[new2this]

As the sign on name suggests, yes, I am new to this.  I recently purchased a pair of Sennheiser HD 650 and know I need headphone amps.  Due to my amount of traveling I would like to find an inexpensive (not to be confused with cheap) portable headphone amp.
 
Please suggest some products that will fulfill this post.  If any technical terminology is in your explanation, please use layman's term.
 
Thanks so much and I look forward to all of your suggestions.
 
-Adam

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Search is your friend. Search "portable amps for HD650". I hope you are aware of the fact that the HD650s are open and are not suitable for bus, plane, train etc? Other people hear your music and you hear everything. They are good for hotel room listening or maybe the park or a quiet section of a library, but that is about it. If you could post your sorces, that is, what you are using your cans with, that would be helpful. Most portable amps that are very small and light do not have enough juice to power the HD650s to what they can really do. Exceptions exist which have enough power, but are expensive and/or large. The Ibasso Toucan can power the HD650s more than adequately, and it is $229. It gets more expensive from there. A desktop amplifier will do much better with this headphone, and they start around $250. There are deals to be had in the for sale part of the forum, once you  We Head-fiers can suggest all kinds amps, but a budget would be useful. There is an insanely powerful portable amp coming out soon that will probably be available by Christmas. The point is, your budget and preferences matter and there are a ton of choices. Reply back with some info, and I will try to answer them the best I can. Right now is the beginning of a golden age for portable audio, with three times as many choices as there were just two or three years ago. Ten years ago, portable Hi-Fi was a joke. Now is a great time to join the scene. Reply back soon!

 

[ddy4vi]

I too am new to this...so what's this mysterious ultra powerful portable amp due out by xmas that u speak of. I'm thinking of getting a fii0 e7 which is $100, so that might be a good option to check out newtothis. Or I was thinking of getting a Headroom Total Bithead amp off of ebay. That would be around a $100 to. I'm gonna be powering Sennheiser PC360's so they're probly similar to the 650's. Or somebody will jump in and rattle of the specs and totally prove me wrong lol

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

If you are just starting out with a gaming headphone the E7 or the total bithead will work fine. The PC360s are open, meaning you can hear other people and they can hear what you are listening to a little. The advantage is much better positioning and realistic feel. 
 
The ultra portable headphone amp due out by Christmas is called the SR71B and you can find information about it here: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/502696/wow-a-new-fully-balanced-portable-amp-from-rsa-the-sr71b-quad-mono-1st-proto-image-report-pg-8 You probably don't want to worry about it because it is overkill for those gaming headphones and it is going to be around $700, maybe more. There is a very powerful portable headphone amp called the Ibasso PB1 Toucan, that has only slightly less power than the aforementioned amp. It is only $229, however. Here is the link to the thread: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/499184/ibasso-boomslang-and-toucan-balanced-portable-dac-and-amp-silver-and-black-pg-1-19-25-26/465#post_7017803 Look on Ibasso.com for more info too. 
 
I hope this helps. Search the internet for how power hungry the PC360s are, and go from there.

 

[bmichael]

I'm interested in this topic, as well. I'm looking to get a portable amp for iPhone to HD650.
 
Using the search is great for some things, but the definitive-looking posts on this topic date from between 3 to 6 years ago. And as GeorgeGoodman said above, it seems like newer tech is coming out all the time. Those older threads are great for some things, not as good for others, I think.
 
Anyway, yeah. I'd like a decent amp to drive the HD650s for when I'm lying in bed or on the couch (away from my desk). Doesn't have to be a worldbeater, around $200 hopefully?

 

[Smokhee]

I just bought HD 650's to go with my headstage arrow amp, which goes for around $300.  I got my HD 650's for $350 from J&R.  I will post my impressions when I get the cans. 

 

[davewave]

 

Just want to cast another vote for the Headstage Arrow. It has 3 gain levels yet powers my HD580 just fine on the lowest gain setting. The sound is absolute bliss. Another benefit of the Arrow is adjustability to varying demands of IEMs and other phones, so that as your collection grows you don't have to buy multiple amps (even though that's what you'll do, once the addiction sets in!).  

 

[Zuqi]

Have anyone tried hd650 with pico?

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

I use my Lisa III XP with my HD650's and B O O M! anyone who said the HD650's had a veil should come on down to Old Town Pasadena for a mini meet so I can show them the light.

 

[JuanseAmador]

I will give you options of all budgets.
 
JDS Labs CMoyBB ($70)
Electric-Avenues PA2V2 ($70)
Graham Slee Voyager ($100)
Objective 2 ($140)
HeadStage Arrow ($300)