[Zedd1]

With a budget of $500 I decided to get a new rig to be used mostly with these two IEMs: Sennheiser IE8 and MT pro copper. So I needed a new DAP, a LOD cable, and an amp. I was interested in the new itouch 4 ($299 for 32gb) and the headstage arrow 12he 2g ($265). I decided to compromise and go for a cheaper alternative to the itouch for about $100 to $150. I just bought a zune HD 16gb online at a good price. Then I found out that there is no LOD for the zune HD! I've seen some for the older versions but was clueless about this one. I read that the hp out is good but I still feel a need to add an amp. And I haven't seen pics or comments of zune HD rigs anywhere. Is a portable amp going to work well with the zune hd out of the headphone jack? If so, is the arrow 12he a good choice?

 

[smachine]

Im also interested in a ZHD setup. I have TF10s

 

[Madgravity34]

If you are going with the IE8, they are already a very low-end heavy IEM, I would probably look for a more neutral/analytical amp. The zune, especially since you are using the HP out, will also contribute to a warm sound signature. Maybe look into a used RSA Tomahawk. Definitely stay away from the low-end fiio or iBasso amps (t3/t4) as these all tend to contribute greatly to the low-end. I am currently looking at amps as well, but I would say if $500 is your budget maybe take a look at the pico slim. I will let other, much more knowledgeable, members chime in, but I have done a lot of reading lately in my search and these are some things I would look out for. Goodluck and let us know what you decide on!

 

[illumineering]

I also have an HD Zune.  I initially paired it with an iBasso D10 and recently added an RSA Predator as well.  Since the Predator is still being burned in, I dont have a significant opinion regarding its performance as of yet.  The D10 is rich and warm sounding.  It also has coax, optical and USB inputs to take advantage of the dac as well.  Across the board the D10 is a great workhorse amp/dac that is very affordable.  If you look through the fs/ft section, you will find them listed frequently.  iBasso just started selling a D12 that may be another option for you to explore.
 
With all of that said, the absence of a LOD is a big negative when using the Zune.  If you can a/b it against an Apple product with an LOD, you will never go back to the Zune.  Good luck!

 

[JJBug]

I didnt like my E5 with my Zune HD, and my PA2V2 makes more difference with my Zune 80, so Im leaving the HD unamped with my IEMs. Will switch one of my amps to my touch when my LOD arrives.

 

[smachine]

Quote:

I didnt like my E5 with my Zune HD, and my PA2V2 makes more difference with my Zune 80, so Im leaving the HD unamped with my IEMs. Will switch one of my amps to my touch when my LOD arrives.

I guess I will stop looking into amps, and just stick with my simple TF10 + ZHD combo. Im happy with the sound im getting, just thought I was missing something because I didnt have an amp.

 

[illumineering]

I love the iBasso D10 with mine.  If you don't need the coax or optical for any other application, check out the iBasso D4, RSA Tomahawk or Hornet are also worthy of research.

 

[Scott_Tarlow]

Honestly, most headphones don't need an amp.

 

[smachine]

Quote:

Honestly, most headphones don't need an amp.

Do you use your Pico with the ZHD and TF10s?

 

[The Larch]

The Headstage arrow is a good amp for the Zune HD. It is a good match in size and sounds great, removing hiss from sensitive iems and has a lot of power, not to mention its great feature set. There is a several week wait for new orders.

 

[Scott_Tarlow]

Quote:

Do you use your Pico with the ZHD and TF10s?

honestly, i should change my sig. I sold my pico.

 

[JJBug]

The Zune HD uses a different Wolfson chip to the 80, it has a richer sound, but the player cannot drive my MS1s which I just received just the other day near as well unamped as my 80 can. It needed my PA2V2 to do that well -  there is a small improvement in sound, but those are not IEMs like you have.
 
There was no improvement with my IEMs that are very easy to drive (eg Image S4 - CX300 IIs), I prefered the sound without either amp with those.
 
If you want an amp just to improve SQ and soundstage I didn't notice any difference with the IEMs - the HD is a very good sounding player - but if you have issues to overcome like hiss or to give more volume to your TF10s then you should look into an amp  - especially if you will be buying larger headphones in the future that maybe more difficult to drive.
 
