[pearljam5000]

after reading many threads...i haven't come to definite conclusion...

 

[Dual]

I've seen some people claim that the Xin Reference is comparable to home amps.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...ght=supermicro

 

[EFN]

It's a claim not without base. I myself has pitted my XIN SuperMicro-IV against Heed CanAmp and favors goes to the SuperMicro. And some has pitted the beta model of XIN Reference against the likes of Earmax etc.

One have to give Xin amps a listen to believe.

 

[majkel]

It depends. In lower price range you can find many portable amps surprisingly good compared to desktop ones but when the prices increase the quality level of desktop amps becomes unbeatable. Amongst others there is one simple reason: you couldn't fit big capacitors into the small housing. There are also other reasons like transistors biasing or buffer choices which in portable designs is often a trade-off between good sound and battery life. In other words, desktop amplifiers are designed (I hope so

) for maximal SQ using certain parts. In portable amps you mostly have the power consumption in mind. So, the output power in portable amps is also limited, mainly due to lower supply voltage. For efficient headphones portable amps do a pretty good job but for power hungry and demanding cans like AKG K701 they are not quite suitable, and loud does not mean well driven in this case.

 

[EFN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majkel /img/forum/go_quote.gif It depends. In lower price range you can find many portable amps surprisingly good compared to desktop ones but when the prices increase the quality level of desktop amps becomes unbeatable. Amongst others there is one simple reason: you couldn't fit big capacitors into the small housing. There are also other reasons like transistors biasing or buffer choices which in portable designs is often a trade-off between good sound and battery life. In other words, desktop amplifiers are designed (I hope so ) for maximal SQ using certain parts. In portable amps you mostly have the power consumption in mind. So, the output power in portable amps is also limited, mainly due to lower supply voltage. For efficient headphones portable amps do a pretty good job but for power hungry and demanding cans like AKG K701 they are not quite suitable, and loud does not mean well driven in this case.

How true. Impressed as I am with my SuperMicro-IV, she has limitations as well. Driving efficient cans between 32-250 oHm is not a problem. But the heavyweight cans like K701, HD650 will benefit more from juicy home amps. That's why I limit the usage of my SuperMicro-IV to driving IEMs. It has to do with overall synergy - I believe in driving small cans with small amps - porpotionally correct matching of rig will result in audio bliss.

 

[909]

in general and in my experience hearing many amps both portable and large non-portable, i would say without question or hesitation no--a good portable amp can not equal the superior sound quality of a good home amp even with low impedance headphones.

 

[Torula Yeast]

OK, this thread has me thinkin'...

I've been considering ponying up for the new HeadRoom Ultra Micro with Max circuitry. Being as my Grados are such pushovers to drive, does that mean I'd be about as well set as I could hope considering my source is an iPod? Or might that even mean my current Micro amp is pretty darn close to being the best I could expect for a portable rig?

[Edit: Ha! Now that I've posted, I see 909's take on the subject. Is his opinion an outlier, or is there a general concurrence?]

 

[909]

that wasn't part of the op's question,

but price depends on the particular amps (or even new vs. used), and of course and generally speaking it's going to cost more for a home amp plus it will most often and likely offer superior sound. most portable amp parts are relatively inexpensive and if the chassis is metal it could cost more than all the other internal parts combined.

 

[Icarium]

I think there is definitely a possibility there are some awfully cheap/crappy low end home amps out there (By Chinese manufacture, etc. and I don't mean Darkvoice/whatever, but ultra cheap fly by night sold on ebay/knockoff stuff) that a very solid portable amp can equal or better. But a really solid home amp comparably priced made by a reliable builder or a solid DIY design should crush pretty much all portable amps.

 

[riceboy]

I would be curious what portable amp could compete with a similarly priced home amp?

 

[909]

Quote:

Originally Posted by heretical /img/forum/go_quote.gif Agreed. I thought it would be more pertinent and interesting to question if portable amps can be as good as home amps in the same price range (which I happen to think is the case).

it's all relative and there are exceptions in favor of either portable or home, but when you get in say the $250 to $450 price range for a new amp you've pretty much included nearly every portable and excluded most home amp. you don't have to spend a fortune to get a decent home amp such as the lunch box, gilmore lite, or ec-ss and i'd rather choose one of those over nearly any portable similarly priced, if i desired superior sound.

 

[bhd812]

i would be more worried about the Source feeding the amps first...

 

[909]

the source is an extremely important component that many overlook...

i am a source first person, but needing an amp i'd rather go with a home amp because it will sound better than a portable. i've yet to hear a portable to make me think otherwise and i've heard most of them, though not all.

 

[Dept_of_Alchemy]

Portable amps certainly measure worse than home amps. Also there are no proper portable tube amps, so if you want tubes (and their distortion characteristics), you've got no choice.

 

[909]

guitar and bass tube/SS amps offer audible distortion, but a good tube headphone amp doesn't have any audible distortion.