[neco]

Hello All,

So I registered for Head-Fi in 2005 and since joining I've purchase the Grado sr-60, Westone UM1(dead), Yuin PK3, Koss KSC75 (dead), Beyerdynamic DT770-80, Westone UM2 in that order. I'm now looking into a portable amp. I'm currently looking at the RSA Shadow or Pico Slim. I like how they are small so I can everyday carry it. I'm wondering:

1. Will these amps provide enough power to power all of the headphones I own?
2. In the future I'm looking to purchase Denon D2000, Denon D5000 or Yuin PK1, will either of these amps have any problems powering these possible headphone purchases?
3. I keep reading about how desktop amps are better than portable amps, at the same price range as the RSA Shadow and Pico Slim what compromises would I be taking by choosing a portable amp over a desktop amp?

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

 

[kunalraiker]

The amps you have mentioned are mostly meant to drive IEM's ,if you are looking to drive headphones in the future then you are better of getting a full-sized portable amp,something like a pico, rsa p-51 mustang or an iBasso D4.

About home amps, its a different story,obviously they are better for the same price, but then you don't have the portability factor.

 

[neco]

I thought the RSA Shadow was just as strong as the P-51 Mustang except with a digital volume control. If this is the case wouldn't the Shadow be able a viable option still?

 

[stang]

I owned the P-51. Yes it's a great portable amp but at the same price you could have yourself a nice desktop amp that will blow it out of the water with harder to drive cans. If I got another portable amp however, it would be the ALO Rx as it is approximately the same size as iPod touch's and would be a lot more convenient. I hated carrying around the P-51 with my iPod as it was difficult to hold and put back in my pocket etc. You will say you don't want a desktop amp, but this is head-fi, you will end up buying one

. I said all I wanted is a good portable setup, which I got. Three weeks later, I got a desktop rig

. Am now selling my iPod touch and sold my LOD and P-51 Mustang haha.

 

[kunalraiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stang /img/forum/go_quote.gif I owned the P-51. Yes it's a great portable amp but at the same price you could have yourself a nice desktop amp that will blow it out of the water with harder to drive cans. If I got another portable amp however, it would be the ALO Rx as it is approximately the same size as iPod touch's and would be a lot more convenient. I hated carrying around the P-51 with my iPod as it was difficult to hold and put back in my pocket etc. You will say you don't want a desktop amp, but this is head-fi, you will end up buying one . I said all I wanted is a good portable setup, which I got. Three weeks later, I got a desktop rig . Am now selling my iPod touch and sold my LOD and P-51 Mustang haha.

All that is so true, word for word.

It will happen to you, this is head-fi, its just the way it is

 

[chesterqw]

if you are going to have fullsize cans, it is better to go for desktop amps instead.
the price/performance is way better going desktop.

 

[neco]

Ok so after looking at the RSA website it looks like the shadow will be out as it says it's designed for IEM's and low impedance/low volume headphone listeners. I'm now looking at some other options including the iBasso D4 Mambo, RSA P-51 Mustang, RSA SR71 and Purity Audio K.I.C.A.S Caliente. Out of these there is only one desktop amp as I'd prefer to have the option of portability. I'm wondering what some of your opinions are on these possible amp choices and also any suggestions on ones I may be overlooking. Also how much better would the desktop option be compared to the other portable offerings I've mentioned.

 

[neco]

So nobody thinks the portable options are competitive with their desktop counterparts?

 

[jelt2359]

You're definitely paying for that small size. That being said, I carry my portable amps around when I commute, and also between home and school, so desktop amps are a big no-no for me since I simply don't do that much listening at home.

That being said, many of these portable amps (like those you mentioned) are already very good. However if you get into desktop amps, then well... the stakes get much higher, and you could be spending a lot more to get to the top level amps.

All in all, it really depends on your own usage patterns. Again, the environment is important. When you're at home, you're probably listening solely to music, fully concentrating and enjoying it. When you're on the go or at work, you probably don't need to make out every last nuance. It's sorta like you reading a book on the subway, vs reading it at home. The latter situation allows you to concentrate a lot more: not worry about weird people on the subway with you, not worry about missing your stop, and so on. That's partly why many are willing to pay more for a desktop amp (and why they can get so much more expensive): these cater to the fully concentrating listener.

