Suitable portable amp/DAC for ESW10?

[cyberfrog 0]

I was at Jaben to audition the Novo with my ESW10. Suffice to say I was quite disappointed. I wasnt expecting anything great, but it was almost as if the amp did nothing other than become a volume controller for my ipod!

 

At this point, i'm not sure what to comment on, coz it could be a simple case of synergy, or that the ESW10 is already a very efficient set of cans, or the Jaben Novo isnt runned in (which i doubt).

 

And since i was already there, i tried other amps...the Crossroad Edge, RSA Predator, Blackbird and finally the Beyerdyn A1. I must admit that the Edge actually smoothed out the vocals and was pretty nice, considering the price. The Pred and Blackbird were pretty disappointing too. The only star was A1. I wouldnt mind having that amp, but at that price point, it BETTER be good!

 

At this point, i'm opened to any sugggestions for a good amp (preferably portable) for my ESW10...

[jojo_b2 0]

As Promised,

 

Actually those amps you tried at Jaben aren't burned in yet. The Predator as some stated takes nearly a 1000 hours. My Black Bird gave me a good impression after 400 hours. You can always ask the person at the table if the units were burned in.

 

I am using both the amps stated above on my ESW10 I just love teh RSA house sound the aggresiveness and the controlled bass on both the BB and Pred. The BB gives more Soundstage and a FEEL of air on the closed ESW10. =)

 

The Novo you tested is also NOT burned in. The last time I tried my ESW10 on a 3 month old and very used novo the ESW10 had a very sweet Mid on it w/ the right amount of bass to keep you going.

 

Actually the ESW10 ran great with several portables I have auditioned with the ESW10. Please note I'm rellying on sonic memory but a very good one as I only have the Pred and BB at the moment. Listening to the ESW10 paired to a BB from an IMOD.

P-51 (Nice Mids and very smooth), iQube (good details and the amp tames the bass on the ESW10 pretty well), Diablo (Bass heaven), Voyager on contour (is exceptional clear on the ESW10) but I didn't like the coutour off though, Pico (VERY sweet mids) but I personally don't really like the Pico's sound signature

 

Can't remember some other portables. But the ESW10 also does well with desk amps like my Yamamoto. The Little Country 3, Earmax standard. My least favorite was the Cross road edge. lol!

 

Btw, what genre are you listening to? Do you have a price point in mind?

 

Some very long threads on the ESW10 on another forum.

http://tinyurl.com/df299e

[cyberfrog 0]

Thx for the detailed writeup!

 

I was indeed puzzled by what i heard. I could tink of several explanations : amps not runned in, my ears not sensitive enough, cable quality, efficiency of ESW10... My wife who's also an enthusiast, came to the same conclusion w/o any influence on my part during the testing.

 

However, i find it hard to believe tat from brand-new to runned-in, the sound is going to improve SO significantly; we're talking about electronic components here, not a mechanical device. Whilst I can still accept that SQ will improve a little, i simply fell off my chair when i plug my ESW10 into the Novo and heard no discernible improvement to SQ.

 

Nevertheless, i'm willing to give those amps another chance, provided i can somehow hear a "runned-in" set.

 

I listen mostly to jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Eddie Higgins, Larry Carlton...you get the drift) and vocals (CaiQin, Emi Fujita etc). No classical and hard-rock.

 

I travel a lot, hence my reqmt for a portable amp. Source will be from the notebook, playing back lossless files and CDs. At this point, i'm tinking perhaps portable amp is not my answer, since their performance will invariably be limited by size and pwr reqmt.

 

I do not have a particular budget at this time, coz i do not want to limit my search by budget. I'd rather hear what's "out there" and decide if my ears deserve what i'm paying.

 

 

As Promised,

 

Actually those amps you tried at Jaben aren't burned in yet. The Predator as some stated takes nearly a 1000 hours. My Black Bird gave me a good impression after 400 hours. You can always ask the person at the table if the units were burned in.

 

I am using both the amps stated above on my ESW10 I just love teh RSA house sound the aggresiveness and the controlled bass on both the BB and Pred. The BB gives more Soundstage and a FEEL of air on the closed ESW10. =)

 

The Novo you tested is also NOT burned in. The last time I tried my ESW10 on a 3 month old and very used novo the ESW10 had a very sweet Mid on it w/ the right amount of bass to keep you going.

 

Actually the ESW10 ran great with several portables I have auditioned with the ESW10. Please note I'm rellying on sonic memory but a very good one as I only have the Pred and BB at the moment. Listening to the ESW10 paired to a BB from an IMOD.

