[nightfuel]

 
Originally Posted by nightfuel /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I'm a new owner of The Stepdance, I've read all This monster-thread, But do anyone have The same problem on a IPhone out, The typical noise of a mobile interference...I have another portable amp (Nico's) and has not The same problem...forgive my horrible english But I'm Also on a mobile phone
Greetings to This mighty forum!

I've found the problem with my Iphone and Stepdance: the Iphone must be in 3G reception mode, otherwise the match with the little amp cause loud digital interferences on the headphone.
 
I often force the Iphone in 2G for longer battery duration, but it isn't possible when I use it in combination with the Stepdance.
 
Glad to find the trick!
 
Enjoy...

 

[Woody469]

I so want the AlgoRhythm Solo. It's size mates perfectly with the ALO Rx Mk2 Amp. The thing is, I want to use it with the StepDance. I wonder how possible that will be.

 

[Uchiya]

Is there a US dealer for the stepdance?  Having 2 weeks for this goodness kill me XD.

 

[ianmedium]

Quote:

I so want the AlgoRhythm Solo. It's size mates perfectly with the ALO Rx Mk2 Amp. The thing is, I want to use it with the StepDance. I wonder how possible that will be.

I hope to get the solo before the end of March so will let you know if I get mine before you. I think from looking at it it will be like having two ipod classics stacked together on top of the stepdance.

 

[Racio]

Quote:

-snipped-
 
I'm sure that someone trying to run a high-powered home system from battery packs can run into issues of insufficient current output for momentary loads imposed by the system, but the mean load presented by the Stepdance is only 50 milliamps (one 20th of one Amp) on the High Current setting, or 25 milliamps (one 40th of one Amp) on the Low Current setting.  The Energizer XP8000 is capable of handling loads as high as 2000 milliamps - that's TWO Amps or 40 times the load presented by the Stepdance operating with the High Current setting!   Indeed, the Energizer XP8000 is capable powering netbooks (complete with LCD display, sound card, etc.). 
 
If there's still any concern that the XP8000's 2000 mA current output is insufficient to drive the diminuitive Stepdance, consider the fact that lots of people (including me) are perfectly content with the SQ had using internal 9V batteries which can't handle anywhere near the load that the XP8000 can handle.  My preferred internal battery is the 8.4-Volt 520mAh iPowerUs Lithium-Polymer battery - using the same chemistry as the Energizer XP8000.  The iPowerUS battery can supply only 80 millamps continuously vs. the XP8000's 2000 millamps.  80 milliamps is more than enough to satisfy the 50 milliamp requirement when a Stepdance is set to High Current mode and thus, 2000 milliamps ought to do the trick and then some. 
 
I agree that, in general, batteries are a hassle, but if we limit our comparison to an XP8000 sitting on your desktop, plugged into an AC outlet whenever it's time to recharge the battery, vs. a dedicated PSU that's plugged into a wall outlet, what's the hassle?  It seems to me that for $77.00 with free shipping, the XP8000 offers a whole lot more:  Absolutely clean power - every bit as clean as the internal Lithium-Polymer batteries, no need for surge protection or AC noise filtering (which are not included with comparably priced PSUs), and portability - including the ability to simultaneously power/recharge your DAP on the XP8000's 5-Volt USB jack.
 
I'd love to put my money where my mouth is - I came really close to ordering it just now - but I'm waiting for Audez'e LCD-2's to ship and will have to come up with $945.00 pretty soon, here.  I'm trying to pace myself.  

      (Yeah, right!  Go for it!  You want it!  Get it! 

)
 
I'm confident that the Energizer XP8000 will be my next audio purchase.  Until then, I'll just continue to swap the iPowerUS batteries in and out, putting them on the charger in between - now THAT'S a hassle!
 
Mike

Thanks for the heads up Mike! Was able to snag an Energizer XP8000, and after hooking it up to the StepDance, well, what can I say... my Meier headamp never sounded sooo good with my LCD2! Bass heft, definition and bottom octave extension further improved quite substantially, not to mention the soundstage/sense of aural spatiality went up a few notches.
 

Photo borrowed from BoyM, thanks bro!
 
Got to luv Porta-Fi! 

 

[zilch0md]

You're trailblazing Racio!
 
