[zilch0md]

 
I appreciate your feedback, estreeter. 
 
I hope I can avoid gushing when I get my LCD-2s.
 
By the way, I've never owned the Hornet (you're thinking of someone else, perhaps).  
 
I've recently jumped from this...
 
   Sansa Clip > SE530 or HD280
 
to this...
 
   Sony PCM-M10 Line Out > Stepdance > SE530 or HD280
 
So, yes, I have made a sizable investment of late, but the improvements overall, have been huge, as you might imagine.  (I agree that the improvement over a Hornet wouldn't be as significant.)
 
Thanks again for the encouragement,
 
Mike
 



 

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

Now I've got an excuse to spend the money sooner than later, eh? 

 

No pressure. 

    Actually it looks like you have taken things to the next step with the Tripp-Lite PSU. Very nice.
 

 

[zilch0md]

cooperpwc,
 
Thanks, but I'm still keen on having a portable 14.8-Volt DC power supply. 
 
Joy!
 
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

 

[Vault101]

Great review Avi!

 

[Girls Generation]

I wonder how these babies will do with my Samsung M1 (with DNSe 3.0), driving an ES5 :]
btw. i'm a noob ;D and i'm really wondering.

 

[zilch0md]

Hi Girls Generation,
 
Quote:

I wonder how these babies will do with my Samsung M1 (with DNSe 3.0), driving an ES5 :]
btw. i'm a noob ;D and i'm really wondering.

I don't believe it's possible to get "Line Out" from the Samsung M1's DAC (digital-to-analog converter), which means that the only way to connect an external amplifier (a Stepdance, for example) is to use the same headphone jack into which you are currently plugging your Westone ES5.  The problem with such a configuration is that you would still be using the Samsung M1's internal amplifier (in addition to using its DAC).  Thus, all of the internal amplifier's sonic attributes (good and bad) would be communicated to the external amplifer.   You would be using two amplifiers, back-to-back in series, instead of bypassing the internal amplifier (as is the case when using Line Out).  If the internal amplifier degrades resolution, neutrality, soundstage or any other desireable sound quality coming from the DAC (which itself could be lacking), an external amplifier cannot restore that which has already been corrupted.
 
The Stepdance is wonderfully neutral and transparent - so much so that Skylab, for example, actually dislikes this feature of the Stepdance - he prefers a coloration that the Stepdance lacks. 
 
So, it's possible that you might actually like the way your M1 sounds currently, and just want more power, literally to amplify what you're currently getting out of the M1 without changing its character, otherwise.  If you just wanted to take advantage of the Stepdance's power - to drive a high-impedance, inefficient, full-size headphone that the M1's internal amp can't handle - you could enjoy some benefit from using the Stepdance with the M1, but when using an efficient IEM, like the ES5, I'm confident that there would not be much improvement in sound quality.
 
If anyone knows of a way to achieve Line Out with the Samsung M1, please correct my understanding.  Likewise, do so for anything else I've said that might be incorrect. 
 

 
Mike

 

[Avi]

 
Quote:

/img/forum/go_quote.gif

Great review Avi!

 
Thanks!

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

 

The Stepdance is wonderfully neutral and transparent - so much so that Skylab, for example, actually dislikes this feature of the Stepdance - he prefers a coloration that the Stepdance lacks. 
 

I don't think that's an accurate assessment of my preferences.

 

[RockaRolla]

Quote:

Hi Girls Generation,
 
Quote:

I wonder how these babies will do with my Samsung M1 (with DNSe 3.0), driving an ES5 :]
btw. i'm a noob ;D and i'm really wondering.

I don't believe it's possible to get "Line Out" from the Samsung M1's DAC (digital-to-analog converter), which means that the only way to connect an external amplifier (a Stepdance, for example) is to use the same headphone jack into which you are currently plugging your Westone ES5.  The problem with such a configuration is that you would still be using the Samsung M1's internal amplifier (in addition to using its DAC).  Thus, all of the internal amplifier's sonic attributes (good and bad) would be communicated to the external amplifer.   You would be using two amplifiers, back-to-back in series, instead of bypassing the internal amplifier (as is the case when using Line Out).  If the internal amplifier degrades resolution, neutrality, soundstage or any other desireable sound quality coming from the DAC (which itself could be lacking), an external amplifier cannot restore that which has already been corrupted.
 
