[musicmaker]

Here's my current setup:

iRiver ihp-140 (optical out)-> HR microdac (line out)-> Larocco PRII mkII (headphone out) HFI-780/HD25s

I'm actually v.happy with the setup. It sounds great. So good that I sold my home setup and decided to stick with my (reasonably) portable setup.

But I'm itching to try something new that will offer better sound quality. Yeah, upgradetis has struck. Here are my priorities & constraints:

- Sound quality comes first
- Budget $1200 max (excluding headphones)
- To be heard with HD25 and HFI-780 headphones
- Nothing Xin in the suggestions pls
- Portable with decent battery life

I'm not averse to a laptop - dac/amp rig (pico?) for instance if it will give me better sound that my current setup.

Suggestions, comments welcome ! Thanks guys in advance for helping me build my next portable rig.

 

[Capunk]

Lisa III XP + some good dac (Pico?)

 

[rockbottom]

Home or Portable?

 

[Ricey20]

battery life so Im guessing portable

 

[musicmaker]

Yes I'm looking for a portable.

 

[FallenAngel]

If you want to fill up your budget, yes, the Lisa III is likely the best portable amp around, but if you would trust in the skills of a DIY builder, get someone to build you a 3-channel Sijosae Class-AB buffered amp or even 3-channel Class-A buffered amp with the same AD744 x2 / AD829 opamps. It probably won't be up to par with the Lisa III, but it'll be 95% there! I've designed, build and sold one similar amp to it with 2x OPA2107 and Class-AB push-pull buffers (similar to Class-A diamond buffers, VERY similar in soound) for only $150.

Portable amps, with a DAC, I would have to recommend the Pico, the DAC is fantastic, I'm just really hating that it doesn't have a lineout!

Your MicroDAC should be pretty nice as well, and along with the PRII, I am having a hard time trying to figure out what COULD be better, it's a VERY nice setup.

Perhaps you should go with a different route altogether? iPods have nice DACs, perhaps a 4th Generation iPod Photo with an output mod will suit your needs better? Start with a good Wolfson DAC going to a nice quality pair of output caps, then to a nice amp will yield the best performance? I don't say the iMod is the choice here, look at the diyMod for straight off the DAC output to yoru own choice of best output caps going to your amp.

Perhaps then you could satisfy your thirst for "upgradetis"

 

[musicmaker]

thanks. Is the DIY iPod MOD straightforward ? Yeah, my current setup sounds terrific. Only reason I want to upgrade is to hopefully get something a bit more portable and equal if not better sounding.

 

[manaox2]

If you definitely aren't looking for new phones and your looking at a transportable system, I suppose I have to recommend IT. The beast. Its hard to find a review on, but it just seems obvious. You can sell your portable DAC now.

It's the... headroom portable desktop. Its an upgrade to your DAC and amp in one. Also the biggest transportable with 0.5 square foot print (unless you are completely insane and count the Redwine Signature 30.2).

2007 HeadRoom Portable Desktop Amp @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

Ok, so its not more portable horizontally. Only a two stack now instead of three vertically. It still fits in your carry-on, in your book bag, or even in your bed. It will amp any phones you throw at it. Please get an afterstock cable for the HD25 afterwards.

It does cause a tinge of guilt for me to recommend this to you though, seeing as how better phones and a desktop setup would go much farther IMHO for the money.

 

[FallenAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicmaker /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks. Is the DIY iPod MOD straightforward ? Yeah, my current setup sounds terrific. Only reason I want to upgrade is to hopefully get something a bit more portable and equal if not better sounding.

The mod is very easy to do, but you have to have VERY stable hands and a thin soldering iron tip. When you see photos of it, it looks fairly simple, and it is, it's just that it's VERY VERY SMALL! Some of the solder pads are about 0.5mm.

If you want "more portable", lose the DAC and use an modded iPod with some caps, but then you'll start thinking about film caps and you're back to carrying a triple-stacked setup.

 

[manaox2]

I'm certain that PPL has stated that DIY LISA III boards would be released sometime not too far in the future (probably this year) if you might be interested in DIY. From what I know, it was going to be done this way in the beginning before its potential must have been recognized as being profitable...

Love the LISA III.

Too bad its not more portable.

 

[musicmaker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by manaox2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif 2007 HeadRoom Portable Desktop Amp @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

Holy Toledo ! A high-end battery powered amp/dac. Have you heard it ? Do you think it'll be an upgrade in sound quality over what I have ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by manaox2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It does cause a tinge of guilt for me to recommend this to you though, seeing as how better phones and a desktop setup would go much farther IMHO for the money.

If I were to go the non-portable route, what would you recommend instead ?

 

[Territhemayor]

I've never used that one, but headroom makes good products. You can definitely trust them.

 

[manaox2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicmaker /img/forum/go_quote.gif Holy Toledo ! A high-end battery powered amp/dac. Have you heard it ? Do you think it'll be an upgrade in sound quality over what I have ?

I have asked all over the place about it. Its about two months old and Headroom has only replied to me saying that they have some out for reviews currently. Based on its topology, Its got something close to the actual desktop DAC and a about the same amount of current and voltage swing as the LISA III or RSA XP-7. If the amp is based on the same topology as the normal Desktop as they state it is, it should be a great upgrade to what you already have I would think. I would love to hear the PRII as well, though the LISA is not looking to be replaced right now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicmaker /img/forum/go_quote.gif If I were to go the non-portable route, what would you recommend instead ?

I'm a big tube fan right now. A SinglePower PPX3 Slam is my amp I'm looking forward to buying. I would pop that together with an emu 0404 USB, because I don't want to spend over $1000. I'm thinking that after this summer, I will be doing some major rig changes.

 

[Luminette]

yeah, a transportable amp is really going to be your only worth-bothering upgrade.. so lisa iii really- not that i am saying xp-7 isn't a beast as well, I just don't think that i or many other people really know what it is, it really really really lacks reviews on itself and reviews on it vs lisa iii as well. where as lisa is a superstar around here

the gain in size, money and getting some good RCAs to whatever for that may not be worth it for you

you already have a dac so you probably won't see that much more improvement from getting a slightly better DAC

yeah, i think you'd rather upgrade your phones, your rig is in nice shape with source and amp already. if you really wanted to dive on it, you could sell off your hfi780s and the hd25s and grab some edition 9s- though i am not suggesting these as i have not yet heard them, however, you being a fan of the 780s and surely having seen more than your fair share on those in relation e9s as well as e9s by themselves.

whatever the case, i'd say upgrade your phones before the other stuff.. trying to tamper with any of the rest is going to get messy and costly for way less improvement than bumping up your phones

 

[wolfen68]

Looking for opinions....well here we go:

Looking at your setup, it seems there are only a couple pieces worth experimenting with.

Your Iriver is just acting as a digital transport. Therefore, you can't really improve that sound quality wise. If you need other features that the iriver doesn't have...than that's a different story.

The MicroDAC is hefty, but it is a fantastic DAC that performs on par with more expensive desktop DAC's. I could see wanting something smaller, or with better battery life, but sound quality will be right up there with any other portable equipment you discover. Above is mentioned a newer Headroom DAC/amp combo....it may be the next coming, but past generations of their equipment had better DAC's than amps IMO. I've compared the older MicroDAC (briefly) to the Pico and 2Move DAC's and my initial unscientific impression was that the MicroDAC was better.

I've never heard your amp, but amp output is always a user preference thing, I would recommend this as the second best area to experiment with.

Headphones (another user preference thing) seem to be your weakest link (which is a little unfair as I have never heard the 780's). The HD25's can definitely be improved upon....I would experiment here first.