[The_Blood_Raven]

Hello, I'm looking for a decent ~$100 portable amp for my JVC FX500s and ATH-M50s (arriving tomorrow).

I am looking into this mystery amp, please look to see if you have any information on it.

Thread: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f105/d...ne-amp-480122/

Now my search has lead me to some undoubtedly dumb questions. I have looked for an answer for about an hour and have found none, so I did try.

What is a DAC? I hear the Fiio E7 is a DAC and an AMP. From what I gather it is a digital audio controller? It has something to do with digital audio, but I keep seeing people referring to using their DACs with MP3 players, so that just doesn't make sense. Obviously I need some help with this one.

I saw a portable headphone amp with a built in EQ, and since my Archos 5 has a terrible EQ (settings include Bass, Mid Bass, Mid, Mid High, and High) I was wondering if this is unique or if it is common and if so which in my price range, if any, provide more options?

What headphone amp would you recommend? I'm not looking to completely change the sound, just power it cleanly and maybe do a little polish.

The Fiio E7 looks quite nice and I would like to keep the size about that, maybe smaller though I am flexible.

Thank you.

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

Alright I think I may know what a DAC is.

It is a device that you plug into a computer that digitally converts the sound from the PC and sends it to the headphones? So basically it is a portable digital sound card/decoder?

So, a DAC+AMP like the Fiio E7 would let me use the amp functions without the DAC with my Archos 5, or any MP3 player, and would allow me to use both through my computer?

Is this correct? If so then I have found my market.

 

[cswann1]

You are correct about the DAC.


IMO, if you're looking at portable amps under $100 I would recommend putting a little more with it and getting a Ibasso T3, or going the other way and getting the crazy-cheap Fiio e5.

I don't personally use any portable amps because my little iPod Shuffle drives my TF10's with room to spare.

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

An extra $20 wont kill me, but I'm liking this whole DAC thing since my ATH-M50s, or whatever headphone I end up with, will be used with my PC.

As for you iPod shuffle, you don't have a cripple french device like me. My Archos 5 produces a massive 14mw of power from its internal amp (because of software limitation).

 

[gav007]

If you're looking for an amp for $100 go with a mini^3, you can find more information about it through the forums

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

So should I even both with an amp/DAC combo in this price range? I am using onboard sound, but the sound from my new LGA 1156 is easily the best I've ever heard from onboard, for what that is worth.

Also I may upgrade to DT880 or something in the $200-$250 price range later so I need a decent amp.

 

[stang]

The DT880 in my experience need a VERY powerful, good amp. Straight from my Walkman X1060, I need the volume at 100% and it is still quieter than my normal listening level (not very loud).

Are you planning on using this rig portably? If so, completely skip the Dt880

Do you need a portable amp/dac? Or are you just going to be using it at home, in that case you would be much better off with something like the Zero DAC/AMP or something from Audio-GD (like the discontinued Compass).

 

[luckybaer]

I agree with stang. The DT880 is not a good portable phone. People laugh at me whenever I show up with them in public.

(not really, because I don't wear them in public)

 

[stang]

People laugh at me when I wear my UM3X in public. I think to myself (stupid ignorant people. They take music for granted and are too stupid to even think about sound quality and take into account how much the equipment cost to record the music on)

I find it VERY ignorant of people who listen to music that costs a lot of money to produce, just in 128kbps through their $900 iPhone 3GS with the stock $1 earbuds. Is the human race becoming less intelligent every day?

People complain about how crappy their TVs are, yet are completely fine listening to 128kbps music through such garbage earphones

As you can tell, I love expressing how I feel about those kinds of people

 

[ianmedium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stang /img/forum/go_quote.gif People laugh at me when I wear my UM3X in public. I think to myself (stupid ignorant people. They take music for granted and are too stupid to even think about sound quality and take into account how much the equipment cost to record the music on) I find it VERY ignorant of people who listen to music that costs a lot of money to produce, just in 128kbps through their $900 iPhone 3GS with the stock $1 earbuds. Is the human race becoming less intelligent every day? People complain about how crappy their TVs are, yet are completely fine listening to 128kbps music through such garbage earphones As you can tell, I love expressing how I feel about those kinds of people

I could not agree more with you! I was in an apple store the other day, a friend wanted to see if he could convert the music he downloaded from itunes to lossless as he had just got a good set of headphones and I said to him that to get the best from them he should convert his files. I did not know how to do it as I only rip from my CD collection lossless!

