# What's The Best Portable Headphone Amp?????



## Audiophilester

I am new to the portable headphone amp stuff, and I just bought like my 30 pair which are the Denon Ah-d1100 and I would like to know what would be the best PORTABLE HEADPHONE AMP FOR IT????? My price range is under $125. I was looking into the Nuforce Icon Mobile. because I trust that Brand. but i saw its not worth it. so  I would like to know what would be the best PORTABLE HEADPHONE AMP FOR MY DENON AH-D1100??


----------



## Audiophilester

For An itouch 3g.


----------



## csholtmeier

What is an "itouch"?


----------



## Audiophilester

its the ipod touch.


----------



## kmhaynes

At your price, there are several amps you can read up on here on head-fi:  Fiio E11, SoundMagic A10, JDS Labs CMoy, iBasso T3 or T4, Electric City PA2V2, maybe 1 or 2 others.  The most portable (smallest) is the T3/4, then A10, then E11, then CMoy, and PA2V2 is fairly chunky for carrying around with a iPod.


----------



## jorgie94

Quote: 





kmhaynes said:


> At your price, there are several amps you can read up on here on head-fi:  Fiio E11, SoundMagic A10, JDS Labs CMoy, iBasso T3 or T4, Electric City PA2V2, maybe 1 or 2 others.  The most portable (smallest) is the T3/4, then A10, then E11, then CMoy, and PA2V2 is fairly chunky for carrying around with a iPod.


 

 hey could you help me 2 i have a minor problem as well. I just got my Ultrasone Pro 750's literally like 30 minutes ago and im already using them to burn them in a bit. Also from almost everyone i hear, you need an amp for these headphones to reach there full potential. Sooo my question is which portable amp would u recommend with an ipod touch for my headphones. Im fairly new to this, im 16 and these are my second pair of quality headphones my first were Senheisser HD555's, i liked them but i wanted more punch and bass so i got these... PLEASE help =)


----------



## estreeter

Quote: 





jorgie94 said:


> hey could you help me 2 i have a minor problem as well. I just got my Ultrasone Pro 750's literally like 30 minutes ago and im already using them to burn them in a bit. Also from almost everyone i hear, you need an amp for these headphones to reach there full potential. Sooo my question is which portable amp would u recommend with an ipod touch for my headphones. Im fairly new to this, im 16 and these are my second pair of quality headphones my first were Senheisser HD555's, i liked them but i wanted more punch and bass so i got these... PLEASE help =)


 
   
  gorgie, because you have refrained from bolding/caps/exclamation points, I feel compelled to help you.
   
  1. Read this. At least twice. Particularly the part about portable amps.
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/419349/before-you-buy-headphones-a-hopefully-helpful-guide-for-newbies
   
  2. Accept that no amp is a 'cure all'. If you can plug your Ultrasones into a CD player, AV receiver or some other amplified source, do that before you dash out to buy a headphone amp. If you dont like the way your headphones sound after 50 or so hours, I seriously advise you to consider investing in a better source or different phones before you try to buy an amp as a 'band aid'.
   
  3. If you *must* have a dedicated headphone amp, ask yourself if you are really going to use those headphones outside the house - if not, I urge you to take a look at the Fiio E9. Its cheap, relatively light and I enjoy mine immensely - most importantly, you wont get burned straight up.
   
  The longer you can put off buying a 300-500 dollar portable amp, the better informed you will be. Its far more important to be upfront about what you want (e.g. 'I want gear that gives me serious bass slam, and to hell with the "audiophile" tag' ) than trying to fit in with any trends you see here.
   
  Good luck,
   
  estreeter


----------



## crazyfrenchman27

About the link...I really do not understand the position that portable amps can't compare to home amps...have you double-blind tested any of them?  I've listened to like a bazillion amps, portable and home...I would bet you money that the guy/s who post these remarks could not state "this SR-71 is inferior to this home amp" in a DBT.
   
  If anything, the SS portable amps will outperform because you don't have tube amps in the equation.
   
  My advice is to go to a head-fi mega meet to try stuff out...focus on the expensive, high-end custom IEM's (like UE) and some comfortable high-end headphones.  Buy the two you like the most.  Buy yourself a good amp (300-400 is more than enough) and source component.  Then leave this forum forever.  You will save yourself a lot of money.


