[mld218]

Hello,
 
I recently rockboxed my Ipod Classic.   I am now wondering if there would be improved sound quality if I were to use a headphone amp such as an Fiio E17 with it.    The classic has 16 bit and 24 bit flac’s on it.   I typically use 3 different sets of headphones with it  Sennheiser IE800, Vmoda M100, and Polk 2000 usually for quick listening sessions.
 
Thanks for any feedback you can give

 

[TrollDragon]

If the Classic drives your current headphones properly then there is no need for an E17. The only thing the E17 will give you is a Bass/Treble control and more volume, but since there is already a 5 band equalizer in Rockbox, the Bass/Treble controls would be moot.
 
You would probably be better off just looking for an Amplifier if you find the Classic lacking in output power. Amps such as the C&C BH, FiiO E12 or JDS Labs C5 would give you all the power you need.

 

[McPatD]

The fact that you can manipulate eq in subtle ways on the Rockboxed Classic will open up music for you big time. The original iPod eq presets absolutely suck! I get angry just thinking about them lol. Actual file quality does not change however on the Rockboxed Classic. I don't believe the iPod hardware can manipulate 24 bit flac regardless of the firmware. I'm not familiar with the headphones but if they are not power hungry the Fiio won't do much to improve sound per se. The Bass booster feature on the E17 is nice though.