# The best portable amp



## Dobrescu George

The title is my question... which is the best portable amp?...
   
   
  if i get it good, the battle is somewhere around ibasso pb2, emmeline sr71b, practical devices xm6, and (?) fiio e11?..... 
   
   
   
  let's say that i want to drive sennheiser hd650, sennheiser hd800, akg k701, beyerdinamic t1, or audeze lcd 2 at full potential....
   
   
   
   
  and if this is not possible, from an portable amp, which is the one who does the best job?...


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## estreeter

If you have the money, I'd strongly suggest that you read Skylab's final 'shootout' between the L3, Corda Stepdance and the SR71B. The 12 Amp Shootout at Headfonia also came out in Ray's favour. I hope you have deep pockets.


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## b0wl1ng

The best three, in no particular order are, the Lisa , Corda Stepdance and The Emmeline SR 71B, head and shoulders above the rest.


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## SowonAoD

Which of them is the best match for j3 in your opinion?


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## tws1

I heard Justin's mini amps at the UK Head-Fi meet recently, I'm sure he won't mind me advertising on his behalf... JustAudio.co.uk.
   
  I compared his mini class AB, his slightly larger class A, a stepdance, and an amb micro. They were all great amps, I was using AKG 702's to try them, using a LOD from my iPhone. Not even the AMB micro had a problem powering the AKG's, with some really deep bass. I prefered his class A with the AKG's, the difference was very small, I thought I could hear nuances in a particular vocal that I hadn't heard before. I was listening to some acoustic jazz, and some ambiant/house/electronic music. The class A will set you back £350, it was a really nice packaged amp, his class A was immensley small. The amb micro also had some serious power, although not as clear and sparkly upper-range, but for £90 and a bit of DIY it was great value.
   
  I was really picking though, having a table with all these mini amps and some AKGs was a pretty good afternoon. I was struggling to pick between them.
   
  Not that this helps much, you guys being across the pond!


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## b0wl1ng

I own one of Justins amps, the uHA-120, and it is a very good amp, I use it a lot with my 4th gen touch listening to radio paradise through my ortho,s.
  I have a stepdance and set on low gain through an imod as source and using Denon AH-D5000 its the best amp I have heard, not heard Justins class A yet though, heard all the others, the Lisa is a superb all rounder and the SR71B will drive any power hungry can with ease.
  For in ear monitors I would choose Justins uHA-120 , I have a set of triple pro 10s and all the boxes are ticked, sound quality, size,and value for money.


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## cn11

b0wl1ng-
   
  How would you compare the uHA-120 to the StepDance? I know a member who has the StepDance, but is looking for an improvement during the wait for shipment on the L3.


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## Dobrescu George

so... stepdance?... is cheap.... looks good... and if is the best, i may try it....
   
  no.... new question!... from practical devices xm6, and stepdance which is better?.....


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## Dobrescu George

i just have sent an question to practical devices to know if they can ship xm6 as gift, so that i will not pay 24%vat on it... 
   
  about amps, from stepdance and xm6 which is btter?.... as far as i understood, stepdance is a little on the low0side because of it's changeble batery side.....


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## FreeBlues

Quote: 





cn11 said:


> b0wl1ng-
> 
> How would you compare the uHA-120 to the StepDance? I know a member who has the StepDance, but is looking for an improvement during the wait for shipment on the L3.


 


 That member would be me! 
   
  I owned a Lisa for a number of years (sold it to get more portable - BIG mistake!) and replaced it with the StepDance.  Contrary to the majority opinion, I find the StepDance to be just okay, not bad, not great.  Compared to my old Lisa it was several steps lower in term of just about every sonic characteristic:  bass, treble extension (nothing is better than the Lisa), soundstage depth, width, clarity, musicality, overall presentation, etc.  I'm not exactly bashing the StepDance, it's maybe the 2nd best I've owned compared to the Lisa, I'm just saying the Lisa is in a whole 'nother class!
   
  I've heard some very good things about the uHA-120 and am almost certainly going to get one, but I'd love to hear some other opinions as to how it compares to the StepDance.
   
  Finally, the new L3 from Triad will ship in a couple months, I expect it will continue the tradition as "best" in terms of portable amps.


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## cn11

Quote: 





freeblues said:


> *That member would be me*!
> 
> I owned a Lisa for a number of years (sold it to get more portable - BIG mistake!) and replaced it with the StepDance.  Contrary to the majority opinion, I find the StepDance to be just okay, not bad, not great.  Compared to my old Lisa it was several steps lower in term of just about every sonic characteristic:  bass, treble extension (nothing is better than the Lisa), soundstage depth, width, clarity, musicality, overall presentation, etc.  I'm not exactly bashing the StepDance, it's maybe the 2nd best I've owned compared to the Lisa, I'm just saying the Lisa is in a whole 'nother class!
> 
> ...