----------



## Armaegis

[size=medium]The power available in portable amps these days is *much* greater than it was a few years ago, and several of the more modern ones can rival desktop amps. ​[/size]


----------



## curiousmurf

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> The power available in portable amps these days is *much* greater than it was a few years ago, and several of the more modern ones can rival desktop amps. ​


 
   
  Hi Armaegis (and everyone else).
   
  Could you provide a couple of 'high power' models for me to look into. I'm looking for a 1.Portable amp+dac 2.mid to high end sound quality . 3. input for dac with usb and preferably also optical toslink.
   
  Budget = up to $350 (but let me know of any models just beyond my reach in case i can find it in the pre-owned market).
   
  Thanks.


----------



## crazyfrenchman27

What kind of headphones would you be driving?
   
  I am skeptical that you could find a suitable portable amp+portable DAC combo in that price range...think more like 500.


----------



## Armaegis

The really high power options are amp only, like the RSA SR-71A and iBasso P4. There are also the balanced options like the SR-71B and PB2 but you probably don't need those.
   
  The best I can think of for portable dac/amp with high power is the iBasso D6 and Practical Devices XM6 (the D6 is within your budget, the XM6 is above but has a ton of features). Neither of those have optical however. For optical inputs, you have the iBasso D10/D12 and Leckerton UHA-6, though both are lower in power compared to the other options.


----------



## estreeter

As I stated elsewhere, *on paper* the D12 hooked up to the P4 would make for a very good single-ended combination that will easily fit in a camera case. So many options from the D12.
   
  Getting back to the fullsize thing, I think what many are referring to is bang-for-buck : I find it very hard to nominate a portable amp that comes within cooee of the E9 for anything resembling the price. Happy to hear otherwise.


----------



## Thundernuts

WANTED: Yulong A1000 or similer small powerful headphone Amp

 Hi everyone - I'm looking for a very small and powerful headphone amp that will drive DT880/600s with plenty of power.
  Thanks


----------



## estreeter

Need
  - budget ?
  - musical preferences ?
  - source ?


----------



## crazyfrenchman27

these posts which do not include a budget, the headphone, or the source are incredibly annoying...


----------



## Edward Reynolds

I know nothing about amps, so any advice would be good, even if it's 'you dont need an amp'.
   
  - ~$100US (push it to $150 if needs be)
  -Audio Technica A900 (closed not open, people seem to mix them up a bit around here)
  -Meizu Mini Player (got in 2007, so i bit old now. Better sound output compared to my flatmates ipods to my ears. 1 touch, and a couple of older classic models)
  -Heavy metal (Love heavy punchy bass _*as long as*_ it doesnt drown out the mid and high clarity)
  -Portability is important as my rig is used 90% out of the house/away from a desk.
   
  Cheers


----------



## estreeter

ER, I had the A500, the A900's little brother, and those cans will run fine straight from a DAP/CDP or whatever. An amp might give you a little more punch in the bass, but be careful : cheap amps can be a very blunt instrument in terms of the way they handle bass.
   
  Its also dangerous for me to recommend kit I havent heard, but this gadget is currently gathering a horde of admirers here and elsewhere:
   
  http://anythingbutipod.com/2011/06/digizoid-zo-portable-subwoofer-review/
   
  I like two things about the ZO:
  - its within your stated budget
  - it caters to the very thing many newbie HeadFiers crave - bass slam
   
  If I have a concern, its simply that the ZO combined with phones like the A900 might be too much of a good thing, but it reportedly have several bass increments ranging from 'barely noticeable' to 'OMG - get me outta here !'. We look forward to your impressions, particularly your impression of closed cans on the latter setting


----------



## kmhaynes

Well, I don't know if these amps would be considered "the best' but all 3 are very good little amps.
   
  The iBasso T3 ($120 USD) is a very small, very clean amp that will not color the sound of your player -- it will make everything sound tighter and cleaner, but not really more bass or treble.  (The older T4 model, hard to find, has a bass boost on it -- small bass boost).
   
