[wnmnkh]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/you...inions-421187/

This thread got my eyes, and found that quite some people pointed out portable amps are useless.

Thing is I really can't think why, and can't find where this is started. Can someone educate me about this (or start discussion?)

 

[jellojoe]

Probably because carrying around a portable amp makes your portable rig less portable, and most of the portable phones don't need an external amp. The full size phones that do need an external amp don't do well in portable situations. The only times I've used my hornet is in hotels where I don't want to lug the dynahi along.

 

[FallenAngel]

That's because people are becoming completely pussified!

So many people complain about the 2G iPhone being too bulky (now that they have 3G iPhone) that it's just ridiculous.

Think old school! People regularly carried tape players and later CD players (and no, not those ultra-tiny 2mm wider than CD units, I mean the real ones!). Now it's all about "oh look at how tiny my iPod nano is, I can't imagine carrying anything larger". My idea of portable is "can take it with me" - which means usually iPod 5G (diyModded), sometimes small LOD, sometimes DIY V-Cap dock which is larger than iPod in all dimensions and about twice as wide and a nice portable amp on top of that. Yeah, I carry it in a bag, and it's more "transportable" than "portable". For ultra-portable, I just take the 2G Nano with decent headphones, but I miss out on a lot of the enjoyment of music, I don't hear what I expect and it makes me unhappy.

I only do the latter when I absolutely must (like going for a run).

 

[yklee118]

Define portable headphone amps. If the category is low budget CMOY type amps that can purchased for less than $60.00 USD, then yes I have to agree with many audiophiles that there isn't enough power, voltage, and current to drive headphones like the AKG K701, Sennheiser HD580/600/650/800, Beyerdynamics, Audio-Technica ATH-A5XX/WX000 series, and other high-end to reference class models. Money factor isn't everything either. Just got to look for the balance of money versus sound.

There is now mistaking that the line-up of amps from Ray Samuels is some of the best out on the market. The now dead LaRocco Audio had some fine amps for both home and mobile use (I have the Diablo used from one Audiogon user). I use to own the Xin-Reference until I revitalized the C&C Box+ that I currently own (got to update my equipment page). I think that now except for the Diablo, my headphone amps are mainly made by the Chinese. The C&C Box+, XO+, the Little Dot MKI/MKI+, LDMKVI with Western Electric Tubes installed, and the LDMKV, are all made by the Chinese. I have to say that all of these amps have their distinctive qualities ranging from detailed dynamic range to excellent sonic sound stage representation (although I haven't given the LDMKVI a thorough test). The Xin Reference was not something I wanted to keep since there has been a string of problems with it and my friend was more than happy to off load them to me. I didn't find a buyer for it though and I actually still have it, with intermittent power failure due to exceptionally flimsy battery terminals. No time to fix such an expensive amplifier (have you ever seen the price or the wait time for one of these things - it reminds me of LaRocco Audio when they started taking orders of the Diablo and i know since I was one of the souls who pre-ordered one the units before I joined Head-fi).

For mobile use, the AKG K701 are not portable per say, however they can be used with your ipod and laptop computer. The downside is that the full dynamic range will not be present and feeling of have such high-end audiophile like qualities will not be present even after setting up the EQ. The reason is that the components in the audio output stage of a laptop computer and ipod do not provide sufficient voltage, current, and power to drive the K701 (just an example). We many who say that it is more than enough due to the low impedance, don't be fooled by this number. Some headphones have low impedance numbers however depending on the intended target group, these headphones can be very easy or hard to drive. The K701 for example is one such headphone that can be very deceptive to the general audience since it has a 62-ohm impedance. With a maximum power handling rate of 200-milliwatts, it would seem that the output port of a laptop computer will be more than adequate. Think again.

To test the theory of this statement, have a friend if any provide you with a portable amplifier and signal cable. Plug in a current hungry headphone such as the Sennheiser HD650 or the K501/601/701 by AKG to the headphone jack of the ipod or laptop computer and listen. Then compare it to the sound outputting from the amp connected to the source. There should be difference in sound stage, dynamics, and overall sonic quality (an inexpensive amp I would choose would again be made by the Chinese - The Minibox-F from Head-Direct.com | YUIN). This is only my opinion and suggestion.

Just to reinforce my opinion, the Little Dot MKV is a desktop amplifier that features two dedicated power supplies (one for each channel) that sounds distinctively like the Little Dot MKI (with the Linear Technologies LT1364 op-amp upgrade). Excellent sonic character and sound stage is very much like sitting sixth row center at the Disney Concert Hall listening to many of my favorite pieces. This is only an opinion that is. When I return to the US, I will give my Sennheiser HD800 mated to my Little Dot MKVI amp a thorough burn-in and listen. My initial impression of the HD800 has the virtually the same audio signature as my ear foam dampening cup modified AKG K701. The Soundstage, dynamics, and frequency range are very close together.

So anyway, portable amps does have certain ad/disadvantages, however all in the good name of the audiophile world. Take Care everybody and have a great weekend

 

[triode12]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yklee118 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My initial impression of the HD800 has the virtually the same audio signature as my ear foam dampening cup modified AKG K701. The Soundstage, dynamics, and frequency range are very close together.

