[coolaneasy]

[size=12pt] Hello guys
Wont say I'm an expert audiophile yet but not a complete noob either.
I recently purchased the Denon AHD2000 cause from the online reviews it felt like this were my kind of headphones.
I intend to drive them using my Sony S-series mp3 player. They sound good with that but it definitely is not enough to get the best out of this awesome cans.
I selected this cans cause I would say I'm a basshead. I love the good bass. I like the kind of bass that reverberates through the cans. Like that airy stage sound kind of bass which makes it feel like after the beat it was there for a bit like a sweet rumble. I don't know if I'm describing it the right way.
 
So thats the kind of portable amp I'm looking for.
For music I listen to all kinds of music, rock(Revealations-audioslave), Country(Feel that fire-Dierks Bentley), hiphop, alternative(Sweet Tides-Thievery Corp), electronic(Justice). Be it any kind of music I like good bass that has a good heavy feeling and that kind of reverberates with its presence. Not that I wanna hide the other instruments. I want good crisp sound on those too, meaning I don't want the bass at the cost of muffling the brighter frequencies.

Now I already have the E5(I have ordered Fiio line out dock for sony. I'm assuming it will work with whatever other amp right?).

I was also considering the following amps Fiio E7(cause it can also be used for good sound through pc), Little Dot MK I+ Gold edition(cause it best resembles my can's frequency output), Headamp Pico(cause heard good things about it plus i can use it for good sound through pc. Also its a solid state device. I've heard denon 2ks love solid state amps. i dont know how good fiio products are.)

Now here are some questions that completely confuse me that I could use some help on.

1. If you look at E5 and E7's specifications on the links
http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=6&MenuID=020301
http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=7&MenuID=020301
as far as sound is concerned it should be exactly the same right? I have heard some people say that E5 does only a good enough job cause its small and you can only expect as much from a 20 dollar amp. If you want a better sound u gotta buy the bigger more expensive boys. But the only difference to me it seems is that E7 is also a DAC. Other than that the specs are exactly the same. Am I right or wrong?

2. LittleDot has power output of 200 mW as compared to Fiio's 150 mW.Does that mean it will be able to make my cans sound louder? I'm not really worried about the loudness. I just want to be enveloped in that warm bassy, deep, rich sound from my cans. Is little dot MK I+ a solid state amp?

3. Headamp pico has frequency response starting from 20Hz. My cans support from 5. That would mean loss of low frequency bassy sound right? This kind of takes me away from what I want right?

4. What is the multiple gain settings thing? Does it apply to my headphones? How?
 
5. What is the spec(not price) that indicates sound quality on these amps? LIke there must be something different between E5 and E7 to make the E7 sound better than E5. Right?

Any other recommendations?

I'll greatly appreciate your help guys.
PS. I've read many of the other Denon 2k threads so its not like I've not read that info and reposting cause I'm lazy to read those .
[/size]

 

[Mad Max]

E7 is so suposed to be ever-so-very-slightly better than E5 because of better circuit components, but you can safely assume they're the same for all practical intents and purposes.  =p
 
The little Dot or Pico will probably take better control over your Denon's drivers, so one of those will be your best bet, probably the Pico.
So the Pico goes down to 20Hz and your Denons to 5Hz, but under what conditions?  I would interpret that vaguely as your Denons being capable of some deep bass.
You could also search for "D2000 Pico" and "D2000 Little Dot MKI+" (minus quotations) to get specific reviews/impressions of those combinations, not to mention the search function also goes through people's profiles who have listed their equipment, so you could even ask specific individuals for impressions if they haven't posted any.

 

[estreeter]

Pico - it looks way better than the other two and costs more, instantly meaning it must be the better amp.

 

[coolaneasy]

Thanks for the reply u 2. Looks like other people don't even bother to reply to junior headfiers who need the most help with.

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Thanks for the reply u 2. Looks like other people don't even bother to reply to junior headfiers who need the most help with.

Sadly, you arent far off the mark. There are a couple of things at play here :
 
- the same question is often asked repeatedly, albeit with minor variations
- if its not an FOTM amp, many simply arent interested
- the load of responding to newbie questions often falls to the relatively small number of Head-Fiers who have heard enough kit to be able to give a credible answer
 
That said, there have been a few people who have worked tirelessly to answer questions in this forum, and I dont begrudge them their 'retirement'. It just isnt feasible for a single board member to keep buying portable amps when the natural tendency is to migrate to high end audio. I'm afraid we are mostly splashing around in the shallows here - the high end spends more on cables than most of us would spend on an entire portable rig. Thats life.

 

[shipsupt]

I have listened to the D7's from the Pico and find it to pair well. That said there is a comparison thread out here somewhere (sorry, can't quickly find it) that seemed to find some other portables that would provide stronger bass if that's what you're looking for. I highly recommend the Pico, but would say you should do some research before choosing if you're searching for that bass heavy combo.

On the little dot front I'd recommend you check out the I+. It's hybrid and pairs really well with the efficient Denon's. With the right opamp and tube combo you'll find a great euphonic sound with strong lows.

A few options to check out...

 

[coolaneasy]

I understand Estreeter. I just wanted to appreciate those who did. No grudges against those who didn't.
@shipsupt: Yea I'm also looking at Little Dot MK I+ Gold Edition. I didn't know if you are referring to the hybrid version but I don't that is portable one. I dont know if the MK I+ could be modified.

 

[shipsupt]

I understand Estreeter. I just wanted to appreciate those who did. No grudges against those who didn't.
@shipsupt: Yea I'm also looking at Little Dot MK I+ Gold Edition. I didn't know if you are referring to the hybrid version but I don't that is portable one. I dont know if the MK I+ could be modified.

I was referring to just the Little Dot I+ tube hybrid tube amp. I'm not familiar with the MK I+ Gold...

 

[coolaneasy]

K. Thx