Newbee help: Desktop / portable amp for iPhone + Grado RS2

[tommarra]

Hi I am looking for a poratble amp (pref with option of AC power) to drive at my office desktop for iPhone + Grado RS2 combination.

Iphone drives the grados pretty well. I am wondering if a headphone amp will have any improvements over the SQ.

I am looking at something like 100-300 budget.

Someone mentioned M^3 as a good options. Are they any good...
Also there are two options to get them pre fabricated form Rockhopper Audio (retail 125) and SFT-Audio (495)

I cant make out any thing form the specs they have posted.


Rockhopper is:
* Uses the Analog Devices AD8397 opamp for the left/right channels and the Burr-Brown OPA690 for the ground channel.
* Power switch built into volume control for ease of use. (ALPS RK097)
* 270mV 9 Volt rechargeable battery included with charger wall-wart. (~10 hours run time, will vary with application)
* Small size for portability.
* Signature orange LEDs (penguins like orange man).
* Active ground channel helps reduce stereo crosstalk, lower output impedance and clean up the signal ground channel.
* Classy Hammond extruded aluminum case. (3.15" x 2.125" x 0.91")
* Sexy aluminum knob.
* Choice of Gain:
o 2 for IEMs and low impedance headphones
o 5 for low and high impedance headphones
* Two colors:
o Silver
o Black



And SFT Audio is

M-Cubed headphone amplifier

．AD8610*3 for voltage gain stage

．power supply with Walt Jung Super Regulator topology

．Alps RK27112A "blue velvet" stereo potentiometer

．Nichicon Muse FX, WIMA, Dale RN55

．Milled Volume Knob

．1 RCA input, 1 TRS output

．155mm(W) x 310mm(D) x 70mm(H)

．Weight : 4 KG




Which one of them is better..


What are the other option..I have heard many names but dont know anything about headphone amps....


What should I buy for iPhone / iPod Video > Grado RS2. (or if i should buy any headphone amp at all)


Thanks

 

[plaidplatypus]

The first amp you mention is the Mini^3 which is a battery powered portable amp.
The Mini³ Portable Stereo Headphone Amplifier

The second amp is the M^3 a desktop amp that is not designed for portable use.
The M³ Stereo Headphone Amplifier

 

[mchang]

How are you planning to output from the iPhone? If you're going through the headphone jack to amp, your quality will be compromised. I'm not sure if the iPhone dock's line out is truly a line out. And the only way to get audio from the USB line out phone port is to use the Apple-branded A/V cables, and those terminate in RCA jacks, and I don't think most portable amps input with RCA. I guess you could use a RCA-to-1/8 adapter, but that's a lot of cable to wrangle. If you have another idea (or know more about the dock's line out), please update. I've pretty much resigned myself to my old video iPod as my source for a portable amp because of iPhone limitations.

 

[tommarra]

I dont know at all...what kind of output I have..

To me both the headphone jack and line out on the dock sound the same.

I was hoping someone more informed in this forum could help.

But what I am really looking for is a recommendation for an Amp to drive my RS2...