Thanks for trying it out.  I'm glad you're pleased and you'll enjoy a lot of play time with that battery pack.  And you can use the XP8000 for a lot of other purposes, including running a netbook or charging any USB-chargeable device.
 
I've gone in a different direction since posting that XP8000 research - to less weight and a higher voltage, but less play time.  Unlike the XP8000, I've actually placed an order for a couple of 1000 mAh 14.8-volt LiPo batteries and a charger.  I'll be posting an article to this thread when I get it up and running.
 
Thanks for the picture and the positive feedback!
 
Mike
 
Edit applied on 15 February 2011 - Warning:  Don't purchase any of the 14.8-Volt LiPo batteries I recommended, above - Get the 11.1-Volt LiPo batteries offered by the same retailer, instead.  I've only today learned that the voltage specs for RC hobbiest batteries such as the  Blue LiPo 4-Cell 1000mAh 4S1P 14.8v 20C LiPoly Battery  are NOMINAL voltages!  This means that a 14.8-Volt battery is READY TO BE CHARGED when it gets DOWN to 14.8-Volts!  When fully charged, add 0.5 Volts per cell - which for these 4-cell batteries, equals another 2.0 Volts.  So...  when this 14.8-Volt battery is fully charged, it's at 16.8-Volts - FAR in excess of the 15-Volt limit for the Stepdance.   If you're still interested in an external LiPo pack for the Stepdance, get the 11.1-Volt 3-cell LiPo batteries from the same retailer as linked above, or for less hassle but more bulk and weight, get the Energizer XP8000, which provides a 12.0-Volt output jack that can be used with the Stepdance.  Search this thread for more info on the XP8000.   Mike

 

[ianmedium]

^ wow, yet another super set up!

I really like the idea of this battery power pack as it gives the best of all worlds, more powerful supply for the stepdance yet with the isolation of battery power, heck it is small enough for me to use portable as well as I tend to do 99% of my portable listening in coffee shops whilst writing on my iPad, can these be got on eBay I wonder?

Zilch, I am just editing this post as you beat me to it, what are the batteries you talk of? I am looking forward to your thoughts..

With the xp how does one connect it to the stepdance?

 

[zilch0md]

Hi ianmedium!
 
Quote:

^ wow, yet another super set up!

I really like the idea of this battery power pack as it gives the best of all worlds, more powerful supply for the stepdance yet with the isolation of battery power, heck it is small enough for me to use portable as well as I tend to do 99% of my portable listening in coffee shops whilst writing on my iPad, can these be got on eBay I wonder?

Zilch, I am just editing this post as you beat me to it, what are the batteries you talk of? I am looking forward to your thoughts..

With the xp how does one connect it to the stepdance?

 
Yes, I can't believe how many people are using LCD-2s with their Stepdance - they just keep coming out of the woodwork and it affirms how great an amp the Stepdance really is!
 
Now if everyone could please stop posting pics of their HiFiMan players feeding their Stepdance > LCD-2 combos, I could stop dreaming about them at night! 

 
----
 
To answer your questions... 
 
1)  The XP8000 can be found at several retailers, including Amazon - I've never looked for them at eBay.
 
The XP8000 has one jack for charging and three jacks for output voltages - 5V, 12V, and 19V (according to the specs seen here).
 
From all my research on Lithium Polymer batteries, however, I suspect that the actual voltages from those three XP8000 jacks are multiples of 3.7 Volts:  either 7.4V, 14.8V, and 22.2V (all higher than spec at full charge)  -OR-  3.7V, 11.1V, and 18.5V (all lower than spec at full charge - less likely).
 
It's very possible that Enercell has used some kind of IC to regulate the XP8000 voltages to the exact spec for each of the three output jacks (instead of just tapping a six-cell LiPo pack in various combinations of series or parallel to get non-spec voltages).
 
I would really love it if Racio has a voltmeter (or mutlimeter) and could measure the voltage of all three jacks for us. 

 
In any case, going by the specs, the highest voltage offered by the XP8000 that can be used with the Stepdance (which has a 15-Volt limit) is 12-Volts - a definite improvement over the 8.4-Volt rechargeable iPowerUS batteries I'm currently using with the Stepdance, internally.
 