P-51 (Nice Mids and very smooth), iQube (good details and the amp tames the bass on the ESW10 pretty well), Diablo (Bass heaven), Voyager on contour (is exceptional clear on the ESW10) but I didn't like the coutour off though, Pico (VERY sweet mids) but I personally don't really like the Pico's sound signature

 

Can't remember some other portables. But the ESW10 also does well with desk amps like my Yamamoto. The Little Country 3, Earmax standard. My least favorite was the Cross road edge. lol!

 

Btw, what genre are you listening to? Do you have a price point in mind?

 

Some very long threads on the ESW10 on another forum.

http://tinyurl.com/df299e

 

[jojo_b2 0]

Thx for the detailed writeup!

 

I was indeed puzzled by what i heard. I could tink of several explanations : amps not runned in, my ears not sensitive enough, cable quality, efficiency of ESW10... My wife who's also an enthusiast, came to the same conclusion w/o any influence on my part during the testing.

 

However, i find it hard to believe tat from brand-new to runned-in, the sound is going to improve SO significantly; we're talking about electronic components here, not a mechanical device. Whilst I can still accept that SQ will improve a little, i simply fell off my chair when i plug my ESW10 into the Novo and heard no discernible improvement to SQ.

 

Nevertheless, i'm willing to give those amps another chance, provided i can somehow hear a "runned-in" set.

 

I listen mostly to jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Eddie Higgins, Larry Carlton...you get the drift) and vocals (CaiQin, Emi Fujita etc). No classical and hard-rock.

 

I travel a lot, hence my reqmt for a portable amp. Source will be from the notebook, playing back lossless files and CDs. At this point, i'm tinking perhaps portable amp is not my answer, since their performance will invariably be limited by size and pwr reqmt.

 

I do not have a particular budget at this time, coz i do not want to limit my search by budget. I'd rather hear what's "out there" and decide if my ears deserve what i'm paying.

 

Actually there a LOT of threads with the discussion on how burn in changes an AMPs sound. But in my experience it does. I had 3-4 portables already and 2-3 Desktops too. Each time the burn in is a killer of a wait that you have to do to get the most of your rig. lol!

 

In any case, based on your genre. Try the iQube and the Pico. The Pico will also be very good if you use it as a DAC on your laptop. The iQube is available at Stereo and the Pico pops up once in a while at Jaben. Not sure if they still have a demo now. But I believe some one is selling one 2nd hand. lol!

 

Do note that these are based on my experiences and what I can see from my friends that are using or have used the amps above. =)

 

RSA are usually agressive to some people so might not be your cup of tea. But what I like in RSA is the bit of warmth and control on lower end of the sonic range. Not to mention RSAs have a BLACK silence due to its construction which actually gives you the feeling that there is more details. If you go RSA try an burned in SR71a the pairing with the ESW10 is very good for me.

 

I have a wide listening genre. I love some Jazz such as Lee Ritenour, Al Jareau and Incognito. But most of my playlist are really Rock, Alternative, R&B, Pop and a bit of Trance and Club. I believe we are at different ends.

 

I promised myself I won't go mentioning batteries but for the SR71A the type of batteries also changes the SQ for me. lol!

Edited April 1, 2009 by jojo_b2

[ito 0]

i love how the voyager from GS synergized with the ESW9 and 10...very nice...be it for movie,gaming or listening to songs....

[uberburger101 0]

I heartily recommend the Pico for your genres. Smooth sound, excellent midrange and balanced sound overall. It does need burn in so YMMV.

 

I'm going to be boring and recommend the iQube too. It will never surprise you on first listen, but if it clicks you won't find anything else like it. I personally use the iQube+ESW10 combo very often and I listen to a lot of vocals and a tad of jazz.

 

Both are fantastic amps and I don't think you would go wrong with either. Frankly I would pick the Pico if you're looking to use it with a laptop/computer as well because the DAC section is really good.

[Guest dragonboy]

ESW10 + Iqube !

[HerbalTurtle 0]

HAHA, ya, iQube is great, but you need to be able to afford. People say IBasso is a good shot for a budget yet decent amp, but never tried. Interested?

[slwiser 0]

TTVJ Portable Millet Hybrid does the trick best for me as a portable amp for the ESW10JPN.

[cyberfrog 0]

I audtioned the D10 and the iQube (& the Earmax, which isnt really a portable) just 2 days ago.

 

D10 initially sounded quite dynamic and punchy. However, eventually discovered vocals dun come out right...sounded grainy and rather harsh.

 

iQube i must admit is pretty good. Good all round in fact. Am pleasantly surprised coz it's a Class D amp...which is well-known to be bright. The designer must have tweaked it somewhat.

 

I listened to the Earmax (normal ed), and was pretty wowed by the tube sound. Not only do vocals sound ultra smooth and warm, instrumentals also came out "right". Overall quite impressed with this little guy.

