I have just added the following to this review:
Update 4/9/08
> Todd the Vinyl Junkie Portable Millet Hybrid
http://www.ttvj.com/index.php?main_p...oducts_id=1062
I was able to listen to this amp under TTVJ’s loaner program. The PMH is of course the only portable amp with tubes in it that I am aware of. But it’s a hybrid – the tubes aren’t used to drive the headphones directly. Based on what I had read, I expected it to sound tubier than it did. But there are some sonic attributes that can probably be ascribed to the tubes. Less happily, the tubes are also likely the reason that the chassis rings very audibly through the headphones if tapped. This is really a bummer for a portable amp. It means that while it is portable, care will have to be taken while listening not to bump it, or unwanted ringing will overlay the music.
Build Quality: A: Very attractive and sturdy chassis. I guess I won’t subtract here for that annoying pinging…
Treble: A-: The treble is reasonably clean, transparent, and neutral. As I expected the amp lacks a little top end extension and air, but not nearly as much as I thought it might. I don’t think the treble is a real problem, generally, unless you try to use it with dark sounding headphones.
Midrange: A+: WOW. Simply gorgeous. Cliché or not, I have to assume this is due to the tube impact. But the mids were musical, lush, detailed, clean, open, and very enjoyable. The amp’s strong suite, no doubt.
Bass: A-: Full, punch, and fat. Perhaps a little loose. Could have a little better depth. But it was very enjoyable nonetheless.
Neutrality: A-: More neutral than I expected. Aside from lacking the very frequency extremes, it is essentially neutral . In fact, I was surprised to find it more neutral than the Decware Zenhead, which went through the review process at the same time.
Soundstaging: A: Great depth and width, and a very palpable image. Excellent performance here.
Transparency: A-: Occasionally just a bit thick sounding, but generally very transparent.
The TTVJ PMH provides very good, and in some respect truly excellent sound. It’s generally well built. But it’s at the very top end of the price curve of portable headphone amps, and for my $450, for portable use, I’d prefer the iQube, which performs better overall and doesn’t have that very annoying pinging/ringing. It might be better to leave the tubes at home.
Conclusions (4/9/08)
OK, so now it’s now 38 amps! Here is my view on how the amps stacked up. Note that the sum of the "Grades" I give does not always tell the whole story in how I rank them, since the whole is sometimes greater or lesser than the sum of the parts, and I am often forced to split hairs here, since the list has gotten so long. Also please note that even if these amps include a DAC, that DAC performance was NOT a factor in these rankings AT ALL. Also, for clarification, this ranking is based on sound quality ONLY, and does not take things like size or battery life into account.
1. Triad Audio Lisa III
2. Qables iQube
2. Headamp Pico
2. Larocco Audio Pocket Reference II mk 2 (availability unknown - PLEASE read entire review)
2. Meier Audio 2MOVE (and the older MOVE)
3. RSA SR71
3. RSA The Predator
4. RSA The Hornet “M”
5. Xenos 1HA-EPC (discontinued)
6. RSA Tomahawk
6. Meier Audio XXS / Headsix
7. TTVJ Portable Millet Hybrid
8. Xin Reference
8. Meier Audio Porta Corda III (discontinued)
8. Xin SuperMicro IV (current version auditioned 1/22/08)
9. Headamp AE-2
10. Go-Vibe 7
10. Mini3
11. Leckerton Audio UHA-3
12. Portaphile V2^2
13. mSeed Spirit (discontinued)
14. Mini-Box E
14. Storm B4
15. iBasso P-1 (discontinued)
16. Visely HEA- 1
17. Microshar uAmp107
18. Practical Devices XM4
18. C&C XO
18. iBasso T2
19. Go-Vibe 6 (discontinued)
20. Xtra X-1 Pro
21. Xenos 0HA-REP (discontinued)
21. iBasso T1 (discontinued)
22. Xtra X-1 (discontinued)
23. C&C Box V2
24. Storm B3
25. Little Dot Micro+ (discontinued)
As always, this is JUST MY OPINION, but I hope it has been helpful.