[hardRAWKR]

So I'm considering buying a headphone amp, but I really don't know where to start. I'll give a little bit of background information but you guys will have to help me out.

It has to be under $100, and the less expensive the better.
I'm going to be using it with the setup in my signature, but it should be good enough to be usable with future upgrades I might get (including but not limited to things mentioned in my signature).
I don't care about size or anything that would affect actual portability, I'm willing to carry around pretty much anything!

Umm...that's about all I can say, because I really don't know anything about this. It would be great if someone could help me out.

 

[TheSoviet]

Mini^3 will do the job for you at around $100.

 

[hardRAWKR]

I'm not exactly sure I want to try DIY just yet. I've been looking around a bit and it looks like the Fiio E5 is a good amp for a low price. Any thoughts?

 

[Uber_Roxxorz]

Before you choose the E5, you may want to consider the E1 since you have an ipod. Also, the E7 is coming out sometime (soon I hope), so if you're in no rush maybe you can consider that, too. That being said, I like my E5, and the bass boost is useful with my RE0s sometimes. If nothing else, it's cheap enough to get your feet wet without taking too much of a risk. Just my $0.02.

 

[hardRAWKR]

I definitely don't want the E-1 because I plan to upgrade to the Cowon S9 sometime in the near future.
Considering I will probably have to wait a few months for the E-7 and the fact that the E-5 is only $20, I'll probably start with that and make any future upgrades whenever I come to the point that I decide I need them.

 

[Uber_Roxxorz]

Yeah, I think the E5 is at least a good place to start from for the price. If you get one, let us know what you think.

 

[neopac]

one thread next to yours
i´d go with the ibasso t3/d

neopac

 

[Drag0n]

The Fiio E5 distorts when driven. Its only good for IEMs and super easy to drive phones to take advantage of the bass boost function. Wait for the E7 if you want to also use this with your laptop as it comes with a dac and an amp in the same small unit.
Review of E7: FiiO E7 Headphone Amplifier/USB DAC Review

The mini3 can be purchased fully built by some people here on the forum.
Check the DIY forum for people who have built them, or check the AMB website, or contact MisterX, who used to build them, and maybe he still does. The Mini3 doesnt have a dac for your laptop though, but its an excellent amp.

Practical Devices makes dac/amp combos with bass and treble boost and crossfeed and other features built-in starting at $135 for the XM4 model, and $235 for the XM5 depending on features wanted.
Practical Devices Corporation

Someone may suggest a NuForce - they need work. Bad channel imbalance at low levels, so not good for IEMs and low imp phones.

Check the used forums for deals also.

 

[hardRAWKR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drag0n /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Fiio E5 distorts when driven. Its only good for IEMs and super easy to drive phones to take advantage of the bass boost function. Wait for the E7 if you want to also use this with your laptop as it comes with a dac and an amp in the same small unit. Review of E7: FiiO E7 Headphone Amplifier/USB DAC Review The mini3 can be purchased fully built by some people here on the forum. Check the DIY forum for people who have built them, or check the AMB website, or contact MisterX, who used to build them, and maybe he still does. The Mini3 doesnt have a dac for your laptop though, but its an excellent amp. Practical Devices makes dac/amp combos with bass and treble boost and crossfeed and other features built-in starting at $135 for the XM4 model, and $235 for the XM5 depending on features wanted. Practical Devices Corporation Someone may suggest a NuForce - they need work. Bad channel imbalance at low levels, so not good for IEMs and low imp phones. Check the used forums for deals also.

Well I don't have a laptop yet. I plan to get one but that probably won't be any time soon, so for right now I'll pretty much just be using the amp with my iPod and the three headphones listed in my signature.
Considering the fact that I have no money and this is just my first headphone amp, I'm probably going to stick with the E5 for now, but when I decide to upgrade I will consider your recommendations.

 

[Drag0n]

Go-Vibe Petite is another option also.

 

[hardRAWKR]

Ordered the E5 and it's currently on it's way. I'll post impressions when it arrives.

 

[Drag0n]

I have one, but still curious to see what you think.
I have an E5 and E3.

 

[hardRAWKR]

The E-5 is here! I saw that it had arrived earlier today on Amazon's package tracking, and I've been waiting to get into it all day!

Initial impressions, before listening...
Well if anything the E-5 has impressive packaging.

It comes with a standard USB cable for charging, and a long and short cord to connect to your source. I'm glad that they use the standard USB cable-easy to replace if need be.
The device itself is nice. The metal casing seems very sturdy. There is a button for volume power, and a switch which I will assume is the bass boost. I really like the compact size...it will be perfect to throw in my pocket and use anywhere.

So far so good. I'll post more in a little while once I've better familiarized myself with this little gadget.

 

[TheSoviet]

Looking nice, my friend is looking forward to get the E5 as well. Do update us once you get a good amount of listening on it.

 

[hardRAWKR]

Well I've been listening since my last post. So far I've used it with my MS-1's, and I've listened to Immolation's EP "Hope and Horror" and most of Burst's "Lazarus Bird".
I listened to the first track of "Hope and Horror" without the E-5 just to get a baseline and make a comparison. When the second track began, I added in the E-5.
What I immediately noticed was an increase in clarity. This definitely complemented the MS-1's detail well. Beyond that the bass seemed to come out a bit more (bass boost off at this point). Overall the sound was just clearer.
Then I played around with the bass boost for a while, switching back and forth. The bass boost not only seems to increase the bass volume, but also makes the sound warmer. I have a feeling this is achieved by rolling off the treble somewhat, but I couldn't say for sure. It took a while to decide whether I liked it better on or off, but I decided that with the MS-1's it is better to leave it off. The warmer sound, although nice, seemed to make make the bass quite a bit slower, and created a slight veil over the higher frequencies. While this may be good for more bass-dependent music or different headphones, it does not serve the MS-1's well. I prefer the quicker, clearer sound that the MS-1's have without the bass boost. However I have a feeling that bassheads would feel differently.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the E-5, at least compared to the iPod alone. I would go as far as calling the iPod without the E-5 muddy, having heard the difference.

More to come after I listen with my other two headphones.