gongkia2000 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 Hey guys, im new here, just got a UM1 and custom earmould imprints from Jaben, superbbbb service Well though the audio quality pretty much thrashes my previous earphones, I am still looking at improving it with an amp. My budget is around $100, what is the most popular amongst sgheadphones members? Thanks GK2K Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scanfiend 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 Hi there gongkia2000 Were you the young gentleman I saw yesterday? Depending on your source (Ipod 5gen?), the UM1 can be easily driven without an amp. Some people cannot tell the difference between amped and un-amped, so your mileage may vary. So you might want to audition some to see if it makes a difference to your ears before plonking down the cash Having said that, some folks in headfi.org said that the UM1 really benefits from amping For less than $100, you can give the Crossroads HP1 a try. It's a great little amp for driving low-impedance 'phones and has great battery life. Jaben carries them, but I think they're out of stock. They run about $85. Wilson mentioned that updated Crossroads will be coming, so you might want to wait a bit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scanfiend 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 hey, I thought the HPI was the name of the Cardas interconnect cables? Pretty sure the HP1 was the moniker for the Crossroads....heard the HP2 will be coming. But I forget Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RLN 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 How about the unknown korean made amp from Jaben? I think they sound pretty good too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scanfiend 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 How about the unknown korean made amp from Jaben? I think they sound pretty good too. ermmm....that "unknown korean amp" is actually the Crossroads Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theory_87 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 i'm wondering how HP2 will sound... HP1 is pretty good... i like it pretty much... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ballack 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 Sorry for interrupting. Does this Crossroads amp work for the Grado headphones as well? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gongkia2000 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 Hi there gongkia2000 Were you the young gentleman I saw yesterday? Depending on your source (Ipod 5gen?), the UM1 can be easily driven without an amp. Some people cannot tell the difference between amped and un-amped, so your mileage may vary. So you might want to audition some to see if it makes a difference to your ears before plonking down the cash Having said that, some folks in headfi.org said that the UM1 really benefits from amping For less than $100, you can give the Crossroads HP1 a try. It's a great little amp for driving low-impedance 'phones and has great battery life. Jaben carries them, but I think they're out of stock. They run about $85. Wilson mentioned that updated Crossroads will be coming, so you might want to wait a bit Yes I guess I was the young kid you saw thanks a lot for the advice, will head down to jaben to audition it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gongkia2000 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 ' date='6 Sep 2006, 11:33 AM' post='77339'] scanfiend, you sure it's HP1? or was it an I? Yeah. go and give all the portable amps a try.. seems like the Audiophile's corner @ VRZ doesn't give u too much options to ask around eh? I would recommend that you stretch your budget abit and give the GoVibe V5 a try. Maybe they'll clear up the treble abit, anyone who has tried it? I know scanfiend uses the GoVibe with his UM2s.. sound signature maybe around there too! Cheers! Enjoy your stay @ SgHeadphones! The audiophiles in vr are still budding audiophiles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gongkia2000 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 Sorry for interrupting. Does this Crossroads amp work for the Grado headphones as well? i am sure it does work for all headphones with a 3.5mm jack, even so you can use a mini jack converter Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ballack 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2006 Hmm... Good point. I'll go down and check it out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Proton 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2006 I might have the Crossroads amp to let go, once I get my hands on the LDM+. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theory_87 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2006 I might have the Crossroads amp to let go, once I get my hands on the LDM+. think it better you do a direct comparision. i use this 2 amp according to my mood... LDM+ is brighter while crossroad is warmer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Proton 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2006 I did a comparison today, and yes, LDM+ is brighter but gives more details. I don't think that I will require 2 amps at the moment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theory_87 0 Report post Posted September 10, 2006 well... i agree with you... LDM+ have more details. well, good that you made your choice Share this post Link to post Share on other sites