[RnB180]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch Sheesh, pimpin' that motha like nothin'... . There are other options than the Micro, and it's even conceivable that someone may not like its sound.

as ecstatic as you are of the Go Vibe, so am I with the micro amp

, we have something in common, in "What portable amp should I get" threads, you recommend the Go vibe, and I recommend the micro amp.

WoOt!

the thought that others may not enjoy the micro amp sound! NEVER!

[/sarcasm.... kind of]

 

[MikeW]

I had this very same situation last week. I was going either Portaphile Max or Micro DM. I went with the micro in the end. I wanted more of a home amp then a portable amp, though the micro is definatly portable. The micro has some advantages, Crossfeed being one, and a Powersupply being the other. If you go with the 234$ Portaphile you'll have to dish out another 28$+ shipping for an elpac power supply. Unless you want to use it on batteries all the time. The power supply was the final straw that pushed me in the direction of the micro. Also Headroom has free shipping, and they offer twice the return period (1 month vs 2 weeks). Im not sure of the warrenty on the Portaphile, but for the Micro if anything go's wrong in 2 years you send it back (pay shipping) and they take care of it and ship it back to you. No labor or parts cost. After 2 years it can still be worked on for 50$/hour. I have yet to hear this amp with good headphones, but it made my Crappy Sony G42 (Stree styles) sound much better. If you ever wish to upgrade in the future you can of course add the MicroDac (upgraditis), headroom power supply, and there is going to be a line of accesories specifically for this unit as well. I've never seen a portaphile before (though it gets outstanding reviews) but I can tell you the built quality on the Micro is outstanding, it's built like a tank, high quality switches/dials solid case.

Anyways, just wanted to make sure you where aware that the Micro comes with a Power Supply and the Portaphile dosent. I wouldent recomend getting anything LESS then a Portaphile, Micro, SR-71 etc. You'll just want more in the future and buy somthing better anyways.

Regards,
Mike

Edit: wanted to add that even though Headroom says 2-4 weeks on the Micro, I ordered mine around 3am Tuesday and it was shipped the next day via Fedex Xpress and I got it on Friday.

 

[RnB180]

mike how you diggin the crossfeed, its great isnt it?

 

[MikeW]

Hehe. well.. I use it but these headphones are so crappy it's hard to really notice it. One thing that made it extremly obvious though is using my sound cards Speaker test.. lady comes on there and says "Left Channel" "Right Channel" I was totally floored when I did this and flipped the crossfeed. It was a large differnce, and for the better. I suspect I need better phones and a more mature ear (im a novice) to really appreciate it.

Edit: Those are some really fancy looking cables you got there 180! Nice case too, sweet little setup.

 

[RnB180]

Thanks,

Id like to hear your impressions once the DT880s arrive for you. DT880s are probably the most popular high end Beyer cans ATM.

There is a new style for the 880s, but man they look really ugly. Hopefully you got the old style with the flat cups,.

 

[patrox89]

ya im using my micro dm out of my audigy 2 zs and there is a HUGE difference vs unamped, fyi.

regardless of source (well as long as its ok) this amp will sound great, really tightens up the bass and adds clarity up top.

also, i notice that things that were peircing sharp and high unamped now sound great and have just the right upper presence.

also, the corssfeed really makes things just sound... well, for lack of a more desprciptive term, right. music just seems to "fit together" and have more fluidity with the crossfeed on.

the power supply is another valid point in considering what amp to buy, as it is a high value included accesory.

 

[Head Creep]

Speaking of synergy... RnB, have you tried the Micro stack with your Muvo? It's not very important, but if I could find an amp that works well with my Zen Xtra it'd be a nice plus.

I'm pretty much sold on the Micro, so I guess my initial budget went out the window. Crossfeed does make a difference (hooray foobar), plus the variable gain on the front rather than inside the case will be a plus when the DT770's come. Plus, I can pick up a Cardas interconnect in the same order, instead of making a stop at the local Rat Shack. And to think, just 2 years ago I thought $30 for headphones was outrageous...

 

[RnB180]

Yes, my muvo sound VERY nice with the micro amp. really really good.
You should ask people about synergy with the 770s,

btw, headroom crossfeed, really does something to the music in a good way. left and right are still locatable, spaciousness is opened up, and there seems to be a slight bass boost, which is a plus for vocal presence.

When I first got the amp, I didnt realize it came with its own wall supply. Which was a very nice surprise for me. Start saving up for batteries however if you intend to use it for portability. Someone at headroom recommended me to just get a multi pack of 9vs at Costco. but I ended up getting the rechargeable mahas. Save myself cash in the long run.

 

[Head Creep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RnB180 Yes, my muvo sound VERY nice with the micro amp. really really good.

My wallet hates you right now...
Quote:

You should ask people about synergy with the 770s

I've already read up on the synergy, and apparently the Micro patches up the deficiencies in the DT770 midrange. So there goes two paychecks (and if Headphile keeps getting to me, Darth Beyers will take up a third).
Quote:

Start saving up for batteries however if you intend to use it for portability. Someone at headroom recommended me to just get a multi pack of 9vs at Costco.

I can get packs of batteries at Home Depot through a relative's work, so there's no problem there.

Now, all I can do is wait until Friday rolls around. Thanks for all the help, especially from RnB (you're a great salesman) and Mike. $60 over budget... Head-Fi strikes again...

 

[MikeW]

60? Shipping's free right now, Fed Saver is pretty quick too. Got mine in 2 days.

 

[Head Creep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeW 60? Shipping's free right now, Fed Saver is pretty quick too. Got mine in 2 days.

I know, but my original top-of-my-budget amp was $240 with shipping, and the Micro is $300 (counting free shipping). And 2 days shipping... if I do order on Friday, I gotta take next Monday off...

 

[Head Creep]

Argh, my financial situation never seems to stay still for too long. Thanks to unforecasted circumstances, it's going to be fairly difficult to purchase a Micro (or maxed Portaphile V2) for another month or so. So, with that in mind, should I be patient and still aim for a Micro? Or should I start looking at, say, a Portaphile X3, AirHead or Xin SuperMini? To simplify things: is one month and at least $100 worth the sound improvement the Micro offers over the competition?

Also, a bit of a refinement as far as what I'm looking for: battery powered, variable gain, and synergy with DT770's and E2c's. Crossfeed doesn't matter all that much, since last night I discovered that iRiver's Xtreme3D is just a fancy name for crossfeed with variable soundstage widening.