My Rig and The Way They Are Built Up

fdhfdy

My rig and how I built it? Hmmm...that could be a l-o-n-g story. The short version...

The Toma vs Hornet 'M' start you know about. I already had a good source – B&O BEO SOUND 6 (still my best portable line out) -
and saw the range of portable amp reviews gave clear indications of which amps were the best SQ,
though varying order of 'best' for different reviewers.
Was renovating house so had to 'park' home electrostatic rig away for a few months.
Therefore portable became a more important focus.

I bought a few amps and did a serious SQ comparison over time.
In the meantime I'd also explored IEMs, working from my base of UM2s
(an exceptional IEM that have continued to hold their own over the years,
despite their weaknesses - lack of well resolved highs, particularly the highest of highs: I realised I wanted that blend of the highs of an ER4S and the rest of the UM2s).
Tried SE530s (better overall but just not worth that many more dollars over the UM2).




I joined the Livewires brigade fairly early (after initial impressions showed SQ
and build quality up to the required standard,
plus it was based on tweaked versions of the same drivers from the UM2,
plus UM2 owners who had upgraded to Westone ES2s and other personalised tips recommended personalising was the way to get more out of the UM2s).
I figured fully personalised Livewires would cost a lot less than personalising my existing UM2s so I tried that option. And it worked.
They're the most neutral IEM I am aware of, and deliver in spades for portable audio IMHO.



On the amp front I settled for TOMA and LT MK3 (both great, each with their own sound signature and strengths/weaknesses).
Wanted to try a Xin Supermicro but not wanting to wait for the build time
and not wanting to pay a premium price. Got a Supermicro in the last few days.
So it's my ultraportable amp and the SR-71/Mini3 remain my transportable non-electrostatic options
(I use SR-001 system as my transportable electrostatics).

I'm fairly settled with this.
The other exploration, of course, was mini-2-mini ICs.
I find pure silver, WELL burned in, is the clearest and truest available.
But there are many alternatives that can come reasonably close,
the Cardas HPi being one of the best value SQs around IMHO.





Hopefully all of that hasn't bored you. Of course, 'settled' is really a 'slow down'.
Friends send me other equipment to try at times and, sometimes, they, like the Supermicro, become 'keepers'.

Overall I guess the other thing I have to say is that all portable audio, to me, is Mid-Fi.
None of it stretches to that point of being 'almost real', like a good home electrostatic rig for instance.
So the margins of differences in equipment, although very real, are, in perspective, comparatively small.
In portable audio, perhaps even more so than home audio, the synergy of your equipment (as much following GIGO as possible or course), in combination with your preferences, is what gets you to your level of satisfaction.

I'll listen to my portable rig quite contentedly, energised and involved by the quality of reproduction. But after an extended session with the home system
I will immediately question the portable audio's value/sound when I first put it on.
But then I get drawn into the music and appreciate its full worth, particularly for my extended travels.

Lately, I have been thinking about building a electrostatics system for myself. Electrostatics are fast, detailed, and, depending on the amp, very musical.

I read several Stax Threads for the best source of electrostatic info.
There are other threads as well that discuss how to get the best out of electrostatics.
I must be mindful though that very few turn away from them, I have to say, once you've heard them you'll want electrostatics as much as possible.

To summarize, when there's a meet in your area you should get along - there's almost always an electrostatic rig at a meet, with an enthusiastic owner to talk to.

PS. I can’t show you all pictures, most of them have gone till now, for all the rigs I once had.