[Currawong]

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For portability, I've been very happy with the DX100 and Sony XBA-3's. While I've found the top-of-the-line portable amps to be better than the amp in the DX100, they aren't, IMO, hundreds of dollars better for IEMs or the portable headphones I've tried with them. I save my crazy heavy portable rig for when I'm travelling, where it sits in my hotel/apartment/wherever on the table. It'd be more worth your while to put the majority of your $2k into a good pair of IEMs to use with one of the top-of-the-line DAPs. Part of the reason I suggest that is the better isolation good IEMs can provide.

Do you pair your DX100 with a pair of CIEMs? If so, which?

 
I've only tried it with the test versions of a few of the CIEMs when I was in Tokyo. One thing I like about it, which I didn't expect, is that the gain switch (which only really puts a different resistor in the signal path) alters the frequency response of IEMs very slightly. This allows a tiny bit of fine tuning of the sound. The important thing though is, at least with the DX100 I own, I haven't had any hiss issues with sensitive IEMs, but you might want to read the DX100 threads, as not everyone has had zero issues.

 

[rangerid]

If you already have an iDevice as a source, I recommend you get a CLAS and a high end amp (~$1000 or less if you purchase from the FS here) and a top tier CIEM.

 

[atty101]

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If you already have an iDevice as a source, I recommend you get a CLAS and a high end amp (~$1000 or less if you purchase from the FS here) and a top tier CIEM.

I've often wondered. Would an RWA iMod eliminate the need for something like a CLAS entirely?

 

[Currawong]

A dedicated DAC with proper output is going to be better than a pair of expensive caps any day, so no.

 

[wormsdriver]

my main transportable rig is an RWA imod with 240gb hard drive + RSA Predator, works great for me. I keep a handful of different iems to suit my mood. Only thing that I would upgrade is moving to a pair of Westone es5 or UM Miracles. 

 

[AyeVeeN]

UE's Personal Reference IEM? They're like $2000 exactly.

 

[rahzim]

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I wouldn't bother, from what you already have you will be spending $2000 just on a slight increase in SQ. Also a portable $2000 rig will probably sound inferior to a $1000 desktop rig. Portable rigs just reach their peak so much quicker than desktop rigs, a lot of the $2000 will just fly away with the diminishing returns.

Hello,
 
Do you have any website or thread that could point me in the right direction for gear for a desktop rig?  I have RS-1's/Sennheiser HD650's/Ety ER4S's with portable amp's/dac's.  My budget is around $2k.  One of the big issues i've had in the past playing music through my pc was background noise.  There's so much info out there and so many devices it's hard to know where to start.  I hate buying something like an amp for hundreds of dollars and then replacing it when it doesn't suit my needs 6 months down the road.....

 

[atty101]

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my main transportable rig is an RWA imod with 240gb hard drive + RSA Predator, works great for me. I keep a handful of different iems to suit my mood. Only thing that I would upgrade is moving to a pair of Westone es5 or UM Miracles. 

I'm really leaning towards the iMod. Mainly for the sake of portability. But I've heard great things about the CLAS so I haven't ruled it out. Do you think the iMod offers a significant difference over the stock iPod? Would you consider it worth the price? I already have I 5th gen iPod so I'll be blowing about $250 for the mod.

 

[atty101]

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UE's Personal Reference IEM? They're like $2000 exactly.

There's not a tuning station near me. Too bad too, because I'd love to give that a go!

 

[LarsHP]

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One of the big issues i've had in the past playing music through my pc was background noise.  There's so much info out there and so many devices it's hard to know where to start.  I hate buying something like an amp for hundreds of dollars and then replacing it when it doesn't suit my needs 6 months down the road.....

Background noise from the fan of the PC or from within the audio chain?
If it is the first, get closed headphones or IEMs.
If it's the latter, get a good separate DAC (preferably also a separate USB to S/PDIF converter between the PC and DAC).

 

[wormsdriver]

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I'm really leaning towards the iMod. Mainly for the sake of portability. But I've heard great things about the CLAS so I haven't ruled it out. Do you think the iMod offers a significant difference over the stock iPod? Would you consider it worth the price? I already have I 5th gen iPod so I'll be blowing about $250 for the mod.

to be honest, no. I also keep a stock ipod 5.5gen, and when i use it with the same Alo LOD + RSA predator that I use with the imod I hear very little difference. to me it sounds just a bit more refined. 
To me it was worth it, because I got the imod + lod for a very fair price.

 

[zachchen1996]

There's going to be a new flagship from Unique Melody soon. I would wait for that to come out and read impressions on it. I have been reading about the alo rx mk3, apparently its not good for iems and ciems because of the noise.

 

[Sweden]

If you have large enough ear canals I would build a system around the SE 5-way Reference CIEM.
The rest I spend on a used HM-801 or DX100.

 

[atty101]

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To me it was worth it, because I got the imod + lod for a very fair price.

 
I know you got a fair price. I was about to buy that same one and the guy said it'd just sold! That means if you EVER decide to get rid of yours you have to talk to me first, it's the rules man...

 

[wormsdriver]

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I know you got a fair price. I was about to buy that same one and the guy said it'd just sold! That means if you EVER decide to get rid of yours you have to talk to me first, it's the rules man...

 
haha, you got it bro. atty101 gots first dibs on my imod if I ever decide to sell it