Cheap Starter Amp.

[xtenglong]

I'm new in the audiophile world, and many people say that getting an amp greatly improves the SQ. There are so many different portable amps out there, and I just don't know what is the pro's and con's of each one. I think I'm looking for a cheap amp that is relatively neutral. What are my options? I'm thinking about getting a pair of UE Super.fi 5 pro soon, and maybe some other other pair of headphones similar to the grados.

 

[TheAzhrei]

I would definitely work on getting those new earphones first, though you didn't mention what you have now. As amps go, people like their Cmoy amps. If you don't want to build one, you may be able to find one for sale on the forums. My first amp was a Headroom Total Bithead that I still use today. The Total Airhead (amp only) version is under $100 now.

 

[fatcat28037]

The Total Airhead is a good choice for $100. If you need something a little less expensive look at the PA2v2 at $60.
Welcome To Electric-Avenues.com !

 

[IceClass]

You should at least consider the Firestone Cute Beyond.
It's a fine amplifier and well worth the paltry sums they change hands for.

 

[energie]

penguin caffeine is the way

 

[tjumper78]

pa2v2 is always a great entry amp

 

[ZephyrSapphire]

Sometimes I wonder...

Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio - Search Forums

 

[illy2k]

Quote:

Originally Posted by energie /img/forum/go_quote.gif penguin caffeine is the way

ditto

and try the search, it usually won't fail just try to select a specific forum to narrow it down.

 

[thismike]

FWIR, the FiiO E3, which can be had for about $8, is a pretty good amp. It tightens up the bass well.

 

[xtenglong]

Are the PA2V2 supposed to be around 30-40 dollars? I see them being sold on ebay for that price, which is about half of what the labeled price is on the main site. Is there much difference between the penguinamp caffeine and PA2v2? Are these two much better than the Fii0 E3?

 

[billybob_jcv]

Don't forget that the FiiO E3 does not have a volume control, so you would need to use your DAP volume. I would wait for the E5 for less than $20.

Personally, I would get the new 'phones before the amp.

 

[xtenglong]

Alright, I guess I'll get the better headphones first. Probably first the super.fi 5 pros, and then get an amp. Probably will want to buy a nice set of cans afterwards for home use. So for future reference, I'm considering getting the FBSG cMOY's, or a Penguinamp Caffeine Ultra. I searched for reviews on the BSG's and Penguinamp, but these two amps never seems to be compared. What is the major differences from these two amps? Also, from what it seems, the opamp in the BSG's can be changed, so I could change it to a AD8397 opamp later on to try, right?

Probably will get an E5 in addition to one of those amps above because it's so cheap.

EDIT: Also, the Penguinamp is sold for $92.50 when you add shipping, while the BSG is only $55.94. If the Penguinamp is the better amp, is it really worth extra money??

 

[xtenglong]

also, how does the PA2V2 compare with the BSG and penguinamp?

 

[IEATTEFLON]

The BSG amp looks to be a regular cmoy with a gain jumper. The caffiene is nice but at the price you listed I'd spend a few more dollars for a Mini3. If you want a cheap cmoy either put a WTB in the sale forum or search on ebay for "cmoy".

 

[Anvil]

The Caffeine price recently went up by quite a bit, so I don't know if it's such a good deal anymore. It was like, 70 odd dollars shipped, now it's $92.50 so that's a pretty substantial jump.