Portable Audio in the Real World

[redshifter]

there was a thread a while ago about the "ulitimate" portable rig. lots of nice rigs were offered, but few that might work in the real world. "real world" in what way? well, i use my portable rig every day on my hour commute to work (ety er4p/s --> emmeline sr71 amp --> iaudio m3 lame ape (soon!)) which sounds to me great, and features some top components in a small waterfield bag. but in my commute i have to deal with some real-world issues:
1) rain
2) confined spaces (on the bus)
3) weight (lugging from place to place)
4) convenience (i just won't take it if it is a pain in the arse (see 2 & 3))
5) durability (getting dropped or jostled)
6) loss (if i lose it i'm not out thousands of dollars)
7) noise

given that i find the sound quality very good, for (1) it is safely stored in a waterfield pouch that keeps almost all moisture out. for (2) it is very slim, and with a shoulder strap i can keep it under a jacket with minimal bulge. (3) it weighs more than a single player yes, but the sq is worth it and it is not so heavy i won't carry it. (4) it is really easy to just grab it and go. all the extra batteries i need are stowed inside as well. (5) the internal padding has kept components safe and scratch free. (6) all together it is about us$800 so yes i'd be bummed, but it is replaceable almost right away. (7) the ety's do more than enough to block out engine noise.

so for me, in a real world situation this is approaching ideal--all things considered.

 

[mr.karmalicious]

Mine is simple. Rio Karma on my belt, Shure E3's going up the back of my shirt and over my ears. Add my hoody and it's perfect- the hoody is long enough as to cover my Karma and the hood covers the 'phones. Not like they need to be covered, though- not enough of the earphone or wire is exposed to get them wet at all.

 

[Cyclone]

i find that as long as its pocket-able you dont have to worry about numbers 1-4. and noise has almost everything to do with your headphones. so if its pocketable, durable and fairly cheap then it qualifies for what you need. Same with my player all of those things apply to it too. the zen micro has fantastic portability, sound quality, and seems very durable (i dont want to find out the hard way its not though). i must say i love having a player that can carry all of my music and is so tiny it doesnt matter if i take it because its smaller than my wallet so why not take it. im also thinking about picking up some e2c's to go with my micro but i might wait till my birthday cause my px100's are doing a bangup job even though they dont cancel at all.

 

[redshifter]

i am so spoiled by the sr71 amp. occasionally i just use the player + ety's but after a few hours i miss the solid quality the amp provides and i'm back using it the next day. yes, drugs would be cheaper...

 

[jerb]

i put my ipod in my bag (my messanger bag is soo sexy) and run the headphones up under the hoodie. id like to get an amp soon, my bag has more than enough room. also the sures work great in noisy enviroments (such as school)

 

[bangraman]

Redshifter, have you considered the practicalities of amping the M3 portably? The dock connector is the most fragile by far that I've seen on any portable.

 

[aeriyn]

iPod Mini in a Pacific Designs flip case with Shure E3cs. This setup is so small, light, portable and easy to use that I don't think I have any problems at all with it. I considered adding a line-out and a portable amp (MINT) but the improvements garnered from an amp using E3cs is not spectacular. So it's gotten put on the back burner.

Also, the flip case makes the iPod look less like an iPod and more like a cell phone, making it a far less desirable target to thieves.

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman Redshifter, have you considered the practicalities of amping the M3 portably? The dock connector is the most fragile by far that I've seen on any portable.

do tell. i've been using the sony mz-r50 md for years, which has a built in line out as solid as they come. i'm literally minutes away from ordering the iaudio m3. can you elaborate?

 

[SunShip]

Does anyone take their headphones out in the rain, and just wear a hood over them? That's what I'm considering doing in dreary england.

 

[allenf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunShip Does anyone take their headphones out in the rain, and just wear a hood over them? That's what I'm considering doing in dreary england.

I wouldn't go swimming with my E3Cs, but I'm more worried about getting my iPod wet.
Umbrella?

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter do tell. i've been using the sony mz-r50 md for years, which has a built in line out as solid as they come. i'm literally minutes away from ordering the iaudio m3. can you elaborate?

The Line Out on the M3 is on an external mini-dock which plugs in at the bottom of the machine.

Taking the iPod dock connector as a comparison, the total surface area of the M3 connector is about half that of the iPod's, which means that any side loads applied to the connector is effectively multiplied by two over the total surface area of the M3 connector. The dock<->M3 fit when the two are connected is also slightly wobbly.

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman The Line Out on the M3 is on an external mini-dock which plugs in at the bottom of the machine. Taking the iPod dock connector as a comparison, the total surface area of the M3 connector is about half that of the iPod's, which means that any side loads applied to the connector is effectively multiplied by two over the total surface area of the M3 connector. The dock<->M3 fit when the two are connected is also slightly wobbly.

hmm. i appreciate the info. all things considered, i think the m3 is still my ideal dap even with the flaws. i live off the player's remote, and the waterfield wallet is fairly rigid. the ogg support for my classical music is a big plus also. that's why i put an order in for one a few hours ago.

i have to say shopping for a dap has been hard. i've been looking for almost a year now, and every dap seems to have one deal-breaker or another. from what i can tell the m3 is as close as i'm going to get, and i got tired of waiting. it is a real shame there isn't a dap version of the sony r50 minidisc--thick magnesium shell, aa battery support, great live recording, built in line in and out, optical in, great hp out... i'm planning on keeping the r50 for ripping my vinyl as atrac type r (on a deck with high rez adc's) is the best for analog.