The (Expensive) Consequences of Marketing Audio Tech.

[M.M. Hasan Parvez]

As an audiophile gear purchases are aimed at UPgrades, where SIDEgrades ? buying gear of similar overall performance but perhaps better price-performance ratio, but just of a different flavour ? are discouraged, and DOWNgrades are only done when ?scaling down? from an uber-complex audio chain, it?s hard to imagine going back for gear that, while fondly remembered, has already been surpassed. Couple this with the fact that if you work as a marketer for the audio tech industry, you inevitably get drawn to the product you promote.

But then the ?itch? is always there. Think of how it never ?works out? the first time around, you both were too young, and/or too busy getting ahead in life, etcetera, etcetera ? well, I never tried this piece of gear with a better line-out. I mean, sure, you won?t get a 100% pure line out signal from a frickin? iPod, but it?s a lot better than the headphone out of my old Zen. And of course, I only picked up an iPod when this model, the 2nd-highest rated as far as audiophiles are concerned, wasn?t ?chic? anymore, and ergo, available on the cheap used.

This amp being my first foray into serious headphone listening ? and eventually giving up speakers at home altogether, the car?s system being the only exception because driving with headphones on is borderline suicidal ? I couldn?t resist getting one when it was put up for sale used. Well, not the exact same model, since I used Sir Jojo?s 3rd gen amp before, and to be honest I was looking into the improved version of the 4th generation amp. But what the heck, right? So I got the P4.

Against the iPod?s internal amplification though the amp seems brighter. But that?s just the frequency response. Despite the brighter sound, overall the system turned out to be ?more musical.? The midbass though not as loud was considerably more energetic and nimble; it had punch to hit hard and then stop right away. Deep bass was slightly more audible, and was better articulated, too.

I can?t compare this back-to-back vs the P3 (until I borrow somebody else?s unit) but the sound as best I remember is very similar. Which is a good thing since I was looking for something I already liked, not get something completely different altogether. And since the only set of cans that has been with me since Day 1 was my AKG K66, this is my best reference point. It?s smoother, but of course it could be the Wolfson Microelectronics DAC in the iPod, or the better line-out.

So yes, I have a shitload (and a house?s worth) of audio tech lying around my living room. Moral lesson? When you?re a good marketer, you can be the victim of your own success (and product). Thankfully, I don?t have a girlfriend at the moment, or else she would be reaching for the knife sharpeners. Or at the very least, dragging me into Zara to get back at my audio obsession.