 

Incidentally, i borrowed my bro's Hornet for some serious listening again. All it does is to add a little weight and depth to the bass and low-mids. Again nothing to shout about.

 

After testing so many portable examples, my gut feel is...the answer to my problem cannot be solved by portable amps. The cheaper ones dun make the cut...while the more expensive ones only sounded like nothing more than playing around with the equaliser. This is with reference to the ESW10 and my ears of course, not a general sweeping statement.

 

The search continues...

 

 

HAHA, ya, iQube is great, but you need to be able to afford. People say IBasso is a good shot for a budget yet decent amp, but never tried. Interested?

 

 

I would love to try a Pico...but it aint available in the shops...nor do i know anyone with one.

 

It would be a leap of faith into the darkness if i went ahead to buy the one someone is currently selling.

 

I can subscribe to the DAC being good, since half the battle is won by using a top-notch Wolfsen DAC...however, what the amp stage can do for the ESW10...tats still to be heard.

 

I heartily recommend the Pico for your genres. Smooth sound, excellent midrange and balanced sound overall. It does need burn in so YMMV.

 

I'm going to be boring and recommend the iQube too. It will never surprise you on first listen, but if it clicks you won't find anything else like it. I personally use the iQube+ESW10 combo very often and I listen to a lot of vocals and a tad of jazz.

 

Both are fantastic amps and I don't think you would go wrong with either. Frankly I would pick the Pico if you're looking to use it with a laptop/computer as well because the DAC section is really good.

 

[uberburger101 0]

Jaben should have the Pico for testing.

[osocan 0]

I audtioned the D10 and the iQube (& the Earmax, which isnt really a portable) just 2 days ago.

 

D10 initially sounded quite dynamic and punchy. However, eventually discovered vocals dun come out right...sounded grainy and rather harsh.

 

iQube i must admit is pretty good. Good all round in fact. Am pleasantly surprised coz it's a Class D amp...which is well-known to be bright. The designer must have tweaked it somewhat.

 

I listened to the Earmax (normal ed), and was pretty wowed by the tube sound. Not only do vocals sound ultra smooth and warm, instrumentals also came out "right". Overall quite impressed with this little guy.

 

Incidentally, i borrowed my bro's Hornet for some serious listening again. All it does is to add a little weight and depth to the bass and low-mids. Again nothing to shout about.

 

After testing so many portable examples, my gut feel is...the answer to my problem cannot be solved by portable amps. The cheaper ones dun make the cut...while the more expensive ones only sounded like nothing more than playing around with the equaliser. This is with reference to the ESW10 and my ears of course, not a general sweeping statement.

 

The search continues...

I would love to try a Pico...but it aint available in the shops...nor do i know anyone with one.

 

It would be a leap of faith into the darkness if i went ahead to buy the one someone is currently selling.

 

I can subscribe to the DAC being good, since half the battle is won by using a top-notch Wolfsen DAC...however, what the amp stage can do for the ESW10...tats still to be heard.

 

Actually, is there anything that you found lacking with the ESW10?

[cyberfrog 0]

 

funny you shd ask this question, coz i asked myself exactly that many times over the past few weeks.

 

Firstly, I must admit that on its own, the ESW10 is quite a fantastic sounding pair of cans already.

 

Like most audio products, if you do not compare and contrast, they are fine on their own. Unfortunately, i have a desktop integrated amp that I use to drive my ESW10 when i'm at home...and sadly, i've been unable to reproduce the sound quality on any of the portables i've tested. I'm looking for that extra oomph to drive it to its full potential (which i know it has becoz of my home rig).

 

 

 

Actually, is there anything that you found lacking with the ESW10?

 

[osocan 0]

 

funny you shd ask this question, coz i asked myself exactly that many times over the past few weeks.

 

Firstly, I must admit that on its own, the ESW10 is quite a fantastic sounding pair of cans already.

 

Like most audio products, if you do not compare and contrast, they are fine on their own. Unfortunately, i have a desktop integrated amp that I use to drive my ESW10 when i'm at home...and sadly, i've been unable to reproduce the sound quality on any of the portables i've tested. I'm looking for that extra oomph to drive it to its full potential (which i know it has becoz of my home rig).

 

Going by the figures thrown around in head-fi and here, amp/headphone price ratio seems to be in the region of 3 in order to bring out the full potential of the headphones...ie amp should be 3 times more expensive than the headphone

 

Good Luck to you in your Quest

Edited April 6, 2009 by osocan

[Andy Kumar 0]

there is an excellent review at head-fi

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f105/updated...rce-xm5-306883/

 

the ibasso D10 is rated pretty high.