 

 Indeed! And the bloke you sold the Lisa to is me. It can be rented back for quality time if you'd like! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  
   
  Seriously though, I hope that if/when you get this amp it will help you miss the Lisa a bit less.


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## estreeter

I'm going to paste a section from Skylab's final shootout here, simply because it is bloody hard to find in his 216-page monster thread - I hope he will understand. Granted, its one person's opinion, but thats one of the few people who has heard all 3 and a bazillion others, not to mention innumerable tube and SS amps. Happy to hear the voices of dissent, but I think they need to be accompanied by more than meet impressions. I concede that many of us wont be using the LCD2, sadly.
   
  First, the overall winner (bolding is mine):
   
  To be clear: *when used balanced*, I prefer the SR-71B over either of the other two amps, in every dimension listed above, even when used with a single-ended source.
   
  More importantly for those of us restricted to single-ended sources and phones, the L3 edged out the Stepdance and SR71B in most criteria:
   
*Single Ended Test Results*
   
  Music used for the test was Holly Cole Trio’s “Jersey Girl” and “Train Song” (from Temptation), Porcupine Tree’s “Trains” (from In Absentia),
  This test was done with all three amps driving the LCD-2 single ended.  The results were:
   
  Treble:
   
  L3 > Stepdance> SR71B
   
  The Stepdance’s treble was the most extended, but the mod treble was a bit recessed compared to the L3.  The L3 had the best detail retrieval.  The SR-71B was just a touch lacking in very top end extension.  The very delicate instrumentation during Holly Cole’s “Train Song” is a great test of this.  All three were unfailingly smooth, though.
   
   
  Midrange:
   
  L3 > SR71B > Stepdance
   
  The L3 had the most transparent and open sounding mids, while also providing the most realistic sounding performance on vocals.  Holly Cole’s voice especially was just jaw-droppingly beautiful on the L3.  Here it was just a bit better than the SR-71B.  The Stepdance had a flatter and slightly recessed midrange compared to the other two.  Again this is very slight, but noticeable.  I preferred the slightly lush mids on the L3, knowing that they were just that - slightly lush.
   
   
  Bass:
   
  L3 > SR-71B > Stepdance
   
  Again reminding that this is the performance in single-ended mode, I found that the SR-71B lacked a little weight and impact compared to the other two, and the L3 had the best weight, impact and depth combination.  This was with the L3’s variable bass control set to flat.  All of the amps had outstanding bass performance, but the Stepdance had just a tiny bit of trouble bringing the LCD-2’s bass prowess out to full measure.
   
   
  Soundstage:
   
  L3 > SR71B > Stepdance
   
  The L3 and SR-71B both had better three-dimensionality than the Stepdance, which seemed a bit flat in direct comparison.  The best depth was provided by the L3.  Vocals really seemed to float in air.
   
   
  Transparency:
   
  L3 > Stepdance > SR71B
   
  Again a bit of a surprise – the L3 was definitely the most transparent overall.  When uses single ended, I felt the SR-71B has a very slight glaze over the sound compared to the other two, and again I thought this was true when directly comparing the L3 to the Stepdance.  All of them qualify as highly transparent, in my view, though.
   
   
  Neutrality:
   
  Stepdance > L3 > SR71B
   
  I think the L3 and SR-71B both are just a little warmer than is strictly neutral.  The Stepdance sounds the least colored if you really peel back the onion…but that said, that does not mean I actually liked its tonality the most; in fact of these three amps, I liked its tonality the LEAST.  Such is life, and personal preferences.  The slight lushness of the SR-71B and L3 was preferable, for me personally.


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## b0wl1ng

Quote: 





cn11 said:


> b0wl1ng-
> 
> How would you compare the uHA-120 to the StepDance? I know a member who has the StepDance, but is looking for an improvement during the wait for shipment on the L3.


 

 The Stepdance is a better sounding amp in all areas except detail and accuracy nothing to choose between them which is remarkable as the stepdance is a balanced class A amp and the uHA-120 is class A/B.
  Synergy also plays a big part in this, as my go to cans are Denon AH-D5000 low impedence, the match up with the Stepdance set on low gain is the best sound I have heard out of any portable amp, in fact its better than out of ALL of my high end home amps which is remarkable.
  But the uHA-120 is almost on a par with the Stepdance played through my triple pro 10s, it is a very powerfull little amp and drives my orthos far easier than the stepdance, the built in battery is brilliant and one charge lasts many hours, its far smaller than the stepdance as well.
  I intend on keeping both of these amps, no more portable amps required, though keen to hear Justins class A amp, sorry perhaps I may round my portable amp collection up to three.  
  The other issue is cost and value , the uHA-120 and the Stepdance are $100,s less than the Lisa 111 and the SR 71B, something to bear in mind particularly for the European buyers.


