Just to let you know, my first perceived sound differences with my new Ray Samuels amp were false. I accidentally connected an amped source, thinking the dock was unamped. However, Apple sucks and simply amped the output of the official dock.
New impressions: Absolutely no change in sound signature!
Yep, that's right and I'm pretty sure that's how it's supposed to be. For one, I can feel the strength and I don't longer feel like I must raise the volume for better sound, and second the sound is just a little more refined. Spikes sound rounder, mids a wee bit lusher.
All in all, the sound increases by maybe 5% compared to the iPhone 4.
I could just as well rave on here on how clear and smooth the sound is, how the soundstage opened up or how highs are not sibilant anymore. But I'm trying to stay objective and consider the price of 395$ in relation to a 300€ phone. (Luckily I paid far less for a mint SR-71 so I will keep it and enjoy the tiny bit improvement.)
For all of those thinking about spending hundreds of dollars on amps, I want to warn you. Just like with cables, IMO, amps are hyped way too much. If you're 100% sure you want to stick with the PRO 900, you can consider an amp. Else, save the money!
I really love my hifiman EF2, which is essentially an E7 & LDI+ combo in a single unit--the LDI+ also being an entry-level hybrid amp. With the money you save over the MKIII, you could pick up the XB700 pads, which--for me--made every bit as big of a difference in overall sound quality as the EF2 did.
