[Audio-Me]

Terratec EWS88 MT-->Antique Sound Lab MG Head DT-->Sennheiser HD600

 

[markjia]

Assuming you are only using the headphone/speakers with your laptop, why do you want the L40? You could just use the cd player in the laptop. If you use a decent sound card and/or DAC, you would get sound equal or superior to the L40's CDP. Spend the money you save on a better source or amp. NADs C320 or C350 are both very good int amps, and both have decicated headphone amps. While the headphone output of NAD amps are better than most other brands, it still would not compare to seperate headphoen amps.

 

[venzuel00]

This is the setup i'm currently thinking:
ThinkpadT20
Stereo Link
NAD C350
DIY Cmoy, Total airhead
HD 590, etymotic or PSB Alpha Mini (for my dorm)

What do u guys think?

 

[Audio-Me]

MirandaX mentioned the Ego Sys U2A, I'd consider that.

 

[venzuel00]

THe only thing i didnt like about the Ego Sys is because it uses PCMCIA. I'm currently using both slots, and i have none to spare.

 

[Audio-Me]

The U2A is USB, does not use a PCMCIA card.

 

[MirandaX]

Quote:

Originally posted by venzuel00 How does the NAD L40 compare to your C320? I can't find yours, i can only find the C350.

Ooops, I meant the C350. (The C320 is an older NAD amp, it's fairly well regarded but not the one I have.) From what I understand, both the L40 and C320/350 are descendants of the famous NAD 3020 integrated amplifier, which was very popular for a number of years. Obviously the C350 is more powerful, and you can add a separate preamp if you want, but the L40 is also well regarded, and might be all you ever need. Plus the L40 comes with a CD player and tuner. You can listen to CDs through your computer's CD player, of course, but it's sometimes convenient (parties, etc.) not to have to do this.

NAD amps generally all have good headphone jacks. In my opinion (people will argue!!) the headphone jack of the C350 drives the Sennheiser HD600 particularly well. It is reasonable but not stellar with Grados, and decent with Etymotic ER-4S. I also have two headphone amps: a Melos SHA-1 and an MG Head DT OTL. To be perfectly honest, I prefer the HD600 with the C350, rather than a dedicated headphone amp, but I'm probably the only person on this board that feels that way. The other headphones do benefit greatly from dedicated headphone amps. The MG Head / Etymotic combo is particularly good (more satisfying than my speaker setup).

If you live in a noisy dorm, think about Etymotics! They will reduce your stress level about a thousand times. (If you often work in noisy computer labs, your grades might even improve. There is something to be said for isolation and concentration!) The internal sound chip of the ThinkPad T20 is the wonderful Crystal SoundFusion, which is powerful enough to drive even the Etymotic ER-4S without an additional amp. It's actually really very good. You sacrifice a little bit on the low end (bass), and a bit on the top end (treble) compared to the Stereo-Link with a dedicated amp, but I definitely only mean a little. Overall the ThinkPad T20 by itself is a very good source for headphones. It is also incredibly convenient on the go.

Did you know that if you get one of the two IBM docking stations/port replicators, you will get a line out from the laptop? This is also fed by the Crystal Soundfusion, and it does sound very good. If your budget is tight, you can avoid getting the Stereo-Link by using that line out. Unfortunately, depending on what hard drive you have in your T20 (I have the liquid mercury 40GB ultra-silent), you may get a "chirping" sound occasionally on the line out. This is why I ended up going for the Stereo-Link. But the chirping isn't horribly annoying, and I did live with it for some time. Otherwise, the line out sounds very good.

 

[venzuel00]

ooops. I meant the other one. HEHE so many kinds

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by markjia Assuming you are only using the headphone/speakers with your laptop, why do you want the L40?

I was thinking the same thing. An integrated amp will work fine.

Quote:

You could just use the cd player in the laptop. If you use a decent sound card and/or DAC, you would get sound equal or superior to the L40's CDP.

I *highly* doubt that. I have yet to hear a computer-based CD sound nearly as good as the L40, no matter how good the DAC/soundcard. There's just too much crap inside a PC, especially a laptop.