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Are amplifiers for iems worth the money?

post #1 of 17
12/16/09 at 11:36am
Thread Starter 
i've been deliberating whether to get myself amplifiers to get the best out of my iems. but the cost, and the fact that it'll look like a bomb, and it isn't exactly portable, makes me think twice.
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post #2 of 17
12/16/09 at 11:48am
It really depends on your IEM and your ears. In general, if your IEM is very easy to drive, you will see very minor improvement (I would say more body and texture of the music). I have Shure SE530s and I do perceive improvement when amped with P51 or D4. But some people swear that there is no difference. If you have a harder to drive IEM, like Ety 4S I have, you definitely need an amp.
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post #3 of 17
12/16/09 at 11:49am
Could depend on the source -- for example, I'm using UM3X -- I use them with a Clip+ (unamped) -- and I use them with a laptop -- but the UM3X are sensitive and reveal a lot of laptop hiss -- so, with the laptop, I'm also using a USB/DAC amp (mine is iBasso D4, and there are lots of others) -- it's lots better than using the phone out of the laptop. But I can't be bothered to tote around an amp in addition to the Clip+.
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post #4 of 17
12/16/09 at 11:57am
As already stated, it depends on your current setup.

I personally think that you get more bang-for-buck when upgrading your source or earphones but, if you've already got a good source and earphones, a decent amp can give you a that little bit extra.

I've got an amp but I only use it at home as I can't be bothered carrying the extra weight when out and about. The amp completely removes the little bit of hiss I get between my UM3x and Sony NWZ-A729, and opens the sound up a bit, but it's not a major difference.

I'd rather have the amp than not, but it was the least cost effective part of my setup.
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post #5 of 17
12/16/09 at 12:14pm
For me, having a Tomahawk, which cost more than twice what I spent on the RE0, provides enough gain to make it definitely worth it.

The common retort is, "What a waste! You should just put the money into better IEMs!"

Well, I've found it difficult enough to find an earphone that works well for me for both comfort and sound signature/quality. With the RE0, I'm nearly there for a fraction of what I thought it would have cost. The Tomahawk then simply makes the RE0 do what I like it to do... better. It's worth the money for me.

And if I do decide to upgrade IEMs in the future (not ruling this out, even though the RE0 is phenomenal for the price), then I have a good amp to go with the new phones.
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post #6 of 17
12/16/09 at 12:21pm
only you can decide if amps are worth it..like others mentioned it will depend on your source, earphones and your ears probably
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post #7 of 17
12/16/09 at 12:31pm
For many they are, but I do not think there are any undisputed correct answer.
Only you can tell for yourself...
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post #8 of 17
12/16/09 at 12:42pm
personally, when I go portable, I prefer not to be tethered to an amp. that said, iems are hard to drive; they require much beefier output systems than most headphones simply because they are lower ohm. If you want to hear the iem as it was meant to sound, it can only be done through an amp. Certain dynamic iems can sound pretty close to what they should be like without an amp, but balanced armatures are exactly the opposite.

The problem is: which amps can drive iems? Most don't go low enough; their ohm limit is 16 or 32 and so the iem causes the amp to roll off a frequency, or it causes it to collapse, run up distortion madly. An amp made for iem use will make sure to that the earphones spit as good a signal as they can from the amp.

That said, I prefer to not be tethered as amps take up space and are expensive. But, the dividends in sound are amazing.
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post #9 of 17
12/16/09 at 1:41pm
I only run IEMs directly from an iPod. An amp or other stuff defeats the "portable" part of portability. I know they're less bulky than PCDPs and other vintage portable stuff, but the iPod is nice and slim and IEMs are eminently pocketable.

Also, I realize that portable gear will remain a cut below my home rig, no matter how much I spend. So I go for acceptable sound portable and shoot for the moon at home. Besides, I can't really concentrate on the music as well when I'm on a train or airplane as I can at home.
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post #10 of 17
12/16/09 at 2:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post
I only run IEMs directly from an iPod. An amp or other stuff defeats the "portable" part of portability. I know they're less bulky than PCDPs and other vintage portable stuff, but the iPod is nice and slim and IEMs are eminently pocketable.

