[theduffster89]

I just bought some Etymotic ER6i off of amazon and a friend suggested that i should get a headphone amp as well....First off what does a headphone amp exactly do and should i get one for my new phones?

 

[semisight]

It provides more power, with the effect of both raising the volume slightly and improving things like bass clarity where the default amp in your mp3 player would have choked (rendering deep lows correctly needs power). It might not make a huge difference for your er6is, but on the other hand you might appreciate a fiio E5 for more bass.

 

[derek800]

x2 Fiio E5 if you just want some more bass.

 

[Hentai11]

Amping a 6i seems like a waste to me. You'll overdrive them and still not get the bass you want; it's just not there.

If your setup drives the phones reasonably loudly, amping provides more variety than improvement.