[DMinor]

In the near future I am planning to have a direct-out iPod 5.5g imod to be used with my EX1000 and IE80 for classic music only. I really appreciate if you guys can recommend some amp's for my considerations. So here is the basic info ....
 
Source:          Rockboxed iPod 5.5g iMod
IEM's:             EX1000 (primary) and IE80 (Secondary)
Genre:           Classical (Chamber, Orchestral, Symphonies)
Audio feed:    Lossless (flac's)
Price range:   $100 to $300
Size:              Portable
Others:           No hiss
 
 
Thanks

 

[DMinor]

Come on guys and help out a newbie. Any recommendations?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

In the near future I am planning to have a direct-out iPod 5.5g imod to be used with my EX1000 and IE80 for classic music only. I really appreciate if you guys can recommend some amp's for my considerations. So here is the basic info
 
Source:          Rockboxed iPod 5.5g iMod
IEM's:             EX1000 (primary) and IE80 (Secondary)
Genre:           Classical (Chamber, Orchestral, Symphonies)
Audio feed:    Lossless (flac's)
Price range:   $100 to $300
Size:              Portable
Others:           No hiss

How is a "Direct-out iPod 5.5G imod" different from a regular iPod?
(I do know about Rockbox)
 
For a portable headphone amplifier, the Fiio E11, $60.

 

[DMinor]

Quote:

How is a "Direct-out iPod 5.5G imod" different from a regular iPod?
(I do know about Rockbox)
 
For a portable headphone amplifier, the Fiio E11, $60.

 
Here is the post with pics showing the direct-out imod. The wires directly go to the pins at the LOD.
 
Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[barbes]

There are a lot of good amps in that price range.  There's nothing wrong with used, and toward the higher end of your range you'll be able to find very good used gear - the ALO Rx2, TTVJ Slim, others like that.  There's a lot written about that kind of gear here.  Read around and see what you think.  Some of them are a bit warmer, some a bit more detailed - depends on what you want.  The Leckerton UHA-6S.MKII is under $300 new and is terrific; you also get an included DAC, which won't work with your iMod but could be useful in other settings.

 

[Puppysmith]

Quote:

 
Here is the post with pics showing the direct-out imod. The wires directly go to the pins at the LOD.
 
Thanks for the recommendation.

Fiio E07 + Fiio L9 - Amaz0n is giving away a free month with no strings for Prime, so you can get both in 2 days. IMO a good deal for less than $100 no tax no shipping and no waiting in line. I bought the combo for a stocking stuffer.

 

[DMinor]

Quote:

Fiio E07 + Fiio L9 - Amaz0n is giving away a free month with no strings for Prime, so you can get both in 2 days. IMO a good deal for less than $100 no tax no shipping and no waiting in line. I bought the combo for a stocking stuffer.

Correct me if I am wrong. All I need is an AMP for my ipod 5.5g and IEM's. I don't need another DAC as I am going to use the DAC inside the iPod (that's the whole point of bypassing anything after the DAC with the DIYmod). I like the Wolfson DAC of the iPod 5.5g and to my ears it sounds great, but I would like to hear it myself how much better it could be with the DIYmod bypass.
 
Thanks for the recommendations to both of you and barbes.

 

[barbes]

You're correct.  You need an amp, not a DAC.  Some portables, like the Leckerton, also have a DAC, which you could then use with a laptop,for example.  But you don't need it for your diyMod.

 

[kuatto]

Good info, thanks.

 

[Achmedisdead]

The two best I've had have been the FiiO E11, and the iBasso T5.
Both were perfectly good for my needs, but for more info check these two threads....
 
 http://www.head-fi.org/t/596482/the-sub-100-portable-amps-shootout-8-1-amps-compared
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/620775/the-sub-200-portable-amps-shootout-11-8-amps-compared

 

[l0rdr0ck]

for 230$ the tralucent t1 is hard to beat for this application.

 

[DMinor]

Will the FiiO E11 have hiss when paired with the rockboxed iPod and EX1000/IE80? I am thinking about to start with a less expensive one just to hear the difference between the diymod and the stock iPod. But I don't think I can tolerate the hiss if it's an issue.
 
Thanks guys for the suggestions.

 

[rtaylor76]

Nobody suggested an O2 or the JDS C421 yet? Or for higher end, check out the ALO audio portable options - That stuff looks nice. Not cheap though.
 
Not much lower in price than the FiiO E11, except maybe a cmoy.
 
What headphones are you driving, and what is your budget?

 

[DMinor]

Quote:

Nobody suggested an O2 or the JDS C421 yet? Or for higher end, check out the ALO audio portable options - That stuff looks nice. Not cheap though.
 
Not much lower in price than the FiiO E11, except maybe a cmoy.
 
What headphones are you driving, and what is your budget?

Yeah I am thinking about the C421. My budget for this first amp is $300 at ceiling. The amp will be primarily used for IEM's (EX1000 & IE80).

 

[rhapsodicboom]

Just got a used c421 from here for a first amp it's really good. Im using it with the grados however with something more power demanding i think this amp will do justice. there is no hiss at all. I guess the layout could have been different where the volume knowb is in the way with the headphone and source input wires. would be better if it was on the other side, but it looks real sleek, light  and portable size.