Quote: Originally posted by Orpheus you know, you could have bought a higher-end soundcard than the sonica, and not have to buy that DIO. besides, i doubt that the converters in that DIO are significantly better than what's in your sonica already. think about it.... the DIO costs...

Adding an Art DI/O will definitely improve the sound. But I'm not sure how much you will gain...not because the Extigy is already good, but rather that it is too bad to begin with to really improve on it. The specs that creative provides are always substantially exagerated, not to mention that...

Quote: Originally posted by skoiboy <<creative products automatically resample any input to 16/48>> dd3mon - I've heard these rumors but they seem to be based on older creative products...do you have a link or some more info to confirm this? I don't have any proof of this, but...

If portability is important, then go with one of Fixup's amps. Elsewise, I would suggest trying the META. If you don't want to build it yourself, you can always get one of the people here to do it for you. This option is half the price of either Creek setup...costing $60-200 depending one the...

Actually, small buisnesses (like those of KurtW, JMT, etc) are always encouraged and better for the economy than larger companies.

Quote: Originally posted by oldguy If you want a DIY amp or other product, build it yourself, or you are possibly stealing someones job! You do realize that by hiring someone to build a DIY amp for you, you are actually giving them a job. How does this hurt the economy?

Xin claims that the minis sound virtually identical to the META, and that one could not tell the difference btw the two. I have read posts by META builders that that is not entirely true, while the minis are exceptional for their size and how a sound quality comparable to the original META, they...

Quote: Originally posted by puppyslugg META42 may sound better. Yes that right (forgot to mention it). It is also more configurable/upgradable. The porta corda is pretty small, similar to the META42, but not as small as one of Fixup's amps.

The mini/super mini by Fixup or META42 are also options. They sound better than the CMOY but also cost more. The amps made by Fixup are pretty small, but a META42 is a bit bigger (though still portable).

If you want the most for your money, I'd go with the META42. Even if you get it with a configuration that costs the same as the Porta Corda it would probably sound better. Obviously, it can be configured to your liking and include a wall wart and crossfeed.

Ya, you definitely need a better source...a PCDP really can't compete with a normal CDP. The LD would probably sound much better. I've tried my HD 580s (plus tube amp) with an old Pioneer LD player and was a big step up from my MP3 player and Creative sound card. Though...it wasn't that great...

It might also be because you don't have a great auditory memory...you can't really remember what the last one sounded like so you don't know which is better.

Those phones have an impedance of only 32 ohms, so they wouldn't be as demanding on an amp, but there should still be a noticable difference... You question of "are my ears in need of an upgrade?" may not be too far from the truth...different sources/amps make a big difference, but you might...

All of the current NAD int amps do not have dedicated headphone amps...some of the older models do though. But either way, none of them could compete with any resonable seperate headphone amp. Even if you get a bare bones META42 (~$60) built for you, it would still be much better than a NAD's...

Yes, it is true that little quality is lost in an adapter. It's largely for that reason that I would get an adapter to use with the Corda HA-1 for now. When/if you upgrade in the future, just don't use the adapter. Actually, I would personally hold off on getting a cable upgrade at this time...

I'm not so sure if buying the Equinox with a mini connector is that great an idea. The Corda is pretty much the only headphone amp that uses mini jacks. So if you ever do upgrade in the future, you will be forced to get an adapter, or waste this cable. Given that the Corda is only a mid end amp...

jasong, I would have to disagree. Different sources (even different redbook CDPs), can have a huge difference in sound quality. Also, I'm not quite sure I understand you correctly...but are you saying that the HD 570s are harder to drive than the 580s? If so, how do you mean? The 580s have...

mkyy, If you are willing to go the DIY route, you might also want to consider the AKSA amplifier line of DIY-kits (made by Aspen Amplifiers). I was looking to build a DIY amp and after posting questions on other forums, this is what they suggested I get. At your price range, I would suggest...

It's true that with a poor source like a Nomad it is simply impossible to get exceptional sound. But having used portable MP3 players with and without a headphone amp, I would say that an amp does still improve the sound dramatically. Don't get me wrong, without a good source, you'd really be...

In that price range, a good choice would be to get a META 42. There are several people out there that are willing to build it for you (at roughly that price, depending on what features you want). You could also order the parts and do it yourself (though you won't save much money as these people...

There isn't really any such thing as an amp that can drive all headphones incredibly well. Given the wide range of differences between different headphones (electronically speaking), it would be impossible for an amp to be able to drive them all well. Why don't you spend less on getting many...

Given that you are using an Audigy 2, I really doubt that you will notice any difference (assuming the switch is of reasonable quality).

A power supply upgrade is an easy first step to modding it. The one made by Stancor (part # STA-5790) is often used. This is just a matter of using a different wall-wart, so there is virtually no work involved. I'm told this makes a noticable difference.

S/N ratio is not a terribly accurate indication of a device's sound quality...you really need to test it first. But from what I here, the iPod is not bad. More importantly, you need a headphone amp to really benefit from it, a better amp will make more of a difference then S/N ratios (which...

The Art DI/O would make a considerable difference and is a well worth upgrade. If I were in your place, that would be the next component that I would add. If you also want to record from a turntable digitally, then a DI/O is an even better choice. It can convert in both directions (A->D and...