Leonardo Drummond

Interesting impressions! By the way, I'm glad you're well, Larry

FWIW, I finally found a portable system that seems to bring out the best in the Roxannes and to put them more into the middle-field I was hoping. I've added a Pico Slim to the FiiO X5's line out and there you go. It's drier, bass and mids are tighter, highs are more present and more extended and the sound signature is snappier, more transparent and more refined. Also, the soundstage is quite more tridimensional and layered than what I get with my iPod Classic, reminding me of the wonderful Calyx M but with a different, more analytical presentation. It's much closer to the sound I get with my desktop setup (GS-X and Yulong D100) and considerably better than what I had with all the DAPs I've owned previously (HM-801, DX100, ZX1 and AK100 II). So the result is that the Roxannes sound more refined, transparent and neutral, but just as organic if not entirely as musical. Still, totally satisfied!

A bit narcissistic as well, no?

http://www.synergisticresearch.com/featured/new-product-atmosphere/

Thanks, guys! Yep, I'm aware that recording and mixing quality is everything, but I wanted to know what you thought about high-res anyway! Grahame, lol! I actually thought of a different way to ask it, but couldn't find one, not being a native speaker and all

What is you guys' stance on high-res audio?

Yeah Peter, I was actually looking at some tutorials for this, but it goes well beyond my DIY skills... I guess I'll just try an amp and see where that gets me. There are some offers on head-fi for Pico Slims, I'll give it a go! Indeed! I don't need much more than that actually, the iPod's 160Gb are enough to me.

These two were actually the closest! But the ZX1 didn't have enough memory, as I like to carry my whole library with me in trips – or at least a good chunk of it. The AK, on the other hand, did have the memory (with a 128Gb card) and was extremely pleasurable to use but I just didn't think the jump in SQ was enough to justify the cost to me – especially having recently heard the Calyx M, which is the best player I've ever heard in SQ terms – and, to make matters worse, syncronization was a pain with a Mac. I couldn't get that Dapper utility to work with it because SyncMate just wouldn't see it, so synchronization had to be manual. And since I mentioned the Calyx, the main issue with it is battery life. With regular use, it would drain its battery in about 3 hours, which to me is something that doesn't make it really portable.

I've always struggled to find something that could replace my iPod Classic because nothing seems to outclass it in all criteria: battery life, interface, ease of use, memory, easy sync and convenience. In the portable world, to me, sound quality is just one of many aspects that count. I've had a HM-801, a DX100, a ZX1, an X5 and an AK100 II. I also recently spent some time with a Calyx M. They all had issues and my iPod has survived. The ZX2, on the other hand, seems to bring all I want in a portable player. But (and this is a big but) at $1.200... I'll have to pass.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/5/7493145/new-sony-walkman-zx2-ces-2015 ZX2!

My deepest condolences to them... this is a pain that no parent should endure.

Lol! Sorry guys! Didn't know that

Oh, I understand! Thanks, Spritzer. I reckoned they called it black but it was the same. I also saw some info on Changstar indicating that they were discontinued, and when I saw that ad, I was puzzled.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-Reference-Class-Wired-Headphones/dp/B001OTZ8DA Is it discontinued??

At CES? Now I'm curious...

LOL

New HiFiMAN headphones, HE-1000. So not an electrostatic successor to the Jade that many people were speculating, but a regular planar magnetic 'phone... and there's also a (very large) tube amp to go with it. Someone said it's going to cost significantly more than $2.500, though... They also anounced the RE1000 custom in-ear headphones made with Unique Melody and the HM-901S, a successor to the HM-901.

I got it on kickass.so, it's been my go-to torrent website! And I watch it live via stream2watch.com or something like that. Slightly difficult to dig through the many ads and fake clicks, but works in the end!

While it was nothing too special, I'm just glad it was sort of honest and even slightly serious, not excessively staged and silly. Looking forward to part 2!

Really? My unit was pre-freqphase as well! Goes to show how we all hear differently

I nearly got into the Massdrop offer as well! Backed up at the last minute, though...

I actually had the opportunity to audition a universal Miracle a few times (including at home for a month) and they're fantastic earphones IMO. Definitely not as fun as the JH13s, but, to my ears, quite a bit more neutral. Maybe not what I'd chose if I were looking for a single IEM (however, if you're considering an HD800 they may be more up your alley than a JH13), but they're exactly what I'm contemplating to pair up with my Roxannes. Wasn't my W3000ANV yours? I bought them from blubliss. You got another one?

Don't get me wrong though, Antonio, I still love the Roxannes! They're just not quite as versatile as the JH13s, I think.

Thanks for the sensible words and thoughts guys, I appreciate it, really. I suppose I'm putting more weight in Jerry's words - and maybe it was naive of me to do so. Antonio, yeah, while I'm quite happy with my desktop setup (have been for a while), in the portable system, which I have been using a lot lately, I kind of crave for the same versatility. While the Roxanne improves upon the JH13s on many levels, it takes one specific direction, while the 13s (pre freqphase at least) kind of felt like a happy medium. So now there are moments when I want a more analytical presentation. But well, I guess that's another matter

Well, seems I won't convince anyone. In any case, I'm happy to agree to disagree. Antonio, yeah, I'll still enjoy the Roxannes just as much – sometimes I crave for something a little bit more analytical, though. JP, indeed, but I don't think that their problems are negligible. I've seen some people in here that wouldn't buy from them precisely because of that. Still, we'll see what happens in the future!