Well, maybe I have finally finished updating all of my headphone setups??  Other than adding new headphones, which I can't see happening anytime soon, I have three complete systems (four if you count my portable setup) around the house that I am very happy with. The newest addition of the Little Dot MKIII and Little Dot_DAC1 has been worthwhile.  Although I have not had it long enough to burn in the setup for several days (which is rumored to make it sound better), I can testify to the fact that the setup sounds incredible with my  Audio Technica ATH-AD700 headphones and my AKG K701 headphones.  It has also allowed me to move my Beresford DAC and X-Can V3 headphone amp into the living room with a pair of Sennheiser HD580s. 

Here is a pic of the setup:

Well, any argument against the Apple iPad Tablet (32GB, Wi-Fi) based on sound quality is without merit.  One of the reasons is that the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit enables the iPad to send out a pure digital signal (bypassing the internal DAC and amp).  For this privilege on the iPhone/Touch, you can buy a Wadia 170iTransport iPod transport with S/PDIF digital audio output for around $379!!! 

NuForce Icon uDAC (USB DAC and headphone amp) - Well, one of the answers is that you can plug it into this DAC/amp portable combo gadget.  It has a USB input, an internal DAC, two RCA outputs, a headphone output and a coax digital output.   It is small enough to take anywhere, so you can throw it in a messenger's bag with your iPad and a pair of small headphones or ear buds and you are all set (I am going to get a "Wallet" if it ever comes to market).

I have tested it with the Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Headphones (seen in the pic), Grado SR60s, and Etymotic ER-4P Portable In-Ear Earphones and it has no problem driving any of them. 

While I have not had time to compare to any of my more expensive DACs, I can say that for a portable setup, it sounds pretty darn good.  I am not sure if I will even bother doing a comparison.  No point in looking for minute shortfalls with a mostly portable device.

The other plus is that it will take a USB input and send it out a digital stream via coax.  This means you can send it to a higher end DAC or to a receiver for them to convert it to analog.  Of course, you can also use the RCA outputs to hook up to an older receiver, too.

This product offers a lot of audiophile goodness for relatively little money.  If you do not have an iPad, you can also use it with a laptop or PC.   I have tested it with my laptop and it is as easy as plugging it in, waiting a few seconds for the drivers to load, and then you are off and listening.

I know, I know, it is just marketing hype...or is it?  Well for me, the iPad is the best gadget on the market today and that means something coming from me!  Unfortunately, the laptop I bought last year is now gathering dust, but I guess that is the price for innovation. 

For those living in a cave, the iPad is a tablet computing device from Apple.  Many call it an oversized iPod Touch or iPhone, but I guess size does matter.   I use it to control my music collection from any room in the house.  I use Airport Express units, Remote app, Logmein, Airfoil, PCs, and a Roku Soundbridge to play music depending on my mood and where I am sitting in the house.  I use it to read magazines (mainly using the Zinio app).  I use it for news (USA Today, Bloomberg, NY Times (for the tech section only), Thompson Reuters, etc.  Reading books using the Kindle and iBook apps.  I use it for music when I am outside (Pandora, Rhapsody, iPod, etc.).  I use it to watch Little Britain or The Office on Netflix while I workout.  I like to surf the web with it.  I like to use it for YouTube, ABC player.  I like to shop with the Amazon, eBay, and Gilt apps.  I use theSoundHound app to identify music and read lyrics to a song that is playing.  I like the Pocket Pond app for relaxing.  There are numerous other apps I like, but the point is that it is the perfect form factor for consuming media.

In the picture below, I am using Logmein to control Rhapsody on my computer.  I have a program called Airfoil that sends the audio from my computer to the airport express in my bedroom. 

Warning!  The following information will only make sense to headphone geeks...

I recently updated the DAC (digital to analog converter) in my home office to a Cambridge DacMagic and the headphone amp to a Heed Canamp.  This pairing is a great combination for feeding my AKG K701s.

These two updates have allowed me to move my Senn HD580 headphones and X-Can V3 amp to my bedroom.  I now have a better office and bedroom setup than I had before.  I moved my vintage headphone back to the area by my massage chair in the bedroom.  These pair with an Airport Express and Entech DAC.

If that isn't enough I moved my Beresford DAC to the living room and have it paired with another Airport Express, which streams audio from iTunes on my computer wirelessly to my favorite spot on the couch.  I am currently using the headphone output on the Beresford to feed  a pair of Grado SR60 and ATH-AD700 headphones.  I plan on adding a tube headphone amp, probably one of the Little Dot amps, to this setup in the future.  After that, I should be pretty much done with upgrades to my many headphone setups.  YAY!!

Some changes to my systems around the house:

My 61 inch 720p Samsung died, so I decided to get a new TV.  As a result, I moved the 60 inch Sony into the bedroom and got a Samsung PN63B590 63-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV for the living room.  The main reason for a plasma is that I wanted a better viewing angle from the side.  Also, the stand is actually on a swivel, so the TV can be aimed in a different direction when we have visitors sitting on the couch that is on our side wall.

The TV has a beautiful picture and it actually fits on the stand we bought for the Sony.  My webpage will be updated with new pictures when I get my Denon receiver back.  Yep, the Denon receiver crashed and burned in the last couple of weeks, too.  I actually bought an extended warranty because it had a lot of new features built in that I thought might cause a failure.  So, right now, it is at the repair shop. 

I also want to mention that I bought this TV at Vanns.com.  They were several hundred dollars cheaper than Best Buy and they do not charge for shipping or tax.  The tax savings alone would have made it worthwhile.

 

Home office setup

 Click on the pic to read more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Flickr Account

 

I got a new bed and moved my Samsung 61 inch HDTV to the bedroom.  See more here.

See my initial thoughts on the Sony PS3

I made some recent changes to my main system.  You can read about it on my Home Theater page.  I added a Sony Bravia SXRD KDS-60A3000 60" 1080p Rear Projection HDTV , a great stand for the TV, and more!

I updated my receiver to the Denon 3808CI and I added a Wii and an Oppo 980H.  The other big change is that I got rid of my rack and now have most of my stuff under the TV.  I also bought an Apollo Wall shelf for my turntable.  This gives me some extra floor space and gives the turntable some isolation from the floor.