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## Dobrescu George

ok... i am in europe.... for lisa i couldn't fiind a price.... but i know that stepdance is around 400$ as is the xm6 from portable devices.... sr 71b is around 700$.... and right now i am not so sure if worths the money.... another question.... i looked into lisa 3 and it has not so much power compared to others.....


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## b0wl1ng

Quote: 





estreeter said:


> I'm going to paste a section from Skylab's final shootout here, simply because it is bloody hard to find in his 216-page monster thread - I hope he will understand. Granted, its one person's opinion, but thats one of the few people who has heard all 3 and a bazillion others, not to mention innumerable tube and SS amps. Happy to hear the voices of dissent, but I think they need to be accompanied by more than meet impressions. I concede that many of us wont be using the LCD2, sadly.
> 
> First, the overall winner (bolding is mine):
> 
> ...


 

 Hello estreeter,
   
  No dissenting voice from me as it was skylabs initial review that prompted my purchase of the stepdance, as the comparisons reveal there is really not a lot to choose between all three of these fantastic portable amps.
  I decided to venture into portable Hi-Fi about 12 months ago, I have a very good home set-up but I,m using my portable rigs far more ,but when choosing one of these amps it comes down to personal preferences, the Stepdance will struggle to match the SR 71B and the Lisa 111 when asked to power the awesome LCD-2.
  Where the Stepdance has the edge in my opinion is set to low gain and matched with top quality low impedence headphones, the SR71B is the best amp to power mid to high impedance cans and the Lisa the best all rounder, though by far the larger of the three and not really pocket sized.
  But bang for buck the Stepdance is my choice, though at some point I will have to get a set of LCD-2s and then give Ray Samuels a call.


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## b0wl1ng

Quote: 





dobrescu george said:


> ok... i am in europe.... for lisa i couldn't fiind a price.... but i know that stepdance is around 400$ as is the xm6 from portable devices.... sr 71b is around 700$.... and right now i am not so sure if worths the money.... another question.... i looked into lisa 3 and it has not so much power compared to others.....


 

 The Lisa 111 is around the same price point as the SR 71B and you have the duty to pay as well remember, what headphones are you using ?.


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## cn11

Quote: 





b0wl1ng said:


> The Stepdance is a better sounding amp in all areas except detail and accuracy nothing to choose between them which is remarkable as the stepdance is a balanced class A amp and the uHA-120 is class A/B.
> Synergy also plays a big part in this, as my go to cans are Denon AH-D5000 low impedence, the match up with the Stepdance set on low gain is the best sound I have heard out of any portable amp, in fact its better than out of ALL of my high end home amps which is remarkable.
> But the uHA-120 is almost on a par with the Stepdance played through my triple pro 10s, it is a very powerfull little amp and drives my orthos far easier than the stepdance, the built in battery is brilliant and one charge lasts many hours, its far smaller than the stepdance as well.
> I intend on keeping both of these amps, no more portable amps required, though keen to hear Justins class A amp, sorry perhaps I may round my portable amp collection up to three.
> The other issue is cost and value , the uHA-120 and the Stepdance are $100,s less than the Lisa 111 and the SR 71B, something to bear in mind particularly for the European buyers.


 

 Thanks for the comparison. That helps a lot. And yeah, it is amazing it keeps up that well with a Class A amp. It makes me curious about the AHA-120 too.


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## Dobrescu George

how much costs lisa?....


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## FuzzyDunlop

With the greatest of respect, whilst Skylabs effort etc is great he left out the arrow - so it's hardly a subjective round up or one on the best amps in the market


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## ianmedium

b0wl1ng said:


> Hello estreeter,
> 
> No dissenting voice from me as it was skylabs initial review that prompted my purchase of the stepdance, as the comparisons reveal there is really not a lot to choose between all three of these fantastic portable amps.
> I decided to venture into portable Hi-Fi about 12 months ago, I have a very good home set-up but I,m using my portable rigs far more ,but when choosing one of these amps it comes down to personal preferences, the Stepdance will struggle to match the SR 71B and the Lisa 111 when asked to power the awesome LCD-2.
> ...




I will let you know how the Stepdance fares with the LCD2's hopefully this week, I am waiting for mine to arrive! Just out of interest have you tried the Stepdance yet with the external energizer battery/willy cable? It produces an consistent 15v which of course with the Stepdance means in actuality 30v of power. I cannot speak highly enough of this upgrade as it really makes the Stepdance shine and would love for someone with the more expensive amps who has the Stepdance as well to give it a go and then give thoughts on comparison. If you take into account the battery and cable it stil brings the Stepdance in at around $470, still considerably cheaper so it might be another option for folks with a more restricted budget.

