[Scuba Steve]

I was thinking about getting the Grado 80e as I listen to mostly rock music and I hear these don't really need an amp. However I'm using them for on the go so they'll be getting driven mostly by a Sansa Clip+ or Lumia 920 (which I hear has poor audio quality, hence the Clip+, well, also the Clip+ can play FLAC files) and I'm not sure if they'd need an amp to fully get them going.
 
If I did get an amp, say the FiiO E6 (or should I get E11?), would an amp like that give the extra boost my little DAP needs to fully utilize the 80e? Or would it just be a wash performance wise?
 
Considering the low price of the E6, I may get them anyways but ONLY if they provide at least a mildly decent performance difference.

 

[PETEREK]

With them being 32 ohm drivers, no you won't NEED an amp. Most headphones will sound better with one, but most of the time with these low impedance headphones you won't hear any noticeable differences unless the amp adds it's own personal EQ to the sound. 
 
If you do end up getting an amp to use with them, the E6 is great at it's price. For a while, I used an E6 with my Beyer DT770-80 ohm and it worked great. I listen to my music loud too, so that says a lot for the little amp.

 

[cel4145]

Yep. Grados are pretty easy to drive and sound quite good with a Clip+ or Clip Zip. You'd need a much, much more expensive DAP to notice any improvement in SQ. Wait and see how they sound once you get the. If they get plenty loud enough for you (and they typically should), then you don't need an amp.

Grados, though, are pretty bad choice for portable use. They have absolutely no isolation from your environment, and people will hear what you are listening to very easily. Best for home use in private only.

 

[Hifisnubben]

The grado are excellent headphones with great cost - sound ratio. No need for amp. However, as mentioned before, they arent really portable headphones. The lack of isolation makes them unsuited for that.

If i may suggest another headphone, the JVC HA-S500 might be more suited for your needs and the are great for rock / metal. The Sennheiser HD25 might also be a good choise.

 

[PureSound168]

  I was thinking about getting the Grado 80e as I listen to mostly rock music and I hear these don't really need an amp. However I'm using them for on the go so they'll be getting driven mostly by a Sansa Clip+ or Lumia 920 (which I hear has poor audio quality, hence the Clip+, well, also the Clip+ can play FLAC files) and I'm not sure if they'd need an amp to fully get them going.
 
If I did get an amp, say the FiiO E6 (or should I get E11?), would an amp like that give the extra boost my little DAP needs to fully utilize the 80e? Or would it just be a wash performance wise?
 
Considering the low price of the E6, I may get them anyways but ONLY if they provide at least a mildly decent performance difference.

 
to answer your question, you do not need an amp to drive your grados.. those are low OHM headphones and your dap can drive them just fine. but if you add an amp, like a Fiio mont blanc, the sound will surely improve.. everything from dynamics to soundstage will be better. 
 
good luck!