[ljcii]

Everybody seems to imply that without line out, and amplifier would just be a waste.

Is that true?
PLayers like perhaps sony's or meizu that don't have a virtual line out, does it mean that you can't use an amp with it well?

 

[berniebennybernard]

Depends on the headphones being used as well. Like I could care less if my Sony player had line out because my $9 Fiio amp still adds quite a bit of bass to my current backup headphones (B&O A8s).

 

[ljcii]

I use head-direct re-1 with 150 ohms.

 

[Podtweaker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljcii /img/forum/go_quote.gif Everybody seems to imply that without line out, and amplifier would just be a waste. Is that true? PLayers like perhaps sony's or meizu that don't have a virtual line out, does it mean that you can't use an amp with it well?

It's not true, this is another one of those statements that has very little basis in personal eperiences . It's what you could call an uneducated guess that people love to pass on because they've heard or read it somewhere . I have a Zune that I use /w an amp . It works very well . Every so often I will try playing it without the amp. I don't care for it un-amped anymore. Try an inexpensive amp & see what you think. I would bet if they had marked the output jack 'Headphone/Lineout' (like they used to on PCDPs) rather then 'Headphone' that a lot of people would'nt know they were'nt using a true lineout.

 

[LeftyGorilla]

Well, you've got the travagans, does it sound better when you use it?

The impression I get from "everybody" is that a true line out is preferable to a HP out. Not many portable players have lines out. So you have the iPod LOD faction. Also there a lot of people who say the Cowon D2 has a very "clean" HP out...can be functionally equivalent to a line out. But check out the pictures thread under Portable Sources...lots of people are amping lots of players.

When I use RE2s from my Cowon D2, they definitely benefit from an amp (iBasso D2). As always, YMMV, but I think in your case Everybody is nuts.

 

[Mr_Junesequa]

Researched this a lot.

With a huge stereo with large seperate circuit boards. a lineout is very different to anything else. However with a portable player the lineout and headphone out come from the same chip and the same audio codec. I have asekd this question on manufacturer forums and been told by developers that portable players sound is unchanged headphone out or line out as they are not made to be hi - def.

HOWEVER....

some players, (d2, ipod ) have a rolloff in bass + recessed bass and lower mids through hp out as well as hiss. the lineout usually eliminates the hiss and may (depending on the player) take out the roll off (although this is not through with the x5 which has roll off through the dock and hp out).

the short story is if you have a nice balanced player without much hiss from the hp out u can mini / mini it to an amp no problems!

there is no magical lineout which can make a player sound different., a lineout may tak a different signal path to the headphone out, (primarily because the circuit is routed to the dock... not the headphones) but a lineout signal on a portable is made post dac and the difference...heres the ripper...is the audio codec programming!

 

[ljcii]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftyGorilla /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, you've got the travagans, does it sound better when you use it? The impression I get from "everybody" is that a true line out is preferable to a HP out. Not many portable players have lines out. So you have the iPod LOD faction. Also there a lot of people who say the Cowon D2 has a very "clean" HP out...can be functionally equivalent to a line out. But check out the pictures thread under Portable Sources...lots of people are amping lots of players. When I use RE2s from my Cowon D2, they definitely benefit from an amp (iBasso D2). As always, YMMV, but I think in your case Everybody is nuts.

Yes it does sound better.
But today when i went down to a store with my phone and asked to try for a portable amplifier, they told me that it doesn't work with a phone. ANd that you can't discern the difference.

the short story is if you have a nice balanced player without much hiss from the hp out u can mini / mini it to an amp no problems!

If my hp has high ohm can i still hear it if it initially has a little hiss?
I can hear hiss when it's on a subtle note.
LIke quietly when a cymbal strikes, there's hiss accompanied.

 

[Podtweaker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljcii /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes it does sound better. But today when i went down to a store with my phone and asked to try for a portable amplifier, they told me that it doesn't work with a phone. ANd that you can't discern the difference. the short story is if you have a nice balanced player without much hiss from the hp out u can mini / mini it to an amp no problems! If my hp has high ohm can i still hear it if it initially has a little hiss? I can hear hiss when it's on a subtle note. LIke quietly when a cymbal strikes, there's hiss accompanied.

When people talk about hearing "hiss" it is a steady state noise that is heard throughout the entire recording that is not part of the music. Hiss from the cymbals is something that is supposed to be there & is easily discernable as it will start & stop at some point in relation to when the cymbals are being played.

 

[ljcii]

I don't hear steady state noise but in soft notes there are hisses.
And the hiss i mentioned there is not the hiss of the cymbal.
It's like a digital noise. It's present when soft notes are played in quiet environments like a single piano note, there is hiss accompanied with it.

