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Suggestions on headphone amplifiers?

A

Aaron_ATX

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Oct 15, 2003
Messages
1,804
Specifically I need a very small amp I can use for my mp3 player. I finally found some headphones I can wear while riding my motorcycle that dont shred my ears when I wear a helmet....

The only problem is they arent quite loud enough. Anyone know of a portable amp that takes something like an AAA battery?
 
A Cmoy uses a 9V and the entire package fits inside an Altoids can.

If you need something even smaller, there's the Xin SuperMicro
http://www.fixup.net/products/inlineamp/

Most headphones I know that can fit under a helmet without shredding my ears tend to not require a tremendous amount of power to drive to an ear-bleeding volume. You are probably damaging your hearing if you need an amp to let you hear your music. Perhaps you should try some in-ear monitors (but that's a bad idea too, since you can't hear what's going around you when you're biking)
 
It amazes me how people don't read the OP's post and just blindly recommend an amp. He needs something that takes an AAA battery.. not 2x 9V. That's like 3-4 times the volume of an AAA battery. It also amazes me how you can go ahead and recommend an amp that's probably worth at least 10 times the headphones he will be wearing.
 
Welp considering I have this 50$ mp3 player:

Sony Psyc 512meg

and these 40$ sony headphones

MDR-EX51LP

I dont think i'll want to spend 400$ on an amp. But those are spiffy anyway.....

Most headphones I know that can fit under a helmet without shredding my ears tend to not require a tremendous amount of power to drive to an ear-bleeding volume. You are probably damaging your hearing if you need an amp to let you hear your music. Perhaps you should try some in-ear monitors (but that's a bad idea too, since you can't hear what's going around you when you're biking)
Click to expand...

Welp, these just don't cut it, the drivers in them are soooo tiny (but actually provide a bit of bass, I was stunned) that they arent getting the job done. I dont need it a TON louder but it sure would be nice for the highway.

I couldnt find a price for the one you linked. Any help?
 
anything from headroom (headphone.com) or xcans are good too.
but headroom is THE BEST, from low end right up to the 5 figure stuff...
f
 
Svperstar said:
Just so happens someone has made an amp just for riding a motorcycle, the AmpliRider.

http://www.electric-avenues.com/amplirider.html

I think it is pretty cheap, less than $50, but I am not sure. I ordered a Pocket Amp from him and he is a pleasure to deal with and it came in just a couple days.
Click to expand...

sweet to the ness. thank you, perfect, and it's wired to the bikes battery. Perrrrfect-0
 
Aaron_ATX said:
Welp, these just don't cut it, the drivers in them are soooo tiny (but actually provide a bit of bass, I was stunned) that they arent getting the job done. I dont need it a TON louder but it sure would be nice for the highway.

I couldnt find a price for the one you linked. Any help?
Click to expand...

If you have studied physics before (even high school physics), you'll learn that it doesn't take a whole lot of power to move air inside a sealed enclosure. The Sony drivers are plenty big for the job they have to do.

Perhaps you're not getting a proper seal? But then again you say you're getting good bass, which would indicate you're getting a good seal. Perhaps just a weak output from your DAP.

It would seem that Xin stopped making the Supermicro (maybe he's improving it). In any case, that's the only amp I know of that runs on an AAA. So you're out of luck. Maybe try finding a used one on eBay or something?

I've seen a Cmoy in one of those small Eclispe tin cans before, but I'm not sure if it's for sale anywhere. Perhaps ask someone on the DIY forums at www.head-fi.org to make one for you? (Also might be an excellent place to ask this question too, people are there are TRUE headphone freaks and might know of an amp that runs on a AAA besides the Supermicro)

As a last alternative, may I suggest going for an Etymotic ER-6i? The cost of one of these things is about the cost of an amp anyways and these things are known to isolate like crazy and I'm pretty sure they can be driven loud enough to blow your eardrums out.

I don't know about you, but wiring up a portable headphone amp to a bike battery doesn't seem like that good of an idea. AFAIK, most bikes have an alternator and this is not exactly my idea of clean electricity. Momentary spikes for whatever reason would probably blow the amp out.
 
Aaron_ATX said:
sweet to the ness. thank you, perfect, and it's wired to the bikes battery. Perrrrfect-0
Click to expand...

That amp looks mighty perfect for your purposes! Let us know how you like it. ;)
 
fwiw, i'd do a little more research if i was you before i stated that hooking up to a bikes 12 volt supply is a bad idea... but that's just me...
 
I don't know about you, but wiring up a portable headphone amp to a bike battery doesn't seem like that good of an idea. AFAIK, most bikes have an alternator and this is not exactly my idea of clean electricity. Momentary spikes for whatever reason would probably blow the amp out.
Click to expand...


Uhhhh, well, I guess so...if you have a faulty voltage regulator or a short of some sort....but that sort of problem would manifest long before the amp would explode and kill ya at 140mph.....I think :)


Only problem I could see would be noise generated from the bikes electrical system. Man I have that friggin sound.
 
i don't see what the problem would be either, but azn seems to think there would be an issue... :rolleyes:
 
about the only small "amp" I know of that fits his size requirements is a boostaroo....but I have my doubts on it's audio quality.
 
and keep in mind folks, with 40+ db (just a wild guess) of air noise, while riding, I aint really looking for the utmost in clarity. Just loud enough to be able to enjoy it.
 
Actually you came aboard here after I did... so maybe I should welcome you or maybe I could just keep my eyes peeled for your posts and refute the idiocy that comes every time you post a message.
Click to expand...
I agree, that wasnt necessary either - thanks for the back up ccotenj.


AaronATX, you should be ok with the bike amp.

If you dont want to deal with connecting it to your bike's electrical unit, then you can go for something like a cmoy from ebay.
 
I'd highly suggest bypassing getting an amp in this situation if money is this strapped and getting yourself a set of sure e2c's for appr $70 (ttvj price). As these will easily be adequatly powered straight off the source, and they offer superb isolation and pretty nice sound for the price. I mean why have strained, hiss-tastic sound trying to overcome the noises of the bike w/ an amp when you can have pretty decent sound w/ no amp?
 
I agree.. an amp is not really needed here.
Neither was the mini flame war. ;)
 
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