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My Portable Audio Rig

I know, this is hardly a serious question but it's important to me nonetheless. So I go to the recreation center at my college campus about three to four days a week. I am completely motivated to brave the weather across campus due to the fact that I'm using an Audioquet Cobalt Dragonfly and Jitterbug, my iPhone, an Apple Lightening to USB camera adapter and a pair of Cardas A8 Anniversary earbuds. Working out puts stress on my portable gear and I started getting a loss connection in my right ear. At first, I thought the earbuds had shorted at the plug however, I've been having the same issue with the right channel cutting out while using my Sony headphones. I sent the earbuds to Cardas and they're replacing them for a mere $100.00 which is great but I now believe that the Dragonfly and Jitterbug connection is the cause for my woes. 

I've been using a rubber band around the Dragonfly to keep it together. I even put velcro on the back of my iPhone cover to support the earbuds cable. However it's still a problem. At one point, I purchased velcro straps to hold my Dragonfly in place but the grip was too loose. I took my needle nose pliers and gently closed down the gold plated USB connector but I decided to carefully straighten them back out. Right now, I'm thinking that using two rubber bands instead of one will keep both the Dragonfly and Jitterbug from moving. Navigating my iPhones touch screen with rubber bands around it takes some added effort. Of course ditching the Jitterbug might help but then I'd feel slightly compromised. I can actually hear better clarity with the Jitterbug. I still have my 5th Generation Click Wheel iPod but that's a drag by sound comparison and no Qobuz. 

Does any use a portable rig like the one I'm using? Do any of you have any ideas? 

Many Thanks!

128x128goofyfoot
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jallan
311 posts
 

My guess is that the headphone jack pin connection to the Dragonfly on your earbuds is bent. This can cause what you are experiencing, especially if the sound is intermittent or improves when you rotate the pin. Happened to my travel headphones- they were connected to my dragonfly when one of my cats became startled and took off, after getting wrapped in the headphone cord. The cat bent the  headphone jack pin, and I have struggled with it since!

ghdprentice
7,019 posts
 

Sounds like quite the Rube Goldberg device.

I think I would recommend a DAP. I have a A&K SP3000. Very high quality output. But not for you… it may look like an iPhone but 3x thickness… but it feels like it is made out of lead… great for the table next to your chair.

 

But there are DAPs for all types of purposes. Many with very high fidelity… which I assume is what you are going for. Then maybe the right noise cancelling earbuds.

FYI. I have spent at least two decades traveling with portable head amps, cd players, high end ear buds, battery powered DACs… you name it. I have been carting around shoulder bags full of wires and Velcroed electronics with extra batteries since back in the 70’s.

 

This may be tangential or not. At the end of all these decades of hauling high resolution technology with me all over the world. I slowly realized that noisy environments would reduce resolution of what you could hear. It would reduce the treble, greatly increase the noise floor and give you a pretty lousy sound, unless all the racket stopped for a few minutes. In the end, I realized that for noisy environments the best thing is equipment with noise reduction and that has been equalized to sound good in that environment. So, for travel, I use Bose QuietComfort wireless headphones and my iPhone. The sound is punchy and really fun to listen to… the noise cancellation is outstanding. Having a “high end sound” in noisy environments is not that enjoyable… a different equalization works.

So, I would look at this as an opportunity to explore stuff made for your environment. Honestly, I walk and ride my bike for 3 hours a day with AirPod pros. They just get better and better. You might check out Bose wireless earbuds… I have not.

fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,624 posts
 

I have 2 DAPs that are smaller than a phone, run Bluetooth and play lossless and better.

Just do what you gotta do.

goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot OP
1,377 posts
 

Hey All!
I appreciate the input. I’ll just say, I do not want over the ear headphones on while I’m working out. A DAP would be great but the good ones are expensive and I like the convenience of using Qobuz, though I often listen to the same recordings over and over. Anyhow, a work in progress to say the least.

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