My 2nd Gen iPod Touch (Cirrus Logic audio chip - rest of the touches all have Wolfson chips - not sure about the new G4 one though) sounds much better amped with my IEMs.

 

[smachine]

Quote:

The Zune HD uses a different Wolfson chip to the 80, it has a richer sound, but the player cannot drive my MS1s which I just received just the other day near as well unamped as my 80 can. It needed my PA2V2 to do that well -  there is a small improvement in sound, but those are not IEMs like you have.
 
There was no improvement with my IEMs that are very easy to drive (eg Image S4 - CX300 IIs), I prefered the sound without either amp with those.
 
If you want an amp just to improve SQ and soundstage I didn't notice any difference with the IEMs - the HD is a very good sounding player - but if you have issues to overcome like hiss or to give more volume to your TF10s then you should look into an amp  - especially if you will be buying larger headphones in the future that maybe more difficult to drive.
 
My 2nd Gen iPod Touch (Cirrus Logic audio chip - rest of the touches all have Wolfson chips - not sure about the new G4 one though) sounds much better amped with my IEMs.

Thanks for the heads up. I dont have an issue with hiss or volume, no plan to get other larger set of cans in the near future either. I just was looking to maximize the sq of the ZHD. But I think the TF10s sound just fine unamped, so carrying an amp would probably lose alot of the portability factor that drew me to the HD. I was looking to upgrade to one of the "better" sounding players like the sony x, Cowon J3 or the SFlo 2, but they all have too many negatives for me to consider. I think the ZHD simply looks the best out of the other players, and the UI and responsiveness is leagues above the others also. SFLO 2 might sound amazing, but I think I would get annoyed by the UI everyone claims to be buggy along with the short battery life. I guess im picky about looks and user interface experience more than other headfiers who simply want the best sq.
 
Only downside I have with the ZHD is the fact that I cant keep the screen on at all times, it always goes into screen lock mode after 5 minutes of being idle. There should be an option for users to choose to keep it on at all times at least, makes changing tracks in the car more difficult. Also the Zune software may be nice and all, but I am more of a drag and drop kind of person.

 

[Zedd1]

I just got my Zune HD and used it for a whole day now.
 
-Before I even received it I set up the software and loaded my songs. The software was slow and choppy at first and I had to talk to a nice tech from "somewhere in Asia" (they're not allowed to revealed). At the end things got better, but I was not fond of the idea to turn off my AVG anti-virus which apparently was scanning the zune software as I played songs or was scrolling down or up the screen, and was suggested to run it as an admin. After fiddling a while after and turning back on AVG things improve, no more 15 sec delays to play or stop a song. But I messed up my itunes library trying to move the itunes folder elsewhere because the zune software duplicated 90% of my songs from My Music Library. As I'm writing I think I should not have consolidated the itunes library. Anyhow, I'm all set for now with the player.
 
-Overall I'm happy with the Zune HD's features and easy of use. I particularly like the hd radio and the Pin feature. Yet I agree with smachine regarding the screen, 
Quote:

There should be an option for users to choose to keep it on at all times at least, makes changing tracks in the car more difficult.

However, it does not really bother me as I will be pocketing the player most of the time.
 
-Should I still get an amp? I think the Sq is great and the player easily drives the IE8 and the MTCP, although the sound signatures of those two IEMs are even more apparent here than when playing from my laptop. I would define the IE8 as sounding sharp and edgy on the zune HD, and the MTPC more smooth and groovy. Hopefully this makes sense to someone. Both are great but I will pair the player with the sennheiser for now as I prefer the soundstage. I don't think the player needs to be amped even though I crank the volume to between 26 and the 30 max level. I'm almost certain I will get an amp, just to quench the nagging feeling of getting one, believing that it's a must. I'm afraid I'll regret my decision if the difference it makes is minimal. But I'll take the loss just to know for sure. Many of you seem to like the Emmeline line of amps (tomahawk, predator, hornet), I guess I will  have a look at them rather than waiting for the arrow 12he 2g.

 

[The Larch]

You might want to wait for that arrow I truly think it is the best amp out today. It also just fits the zune HD.