[judgmentday]

Please recommend me a portable amp about $200.  Thank you.
E11, HiFiMan EF2A, PA2V2, XM5?

 

[kmhaynes]

Well, what source are you going to combine the amp with?  You might not need an amp if you already have a powerful source.  And, since the MX980 has a low impedence it is not hard to drive, and it might not improve that much with more power.
 
If you still think you want an amp, do you want an ultra-portable amp, or is clunky OK?   The EFA2 is a home desktop only unit; the PA2V2 is a clunk portable; the E11 is very sleek and portable.
 
Do you want clean/crisp sound from the amp?  E11 is this.  Do you want warmer/thicker sound?  PA2V2 is this, and I assume the EFA2 would be similar since it is a tube-driven amp.

 

[judgmentday]

Quote:

Well, what source are you going to combine the amp with?  You might not need an amp if you already have a powerful source.  And, since the MX980 has a low impedence it is not hard to drive, and it might not improve that much with more power.
 
If you still think you want an amp, do you want an ultra-portable amp, or is clunky OK?   The EFA2 is a home desktop only unit; the PA2V2 is a clunk portable; the E11 is very sleek and portable.
 
Do you want clean/crisp sound from the amp?  E11 is this.  Do you want warmer/thicker sound?  PA2V2 is this, and I assume the EFA2 would be similar since it is a tube-driven amp.

kmhaynes,
Thanks for taking the time to help me. Well, my source is a Movo2 modified/conversion to a 32GB mp3 player (I use it to run), a Samsung Galaxy S 2 cell phone (Carry with me most of the time) and a Samsung Galaxy Player 5 that I use as a mini tablet.  I really like tube-driven sound, but portable I guess is not an option.  I guess will try a warmer/thicker sound like you mention on the PA2V2 to be.  Yes I want clunk portable.

 

[kmhaynes]

The PA2V2 is a decent amp, but again, I'm not certain how much improvement it will give you.  You won't take it running with you, and aren't likely to use it out and about with your tablet, because of the size and weight -- it's not huge, just not sleek and portable.
 
If you are very committed to the $200, there are a couple of very nice amps right at $200 that will definitely give an improvement in SQ and are still very portable.  Look at the JDS Labs C421 and the Leckerton UHA-4.  Both amps are very popular here with many users and long threads about them -- and they are very portable.
 
http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=c421
 
http://www.leckertonaudio.com/products/uha-4/

 

[judgmentday]

Quote:

The PA2V2 is a decent amp, but again, I'm not certain how much improvement it will give you.  You won't take it running with you, and aren't likely to use it out and about with your tablet, because of the size and weight -- it's not huge, just not sleek and portable.
 
Yes, this one got my attention and it's not that expensive! I already ordered one of these.
 
If you are very committed to the $200, there are a couple of very nice amps right at $200 that will definitely give an improvement in SQ and are still very portable.  Look at the JDS Labs C421 and the Leckerton UHA-4.  Both amps are very popular here with many users and long threads about them -- and they are very portable.
 
Thanks for the links!  They sure look very good and they have very impressive specifications.  I may order one of these for my bedroom to listen with my ATH-ES7.
 
http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=c421
 
http://www.leckertonaudio.com/products/uha-4/
 
Not all people compress their mp3s @ 320kps or use FLAC but I do for better sound. What type of compression do you use for your music?

 

[kmhaynes]

Quote:

Not all people compress their mp3s @ 320kps or use FLAC but I do for better sound. What type of compression do you use for your music?

 
320 kbps -- too many Aerosmith, Rush, Boston, Jeff Beck, etc concerts in the 70's for my ears to tell the difference between 320 and lossless!  But I can usually hear a diff between 320 & 192 or lower, esp with the Etymotics ER4P.

 

[proton007]

For your MX980, I seriously doubt there's anything to be gained with an amp.
The impedance/sensitivity is so low that its within drivable range of any portable source.

 

[marlonmarabe]

the c421 ad8620 sounds perfect with my mx980. just be sure to use a good interconnect like pure silver to maximize its potential.

 

[judgmentday]

Quote:

 
320 kbps -- too many Aerosmith, Rush, Boston, Jeff Beck, etc concerts in the 70's for my ears to tell the difference between 320 and lossless!  But I can usually hear a diff between 320 & 192 or lower, esp with the Etymotics ER4P.

I ordered the PA2V2. I'll do some testing with mp3 320 kbps vs FLAC vs WAV.  Long time ago, I had the famous Sennheiser HD650 with the Singlepower mpx3 head phone amp and I could hear differences in sound.

 

[judgmentday]

Quote:

For your MX980, I seriously doubt there's anything to be gained with an amp.
The impedance/sensitivity is so low that its within drivable range of any portable source.

I'll be the judge of that when I get the PA2V2 amp and possibly the c421.  I'll post here my impressions.

 

[judgmentday]

Quote:

the c421 ad8620 sounds perfect with my mx980. just be sure to use a good interconnect like pure silver to maximize its potential.

Isn't pure silver too bright for you?