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Cheap Portable Headphone Amplifier

post #1 of 17
4/6/03 at 12:12am
Thread Starter 
Hi, I'm not quite an audiophile, but I can reasonable detect good and bad sound quality. I was referred here from Maximum-PC forums. I have a maxwell mp3 player thats a rebranded i-rock 520, and the little thing doesn't put out enough volume at max volume. I've been looking around, and all i can find to increase the volume are expensive and bulky amplifiers. Can any of you recommend a cheap, tiny portable amplifier under $30 or $40 if thats possible?
Oh, and while I'm at it, I also need a new pair of headphones, alot of people recommend the Koss KSC-55 are they better than the sony streetstyle ones or the sportapro?

I look forward to your posts.

Sorry, I guess i didn't mention that i would rather it be under $40 or so..
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post #2 of 17
4/6/03 at 12:36am
search button is right up top... use it

can't count the times we've gone over this again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again
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post #3 of 17
4/6/03 at 1:31am
The KSC-55 is good.

www.fixup.net

Run a search for 'super mini', it's the smallest amp you'll get
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post #4 of 17
4/6/03 at 1:50am
Thread Starter 
thanks, but that is still alittle pricy at $100. Are there any that are under about $40?
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post #5 of 17
4/6/03 at 3:01am
Well... there's the Boostaroo, and it's Radio Shack brother. Having heard one, I couldn't recommend it if you want any kind of decent sound quality.

How's your soldering skills? You could make yourself a cmoy amp from Tangents online guides.
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post #6 of 17
4/6/03 at 3:02am
Other than building an amp yourself, the only add-on headphone amp under $40 that I know of is the Boostaroo (also sold at RadioSchwack stores as Cat. No. #33-1109), which may still not do the job well - in fact, even boosted, the output may still be too low for your tastes. In fact, if your output sucks to begin with, why make it louder but crappier?

EDIT: Gah, daxx, you've beaten me to it!!
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post #7 of 17
4/6/03 at 3:10am
Thread Starter 
yea i might get the boostaroo or the radioshack clone, but I think i want to try the CMoy amp. I have never done a diy, and i dont have any soldering skills, at all, but i learn fast. Could you point me in the right direction to some soldering electronics information? I'm more of a computer guy, but electronics seems interesting.
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post #8 of 17
4/6/03 at 3:52am

radioshack

I am using a Radishack Volume Booster right now. It sounds decent and reasonably loud with my Sennheiser DH497 and Panasonic SL-CT800.

I am aware that other amps claimed to be superior. However, I find $100-$180 too much at the moment. It practically costs as much as my current setup. But I intend to get a better amp someday.
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post #9 of 17
4/6/03 at 3:55am
"cheap" and "good quality" audio components, don't go together. sorry, you gotta pay for hi-fi, no way around it unless you build your own.

and like was said, SEARCH BUTTON IS MIGHTY COOL. USE IT
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post #10 of 17
4/6/03 at 4:11am
you can get an used cmoy for about 55 shipped on this board. Just wait and hunt
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post #11 of 17
4/6/03 at 3:14pm
Thread Starter 
so the cmoy is the next step up from the boostaroo?
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post #12 of 17
4/6/03 at 3:33pm
Quote:
Originally posted by funnytimes
so the cmoy is the next step up from the boostaroo?
BIG Step
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post #13 of 17
4/6/03 at 4:25pm
Thread Starter 
LOL
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post #14 of 17
4/6/03 at 4:49pm
Thread Starter 
ok i think i'll skip on the boostaroo, print out those tangentsoft cmoy tutitorials and study.

How do the Koss KSC-55 stack with the porta pro?
Are the sporta pro and porta pro the same
When rougly did those come out?
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post #15 of 17
4/7/03 at 5:48am
I just built a CMOY last month and it sounds great. A fun project (and I hadn't picked up soldering iron in 12 years). I also recommend Tangent's guide as it is fairly idiot-proof.
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