[DotChannel]

Hello, I am looking for a much needed amp for the J3. I do not care about what pleases my ears, I am looking for an amp that will produce the sound as true to the original performance as possible (I hate EQ). I want a portable headphone amplifier that will redirect the signal and fix the bass-roll off of the original source. As for the rest, I would simply like for the rest to sound very crisp, clear and vivid, and needless to say strong. I do not have any price restrictions at the moment, and I do not care about size essentially (it still has to be considered a portable amp). I also do not care about quantity; If I need more than one amp, or another item, that is perfectly necessary. I just care about the sound. Do you guys know of any amps that could fix this for me? I want the RMAA of my rig to look beautiful.
 
Thank you. 

 

[DotChannel]

Bump.

 

[cifani090]

What's your budget?

 

[lee730]

Look into UHA6S amp for its versatility and great sound. Look into UHA4 for is portability and great sound (particularly with IEMS).
Quote:

Hello, I am looking for a much needed amp for the J3. I do not care about what pleases my ears, I am looking for an amp that will produce the sound as true to the original performance as possible (I hate EQ). I want a portable headphone amplifier that will redirect the signal and fix the bass-roll off of the original source. As for the rest, I would simply like for the rest to sound very crisp, clear and vivid, and needless to say strong. I do not have any price restrictions at the moment, and I do not care about size essentially (it still has to be considered a portable amp). I also do not care about quantity; If I need more than one amp, or another item, that is perfectly necessary. I just care about the sound. Do you guys know of any amps that could fix this for me? I want the RMAA of my rig to look beautiful.
 
Thank you. 

 

 

[Achmedisdead]

If you hate EQ why did you buy a Cowon? Just curious....

 

[DotChannel]

Oh sorry, I forgot to say what my budget is. The player I would be buying now would have to be under $300. But It would be appreciated if you guys could also recommend other player of different prices, just in case I upgrade.
 
Quote:

What's your budget?

Thanks for the info. I've heard of lots of high-end audio companies and I have never heard of Leckerton Audio. I'll look into this company. What do you think of the Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline "P-51 Mustang" amp for the J3? (http://www.raysamuelsaudio.com/products/p-51) In a forum awhile back, another Head-Fier recommended that amp to a user looking for amps for his J3.
Quote:

Look into UHA6S amp for its versatility and great sound. Look into UHA4 for is portability and great sound (particularly with IEMS).


 

I like how the Cowon sounds flat. I think it stays true to the original performance. Do you know if there is any better players that are good for playing flat (just in case in the future I upgrade my player)?
Quote:

If you hate EQ why did you buy a Cowon? Just curious....

 

 

[Achmedisdead]

I hear good things about the iBasso T5 amp as being neutral and powerful, but mine hasn't arrived yet, so I can't confirm that personally.
 
As far as a flat-sounding player, I preferred the sound of my 4th-gen Touch flat to the Cowon i9 flat....and the i9 is the same generation as the J3, in Cowon terms. The i9 sounded a bit thinner to me with my Grados than the Touch.....whether that is due to the bass roll-off so many have mentioned with Cowon players or not, I don't know.

 

[Huxley]

Why double amp?
 
I have the S9 and to my ears it sounded awful amped, worse than using the hp out on it's own.
 
Why not grab a fuze and lod, then use that on your amp of choice.
 
Honestly it'll spank the cowon.

 

[cifani090]

Quote:

Oh sorry, I forgot to say what my budget is. The player I would be buying now would have to be under $300. But It would be appreciated if you guys could also recommend other player of different prices, just in case I upgrade.

Thanks for the info. I've heard of lots of high-end audio companies and I have never heard of Leckerton Audio. I'll look into this company. What do you think of the Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline "P-51 Mustang" amp for the J3? (http://www.raysamuelsaudio.com/products/p-51) In a forum awhile back, another Head-Fier recommended that amp to a user looking for amps for his J3.

I like how the Cowon sounds flat. I think it stays true to the original performance. Do you know if there is any better players that are good for playing flat (just in case in the future I upgrade my player)?

What IEM's are you using? The RSA amps are great, and consider going used as you'll get them 30-60% off retail.
 

