[thislittlepiggy]

I've decided to go leaner on my home system by replacing my headfive with a portable amp. I'll be using the portable amp to drive my ipod nano and my home system, which consists of a DT880 and a DAC-AH. What portable amplifier would best suit this combination?

I have a new headphonia mini amp on order, but that was before i discovered the controversy behind it

. any suggestions on what amp will best suit my home/portable setup? also, i'm trying to keep my budget below $200. trying.

 

[mrarroyo]

To me the Supermicro IV, however if you do not care for its size/case then the Porta Corda, or the Supermini IV.

 

[GreatDane]

I can recommend the Porta Corda too. The Meier crossfeed is a very nice feature also.

I have the 250 Ohm DT-880 and this amp drives it fairly well with 9 volt power and when using an AC adapter up to 30 volts it is very impressive. It does the 880 justice with a big,detailed sound.

It is NOT a very pretty amp but IS an excellent value imo.

 

[thislittlepiggy]

thanks for the suggestions. i'm really interested in the porta corda after reading skylab's review. the supermicro is another option, but i frequently hear that the dealer is difficult to deal with and the wait times are very long.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thislittlepiggy /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for the suggestions. i'm really interested in the porta corda after reading skylab's review. the supermicro is another option, but i frequently hear that the dealer is difficult to deal with and the wait times are very long.

The dealer/maker is one heck of a guy in that he makes an outstanding product and provides free upgrades. He does not have the best communication skills and at times goes into development mode which delays his deliveries.

 

[ejm]

I found him to be so helpful, positive and comfortable to deal with that I insisted on including an extra amount to cover paypal charges. This was a great experience and wish I could inspire the same confidence with my customers.

Regards
EJM

 

[thislittlepiggy]

that's amazing to see his customers rise to his defense so quickly, and i guess that means he must be a great person to deal with. unfortunately, i'm an impatient guy, so i'll probably go with the porta corda, which i think will be faster.

Edit: i have a question about the porta corda mkIII. does it have a power plug option to run the amp and recharge the batteries, or does it just run on batteries alone? i'm not going to be thrilled if it just ran on batteries alone because buying batteries on a regular basis is a hassle.

 

[GreatDane]

The fact is that Xin makes excellent amps and his free upgrade practice is rare...although since he does improve his designs so quickly it would seem unfair for him to release "new and improved" versions leaving newly purchased amps (not so) obsolete.

For the first time amp buyer a Xin purchase is a tough call. Who wants to get excited about their new amp then have to wait 12 weeks or more for delivery? Being a beginner amp collector myself, I'm curious about various designs which offer slightly different sound signatures and options...in this case, buying 2 or 3 amps in a relatively short period can help with the long wait time for a Xin amp.

 

[thislittlepiggy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatDane /img/forum/go_quote.gif For the first time amp buyer a Xin purchase is a tough call. Who wants to get excited about their new amp then have to wait 12 weeks or more for delivery?

yea, true that. i can't be without an amp for that long. my poor dt880s are only experiencing half their potential when hooked up to my x-fi

. poor guy.

 

[GreatDane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thislittlepiggy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Edit: i have a question about the porta corda mkIII. does it have a power plug option to run the amp and recharge the batteries, or does it just run on batteries alone? i'm not going to be thrilled if it just ran on batteries alone because buying batteries on a regular basis is a hassle.

It does have the option for external DC power specified as being up to 28 volts. I use a Radio Shack 30 volt which Dr. Meier told me was ok to use. There is NOT a charging circuit.

The DC jack is inside the battery compartment and the battery cover must be left off while the external DC power is connected.

Good quality alkaline battery life should be 30 hours min. Rechargeable Ni-MH is the best option.

If you decide to increase your budget to the MkIII-USB , the amp will be powered by the 5 volt USB power which I believe is ramped up to 10 volts...exceeding 12 volts(I think) from the external power supply overrides USB power. Also, if a 9 volt battery is installed, USB power overrides this.

The USB DAC offers a very nice improvement over using my iPod with a line out dock. Playing Redbook CD on my laptop and using the 30 volt power supply sounds VERY good. My preference for listening this way is HD 650 or Darth Beyers.

 

[trose49]

RSA Hornet!

 

[thislittlepiggy]

thanks greatdane, you're awesome. i just pulled the trigger on a porta corda mkiii. i can't wait to get it.

oh, and as much as i would love a hornet, i don't have the $$. it's just a tad out of my range of $200.

 

[GreatDane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thislittlepiggy /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks greatdane, you're awesome. i just pulled the trigger on a porta corda mkiii. i can't wait to get it.

Good deal!

 

[trose49]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thislittlepiggy /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks greatdane, you're awesome. i just pulled the trigger on a porta corda mkiii. i can't wait to get it. oh, and as much as i would love a hornet, i don't have the $$. it's just a tad out of my range of $200.

I was one post too late!!! LOL!

 

[thislittlepiggy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trose49 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was one post too late!!! LOL!

thank god, trose. thank god.