[3Double]

My only real criteria are that the amp be able to run on batteries for portable use as well a wall wart option.

I've never used an amp w/my Ety 4S's. What amp will make me see the light? I'm eventually gonna get some RS-1s or 880s, as well. So I need a jack of all trades of sorts. Price is not much of an issue. I just want fidelity.

Sincerely, Not broke....yet!

 

[sygyzy]

Check out Meta42's from HeadSave or JMT.

 

[3Double]

I have checked into the Meta's, thanks sygyzy.

Do you know how the meta's stack up against the Total Airhead or Porta Corda? Also, will the Meta's do justice to a high-end non-portable source?

Thanks again!

 

[john_jcb]

If you would like what I feel is the best portable on the market today you should look into Ray Samuels' Emmeline XP-7.

This amp literally has been the talk of the last 2 meets that were held in Chicago and Detroit as far as solid state portables go. Do a search For XP-7 or read the impressions in the members lounge from the two meets.

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...hlight=detroit


http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...threadid=48899

 

[akio]

porta corda > meta42 > airhead, as i understand. you can get a headsave transit with a dc jack, and it seems that would fit your needs perfectly.

b to the c.

 

[SteeleBlayde]

If you're planning on those upgrades in the future, I'd stick with John's suggestion and go for Ray Samuel's Emmeline XP-7.

 

[Musicfan123]

"...price is not much of an issue..."

I wish my budget is like yours

 

[Hajime]

Quote:

Originally posted by john_jcb If you would like what I feel is the best portable on the market today you should look into Ray Samuels' Emmeline XP-7.

I agree with John. If you have the money the Emmeline sounds fantastic.

 

[scottder]

Quote:

Originally posted by 3Double Sincerely, Not broke....yet!

Hahahha , not yet....but soon.

 

[3Double]

The XP-7 does look great....I can't imagine what thats gonna sound like w/a good source, which I will now need.

 

[markl]

You want an amp that can easily run any headphone any impedence (a harder trick than it sounds) if you plan on switching cans down the line.

I haven't heard the XP-7 (yet

), but I own its big brother the HR-2, and this amp is simply awesome. People who have already heard the XP-7 and have experience with the HR-2 report it's very similar in sound and performance (I'll get to see for myself soon enough). At $875 the HR-2 is IMO a "bargain". If it turns out the XP-7 is as good as I've read, it's probably a "steal".

Mark

 

[Welly Wu]

By the way, contact Mr. Ray Samuels himself for more details. Yes, there is a lot of talk about the XP-7 and it certainly is designed very well. You get 30 - 40 hours of usage for the road out of only TWO 9V batteries! You get op-amp rolling capabilities. You also get a separate power supply that connects through a DC cable which means that you can literally use it as a home amplifier and a portable headphone amplifier. Most importantly, a lot of those lucky enough to have both the XP-7 & HR-2 say they can't tell a difference in sound quality. I'm just summarizing what I've read so far.

I too have his Emmeline HR-2; let me just say that this headphone amplifier just ended my search for a "better" headphone amplifier...period.

That's a good thing because I'll have a more solid framework from which to judge the quality of any component changes down the road (i.e., another "universal" source).

I'm still waiting for my Cardas Neutral Reference ICs (0.5m)...that too should end my search for "better" ICs.

 

[3Double]

Quote:

Originally posted by Welly Wu By the way, contact Mr. Ray Samuels himself for more details.

Do you have any contact info for him? I am very interested

 

[xtreme4099]

you might wanna hold out for a ppa as well ... ive heard the hr2 in several different op amp configs ad797 opa637 ad8610s ad8065... imho the ppa blew it out of the water in similiar op amp configurations .....or hear both the ppa and hr2 and make your desicion ... as they are in both in similiar price ranges ... laroccoaudio.com makes them commercially ...

 

[Hajime]

I've head the PPA and Emmeline amps, though I'm not sure what opamp configuration was in them. I only listened to the PPA for a few minutes. I liked the XP-7 a lot better than it. I suppose it comes down to personal preference. Ray Samuels allows for 7-day auditions, if you want to test the XP-7 out. If you could borrow a PPA you could compare the two and decide for yourself. Good luck.