[Ongoing] Portable Audio Discussion | I am relatively...

Free Standard Shipping in the US on orders over $99

Shop Audiophile

Audiophile COMMUNITY

general

Audiophile

Showing 1 of 45 conversations about:

[Ongoing] Portable Audio Discussion

Drop+Audiophile

arlyn

Jun 17, 2018

I recently got the HD6XX's and although i have an amp for my PC/laptop, i am looking at portable models to use with my phone on the go. any recommendations?

Vote

rongon

Jun 17, 2018

arlynI'm wondering, won't open back headphones be less than optimal for portable use? I figure you're asking about battery operated use, like when traveling on a plane or riding a bus. Those are non-private, noisy environments where you'd have to turn your HD6XX up pretty loud to get over the background noise. Open back headphones like the HD6XX leak a lot of sound when you've got them cranked, so you're more likely to annoy the person in the next seat. The high SPLs could also damage your hearing over time. I'd recommend looking into closed back headphones for portable use.
I don't own them, but I heard a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50X recently, and I liked them.
I hope that helps...

arlyn

Jun 17, 2018

rongonI understand there are some situations where portable use would not be optimal with an open-back headphones, but it is also not optimal to be tethered to a chair. so maybe just listening to music at home, but being able to move around, be in bed, go to the bathroom. while camping... there's a lot of middle ground in terms of too loud and not.

Vote

propdrc

Jun 17, 2018

arlynI am relatively new to the portable crowd and just recently graduated from a Monoprice/Monolith DAC/amp (slightly better guts than Dragonfly Red) to the Fiio Q1mk2 (surprisingly small yet feature rich and PLENTY of power). I enjoy the features (gain, bass boost, balanced headphone-in on the Fiio more (as other phones are enroute https://penonaudio.com/earphones/in-ear-earphones/iems/bgvp-dm5.html) and custom wire https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D4G4XBK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Ironically both DACs are the same price: $99 US. They both work very well with my Chromebook and (paid) Spotify. The flash-drive-styled Monolith DAC required extensive research/purchases for many adapters and wires (as it came with none) from E-Bay/Amazon and never seemed gym-friendly on my Motorola/Android as a "stack." Both are significantly smaller than my cell phone so stacking seems impractical. My earphones are these: https://rbhsound.com/ep3.php at SALE price (I'm not rich...) I'm getting a Cayin N3 to stack with the Fiio (which just arrived). The Fiio comes with a fine cable assortment but I've ordered at Cayin cable https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CMCZQP/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which originally bothered me because it wasn't included but looks cool the more I look at it. More as it develops.

Vote

Mushnamukk

Feb 17, 2019

arlynI know this post is old but what did you decide on getting? I've tried a the Topping NX4 and the FiiO A5 and neither really impressed me. If you see this I would really appreciate a suggestion.

Vote

arlyn

Feb 17, 2019

MushnamukkHey there, I ended up going with a Topping NX5 based on head-fi reviews, but like you, I was not impressed. The amp is simply not powerful enough to show off the full capabilities of the HD6XX, especially in terms of bass. I decided to get a new one, I was looking at the at, but I ended up going with the 'ifi xDSD'. It is pricey but so is buying 3 or 4 amps that don't cut the mustard. This one does. You can look up reviews. it is excellent and it's really the only choice besides a Chord Mojo for a decent portable experience with high impedance headphones as far as I have researched.

Vote

Mushnamukk

Feb 17, 2019

arlynThanks for the reply! The NX5 and ifi Nano iDSD were actually the two I had in mind right now. The NX5 is pretty hard to find right now (on Amazon at least) which is why I went with the NX4. I was saving the Nano iDSD for last because it cost the most among the ones I had selected to try out. The xDSD is slightly out of my price range (plus I would want to give the FiiO Q5 a try before going with a more expensive ifi unit) so I'm probably going to test out the Nano. Do you use the 3D Matrix or the XBass modes? If so, what do you think of them? The bass boost on my A5 sounds, well, like garbage. Artificial is the best word I can use to describe it—I was much happier with the NX4's bass boost but felt I could find something better. Thank you and please forgive me for the onslaught of questions; I am getting sick of testing these crumby portable amps!

Vote

arlyn

Feb 17, 2019

MushnamukkOh I forgot about the nano I was looking at that too. I was worried it wouldn't be enough power. When these are properly amplified hearing bass in them is like standing next to a speaker at a concert. It's not just hearing, you can physically feel the waves in your ears. Once I realized my desktop amp could do that, but my NX-5 could not, that's when I knew I had to get a new portable amp. I was pretty worried with the possibility of buying the lower power nano and finding out it has the same problem as the NX-5. I figured I would save $200 in the long run by putting the extra $200 in now and getting the xDSD. I'm also interested in the native MQA renderer in the xDSD and the higher quality DSD 512 format supported. I wanted to give myself options in the future to get into super hi-res audio now that I have good headphones and a good amp, and I felt like the Nano would end up limiting me on that front in the future and I would just have to end up getting an xDSD anyway. The 3D and X-Bass settings sound amazing. There is no audible distortion even at loud levels, and it fixed all of the issues I had with the NX-5's bass, which had very little but some distortion when the volume was maxed out, and like you said just was missing something; it just didn't kick. also the overall volume on the NX-5 was just not loud enough. even if you have to wait an extra month or two, the xDSD is worth it in my opinion. I haven't tried the Nano though, so your mileage may vary, it may be perfectly adequate.

