Portable Audio

I guess its a 'transportable' question than portable, but was wondering how some of you (if you do) carry a decent USB outboard adapter / soundcard with a notebook without having to effectively set out your stall each time you fish it out. Maybe even a proper docking arrangement? Just looking for ideas. I occasionally carry e.g. the Babyface for site recordings but also more rarely for listening on the (semi) move - and while the Babyface comes with a pouch, I was wondering if there was a more elegant way to quickly snap on a quality audio outboard to a notebook that doesn't result in a jumble of cables or having to juggle many boxes, even if just for listening purpos…

I've been following their development blog as well as the thread over at HF, it seems like it has the potential to be a pretty killer portable. They've been very open to answering questions and addressing concerns and suggestions as well. Anyone else intrigued by a portable DAC with balanced amp that has both USB and iDevice connection?

Okay, not really worthy of a thread, but that's never stopped me before. I found this rather curious. Anyone bored enough to try? http://www.householdhacker.com/?p=7

I've pretty much decided to get a Sansa Clip sometime soon for gym duty, but I need help picking out some phones. I would prefer something cheap, so I won't feel bad if they get smashed by dumbbells or something. I currently use either my PX100s or my KSC75s, but the ambient noise is so great that I have to turn them way up, which probably is destroying my ears. My gf has some marshmallows, but I hate their sound. I'm currently leaning toward the Head-Direct RE2s. Anything else that's good and (preferably) well under $100?

So I picked up the Chord Mojo as a B-day gift to myself and wasn't expecting to be blown away but so far after 2 days I am pretty stoked. Bests the portable players I have here like the Sony NW x2, iBasso dx90, Caylx and the 901. Sucks that it is not a full dap and I have to strap it to a note3 or iPhone or computer but worth the hassle. Anyone else here take the plunge on this, it so far has kicked ass with the JH13 and 16s as well as my LCD X and the AT W3ks, Lots of texture and spatial cues with the mojo. More info t come if anyone is interested. Pairs very well with IPAs and pale ales!

First the pic, which immediately got my attention: It's a portable player AND a DAC. Discuss. (I saw it in the current [May 2011] issue of Hi-Fi Choice.)

The two top neutral kings in the custom earphone line up goes head to head. Who's going to win? Watch the video and find out! Please rate, comment and subscribe! Click HERE to watch the video. Also, here's an unboxing video of the Westone ES5. Click

Fang from Head Direct has loaned me a HiFiMAN HM-801 portable player. I am waiting for the Kingston 32GB SD card I purchased from Newegg to start trying this player. I would like to load the SD card w/ FLAC files however I first would need to convert the music I have in Apple Lossless to FLAC files and I would appreciate your help in which converter I should use. I have spent the last two days doing searches and I am dizzy with all the names (foobar, dbamp, etc). Look forward to your suggestions. Thanks.

Hi, I'm going to buy my new DAP so I need your suggestions on these 3 players. I'm listen to R&B most the time, Dance, Pop.... so which one will be the most fit one for me? Thanks

I've just gotten a new MacBook Pro and I knew Creative didn't support the Mac platform. I still use my PC to work the ZVM but figured there might be a way to make it work. Unfortunately, Google has turned up nothing. Anyone here got suggestions? Yeah....buy an ipod comes to mind.

Spoke with my CIO about using my productivity budget on a pair of custom IEMs and it seems like it's going to get approved. What's the current consensus on which one is preferred here? I like the ER-4 sound sig. I greatly preferred my im716's over my Triple-Fi 10's. But they broke so I'm stuck using the TF10's. As for budget, as long as it's under $1,500.

I go to turn on my Zen Vision:M this morning (at 5am ) for the exciting trainride that is about to ensue.... It freezes at the 'ZEN' screen. I reset it a few times, nothing. :mikey2: :mikey1: :mikey1: :mikey1: It does the same thing. I get to work a few minutes ago, and I reformat. I reset. I fondle. I cry. I swear. I reload firmware. Yatzee. That did it. Thank God, cause I just yesterday I spent a lot of cash on headphones, and don't want to buy an other MP3 player. :dance: :dance: :dance: FUCKING GET HIM! HES THE DEVIL! :police: :police: :police:

I enjoy my iPhone 6s+/Oppo HA-2 combo, but now I'm looking for an all-in-one solution. My Freq-Phased JH-16s are what I use on the road, and I've been looking around at various DAPs to find one to pair with the JH-16s. I don't want to get too spendy, and I've arrived at something around the price of the the AK100ii as the sweet spot. Does anyone have experience with this combo, or could recommend something decent around the same price range ($800)? I can't believe I'm contemplating spending even that much just to have a somewhat slimmed down solution, but This Is Head Case and all that. Any advices?