Oh boy! I wonder what the trolls will have to say about this.

"The HD800 sounds unnatural, plastic and has no bass...basically ...it sucks."

 

[Suntory_Times]

Quote:

Originally Posted by triode12 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh boy! I wonder what the trolls will have to say about this. "The HD800 sounds unnatural, plastic and has no bass...basically ...it sucks."

I personally don't like the k701's and have heard that the hd800's are similiar to them. Which would likely be bad news for me, but i'll wait to try them before making any judgements.

One trully impressive portable amp is the RSA hornet. Is it worth the price. IMO, yes, but this gets complicated and pointless arguing about such a thing. To me there is a difference in the sound quality, and enough to 'justify' carrying it around on top of ones dap. Sadly I don't currently have a portable system, I however use to run a 4th generation imod to a RSA hornet to various headphones and the sound was outstounding (I haven't come across another portabe system of the same quality).

 

[yklee118]

It would seem that no one has checked out one of the threads that I have created. The problems with the AKG K701 has been virtually ironed out with the mod that i have created or improved per say. Just check out the thread "AKG K701 Friend or Foe modification" or something like that. I can't remember the title of the thread I created because it just popped into my head. The AKG K701 with more than 2000-hours on it and the modification with the stock cable now sounds more like the Sennheiser HD650 except without the heavy bass. Very open and lively after replacing the stock foam ring. Again just check out the thread please.

Hope everybody have a great weekend.

Thanks

 

[zeroibis]

I think portable I think of laptop, just something small and light enough that you can take with you and not half to plug in. I am also glad to hear someone enjoys the LDMKI as much as I do!

 

[Shike]

It's like others have said, it makes your portable rig less portable.

I think of portable amps as really small desktop amps in the long run if they're of substantial quality. Something you could use on vacation in a hotel room for example. It'd be like a 17" laptop . . . too cumbersome to use on the go really, but small enough you can take it somewhere with you.

Cans that can actually benefit from amping aren't really portable in the sense that IEMs or street style phones are, so it makes sense that you wouldn't use a portable amp on your daily walks or travel.

 

[mbd2884]

I'd go with, headphones deemed portable tend not to need an amplifier.

And to me, portable situation is walking around, going work, running, possibly biking. In all these situation the music becomes background music, can't focus too much on the music as there are more important things to focus on.

Why spend tons on a portable amplifier if it makes your rig less portable and if the music is just background noise anyways?

Even with quietest headphone you can still hear the rushing car, conversations, someone else running by and what not.

 

[Shike]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Even with quietest headphone you can still hear the rushing car, conversations, someone else running by and what not.

Well at that point consider IEMs, but those shouldn't need an amp in all reality.

 

[zeroibis]

Need and sound better with are two different things though...

 

[Uncle Erik]

Look at the power output. Desktop amps, typically, give you far more than anything powered by batteries. If you plug a Sennheiser or AKG in, they don't sound anywhere as good as 30 lbs. of iron powering vacuum tubes. Or quality solid state, for that matter.

Further, even if you could amp a HD-650 from a portable, it'd be silly to use it in public. Open headphones, to me, are for quiet use at home. The entire point of those headphones is that they're not supposed to compete with jet engines, a train or typical background noise in public. Moreover, they leak like crazy and will piss off your seatmate.

So, open headphones are inconvenient to use anywhere but home and sound marginal to crappy off battery power.

Why bother? Why spend $500 to prove that you can get marginally good sound somewhere you can't really enjoy it?

If you can really only enjoy fullsized, open headphones at home, you should take that money and put it towards great sound, not marginally OK sound.

If you want isolation and a small package, go with IEMs. They're much easier to take along than a K-701 and are so efficient, you don't need an amp. So buy really good IEMs and run them from your iPod.

For situations when you're in a hotel, Grados out of an iPod sound great. Instead of $500 for a little box that doesn't help, that $500 will buy you a used RS-1, which will rock right from an iPod.

Portables sell because they're marketed towards new users as a "beginner" amp and there's a lot of echoes from people who haven't heard a real amp.

If you want to see some interesting responses, go find the thread in the High End Fprum about the portable setups of those who own megabuck systems. You'll see that a significant portion don't bother with portables.

And don't throw the "you can't afford it" argument at me, either. I'm in the process of dropping about $10k on a speaker rig. If I wanted a "high end" portable, I'd have FedEx drop one off tomorrow morning.

 

[scytheavatar]

I think I have mentioned this before, the limitations of the portable amp design is just too much for it to possibly be competitive to the desktop amps. IMHO most of the huge bucks you pay for the high end portable amps goes towards that shiny, indestructible casing rather than some sort of higher end sound.

 

[zeroibis]

Yes but I also could not enjoy my DT-990 on the beach in Mexico at sunset or sunrise now could I or in the Dominican republic up on top of a mountain looking at the stars (that was a great night).

But yea a desktop amp will always sound better, I am just saying vs source alone.