The Stepdance is wonderfully neutral and transparent - so much so that Skylab, for example, actually dislikes this feature of the Stepdance - he prefers a coloration that the Stepdance lacks. 
 
So, it's possible that you might actually like the way your M1 sounds currently, and just want more power, literally to amplify what you're currently getting out of the M1 without changing its character, otherwise.  If you just wanted to take advantage of the Stepdance's power - to drive a high-impedance, inefficient, full-size headphone that the M1's internal amp can't handle - you could enjoy some benefit from using the Stepdance with the M1, but when using an efficient IEM, like the ES5, I'm confident that there would not be much improvement in sound quality.
 
If anyone knows of a way to achieve Line Out with the Samsung M1, please correct my understanding.  Likewise, do so for anything else I've said that might be incorrect. 
 

 
Mike

 
Im using the Samsung P3, as far as i know, theres no commercially available lod for samsung players yet, although some folks over at the abi forums have diy the lod for their own usage
 
not too sure about his M1, but my P3 HPO is definitely good enough to drive the ES5
 
Although I did hear a discernable increased in sq of my ES5 when using the stepdance with my P3
Like you mentioned, transparency is one of stepdance's biggest strength, and it really showed, this is the single biggest difference I heard
Clarity increased by a little, treble had a little more sparkle in them, mids were smoother, bass was tightened a little bit
Depth of soundstage were deeper
 
i would say transparency/clarity/depth were the most obvious improvements, the rest would be very subtle
 
Of course, using a lod would yield an even higher increased in performance, and Im still waiting for the day they would be made available
 
@Girls Generation: i would say get the ES5 and use it with your M1 first, since your using the DNSe, you can tweak the sound to your liking and i believe you do not really have a need for any amp at all, however, should you decide to get an amp, i would suggest you to go and audition them so as to see how much of a performance increase it gives and whether they are worth it
 

 

[Girls Generation]

Wow. O-O thank you for the detailed post. I guess I don't need it then... M1 -> ES5 it is. I really love my M1 for its DNSe.
 
Quote:

Hi Girls Generation,
 
Quote:

I wonder how these babies will do with my Samsung M1 (with DNSe 3.0), driving an ES5 :]
btw. i'm a noob ;D and i'm really wondering.

I don't believe it's possible to get "Line Out" from the Samsung M1's DAC (digital-to-analog converter), which means that the only way to connect an external amplifier (a Stepdance, for example) is to use the same headphone jack into which you are currently plugging your Westone ES5.  The problem with such a configuration is that you would still be using the Samsung M1's internal amplifier (in addition to using its DAC).  Thus, all of the internal amplifier's sonic attributes (good and bad) would be communicated to the external amplifer.   You would be using two amplifiers, back-to-back in series, instead of bypassing the internal amplifier (as is the case when using Line Out).  If the internal amplifier degrades resolution, neutrality, soundstage or any other desireable sound quality coming from the DAC (which itself could be lacking), an external amplifier cannot restore that which has already been corrupted.
 
The Stepdance is wonderfully neutral and transparent - so much so that Skylab, for example, actually dislikes this feature of the Stepdance - he prefers a coloration that the Stepdance lacks. 
 
So, it's possible that you might actually like the way your M1 sounds currently, and just want more power, literally to amplify what you're currently getting out of the M1 without changing its character, otherwise.  If you just wanted to take advantage of the Stepdance's power - to drive a high-impedance, inefficient, full-size headphone that the M1's internal amp can't handle - you could enjoy some benefit from using the Stepdance with the M1, but when using an efficient IEM, like the ES5, I'm confident that there would not be much improvement in sound quality.
 
If anyone knows of a way to achieve Line Out with the Samsung M1, please correct my understanding.  Likewise, do so for anything else I've said that might be incorrect. 
 

 
Mike

 

[RockaRolla]

Quote:

Wow. O-O thank you for the detailed post. I guess I don't need it then... M1 -> ES5 it is. I really love my M1 for its DNSe.
 

 
Good choice!

 
i used to use the 7-band equalizer in DNSe as well for my TF10, but stopped using it ever since i got my ES5 haha

 

[zilch0md]

My apologies Skylab,
 
Here's hoping I don't stick the other foot in my mouth. 

 
Quote:

Quote:

 
The Stepdance is wonderfully neutral and transparent - so much so that Skylab, for example, actually dislikes this feature of the Stepdance - he prefers a coloration that the Stepdance lacks. 
 

