[b0klau]

Alright, thanks for the help Jamato. Im looking forward to roll the opamps in the little p4 again.
This hobby never gets old

 

[Hab]

Has anyone used one of these with ie8's. I'm thinking of getting one purely for the fact I can roll the op amps and I'm wondering if any of the supplied ones synergise with the Sennheisers? If not which op amps should I be looking at?

 

[audioheadfi]

Quote:

Has anyone used one of these with ie8's. I'm thinking of getting one purely for the fact I can roll the op amps and I'm wondering if any of the supplied ones synergise with the Sennheisers? If not which op amps should I be looking at?

Yes Id be interested if anybody is using this with IE8s as well

 

[CEE TEE]

I have D12 and tried P4.  I don't bother to use an amp with Sony X and IE8.
 
Didn't really make a difference with IE8, but with PK1 it was very noticeable and improved them.
 
(I finally get the "better when amped thing" that everyone says about PK1.  Depends on the amp, I found...)
 
But I do use the D12 (and would use the P4 if I still had it) with Grado HF-2 with really good results.

 

[Bugdozer]

Ok, another noob question.  The P4 is listed as a 3CH/4CH amp.  So what does that really mean and what benefit do you gain by running op amps in the G/V sockets?

 

[HiFlight]

The 3 and 4-channel refers to the way that the ground channel is isolated from the rest of the circuitry. Ground configuration changes result in differences most noticeable in imaging and soundstage. 
 
I find that the use of opamps that are capable of delivering reasonably high output current seem to perform best in the ground sockets.  Given the many possible combinations of LR, buffer and ground configurations, one can be kept busy rolling opamps for a long time!
 
The P4 is a very capable basic amplifier and plays well with all phones that I have auditioned with it. 

 

[Bugdozer]

HiFlight, thanks for the info, I think I understand.
 
None of my other amps have rollable op amps so I have been keeping myself entertained swapping things around. I keep hearing my wife say, "Why do you keep taking that thing apart?"

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

I keep hearing my wife say, "Why do you keep taking that thing apart?"

Reminiscent of the old Brit comedies where they enjoyed rolling out 'What's this thing called, love ?'
 

 

[paulybatz]

That is funny stuff Bugdozer!!!

 

[estreeter]

Just wondering if P4 owners, presumably over the new toy joy by now, would like to report on how things are going with their amp ? Not sure exactly why, but the D6 seemed to steal some of the momentum from the P4, presumably because it gives you a DAC in the same enclosure.
 
Headfonia listed the P4 as one of the amps they were going to review in their '12 Amp Shootout', even to the point where it appears in the photos, but didnt get around to a review.

 

[HiFlight]

IMO, if one needs a basic portable amp, the P4 is second to none.  Of all my iBasso amps, it is my most used. 
 
Quote:

Just wondering if P4 owners, presumably over the new toy joy by now, would like to report on how things are going with their amp ? Not sure exactly why, but the D6 seemed to steal some of the momentum from the P4, presumably because it gives you a DAC in the same enclosure.
 
Headfonia listed the P4 as one of the amps they were going to review in their '12 Amp Shootout', even to the point where it appears in the photos, but didnt get around to a review.

 

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

IMO, if one needs a basic portable amp, the P4 is second to none.  Of all my iBasso amps, it is my most used. 
 


 

 
Thanks Ron.

 

[Bugdozer]

I'm still loving mine and it gets used daily. a lot. If I were to get a portable DAC, I'd like to see an updated D12 as I'd miss the optical and coax inputs gone missing on the D6. I've REALLY been eyeing the DB2 PB2 combo but going balanced is a slippery slope. My next big purchase may be a set of JH13 PRO's but that is dependant on finances.

 

 

[estreeter]

Mine should be here early next week - just waiting for funds to clear my bank into PP account. I readily admit that there are several other amps that interest me, but the fiscal logic of buying this over the (seriously) cheap portable and fullsize amps just made sense. When I bought the D4, there was nothing like the E9/Asgard - even in the battery-powered arena, iBasso had the upper hand on price over all bar the DiYers. Fiio didnt even have the E7 at that stage, although I'm confident that the P4 will wipe the floor with its much cheaper competition.
 
Still dont know how Schiit can sell the Asgard for roughly the same price as the P4, but it seems to have as many detractors as fans (possibly more - consensus seems to be that its a tad boring) and the heat issue just doesnt lend itself to bedside use. Leckerton ? No denying that the price is tempting, but iBasso have a track record for me : the UHA-6 might make for a nice comparison if I have the funds later.
 
Its a shame iBasso stopped sending Skylab amps to review, but thats all water under the bridge and he has moved on. Onward and upward
 
estreeter

 

[estreeter]

Really wish someone had warned me about the ease with which you can strip the (miniscule) thread from the tops of the tiny bolts that hold the faceplate on. The tool iBasso provides would be fine if they were only lightly fastened - mine werent. Have to wait till Wednesday to get access to an electric drill and a vice : fan-freaking-tastic.
 
For the DiYers on Head-Fi, this would be little more than a bump in the road, but for me its just bloody annoying. While I admit that it was easy to lose the thumbscrews from the back of the D4, access to the internals was a whole lot easier.