Five of the Best Portable Headphone Amplifiers
If you use a pair of portable headphones, or even budget headphones, a decent amplifier is sure to suit you. But if your favorite listening method includes music on the go, it should be for you. This week we take a look at portable headphone amplifiers based on your recommendations.
Earlier this week, we asked you for the best portable headphone amplifiers . You, as always, have a ton of great options, but we only have room for the top 5 based on your nominations. Here they are, in no particular order:
FiiO Mont Blanc E12
The FiiO E12 is a mid-range amplifier that’s still small enough (and battery operated) to be considered portable. You can get a full 12 hours of juice from a pocket booster that’s only about 5 inches by 3 inches in size and just over half an inch thick. It only weighs about five ounces, so whether you keep it in your pocket or with you, it won’t add tons of weight while you listen to it. The E12 has an all-aluminum case to resist drops and shocks, can boost the performance of almost any set of headphones (16 ~ 300 ohms), and has a side USB port for charging from a laptop or phone. , or a tablet, as well as a wall charger when you use it if you like, making it versatile for listening on the go as well as relaxing while working. If you need it, they’ll give you $ 129 back on Amazon .
Those of you assigned the E12 have pointed out that it may not be the absolute best to do what an amp is supposed to do, but it is the best option as it delivers tremendous bang for your buck. It may be average, but the audio quality improvement you’ll get when listening to even with average headphones or a soft sound source is enormous compared to the amount of money you spent, so if you love your phone or your laptop, the audio is average but you love your headphones, or the other way around, the E12 is worth a look and is a great starting point for skeptics who want to try our amp without emptying their bank accounts. Read more in the thread of his nominations here .
FiiO Alpen 2 E17K
FiiO’s Alpen 2 E17K is the latest model of the older Alpen E17 to make our list of the best digital-to-analog converters (DACs) . The E17 itself has reappeared in nominations, but given that the Alpen 2 E17K is the current model (and cheaper than the older E17), we focused on it. The E17K is slightly larger than the E12, at about 6 by 4 inches and half an inch thick. Despite its larger size, it is still only about five ounces and carries some serious weight when it comes to sound quality. It also runs on battery power, holds a large battery and holds about 15 hours of charge, recharges again via a wall outlet, phone, tablet, or any other USB device. This model is designed for more demanding headphones (15 ~ 150 ohms) and can be used as a stand-alone DAC or headphone amplifier, or (with optional equipment) as an external sound card for desktop use. The E17K also supports dual input functions and has a coaxial input, making it versatile as a portable or desktop device. If you want one, it’ll set you back $ 139 on Amazon , which is $ 50 less than the previous $ 189 E17 .
Those of you who nominated the E17 and E17K praised it for being useful for all headphone sets, whether you’re on the go listening to portable banks or headphones, or sitting at home in a quiet environment. This versatility makes it well worth the extra money, and it’s worth knowing that you are getting something that can be used for more than just portable use. Other than that, many of you have noted that it has excellent battery life, can serve as a USB audio source when plugged into a computer for a clean audio source, and its aluminum looks and design are not bad either. You can read more in this nomination thread or here .
Lucid Labs CMOY Headphone Amplifier
If you’ve ever wanted your superior sound to come from Altoids tin, or old ginger candy tin, or peppermint tin, or even plain aluminum tin, Lucid Labs makes quality amplifiers that come in a wide variety of altoids: tin cases, from which you can choose. It’s a little personalization (you can choose from 8 different tinplate options!) That goes into an extremely portable amplifier with superior sound that can drive all kinds of headphones (30-300 ohms). They are battery-powered and pocket-sized and can run for up to 20 hours on a pair of 9V alkaline batteries. In addition, every amplifier they produce is tested before shipping, and they are all custom made. You get standard stereo input and output, but that’s about it – don’t expect too many bells and whistles, but they do sound great. Oh, did we mention that it’s only $ 34 on Amazon ? You can check all case options on Amazon here, or simply pick up one from Lucid Labs directly where all cases are available for the same price.
Those of you who have nominated Lucid Labs amplifiers have commented that the looks themselves are fun and quirky, and the sound quality is incredible for the money you spend on an amplifier. Lucid Labs also describes well on their website why you should consider using an amplifier for your mobile device. Some of you have pointed out that CMOY amps are great because you can always build your own if you want, but for the price of one, you save money on build time as well as parts, which makes it great. pretty chic buy. Read more in the nomination thread here .
