Well to add my two cents I have had my PA2V2 for a couple of weeks and have used it through the line outs on an Onkyo C390 cd changer and on my Sony discman, with Grado SR325i's. For $60 US, I think it is a great deal and Gary is a fantastic person to deal with. My question, though, is shouldn't an increase in volume be the ultimate expectation for an amp? How exactly would an amp make the original source sound "better?" By this I mean, how would it know what parts of the original source are "not good" versus "good" and therefore it makes the "not good" sound better but leaves the "good" part alone? If the original source is flawed such as defects in the frequency response, flabby bass, harsh treble, etc., then it would seem like a good amp would simply amplify these things. If it changes these characteristics then it is guilty of distorting the source. Now I can see using certain amp/headphone/source combos because the amp alters the sound to make it more likable to the listener, but when you pair it with another set of headphones or source it could then make the sound unpleasant. I realize that's why people keep experimenting but to me, then we are saying the real purpose of an amp should NOT be a "straight wire with gain" but should instead be to pleasantly color the sound of the original source.
By the way, when I first used the PA2V2 there was a lot of static on the volume knob but it went away after turning it up and down a few times. Now there is no static at all.
