manaox2
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2007
- Posts
- 2,754
- Likes
- 18
I think most people find this stuff out sooner or later. If you really need an amp for portability, either your PDAP is likely not cutting it or your using the wrong headphone.
Its not that I do not agree that the iQube and PICO $500 truly portable amp make portable devices sound better, but there is no way that those portable headphones you use on average should need an additional $500 device in the middle to sound good, and $500 is many more times more effective at increasing quality for something like the HD600 or HD650 full sized headphones when spent on a good full-sized piece of equipment.
I fully believe a good portable cd player can rival the iMod. There really seems to be no such thing as anything close to being high-end in the portable arena, but I will bet good money that a simple 1st generation shuffle and UE11 IEM will blow any other similarly priced rig out of the water and into a different category. Get a decent DAP, a quality IEM or decent portable headphones, and skip the middle stuff in favor for something at home. Its just better, honestly.
If you really need an amp, DIY a mini-3 and call it quits. Its just the order of things really; source, headphones, then amp, then analog cables, the rest is just expensive extra icing. If you have any crap in the chain, it only makes it as strong as the weakest link, its obvious though that your top two priorities should be your source and headphones. For portable listening done by the non-homeless, that should be plenty.
Its not that I do not agree that the iQube and PICO $500 truly portable amp make portable devices sound better, but there is no way that those portable headphones you use on average should need an additional $500 device in the middle to sound good, and $500 is many more times more effective at increasing quality for something like the HD600 or HD650 full sized headphones when spent on a good full-sized piece of equipment.
I fully believe a good portable cd player can rival the iMod. There really seems to be no such thing as anything close to being high-end in the portable arena, but I will bet good money that a simple 1st generation shuffle and UE11 IEM will blow any other similarly priced rig out of the water and into a different category. Get a decent DAP, a quality IEM or decent portable headphones, and skip the middle stuff in favor for something at home. Its just better, honestly.
If you really need an amp, DIY a mini-3 and call it quits. Its just the order of things really; source, headphones, then amp, then analog cables, the rest is just expensive extra icing. If you have any crap in the chain, it only makes it as strong as the weakest link, its obvious though that your top two priorities should be your source and headphones. For portable listening done by the non-homeless, that should be plenty.