 

[DotChannel]

Oh yeah, for sure. I would like to hear your feedback on the iBasso T5 when you have it. Interesting. Do you prefer the sound of 4th generation iPod Touch unamped, to the sound of the i9 unamped?
Quote:

I hear good things about the iBasso T5 amp as being neutral and powerful, but mine hasn't arrived yet, so I can't confirm that personally.
 
As far as a flat-sounding player, I preferred the sound of my 4th-gen Touch flat to the Cowon i9 flat....and the i9 is the same generation as the J3, in Cowon terms. The i9 sounded a bit thinner to me with my Grados than the Touch.....whether that is due to the bass roll-off so many have mentioned with Cowon players or not, I don't know.

I haven't used S9 so I wouldn't know. Is the S9, the same tech as the J3? Are you sure about the amp making it sound worse? Did you use gain? I don't think the J3 sounds good enough unamped to my ears. I think it needs more transparency and of coarse deeper bass.
Quote:

Why double amp?
 
I have the S9 and to my ears it sounded awful amped, worse than using the hp out on it's own.
 
Why not grab a fuze and lod, then use that on your amp of choice.
 
Honestly it'll spank the cowon.

 

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

Oh yeah, for sure. I would like to hear your feedback on the iBasso T5 when you have it. Interesting. Do you prefer the sound of 4th generation iPod Touch unamped, to the sound of the i9 unamped?

I haven't used S9 so I wouldn't know. Is the S9, the same tech as the J3? Are you sure about the amp making it sound worse? Did you use gain? I don't think the J3 sounds good enough unamped to my ears. I think it needs more transparency and of coarse deeper bass.
 

Well, when using no EQ's or sound enhancements, then yes, I did prefer the Touch to the i9. Adding in EQ/enhancements, I could get great sound out of either one of them. It's worth mentioning that I don't use IEM's.....if you do, your results from these players may be completely different from mine.
 
And have you tried the Mach3Bass adjustment? That could help with deeper bass tones without affecting the overall balance of the sound, if used judiciously.

 

[Huxley]

Near enough yes, though it was my fiio E7, i now have a P4 warbler so can give that a try if you want?
 
It compares favourably to the rsa amps from what i've heard, though that's all i'll say as it's sparked big arguments on here before.
 
Ok well seems it didn't like my E7, it does a grand job with the P4 everything is improved. The treble is less sibilant but it has a nice sparkle to it
 
Mids are brought forward, bass is less bloated and has better decay. But the bigger difference is the soundstage, is now wider, where before the S9 would sound a bit closed off.
 
Still prefer my fuze for sq, but it certainly gave a nice improvement I find the S9 a but like ba drivers, a bit cold and lifeless but good sq, this amp gave the sound a good kick in the right direction.
 
Edit - Yup the fuze easily wins in the sq department, it's certainly the way id go but the cowon fared better than i expected. And in fairness i am using an lod on the fuze so it's bound to be cleaner.
 
This is with my sleek CT6 ciem's
Quote:

I haven't used S9 so I wouldn't know. Is the S9, the same tech as the J3? Are you sure about the amp making it sound worse? Did you use gain? I don't think the J3 sounds good enough unamped to my ears. I think it needs more transparency and of coarse deeper bass.
 

 
 

 

[lee730]

So far I can tell you the Studio V is that player you are looking for. It has all the power you'll ever need for portability in a small package. Has a Class A amp and has a 85+ hour battery life with flac playback! The amp inside of it sounds just like the RSA Mustang (which retails for $375.00) and this amp can be used as a dedicated amp to power your other DAPs as well. The body is made entirely of brushed aluminum and has dedicated buttons. Internal memory is 4 GB but it has a Micro SD slot so you can put in 32 GB cards (with the updated firmware) and it works just fine. No EQ needed at all period (FX700, IE80). This is by far the best sounding DAP I've heard to date and I feel it competes with my DACport LX in all honesty. It just sounds that good. Very wide sound stage. Very transparent with excellent instrument separation. Its a very revealing player that take you deep into the recording. With this player you will not need a portable amp as it has all the power you'll need and its small form factor makes it a must own IMO. There is an auction going on now with the starting bid around $200.00 I think. Still well worth that price IMO but I was lucky to get it half off at $175.00. Thank the Lord . I foresee my Hifiman 601 on Heafi for sale forums very shortly.
Quote:

Oh sorry, I forgot to say what my budget is. The player I would be buying now would have to be under $300. But It would be appreciated if you guys could also recommend other player of different prices, just in case I upgrade.
 

