What is the BEST Portable Solution? Musical bliss where ever you are in World?

cjfrbw

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
3,323
1,313
1,730
Pleasanton, CA
Hi, John,

Yes, but it has been one of the worst cold and flu seasons, followed by a terrible allergy season. My wife and I had an awful flu. It felt like somebody was stabbing me in the chest with a spear when I coughed, and I couldn't stop coughing. Every ache and pain I had for the last fifteen year came alive again for about five days. I really can't remember a flu that bad, it hurt to take off and put on my clothes.

Didn't get the flu shot last year, but I will from now on. I only missed one year.

Hopefully, by next month, the allergy season histamine will start draining out of my system.
 

The Smokester

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2010
347
1
925
N. California
Most transportable system for plane, bus, train is phone + IEMs (in ear monitors). IEMs seal out the noise.

Best portable system, for when you get there, is Astell&Kern AK380 player, 384GB hiRez music with Focal Utopia headphones.
 

marty

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
3,025
4,169
2,520
United States
Last year, I lost my trusty 160GB iPod (Think I left it on a plane). I often use an iPod on planes (and beach vegging out) and coupled with my JHarvey IECs, find this combo is a particularly good solution for overseas travel. So I took the plunge and bought a custom Gen 5.5 iPod with a Wolfson DAC, an incredible 500GB storage and a battery life that appears endless. One of my favorite purchases. Utterly reliable.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iPod-...468304?hash=item3cdee32e90:g:HrYAAOSwnLdWrxSh
 

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
Anyone hear the fairly new Audeze LCDi4 in-ear headphones? Attach those to a Chord Hugo or Hugo 2, and I think you get 85-90% of the best desktop headphone amp and reference level, over-ear combos. And with storage getting cheaper and cheaper, one may bring 512 gig of music (via micro sd cards) with them wherever they go.
 

Lee

Well-Known Member
Feb 3, 2011
3,210
1,738
1,260
Alpharetta, Georgia
Anyone hear the fairly new Audeze LCDi4 in-ear headphones? Attach those to a Chord Hugo or Hugo 2, and I think you get 85-90% of the best desktop headphone amp and reference level, over-ear combos. And with storage getting cheaper and cheaper, one may bring 512 gig of music (via micro sd cards) with them wherever they go.

Funny you should ask. I have a pair in for review and I love em. I am currently in Santa Ana for a Synergistic Research factory tour and I also was able to visit Sankar at the equally impressive Audeze factory a few miles away. I took the LCDi4s for the trip out here and used them for both movies on Delta and over the Onkyo Hifi app on my iPhone.

The transparency is incredible. Lots of detail but musical. Nice extension at both ends. Not bright at the top and not flabby on the low end. Excellent build quality and high quality case. I am a fan.
 

KeithR

VIP/Donor
May 7, 2010
5,144
2,812
1,898
Encino, CA
on the cheap, I am using bluetooth I.Am Buttons which good sound for what they are and take up zero room while traveling. i'd love to hear them with a Hugo 2 which I believe is BT capable.
 

Priaptor

Member Sponsor
Jan 28, 2012
929
19
0
FL
Funny you should ask. I have a pair in for review and I love em. I am currently in Santa Ana for a Synergistic Research factory tour and I also was able to visit Sankar at the equally impressive Audeze factory a few miles away. I took the LCDi4s for the trip out here and used them for both movies on Delta and over the Onkyo Hifi app on my iPhone.

The transparency is incredible. Lots of detail but musical. Nice extension at both ends. Not bright at the top and not flabby on the low end. Excellent build quality and high quality case. I am a fan.

I agree to a point. I am currently using the iLCD4s with my MojoPoly as a Roon Endpoint. It is a remarkable combination (despite the growing pains of the Poly, still on the mend) for what it is. My main can system once was T&A DSD DAC-->Cavalli Lau headamp-->HD800S. I really got spoiled by the holographic out of the head soundstage of the that system. Granted the HD800S didn't sound so amazing when I used it with the original Hugo, but the Audeze does not create the same capabilities of those cans. I have had the LCD-X and now the iLCD4s and while, IMHO, the latter are better in all areas than the LCD-X they still fall short of transparency and holographic imaging of the HD800S. The iLCD4s are much more balanced top to bottom and as a "portable solution" are amazing when used with something like the MojoPoly.
 

KeithR

VIP/Donor
May 7, 2010
5,144
2,812
1,898
Encino, CA
Funny you should ask. I have a pair in for review and I love em. I am currently in Santa Ana for a Synergistic Research factory tour and I also was able to visit Sankar at the equally impressive Audeze factory a few miles away. I took the LCDi4s for the trip out here and used them for both movies on Delta and over the Onkyo Hifi app on my iPhone.

The transparency is incredible. Lots of detail but musical. Nice extension at both ends. Not bright at the top and not flabby on the low end. Excellent build quality and high quality case. I am a fan.

How do in-ear planars sound with ambient noise on planes?
 

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
How do in-ear planars sound with ambient noise on planes?

You really need a fairly quiet room for super - serious listening. You hear everything around you with them. But, boy, do they make music!
 

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
Funny you should ask. I have a pair in for review and I love em. I am currently in Santa Ana for a Synergistic Research factory tour and I also was able to visit Sankar at the equally impressive Audeze factory a few miles away. I took the LCDi4s for the trip out here and used them for both movies on Delta and over the Onkyo Hifi app on my iPhone.

The transparency is incredible. Lots of detail but musical. Nice extension at both ends. Not bright at the top and not flabby on the low end. Excellent build quality and high quality case. I am a fan.

Great! I really love them! Like the Hugo line, I think it's a truly market-leading product, which is extremely rare in this hobby. I am not going to say anything else, as I don't want to prime you before you put pen to paper.
 

Priaptor

Member Sponsor
Jan 28, 2012
929
19
0
FL
How do in-ear planars sound with ambient noise on planes?

Hence why you need another IEM. They work just not great.
 

Lee

Well-Known Member
Feb 3, 2011
3,210
1,738
1,260
Alpharetta, Georgia
How do in-ear planars sound with ambient noise on planes?

It works better than you think but if you want dead quiet then you have to go with noise cancelling. 1More has some new ANC IEMs but I have not tried them yet.
 

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