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Thread: best value portable earphone amps and earphones

  1. #1
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default best value portable earphone amps and earphones

    Any ideas on these from users?
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  2. #2
    Join Date: Oct 2014

    Location: Polmont, Scotland

    Posts: 67
    I'm Alistair.

    Default

    Hi Grant,
    It's not particularly cheap https://www.amazon.co.uk/OPPO-na-Opp.../dp/B00U1PQVWU but my son got one of these from his work.
    He works for CEX so got it for about £170 with his discount and he swears by it.
    He uses it when he is out and about with his Fiio X3 and says the quality is very very good.

    Again it's not cheap so might not be what you're looking for but it does the job handsomely.

    Cheers,
    Alistair

  3. #3
    Join Date: Jun 2015

    Location: London/Durham

    Posts: 6,867
    I'm Lawrence.

    Default best value portable dac/headphone amps

    On the amp front I had a fiio e12a and quite frankly it was rubbish. I preferred the sound of my iPod with all my IEMs including my hard to drive Sony quad armatures. It was rated as a good fiio, I get the impression that some reviewers of portable equipment dont set the bar as high as us "audiophiles". Now a nice cmoy amp with a 9v battery that's different, I love mine. I started with a JDS labs bass boost in an Altoids tin but then came across Zigis who sold a variable bass boost with a knob which I find much better. You can also overdrive it at home with a PSU I think mines 24v. Keep 2 9v batteries charged and you can switch over when out and about if one runs out. SQ is good enough to match an entry level desktop amp.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Join Date: Mar 2012

    Location: London and Somerset

    Posts: 2,097
    I'm Dave.

    Default

    PM sent Grant
    Kraken, Saturn, Emotion, Flying V Rocket, Planets.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Jul 2013

    Location: Sheffield

    Posts: 198
    I'm Des.

    Default

    I had a Chord Mojo (only sold as I stopped commuting) and thought it was a step above anything else in the same category. Drove IEMs and big AKGs equally well. Didn't sound too bad in my main setup either, at least the equal of the Rega Apollo I had at the same time.
    Rega RP8/RB3000/AT OC9XML, Clones Audio PA1, DDDac1794/Pi4, Rega Elicit-r, Bastanis Wildhorn speakers.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    Thanks all. I will start checking these out
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  7. #7
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Coventry

    Posts: 3,039
    I'm Will.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by struth View Post
    Any ideas on these from users?
    Hi Grant, do you want it to be truly portable, i.e. in your pocket, and on the move?

    I use an iFi nanoDSD, which is compatible with Android/iOS/Windows via USB (OTG for android), has it's own on board battery, and can be set to power itself, or power/charge from the host device (usually a laptop/PC).

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Headphone-A...words=ifi+nano

    I'm very happy with it, works very well with my Sennheiser Momentum IIs

    That said you wouldn't want to carry it in your pocket... It's more to use at a destination, than on the journey, although I do use it on planes and trains...

    Another advantage is that it has stereo RCAs out, in addition to the HP socket
    Last edited by WAD62; 22-11-2016 at 15:47.
    Cheers, Will

  8. #8
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by WAD62 View Post
    Hi Grant, do you want it to be truly portable, i.e. in your pocket, and on the move?

    I use an iFi nanoDSD, which is compatible with Android/iOS/Windows via USB (OTG for android), has it's own on board battery, and can be set to power itself, or power/charge from the host device (usually a laptop/PC).

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Headphone-A...words=ifi+nano

    I'm very happy with it, works very well with my Sennheiser Momentum IIs

    That said you wouldn't want to carry it in your pocket... It's more to use at a destination, than on the journey, although I do use it on planes and trains...

    Another advantage is that it has stereo RCAs out, in addition to the HP socket
    yes, pocket size but if it can be utilized on desktop or main system if needed its a bonus. Just found my sony buds. sound pretty decent with the phone streaming Amazon actually. got a set of sony bluetooth ones too that were state of the art in the day(quite a while ago admittedly). got them on charge at moment. Either dac/ amp or maybe just amp may be enough. Its for my enforced bed times lol. Actually thinking of keeping amazon system for a few months, while I trial all the others, but its the cheapest and has no ads etc, plus it has all the music I ever bought from them which is quite a few tracks... about 4000 I think.

    The nano and the oppo look very nice, but out of budget i think at moment. Have another option via a trial of of an amp from Dave(Jollyfix) which I may well try now ive found the buds. Had a decent set of sony over ear ones too but they seem to have varnished
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  9. #9
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Coventry

    Posts: 3,039
    I'm Will.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by struth View Post
    yes, pocket size but if it can be utilized on desktop or main system if needed its a bonus. Just found my sony buds. sound pretty decent with the phone streaming Amazon actually. got a set of sony bluetooth ones too that were state of the art in the day(quite a while ago admittedly). got them on charge at moment. Either dac/ amp or maybe just amp may be enough. Its for my enforced bed times lol. Actually thinking of keeping amazon system for a few months, while I trial all the others, but its the cheapest and has no ads etc, plus it has all the music I ever bought from them which is quite a few tracks... about 4000 I think.

    The nano and the oppo look very nice, but out of budget i think at moment. Have another option via a trial of of an amp from Dave(Jollyfix) which I may well try now ive found the buds. Had a decent set of sony over ear ones too but they seem to have varnished
    ...at the other end of the scale, amp only, the little FiiO ones are pretty good...

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Portab...ywords=fiio+e6

    ...I have its predecessor the E6
    Cheers, Will

  10. #10
    Join Date: May 2012

    Location: Toulouse, France

    Posts: 6,562
    I'm Kevin.

    Default

    A Graham Slee Bitzie - https://www.amazon.co.uk/GSP-Audio-B.../dp/B00SU4ND8Y

    If you join the forum, and post there you can get 10% off.
    Kevin

    Too busy enjoying the music....

    European loan coordinator for Graham Slee HiFi system components..

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