  The new Fiio E11 ($70)  is also very clean (based on reveiws, I haven't heard it) and very powerful.  Lot's of reviews about it can be read here on head-fi.org.
   
  The SoundMagic A10 ($70) is about the same size as your Meizu player, but it is a warmer, more musical sounding amp, and it has a bass boost that boosts around the 100hz range -- not the deepest bass, but enough emphasis to know it's more bass.  One thing to get used to this amp:  there is not on/off switch -- as long as a plug is in the input, the amp is on.  If you leave phones plugged into it, it will drain the battery on you.   Just unplug your headphones, that's all.
   
  Depending on what type of sound re-inforcement you want, any of these amps will fit your bill.


----------



## Edward Reynolds

My A900s are replacing my A500s, and my only gripe with the really (other than the horrible looking head rest) A500s was the lack of punchy bass. The bass is pretty **** clear when the file being played is quality, but it is too easily...left in the background. Which is not ideal when im trying to listen to A) Bass heavy music, and B) Aggressive music. I see in most of the reviews ive read that the A900s dont really improve much in this area over the A500s. So, i thought maybe an amp would be the way to go.
   
  A lot of the time the bass guitar or tuned down 7/8 string guitar is the lead instument in a song and when I have to cut the the mids and highs back just so the bass stands out it is a bit dissapointing. Same thing happens wiht music that is heavy on the bassdrum. The thing with my music with 7/8 sting guitar is that although it gets really low and heavy they still use a lot of the higer notes, blending it all together. I just want the bass to actually be able to compete with the rest of the sound range.
   
  I used to have a Sansa Fuze (not Rockboxed, was the wrong model unfortunately), which has really nice mids and highs put failed to produce punchy bass at all. It was super clear, clearer than the Meizu Mini Player (which I had before the Sansa, and i have since come back to) but yeah. Lacked the kick.

 When i listent to jazz/lounge/classical music however my current A500/Meizu setup is excellent.


----------



## zaphod-159

headphones - D1100
  budget - 300$ (thinking of the new arrow 4G) this budget is kinda high for my headphone but i just want to buy a good amp that i can use even when i change my headphone.
  source - iphone
  i use em at home or travelling, but looking for a portable amp. also would like to state that i had a CmoyBB and i did not like how it sounded with the D1100.
  any recommendations ?


----------



## zaphod-159

anyone?


----------



## Armaegis

You have lots of options... do you want a dac as well or just an amp? Do you want to be able to roll opamps?


----------



## zaphod-159

just an amp would be fine. but can I also get a good dac/amp combo for my budget? as i said before i need something that i will still be able to still use when i upgrade my d1100 next year or so.


----------



## Armaegis

There are several offerings from FiiO, iBasso and Leckerton that you can look into that are dac/amps all within your budget.


----------



## zaphod-159

ah after some research i decided on a amp only since i will be travelling quite alot and size matters


----------



## Armaegis

Arrow 4g (long wait time, you'd have more luck buying a used one off the forums)
  Pico Slim
  FiiO E11
  iBasso T3 or T4
  Soundmagic A10
  any number of Cmoys
  PA2v2
  HotAudio Thunderbolt
   
  The top four are your smallest options. For a really small dac/amp, there's the iBasso D2+, FiiO E7 and Leckerton UHA-4.


----------



## zaphod-159

ah i really want an arrow 4G but im scared of the MONTHS of waiting time :/ i guess ill go for the 4G or pico slim because i want to spend my money and get the best i can because my next upgrade will probably be a good headphone and i dont want to spend more money on getting another amp. thanks for all the help.
   
  now i have to decide between a more expensive pico slim or a cheaper 4G arrow with a longer wait time. sigh.


----------



## Armaegis

What headphones do you want to drive? I've heard both and prefer the sound of the Slim (which is also slightly smaller), but the Arrow has more options and more power for bigger cans. For iems I would give the nod to the Slim.


