[Big Al]

I been seeing a lot of these units in the F/S/T Forum lately from ppl from the group buy. I haven't seen any real reviews on this unit. Why are you selling off your units? Didn't meet your expectations? Bought other equipment?

 

[episiarch]

I bought during the group buy because of the "wow, what a great deal, better buy them while I can!" factor. Shortly afterwards buyer's remorse set in -- what the heck did I need another portable amp for? I thought I'd wind up selling it.

But once it arrived, I found I really liked it. Sonically, it's very, very good. I really expected it not to sound as good as my portable Pimeta, but frankly I'm not sure which I really think is better. They certainly sound different, in ways I'm not ready to put words to yet. I keep finding I like the PCII better than I expected.

Besides the sound, the ergonomics of this amp are just great. The power won't accidentally get switched on while it's bumping around in a bag, nor will the volume get changed unexpectedly. The belt clip is built in and doesn't stick out or make the amp bulky. It has a very finished look and feel. And the crossfeed is nice to have from time to time.

I'm not sure it'll replace my Pimeta for all purposes, but for me it's definitely a keeper.

 

[radicaltothemax]

Man I still havent got mine yet,
Effffff

Now I have a ton of free time on my hands to listen to music, but nooooooooo

 

[PhilS]

It's a great little amp. For the group buy price, it is pretty hard to beat, especially for use with an MP3 player on the go. I bought mine for the reason I suspect a lot of people did: I wasn't really sure I needed a portable, but for the group buy price, it was hard to turn down, and I figured I could always sell it for what I paid for it after the group buy was over. I am still evaluating it and enjoying it, but if I decide to sell it, it won't be because of any deficiency in the amp, it would probably be just because I found it more convenient to go "amp-less," or because I want to try something else (due to the "Head-Fi Syndrome").

 

[erikzen]

I always was interested in the Porta Corda but I have this psychological price barrier at about $200 for portable amps, although this is starting to erode as I did buy the XP-7 at $400. In any event, when the group buy for the PCII was announced I had just sold an Airhead, SuperMini and a META42, and had cash in my PayPal account. Since I always wanted to hear the PCII, it was too good to pass up.

As for sound impressions, I was not overly impressed with the amp at first. I let the amp burn in for about 100 hours and its sound started growing on me. I find it to be very musical and detailed in the midrange. It is controlled and punchy in the bass, although not as punchy as the XP-7. Where it seems to falter a little is in the highs. They are not sparkly and clear and seem a bit recessed. Still, it is a fun and musical sound and seems to provide a good stereo image. It even makes my HD 25-1 seem to have some sort of soundstage. The crossfeed is an interesting option and I think the Porta Corda executes it well, it is subtle but noticeable, but that is not something that particularly interests me.

I figured that at the group buy price I could always sell the amp for close to what I paid and have the experience of listening to the Porta Corda. At this point I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it or not, as I also have a SuperMacro, but that is on extended loan to a friend of mine. Once I get it back I'll decide which amp to keep. I doubt I'll keep both of them.

 

[BRBJackson]

I was looking for something to replace my Airhead when the group buy came online. Like some others here, I figured I couldn't go too wrong for the price, as I really only need a portable system for 2 things:
1) Air travel (~ 1-2 times/month)
2) Smoking cigars out on the patio (2-3 times/week)

For those applications, the Porta Corda has fulfilled my requirements, and done so with significantly improved dynamics and detail over the Airhead. Is it my last portable amp? Likely not, as I still want to try an SR71, but that will only happen after I upgrade my cans to UE's or the like. At this point I feel that the E3c's are the weak link.