What are amps(FiiO) for? Still dun get it.

[Newbiekid]

Just want to find out before buying.

What are amps for? Additional bass? Better sound quality?

Also, i read that, amps are for Mp3/ phones which can bring out the full potential of the earphones/headsets?


I am currently using a Sony Walkman E455 with the original earpieces as i am still saving and hunting for a good one. ( Maybe a sony XBA....)

If i need an amp, which is better in terms of sound. FiiO E6 or E11

Thanks!

 

[blackhawk1928]

Amplifiers?....

Amplifiers amplify...! Every audio system needs an amplifier. Its not for additional bass or sound quality....its required to produce ANY sound.

 

[musical marv]

Just want to find out before buying.

What are amps for? Additional bass? Better sound quality?

Also, i read that, amps are for Mp3/ phones which can bring out the full potential of the earphones/headsets?


I am currently using a Sony Walkman E455 with the original earpieces as i am still saving and hunting for a good one. ( Maybe a sony XBA....)

If i need an amp, which is better in terms of sound. FiiO E6 or E11

Thanks!

Google it to learn more about what you need to buy.

 

[ssddx]

exactly as blackhawk stated. without an amp of some sort the sound would be barely audible on even very low resistance headphones, if at all.

the problem with integrated amps in mp3 players is that all amplifiers introduce noise into the stream (albiet sometimes not much at all). if you have an integrated amp and an external amp you could possibly start to hear a little noise which otherwise you wouldnt.

most people like to hook up a portable amp to a non-amped port if they can. i know on ipods they have a way to use the bottom port.

--

for most people it is not worth buying an amp.

unless you buy a good pair of headphones you aren't going to notice much. i'm not talking about $50 ones, but more like $130+ which by the way DO sound much better even without an amp. if you were low on budget i'd get a pair of phones instead of buying an amp. Audiotechnica ath-m50 run about $130 online if you pick them up cheap and are very highly recommended across the internet. they have a fairly low resistance so even an mp3 player can power them. i use them with my ipod every day at work.

if you do want an amp since it can improve your listening experience with good headphones, you might want to make sure you have a decent source. look to see what people recommend for low-noise.

--

in general you need to do a little research if you want to get one. if you don't you might find out that things do not sound how you wanted them to.

 

[blackhawk1928]

^ssdx, let me just mention that the headphone amplifiers in most MP3's players I've heard, including ipods (I have an iPhone 4) absolutely suck. I bought a special external amplifier that connects via Line-In on my iPhone and then connect my headphones. Let me just say that my headphones are a $15 pair of JVC's and I can hear a worlds of a difference. On the regular connector for my iPhone, it lacks any power. It sounds noisy, distorted, and can make NO bass whatsoever, even if I use my EQ app. The portable amp makes it sound far better, and its very small too.

 

[ssddx]

@blackhawk

i've personally heard audio from a sony walkman mp3, ipod nano 1st gen, ipod nano 2nd gen, ipod classic, direct output from laptop, direct output from my home receiver (amp), cell phone, and from various cd players and other audio devices.

the headphones i have used ranged from $10 gummy in-ears, $15 jvc in-ears, $20 sony in ears, $50 ipod in-ears, $20 generic over-ears, $200 bose over-ears, and my $150 audiotechnica over-ear studio phones.

from my experience i can tell you that a good set of headphones, or even just a different model of equal value headphones can make a world of difference in terms of what you hear. i will agree that the amp in mp3 players is on the weak side, but in most cases is more than enough to get the sound you want. a portable amp can help but in some cases can introduce more background noise than its worth.

in general the isolating in-ear headphones can generate more bass than ipod style phones and non-enclosing over-ear designs. as far as sound quality goes, it does vary by model. i like the ipod phones myself but since i replaced the headphones often because of gunk-up and wear-out i was using cheapies and replacing them every two months.

currently i'm using the very model i suggested, the audio technica studio phones, with my ipod classic almost every single day at work. there is no loss of bass or quality whether i'm plugged in to my mp3 or laptop. the headphones DO sound better when i'm plugged into my receiver but that is to be expected. the quality increase isnt enough to make me want to buy a portable amp as its just not worth it.

i keep the EQ fairly level with just a very slight kick up for bass and its at a comfortable level. the bass has more than enough kick for stuff like dubstep, hip-hop and rock while staying clear enough to not muddle lyrics and high tones.

the biggest step to take is to get a good pair of headphones. sure, any headphones would sound better with an amp provided the background noise doesnt increase too much. however, the amount you gain compared to the money you spend just doesnt compare with what you can get through buying a great pair of headphones.

---

as for your iphone audio quality:

perhaps i summed it up with what i said above. yes you would see an increase with an amp, but a better pair of headphones might have given you an even larger increase.

 

[blackhawk1928]

Interesting. From what you said that the In-Ear headphones and enclosing headphones producing better bass, its that's more then likely due to a sealed environment and better pressure levels on your eardrums. My $15 JVC cheapy sounds absolutely phenomenal with my home receiver (the one thats for my computer), it even sounds pretty good on an iPad, but an iPhone along with most other phones I tested, the bass is completely gone, and whatever bass there is, is incredibly distorted. High frequencies are also somewhat distorted.

When I get the iPhone 5 very soon, I'm hoping it will sound better.

i keep the EQ fairly level with just a very slight kick up for bass and its at a comfortable level. the bass has more than enough kick for stuff like dubstep, hip-hop and rock while staying clear enough to not muddle lyrics and high tones.

Dubstep is a speaker-killer. I've blown 3 subs from dubstep. In hip-pop the bass notes come every 2-3seconds at a punch, while dubstep has continuous varying streams of low frequency bass notes that wear your cones out very quick. Just saying. Also, for dubstep you need huge amounts of bass, if its lacking or distorted, it ruins the entire song.

 

[ssddx]

sound isolation and a sealed environment can make even crappy headphones sound better. in general though i would say that quality matters more. i suppose it all comes down to a matter of opinion, as sound is a personal thing.

i've never had a problem with blowing speakers out.....ever. then again i do not run the speakers at insanely high levels. i'll get at least 5 years out of my headphones (or more).

yeah, low bass ruins such songs. i get plenty from my phone/ipod though on my headphones so its all good.

 

[crystalballxu]

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