 I am right now listening to my 100ohm Etymotic Er4S's and had almost written them off until I tried them with the extra power.. Oh my goodness, they are sublime and with the extra power are effortlessly driven by the Stepdance , I have mine in low gain mode and all the detail, volume and quality is evident with the volume dial at just 11.30 with lots of room to go


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## estreeter

Quote: 





fuzzydunlop said:


> With the greatest of respect, whilst Skylabs effort etc is great he left out the arrow - so it's hardly a subjective round up or one on the best amps in the market


 
   
   
  Here we go again - he also left out several iBasso amps which we iBasso fanboys would dearly love to have seen in the review : the reality is that iBasso stopped sending him review samples after he gave one of their amps a less-than-rapturous review. Rob made it very clear that he doesnt have a problem with HeadStage, but that he just wasnt interested in reviewing any more portable amps. Just to nitpick, I also think you need to look up the word 'subjective' in the dictionary 
   
  Guys, I have read some pretty funky impressions since the 'new wave' of portables was released :
   
  - two guys who couldnt tell the difference between the Stepdance and the much cheaper Corda XXS ('HeadSix') when they auditioned them in Perth
  - a Head-Fier who started her review of a Leckerton amp wildly enthused only to sink into despair days later when it became apparent that it was too 'audiophile' for her.
  - a reviewer on another site who claimed that the P4 is better single-ended than the SR71B single-ended, but the 71B blows everything out of the water balanced. He then went on to review a bunch of single-ended amps without so much as a sentence about the P4 - makes you wonder if they just do a search-and-replace on a template and post that as a 'review' ...
   
  End of the day, the best amp is the one you have right now.


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## Dobrescu George

yes, i know, that everybody is havin their opinions... but i am looking myself into reviews, opinions, doing the dirty job anyway for all names into here... i just don;t fiind comparasions between amps... this is where this thread is helpfull..... 
   
  i'm havin a list of headphones to drive, just the best budget amp
  denon (from d2k to d7k)
  sennheiser hd650
  sennheiser hd800
  audeze lcd2
  beyerdynamic dt770/990 on 80 ohm versions
   
  and about all is this for now.... i am still looking into headphone list....


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## estreeter

The comparisons thing is a tough one, and I read a very good POV from another Head-Fier recently : when you are looking for an amp, all you need to know is that the amp:
   
  a. is within your budget  (self-explanatory, but we all dream, right ?)
  b. is a match for the headphones you are using
   
  When you find that combination, it doesnt really matter if half of Head-Fi is using amp X - if your 'best fit' is amp Y, buy it. It made more sense than 90% of what I have seen here in 3 odd years, and it explains why the P4 will be making its way to my place next week despite far more people expressing a preference for other amps.


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## b0wl1ng

Hello Ian,
   
  I will be getting the energiser battery pack, more power is needed when set in low gain to drive orthos, and as we know the stepdance is at its best set in low gain mode, I will be interested to hear your results with the LCD-2.
  The Denons are a better match than my modded Fostex through with the stepdance, a low impedance sensitive headphone should have the edge when set on low gain, the Denons are perfect on low gain set at 12- O Clock on the dial, the orthos set up quite well but at 2- O Clock on high gain, a hell of a lot is lost on the high gain setting.
  If the battery pack can drive the Audeze on low gain with the solo  you will be floating around on on gossamer wings, LoL.


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## Musicdiddy

Quote: 





estreeter said:


> It made more sense than 90% of what I have seen here in 3 odd years, and it explains why the P4 will be making its way to my place next week despite far more people expressing a preference for other amps.


 

 And I don't think you will be disappointed. To my ears and with with Ron's Topkit installed this is one excellent sounding amp!


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## estreeter

Lets keep that on the qt, musicdiddy - the P4 seems to be one of the best kept secrets on Head-Fi, and Uncle Erik wont talk to me if he thinks I'm not serious about buying a tube amp in addition to the P4. I have enough time to listen to both - it will be an interesting contrast. Happy times.
   
  (btw, I have Ron's Topkit on my D4, but I'm going to burn the P4 in with the stock opamps - no-one has written a concise review of the iBasso with the stock opamps and I think its time)


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## ianmedium

b0wl1ng said:


> Hello Ian,
> 
> I will be getting the energiser battery pack, more power is needed when set in low gain to drive orthos, and as we know the stepdance is at its best set in low gain mode, I will be interested to hear your results with the LCD-2.
> The Denons are a better match than my modded Fostex through with the stepdance, a low impedance sensitive headphone should have the edge when set on low gain, the Denons are perfect on low gain set at 12- O Clock on the dial, the orthos set up quite well but at 2- O Clock on high gain, a hell of a lot is lost on the high gain setting.
> If the battery pack can drive the Audeze on low gain with the solo  you will be floating around on on gossamer wings, LoL.




...I am just hoping those gossamer wings are flappling hard and bringing the headphones this week. One thing that I will mention on the stepdance thread that I just found out last night and will give us more up for harder to power headphones. I played around with the gain settings whilst the power came from the energizer. To my ears with more power higher gain is now similar, if not the same as lower gain in sound quality!


