini-mini for the MBP.) Would this setup provide better SQ than the Total Bithead? Cash expenditure would seem to say so, but it is all relative.
3. The MBP has an ExpressCard slot - anybody have any experiences with better quality soundcards (or are any even known to exist?)
Thanks for any and all input!
--b
Essentially, I have two sources for my portable rig - a MacBook Pro and an iPod 5.5G (80GB). Both contain a mixture of Apple Lossless and high-bitrate lossy files. In addition, I carry newly acquired Shure E500s with said laptop and iPod. I listen to a ton of music this way - at work, coffeeshops, travelling, anywhere I happen to land. More often than not, the laptop is the source - if I am using the laptop I will plug in the iPod and play music from it through the laptop's sound card so that I can hear system sounds and whatever else may come directly from the laptop. Also, in my experience the laptop's headphone out sounds better than the iPod's.
At a minimum, I need portable amplification for the E500s. I also only have space in my bag for one more device.
Enter the Total Bithead. The functionality it provides seems perfect - a DAC that is (most likely) better than that of my MBP along with an amp for when I'm using the laptop; just an amplification section for the iPod when I'm not (such as for flights, etc.)
Here's the conundrum. Cost (within reason) isn't an object, but space and convenience are. Assuming that I can only fit one more device in my (already strained) pack, would I be better off with a significantly higher quality amp (thereby relying on the DACs in the MBP/iPod) or going with something like the Total Bithead (I know the Bithead's DAC can't be used with the iPod; this is fine.)
As a frame of reference, I'm using an OBH-11 with this setup right now. In my comparisions, the MBP to OBH-11 to e500 sounds slightly better than iPod to Apple Universal Dock line-out (using cheapish cables) to OBH-11 to e500. The SQ from either setup is acceptable to my ears, but I am certainly willing to spend the money if there is much better SQ to be had.
Here are my questions:
1. Are there any comparable devices to the Total Bithead that I should consider? The Micro DAC/Micro Amp combo looks nice, but that is two devices, two sets of batteries, additional cabling, etc. The SQ advantages over the Micro line would need to be substantial in order to offset the convenience factor.
2. Suppose I went with something like an RSA Hornet and the best quality interconnects I could find (probably an ALO dock connector for the iPod and a good mini-mini for the MBP.) Would this setup provide better SQ than the Total Bithead? Cash expenditure would seem to say so, but it is all relative.
3. The MBP has an ExpressCard slot - anybody have any experiences with better quality soundcards (or are any even known to exist?)
Thanks for any and all input!
--b
