The "Most Portable" Portable Amp...

[synaesthetic]

... that still sounds good with Ety ER-4P and doesn't cost a fortune?

Does such a thing exist? If it does, can anyone tell me about it?

Backstory:

My four-year-old ER6i are dying. While the drivers are holding up quite nicely, the cord has unfortunately begun to fray in spots. They still sound fine, but I know that won't last once the cord really starts to give way.

Aside from that, they are really ugly cosmetically now. Four years of handling, listening, being stuffed in purses and pockets and being owned by a smoker has led the once-white cable and housing to darken to a rather unsightly yellow.

All good things must come to an end, however, and these are definitely approaching their final days. So I'm going to be upgrading to the ER-4P, since they're everything the ER6i are and a warehouse full of bags of chips.

I know the ER-4P work fine right out of a headphone out, but I also know that they work better when amped.

So, denizens of Head-Fi. Help me make my wallet (only a LITTLE) lighter and easier to carry. Which portable amp for $100-150 is very small and has good sound and decent battery life?

 

[jamato8]

The Xin Super Micro but try getting one. So why do I mention it? Because it is one of the smallest and one of the better portables on the market. Sadly they take a long time to get it you get one at all.

 

[synaesthetic]

Xin's turnaround time is too slow for me. Nothing against the guy's work but I don't want to wait months for my toys. =(

 

[tpc41]

very small...how about the ibasso T2? I've never herd it but its small size is very appealing and it is in your price range too.

 

[jamato8]

Yes, the T2 goes quite a while on one charge, is very small and the sound is ok. It also looks very nice.

 

[synaesthetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tpc41 /img/forum/go_quote.gif very small...how about the ibasso T2? I've never herd it but its small size is very appealing and it is in your price range too.

I was thinking hard about this one, and the iBasso P2 as well. I don't like the iPod-like mirror finish on the T2 as I'm afraid that much like the iPod backplate it will scratch easily.

The P2 looks really good to me though. After reading through Skylab's massive review post, there are lots of good amps that will serve my purpose, but most are well beyond what I'd want to spend on a portable amp.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Minibox E+

 

[synaesthetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif Minibox E+

*googles it*

Wow it's ugly, but it is quite compact and thin! And it has a P to S switch. That is so very tempting, despite being slightly outside my intended price range.

 

[jgonino]

x2 on the mini-box e. It is basically made for those earphones. A lot of other members say the bass boost really fills them out nicely.

 

[jamato8]

The P2 is a very good sounding amp but I thought you wanted something very small? The P2 isn't a large amp but the T2 and Micro are some of the smallest on the market. The back of the T2 is stainless but does scratch but I don't care as I got it to listen to.

 

[synaesthetic]

I'm still thinking, though the T2 does seem like the ticket. I especially like the absence of pieces-sticking-out and the flywheel volume control. It's also pretty cheap, so that's a nice bonus. =p

 

[mark_h]

I had the T1 and T2 both broke within a month, headphone jack. One breaking I can deal with but both = bad times

 

[mrarroyo]

Under $200 my preferences would be the MiniBox-E+, iBass P2, and the Mini^3. If you go for the P2 do some op-amp rolling to further improve its sound. Currently I am using the LM4562 in place of the NE5532P and an AD8599 in place of the LT op-amp.

Next I will try a pair of LM6172's.

 

[acegazda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by synaesthetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was thinking hard about this one, and the iBasso P2 as well. I don't like the iPod-like mirror finish on the T2 as I'm afraid that much like the iPod backplate it will scratch easily. The P2 looks really good to me though. After reading through Skylab's massive review post, there are lots of good amps that will serve my purpose, but most are well beyond what I'd want to spend on a portable amp.

you can always take a piece of sandpaper to the backside and give it a rub down, then it will have a brushed aluminum look and the scratches won't be visible unless they are really deep.

 

[synaesthetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by acegazda /img/forum/go_quote.gif you can always take a piece of sandpaper to the backside and give it a rub down, then it will have a brushed aluminum look and the scratches won't be visible unless they are really deep.

I like the cut of your jib, sir.

Quote:

I had the T1 and T2 both broke within a month, headphone jack. One breaking I can deal with but both = bad times

This concerns me greatly.

The P2 looks far more rugged, despite not being very small, but the battery life seems short.

Does anyone have pictures of the Minibox E+ in relation to an iPod (for scale purposes)?