----------



## zaphod-159

well i currently have the denon d1100 and i really like the denon sound so my next step up would probably be a D5000. what tempts me on the 4g is the treble boost, no need for bass boost for denons, definately not for my d1100 lol. also like the ability to upgrade the arrow for a low cost when new versions are released. but the size and looks for the pico slim are definately an advantage


----------



## pandab55

Try the Fiio E7 amp/dac - it is 94 dollars now on amazon with free shipping.  You need to get a line out audio cable too for the ipod.  I think you would enjoy it.  I am no expert by any means like most of the other people, but it will drive your headphones and since you are new to the amp arena like I am too, I think you would enjoy the E7 and you would also enjoy that you don't have too spend too much money to get a new one.


----------



## koolkat

Aye, for those who buy amps for the bass boost function, why not just equalise ?


----------



## Armaegis

Because there's often a stigma against EQ...


----------



## koolkat

But if he's looking to buy an amp just to boost the bass...
   
  I wonder if it's possible to get the right EQ settings for the sound signature of higher end amps..


----------



## zaphod-159

no im not lookin for an amp to bass boost. is it possible for me to equalize from my source while using an amp (source will be a iphone)


----------



## koolkat

I don't have an iphone (lol) but if your iphone's player has an equaliser, yes you can equalise.


----------



## Brooko

Quote: 





zaphod-159 said:


> no im not lookin for an amp to bass boost. is it possible for me to equalize from my source while using an amp (source will be a iphone)


 


  Zaphod - don't use the equaliser that comes with the iPhone.  It's awful.  Look in the app store and either buy Equ or Equaliser.  Both add very good quality parametric equaliser for iPod Touch  or iPhone.


----------



## zaphod-159

ok, thanks


----------



## BattleBrat

I am DISGUSTED!!! No one has mentioned the UHA-4! It is reasonably slim, has a DAC and powers the HD650's (and a few other full sized cans I'm told) very well, give it a shot too!


----------



## ubercaffeinated

i'm in love with the uha-4 so i'm gonna recommend it too. i just got it outfitted with the opa627 after trying it with the ad8610 for a month, and the thing pairs perfectly with the er-4s. i've got that dark musical lovin piping out of the er-4s finally. great synergy with cold analytical iems.
  
  Quote: 





battlebrat said:


> I am DISGUSTED!!! No one has mentioned the UHA-4! It is reasonably slim, has a DAC and powers the HD650's (and a few other full sized cans I'm told) very well, give it a shot too!


----------



## mrspeakers

I did a lot of research and listening at a few meets and really like the Leckton, the D6 for power or the D12 for flexibility. The best sounding portable I have heard is the DACPort but it isn't self powered and is over the 300-350 mark people have discussed.

The DACPort has 650mW per channel of class A, that is just amazing in a portable and the sound is awesome, but the class A part is why it powers only off USB....


----------



## Armaegis

Quote: 





battlebrat said:


> I am DISGUSTED!!! No one has mentioned the UHA-4! It is reasonably slim, has a DAC and powers the HD650's (and a few other full sized cans I'm told) very well, give it a shot too!


 


  I did in post #28...


----------



## zaphod-159

AHHH more confusion for me now  
   
  the uha-4, pico slim or 4G. sigh. anyone know what would be the best for a basshead that has a low impedance denon and will probably upgrade to another denon in the future?  btw also would like to state that i mostly listen to electronic, house and reggae but mostly i find the bass and the highs(highs are mainly for electronic like deadmau5, but bass is still VERY important) more important to me.


----------



## swbf2cheater

im in the same boat as zaphod, torn between the pico slim, waiting for the 4g, or the Uha4 with the opa627 upgrade, but i dont need a dac, just an amp


----------



## zaphod-159

i went for a uha-4 because well, i found 1 in the trade forum and a DAC could be pretty usefull for me. but if a DAC does not appeal for u, from what i have read and learnt on this forum, u would be better of waiting for the 4g to come out and somebody to make a comparison between the 4g and pico slim. that doesnt take long though, im sure in about 3 days that people start receiving their 4G, u would probably be able to find some1 that has owned both and that can give u a little advice


----------



## swbf2cheater

I am the most impatient person on head fi, odds are good that person will be me


----------



## evanwier

Another vote for UHA-4 here, a friend picked one up and I got a chance to listen to his modded Grado SR60's and absolutely loved it.  Ill bring my K701's next time and give them a listen - but worth the money to me.


----------

