[misterDX]

i realized any people actually amp headphone outs out of their mp3, and the usual consensus seem to be bad, theorically. but are there anyone who actually tried experimentally and seriously think it ruined the SQ of their music?

 

[jsplice]

I bought an iBasso D2 and made my iPod obsolete. It has a built-in dac that I hook directly to my laptop, and am planning to get a small usb hard drive to hold all my music. This is my system for use at work, so it really doesn't have to be that mobile.

 

[misterDX]

err, you aint even answering my question

 

[billybob_jcv]

The only times I have thought an amp has made the SQ worse were:

1) Poor match of 'phone impedance and amp gain
2) Poor source quality
3) Poor amp quality (eg, boosteroo)
4) Other technical problems (bad cable, jack, pot, etc)

 

[Podtweaker]

You will most likely hear this from Ipod owners because amping the HP out of many Ipods will sound like doodoo. This led to the development of LOD cable which bypasses whatever makes the HP out sound like hell when amped. I don't use an Ipod anymore(I know I should change my username, but I've been lazy) I use Zunes(I like em,so I have a couple of em),I amp them using a mini to mini cable from the HP out. Sounds great! For the longest time I believed that I couldn't get top quality sound amping my player w/o using an LOD connection, taking what I'd read as gospel. I decided to try it anyway. I was wrong big time. I don't know if my lossless rips are better than everyone else's rips or what ,but I am stoked(Do people still use this word?)at how good my music sounds. There is absolutely no way I could go back to listening to no amp & IEMs.

 

[ZephyrSapphire]

Anyone plugging an amp to the HP out of any amplifier is 100% wasting the purpose of why the amp was made in the first place. Let's just say that most of the amplifiers in the market were made to pair with iPods via their line outs or mp3 players with line outs.

 

[misterDX]

i am not interested in theorical explainations. there are 3 choices ZephySapphire> did you do it(Y/N)

does it ruin / didnt change / improve the SQ

thats all i need to know, thank you

 

[nickyboyo]

My supermicro has a positive effect on the sound heard, from various sources- all from the hp out ( i tried a qables lod from my ipod mini and preferred the sound from the hp jack). The supermicro seems to just make the soundstage a little wider and instruments have better positioning within that stage, whilst tightening up the bass and adding that extra sizzle to the treble's.

conclusion- a good amp, matched to your individual listening preference, will enhance the sound quality regardless of where the output from the player is taken from.

 

[younglee200]

my mini^3 improved the sound for my recabled triple fis straight out of my E10 (no line-out)

But it really makes no noticable difference / closer to worse SQ for Koss KSC75.

I haven't tried it out with anything else yet.

 

[ZephyrSapphire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by misterDX /img/forum/go_quote.gif i am not interested in theorical explainations. there are 3 choices ZephySapphire> did you do it(Y/N) does it ruin / didnt change / improve the SQ thats all i need to know, thank you

Made it worse. It was amplifying bad-quality HP outs to begin with.

 

[Moontan13]

I'll say amping improves the SQ from an Ipod's headphone output.
Before I had a LOD to use, I hooked up my iPod to numerous recievers, amps, tape decks, as well as a Fiio. With one exception, there was an overall increase in SQ from amping from the headphone output.

 

[Kees]

In my experience adding an amp allways improves SQ, either from headphone out or line out.
The amount of improvement depends on the combination of the amp and the phones, but the amp will drive your phones better and thus enable the signal to be better represented by your phones.
If the signal from your headphone out is bad because of lack of power, the amp will definitely remedy that for you. If the signal is bad for other reasons (distortion of any kind caused by the circuitry of your DAP) the amp wil definitely not improve that. But this is of course also the case for your line out.

 

[DeltaX5]

Build in DAC for the D2? Am i missing something? Connects d2 to computer puts headphones in player no sound? I think you mean you use the D2 as a memory card for your laptop.
Quote:

Originally Posted by jsplice /img/forum/go_quote.gif I bought an iBasso D2 and made my iPod obsolete. It has a built-in dac that I hook directly to my laptop, and am planning to get a small usb hard drive to hold all my music. This is my system for use at work, so it really doesn't have to be that mobile.

 

[aegid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaX5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Build in DAC for the D2? Am i missing something? Connects d2 to computer puts headphones in player no sound? I think you mean you use the D2 as a memory card for your laptop.

iBasso D2 Viper/Boa = AMP/DAC
Cowon D2 = PMP

 

[knights]

there are DAPs thats worth to be amped via hpout, though its not the ideal way but to my ears it really improves overall SQ... ive created a thread in "portable source" section about this one...