[earthpeople]

I've recently bumped up my budget on a portable amp and I'm down to basically these three choices;

-iBasso T4 ($131)
-Practical Devices XM4 ($152)
-Nuforce Icon Mobile ($105)
[size=xx-small]Prices have shipping included.[/size]

I'm having a hard time deciding between these three. I mean, they all have benefits over the others (and the XM4 comes with what looks like a nice mini-mini cable), but I don't really know how these sound.

I would ideally like a boost in bass as well as increased clarity overall.
I have a FiiO E3 but I don't really like how it sounds, it seems to make the bass a bit overpowering without really improving the overall sound quality. Maybe muffled or muddy would be the word.

I'll be using an iPod Touch 2G (with LOD) for my source most of the time and I usually listen to rap and some classic rock, but most other genres are mixed in occasionally. Maybe hook it up to PSP/PC and play DJ Max too.

If you have experiences with any of these and can give insight or comparisons between them, that would be great. Recommendations are also welcome.

 

[ClieOS]

Don't know about the Icon Mobile, but I'll choose XM4 over T4 if you get the AD8620.

 

[Headphile808]

Meir Corda Headsix $145 should be heavily considered w/your budget. Check out Skylabs Legendary Portable Amp Roundup, should definitely help you make your decision. Good Luck & Happy Hunting.
Aloha

Headphile808

 

[earthpeople]

I just looked at the Meier-Audio website and it says $160 for the Headsix, but I followed the link to the post here and it says $145. Which one is correct? Is the $145 specially for head-fi members or something?

I should mention that $150 is about the max I want to spend and of course lower is better. I do realize cost is pretty well associated with quality though.

Thanks for the opinions guys. Anyone else?

 

[ClieOS]

I think the price rises to $160 after the American to European dollar exchange rate dropped a few months back. You might want to check out the For Sale forum too. Sometime you can get pretty sweet deal there.

 

[clownzee]

I'm a icon mobile user.. but i dont know how to put my thoughts down into audio terms! So check out skylabs and perhaps headphone addict's threads for the detailed lowdown!