Brainwavz AP001

Portable headphone amplifier.



Specs.
Suitable for headphone impedance: 16-150 Ohm
Frequency response: 10Hz – 100KHz
Battery: 120 mAh, 12h playtime
Dimensions: 38x38x12mm
Weight: 15g
Price: $29.50

Hardware and accessories.
The AP001 is a quirky looking thing, it's made of plastic and is very lightweight yet feels sturdy. The design is very clean, there are no buttons on the AP001, just one line in and two headphone out, so you can share your music with a friend, and a micro USB connector for charging. There is also a light that indicates power on and charging.
To turn the AP001 on you plug in a headphone, and to turn it off you unplug the headphone, the volume is controlled by the source. The AP001 comes with a micro USB cable for charging and a 3,5mm cable to connect to the source.



Sound quality.
The AP001 has a built in bass boost, which gives a nice low end boost to thin sounding headphones, but it may also overdo it for already bassy headphones, and as it cannot be adjusted or switched off it may not suit all headphones and/or all users. Personally I love the low end boost when used with my ATH CK10 IEMs.
I have used the AP001 with various headphones and sources, and it gives a more powerful sound with better separation as well as a wider soundstage.
One thing that deserves a special mention is the total silence in between tracks, the AP001 has a totally black background, no hiss at all, very impressive. All in all the AP001 is a very capable amplifier that baffles with its sound quality, just be aware of the non switchable bass boost.



To sum up.
The good: great sounding little amp with a nice bass boost, size and weight, clean design.
The bad: no controls (but then the design wouldn't be as clean).

Verdict: less than $30 buys you a very nice sounding amp with a two way splitter, what's not to like? Highly recommended.

Digizoid ZO

Personal subwoofer.



Specs.
Dimensions: 70x38x9mm
Weight: 27g
Battery: 12h
RRP: $119

Hardware and accessories.
The ZO is made of plastic and feels very sturdy and incredibly lightweight. It comes with a USB cable for charging and a couple of 3,5mm cables to connect it to the source. On one end of the ZO you have the inline and headphone out, on one side there is a mini USB socket for charging and on the other side is the on/off combined effect rocker-wheel, and on the front face of the ZO you have the effect indicator, or lightscale, which goes from green to red depending on the amount of processing applied.
The battery lasts around 12 hours on a charge, and can be fully charged in two hours or 80% “quick charged” in an hour.



Sound quality.
The ZO uses a new and patent-pending technology called, SmartVektor. What this technology does is it expands the dynamic range in the low and high ends of the spectrum (although the most audible difference is in the low frequency), sort of like a loudness switch, only much more refined and balanced and above all it is variable in 32 steps.
Without going in to too much tech talk, SmartVektor is the best sounding audio processor/enhancement I have heard to date.

To use the ZO, simply connect it to your player with the provided cable, set the volume on the source and adjust the level of processing with the rocker wheel. The ZO can be used in bypass mode as well, turned off but still connected, and even then it gives the low end a boost.

To really put the ZO through its paces I have tried it with various headphones and sources, I even hooked it up to the surround sound system in my Volvo C70 to see (hear) what it can do.
The ZO gives an “authority” to the sound that I have not experienced before, the low end becomes much more present without getting muddy or in any way sounding unnatural. When I tried the ZO with my more anaemic sounding earphones it gave them new life and really beefed up the sound, and with the more bass heavy earphones it tightened up the low end and gave it more punch.

Earphones are not the only use for the ZO though, as already mentioned I connected it to the surround system of my C70. Volvo sound systems are generally seen as very good, especially if they are the Dynaudio ones. To say I was impressed by the sound would be somewhat of an understatement, the ZO really makes the music come alive with sheer dynamic power that is brilliant in every aspect. I can now have all my favourite hooning music on my mp3 player and still enjoy music as good as from a CD.

As this is a pre production model, there are some minor annoyances, such as a slight hiss with certain sensitive earphones and a quite loud click/pop sound when turning it on or off.
These small niggles will be ironed out in the final products.



To sum up.
The good: class leading sound (bass) enhancement, versatile in use (connect to surround sound, car stereo, etc), build quality, size and weight.
The bad: slight background hiss with sensitive earphones, click/pop sound when turning on and off. (Pre production sample)



Verdict: The ZO is very versatile and it delivers excellent sound, what more can one ask? Highly recommended.

Fiio E5

Portable headphone amplifier.

