HeadphoneAddict

PS Audio PWD, Stello DA100, Nuforce DAC-100, CEntrance DACmini and DACport, Audioengine D2 and D1, Headroom Micro DAC, Pico DAC-only, Nuforce HDP, two Nuforce uDAC, two Nuforce uDAC-2, Nuforce uDAC-2 SE, Nuforce uDAC-2 Gold, iBasso D4, Stoner Audio UD100, Hifimediy SABRE DAC, Penguin Amp DAC cable. Plus a few DAC amps combos with no line-out, like HiFiMan EF2, Meier 3MOVE, Practical Devices XM5, Vivid Audio V1, Nuforce Icon Mobile, Nuforce Icon desktop, Travagans Green, and a Creative USB DAC with 3D crystalizer.

And just to be clear, the music would reside on the NAS or on storage connected to the computer that is running twonky server, and the PS Audio eLyric app would run on the iPad to control playback from server to iPad, where you connect iPad to the digital dock. ServeToMe would run on Mac or PC where the music resides, and the StreamToMe app runs on the iPad for controlling the music playback. Stream to me is the cheaper option, and you can use it over 3G, but I don't know if it's bit perfect like eLyric. To access the StreamToMe music over 3G I think you have to know your external IP address, and set your router to allow access to the service. Inside your home there is a list of local servers, and you can also set up a manual server address to access the home from the outside (IP and port). You can select what folders ServeToMe will share, and your iTunes playlists are available as well. AND, it plays FLAC and ALAC, WAV, AAC, MP3. Some of my AIFF plays, but I had a hi-res one that didn't play while the others on the same album did. It also lets you stream movies, and not just your music. If the movie is DRM iTunes protected it will offer to load the movie in safari using quicktime, asking for your StreamToMe user name and password to log in via browser.

My ears are starting to roll off by 12.5Khz so I can't say they are less rolled off or more rolled of than the JH13Pro. But when I turn up the volume high I can hear 16Khz with both IEM, but it's still fading a lot for my old ears. JHA claims they have better extension, but most owners of the ES5 (at the other forum) feel the ES5 go up pretty high as well.

As Grawk said, you can use iTunes home sharing to access your music, and it can stream in lossless. They also make wifi external HD's for iPads. One is the GoFlex satellite. MotionMedia also makes the G-connect wifi external HD for iPad. Oh, you can also use apps like TwonkyServer or an NAS, and use PS Audio eLyric to play the music on your iPad or redirect it to another player like the PWD Bridge or Xbox 360. If you don't want to invest in an NAS and don't want to leave a computer running 24/7 with TwonkyServer, the LaCie LaPlug will convert any USB hard drive into an NAS with music server (that works with Bridge and with iTunes as shared library). StreamToMe for iPad/iPhone will let you stream music from your computer without needing to have iTunes open, if you run the ServeToMe app on the computer, and it works over 3G when you are not at home.

I NEVER said retina on Macbook 15" is too small. Quite the opposite - it's the easiest Macbook screen for me to read (smoother lines, better contrast). My problem with the mini screen is the small text when I used Safari is grainy with less contrast, which makes it more blurry to me. That same size text on my retina iPad screen is sharper and easier to read.

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So, I forget, does the noise go away when you disconnect your source? Or is the noise coming from the amp itself?

I have the JH13Pro from summer 2009, and ES5 from summer 2010. But I don't have the new freqphase waveguide JH13 version. I think they both have smooth extended & sweet highs, while the mids of the ES5 are just a little more forward and lively (or vivid). The bass in the ES5 is just a little more emphasized in the mid-bass, while with the JH13Pro it's more emphasized in the deeper bass. They are both excellent IEM, with good speed and micro-detail and soundstage. With both of these getting all my ear time I don't recall the last time I used my ES3X or UE11Pro. So, I would not want to go without either one, but I do tend to use the ES5 a little more. I really couldn't offer a valid comparison of the demo freqphase JH13 or JH16 that I heard at RMAF vs the ES5.

Heh, I wonder if my $49 Penguin Amp DAC cable counts. Except I'm gonna be like monkey with DACs soon - I have about 20 DACs total now, so no NuWave for me. Yet.

That's the price I got last week, and it should ship in 4-6 weeks.