 

[Shauntell47]

i definitely recommend getting an amp for you re1 phones... i amp mine using a headstage lyrix... but a headsix would work too... improves sound quality with rio karma and cowon iaudio 7, although not by much with the rio karma, since it already has a high output..

 

[ljcii]

Yes i want to amp my re-1s with a better amp too.
but i want to get a cheaper player like meizu or something without a line out so that i do not have to stretch my budget.
But i'm not sure if it'll work with an amp.
Since views around here seem to imply without line out, amp = useless.

 

[Podtweaker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljcii /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes i want to amp my re-1s with a better amp too. but i want to get a cheaper player like meizu or something without a line out so that i do not have to stretch my budget. But i'm not sure if it'll work with an amp. Since views around here seem to imply without line out, amp = useless.

I went back & re-read the replies you recieved . I don't understand how you still think that w/ out a l/o an amp is useless. The responses seem to suggest the opposite, unless you are choosing to disregard the responses or you still have some mis-understanding about what has been relayed. The absolute bottom line is amping w/o a lineout is never useless .

 

[LeftyGorilla]

I guess upgrading the amp is not the way to keep on a budget...

It's a sticky situation for sure.

Sounds like you really need a dedicated portable music player, though, so maybe that's the place to start.

And if you're still under 30 days with the RE1s, maybe return them or try to sell them here, unless you would loose too much money on them...that way you would have more to spend on your source and could get some lower-end iems that don't "require" an amp, as the RE1s are said to.

 

[shigzeo]

i think when we spoke before i probably mentioned mainly same things as as spoken here.

amping headphone out will depend on many things but will not necessarily mean poor performance.

headphone out get's unloaded so there should be little to no bass roll off when using an amp as it is not driving phones but merelyl a line level. nearly all portables, not some portables have bass roll off and some like the d2, have massive bass roll off where it is severely limited in lower frequencies but loses response quite quickly: among higher bass.

with an amp this should all but be eliminated.

same with stereo image; it will widen. it depends on you if it will be a big difference to you.

finally: hiss. if you use an amp with no volume control, it will likely mean you have to lower the gain on the protable: meaning the hiss from the portable will exponentially grow compared to the signal that the amp is eating up.

with an amp like the fiio, there are problems i see mainly stemming from hiss from the source. with a higher priced amp with volume pot, you can make the portable go 90% or higher volume (set it to its advantage) and lower the volume on the amp, thereby securing greater signal to noise ratio.

but: i hate using amps. too big and bulky and requires extra cabling, more things to break or suddenly move. volume pots in a trouser means this: sudden volume bursts.

i prefer er4p to s adapter but it has utility only with lower ohm phones and does not seem to affect armature based phones as much as dynammic phones (at least that is how it seems to me)

 

[ljcii]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shigzeo /img/forum/go_quote.gif i think when we spoke before i probably mentioned mainly same things as as spoken here. amping headphone out will depend on many things but will not necessarily mean poor performance. headphone out get's unloaded so there should be little to no bass roll off when using an amp as it is not driving phones but merelyl a line level. nearly all portables, not some portables have bass roll off and some like the d2, have massive bass roll off where it is severely limited in lower frequencies but loses response quite quickly: among higher bass. with an amp this should all but be eliminated. same with stereo image; it will widen. it depends on you if it will be a big difference to you. finally: hiss. if you use an amp with no volume control, it will likely mean you have to lower the gain on the protable: meaning the hiss from the portable will exponentially grow compared to the signal that the amp is eating up. with an amp like the fiio, there are problems i see mainly stemming from hiss from the source. with a higher priced amp with volume pot, you can make the portable go 90% or higher volume (set it to its advantage) and lower the volume on the amp, thereby securing greater signal to noise ratio. but: i hate using amps. too big and bulky and requires extra cabling, more things to break or suddenly move. volume pots in a trouser means this: sudden volume bursts. i prefer er4p to s adapter but it has utility only with lower ohm phones and does not seem to affect armature based phones as much as dynammic phones (at least that is how it seems to me)

Ok Now i'm realy convinced. Thank you.

I guess upgrading the amp is not the way to keep on a budget...

It's a sticky situation for sure.

Sounds like you really need a dedicated portable music player, though, so maybe that's the place to start.

And if you're still under 30 days with the RE1s, maybe return them or try to sell them here, unless you would loose too much money on them...that way you would have more to spend on your source and could get some lower-end iems that don't "require" an amp, as the RE1s are said to.

I won't sell it because i'm alredy amping it with travaan's colour and are sounding fantastic.