I don't think that's an accurate assessment of my preferences.

When I wrote that, I was thinking of just one aspect of the comparison you made between the Stepdance, the SR-71B and the L3, in this article:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/214588/review-portable-amp-roundup-56-portable-amps-reviewed-and-compared-last-update-12-20-10-added-rsa-sr-71b/3090#post_7214061
 
Where you wrote (along with a lot of other impressions): 
 
Quote:
 

 
 ... The Stepdance sounds the least colored if you really peel back the onion…but that said, that does not mean I actually liked its tonality the most; in fact of these three amps, I liked its tonality the LEAST.  Such is life, and personal preferences.  The slight lushness of the SR-71B and L3 was preferable, for me personally.
 

 
Even if I had taken the time to find this and quote it (as I did just now), I realize that these statements, alone, present an incomplete picture of your opinion of the Stepdance, so I probably should have avoided trying to paraphrase just one aspect of your review. 
 
My intent was only to encourage Girls Generation to consider the legitmacy of any personal preferences she may have for the sound of the M1's headphone out, with a reasurance (and a warning) that the Stepdance is likely to preserve any color or lack of neutrally imparted by the M1's internal amp - due its lack of Line Out.  In other words, by quoting you, I was saying that the Stepdance is spectacularly neutral -but- it's perfectly OK to have a personal preference for something less than neutral.
 
I hope that makes sense.
 
Thanks,
 
Mike 
 

 

[Girls Generation]

So confusing! I guess if I were to get the 6G nano, I would be obligated to get a LOD + stepdance to use with my ES5 and/or some kind of high end full-sized cans such as a Qualia 010 (dream cans) x) but basically, as for now, with my Samsung M1 providing only HO, I can't really exploit the stepdance and so it's preferred that I should just use my ES5 directly, correct? DNSe 3.0 should satisfy sparkle/bass/mid as well as SQ for the time being then. ^.^

 

[Skylab]

 
Quote:

My apologies Skylab,
 
Here's hoping I don't stick the other foot in my mouth. 

 
Quote:

Quote:

 
The Stepdance is wonderfully neutral and transparent - so much so that Skylab, for example, actually dislikes this feature of the Stepdance - he prefers a coloration that the Stepdance lacks. 
 

I don't think that's an accurate assessment of my preferences.

When I wrote that, I was thinking of just one aspect of the comparison you made between the Stepdance, the SR-71B and the L3, in this article:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/214588/review-portable-amp-roundup-56-portable-amps-reviewed-and-compared-last-update-12-20-10-added-rsa-sr-71b/3090#post_7214061
 
Where you wrote (along with a lot of other impressions): 
 
Quote:
 

 
 ... The Stepdance sounds the least colored if you really peel back the onion…but that said, that does not mean I actually liked its tonality the most; in fact of these three amps, I liked its tonality the LEAST.  Such is life, and personal preferences.  The slight lushness of the SR-71B and L3 was preferable, for me personally.
 

 
Even if I had taken the time to find this and quote it (as I did just now), I realize that these statements, alone, present an incomplete picture of your opinion of the Stepdance, so I probably should have avoided trying to paraphrase just one aspect of your review. 
 
My intent was only to encourage Girls Generation to consider the legitmacy of any personal preferences she may have for the sound of the M1's headphone out, with a reasurance (and a warning) that the Stepdance is likely to preserve any color or lack of neutrally imparted by the M1's internal amp - due its lack of Line Out.  In other words, by quoting you, I was saying that the Stepdance is spectacularly neutral -but- it's perfectly OK to have a personal preference for something less than neutral.
 
I hope that makes sense.
 
Thanks,
 
Mike 
 

No worries Mike.  It is the lack of context that was the issue.  The Stepdance does, IMO, have just a bit of lack of bloom in the mids.  It's hard for me to say whether this is "right", or the L3, with a bit of bloom, is "right".  In context, I think my comments make more sense than just saying I prefer a coloration...it's not quite that simple.  But in any case certainly no offense at all, just don't want people to get less than an incorrect impression.
 
It might be noted that of those amps, the only one I actually BOUGHT after the review was the Stepdance

 

[ianmedium]

SKYLAB
It might be noted that of those amps, the only one I actually BOUGHT after the review was the Stepdance

Well, that speaks Volumes! To quote the old proverb. Actions speak louder than words!