Vote

Mushnamukk

Feb 18, 2019

arlynThanks a bunch for your input—I really appreciate it. Glad to hear that the 3D and XBass settings work great; definitely keeping the xDSD on my wish list. I would jump at the xDSD (and almost pulled the trigger on it last night; ) but I came across an eBay listing for a new Nano and, after making a few offers, got the price down from $200 to $145. At that price, I don't think I can go wrong. I could probably even resell it for as much as I bought it for in a few months. Besides that, my LG V20 has an awesome built-in DAC that I could pair with it (plus I use I use PowerAmp on Android) and have so many software settings to play around with that I should be able to compensate for any lack of bass. Thanks again for the reply (:

Vote

View Full Discussion

PRODUCTS YOU MAY LIKE

Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX Headphones

$199

Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee Headphones

$169

Massdrop x Sennheiser PC37X Gaming Headset

$99

Drop + HIFIMAN HE4XX Planar Magnetic Headphones

$149

Massdrop x Koss Porta Pro X Headphones

$29

Drop + EPOS PC38X Gaming Headset

$169

Massdrop x Koss KSC75X On-Ear Headphones

$20

Massdrop x Meze 99 Noir Closed-Back Headphones

$199

Drop + EPOS PC38X Yellow Gaming Headset

$139

Drop BMR1 Nearfield Monitors

$79

Trending Posts in Audiophile

Simthaniel

Rigs

Modded headphones with qudelix at the core

When I received the Qudelix 5K, I had already modified a pair of Superlux HD-681 headphones. I previously soldered my own balanced connections to the drivers, providing multiple ways to connect and...

Apr 14, 2024

Audiophile

Rigs

brothamike

A decent set of IEMs

I am in the midst of a 300 hour burn-in but, I will say I am enjoying how this set sounds so far. Before I received these which was btw late by a few weeks, I purchased a Sony/Kimber Kable MMCX...

Apr 12, 2024

Audiophile

Photos

merrick97

Should I exchange the PC38X for better headphones?

I bought the PC38X headphones FOR GAMING and they are great, but I have NO use for a Microphone since I don't do competitive gaming and I was wondering if there were better headphone options at a similar price without a headphone, where (presumably) more of the cost was put into making it sound better. I also find that my PC38X don't get quite as loud as I would like and I was wondering if a cheap amp like the iFi Go link would draw a little more volume out of my phones. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN6MM822?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details I went with the PC38X since it was considered the best bang for buck headphones. I care most about using spatial apps like DOlby Atmos and DTS Headphone:X. Suggestions are welcome.

Apr 11, 2024

Audiophile

General

LostnAmerica

Sound Signature of the Grell Project.

Wondering what type of sound signature the Drop Grell project headphones will have or trying to attain. Any update would be appreciated.

Apr 8, 2024

Audiophile

Questions

Fabulous

Looking for a gaming/content audio setup

Hello! I'm looking for recommendations on audio setups. I'd be planning on using it mostly for gaming. Preferably I'd like a pair of large closed back headphones since I have a big head and jaw. I'd also like to hear myself through my mic with mic monitoring. As far as budget goes, I don't really have one. But under 600$ would be nice. I can go higher if needed. The audio setup would be connected to a high performance PC. Thank you in advance for any recommendations!

Apr 4, 2024

Audiophile

Questions

1plsd

$10 Drop Coupon Email not sent?

Trying to buy some gear off Drop for the first time. I was told I would receive an email with a welcome to drop $10 off promo. I never received that email. Drop was able to send me emails for my login token and email for Password update. But for some reason the $10 off coupon was never sent to me.

Mar 31, 2024

Audiophile

Questions

Vote

NMPacella

New here

Hello, I just joined, primarily for the audiophile products. Looking at purchasing the NHT C3 speakers for our new living room. Space is about 15 feet wide by 33 long and they will fire long ways. Space is just for general listening, music room with all equipment is downstairs, so hoping they will fill it with sound nicely. Cheers.

Mar 18, 2024

Audiophile

General

Vote

Company

About Drop Studio Student Discount Privacy Policy Terms of Use Cookie Settings

Drop Refurbished

Like-new products you can trust

Drop Rewards

Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more

Drop Keyboard Club

Become a member and expand your keycap collection

Collaborate With Us

For Brands & Designers

Support

Contact Community Guidelines Help Center Sitemap

Follow Drop