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!

goofyfoot

Showing 1 response by jallan

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!