[mark_h]

Another thread has led me to this question. Given the choice of only these two combinations in a portable rig which would you opt for? I have chosen the items because they are widely regarded as exceptional in their own right (or very popular and versatile in the case of the iPod!)
 
Hypothetically it would be a rig you could not change and would have to live with for a while.
 
It boils down to cheap source expensive headphone or expensive source cheap headphone?

 

[proton007]

Quote:

 
It boils down to cheap source expensive headphone or expensive source cheap headphone?

 
Exactly. But price and quality may not be related.
 
Its just that most products follow the higher price, higher quality trend.
 
Compare the alternative.  Bad Source, Good Headphone vs Good Source, Bad Headphone.
 
I'd take the first one any day. A headphone that measures bad will sound bad, no matter what.

 

[Achmedisdead]

To me, this is a no-brainer....option #1.

 

[H20Fidelity]

I'm with Achmed, the most increase will come from the headphone/IEM. This isn't to say though that I take a good source pretty seriously (for my standards) it's just the better increase comes from the IEM or headphone.

 

[Retrias]

Option 1 , with it at the very least I am getting the bottom performance of a good headphone , with the second option... I am getting "something"