[chinolofus]

i have a zune and a pair of shure e2cs. whats a good small amp for under 100 bucks?

 

[Bomo.is.ooc]

Have you considered building? A decent Cmoy can be built for really cheap (read $30) and sound really nice.

If you must have it pre-built, I'd recommend a Little Dot MK1. They're like $130 on ebay, and can probably be snagged for under $100 if you wait it out a bit.

If you need something while you wait, either because you build or are looking for a deal or w/e, I'd grab a FiiO. They're cheap (~$5-10) and are actually pretty decent.

 

[chinolofus]

what kind of skill goes into building one? im good at figuring stuff out....link to what you are talking about?
also what kind of difference am i taliing about btween an amp and no amp. is it night and day?

 

[Bomo.is.ooc]

Honestly, a Cmoy would be the place to start if you wanted to build something. It's rather simple, there's a good chunk of people out there that have built one, and you get the sense of accomplishment that goes with using something that you've built.

This is a good site to check out for info on building it, along with the original forum post on the build.

 

[billybob_jcv]

The difference between amped and straight out of the source depends on many factors - your source, your 'phones, your ears, etc. If you have a decent source and efficient 'phones, the amp may not provide much benefit. On the other hand, if the amp in your source is weak and your 'phones are hard to drive, the amp may provide a completely different experience. E2Cs are fairly efficient, but I don't have any direct experience with them, so I'll let others provide their feedback for you.

For the best starting point on diy, try:
Audiologica

There are usually plenty of pre-built CMoy amps on ebay.