 

[downsize]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stang /img/forum/go_quote.gif I owned the P-51. Yes it's a great portable amp but at the same price you could have yourself a nice desktop amp that will blow it out of the water with harder to drive cans. If I got another portable amp however, it would be the ALO Rx as it is approximately the same size as iPod touch's and would be a lot more convenient. I hated carrying around the P-51 with my iPod as it was difficult to hold and put back in my pocket etc. You will say you don't want a desktop amp, but this is head-fi, you will end up buying one . I said all I wanted is a good portable setup, which I got. Three weeks later, I got a desktop rig . Am now selling my iPod touch and sold my LOD and P-51 Mustang haha.

Uhh ... Exactly which desktop amp blows away the P-51 Mustang at the same price point ? Because I simply LOVE how good my Mustang sounds.

 

[userlander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by downsize /img/forum/go_quote.gif Uhh ... Exactly which desktop amp blows away the P-51 Mustang at the same price point ? Because I simply LOVE how good my Mustang sounds.

yeah, I don't agree that desktop amps will necessarily "blow away" some portable amps. They might blow portables away in power because they can have huge transformers, caps, etc. but all that doesn't automatically translate to better sound.

 

[neco]

The amp's primary purpose is to power my Beyerdynamic DT770-80's which I use mainly to watch videos, play games and listen to music. The desktop amp I was looking at around the same price as the RSA Mustang P-51 was the Purity Audio K.I.C.A.S. Caliente. I was also planning to use an amp with my other smaller earphones and IEM. I like how the Mustang P-51 has a gain adjustment and was also concerned that the K.I.C.A.S would be strong for these devices.

 

[downsize]

Quote:

Originally Posted by neco /img/forum/go_quote.gif The amp's primary purpose is to power my Beyerdynamic DT770-80's which I use mainly to watch videos, play games and listen to music. The desktop amp I was looking at around the same price as the RSA Mustang P-51 was the Purity Audio K.I.C.A.S. Caliente. I was also planning to use an amp with my other smaller earphones and IEM. I like how the Mustang P-51 has a gain adjustment and was also concerned that the K.I.C.A.S would be strong for these devices.

OK Neco, I am a complete newbie here, and to the headphone world. But I do have almost 25 yrs invested in home high end audio, and have owned virtually ALL of the best equipment for those years, including GREAT amplification. I also am a musician who's recorded 5 different CD's. I know what "real" sounds like.

Having said that, I was so astonished with the sound quality of the P-51 Mustang ( fully broken in ) that I just bought, that I can honestly say that NO amplifier I have ever heard has sounded much better, at ANY price point.
Now, whether it is powerful enough to power your particular headphones or not, I wouldn't really know.
All I know is, if the desktop amps REALLY do blow away this Mustang, I am in for a great suprise and new experience. By the way, I am seriously considering buying the Musical Fidelity X-CanV8 ... So unless someone changes my mind for a better choice, I will be able to tell you if it's that much better before too long.
HTH

 

[otello66]

I own both the Shadow and the Mustang. I had posted the below on another thread in response to the question "Wich did I like best?"

The "RSA" Shadow, a powerful pixy of an amp . . . New images. . - Page 11 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

I did not include my DT880 in this comparison, because it was clear that the Shadow was not really designed to drive a can like this. I compared with the more efficient Denon cans.

 

[neco]

As an update I ended up grabbing a used RSA Tomahawk as the price was right for me. So far using it with the Yuin PK3, Westone UM2, Beyerdynamic DT770-80 and Grado SR-60 I am able to tell a marked improvement in the SR-60 and DT770-80. I didn't notice any major improvements with the PK3's and haven't really spent enough time listen to them with the UM2's to hear a difference either. I guess I will start looking into a USB DAC now and then who knows what else after that. In the end I feel that the full size headphones are what really needed amping and not my earphones or IEM's. Knowing this my next amp will be more powerful and intended solely for use with full size headphones. I'm thinking about either the SR-71A or the P-51 Mustang as I would still want the portable form factor for when I'm listening in other areas around the house.