Thanks for the info. I've heard of lots of high-end audio companies and I have never heard of Leckerton Audio. I'll look into this company. What do you think of the Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline "P-51 Mustang" amp for the J3? (http://www.raysamuelsaudio.com/products/p-51) In a forum awhile back, another Head-Fier recommended that amp to a user looking for amps for his J3.

I like how the Cowon sounds flat. I think it stays true to the original performance. Do you know if there is any better players that are good for playing flat (just in case in the future I upgrade my player)?
 

 

 

[DotChannel]

Yeah I have tried Mach3Bass. It sounds a little too artificial for me. I would rather just keep it as close to the original performance as I can. If the artist doesn't want the bass to be as strong as the EQ makes it, then I don't really want to listen to it that way. Just my taste. I think I might try out a 4th gen Touch some time around.
Quote:

Well, when using no EQ's or sound enhancements, then yes, I did prefer the Touch to the i9. Adding in EQ/enhancements, I could get great sound out of either one of them. It's worth mentioning that I don't use IEM's.....if you do, your results from these players may be completely different from mine.
 
And have you tried the Mach3Bass adjustment? That could help with deeper bass tones without affecting the overall balance of the sound, if used judiciously.

I don't want a FiiO amp. I think they're way too cheap. And I just tried a Fiio E10 for my J3 and it broke on the first day. I'm returning that and getting my money back If I can. Smelled of burnt plastic. I would rather get a more high-end amp and have it be a necessity. I'm a product designer, I don't put up with bad build quality. I don't know why but I'm surprised that such a small player like the Fuze could have such good sound quality. Is it really that good? 
Quote:

Near enough yes, though it was my fiio E7, i now have a P4 warbler so can give that a try if you want?
 
It compares favourably to the rsa amps from what i've heard, though that's all i'll say as it's sparked big arguments on here before.
 
Ok well seems it didn't like my E7, it does a grand job with the P4 everything is improved. The treble is less sibilant but it has a nice sparkle to it
 
Mids are brought forward, bass is less bloated and has better decay. But the bigger difference is the soundstage, is now wider, where before the S9 would sound a bit closed off.
 
Still prefer my fuze for sq, but it certainly gave a nice improvement I find the S9 a but like ba drivers, a bit cold and lifeless but good sq, this amp gave the sound a good kick in the right direction.
 
Edit - Yup the fuze easily wins in the sq department, it's certainly the way id go but the cowon fared better than i expected. And in fairness i am using an lod on the fuze so it's bound to be cleaner.
 
This is with my sleek CT6 ciem's


 
 

I'm using Ultimate Ears 700's right now. I should probably upgrade to some better headphones, but they will do for now. Thanks for the advice on RSA.
Quote:

What IEM's are you using? The RSA amps are great, and consider going used as you'll get them 30-60% off retail.
 

 

 

[DotChannel]

I'm curious about the Studio-V but at the same time I have heard that it doesn't do gapless. Which I'm not sure if I'm willing to part with. lol I'll look into the bid for sure.
 
Quote:

So far I can tell you the Studio V is that player you are looking for. It has all the power you'll ever need for portability in a small package. Has a Class A amp and has a 85+ hour battery life with flac playback! The amp inside of it sounds just like the RSA Mustang (which retails for $375.00) and this amp can be used as a dedicated amp to power your other DAPs as well. The body is made entirely of brushed aluminum and has dedicated buttons. Internal memory is 4 GB but it has a Micro SD slot so you can put in 32 GB cards (with the updated firmware) and it works just fine. No EQ needed at all period (FX700, IE80). This is by far the best sounding DAP I've heard to date and I feel it competes with my DACport LX in all honesty. It just sounds that good. Very wide sound stage. Very transparent with excellent instrument separation. Its a very revealing player that take you deep into the recording. With this player you will not need a portable amp as it has all the power you'll need and its small form factor makes it a must own IMO. There is an auction going on now with the starting bid around $200.00 I think. Still well worth that price IMO but I was lucky to get it half off at $175.00. Thank the Lord . I foresee my Hifiman 601 on Heafi for sale forums very shortly.