My Portable Rig / System
Here's a few photos of my portable rig / system. The system consists of:
Ray Samuels Audio SR-71 Portable Headphone Amplifier
Toxic Cables OCC Silver LOD
60Gb iPod / 32Gb iPhone 4s / 64Gb iPad
This system is mainly used for whilst travelling on business / Holidays / Portable Household System...ideal for personal listening in the bedroom or garden. This is a pure headphone system and is used with a variety of headphones, however so far the Beyer T70P sound absolutely amazing with this system.
That looks like a really nice amplifier you've got there. Does it have a built in DAC or do you use the iPods analogue output?
The RSA is just an amplifier, and although using the IPhone and IPod's analogue signal, it obviously beefs up the sound and allows for a more dynamic, airy sound. It also improves the bass response.
I was going to add an AlgoRythm Solo DAC to this, which would take the digital signal direct from the iPod and then feed into the RSA. However I have just bought a Red Wine Audio iModded, 120Gb iPod to use instead 
this modded iPod completely bypasses the iPod analogue circuitry and outputs an audiophile grade signal direct from the DAC into the Amp via an LOD.
Next on he cards is to change my IE6 for a pair of Westone 4's . opefully this will then be a first class portable system.
. opefully this will then be a first class portable system.That sounds like it will be awsome. 
I rate Westone's as the best IEM's that I've tried, better than sennheiser's IMO.
I've tried using an amplifier with my Westone UM3x earphones but it didn't make any difference because they have such a high sensitivity of 124dB which means that the extra power just wasn't nessessary.
That looks like a really nice amplifier you've got there. Does it have a built in DAC or do you use the iPods analogue output?
Further to this the plan was to add a CypherLabs Algorythm Solo DAC to the above setup, however after consideration and wanting to keep the rig as small and portable as possible I opted to change my source component.
I am now the poud owner of a iModded iPod (second Hand)...this has a 120GB hard drive and is similar to the Red Wine Audio Mods. However RWA use copper wire and solder to bypass the analogue circuitry.....this mod has been done with Silver/Gold wire and Solder. The LOD is Elnac Simlic II Cap LOD using Silver/Gold wire from the Line Out plug to a 3.5mm Viablue plug.
All I can say is WOW....the difference between this and the stock iPod is amazing.....this has excellent mids and a sweet treble with a punchy Bass.
The iPod also operates using RockBox rather than the apple software (well it dual boots) and the benefit is that I can now play FLAC files as well as Apple Lossless and other formats.
The sound difference is amazing and is way above what I can get out of my standard iPod / iPhone or iPad. The grand cost of this to me was also about the same price as buying a brand new iPod Classic.
Nice potable setup, I use a RSA tomahawk with westone 3 IEMs adding the RSA defiantly made a difference...
currently making my own lod cable solid silver cable and viablue plug hope this improves it further.
Any pics of the new iPod?
- Login to post comments
That looks like a really nice amplifier you've got there. Does it have a built in DAC or do you use the iPods analogue output?
PC > AVI Neutron Five 2.1
32GB Sony NWZ-A846 Walkman > Westone UM3x