I bit on the V-Moda FOTM awhile back for my 2 sons without doing much if any research. One of them partially severed the cable right below the y-split (or possibly courtesy of the relatively new kitten). V-Moda is saying they don't do repairs. I suppose I could recable it with 18 ga. Jena Any recommendations for some decent buds/IEMs, <$100 (<$60 preferable). They both already have KSC-75s as well. These are for use out of an i-pod, and even though they have them, they don't like dealing with amps. I seem to recall some good thoughts on the Altec 716s? Yuin? I know Klipsch had their pre Christmas 50% off thing as well. Thanks for any suggestions.

Hi guys, I need help with buying IEM headphones. I was looking for Shure's Se310 and then I saw some positive reviews for Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5EB and Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5Pro. I mainly listen to electronic and hiphop music. What would you prefer between these ones? If you suggest any other model, I will gladly listen to other suggestions. Sorry guys, I'm a newbie and I don't want to spend (max 200$) for a crap IEM's if you understand me. Thank you for your help in advance

Other than the impedance, is the only thing truly separating the two an added resistance to a p to s adaptor? Have been looking for a er4s, got offered a p at a nice price and thinkin about just getting the adaptor.

Does anyone here have this unit? I picked one up this weekend for my iPod, and can only seem to fit 49 playlist's in it. I called them and they had no answers for me other than to bring it back for a new one. When asked about how to replaced the internal battery, they said it's not a battery , and will never need to be replaced. Ok, it has an inexhaustible power supply right. Great tech support. So far I'm not impressed.

Anyone know if there is a portable player akin to ipod that does Flac Disc Images? Or regular disc images? Or APE disc images? Thanks.

two men and a lady were marooned on a deserted Island. After about 3 weeks, the lady became so embarrassed about what she was doing, she killed herself. After about 3 weeks longer, the two men became so embarrassed about what they were doing that they buried her. Another 3 weeks go by, and the men become so embarressed about what they are doing that they dig her back up

I've mostly been using the E-MU0404usb with its built in headphone amp which definitely bottle-necks the built in DAC. But combined with my M^3 the DAC in this soundcard is surprisingly decent. A bit edgy/gritty in the highs and not the biggest/deepest soundstage (compared to the North Star) but otherwise not bad at all for how little it costs. I wonder if it could be improved with a better output (tubed?) stage?

So, one of my clients is leaving to do a bicycle rce in th Alps on Friday, and knowing that I'm a bit of an audio nerd he had asked me if I can source him some good earphones for the trip. Thing is he can't be TOO isolated as he needs to hear traffic/etc, so he can be aware of what's going on around him. He's reasonably picky about sound... but source will be straight from a 160gb iPod to put things in perspective. His ear cavities are pretty small so for example a small UE tip isolates him too much for bicycling. Price is absolutely no object but fast availability is... any ideas? Thanks!

I know quite a few of you guys had either at one point, and I wonder what you guys thought about it. First of all, the difference between the two. The dj has line and variable headphone out with the volume knob. The io has line/headphone out and line in. The question is basically about the outputs. The dj headphone out seems like a dedicated headphone thing, while the io seems like it's a combined headphone/line out, BUT the advert claims both have "high quality headphone amps" built in. So I am confused. I have a feeling the only way to settle this is to buy both, listen to them, and then take them apart. I would do all that if anyone is even interestedin something…

So a few weeks ago I used my last pair of foamies for my long-loved ER4Ps. No big deal, I think, and march off to Amazon to order a bag to make sure they'd get here in time for the 30hrs of plane flights that I have in the next week. So the new tips arrive and I immediately notice that the foam is different and the inner tube is now thicker. But whatever, what difference can it make. I toss a pair on and head down stairs to workout with some tunes... WTF is this? :mad: They sounded like shit, seriously congested, muffled and so far from their crystal clear selves that I knew something had to be wrong. But eff it, I'm in the middle of a half hour ride and I mig…

Hey y'all, So I have some shure se310s, but I was wondering if getting a pair of ER4ps would be an upgrade. I hear that the etymotics are rather bass shy, but I'm not a basshead, as long as I can hear it and its nice and tightly controlled. Here's some other information. I'll probably be using the phones mostly in my dorm room from my home rig so that I don't bother my roommate when he is trying to study (my HD650s obviously leak a lot). I listen to all kinds of music, rock, indie, metal, jazz, classical, and reggae. I value clarity more than almost everything else. I also listen at pretty low levels, especially on IEMs. I really don't like the 310s if they're …