Looking for amp for Bose QC15

Not entirely certain if an amp will be of any use with an active noise canceling headphone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nc8000 

Not entirely certain if an amp will be of any use with an active noise canceling headphone.

Or even worth it for that matter.

I have the QC15's and YES an amp does help them.

I would suggest a cmoy amp. It's not expensive 35-80$ and they work well. I have 2 cmoy amps and they both help the QC15's

I too bought a set of qc15's and a headphone amp; the Corda XXS, and must say i was impressed. After reading several forums about the use of Amplifiers with NC headphones, i was a little dubious. Many audiophiles/ critics claimed that NC headphones already had amps built into the headphones, so it would be virtually be pointless with a portable amp. 

Running an ipod 4th gen with decent quality MP3's, I must disagree. The Corda XXS (extra-extra-small) definately makes a considerable difference. Even playing FLAC files from my notebook- a MEGA difference with the amp.

May i point out that some NC headphones will not play music when not turned on or "active".  Some noise-cancelling headphones like the budget (less than half the price of the BOSE QC15) Audio - Technica Noise Cancelling ATH-ANC7B will run turned off or without a battery ("passive") and then driven with a portable Amp.

Needless to say, headphone enthusiasts and the like, may recommend different equipment for the price i forked out. As a frequent flyer i jumped into the deep end and am happy with the purchase.

I found the QC15's had a better quality, (which is why i opted to buy) But having said that, you may find headphones with a passive alternative, and then driven with an affordable amp such as the fiio 7 (which has a built-in equaliser with 3 modes) meets your budget and audio needs.