Portable Headphone amp recommendation

[jcebedo11]

Im looking at getting the Topping Nx1s. Any other recommendations? Dac is nice but not necessary. Qudelix 5k is not available in my country. I will be powering a Denon ah d2000 which has a 25 ohm impedance.

 

[Bob-23]

Im looking at getting the Topping Nx1s. Any other recommendations? Dac is nice but not necessary. Qudelix 5k is not available in my country. I will be powering a Denon ah d2000 which has a 25 ohm impedance.

The Objective 2 (O2) is a robust, solid beast, all in metal, and, contrary to today's widespread throw-away stuff, easily repairable (it's hand-soldered with through-hole components, the socketed opamps are easily replacable).

Some 'moderner' amps may measure better, but that doesn't mean they sound better. Good technology doesn't age.

If you're in Europe, it's offered here in Germany by 'head'n'hifi', in the US by JDS Labs.

Diy'ers can get high quality boards (5,80 Euro!) there, or complete kits. On NwAvGuy's site you find all the measurements, and further valuable information.

http://www.headnhifi.com/objective2
http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/o2-design-process.html
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-history/silicon-revolution/nwavguy-the-audio-genius-who-vanished

 

[Vict0r]

I come from the head-fi scene and have been an avid headphone enthusiast for years. After trying many headphone amplifiers, I settled on the Objective2 for desktop use and a Headstage Arrow for portable use. The Objective2 is too bulky and cumbersome to drag around with me. The Arrow is sleek, sounds great and has some cool little features the O2, which is basically just a "wire-with-gain", doesn't have.

 

[Bob-23]

"wire-with-gain" - that's what it should be like...

 

[Tortie]

I come from the head-fi scene and have been an avid headphone enthusiast for years. After trying many headphone amplifiers, I settled on the Objective2 for desktop use and a Headstage Arrow for portable use. The Objective2 is too bulky and cumbersome to drag around with me. The Arrow is sleek, sounds great and has some cool little features the O2, which is basically just a "wire-with-gain", doesn't have.

Does " Headstage" even exist as company? That particular amp came out in 2010 according to my Google kung fu.

 

[Vict0r]

Does " Headstage" even exist as company? That particular amp came out in 2010 according to my Google kung fu.

His most "recent" amp, the Arrow 6TX, was released in 2018. The company website is down, so I think he called it quits. I see second hand Arrows pop up for sale on Head-fi every now and then, though. It's still a fantastic product.

 

[Tortie]

His most "recent" amp, the Arrow 6TX, was released in 2018. The company website is down, so I think he called it quits. I see second hand Arrows pop up for sale on Head-fi every now and then, though. It's still a fantastic product.

The trouble with used portables is the batteries. If they're 2+ years old then the battery will likely have seen a 30% drop in capacity and have problems maintaining stable voltage during discharge. So unless the battery is easy to replace, and many times it's not, it's best to avoid used portable audio products.

The larger companies that make these products are well of this issue and intentionally try to make the task of battery replacement arduous for the end user. It's a form of planned obsolescene.

 

[ZolaIII]

Im looking at getting the Topping Nx1s. Any other recommendations? Dac is nice but not necessary. Qudelix 5k is not available in my country. I will be powering a Denon ah d2000 which has a 25 ohm impedance.

You don't need amp for those. Got Nx1s, couldn't resist as I got it for 10€. While it can serve the purpose of getting anemic phone output to proper line out or to drive 60~70 Ohm's can's it's not really good one, has some bass hump (distortion). If you insist on getting an hedaphone portable flask alike Amp that can drive even 300 Ohm cans take a look at NX3S instead. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...attery-operated-portable-headphone-amps.6312/
Or dongle alike DAC/Amp such as TempoTec Sonata HD Pro. Again you really don't need Amp for those headaphones even with anemic phone out.

 

[Vict0r]

The trouble with used portables is the batteries. If they're 2+ years old then the battery will likely have seen a 30% drop in capacity and have problems maintaining stable voltage during discharge. So unless the battery is easy to replace, and many times it's not, it's best to avoid used portable audio products.

The larger companies that make these products are well of this issue and intentionally try to make the task of battery replacement arduous for the end user. It's a form of planned obsolescene.

The Arrow is designed for the battery to be easily replaceable. One of the more commonly used batteries to replace the Arrow's stock battery is the one meant for the iPod Photo 4G, but similarly specced/sized work as well.

 

[Tortie]

The Arrow is designed for the battery to be easily replaceable. One of the more commonly used batteries to replace the Arrow's stock battery is the one meant for the iPod Photo 4G, but similarly specced/sized work as well.

Hey that's cool.

 

[Tortie]

I checked eBay for listings for any Headstage Arrow amps and came up empty. Even screened for closed listings and still nothing. So the Arrow amps have not only been out of production for over 2 years but there's no healthy secondary market for them either.

So @Vict0r I don't think your recommendation in the context of the OP's question has much value for those of us looking for a protable amp.

 

[ZolaIII]

The Arrow is designed for the battery to be easily replaceable. One of the more commonly used batteries to replace the Arrow's stock battery is the one meant for the iPod Photo 4G, but similarly specced/sized work as well.

I have one (DAC/AMP) that switches to external power source when the battery is full to preserve it, as it's flask alike design battery is also easy to replace. What's unique for it is that it can also slowly charge the phone battery (Android only) and can use regular phone USB cable (all limited to use with HiBy Music and costum USB driver and requires enabled USB debugging). Sonata iDSD, iDSD Plus which is harder to disassembly but still menagable has same futures and balanced out. Regarding performance even they are good they are nothing to write home about this day's.

 

[oldmate]

I'm currently using the Topping NX4DSD as both a portable and desktop solution. Listening to it now as a desktop DAC/AMP and it is amazing. Such extraordinary value for the money.

 

[faheem]

Ifi Xcan, fiio btr3k, fiio btr5,

 

[Tortie]

Ifi Xcan, fiio btr3k, fiio btr5,

Heck no to all three suggestions