[Peyotero]

4.4.2
There's no higher version for the mini.

 

[UprightMan]

Has anyone tried an amp from headphone out yet for hard to run headphones?   too much noise? 
 
I'm thinking about mad dogs or similar and getting a FIIO e12 to run them when out and about...   already have an amp at home and too cheap to buy CEntrance M8

 

[AustinValentine]

  Has anyone tried an amp from headphone out yet for hard to run headphones?   too much noise? 
 
I'm thinking about mad dogs or similar and getting a FIIO e12 to run them when out and about...   already have an amp at home and too cheap to buy CEntrance M8
 

 
I have an M8 on hand right now. For some brief impressions on running headphones that are a bit harder to drive than would be normal for a smartphone, I've found:
 
- It works *fantastic* for the Beyerdynamic DT-250-250's and drives them with authority at 80% volume. Actually, the two pair great. 
 
- It does a so so job with an HD600. Achieves a reasonable SPL, but sounds pretty lifeless otherwise. 
 
- It completely doesn't work for driving the Paradox. Just..no. The Paradox isn't that hard to drive for a Planar/Orthodynamic headphone either, so I wouldn't try it for anything harder to drive than that.
 
Since you're wondering about Mad Dogs, which is another another T50RP mod, my experience with the Paradox leads me to believe you'd still require an external amplifier to make them work from the M8. The E12 would work fine - I'd also recommend a Leckerton UHA-6S.MKII, which is more expensive but is really just an extremely good portable amp. 
 
(Side Note: Probably going to sell my T-Mobile M8 soon, despite how great it sounds. I've gotten used to large phablet screens, hardware/capacitive buttons, and a side power button. The M8, with the latest patch, is by far and away the best *sounding* stock smartphone I've ever heard though. Really impressive.)

 

[UprightMan]

hey!  thanks for this...  I didn't ask my question too well... have you tried the headphone straight to an amp (no dac)  and then your Paradox? 

(the issue is the T50RP's need a lot of power as you say, and wondering if double amping will sound really, really bad or not... )

 

[tommivercetti]

Anyone noticed the pops and clicks have gone but it's not as loud anymore.
 
Before it was on par with the output from my 4th gen touch, now it's lost a notch of volume.
 
I like having that extra volume for listening to older rock music because it is much quieter and not carrying an amp around is a massive bonus.

 

[Soused]

  Anyone noticed the pops and clicks have gone but it's not as loud anymore.
 
Before it was on par with the output from my 4th gen touch, now it's lost a notch of volume.
 
I like having that extra volume for listening to older rock music because it is much quieter and not carrying an amp around is a massive bonus.

 
I wondered if they had lowered the volume ceiling a little or if it was just me, going a bit deaf!
 
What music player app are you using? Most have an option for pre-amping, which should help.

 

[AustinValentine]

  hey!  thanks for this...  I didn't ask my question too well... have you tried the headphone straight to an amp (no dac)  and then your Paradox? 

(the issue is the T50RP's need a lot of power as you say, and wondering if double amping will sound really, really bad or not... )

 
I can try that out later today. I haven't tried using the headphone out > input on the Leckerton directly!

 

[tommivercetti]

Stock player 

 

[Soused]

  Stock player 

 
Use a different one.

 

[crossfire]

curious if anyone has a e17 + m8 setup? if so, how is it?

 

[awayeah]

  curious if anyone has a e17 + m8 setup? if so, how is it?

I've had e18 +m8 and it wasn't worth it. M8 is good enough on it's own. You could consider amp if you don't have enough power, but changing DAC won't make much of a difference.
With the latest software ver. (android 4.4.4 and new firmware) the M8 sounds just great.
I've compared M8 to FiiO X5 and while X5 was better with most headphones (not that much better) there still was 2 IEMs that to my ears sounds better with M8 (Musical Fidelity EB50 and DGS100).
So if you're not planning to use demading headphones or very demanding IEMs I would stick with M8 on it's own. In other case just buy amp (FiiO E12a or Cayin C5 should do fine).

 

[UprightMan]

I have e07k, and don't use it now.
 
 

   
So if you're not planning to use demading headphones or very demanding IEMs I would stick with M8 on it's own. In other case just buy amp (FiiO E12a or Cayin C5 should do fine).

 
Anyone tried this yet, am worried about double amping...  (am about to pull trigger on Alpha Dogs)

 

[jimmypowder]

I have a HTC one m8 and I notice on files loaded on my sd card that there is a very slight background static sound you can hear on quiet passages . Of course you can't hear this when playing rocking music . Anyone have a solution ?

My iPhone 6 plus headphone output blows away the M8 . Not even close . Much blacker background . Not as much noise .

 

[GridIroN]

  I've had e18 +m8 and it wasn't worth it. M8 is good enough on it's own. You could consider amp if you don't have enough power, but changing DAC won't make much of a difference.
With the latest software ver. (android 4.4.4 and new firmware) the M8 sounds just great.
I've compared M8 to FiiO X5 and while X5 was better with most headphones (not that much better) there still was 2 IEMs that to my ears sounds better with M8 (Musical Fidelity EB50 and DGS100).
So if you're not planning to use demading headphones or very demanding IEMs I would stick with M8 on it's own. In other case just buy amp (FiiO E12a or Cayin C5 should do fine).

 
 

  I have e07k, and don't use it now.
 
 
 
Anyone tried this yet, am worried about double amping...  (am about to pull trigger on Alpha Dogs)

 
This is my concern as well...
 
I've been looking into DAC/AMP's for my HTC One M8 and if I could get away with getting only an amp, that would be sweet, but if I'm not mistaken, you cannot line-out to just the amp and have the phone keep using it's own DAC; you have to replace both the DAC and the amp with an external unit, and the FiiO E18 or JDS Labs C5D seem to be the only products on the currect market that would be reasonable. 

 

[awayeah]

   
 
 
This is my concern as well...
 
I've been looking into DAC/AMP's for my HTC One M8 and if I could get away with getting only an amp, that would be sweet, but if I'm not mistaken, you cannot line-out to just the amp and have the phone keep using it's own DAC; you have to replace both the DAC and the amp with an external unit, and the FiiO E18 or JDS Labs C5D seem to be the only products on the currect market that would be reasonable. 

I can check M8 with Cayin C5 (I should get it tomorrow or on Monday). I did however try M7 with E18 (as amp only) - it was a brief comparison (several songs). The purpose back then was to compare DACs (E18 vs HTC One M7) - and the difference between M7/E18 amp vs E18 dac/amp was practically nonexistent. There was no noise, no hiss - nothing to complain about. So I think double amping in case of M8 won't make a difference either. I think if one amp is transparent and both amps are capable of hiss-free sound and are not susceptible to cellphone electromagnetic interference, you can double amp.