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500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2001
- Posts
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We all complain about the low power amps on todays portables. It is always on these pages that a portable with a 10 mW amp is regarded as more suitable in driving some full size cans.
Recently I could compare two Sharp portables, a friend's MT88 which is rated at 2x10 mW @ 32 ohms and MT866 (which I own) rated at 2x5 mW @ 32 ohms. These are manufacturer specs. I wanted to see how much louder the 88 goes with its 10 mW amp.
Guess what... I could hear no difference in SPL at any volume setting with both easy and a bit harder to drive cans. I used Sony 888, EX70 and a friend's Beyer DT250/80, which can still be powered by portables but need more juice to work good.
At 2x the power the MT88 should give me about 3dB more SPL at the same volume setting and this should be pretty audiable. I changed back and forth many times and could hear no difference.
Just to check my ears, I connected one of the portables to the optical out of a PCDP and set the recording level to +3dB. Now the difference was obvious, i.e. these 3 dB are audiable to me.
Now, either Sharp is not completely honest with their specs or my MT866 got a more powerful amp that the manual says. I remember, comparing it to my previous MDP, Sony R70 and the MT866 was juicier.
In any case to all of you who consider the cheaper line of Sharp portables mainly for their 10 mW amps, audition carefully-this may not be the case.
Recently I could compare two Sharp portables, a friend's MT88 which is rated at 2x10 mW @ 32 ohms and MT866 (which I own) rated at 2x5 mW @ 32 ohms. These are manufacturer specs. I wanted to see how much louder the 88 goes with its 10 mW amp.
Guess what... I could hear no difference in SPL at any volume setting with both easy and a bit harder to drive cans. I used Sony 888, EX70 and a friend's Beyer DT250/80, which can still be powered by portables but need more juice to work good.
At 2x the power the MT88 should give me about 3dB more SPL at the same volume setting and this should be pretty audiable. I changed back and forth many times and could hear no difference.
Just to check my ears, I connected one of the portables to the optical out of a PCDP and set the recording level to +3dB. Now the difference was obvious, i.e. these 3 dB are audiable to me.
Now, either Sharp is not completely honest with their specs or my MT866 got a more powerful amp that the manual says. I remember, comparing it to my previous MDP, Sony R70 and the MT866 was juicier.
In any case to all of you who consider the cheaper line of Sharp portables mainly for their 10 mW amps, audition carefully-this may not be the case.