Portable Players and IEMS

[Cincy2]

I find myself spending more time on the road these days. For pleasure now that I am retired, not for work. Without access to my music room I miss the satisfying connection with music played on carefully engineered gear. What to do? Headphones and amps even when called portable are a pain to drag around either on wheels or in the air. I once owned an Astell and Kern DAP about then years ago. I thought it was a marvelous piece of gear. I went back to their website and found they had just released their latest player, the SP4000. Released with it was a planar magnetic IEM, the Luna. The advertisements for both are composed of enigmatic, technical hyperbole which doesn't always translate into satisfying sound. Because of my favorable experience with A&K, I bit and pre-ordered both the SP4000 and the Luna IEMs. The SP4000 won't be hear for a few weeks although I can sample the Luna buds with other gear as they were in stock. Build quality for these little gems is off the charts high. I love Japanese watches (Grand Seiko), guitars (Sakurai, Kohno) and audio gear (Esoteric for example) for their attention to detail and thoughtful design. These IEMS reek of both.

I know we have an audience of audiophile enthusiasts on this forum so as a public service I will publish an amateur review of this pairing to hopefully help someone with the same longing I had. I also have a set of UE Pro Premium custom IEMS and a set of the almost new A&K Novus IEMS. I can't wait to see how each performs with what is surely an exemplary digital audio player. Stay tuned.

Cincy

 

[Alrainbow]

Nice stuff. I have a few models from FiiO
M17 is one but it’s large and heavy
Then two smaller FiiO Bluetooth headphone amps
They need a source like your phone
Can be transmitted to Bluetooth or wired

 

[Cincy2]

After a week with the Astel Kern SP4000, I am impressed. It is a big improvement from the then year old model I had. Blacker background, plenty of detail and a relaxed treble that does not fatigue. There are multiple options in the menus to turn off/on certain features designed to improve the sound. Crossed was the one that had the most notable positive change. Soundstage breadth and depth improved significantly. I tried the unit with Ultimate Ears Premier, A&K NOVUS and Luna IEMS. The Ultimate Ears have more immediacy and a smoother, more integrated presentation and I found myself going back to them. They are a wonder as you look into the transparent case. There are 21, yes 21 different drivers. I want to try listening with a few wireless earbuds to see how that works out. My favorite B&W Pi8s are first on the list.

The SP4000 reeks of quality. It's a real brick in your hands but there is something reassuring about that weight when you think about the king's ransom required to acquire on. The screen resolution is phenomenal. I still have a few bugs to work out that are assuredly cockpit error. Bottom line: This is a great way to take your whole library with you anywhere. Highly recommended.

 

[Alrainbow]

Portable has become bespoke now more then ever.
Bluetooth is truly portable and some models are very comfortable and amazing sound
what I do find is eq while each product is different eq seems
To be complex. it fixes one thing and messes up others
earbuds are very much like speakers in that they have an inherent voicing
eq kills this.
At my age I need to boost mids a bit but it’s very hard to get correct overall.
it’s simpler to buy buds That yield the sound you love and let it be.
I think many bud makers boost the low freq to impress some customers
I own a set of JHAUDIO pearls it’s hard to make them happy for me but if you take time to adjust them is bliss
they are all one type of drivers
what seems to be a
More complex yet better rounded sound is multiple type drivers
when done well it’s amazing

 

[V-Fi]

I've been enjoying the AK portable devices since the very early days. They are definitely expensive, or lacking in bang for the buck, compared to some of the more recent entries like Fiio and Shanling. Those offer huge value for a modest price and are probably good enough in many cases. Yet I find the AK players still offer the best overall listening experience for my tastes, if cost isn't really an issue. Paired with some Noble Audio, Ultimate Ears, 64 Audio, or Campfire in ear monitors, it's a wonderful way to take your rig on the road with you.