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## dadab12

The stepdance as I see it is the most compatible with low gain headphones, does it mean it fits the Ultrasone pro 900 perfectly aswell?
  I'm looking for a portable amp to power these the best.  I was looking at some amp/dacs combos but they are all very pricy ..


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## cn11

The Justin Audio uHA-120 is absolutely* stunning* with the Pro 900s, I can vouch for that combo! The bass drive out of the JA amp is just spectacular, imparting a vice-like control on the Ultrasone drivers.


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## dadab12

Yeah, that's great to hear. you recommend them over the Practical Devices XM6, D12, and the rest of the crew?


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## Trinicans

Of these amp discussed here, what is the opion of the best suited/matched to the Sennheiser hd 650?


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## Dobrescu George

trinicans, i am asking something like that.... but... i want to get an amp... fuc k it!... i just needed something solid state, i do not want tube amp anymore, because i have to change the tube, and for a solid state i need something to be budget, and to rock off... buget means about 500$... and i accept portable or not...


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## estreeter

Quote: 





dobrescu george said:


> trinicans, i am asking something like that.... but... i want to get an amp... fuc k it!... i just needed something solid state, i do not want tube amp anymore, because i have to change the tube, and for a solid state i need something to be budget, and to rock off... buget means about 500$... and i accept portable or not...


 

 Friend, I appreciate your frustration, but we try to keep the F word to a minimum on HF - failure to do so means that we become just like any other trash-talking forum on the Net. Please assist us in our aims.
   
  In my case, I have my finger over the 'Submit' button on a PayPal payment for an amp that I have been looking forward to for a considerable number of months, and another Head-Fier has to come along and tell me that a *cheaper* amp is pushing all his buttons. Fortunately, I have been here long enough to know that, sooner or later, we have to actually make a decision and BUY SOMETHING. My advice is to put yourself out of your misery. I have, and I feel better already 
   
   

 Description Unit price Qty Amount iBasso Audio $263.00 USD 1 $263.00 USD


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## Dobrescu George

i see... not really, i am not really using the f word that often, but, sometimes the things are like, nobody really says something rellevant... everybody started to talk about the imbuding of stepdance, not how good is it, or how good is it compared to xm6 from practical.... 
   
  i have to at least ask about headphone amplifiers names, under 500$.... because i do not know much about those...


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## b0wl1ng

Quote: 





dobrescu george said:


> i see... not really, i am not really using the f word that often, but, sometimes the things are like, nobody really says something rellevant... everybody started to talk about the imbuding of stepdance, not how good is it, or how good is it compared to xm6 from practical....
> 
> i have to at least ask about headphone amplifiers names, under 500$.... because i do not know much about those...


 

 Their is no wonder amp that will cater for all headphones, as estreeter said you have to make your own conscious decisision at some point and run with it.
  the ibasso in his last post would be a good start for you as you can tune it to your own tastes, (op amp rolling) looks a great price and has had only good reviews.


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## b0wl1ng

Quote: 





b0wl1ng said:


> Their is no wonder amp that will cater for all headphones, as estreeter said you have to make your own conscious decisision at some point and run with it.
> the ibasso in his last post would be a good start for you as you can tune it to your own tastes, (op amp rolling) looks a great price and has had only good reviews.


 

 I can spell, honest I can , Decision, and There not Their, off thread,sorry but its friday and the sun is shining.


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## estreeter

Relax bowling - its Friday night here - time for beer and forgetting about audio


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## b0wl1ng

Ain,t that the truth, LoL, 11.am here, a glorious sunny day (and week-end apparently) this is rare in the UK, bowling is bowling this afternoon, beers to follow.


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## Severanth

Tis a beauty of a day isn't it.  More on track, i just received my silver/copper hybrid balanced cable.   Little bit of audio bliss with  HD 650 and RSA SR-71B.
   
  When I was in same situation as you Trinicans and fellas my logic was to buy the best possible amp I could afford and that would allow me to upgrade cans with (portable being 1st criteria).  
   
  I listened to the iBasso PB2 balanced at the London meet it does a good job, it is a quality amp.  But I am glad I choose to spend the extra ££ for the 71B.  Which was a relief as i was worried about having spent to much on the amp.
   
  my 2 cents. 
  oh and the guy with the PB2 just ordered a 71B 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





  
   
  I missed listening to the Lyre and JustAudio??  ( think that was the one, it was mentioned earlier on this thread).  So cannot help there.  Enjoy the music all.


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## Dobrescu George

i know, i know... can just someone just (f-word) post names of portable or not protable amplifiers... under 500$?... i just need some names, people... i do not know any names of amplifiers....


