[m7md]

 
Hi,

 

I`m new to this forum, so go easy. I'm looking for the best portable amp with DAC, that synergizes the best with the ultrasone edition 8. I'm looking for an amp that is suitable for home use and on the go with my ipod. I listen to different kinds of music, bass is important. My budget is 500$. Thanks!

 

[m7md]

please anyone?

 

[warp08]

My current favorite is the iBasso Toucan P1 in balanced mode.  That requires a Hirose adapter (6-pin).  The Ed8 I have on loan is recabled with dual 3-pin XLR balanced connectors and the adapter has been made to convert that to Hirose output.
 
The Edition 8 overall is not too difficult to amp, so pretty much any other high-quality amp would be able to drive it, s/e or balanced.

 

[RockinCannoisseur]

Quote:

 
Hi,
 
I`m new to this forum, so go easy. I'm looking for the best portable amp with DAC, that synergizes the best with the ultrasone edition 8. I'm looking for an amp that is suitable for home use and on the go with my ipod. I listen to different kinds of music, bass is important. My budget is 500$. Thanks!

 
 
lisa iii  is almost perfect for  your need - dac, but nothings perfect. if u need a dac Pico is said to be one of the best.   i use lisa everyday for the bedside rig, but really it is better than  my matrix which i use in my main rig because it has all the input output and gain options.   lisa iii is one of the best investments i have made. take it portable or use it as a desktop amp.   and it has a variable bass pot??  u listening.    this also comes in super handy say if you listen to a lot of vinyl such as i and you dont have a preamp. the bass pot comes in super handy for extra bright recordings
 
i have seen more than a few lisa in the fs section go for under 500 so what are u waiting for, on the other hand the new lisa is coming out and should be better (i cant imagine how much as lisa iii is already super awesome) it is smaller and has gain too but it will also be more expensive being brand new.
   edition 8 and lisa iii sound excellent and i highly recommend this combo which has great synergy.
 
  the fiquest is also supposedy very good but may require even more tweakage and i dont htink it has a dac either, or you could get the iqube v2 which has dac but no bass pot.
 
also check out prcactical devices or a mini3, and if u need an excellent dac get the pico
 i am also  liking the pico slim which would be awesome with the iphone4 (if i get the iphone 4 i will surely try the slim) and  has the same power as the p51 but  both have no dac. the larger  pico dac/amp is twice as powerful and should be a consideration for u if a built in dac is a must.  i also have a predator which is ok but its dac is veiled imo compared to others. also check out the d4 but  ive read battery life isnt so good and no bass eq but dac is also supposedly good.

 

[m7md]

Thank you guys, I will be looking into the ibasso pb1 toucan and the lisa iii, do you think that the TTVJ slim is a good match.

 

[Palpatine]

In my limited experience with the Ed 8 I found it to be very unpicky with regard to amps. I don't think you have to worry too much about synergy issues.
 

 

[m7md]

I mean will it be capable to power the edition 8.

 

[Yale]

Quote:

In my limited experience with the Ed 8 I found it to be very unpicky with regard to amps. I don't think you have to worry too much about synergy issues.
 

Agree w Palpatine.
 
ED8s are not very demanding when it comes to amps. I use mine with a P51+ iPod or +iPad running on WAV and it sounds quite good.

 

[m7md]

Thank you guys, I think I'm going to buy the TTVJ slim, but unfortunately it is sold out, i guess i can wait a week or two. 

 

[Lex]

My Ultrasones are driven very nicely indeed by an iBasso D2+, in fact that combo has sold several pairs of cans for Ultrasone over the last year.

 

[m7md]

Quote:

My Ultrasones are driven very nicely indeed by an iBasso D2+, in fact that combo has sold several pairs of cans for Ultrasone over the last year.

 
Thanks for your input.
so you think it is better than the TTVJ slim?
Btw if it is not clear I'm a newbie, and i would like to buy the perfect amp/DAC for me, in terms of size and SQ. 

 

[Lex]

I haven't heard the TTVJ, but judging from peer reviews both will be a significant upgrade from the amps integrated into most portable sources and both Todd and iBasso have a following on this board for good reason (they make great sounding gear).
 
I look forward to reading your review and the seeing pics of your rig.

 

[GLdgShDjKsHT]

look after iqube or meier stepdance

 

[swbf2cheater]

The TTVJ Slim and SR71a did not do much for the edition 8 at all compared to just using my Colorfly CK4 or Sansa Fuze.  I mean almost nothing at all.  However, they make a hell of a difference when you combo it with a fantastic source like a computer or something else.  Out of my computer that only has onboard audio, the edition 8 sounded incredible with the SR71A and ttvj slim.  Without the computer, even the best daps out there are not powerful enough to do much for it.  The HM801 with game module might suffice but its still nowhere near good enough to justify 
 
The TTVJ is unusable for portable needs as the output and input jacks are on opposite sides! They will cause major stress on the cables and jacks if you let it shuffle around in your pocket.  Even the slim was not powerful enough to get anywhere near the level of sound quality the edition 8 was capable of even with my colorfly ck4 which could be one of the best budget daps ever made. 
 
If the portable amp is intended for full size cans, you might get great sound out of it.  But if its mostly for iem use like the slims are then I would say avoid it and just get a a great dap and use that for portable needs with the edition 8, invest that $300+ into a decent full size amp like the Matrix M stage or something.