[slwiser]

Quote:

There seems to be some confusion around on balanced amps in that you can only have true balanced with balanced sourse.

 
Yes, there are always purists around dissing anything not to a standard set by who knows whom?

 

[hyogen]

Once they release Call of Duty for Vita the sales will be greatly boosted. I really considered getting the Vita for a portable rig as I'm a big playstation fan but another thing is the cost of the games - most people prefer their smartphones and the cheap games that are good enough for killing time.

There's actually no release date in site. Remember the PSP they were announcing Gran turismo for it.....everyone was excited. Well it took 5 years to finally release. And it was pretty bad....

There's a huge thread on neogaf forums of people debating this issue "support for vita already dying?"

 

[hyogen]

As for the bit being a portable source, it's much too big, memory is too expensive, and the transferring of files is way too much of a hassle as of right now. I actually really like the psp as a portable source...at least it has drag and drop and a really good visualizer for music. I wish more daps had visualizers

 

[Kremer930]

Zilchmond put up a link to an article on why a balanced source is not so important onto the CLAS and iBasso DB2 threads. It was very helpful. It also makes sense as to why most people who have ran a DB2 between their source and amp or source and CLAS didn't hear much difference at all.

 

[calipilot227]

 
Yes, there are always purists around dissing anything not to a standard set by who knows whom?

 
Apparently being curious makes me an elitist a-hole. Gotta love Head-fi...

 

[calipilot227]

Quote:

There seems to be some confusion around on balanced amps in that you can only have true balanced with balanced sourse.

 
This was my thinking exactly. You learn something new every day.

 

[Xinze]

Everyone's arguing about standards and "actual meanings" now, and still no one here realizes: What hell of a difference does any of it make in a portable rig? You're walking around, anything that makes any noise will make your precious SQ gains completely useless...

 

[calipilot227]

Quote:

Everyone's arguing about standards and "actual meanings" now, and still no one here realizes: What hell of a difference does any of it make in a portable rig? You're walking around, anything that makes any noise will make your precious SQ gains completely useless...

 
Although the difference between something like the iPod earbuds and the Westone UM3X will be night and day. I wouldn't call that useless 

 

[snapple10]

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

 
Apparently being curious makes me an elitist a-hole. Gotta love Head-fi...

  
I have been around a long time and what you said does not come anywhere near the level to which I was referring.  So your curiosity in asking the question is not an issue.  The issue  I was addressing goes much deeper than anything you said. 

 

[maporter]

This threads title is 'Pictures of your Portable Rig' - less chat, more photo"s please.....

 

[SpudHarris]

Quote:

Zilchmond put up a link to an article on why a balanced source is not so important onto the CLAS and iBasso DB2 threads. It was very helpful. It also makes sense as to why most people who have ran a DB2 between their source and amp or source and CLAS didn't hear much difference at all.

 
I have the DB2 + PB2 + CLAS and can confirm that the DB2 does add something but it's not a big margin over PB2 and CLAS alone. I've been trying to think of a reason not to carry the DB2 also but it does add a little so I just can't lose it. Of course as a transportable/vacation rig with balanced D7K's the difference is a little more noticeable..... 

 

[Kremer930]

Interesting you say that. I have kind of been looking for an excuse to get a db2. The biggest detractor has been the size and the mismatch of dimensions compared to my now neat and tidy classic, CLAS, RX3 rig. I used to run the Pb2 before I got the rx3 and loved it but the sizing was a little clunkier looking.

The iBasso gear is great value...especially when you can roll chips.

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

Love how it sounds:
 
Sansa Clip Zip 36GB > fiio E6 headphone amplifier > Shure SRH 840
 

I'm really interested in a rig like this. I already have the fiio e6, but I use it with my iphone 3gs.
I actually don't like the sound generated by the iphone, it lacks quite a lot of detail. How does the clip zip hold up with the fiio e6? Does it have comparable detail to a desktop dac?
 
Thanks!

 

[qusp]

Quote:

 
Yes, there are always purists around dissing anything not to a standard set by who knows whom?

 


well I dont know that this is really that relevant. sure you can have balanced output from any amp that contains a phase splitter whether the input is balanced or not, but you will only gain noise and even order harmonic distortion cancellation from the point in the chain that conversion happens. so all the noise, distortion etc in the signal and output from the transport, dac etc. right up to the phase splitter remains in the output; its phase is flipped along with the signal so doesnt cancel. I would say thats most of the benefit gone right there unless you actually need the extra swing into high impedance headphones.
 
so its not a standard, has nothing to do with it, its a matter of where the benefit lies in the technology
 

Spoiler: more%20detail%20for%20those%20who%20want%20it

 
balanced systems usually have more odd order distortion and noise than single ended, as there is 2 amps, the noise is reduced through the common mode noise rejection; common mode meaning error that is of the same phase in 2 balanced lines, which when added in a summing circuit (proper balanced->SE conversion, or simply at the headphone driver) cancels out.
 
if the error is inverted with the signal it does not cancel, only that which is added during and after that conversion is reduced, so you get more noise from double the parts, but then only minimal benefit on that side, if you have 300->600ohm headphones you still get the extra swing, but if your headphones need more current not voltage it may or may not help as the load impedance seen by the amp is halved.
 
so when people say you should have balanced all the way, they are actually quite accurate for most usage. its a totally different thing i'm afraid mate, there is no balanced conversion in the dac. The dac (if its a balanced dac) converts a digital file directly into a balanced analogue output, no conversion other than digital->analogue and if its balanced all the way to the headphones, all common mode error and distortion is to a large extent deleted; including error in the dac itself
 
in the case of the DX100, hopefully it uses both phases of the dac output, so this cancellation will have happened there, so with your setup only the amp stages after that, right up to the se-bal conversion will remain. many of these dac-amps dont use both phases of the dac output they just connect one to ground and use the other one
 
at the extreme of this you have people connecting amps like the PB2 to an ipod directly, IMO theres not much balanced about that, you get extra voltage swing and cancel the noise that effects the headphone cable....