Please help recommend me a Portable amp and a Full-size headphone~
Nov 8, 2008 at 11:32 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 20

HerbalTurtle

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Currently got an ESW9 using with my Ipod Video 5.5gen 80G, mainly to use on the go, but still planning to get an amp as well as another headphone for dorm and library use. Thinking going for a fullsize and closed can for comfort in long time listening as well as good isolation coz in room and lib~~
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Aiming on several full-size closed headphones, AKG K272HD, DT770/80ohm and ATH A900 these three models. I think these three are also in a similar price range, am I right??
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Amps thinking about maybe iQube and pico, but not sure the price also where to buy the pico~

For this hp I would mainly listen to classical (more for instrumental solo and a little bit for symphony) and folk music with clear acoustic guitars, New-Age, vocals(other genres music like Pop Rock also listen but with ESW9 on the go), and this can would also be needed for watching movies sometimes.

Isolation and comfort is important reason that I want to get another hp, maybe use during flight to avoid the annoying noise also~
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Not planning to get a desktop amp coz no room for it and also need to be use on the go with ESW9~

SO, please fellas anyone can recommend me a portable amp and a hp with my previous description? the budget should be $700 together the amp and the fon, can be a little more but not too much~

Thank you very much~~

ALSO I have a newbie question regarding the DAC in a portable Amp. Wonder how would a portable amp with a DAC works when connected with my laptop? How is a output carried out when I just play APE files using foobar on my laptop and send the signals to the DAC? Izt after I send the signal to the DAC I can just plug my headphone to the portable amp directly and listen to the music? This would somehow be important coz dun want to purchase other equipments any more and when watching movie I can just use the portable amp with DAC and my headphone together~
Hope fellas help me clarify this point coz not much knowledge on this~


Sorry for this stupid question and thanks a lot for reading such long long boring paragraphs of mine~
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THANK YOU for helping out~
 
Nov 8, 2008 at 12:19 PM Post #2 of 20
AKG K272HD (I have K271S = same) sounds great with classical stuff (listened to mostly piano's) and other genres.
They give a very clean, intimate sound but are light on bass, so the will sound very different from the esw9's. Isolation is very good.
I used them out of a Hornet for portable use, works fine. Have not heard the others, but I guess the A900 is closest to ESW9...

something like a Denon D2000 with amp (not iQube/Pico though, comes in at ~$800) probably fits in your budget too, something to think about?
 
Nov 8, 2008 at 12:53 PM Post #3 of 20
Quote:

Originally Posted by paaj /img/forum/go_quote.gif
AKG K272HD (I have K271S = same) sounds great with classical stuff (listened to mostly piano's) and other genres.
They give a very clean, intimate sound but are light on bass, so the will sound very different from the esw9's. Isolation is very good.
I used them out of a Hornet for portable use, works fine. Have not heard the others, but I guess the A900 is closest to ESW9...

something like a Denon D2000 with amp (not iQube/Pico though, comes in at ~$800) probably fits in your budget too, something to think about?



Thanks for your info, but I haven't tried a Denon yet, and for the amp I'm not sure of the price but are iQube\Pico cost that much $800? I thought it should be around $500~~

Also I looked up the forum and actually found the AKG phones more fit to my music genres when using full-size ones, meaning Classical, Vocal and New Age and stuff like that, so the amp I think should fit the music more I think, also the price, to me, should be around $200 coz thinking the amp cost around $500~
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Nov 8, 2008 at 8:03 PM Post #4 of 20
Check out this review by Headphoneaddict UPDATED 11/1 MINI-REVIEW of 10 USB DAC amps - Predator, Pico, 2MOVE, D3 Python, D2 Viper/Boa & D1, Lyrix, Micro Amp, Vivid V1

I ended up going with the D2 Boa as it fit my budget and i needed a USB DAC

Quote:

Wonder how would a portable amp with a DAC works when connected with my laptop?


Basically you just connect the amp/dac to your laptop via USB
You laptop will detect the dac kinda like a USB soundcard
All you need to do is plug your headphones into the amp/dac and both works
 
Nov 9, 2008 at 7:40 AM Post #5 of 20
Alright, thanks for ur info, quite blur about these stuff actually~

So I think actually I might be going for the AKG K272HD since from other reviews it says it is more neutral and likely more suitable for my music genres, is iBasso amps good for K272HD?~
 
Nov 9, 2008 at 9:07 AM Post #6 of 20
without connect to laptop, what benefit we can get from DAC if just connecting to CD player or iPod?
 
