[oddity]

As a neophyte audiophile I have been stumbling my way around numerous websites in search of a reasonably priced portable headphone amp. It seems to me that there are two types of portable amps; the brand name flavor (Airhead, C&C, NuForce) and the homemade flavor (CMOY amps sold on Ebay).

So I have a two part question:

1) Which grouping would you recommend starting with for a novice audiophile.

--And--

2) If homemade amps are a better choice how do I choose a quality amp and avoid getting screwed by paying for a worthless amp?


Any advice would be seriously appreciated.

 

[kb1gra]

Well, my take on handmade vs. production is this:

If you have the wherewithal to actually build your own, you know exactly what you're getting quality wise, since you built the thing.

If you're buying what someone else built, you're pretty much in the same boat as buying production--the quality is wholly dependent on the builder. Thus, you might be better off going to a production model with a warranty, etc.

Personally, my opinion is that a novice audiophile would do fine with a $99 NuForce icon mobile. It's a decent little amp, good battery, nice small size, and should be an easy resell when you decide to upgrade to something a little heftier.

 

[oddity]

I don't believe that I qualified "hand-made" clearly in my original post. So to provide a reference for what I consider handmade, here are some links to amps I have been looking at:

(Sorry about the massive links)


Super Slim Metal cMOY Headphone Amp (Silver Ver.)
Super Slim Metal cMOY Headphone Amp (Silver Ver.) - eBay (item 260480864910 end time Oct-02-09 09:05:11 PDT)

Banzai Black Jelly V5 CMOY Headphone Amplifier
New Banzai Black Jelly V5 CMOY Headphone Amplifier Amp - eBay (item 220481925342 end time Oct-16-09 22:31:48 PDT)

Little Dot MK I+ Portable Headphone Amplifier AMP SKU41
Little Dot MK I+ Portable Headphone Amplifier AMP SKU41 - eBay (item 330354946391 end time Oct-24-09 02:30:08 PDT)

MUSIC MAX LT1 Headphone amplifier
MUSIC MAX LT1 Headphone amplifier AMP - eBay (item 160348003342 end time Oct-09-09 02:33:30 PDT)


I know some of the amps look a bit "sweat-shop-chic" but my primary concern is efficacy, not aesthetics. So if you have an opinion take the kiddie-gloves off and give it to me straight.

 

[UglyJoe]

Talk to MisterX or one of the other Mini^3 builders recommended by AMB and be done with it. Not a big fan of the CMOY. Great amp for a budding DIYer, not something I'd be interested in buying from someone else as a serious amplifier. My two cents.

 

[oddity]

Well, since my last attempt to do a little DIY went up in smoke, literally (RIP iPod Video), I think I will stick with buying from a trusted source.