What SENNHEISER IE8 good portable headphone amps? - Page 2

I had the IE8's paired with my P-51 before I went with the Westone 3's and I enjoyed the sound. I owned a Hornet M before I got the P-51 and I can tell I have a better soundstage with the P-51, IE8 combo.

anyone tried pairing the ie8 with mini^3?

IMO even with the stock op-amps its no contest between D10 and D2; and with the right op-amps the gap only widens. especially when the dac comes into play. but with the amp section alone; stock D10 against rolled D2 Viper it might be a little closer (but still not overtaken IMO), but the same opamps in D10 the D10 again takes the lead by a considerable margin. now of course these observations are my thoughts and mine alone, and I dont have experience with IE8 synergy, so perhaps that needs to be taken into account. this is more a general comment on performance

I think, IE8 + Mini^3 will be too warm.
I've got IE7 + Mini^3. They are much too warm for me...

I think that you'll find the IE8 synergises very well with an iBasso D10. That's what I'm (happily) using now

I use Linearossa W1 and IE8, IE8 is to be more detail and the vocal more forward...

Yes that was nice to my ears too, but then again the improvement was not worth the loss of portability. They honestly sound great un-amped.

I find the sound just as good as with a FiiO E5 that I did with my RSA Hornet M.

But in neither case was the improvement enough to warrant a substantial loss in portability by lugging a dedicated IEM amp with me.

Just my two cents...

IE8's sound great un-amped straight out of my iPod classics, but my two portable amps add to the depth and soundstage of the IE8's. I own a Ray Samuels Audio P-51, and Graham Slee Voyager portable amps, and they both drive the IE8's to a level above the un-amped iPod. 

 

The only comment I have is that the extra "contour" switch on the Voyager adds too much bass for the IE8's which are not deficient in that area (although it makes my Shure SE310's sound "just right"), but it makes it versatile for a wider range of headphones and IEM's.  Both of the amps I have are at the higher end of the price range for portable amps, but worth nit in my opinion.

On my laptop I use a D4 and that works wonderfull with the IE8 because of it's transparancy and very, very good mids. On the go I use no amp. My MOVE hisses with the IE8. The XXS does not hiss but the difference is so small with or without amp that I do not bother on the go. But the IE8 is not very good on the go because isolation is not good.