2)  See my post to this thread, four days ago, for more info about the 14.8V 1000mAh batteries I ended up ordering.
 
At this writing, having ordered the 14.8-Volt batteries, but not having received them yet, I can't give you any impressions - but they hold the promise of a slightly higher sound quality than the 12-Volt XP8000, lower cost, less weight, less bulk, less play time, less versatility (for use with other devices), and will require soldering two wires into a Type H coaxial power plug to get it connected to the Stepdance. 
 
Keep in mind that the XP8000 can also serve as an excellent desktop power supply - as long as you don't plug it into AC to charge it while listening to the Stepdance.
 
On that note, the Thunder AC6 Charger I ordered can also be used to charge a 14.8-Volt 5000 mAh LiPo pack, if I ever wanted a big heavy DC battery for use on the desktop.
 
3)  Racio should be able to confirm this, but the XP8000 comes with a power cord that includes many different tips that can be swapped at will - including a 3.5mm outside diameter / 1.35 mm (inside diameter) tip that will plug right into the Stepdance - no soldering required.  Just make sure you orient the polarized tip such that the + pole of the battery pack is at the tip, not the barrel of the connector. 
 
Mike
 
Edit applied on 15 February 2011 - Warning:  Don't purchase any of the 14.8-Volt LiPo batteries I recommended, above - Get the 11.1-Volt LiPo batteries offered by the same retailer, instead.  I've only today learned that the voltage specs for RC hobbiest batteries such as the  Blue LiPo 4-Cell 1000mAh 4S1P 14.8v 20C LiPoly Battery  are NOMINAL voltages!  This means that a 14.8-Volt battery is READY TO BE CHARGED when it gets DOWN to 14.8-Volts!  When fully charged, add 0.5 Volts per cell - which for these 4-cell batteries, equals another 2.0 Volts.  So...  when this 14.8-Volt battery is fully charged, it's at 16.8-Volts - FAR in excess of the 15-Volt limit for the Stepdance.   If you're still interested in an external LiPo pack for the Stepdance, get the 11.1-Volt 3-cell LiPo batteries from the same retailer as linked above, or for less hassle but more bulk and weight, get the Energizer XP8000, which provides a 12.0-Volt output jack that can be used with the Stepdance.  Search this thread for more info on the XP8000.   Mike

 

[cooperpwc]

Racio, please do confirm that the XP8000 comes with the right tip for the Stepdance. This is looking like an ideal solution for the Stepdance as a desktop amp.

 

[ianmedium]

Mike.
Thank you so much for the information. I am now seriously considering this unit as my main power source for both portable and home use. The bag I carry my gear in has more than enough room for both this addition and the algorythm when I get that!

 

[cooperpwc]

Revisiting an earlier issue....
 
Quote:

I have concluded that there is one downside to the Stepdance as a home amp - specifically when used with highly sensitive IEMs.  (Well, two if you include the difficulty of finding a good linear regulated power supply but that can be solved.) I refer to the minimum volume limitation; the Stepdance doesn't attenuate down to zero. I had Jan swap out the low gain resisitor to reduce volume by 6 db and so that has become a non-issue going portable with the iMod. I do now sometimes listen at minimum volume (not often) but that is always quite quiet and I never feel that I am being forced to listen too loud. Problem fully solved. However, the iMod is a non-amplified DAC.
 
USB Monica, which has the discreet Rudolf Broertjes' SS I/V Gain Stage, is louder. I could live with the minimum volume but not happily. The solution in Foobar is to use replay gain with an additional -3 db pre amp stage (which should be used anyway to avoid RG clipping). The result is perfect volume control on the Stepdance (and I do otherwise like replay gain which is well implemented in Foobar). However, the necessity of doing this is of course not ideal.
 
The volume control is one of the sweetest features of the Stepdance; it's smooth, balanced between the channels, and sounds stepless during adjustments. The one improvement I would like to see - to be a fully versatile portable/home amp with highly sensitive IEMs like the ES5 - is further downwards attenuation steps. 

