Very timely thread.
I've been reading threads over on Head-Fi. It seems the sound quality of portable systems has gotten very good.
I'd be very interested in your comparison between a high end main system vs a high quality portable system. Most of the discussions on Head-fi are comparisons among head phone systems only.
My main system is all digital -- expensive and extensive. I'm fussy about SQ but if a portable system could approach the SQ of my main, the compactness and convenience might make me rethink the whole concept of a main system.
Getting good sound out of a computer system is expensive and frustrating.
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