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## Stevtt

I feel your Pain. Just go to Ray Samuels website and look up the hornet. It will drive them and you can get it way under 500.00. you are going to need a 1/4 inch to mini adapter


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## Severanth

@ skerry,   The Skylab Review Portable Amp Roundup is what you need to use for reference.
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/214588/review-portable-amp-roundup-56-portable-amps-reviewed-and-compared-final-update-12-20-10-added-rsa-sr-71b
   
  Besides the lack of the iBasso PB2 as mentioned before it is a great reference and over all feel for a very large number of portable headphone amps.


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## SowonAoD

Some top models of ibasso such as d12 or p4 are not reviewed. What a pity! 
Btw, anyone could tell me the overall sound signature of ibasso amps?


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## estreeter

Quote: 





sowonaod said:


> Some top models of ibasso such as d12 or p4 are not reviewed. What a pity!
> Btw, anyone could tell me the overall sound signature of ibasso amps?


 


  Cant help you with the D12, but I will have a review of the P4 up by the end of April. The problem with the latter is that you can tailor the sound signature - iBasso have aimed it at those of us who want to swap opamps - but I found the D4 to be relatively neutral out of the box. Mike at Headfonia characterises their amps as 'bright', but that is in direct comparison to the RSA 'house' sound. If 'bright' means energetic/dynamic and resolving, then I'm with Mike, but some people run a mile as soon as they see the word 'bright' in a set of impressions. As I said, the ability to change opamps renders a lot of this mute, and HeadphoneAddict reported that he thought the D4 was very close in sound signature to Ray's P-51 Mustang after he had done some opamp rolling - its in the massive Skylab thread referred to earlier.


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## SowonAoD

Sound great! But will they get on well with a neutral and analytical iem such as ck10?


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## estreeter

Quote: 





sowonaod said:


> Sound great! But will they get on well with a neutral and analytical iem such as ck10?


 


  I dont know how if ljokerl still posts in the IEM forum. but I suspect that his review of the CK10 boosted AudioTechnicas profits considerably. If I remember correctly, he had the Practical Devices XM4 and the iBasso T4 for many of his 160+ IEM reviews - you might be better off posting in the IEM forum. My suspicion, and thats all it is right now, is that the D4 wasnt designed for sensitive IEMs - happy to hear otherwise - in any case, Leckerton make a slimline amp for considerably less than $245.


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## Blasto_Brandino

I just ordered the Leckerton slimline amp, eagerly awaiting it.... A lot of people seem to forget, the Lisa III has an optional power supply, the LLP, with it, you've got a BEAST, if only all portable amps offered such an option. that is what pushed me over the edge, it is portable, and it is stationary.


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## estreeter

Quote: 





blasto_brandino said:


> A lot of people seem to forget, the Lisa III has an optional power supply, the LLP, with it, you've got a BEAST, if only all portable amps offered such an option. that is what pushed me over the edge, it is portable, and it is stationary.


 

 If only all portable amps came with said power supply for about half of what Triad charge for the Lisa III+PSU ......
   
  Mike from Headfonia is adamant that the PB2 is more powerful than the Lisa III:
   
_The PB-2 currently holds the trophy for the most powerful portable headphone amplifier, as it is able to drive the Hifiman HE-6 Orthodynamic headphone to good levels without breaking up. This is done with the high bandwith BUF634 that is shipped with the PB-2. The PB-1 can’t output this kind of power, and so you’ll need to get the PB-2 for the Hifiman headphones. *To Lisa 3 and RSA SR-71A owners: yes, the PB-2 is more powerful than your current amplifier.*_
   
  To be fair, he didnt stipulate whether that is with or without the PSU. He claims to own the Lisa III, so its not just a case of glancing at a spec sheet and deeming the PB-2 to be the 'winner'. For those of us who have no interest in driving the HiFiMan orthos, this is all academic.


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## Dobrescu George

so the most very powerful amps are for orthodynamic and not for normal.... huh.... and for sennheiser hd 650, what amp should do it's job well?...


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## ianmedium

Just want to add into the power debate here folks. For a very modest price (around $100,and that is modest in comparison to the cost of the Lisa and SR) one can have twenty four hours of battery life _and_ 30v power for the Stepdance! (remember the Stepdance has a balanced ground effectively doubling the power it is being fed!). I really would love to see someone who has either of the other amps compare them to the Stepdance in that mode!

It becomes a whole new amp with this power supply, effortless, smooth and refined but wonderful detail and transparency. Can't wait for my LCD2's to arrive on Friday to see how they fare with it!


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## Ray Samuels

Hi Buddy...
  I do not know where you got your info regarding the SR-71Bs voltage swing capability or the current handling, but as far as I know there is no portable amp with higher battery voltage
  & current that can do what the SR-71B does, specially in balanced mode, when you take the size of the amp into consideration.
  Ray Samuels
   
  Quote: 





estreeter said:


> If only all portable amps came with said power supply for about half of what Triad charge for the Lisa III+PSU ......
> 
> Mike from Headfonia is adamant that the PB2 is more powerful than the Lisa III:
> 
> ...


