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| Portable Headphone Amps Discussion of portable headphone amps. |

01-31-2009, 05:45 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Rocky Mountains, CO
Posts: 11,818
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good idea - i might do that with some clear acrylic that I used to build up some custom IEM to fit tighter a while back - mine isn't scratched yet as it has only been sitting in one spot burning in.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leonardo_BVB
...honestly, it's like comparing ugly Betty with Scarlett Johjansson, you do not know where to start because you cannot take your eyes off Scarlett...
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Larry Head-Fi Feedback
Oct 09 Colorado CanJam @ RMAF Impressions
SEE PUBLIC PROFILE "ABOUT ME" FOR LINKS TO REVIEWS AND MY GEAR.
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01-31-2009, 05:47 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,985
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Or you could put some cheap DealExtreme screen protector on it (like I did), which is a reversible "fix".
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01-31-2009, 05:53 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Santa Rosa, CA --image Katmandu, Nepal Summer 2006 *We are but a cosmic blink or was that wink?*
Posts: 7,601
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ClieOS
Fed up with the scratch prone metal back plate so I took it out and applied three layers of clear paint. Now everything is better. If you ask me, iBasso should have done this before shipping T4 out!

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Good idea. A clearcoat.
I have noticed it scratches easily so I put some really tiny feet on the back and that works well but then in a pocket they wouldn't do well for protection.
I have been burning the T4 in since I got it and it sounds very, very good. No malfunctions of any kind.
__________________
John aka Jam and Jama
Photo gallery at: www.pbase.com/jamato8 Recent publication: Ethnobotany Research & Applications, Vol 7 (2009) Kam Guilzhouh nyim Guangxxih di Benxtux Wenchual nyim Zihyuanc dih Gonxliix: Kam Local Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable Resource Management in Guizhou and Guangxi Provinces, China http://www.ethnobotanyjournal.org/
The one constant in life is change, so will that change?
Feel with your own heart, see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears.
JH13's > Why stay home when you can go to the concert?
Listening with: JH13 Pro, Grado HF2 #469
Digital conversion: the all new MB-1 optical dual Wolfson portable dac
Amps I am currently listening with: RSA P-51 Mustang, SR 71A, iBasso D10, Lisa III, OEM BLack Gate, Non Black Gate, iBasso P3+, iBasso T3 (new version), RSA Shadow, iBasso D4
Favorite monitors: JH13 Pro, Grado HF2, Ultrasone Ed. 9 #1010, ATH-ESW10JPN
Portable monitor ratings: 1. JH 13 Pro 2. ESW10 JPN 3. PortaPros, KSC35 (modified-a great value) *4. UM2
Source: iRiver H130,140, D303 optical out, D-EJ955, D-EJ1000, D-EJ2000, 25s, 25, D-303, D-777 and others (optical out if available)
Digital Conversion: MB-1 optical Dac, Altoid tin Monica Dac I, Altoid tin Monica II Asynchronous Reclocking Dac, iBasso D10
Headphone Amplifiers:RSA: Shadow, Predator, P-51 Mustang, SR71A, Xin: IV Micro, IV Mini, Reference, SM3B, SuperMacro V LE, SM3 V6 (IV all switches), XRTA X-1, C&C Box, iBasso: P1, P2, P3, P3+, T1, T2, T3, T4 D1, D2, D3, D4, D10 Woo 3 Modified-Siemens 6922 driver, 7236 power tube, Woo 6 with the original Pseudo dual PS -
Ear Monitors: JH13 Pro, Ultra Ed. 9, Grado HF-2/F1 #469, HD650, ATH-ESW10 JPN, Ultrasone 750, HFI780, PortaPro modified, KSC35, Equation RP-21, Westone UM2
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02-01-2009, 12:47 AM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Posts: 16,100
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My T4 has 190 hours of burn in and it sounds much better that I ever imagined it would. The idea of a 3rd gen 8 Gb Nano sure sounds appealing.
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02-01-2009, 12:54 AM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,985
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My T4 didn't change at all since I got it... and it's truly a great amp (despite the hiss).
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02-01-2009, 01:22 AM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Johor, Malaysia.
Posts: 4,710
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dfkt
Or you could put some cheap DealExtreme screen protector on it (like I did), which is a reversible "fix".
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I tried that, but the corner where the protector can't reach still get scratched even when I was very careful with it. I actually applied plastic food wrap  to the whole metal back plate and it works quite well. However, it doesn't last too long (two weeks or so).
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02-01-2009, 01:46 AM
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500+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Richmond, NSW
Posts: 824
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I am very interested in taking this little amp for a test drive. If there are any aussies out there who would like to swap amps for a couple of weeks, let me know.
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02-01-2009, 02:31 AM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 108
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how would they sound with Westone 3s?
how do they handle mids?
how big is it compared to a mustang p51?
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02-03-2009, 11:44 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,985
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I finally had enough of that background hiss with the iBasso T4. Traced the lines with my multimeter, shorted some stuff here and there, and found the culprit for the hiss.
Removed the SMT parts from R9 and R14, and bridged it with a tiny piece of copper from a CAT5 cable. Result: perfect sound, no more hiss.
I don't really care how my soldering looks, it's really hard with my tools to get that 1mm tiny solder joint right. The only thing that counts is that the amp now sounds better than ever, without hiss.
Last edited by dfkt; 02-04-2009 at 01:41 PM.
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02-04-2009, 12:48 AM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,985
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Here's the RMAA tests for the new mod vs. the original T4: RightMark Audio Analyzer test: comparison
As you see, the THD, IMD, SNR are a tiny bit worse now - but that doesn't matter for 44/16 audio and human ears at all, it's just my professional sound card that captures these differences. The main advantage still is that the thing doesn't hiss any more with low impedance/high sensitivity IEMs. (So, in reality, the SNR is actually a lot better now than what the sound card sees.)
Last edited by dfkt; 02-04-2009 at 01:17 AM.
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02-04-2009, 01:30 AM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Johor, Malaysia.
Posts: 4,710
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Pretty interesting mod you got there, dfkt. I wonder what those two resistors are for, they seems to link to an AD chip...
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02-04-2009, 01:42 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,985
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They affect the bass boost circuit. The bass boost is now much more audible with the two SMTs removed (actually, it didn't do anything before, was more or less inaudible to my ears). Which is a wonderful side effect for my needs, using the T4 with my Cowon O2 to watch videos. More bass, less hiss - iBasso should never had put those resistors there, IMO.
(Bass boost on high gain is too much, but I only use low gain anyways - and that's just about right for my taste, for a player without EQ or BBE in video mode...)
Last edited by dfkt; 02-04-2009 at 03:06 PM.
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02-04-2009, 01:46 PM
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Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: 46° 47' N; 119° 4' W
Posts: 36
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Got my T4 a few days ago, maybe I got lucky and they forgot to include the hiss. With T4 and my cleanest source -- a PCDP (line out, ESP turned off) there isn't hiss at all at volume 2, my typical listening volume; or 3, cranked up for favorite songs; with Klipsch X10's. My usual portable source is my Nokia N95 cell phone, which has a very hissy HP out. With the T4 I can turn up the Nokia's volume, improving the SNR ratio. I can still hear a little bit of hiss, but it's no longer enough to distract from the music.
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02-04-2009, 01:54 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,985
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The X10 are 50 Ohm, they shouldn't hiss indeed.
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02-04-2009, 03:16 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Johor, Malaysia.
Posts: 4,710
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dfkt
They affect the bass boost circuit.
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That IS a massive bass boost!
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