[HiFlight]

There has been considerable discussion regarding "Class D" amplifiers. I believe that the only Class D portable amplifer currently available is the iQube. IIRC, Panasonic at one time had a Class D portable player on the market, but it is no longer manufactured.

Class D operation requires switching circuitry that is more complex and expensive than that found on most inexpensive audio devices, such a CD players, DAPs, etc.

Most of these use conventional analog amplifier circuits that are usually based upon Class B or Class AB biasing.

True Class D operation is found in such devices as Tripath-based audio amplifiers, often referred to as "T" amps. It is very difficult and expensive to scale these devices down to the size of a pocket-sized battery-powered device, hence the high price of the iQube.

Only recently has Texas International and Rohm Co. Ltd. introduced a series of chips that are designed for Class D use in portable devices, however they have not yet found their way into the mainstream portable audio marketplace.

 

[tstarn06]

And I love the Class D I have here, the Gizmo, with my vintage KLH speakers (Model 30, circa 1964).

But to answer Chef's question, I agree, I only use the Amp3 when on the go, even if the Fuze/LOD/Amp3 sounded better, which I need to do more listening to determine.

 

[not_sure]

How play amp3 with um3X, is it notably improvement than sansa clip? There are a few songs with clip that volume is very high even on 1volume, um3x are very loud. Is it the same with amp3? New versions will have noise fixed etc so amp3 seems to be very fine source.

 

[zunman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbulack /img/forum/go_quote.gif I plugged my HD600 into the AMP3 (Pro.1) (which has an amp built into it), and the two sound really beautiful together. I'm listening to some material which, with 60 ohm KSC35's, I'd listen on the digital volume setting 18. With the 300 ohm HD600's, I'm listening with the digital volume setting on 21 or 22, depending on the song. I'm surprised that just a few clicks up the volume setting is all that it took to go from a 60 ohm to a 300 ohm phone. The sound is nicely full and balanced, with great detail, realistic timbres and textures and enviable spatial presentation, depth and layering. There's plenty of volume range available, but there's no need to use it. To my ear, the answer to your question is: Yes, the AMP3 has enough power to nicely drive HD600 with the amp that's built into it, without effort. Whether you will find it better if you run the output of the AMP3 into the input of another amp, only you will be able to determine. For me, a large part of the attraction of the AMP3 is that it is a one-box, all-in-one, digital music player + amp solution - just plug in headphones and listen. AND, it sounds as good as, or better than, two box solutions requiring double the battery management, strapping the boxes together, and running an IC between them. The AMP3 sounds sufficiently beautiful with the HD600 that it would not be worth it to me to go from a one-box to a two-box listening rig in an attempt to gain better SQ than this. Really, the HD600 are sounding enviably beautiful straight out of the AMP3. Well folks, add the HD600 to the list of phones which sound really good with the AMP3.

[size=medium]This is true? Then I will definitely try, because I just have a HD600![/size]

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zunman /img/forum/go_quote.gif [size=medium]This is true? Then I will definitely try, because I just have a HD600![/size]

It's how I hear it, and here's someone else who agrees:

Quote:

Originally Posted by koven /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ Agreed. I think the AMP3 drives my HD580 and HD650 just fine. I listen at 29-30 volume though.

 

[zunman]

Wow, thanks sbulack provided by the good news, I can not wait for the HD600 into AMP3 Lyrics, wow, how is this possible? They even sent out an incredible beautiful voice! In a stokovsky's "Rhapsody," where you can clearly feel the tight-knit group of gorgeous string instrument characteristics can even feel the slightest hint of sweet, too beautiful! In the broadcast to commemorate the album Pavarotti's "no sleep tonight," bright and strong and brings a relaxed tenor is really fascinating, HD600 can be a good way to Pavarotti that he is the only large chest resonance and transparent performance characteristics very sensual voice vividly, ultra-high-degree of separation even when he was singing emitted from the saliva of the mouth are able to "see" it is difficult to imagine, I was more than ten times the big headphone amplifier of your AMP3 let no be able to let me enjoy the HD600 to such a wonderful feeling, but even this small AMP3 can, really incredible!
Once again, thank sbulack selfless sharing, this is a wonderful discovery!

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chef /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks, I just wanted it clarified that it wasn't some weird class D amp which goes to a class A amp all inside the AMP3's casing. I understand the advantages and disadvantages of the class A over the class D. I'd be very curious to know if the Fuze sounded better with the AMP3 than just the AMP3 alone. I get that the Fuze sounds better with it, than it does alone, I just don't understand the idea of making your portable audio solution unnecessarily clumsy when it's already all in one box. I think you start defeating the purpose of the device when you do that.

As I stated earlier in this thread my AMP3 has an issue with the card reader (the only one of the bunch from my understanding, what luck

), so I have a 4GB player. Craig of course is going to take care of me, but that is another story.

I do use the Fuze for multiple reasons other than the above stated:
1) Support for 16GB card giving me 24GB total
2) FLAC support (however the files are named/whatever the folder configuration)
3) Playlist support
4) Ease of navigation

As far as SQ differences, I have not performed an A/B test. I only have MP3s on my AMP3 and have 50%+ FLAC on my Fuze, but don't have the same song in each format on each player. I probably should do that comparison, and when I get time I will.

