Review: Portable amp roundup! 37 portable amps reviewed and compared

[ironman64]

Members continue to pick up secondhand components, so keeping the total list in tact would be nice, or even adding just before it a quick ranking of in-production amps. And if the list were to remain in tact, something subtle and easy to designate would be perfect, such as removing the number from the ranking.

i.e.,

1. Amp X
2. Amp Y
* Amp Q
3. Amp M
* Amp E
* Amp R
4. Amp D

[Podster]

I think facelvega has a great idea on this one Sky. Maybe just a disco in parentheses out beside those not offered except second hand any longer as old units do make good reference points for current users which can and does generate new question threads;-)

[facelvega]

Originally Posted by Skylab

Yeah, I have been thinking about this quite a bit actually. Part of me thinks I should get rid of all the no longer available amps on my list. But at the same time, many people own them still, and it serves as a good reference point. So maybe I should just put down "DISCONTINUED" by the ones that are.

Other thoughts on this?

There are enough of the discontinued ones still in circulation that I think people would still find it helpful to have them in the mix, not only for used purposes but also to have an idea how a possible upgrade would sound in relation to the amp someone already has. For this reason, I think the best path would be simply to add a notation to the rankings and individual listings. (I think the rankings section would be especially important for this, so that people could see the state of the market at a glance)

Maybe you could rearrange the listings with laborious cutting/pasting into two sections, or just make it alphabetical, though frankly I don't think it's too much work to find a particular listing as it is.

And hey, what's your policy on the new penguins and headstages? If Herr Gehrke sent you one, would you review it, or is the lingering bad vibe from the Corda crossfeed controversy enough to keep them off the list? I'm wondering in particular how those cheap but very cleanly laid-out penguins would stack up to their more expensive competitors, enough that I for one would send him an email asking him to send you a couple of review examples. I'm thinking of moving up from the Go-Vibe V6 in my portable rig, but I like to keep my portable set pretty cheap and focus on my home rig for the bigger upgrades, so the Penguin Caffeine is a real option for me.

[Skylab]

OK, when I add the iQube to the review (soon), I will make a notation on the ranking as to the discontinued amps. Good suggestions all.

W/r/t "HeadStage", Robert has not contacted me asking me to do a review, and he knows how to reach me.

[Podster]

Excellent Skypup? Skydude? Whatever it is:-0 LOL

Love the new Avatar Rob, I've been digging around as I know I've seen a pic of Scooby Doo with headphones on and that is exactly what I thought of when I saw your new Avi;-)

[Skylab]

Thanks. I find the coolest stuff on Google Images...

[Skylab]

I just updated the main thread with the following:

Update 12-5-07

> Qables iQube

Info: i-Qube - A new dimension in portable hi-fi » home

The iQube is a very interesting amp. It's a class D amplifier topology. This is the first of its kind as far as I know - a class D portable headphone amp. Class D has at least the potential of being more battery-efficient, and I did get almost 100 hours of play on the first set of AAA alkalines I had in it (which I used up in 100 hours of break in). The iQube will charge rechargeables, but it doesn't come with them, nor does it come with a charger, although it has a fairly wide tolerance for AC adapters it would seem.

Build Quality: A+: Excellent, VERY attractive metal case. I wasn't sure at first about having the jack on the back and the volume control on the front, but I loved it in the end. There is a very slight turn-on tick. But overall, the build quality is among the very, very best, and it's the kind of thing that gives great pride of ownership.
Treble: A+: clean, clear, grain-free, extended and transparent. Great air and extension, and very natural. It wasn't too aggressive ever, but it wasn't at all soft or rolled off. I wouldn't use it with super-bright headphones. But this really isn't the iQube doing anything other than being VERY neutral.
Midrange: A: smooth, clean, and open - with amazing see-through type clarity, while being tonally very neutral. There is perhaps just a touch of reticence, but not enough to worry about.
Bass: A: Ultra-deep and powerful, with excellent definition and speed. VERY tight, but not overly generous. Again, Neutral comes to mind.
Neutrality: A+: The new king of Neutrality. Over and over again that's how I thought of it. Easily shows the difference between headphones in a flash. Only the LISA III is in the same league here. While I still love the Meier Move, it has a "sound" moreso than the iQube.
Soundstaging: A-: The soundstage was great, but it wasn't the WORLD's widest. Still, nothing to sneeze at.
Transparency: A: Nothing to take issue with here either. Try as I might to pick up some kind of issue with transparency related to the use of class D, I couldn't. I just loved it.

