Best Mini Amps Out There!!

[gorman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boodi yes it is . again .. ask Norm and he answers always

I sent him an e-mail. Thanks for everything!

 

[gorman]

I'm speaking with Norm and trying to build a portable/home hybrid based on the new and upcoming Classic board. You were right, he *really* is kind and quick in answering all my questions. Top notch customer care, really. It's a pleasure dealing with people like him.

 

[Jazz1]

I'd love to see a picture of an SR-71 next to an iPod (non-mini)!

 

[The Quality Guru]

I was at the Chicago meet and got to listen to the SR-71 for a while, and 'twas nothing but eargasmic. Some might think the $350 pricetag is steep, but once you hear it, you may suddenly become a kleptomaniac to get your hands on one. IMO, it was competetive with Ray Samuel's Emmeline HR-2! Sure, the HR-2 had a slightly more refined presentation, but the SR-71 was amazing. In fact, after I plugged my HP-2's into the SR-71, I thought that I had accidently plugged into the XP-7, but no!!

And so you all know, the photo of the SR-71 that ipodstudio has been showing is not representative of the appearance of the actual production model-- Ray told me in Chicago that the production models would be black, with an anodized finish, just like all his other amps.

At the Chicago meet, Ray wanted to put his SR-71 against any other amp in the place, and while it seemed kinda rash and silly at the time, it really was very, very good sounding.

 

[erikzen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Quality Guru I was at the Chicago meet and got to listen to the SR-71 for a while, and 'twas nothing but eargasmic. Some might think the $350 pricetag is steep, but once you hear it, you may suddenly become a kleptomaniac to get your hands on one.

Actually, it's $395 and from the listening I did it's worth every penny. You will not need to buy another portable amp again, ever! and maybe not a home amp either.

The Larocco Pocket Reference is $350 but can also be upgraded for $450. I wish I could do a comparison of a PR, "maxed out" PR and a SR71.

 

[halcyon]

Consider the following option if you are into DIY:

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=74525
http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=70517

Of course, I have no idea how it sounds (haven't heard it), so feel free to ask from those who've heard it (Gilmore, et al.).

regards,
halcyon

 

[ipodstudio]

Here are some pics I just posted to the TIS headphone amps gallery of the Ray Samuels SR-71.

This is the production chassis but without the anodized finish & without the silver silk screen:

Enjoy!

 

[erikzen]

Sweet pics ipodstudio! Really makes me want one now. This whole thread has really got me itching to upgrade my portable amp. Up until recently I used to commute to work by train and that's when I did most of my listening. Now I work from home and could probably better utilize a desktop rig.

The question is, will my D-303 see marked improvement with a new amp? And if so, where does my "law of diminishing returns" curve really start to take a nosedive. Now that the SuperDual is out I'm really confused, especially with the limited time low pricing.

Go-Vibe
SuperDual
Total Airhead/Bithead
Larocco Pocket Reference
Emmeline SR 71
Maxed out Pocket Reference
Emmeline XP-7

I was definitely itching to buy the SR 71. I've heard it and I know it sounds great. But I'm also happy with my SuperMini for my applications and if the SuperDual sounds better than that, at the low price it might be the steal of the century. Then again, the new Headsave products are priced extremely reasonably and those who have tried them say they are worth many times more in terms of sound quality. I wouldn't normally consider the XR-7 only because it's a little big, but considering I'm doing a lot of homebound listening these days it might be the perfect thing for home/transit. Not really a mini amp though.

Questions, questions, questions, flooding into the mind of the concerned young person today.