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## estreeter

Hi Ray,
   
        Not sure why you have chosen to respond to this out of countless threads discussing the power output of various amps, but I am a little surprised by the way you have phrased your response. I dont have your electronics knowledge, and I accept that you have put a lot of time, money and effort in to the development of the 71B *but** I attributed the quote, complete with italics, to Mike at Headfonia. *Please take it up with Mike if you dispute his claim. This is the review I pulled the quote from:
   
  http://www.headfonia.com/the-usual-suspects-12-portable-amps-compared/
   
        Ray, I just want to make one request - can you please publish output power ratings for all of your amps, preferably the rating under load @32ohms ? Many of your product pages contain an extensive marketing rant and no specs - perhaps I've missed them somewhere. For those who know more about electronics than I do, the iBasso specs may seem over-stated or even meaningless - I dont know - but I'd like to be able to compare those numbers even if they have no bearing on the sound signature of the finished product. I would note that Mike has given all off your amps, including several that barely get a mention here, very favourable reviews - if he has his wires crossed on the power output issue, I expect that he would be willing to post a correction.
   
  Regards,
   
  estreeter
  
  Quote: 





ray samuels said:


> Hi Buddy...
> I do not know where you got your info regarding the SR-71Bs voltage swing capability or the current handling, but as far as I know there is no portable amp with higher battery voltage
> & current that can do what the SR-71B does, specially in balanced mode, when you take the size of the amp into consideration.
> Ray Samuels


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## Blasto_Brandino

I am pretty happy with the Lisa III, especially when used with my HD650's. It wasnt power I was after when I bought the Lisa, it was quality.
  In fact in the 12 'usual suspects' shootout the reviewer says this: "the PB-2 takes a small step back in terms of refinement and resolution, though improving tremendously in power output." I'm sorry, but I don't need power THAT badly!
  as I said before the fact i could use it as a stationary amp pushed me over the edge, I just adjusted the LLP's output to 24 volts, its quite awesome.                                                            
  Mr  Samuels, I plan on buying one of your fine SR71B amps when i get further into IEMs, I was wondering do you know of any straight balanced connectors available for it? The 90 degree ones would make it difficult to use a 3.5mm plug adapter so that balanced plug modified phones could be used with other sources. thank you
  Also Mr. Samuels, in the 12 amp shootout, the reviewer said this: "To Lisa 3 and RSA SR-71A owners: yes, the PB-2 is more powerful than your current amplifier."
  He mentioned the SR-71A, not the 71B


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## dadab12

I'm leaning toward the Just Audio uHA-120U/A. a fellow member of this site tested both the stepdance and the Just audio uHA-120U with the Ultrasone pro 900 and the Just Audio was way ahead of the stepdance in terms of soundstage , mid-range and clarity.
  I myself an owner of the Pro 900 and the uHA-120 really fascinates me.
   
  At the same price there's the Ibasso PB2, Wonder how it fares with the just audio, The PB2 is a balanced amp so it might come in handy in the future when I decide to go balanced.
   
  Anyone here had an experience with both? or with the PB2 and has impressions on this one?
   
  Thanks.


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## Ray Samuels

Mr. Estreeter...
  My bad, & I do apologize for the mistake I have made. Sorry for the mess I did write, I need stronger glasses, some how I though my brain saw SR-71B in the high lighted line in your post. But I read it again & I see it is SR-71A which is a SE amp.
  In that case the quete is correct. Why in the hell I, some how, thought it was SR-71B? I think I am loosing it. Thanks Mr. Blasto Brandino for the help.
  Sorry my friend.
  Ray Samuels
   
   
  Quote: 





estreeter said:


> Hi Ray,
> 
> Not sure why you have chosen to respond to this out of countless threads discussing the power output of various amps, but I am a little surprised by the way you have phrased your response. I dont have your electronics knowledge, and I accept that you have put a lot of time, money and effort in to the development of the 71B *but** I attributed the quote, complete with italics, to Mike at Headfonia. *Please take it up with Mike if you dispute his claim. This is the review I pulled the quote from:
> 
> ...


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## estreeter

No problems Ray - I completely understand that you put a lot of time into your amps : this is your livelihood and I respect that.
   
  Like most Head-Fiers, I only have the reviews posted here and elsewhere to go by - if I am misinformed, at least I can usually trace that back to the source.
   
  Peace
   
  estreeter


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## Canadian411

Am I audiophile newbie or what ?
   
  Last night I received ALO balanced cable for my LCD2 to SR-71b.
  And this was first time I was able to use SR-71b and I hear no differences in sound quality other then increase in the volume.
   
