headphone amp for ipods? any ideas?

what is out there at the moment that is good ?

 

For iPods, you want to use the Line Out Jack at the bottom for connection, rather than the headphone jack, when connecting your iPod to a headphone amp. I used the recently discontinued FiiO E5 headphone amp connected via a FiiO L3 Line out dock cable to connect my old iPods via the dock connector to the FiiO headphone amp. It was small and tidy, neatly strapped to back of iPod and a reasonably inexpensive setup, but battery life was short. Newer models are bigger and have better battery life.
Nowadays, I think the preferred model is the FiiO E11, still connected via a FiiO L3 dock cable (might you need an additional lightning cable adaptor?)

Now, mind you, this is how to do it cheaply. My entire setup cost about $35, I just couldn't justify a higher expenditure for that iPod. If you go for a higher end headphone amp, I still recommend using the Line Out Dock connector via the FiiO L3 Line Out dock cable which only exists in 30 pin, if you have lightning, you would need a lightning to 30pin adaptor. (There is also a FiiO L9 "Right Angle" Line out Dock cable )

 

How good is good for you? What sort of headphones or IEMs are you planning to listen to?
What is good depends on the headphones you intend to use and what your level of good is.

 

ok if i was going to get FiiO E6 headphone amp what do I need to for it to work on an Ipod Classic 160 gb?

 

If you were to use the FiiO E6 for your iPod, you would want to connect it via the iPods Dock Connector.

You use a FiiO Line Out Dock Cable to connect from the iPod Connector to the Fiio E6 Portable Headphone Amp's Line In Connector. Then you connect your headphones to the FiiO E6's headphone jack...

There is a FiiO L9 Line Out Dock Cable that has an L shape (right angle connector).
(I used the straight L3 one, because I was unaware of the L9 when I purchase mine years ago)


(this picture is nearly actual size of units)

Now, I chose this type of setup, because I wanted an "ultra-portable" setup to carry my iPod 80GB in my pocket during my morning commute in a Van Pool, years ago, and the van driver always picked Talk Radio and 'Morning Zoo' type Radio to Play, which I disliked, so this allowed me to tune out my fellow Van passengers. Then I would keep this setup at my desk during work hours, recharging and using at my desk…

I read a review at head-fi org that mentioned the FiiO E6 was a slight downgrade from my E5 (the discontinued one I have), that it was made with cheaper materials, so remember that this is an entry level headphone amplifier.

The next headphone amp upgrade is the Fiio E11, that costs twice what the E6 costs.(E6=$USA$29, E11=USA$59)

These headphone Amps have an internal rechargeable battery, my E5 charged lasted over 3 hours , which was perfect for my commute to and fro, and lunch break listening. It recharges via USB cable, and you can listen whilst it is charging, if you kept it at your desk, for extended hours listening.

If you like the idea of headphone amps, most modern higher quality headphone amps start at $99, so that is why I initially chose the FiiO's to learn with, and these inexpensive ones were a great way to learn.

Since then, I have learned to build my own headphone amplifier ...

 

I consider the Fiio E6 to be more of a volume booster than an amp. The distinction I make is that an amp is to improve the audio quality you get from the headphones while a volume booster is just to boost the volume.

I have a Fiio E12. I got it because I was curious about it and it was one of the Fiio amps that I hadn't been able to hear at head-fi meets. So I bought it to find out what it was like. I consider its performance sub-par for my use. The sound quality isn't as good as it ought to be. I do use it with my iPod Classic because while the E12 isn't all that great it still manages to sound better than the headphone jack from the iPod. If I had known what the sound quality of the E12 was I wouldn't have bothered getting it.

Fiio just released a new version of the E12 called the E12A "IEM Special Edition".
http://www.fiio.net/en/products/33
Looks interesting. Wish it was around before I bought the E12 cause I would have picked it instead. Better specs than the E12. I'm curious. I'd like to try it to find out what it is like.

What amp is suitable also depends on the type of headphones you plan to use with it. Amps aren't a one size fits all sort of thing.

There's also other amps and other options like amp/DAC combos. For example, Oppo has a portable amp/DAC combo in the works. Info about it in this head-fi thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/737787/opp...and-ha-2-portable-headphone-amplifier-at-rmaf
Looks interesting. The DAC section can connect to Apple gear (iPods, iPhones). So it can act as a better DAC for an iPod as well as a better amp. It's also able to act as just an amp. I wonder if the amp section in the Oppo HA-2 will sound better than the Fiio E12A?

 

How about an E11?

I started with one of those driving Etymotic ER-4Ps coming from an iPod Classic 5.5. The E11 could drive those Etymotics way better than the iPod. That fact alone made it sound much better. I wasn't a big fan of the rubber bands (OK, fancy rubber bands with "FIIO" embossed on them) to hold it all together, but it worked an the E11 isn't very large or heavy. It also has a user-replaceable battery.

A brand new Fiio E11 can be had on Amazon right now for $60.

 

Yes, I mentioned the E11 in both my posts above, and think the USA price is quite reasonable.
The discontinued E5 was best cheapest unit when I got mine, and my E5 would still probably still pair very well with an iPod NANO.

The OP is in Australia, and when I visited AUS/NZ about 8 years ago, I noticed that import electronics prices for the Australasia markets are noticeably higher, often twice the USA discount prices I was accustomed to.

Maybe I read too much between the lines, and figured the OP wanted to try out his first headphone amp ever, and this was the cheapest way to experiment.

Personally, I would recommend an iPod classic user upgrade his music library to lossless ALAC or WAV or AIFF only, and upgrade his headphones first.

Then read head-fi org for reviews on headphone amps

 

iPods (like the Touch and iPhone 5 and later) that lack a line level analog output will require a much more expensive solution.

EDIT: Sure, the Lightning to 30 pin adapter provides line out, but because the adapter contains a very, very, very tiny (and not very good sounding IMHO) DAC.

 

I consider the E11 to be an amp. It's more than just a volume booster. It does improve the headphone sound compared to the headphone jack in a typical portable mp3 player.

 

yes this is my entry into Headphone amps so i am just getting into it ! thanks for the help!

 

ok if I got the E11 what else do I need with it to play an ipod classic?

 

Just a 30-pin Line Out Dock cable. Sometimes abbreviated as LOD.
For example the Fiio L9 cable: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005N6ZAT2/
Or the Fiio L11 dock: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EKON56/

The L11 version requires a short mini-to-mini cable. The Fiio amps come with that sort of short cable as part of the accessories. The advantage for the L11 style is that it also has a USB port that can be used to charge the iPod while it is docked. Handy if you're going to use it in the car. Disadvantage is that it is bigger and sticks out farther than the L9 style which may make it less convenient for portable use.

There are other LOD cables and LOD dock connectors as well. Google for iPod LOD or line out and you'll find more.

There's a review of the new E11K version of the amp on head-fi: http://www.head-fi.org/products/fiio-e11k/reviews/12005

Mp4nation also sells Fiio gear. I don't know if they're better for shopping for Australia or not: http://www.mp4nation.net/headphones-earphones/fiio-audio-products?p=1