Also, I realize that portable gear will remain a cut below my home rig, no matter how much I spend. So I go for acceptable sound portable and shoot for the moon at home. Besides, I can't really concentrate on the music as well when I'm on a train or airplane as I can at home.
X2 ! Also the current offering of the higher end IEM's are much more dynamic and efficient that in the past. The sound of a W3 right out of a nano is HUGE !!! And yes, the portability, for those that workout, it's so easy to slide a nano into your pocket and go. So lightweight and discreet.
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post #11 of 17
12/16/09 at 2:17pm
I think it may depend on some other factors besides straight up "better" sound. Whatever that means.

If the headphone output of a DAP is noisy but going via the line-out to an external amp isn't, then this alone may well be worth it for many.

There are some DAPs who have insane gain and therefore are rather unusable with various IEMs. Going through the line-out to a DAP with a much lower gain means one gets more flexibility in using their IEMs.
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post #12 of 17
12/16/09 at 3:27pm
Here's my results so far with just an Fiio E5 (waiting on iBasso T3 to arrive):

MS-1i -- sounds louder, and quality of sound has improved slightly -- but almost all Grados/Allesandros are very easy to drive to begin with.

RE0 -- these definitely improve with an amp in the bass response arena -- the E5 gets me about 2/3 the bass my home receiver gives it, and details are more presentable at lower volume levels than when unamped -- the T3 should get me all the way there, bass-wise, and reveal even more details.

If you want a small but decent taste of what an amp can do for your phones, try the $25 E5 or a $60 cmoy.
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post #13 of 17
12/17/09 at 7:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shigzeo View Post
personally, when I go portable, I prefer not to be tethered to an amp. that said, iems are hard to drive; they require much beefier output systems than most headphones simply because they are lower ohm. If you want to hear the iem as it was meant to sound, it can only be done through an amp. Certain dynamic iems can sound pretty close to what they should be like without an amp, but balanced armatures are exactly the opposite.
Where are you getting your information? The VAST majority of iems are designed to be used directly from portable sources and will only improve very slightly if at all. Iems are designed to be much, much more efficient than headphones.
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post #14 of 17
12/17/09 at 8:05pm

Portable Amp's, Why?

I posted this thread “What Can Portable Amps Accomplish on abi back in June and thought you may want to read:
Quote:
Originally Posted by WalkGood View Post
Some people are confused about what portable amps may or may not do. I decided it would be a good idea to post up a few thoughts. For starters, I am addressing the higher end portable amps and not the inexpensive ones. Does that mean you have to spend a fortune on an amp, not necessarily? Just do your homework and don’t fall for the placebo effect as portable amps do not improve present poor sound quality.

Some players sacrifice the sound output (amp power) for size, battery life or other reasons, thus making portable amps a possible option. Two important things to keep in mind that affect the overall sound quality are the audio encoding scheme* you use to encode your music and the headphones you use, both make a bigger difference in performance than many admit. Either way, a good portable headphone amp should transform weaker players into more powerful portables that deliver a richer, fuller sound quality at lower listening levels. Even though I still believe; if your headphones/canalphones are bad, you should first look to invest into a decent set of headphones, rather than spending money to amplify the bad headphones louder. Furthermore, I agree with and added what saratoga posted below "an amp is not a good fix for bad sound."

What can amp’s do:
  • Amplifies the signal for increased volume levels
  • Drives higher impedance headphones / can also help with low impedance iem’s that are too sensitive and produce hiss. A lower cost solution for this would be to use an impedance adapter
  • Possibly improve the stereo crosstalk (which might improve perceived soundstage/stereo separation), and you'd need a good amp for that. Cheap ones like the FiiO E5 have enough crosstalk on their own (thanks Martin)
  • Depending on which amp, it can add a new dimension or color the sound
  • Improves or increases the dynamic range from high to low, which can allow lower listening levels
  • Increases bass response, punch or thump
  • Placebo effect can be a factor, be careful and don't let yourself be fooled

Edited 11-12-2009
*audio encoding scheme - I mean that hi-fi transparency demands data rates of at least 192kbit/s (VBR) or higher and yes this may vary from listener to listener.
Sure it’s only my opinion and you know the old saying about how everyone has one …
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post #15 of 17
12/17/09 at 8:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Antony6555 View Post
Where are you getting your information? The VAST majority of iems are designed to be used directly from portable sources and will only improve very slightly if at all. Iems are designed to be much, much more efficient than headphones.
I think shigzeo is mistaken with low impedance vs. low sensitivity. You are correct. Most of IEM have low impedance and high sensitivity; therefore, easy to drive, even from headphone output of portables. But if headphones have relatively low impedance and low sensitivity, they require more current to drive to realize the potential (e.g K701s, not IEM I know).
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