Tassie Devil
100+ Head-Fier
I'm retired and spend most time indoors (winter here) but do find I am using a portable setup far more than the hi-end rig these days. Working at the PC or doing other things it is much more convenient having the music in the pocket so one can get up and move around without having to mess around removing headphones etc. The AQ might not be quite so good but most times it is background music (mix of pop and classical with the player set to random track selection) so listening is not so critical. I must be getting old and less patient in my old age because even at the hi-end listening post it is not common to listen to a complete CD.
Here are the current set ups here:
Portable - Sony A17 with 200-GB micro card (giving a total of around 900 CDs in FLAC format) -> Fiio A12a Mont Blanc amp -> HiFiMan 400s headphones
Fixed: Meridian server with over 15,000 CDs on board -> balanced digital out -> M2Tech Vaughan DAC -> balanced analog -> Headroom Blockhead amp -> Sennheiser HD800 headphones
I've been playing around with audio for over 60 years now but the irony is that at aged 80 my hearing is far from pristine so most of hi-rez is not heard.
I foolishly recently purchased a A&K Jnr player. I say foolishly because I could not really appreciate its capability so sold it and am making do with the very very good Sony A series players. They are very nice functionally and do the job and I like the option of FM to listen to the latest misery on the news.
So impressed with SONY I purchased an A25 for my wife and I notice she often moves around with headphones (AKG 702) still on her head. I also have two other Sennheiser HD 650s and a Sennheiser 598, some of which are attached to other listening posts around the house which are fed digital into modded Benchmark DAC1s from the Meridian system &* into various amps and speakers (yes I've been at this A/V madness for some time now) but often just feed the SONY A17 in rather than control the Meridian system via an iPad.
It is fun playing with these toys!!!
Here are the current set ups here:
Portable - Sony A17 with 200-GB micro card (giving a total of around 900 CDs in FLAC format) -> Fiio A12a Mont Blanc amp -> HiFiMan 400s headphones
Fixed: Meridian server with over 15,000 CDs on board -> balanced digital out -> M2Tech Vaughan DAC -> balanced analog -> Headroom Blockhead amp -> Sennheiser HD800 headphones
I've been playing around with audio for over 60 years now but the irony is that at aged 80 my hearing is far from pristine so most of hi-rez is not heard.
So impressed with SONY I purchased an A25 for my wife and I notice she often moves around with headphones (AKG 702) still on her head. I also have two other Sennheiser HD 650s and a Sennheiser 598, some of which are attached to other listening posts around the house which are fed digital into modded Benchmark DAC1s from the Meridian system &* into various amps and speakers (yes I've been at this A/V madness for some time now) but often just feed the SONY A17 in rather than control the Meridian system via an iPad.
It is fun playing with these toys!!!