I have to say, I was HIGHLY impressed by the iQube. Unfortunately for those in the USA, the current dollar>Euro exchange rate makes the iQube pretty expensive -- as of today, it would cost the American buyer over $460, and January 1 it will cost about $500 (at current exchange rates). And as good as it is, I personally don't think it's enough better than the other top amps to easily justify that price here. I know there is nothing Hans at Qables can do about his costs, or the dollar to euro exchange rate, but it is a pity. If this amp could be had in the US for $335, it would be very easy to recommend as the best buy in high-end headphone amps. But it's $335 EUROS. So for everyone in Europe, this is a great amp to get. For those in the US, I think it requires a little more thought. Nonetheless, it's a superlative headphone amp.





Conclusions (12/5/07)


OK, so now it’s now 30 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.

1. Triad Audio Lisa III
2. Qables iQube
2. Larocco Audio Pocket Reference II mk 2
2. Meier Audio MOVE (discontinued)
3. RSA SR71
4. RSA The Hornet “M”
5. Xenos 1HA-EPC (discontinued)
6. RSA Tomahawk
7. Meier Audio Porta Corda III (discontinued)
7. Xin SuperMicro IV (discontinued)
8. Headamp AE-2
9. Go-Vibe 7
10. Leckerton Audio UHA-3
11. Portaphile V2^2
12. mSeed Spirit (discontinued)
12. Mini-Box E
13. Storm B4
14. iBasso P-1 (discontinued)
15. Visely HEA- 1
16. Microshar uAmp107
16. Practical Devices XM4
17. C&C XO
17. iBasso T2
18. Go-Vibe 6 (discontinued)
19. Xtra X-1 Pro
20. Xenos 0HA-REP (discontinued)
20. iBasso T1 (discontinued)
21. Xtra X-1 (discontinued)
22. C&C Box V2
23. Little Dot Micro+ (discontinued)

[BushGuy]

Nah - the pup deserves bigger ears

[jamato8]

There are a lot of discontinued amps. Why was the Move dc already? The pace of amps and dacs seems to be clipping along at warp speed.

[Skylab]

Originally Posted by jamato8

There are a lot of discontinued amps. Why was the Move dc already? The pace of amps and dacs seems to be clipping along at warp speed.

True so.

w/r/t the Move, Dr. Meier sold out of the production run, and from what I gather, he intends to change the design before re-introducing it.

[ironman64]

Thank you for the update! I know this is "only one member's opinion," but it goes a long way towards making an informative, beginning point from which anyone can sort out the bevy of portable amps we have to choose from--that's quickly growing!

[tnmike1]

Rob: I thought Ray had ceased production of the Hornet for while, and Cesar had trouble with parts for the Portaphile. So, are these still in construction or should they be considered "discontinued" as well???

[Skylab]

I don't know about the Portaphile, but pretty sure the Hornet is still in production.

[FreeBlues]

Sky - great stuff as usual.

I'd like to offer a different take on the value of the iQube. Now, I don't own one, never heard it, haven't seen it but have anxiously awaited a review. You place it between the LISA and PRII, both of which are (or were) $500 plus. I don't think one can get a PRII anymore, at least new. LISA's are supposed to start shipping soon, but aren't yet. The last version was also $500.

So, it seems that the top 3 amps in your ranking are $500+, meaning the iQube is maybe simply competitive.

Of special interest to me is the size. While still large compared to say a Tomahawk, it looks smaller than the PRII and is quite a bit smaller than the LISA. This is VERY good news for those of us that are currently packing a PRII and were thinking about getting a LISA!

Sure $500 is a lot for a portable amp. Welcome to Head Fi!

Now I can't wait to see how this compares to the Pico...

[mencargo]

Hi there!
What about Total BitHead?, seems like a great warrior.

Is there a similar thread with dac->amp for desktop comparisons like Beresford 7510?
I'm interested in those too!