Nov 9, 2008 at 1:22 PM Post #7 of 20
$800 is iqube/pico with d2000

without laptop, the dac is useless as it will not take optical (at least, most portables don't)
 
Nov 9, 2008 at 1:52 PM Post #8 of 20
Quote:

Originally Posted by paaj /img/forum/go_quote.gif
$800 is iqube/pico with d2000

without laptop, the dac is useless as it will not take optical (at least, most portables don't)



Hmm cheers mate, I am glad that I didn't buy an amp with DAC
 
Nov 9, 2008 at 2:56 PM Post #9 of 20
Quote:

Originally Posted by paaj /img/forum/go_quote.gif
$800 is iqube/pico with d2000

without laptop, the dac is useless as it will not take optical (at least, most portables don't)





I think to me, a DAC might be necessary since I might sometimes connect to my laptop for movies also for music coz too many loseless files to pour into my iPod~~~
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Nov 9, 2008 at 3:01 PM Post #10 of 20
So how about DT770? how does it sound for some classical and instrumental music as well as movie watching?

Also anyone can tell me the price of pico & iqube now? coz only know it approximately but not exactly how much it cost~

Also for purchasing, pico, izt still the only way: to order under the thread in the forum? or is there any website for it?

iQube is still from the website to purchase, izt?

Thanks~
 
Nov 9, 2008 at 3:11 PM Post #11 of 20
The AKG 272 is a great choice for closed cans and for classical, folk, jazz. While a Pico with DAC would be nice (500 bucks), you could get by nicely with a Headroom Total Bithead (amp & DAC) for $150. I've used the Total Bithead with my computer (many different headphones including the AKG 271s which is, as another poster mentioned, virtually the same thing as the 272), for a few years and it is serving me well.

I decided to go more upscale with the Decware Zen Head. For twice the price (this is only an amp) of the Total Bithead, I certainly noticed an improvement in sound quality, but also realized that the Total Bithead is no slouch. And both amps have a good crossfeed circuit (the Zen Head's better, but nothing wrong with the Total Bithead's). A modest Total Bithead might fit the bill for you nicely.

I have a DT 770 consumer 250 ohm model. Not bad. Nice for rock. More bass than the 271/272, but the midrange isn't as good (it's more recessed and less clear/detailed). After much listening and comparing, I prefer the 271s to the DT 770. Both are hard to drive (they need amplification), the 271 being a bit easier to run than the DT 770. In terms of comfort, both are close. The DT 770 clamps one's head more tighly than the 271s. Both are light. Both have good sound isolation. Soundstage is bigger with the 271. Running the 271 and 770 with no EQ, the 271 is better and more neutral/accurate sounding. Finally, when one takes off the 271/272, the sound shuts off automatically which is a feature for the recording studio.

Cheers!
 
Nov 9, 2008 at 3:40 PM Post #12 of 20
Wow, thanks dew, for such detailed info, very helpful, so now I think K272HD would be more suitable for me.

For the amp it should be really a hard choice, and I wish to get the amp which has good synergy with both K272 and my ESW9, coz willing to use the amp with both cans, can pico drive them both, with enough efficiency and good synergy?
 
Nov 9, 2008 at 5:35 PM Post #13 of 20
I suspect that most headphone amps could drive most cans and the Pico is a great headphone amp. From my own experience, the 271s and my Decware Zen Head work well together (as does my Total Bithead and my Fii0). I think that you'll have no problems with the Pico. The 271s suck up a bit of power so you'll notice that you are turning the volume knob to 8 to 9 o'clock for quite listening and 11 to 12 o'clock when you are blasting it at levels that should not shred your ears. Any higher and kiss your ears goodbye.

No problems. Buy the Pico and tell us what you think about it (it was on my short list when I was headphone amp shopping. Given my choice of Grado SR-60 and SR-325i for most of my listening, I opted for the Zen Head as it has more of a tube sound that really complements classical music and jazz and the Grado cans (and with the Zen Head's superb soundstage, it helps the Grado's be all that they can be as they are only fair on soundstage). The AKG 271 is my closed can of choice at home; the Beyerdynamic DT 770's live at work.

Just listening to Elton John's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy album. The 271s's are on through the Zen Head and I'm enraptured. The 271s are nicely balanced. Maybe I'll give the Grados a rest today. AKG rules. Betcha they'll mate nicely with a Pico.

Cheers!
 
Nov 9, 2008 at 6:00 PM Post #14 of 20
A cheaper option is the DT770 out of an ibasso D3. Plenty of isolation, great dac/amp - pretty decent all round, i love the combo myself.
 
Nov 9, 2008 at 11:58 PM Post #15 of 20
and just remember that the k272 will have noticeably less bass than esw9... they really do sound different. maybe it's a smart move to buy from a place with return service, just to be sure. you may very well like them (I did) but they are just as easily disliked.
pico should do well, also with esw9.
 

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