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Switched from portable to deck for work

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For a couple of years, I used my Sony MZ-R500 portable to listen to music at work (desk job) via the unit's headphone out. These MZ-R500s, while not exactly delicate, also don't seem to like heavy use, as I have had problems with a couple of them. The MZ-R500 is great for travel and general portability, but no more will be made. So I thought about an LP-capable deck for work, one with a headphone jack. This would free the R500 from daily use and perhaps lengthen its useful life.

That didn't leave many possibilities, and those that did exist were generally somewhat pricy. I had an MDS-JE480 deck in my basement, sitting around doing nothing, but that unit has no headphone jack. A little poking around on Ebay turned up an Optimus (Radio Shack) SA-155 integrated amp, a very small box that works fine hooked up to the now-on-my-desk JE480. My 'phones are Sennheiser HD-202.

The upgrade in sound from using the same phones connected to the jack of the MZ-R500 is not trivial. Just wish I'd thought of the JE480/amp/phones combination sooner. Don't know what I'd do without Ebay!

Here's an SA-155:

post-1326-1196871494_thumb.jpg

It's not much bigger than the photo! ;-)

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Gotta have tunes at work, I'm not quite as subtle, although I'm the only one, got a pair of fisher powered speakers, an older top of the line Sony CD player, and whatever MD I plug in at the time, great sounds abound from the garage, get weird looks, who cares, got my tunes,

BTW nice set up you have,

Bob

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Gotta have tunes at work, I'm not quite as subtle, although I'm the only one, got a pair of fisher powered speakers, an older top of the line Sony CD player, and whatever MD I plug in at the time, great sounds abound from the garage, get weird looks, who cares, got my tunes,

BTW nice set up you have,

Bob

Thanks. I am still in the initial throes of infatuation with it. What my colleagues think of all this, I can pretty much guess.

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What have you compared them with. Even my PMX100's and CX300's sound better.

Well, let me see...I tried these:

http://www.sweetwater.com/c412--Samson--Headphones

Hated 'em. They didn't match up well with the MZ-R500 or anything else I had, included a Marantz PM-68 Integrated Amp that makes most sources sound pretty good.

And I had been using my Koss MAC-7's for years - like those a lot and they are still in limited use.

I have tinnitus and I find that anything in-ear results in some pretty odd noises and frequencies after a workday, or partial workday of using them, once I take them off. These effects seem greatly reduced by on- or over-the-ear phones.

So the HD 202's sound all right to me, the price was certainly right, and they are comfortable enough for me to wear for hours at a time (this is crucial). Of course, if you can suggest a lightweight, closed, over-ear model that might be better, I am all ears, so to speak ;-)

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I just think with the changes you made amp/MD deck you get more out it with a slightly better set of cans. I bought the HD 202's for practising guitar and am disappointed in them even compared to the PMX100 and CX300's I otherwise use. But they are comfy. You'd probably have to move up in budget a bit I'd guess. Just a thought really. I haven't decided what I'll replace mine with yet. I'll probably lurk over on http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/ and see if theres any sales after christmas.

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