I played with one in the Apple Store today, and I love the lesser size and weight, but it REALLY needed a retina display. I've been spoiled with my iPad 3, and when surfing the web and doing emails the mini looks too pixelated to me. I know 163 dpi is supposed to be about 20% better than iPad 2, but it didnt feel that way all the time especially with very small text on websites. I'm sure I could get used to it over time, but now not so sure I want to.

Hmm, my JH13Pro are dead silent with my PWD at 100% and using my desktop ZDT amp. However, in past I had a hum that was fixed by grounding the ZDT to my WES which was also hooked up to the PWD at the same time. Now that the WES has been replaced by a KGBH the hum is gone.

hahahahaha!

I'm a little turned off on universal demo's of customs, because the actual custom tends to sound a little different. I did think the Merlin demo at RMAF was fun sounding, and the Miracle was a little more neutral sounding. Since I own the ES3X, ES5, and JH13Pro and prefer their "accurate" sound vs my UE11Pro's "fun" sound, I'm not sure the Merlin would be for me.

Now I gotta go watch the movie...

Yeah, i was having to do that with web browsing and in word processing when I had the 1680x1050 screen, and even found a way to make Safari browser default to a larger font size by loading a CSS profile on launch. You can also zoom in on the Mac screen anytime you want, to see a small portion in a larger size, but it was a PITA dealing with the native res being too high to comfortably see everything.

Oh Lordy

Well, I am going to be nice. Try the Sunrise Audio AS-Feeling or AS-Charm earbuds. The AS-Feeling are the cheaper of the two, but still sound pretty decent for an earbud. They are also easier to drive than the 150 ohm AS-Charm, but with an amp the AS-Charm are better. I've read good things about the Yuin Pk-1 earbuds, but never tried them myself. You have to get these online (google).

PS: Here is the retina MBP set for 1920 x 1080 mode, and the text edit window in the screen shot would be full size on a 1440 x 900 screen.

Old eyes need the 1440x900. I bought a new 2012 MBP this June in 1680x1050 and couldn't read the screen. The emulated 1440x852 on the 2012 MBP left all the black lines looking too grey, so it wasn't useful in anything but native resolution. I preferred my old late 2008 unibody MBP instead. The new antiglare 1680 x 1050 was quite nice, but the silver bezel was not as great of a border when watching movies. If I recall, the blacks on the 1680x1050 antiglare were darker, like with movies. Regardless, I returned it within a week and ordered a retina MBP, which I usually leave in 1440x900 mode most of the time, but sometimes will use emulated 1280x800 which is sharp as a tack too. As a matter of fact, the Retina model looks good with any screen size (including 1680x1050 and 1920x1080). But the std 15" in 1440x900 looks quite good, and if you can't get a retina MBP and have old weak eyes then you don't want the 1680x1050. PS: I forgot - You asked about extra useable desktop space - the 1680 x 1050 isn't that much extra useable desktop space, but it's enough to sneak a calculator and small video screen off the to side of your browser window, or maybe get two pages of MS Word side by side. But you'll end up zooming the text larger in your browser window. The 1920x1080 mode of the retina MBP does give a bit more extra desktop space, but it requires my glasses if I'm in a dark room at that point. The retina MBP is nice for poor vision because you can set it for a 1280x800 mode that is crisp and sharp but on a larger 15". The attached screen shot shows a text edit window that fills up the 1440x900 screen, so you can see at the right and bottom border how much extra screen you get.

I only made it 14 seconds.

I've seen a car like that driving around, periodically.

Unfortunately not, they had some sealed in the box Mikros 70 IEM but wouldn't open them up, and I didn't win the one pair that was given away in raffle. It didn't seem right to ask the winner if I could try them out.

That's great news!

I heard the Martin Logan CLX yesterday, and it sounded pretty good. They had the room set up just right, and the sound was pretty transparent and balanced, with good bass for an all electrostatic speaker and no separate subwoofer. It was better than most of the crap I hear at RMAF each year, but I wouldn't pay $24,000 for it. The little ML stats didn't fare as well, with a rolled off treble and boomy bass. It made me wonder if the cheaper version without the built-in amp for the woofers might be better. I prefer my AV123 X-Static speakers (under $1000) or even my $800 PSB Imagine Mini + Velodyne to the $6,700 ML stats.