ruthieandjohn
Stumbling towards enlightenment
(Formerly known as kayandjohn.)
I have quite an extensive, high-quality collection of headphones, IEMs, DAPs, amps, and DACs (not to mention cables). Nearly all have been bought placing sonic performance above all.
However, I find that I wander around a lot while listening, rather than sitting tethered to a chair, and hence the importance of portable audio has become great. I find that the differences I can hear between my very best systems and my very good (but not best) systems is overcome by the vagaries of portable audio (varying ambient noise, distraction by environment from music, catching cables on things, etc.). I am even writing this with portable audio in use, despite the fact I sit at my computer that is outfit with better amp and headphones, because I often have to get up to get a reference, pad of paper, pen, etc.
Hence, I have started to place a higher premium on convenience of use than I have in the past. One measure I use is how many seconds it takes me to unpack (from however I store it) a portable audio system, as well as time packing it back after I am finished with it.
For example, it takes me about 60 seconds to take out my Audeze iSine 20 open IEMs with Lightening-compatible Cypher cable, untangle the cable, put them in my ears, place the ear hooks around my ears, and plug the cable into my iPod or iPhone. It takes me even longer to put in my Shure 535LTD, with their tightly fitting ear pieces and over-ear memory wire.
It takes about 15 sec to do the same with my Grado 10e IEMs, which have more compact storage, a less-tangling cable, and ear modules that just stuff into my ears (no hooks or crazy faces or pulling my ear up while opening my mouth as I jam in the earphone).
If I have a source AND a DAC/amp (e.g., iPod plus Chord Hugo), that adds another 30 sec or more of fiddling to connect iPod source to Chord Hugo, both physically and electrically.
My headphones, whether on ear or over ear, are faster still, and my wireless ones, as long as they remain paired with my source (which they do), are less than 5 sec to take from their hook, turn on, and put on.
Comfort of the results, often discussed here, is also important, including the question of whether the assembly is comfortable enough to lie on your ear in bed (small IEMs, such as the Grado GR10e and Sennheiser IE800s, are... most others are not).
So perhaps, in the domain of portable, take-it-with-you audio, convenience and comfort trump sound, once the sound is good enough.
However, I find that I wander around a lot while listening, rather than sitting tethered to a chair, and hence the importance of portable audio has become great. I find that the differences I can hear between my very best systems and my very good (but not best) systems is overcome by the vagaries of portable audio (varying ambient noise, distraction by environment from music, catching cables on things, etc.). I am even writing this with portable audio in use, despite the fact I sit at my computer that is outfit with better amp and headphones, because I often have to get up to get a reference, pad of paper, pen, etc.
Hence, I have started to place a higher premium on convenience of use than I have in the past. One measure I use is how many seconds it takes me to unpack (from however I store it) a portable audio system, as well as time packing it back after I am finished with it.
For example, it takes me about 60 seconds to take out my Audeze iSine 20 open IEMs with Lightening-compatible Cypher cable, untangle the cable, put them in my ears, place the ear hooks around my ears, and plug the cable into my iPod or iPhone. It takes me even longer to put in my Shure 535LTD, with their tightly fitting ear pieces and over-ear memory wire.
It takes about 15 sec to do the same with my Grado 10e IEMs, which have more compact storage, a less-tangling cable, and ear modules that just stuff into my ears (no hooks or crazy faces or pulling my ear up while opening my mouth as I jam in the earphone).
If I have a source AND a DAC/amp (e.g., iPod plus Chord Hugo), that adds another 30 sec or more of fiddling to connect iPod source to Chord Hugo, both physically and electrically.
My headphones, whether on ear or over ear, are faster still, and my wireless ones, as long as they remain paired with my source (which they do), are less than 5 sec to take from their hook, turn on, and put on.
Comfort of the results, often discussed here, is also important, including the question of whether the assembly is comfortable enough to lie on your ear in bed (small IEMs, such as the Grado GR10e and Sennheiser IE800s, are... most others are not).
So perhaps, in the domain of portable, take-it-with-you audio, convenience and comfort trump sound, once the sound is good enough.
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