Objective2 headphone amplifier
JDS Labs’ Objective2 amplifier appeared a while back alongside ODAC on our list of the best DACs . The new model is still small and doesn’t need to be mapped to ODAC if you don’t. While it definitely pushes the “portability” line with its design, it is still only 4 “by 3” and about an inch in thickness. The handle on the front is a bit tricky to keep in your pocket, but if you keep it in your bag or with you, you won’t have a problem. It also runs on battery power and is rechargeable and can run for six to eight hours with a pair of internal 9V NiMH batteries. It’s also customizable, so you can customize the components and inputs to suit your needs. The standard models, although available in silver and black, have standard stereo or RCA inputs, 3.5mm or 6.3mm stereo outputs, all of which can be customized if you prefer a different input and output configuration. The O2 is made for almost any type of headphone and promises improvements at all levels, regardless of the headphone you’re listening to or the source. If you need one, your best bet is to buy it for $ 129 directly from JDS Labs .
Those of you who have nominated the O2 noted that this is another extremely profitable option, able to compete with full-size amplifiers, but small enough to fit in your pocket for listening on the road or in stationary mode. Its design is clean and minimal, yet sturdy enough to take with you wherever you go, and those of you with your own have noted that this is a premium amp no matter what you plug it into. The fact that you can either buy a default configuration or tell what inputs and outputs your model has is also a huge advantage. Read more in the nomination thread here .
FiiO Fujiyama E6
The FiiO E6 is a tiny (only 1.6 “square and less than half an inch) headphone amplifier that embodies the idea of” portability “. You can stick this suction cup to the back of your phone case, or just leave it in your pocket with your phone and don’t even know it was there – it only weighs about half an ounce. Of course, in this case, its strong point is portability and price, not necessarily power, which even FiiO immediately indicates. It boasts a simple one-in, one-out and volume rocker on one side, a hidden power indicator that changes color when charged or on battery power, and the battery typically lasts about 10 hours on a charge. Somehow even a three-mode equalizer is built into this tiny thing. It even has a detachable clip that you can attach to your bag’s strap or inside a pocket to keep it in place while you listen to it – that’s how small this thing is. It’s designed for a decent headphone range (16 ~ 150 ohms) and will set you back a pretty penny compared to the others in the review – $ 28 on Amazon , perfect for people wondering if an amp could make a difference in life. their headphones in general, and a great starting point if you’re wondering if the sound source you’re listening to (or the headphones you wear) on the go can use an amplifier.
The E6 was nominated for our very own Whitson Gordon, and while everyone knew it was probably not the best amp on the market, you can certainly consider it one of the best for most people – and the best for your wallet. It is so cost effective and the benefits you get from it are more than worth the money you pay for it. Many of you have shared your experience with the E6, pointing out that you have earbuds with earbuds, or that you have had them for years without problems – and while the documentation is not entirely good, it is definitely worth it, just for the money. Read more in the thread of his nominations here .
Now that you’ve seen the top five, it’s time to put them up for a general vote to determine the Lifehacker community favorite:
Honorable mentions
This week’s honorable mention goes to Emmeline, The Shadow by Ray Samuels Audio. It’s a bespoke amp – bespoke, so to speak – so you’ll have to wait your turn to craft it by hand for you and your specific needs, but once you’ve got it, you have something truly personal and handcrafted that you can appreciate whether on the road or sitting at home listening to any sound source you might need to listen to. These things are almost works of art, not just amplifiers, and a simple reading of the description on the homepage will tell the whole story – it takes exactly that much, nothing more, nothing less to create each one, and certainly not enough to be excessive. Some of you have shared your experiences with them, and suffice it to say that we are impressed. It’s expensive at $ 395, so it’s definitely not an entry-level model. Read more in the nomination thread here .
Do you have anything to say about one of the applicants? Want to substantiate your personal favorite even if it wasn’t on the list? Remember, the Top 5 is based on your most popular nominations from the Call for Applicants thread earlier this week . Don’t just complain about the top 5, let us know which option you prefer and justify it in the discussions below.