  Do I suppose to hear bass, treble or mid improvement ? or just the higher volume ?
   
  puzzled...


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## Dobrescu George

you were supposed to hear some differences with sr71b... i mean, from this thread i understood that it is the strongest portable amp....
   
  this may be because you could need an tube amplifier to run lcd 2 at their potential.....


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## estreeter

Quote: 





canadian411 said:


> Am I audiophile newbie or what ?
> 
> Last night I received ALO balanced cable for my LCD2 to SR-71b.
> And this was first time I was able to use SR-71b and I hear no differences in sound quality other then increase in the volume.
> ...


 

 You wanted 'Shazam !' straight from the box, right ? Have you spoken to Ray re his estimate for the length of time it takes for this amp to start showing you what its got ? Have you read the posts about amps being the greatest single cause of crushed expectations in head-fi ?
  
  Personally, the 'big' moments for me tend to happen when I've given up on trying to listen 'critically', when I'm relaxed/unstressed and I just kick back and let my favorite music play on kit that has a few hours on it. For example, I found the out-of-the-box sound of the E9 to be dreadful, spent a lot of time trying to 'burn it in', then just gave up and started using it as an amp - expectations removed, I could begin to understand what my $140 had bought me and it all made sense. I also realised that it needs more time to warm up at the beginning of each listening session than my portables did, and I am now very happy with the bang-for-buck the E9 gives me.
   
  I then wondered how I would feel if I had spent $1000+ on a huge tube amp from Woo and had a similar initial experience - would I want to send it back immediately in the hope of getting my money back ? I dont buy into all the hoopla about burn-in, but something organic has to come to terms with something synthetic, and that doesnt happen in the first few days, at least in my experience. YMMV.
   
  Long story short, try to contact Ray.


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## Dobrescu George

that means, use it for 3-4 days, and then see the resoults...


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## MilesDavis2

Quote: 





> Hi Buddy...
> I do not know where you got your info regarding the SR-71Bs voltage swing capability or the current handling, but as far as I know there is no portable amp with higher battery voltage
> & current that can do what the SR-71B does, specially in balanced mode, when you take the size of the amp into consideration.
> Ray Samuels


 


 At the end of the day, its just the music. That's why I'm enjoying HeadFi. Not who's got the strongest or the biggest...


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## estreeter

Quote: 





milesdavis2 said:


> At the end of the day, its just the music. That's why I'm enjoying HeadFi. Not who's got the strongest or the biggest...


 
   
  Thats your POV, but there are a lot of people on Head-Fi who want to drive big cans with (increasingly tiny) portable amps. Add that Ray is very gung-ho in his marketing blurb for the SR71B and wasnt about to be upstaged by the Chinese with a much cheaper amp  - forget the music, this clearly touched a nerve.


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## toby5678910

Dr Xins Super Macro IV > ALL


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## estreeter

Quote: 





toby5678910 said:


> Dr Xins Super Macro IV > ALL


 

 This thread is about the BEST, not the butt-ugliest, portable amp.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  The only threads I have read about Dr Xins amps were from people wondering where their amp was - happy to hear that you have yours.


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## Blasto_Brandino

Quote: 





estreeter said:


> This thread is about the BEST, not the butt-ugliest, portable amp.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  lol
   
  Heard Xin amps are amazingly warm, like a TTVJ slim on steroids.


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## imackler

This thread is fascinating. Thanks guys!


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## Syan25

I would definitely trust Ray's amps - I have the SR-71A and am blown away. Am soon to get the less portable HR-2 and am expecting to be knocked out soon...


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## rrrango

I use the LCD2s w/ the ALO audio cable, balanced to the SR-71Bs and then balanced again to a Cambridge 840c.  There is a significant difference in soundstaging and clarity compared to running the entire signal chain in single-ended mode.


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## Syan25

Cool set up...


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## zitounesup

Would the CLAS + SR-71B be a good setup for balanced output with CIEMs? Apart from the Centrance M8 (still not fully ready for shipping) and the ALO Mx3-b+ (still having the hiss issue with IEMs according to ALO themselves) I do not see any other alternative. 
  Thanks!


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## LFC_SL

Way to bump a two year old thread?

As you do not say what your requirements are other than "ciem", it is unclear how you have narrowed the choice of amp down to those two. Accordingly no one can really offer advice


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## zitounesup

Yes a bit old indeed 
  Well have been reading many posts here and it seems the these two make a good setup; I look for a long battery life and a balanced output - might also use it with other headphones later.
  The Mk3 has a goos battery life too but apparently still gets the hiss so I prefer to avoid.


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## LFC_SL

If you want to go balance to balance between Clas -dB and amp you actually have five choices:
   
  RSA Intruder
  RSA SR-71B
  RSA Lightning (no SE output)
  Alo MK3B
  Alo International


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## zitounesup

Yep indeed! time to listen and chose


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