Plus, I do not think it is cumbersome at all. My pockets are large enough to easily fit both. Sure, only using one would be nice, but I am also contemplating getting a HD based iPod to use with the AMP3 just for the space.

I will let you know what I find when I do my comparison.

 

[Chef]

That's reasonable enough. I just wonder if an all in one dap/amp to power another dap is more cost efficient than getting a dedicated portable amp (which for me at the moment has a powerful stigma of being costly and not really worth it already).

I definitely look forward to your comparison.

 

[average_joe]

Before the AMP3 I was looking at portable amps, but nothing really hit me, and the ones I sampled didn't really bring me what I was expecting for the additional cost (around $300 and up).

And for $150 for the AMP3, how could I go wrong with the SQ expectations in a DAP. Maybe I wouldn't need to get an amp. And now I feel I don't need to get another amp, well except the Studio I

So I was ready to carry around a DAP and an amp, and was looking at my other DAP options such as an iPod and an iRiver.

If I could get an AMP3 or Studio with 64+GB of space (internal and card) with playlist support and FLAC support (which is coming), I would not need anything else. Maybe with 2 card slots, as the SD spec allows for multiple cards.

IMO if the AMP3 or Studio could accept a USB storage device such as this, that would work for me!

 

[Chef]

That's interesting to hear. So the less expensive AMP3 is better than more expensive dedicated portable AMPs.

The pro2 will have a 16gig SD slot, so I wonder if it would be less cumbersome for you to just have a few extra SD's rather than a whole other player. They would be easy to lose though, without a special pouch or case to keep them in.

 

[Anouk]

Hello, two card slots would be nice! I mean, it has this already now but the default card just must be able to be switched out. Also, i know a player, although its not a mass market one (victor reader stream0 that has the possibility to connect usb sticks/copy files from them to flash memory o rjust use the stick, that would be cool too.
Greetings, Anouk,

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chef /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's interesting to hear. So the less expensive AMP3 is better than more expensive dedicated portable AMPs.

I really don't know for a fact, as I have not owned the other amps and have not had the luxury of comparing them in my home environment. I can say the AMP3 does blow away the E5 and Icon Mobile! HPA should be able to compare the AMP3 with other amps after his AMP3 is burned in.

Quote:

The pro2 will have a 16gig SD slot, so I wonder if it would be less cumbersome for you to just have a few extra SD's rather than a whole other player. They would be easy to lose though, without a special pouch or case to keep them in.

Here is how I figure it: 16Gb card = $50. If I can find the same deal on a referbed iPod 5.5G with an 80GB HD, I would need 4 more cards to equate to the same memory, which is more than the iPod. So from a cost perspective, the iPod is better. Plus, there is convenience of having all my music in one place and being able to play 80GB at random instead of switching cards, which I have done with 8Gb cards and the Fuze and didn't care for.

Don't get me wrong, I love the AMP3. I just don't think there is 1 player out there that does everything I want it to do, regardless of the price.

 

[acolyte289]

Actually 16gb micro sd cards can easily be found for $30 on sites like newegg. To equal at least an 80g Ipods space you would need 5, which would cost $150 extra...thats only $50 bucks more than a new Ipod for a player that has a much better amp built in (and support for flac!). (yes I'm aware Ipods are 120gb now, but whats 40 more gb anyway

)

But you are right that there is no one player that has EVERYTHING (But wouldn't it be fantastic if there was one?

). Some people are willing to sacrifice a bit of space for the dap+amp in one combo, and some aren't.

I plan to eventually split my music up by genre into separate cards since I rarely feel like listening to multiple genres at once anyway. Now if I can only find a foolproof way to store extra sd cards without losing them...

By the way, can anyone estimate how long it takes the Amp3 to "load" an 8gb card that's filled up completely? It is very long?

 

[tstarn06]

Does take awhile, a few minutes at least. If you set the player to normal, not random, play mode, it also loads faster. Then turn it to random once it is "loaded."

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by acolyte289 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually 16gb micro sd cards can easily be found for $30 on sites like newegg. To equal at least an 80g Ipods space you would need 5, which would cost $150 extra...thats only $50 bucks more than a new Ipod for a player that has a much better amp built in (and support for flac!). (yes I'm aware Ipods are 120gb now, but whats 40 more gb anyway )

Can you please post links to the $30 16GB cards? I can't seem to find them, and for that price I will pick up at least 1 more!

As far as the storage, currently I have 131GB of music. While I don't need all of it all at once, it would be nice to have the majority of it and not have to worry about memory cards.

Quote:

But you are right that there is no one player that has EVERYTHING (But wouldn't it be fantastic if there was one? ). Some people are willing to sacrifice a bit of space for the dap+amp in one combo, and some aren't.

My solution is to use a player that has the space with a good line out and use an amp. Just so happens that the AMP3 is an exceptional amp for the price, and in general, really. (Did I mention I can't wait to hear the Studio? Well, I can't wait!)

Quote:

I plan to eventually split my music up by genre into separate cards since I rarely feel like listening to multiple genres at once anyway. Now if I can only find a foolproof way to store extra sd cards without losing them...

I did this, which is what lead me to where I want to go, one DAP with a large capacity hooked up to an AMP3 (or Studio). Don't get me wrong, I love the AMP3 and highly recommend it to everyone I know that would even semi-consider buying one.