As an update, I am not actually using ReplayGain in Foobar with the USB Monica + Stepdance + ES5 combination. I hate to use digital volume reduction if it can be avoided. I have found that with most of my music, the Stepdance is not too loud. (Note: On my Stepdance, Jan swapped out a couple of resistors to lower the low gain setting by 6db.) So I leave the Foobar volume at maximum. I have also used Foobar's 'global keyboard shortcuts function' to program Ctrl + left arrow to drop Foobar's volume control to -6 db when needed. (Ctrl + up arrow returns Foobar to full volume; Ctrl + right arrow drops Foobar's volume to -12 db but I have never had to use this latter control.) Problem solved and I can output Foobar bit perfect the vast majority of the time.
 
Now an interesting discovery...  I have been playing with the USB Monica + Stepdance combination with my Beyer DT880/600s. I still believe that these cans deserve a powerful home amp. The surprise though is that even with my reduced low gain setting, I am getting more than enough volume for the DT880/600s. This is highly desirable as I can switch back and forth with the ES5 without changing the internal gain switches. Even more surprising is that the low gain setting is sounding a bit warmer and fuller than the high gain setting. The treble is less overtly bright (always a DT880 issue) and the bass is more authoritative. Actually it is sounding fantastic. 
 
Unfortunately, with my reduced low gain setting and the iMod out, the available volume is not always sufficient for the DT880/600s. The iMod line out is quieter than USB Monica.
 
Here is a question for the willing:  Is anyone else using the Stepdance low gain setting with full size cans?

 

[ianmedium]

That is very interesting Paul.
I will switch the gain setting today and try it later with the Denons but first with the Triple fi's whilst out writing and will report back.

 

[cooperpwc]

Give it a try, Ian. I will be curious if you hear a difference with the Denons between the low and high gain settings, which you prefer and why.

 

[ianmedium]

Paul, your knowledge never ceases to amaze me!
I am at this moment listening via the triple fi's and it really has made a positive difference on low gain. It is similar to the experience I had a while ago in having more powerful batteries though a lot more.

There seems to be and increased naturalness to the sound, smoother but still has the crispness that I love. I am as I type, listening to Lyle Lovett and his excellent, I love everybody album which is beautifully produced and of course excellent musicianship.

The percussion on this album is stunning and what running on low gain does is still retain the attack but give the sound, how can I put it, yes! A more natural organic feel, this amp just continues to impress me and create and even deeper love of my music collection.

Thank you again Paul, your contributions are so valuable to this forum. I can't wait to hear the Denon's when I get home, man this is intoxicating! And remember this is on a plain old iPod, I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like when I get the solo!

One last thing, though on low gain. I have not had to adjust the volume up much at all, only half a notch!

 

[ianmedium]

So, an update to my last post.
 
I am home now and have the Denon's and am listening to the stepdance on low gain.
 
It is a very similar experience to the triple fi's in that the music has taken on an even greater organic presence.
 
It always seems the case with improvements, one then notices the shortcomings from before even though you did not know they existed previously!
 
I would say there is less grain to the music now, treble still sparkles but has a less harsh feel. It is not that the edges have been smoothed off more that they have become better defined and realistic. One can feel the organic nature of a drum skin more, violins have a more woody earthy feel to them just as I hear them in life. There also seems to be a tad more detail to the music, like another veil has lifted from the music.
 
Vocals have more presence,more intimacy I feel. This is a really noticeable difference, in fact I cannot think of a reason to put the stepdance in high gain mode ever again!
 
Now to something else that is very special. I love Wagner's ring cycle (actually make that, love all of Wagner's works!) At the start of the ring we are greeted with an incredibly moving piece, Vorspiel, the introduction to Das Rhinegold.
 
The piece quietly builds with majesty and at the same time imbibing one with a feeling of absolute peace. It is an immensely moving piece, very delicate and full of layers which then leads into the soprano beginning act 1.
 
With the stepdance set on low gain one not only experiences an even greater level of emotional involvement but also I feel the texture of the multiple layers building in this piece. This, to me, is what a good replay system is all about! It draws one into the music, into the performance, into the emotion.
 
The soprano's voice has a transparency and creaminess that draws one in. I know this is a hackneyed expression but yet again with the stepdance/Denon combination I have found another layer of musical enjoyment and involvement, this combination really is wonderful. Thank you again Paul, I really so owe you several beers!
 
PS. The Denon's require one and half notches more on the volume to achieve my desired listening levels, still very well within the stepdances volume scale.