Has ARC changed what you listen on when out? (IEMs, DAPs, etc)? What you listen to?

Audio Gear Talk
1

Hi-

I have to admit that up until now most of my listening was either:
a) Home - Pi2AES / Yggdrasil / Freya + / 2 * Aegir / KLH Model 5
b) Office - Gungnir MB / Mjolnir 2 / HD6xx or Nobsound TPA3116 / Paradigm Atom v5
c) Mobile - iPhone / Airpod Pros

But ARC has begun to change (c) fairly substantially for me, and now I bought a few pairs of IEMs and a Fiio Q3. I haven’t gone all in on expensive IEMs yet, thusfar I’m listening mostly to Dunu Titans and Moondrop Kato’s, and I have a pair of 7Hz Timeless inbound. But the signal chain of ARC / Fiio Q3 / IEMs is so so so much better than the Airpods that it’s transforming not only how I listen when I’m mobile, but also how I work mobile. Just renewed my coworking subscription and going a day or two a week because I can settle in there better now.

Anyone else find that ARC is changing (a) what you listen to on the go, (b) what you listen on when on the go, (c) how you act on the go?

2

The answer to all three of your questions for me would be No.

3

For me while on the go it is 2 scenarios.

  1. Car via BT connected iPhone to Subaru/Harmon Kardon - headunit/speaker setup and this works pretty well. Core is running ROCK(MOCK)

  2. Via iPhone and AirPod Pro V2 (mainly as these are so comfortable compared to all but my Custom IEM’s for longer usually plane sessions) while out and about walking/shopping/exercising etc…I don’t use much ARC while in Airplane mode tho (Downloaded) but might try this some time too. I have a FiiO BTR 5 V2 that I use with the CIEM’s if this becomes a thing.

I do have a 60GB per month mobile data plan and seldom get close to using even 30% of it.

4

No to all three but that is mainly because I don’t get out much. However, to answer a slightly different but relevant question, the use of bluetooth headphones combined with a bluetooth transmitter connected to the kitchen stereo (a Roon endpoint) means that I can move around the house and garden whilst listening to Roon. I use Roon much more as a result.
I also have some bluetooth ear defenders for DIY work.

5

Nothing changed for me. I always use Sony WH-1000XM3 noise cancelling headphones with iPhone when mobile. I use a Dragonfly Cobalt or FiiO KA1 DAC with Moon Silver Dragon Portable cable. I stream Tidal and Qobuz using Roon ARC or Apple Music.