So I am asking an assistant in the store and he straight faced said that 128 was excellent high resolution and that lossless was just hype and there was no difference in sound quality between the two rates! (this guy is payed by apple in an apple store here in Vancouver!!!) "what would make a difference was if I was to spend $300 on a set of Dr Dre headphones as they were acknowledge to be the finest sounding headphones now produced" those are in quotes as I swear to god that is what he told me!

I must admit I left him and asked to see the manager! I talked to the manager and told him what I had been told..The manager was not pleased!

 

[stang]

OWNED! That guy is a noob. Put it this way. I have a Studio FLAC recording at 5153kbps. Does that guy honestly tink there is no difference between 128kbps and 5153kbps? Just compare those two numbers:

128
5153

Surely there has got to be a difference. To my ears it is pretty darn big

"what would make a difference was if I was to spend $300 on a set of Dr Dre headphones as they were acknowledge to be the finest sounding headphones now produced". Not joking here. I would absolutely make a HUGE fool out of him for saying that, as I hope others with a brain would too

Dr Dre headphones are 'alright', but hardly worth $100, yet alone $300. I doubt they would be revealing enough to display a diff between 128kbps and lossless anyway. If they would, that Apple clown would never be able to tell a difference

I think I should write down my thoughts on people like him

 

[ianmedium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stang /img/forum/go_quote.gif OWNED! That guy is a noob. Put it this way. I have a Studio FLAC recording at 5153kbps. Does that guy honestly tink there is no difference between 128kbps and 5153kbps? Just compare those two numbers: 128 5153 Surely there has got to be a difference. To my ears it is pretty darn big "what would make a difference was if I was to spend $300 on a set of Dr Dre headphones as they were acknowledge to be the finest sounding headphones now produced". Not joking here. I would absolutely make a HUGE fool out of him for saying that, as I hope others with a brain would too Dr Dre headphones are 'alright', but hardly worth $100, yet alone $300. I doubt they would be revealing enough to display a diff between 128kbps and lossless anyway. If they would, that Apple clown would never be able to tell a difference I think I should write down my thoughts on people like him

Now, then, you are the person to obviously ask! I am wanting to move from itouch to something portable with flac! Do you have a recommendation and also I am new to this downloading thing, can I convert my lossless files to flac easily?? I told you I am new to this. Until last year I just listened to cd!

 

[stang]

CDs are awesome though

Aside from that, you wanna listen to either FLAC or v0 mp3. I don't use Apple products, thus I am not going to be of much help to you here.

Apple lossles and FLAC will be very close to each other in detail. Unless your system is something like iPhone 3GS>ALO Rx>JH 13 Pro, I would just stick with the iPod touch and apple lossless.

Are your Apple lossless (I assume that is what you mean by lossless) ripped via CD? If so, you could always re rip them to FLAC if necessary.

You could always buy a 5/5.5G iPod and install Rockbox (must better than the Apple software on the iPod) and play FLAC files on that. In the future if you wanted, you could send it in to redwineaudio and get the iMod mod done

Then get a good portable amp and LOD.

I cal tell you that the iPod 3rd gen 32/64GB, iPhone 3GS, Walkman X1060, Cowon S9, iMod, HiFiMan and Sansa Clip are very popular here on Head-fi, because they all have very good sound quality for a portable player

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

Yeah I was more thinking of the DT880 32 ohms, but it wasn't exactly set. That was more a guide line into the possible price range as I haven't even researched headphones in that range. That is only in-case I am unhappy with my ATH-M50 tomorrow.

I guess my question is, will the DAC function of the Fiio E7 really make a difference with my computer? I want something portable, but no one seems to know when the E7 will come out (April possibly?) and it is a bit big, while the iBasso T3 is about the perfect size and seems to come recommended.

As for people's ignorance, I just had this argument with my classmates. All three of them thought I was nuts for buying $100 headphones, a number that means nothing to most here at Head-fi.org. One went far enough to say that I was just being sucked into hype by people like you here at head-fi and there really was no difference at all between my Victor HP-FX500s and the stuck iBuds. I was so shocked, taken-aback, and depressed at their ignorance to really come up with a good argument. Perhaps I will let them have a listen to my ATH-M50.

Regardless, people pay a hell of a lot of money for HDTVs and Blu-ray, myself included. Does that change the actual program or movie? No its the same actors and the same plot just as music is the same. But with HD TV you notice a lot more detail, it looks a lot nicer, you get much more involved with it, the special effects are more breath taking, and it is an all-together better experience. With good audio equipment the music is the same, but all those adjectives apply, you notice more details, its draws you in, and it is just far more enjoyable of an experience.

It is such a simple concept and yet so many people think Bose is audiophile quality.

Another funny story, last weekend I went to the local guitar center to see their prices on headphones. I was looking into some more expensive ones at the time, before I got a great deal on my ATH-M50, and the most popular headphone that they couldn't even keep in stock were the DT770. Now many people like their DT770s, they have some extreme bass which is far to exaggerated for some, but great for others, and their highs are reported as a bit sibilant. They are almost as colored as Bose or Dr. Dre, but they seem to retain enough detail and clarity to make them much more worthy. All this I gather from extensive reading. But the guy tells me that they have the flattest frequency response of all the headphones they had, including the Shures, and were very neutral. Then he goes on to boast up their frequency response, telling me that that extra 10KH (5hz-35khz for the DT770s and 5hz-25khz for the SRH840s) is what makes all the difference.

Now I didn't correct him, I didn't call over a manager, I just said thank you and left very quickly.

Its an odd world.

 

[ianmedium]

Well, there you go! It pays to ask an expert! Thank you so much for taking the time to clear some myths for me!
I have two systems playing from one source, a 2nd gen Itouch and as I say lossless files ripped from CD only (I am not too interested in download as I have a huge collection of CD's!)
1st system is a Stax SR001MK2 connected via a custom silver plated copper LOD.

Second is new and in progress of coming together! A friend very generously gifted me his week old pair of K701's last week! I am new to portable amplification so I read reviews and am starting off on low end budget but am willing to go higher eventually so I have ordered a PA2V2 from Gary (excellent service BTW!) The nature of my life at the moment is transient so portable is the only set up I listen to on a regular basis so that rules out a home based amp! I did see a Graham slee portable amp in my local AD last week but am leary on spending that kind of cash withouth knowing if I would see massive benifit. I will see how Garys little amp fairs!

Thank you again for such great advice, especially about the lossles/flac comparison!



Quote:

Originally Posted by stang /img/forum/go_quote.gif CDs are awesome though Aside from that, you wanna listen to either FLAC or v0 mp3. I don't use Apple products, thus I am not going to be of much help to you here. Apple lossles and FLAC will be very close to each other in detail. Unless your system is something like iPhone 3GS>ALO Rx>JH 13 Pro, I would just stick with the iPod touch and apple lossless. Are your Apple lossless (I assume that is what you mean by lossless) ripped via CD? If so, you could always re rip them to FLAC if necessary. You could always buy a 5/5.5G iPod and install Rockbox (must better than the Apple software on the iPod) and play FLAC files on that. In the future if you wanted, you could send it in to redwineaudio and get the iMod mod done Then get a good portable amp and LOD. I cal tell you that the iPod 3rd gen 32/64GB, iPhone 3GS, Walkman X1060, Cowon S9, iMod, HiFiMan and Sansa Clip are very popular here on Head-fi, because they all have very good sound quality for a portable player