Specs.
Output power: 150mW 16Ohm loaded
16mW 300Ohm loaded
Signal to noise: >95dB
Frequency response: 10Hz – 100KHz
Dimensions: 44x38x12mm
Weight: 30g
Price: $19.50

Hardware and accessories.
The Fiio E5 is made of metal and plastic, lightweight yet very sturdy. It comes with a USB cable for charging and two 3,5mm cables (15 and 80cm) to connect to the source. On the top of the E5 you have the bass boost slide, power button and indicator light, volume rocker and headphone out, on the base of it you out have the mini USB and input socket. There is also a metal clip on the back, to clip it to your clothing or the source player. The battery lasts around 20 hours on a charge.

Sound quality.
Why use a portable headphone amplifier with your player? To give a beefier and overall enhanced sound and to drive headphones with a higher load.
To use the Fiio E5, simply connect it to your player with the provided cable. I have used the E5 with various headphones and sources over a few weeks now, and it does give a more fullbodied sound with better separation as well as a wider soundstage. The bass boost gives a nice mid-bass (around 100-150Hz) boost to thin sounding headphones. There are some hissing noises, but these can be eliminated by lowering the volume from the E5 and raising it a little from the source. To really get the most out of the E5 it should be used from a line out and be feeding some 150Ohm headphones, but that’s another story. All in all the E5 is a very capable amplifier that baffles with its sound quality.

To sum up.
The good: the overall sound and the boost it gives, price, everything needed is included.
The bad: adds extra bulk to portability, but nothing really sticks out as too bad.

Verdict: for under $20 the E5 is definitely worth a try, if you need a boost to your portable rig. Highly recommended.

GoVibe Single

Portable headphone amplifier.



Specs.
Dimensions: 53x20x20mm
Weight: 13g (without battery)
AAA size external battery
Price: $129

Hardware and accessories.
The Govibe Single is made of plastic and is very light. It comes with a 3,5mm cable to connect to the source, and a strap/lanyard. On one end of the Govibe Single there is the line in, and on the other end line out, on one side there is the on/off switch and a volume control and finally there is the battery cover. A very clean design and easy to use lay out. The battery used is a standard AAA.

Sound quality.
Connect the Govibe Single to your player with the provided cable, set the volume and there will be sound. During the week I have used various headphones and sources with the Govibe Single, to really test its abilities. It adds a warmth to the sound that almost makes it sound analogue, which is pleasant. There is a slight background hiss, but nothing too worrying. The Govibe Single does not really offer any amplification of the volume, at least not that I could hear, but as said, it gives a warm analogue sound.

To sum up.
The good: small and light, adds analogue warmth to the sound, separate on/off switch and volume.
The bad: it doesn’t really boost the volume.

Verdict: at $129 I can’t really recommend the Govibe Single as such, even if it has its qualities in adding more warmth to the sound. Have a look at the following Hippo Box instead.

Hippo Box

Portable headphone amplifier.



Specs.
Dimensions: 57x42x12mm
Weight: 53g
Built in battery
Price: $109

Hardware and accessories.
The Hippo Box is made of metal, very sturdy but still lightweight, with classy and clean looks in the shape of a car amp. It comes with a USB cable for charging and a 3,5mm cable to connect it to the source. On one end of the Hippo Box you have the bass boost and gain boost, mini USB socket for charging with an indicator light, on the other end you have line in, power on light and line out. The battery lasts around 15 hours on a charge.


Sound quality.
To use the Hippo Box, simply connect it to your player with the provided cable, then set the volume on the source, as there is no volume control on the Box. To test the Hippo Box I have tried it with various headphones and sources for a week. The overall sound is more fullbodied with a better low end and a wider soundstage. The bass boost gives just that, a nice boost to the low end, and the gain (volume boost) gives a really nice sound character as well as it adds volume. The Hippo Box also cures bass rolloff issues that some sources have. There are some hissing noises, but only on higher volumes and not much even then. All in all the Hippo Box is a very capable portable amplifier that has much to offer, a very good first attempt by Hippo!

To sum up.
The good: the overall sound, solid metal casing.
The bad: no on/off switch or volume control.

Verdict: The Hippo Box is definitely worth a try if you need a portable amp to your rig. Recommended.

SoundMagic A10

Portable headphone amplifier.



Specs.
Dimensions: 50x70x10mm
Weight: 45g
Built in battery
Price: $59.99

Hardware and accessories.
The A10 is made of what appears to be rubber coated metal. On top of the A10 you have the line in and line out, on the corner you have the volume control, and on the side you have the bass boost and mini USB socket for charging, on the faceplate there is an indicator light for charging etc. There is no on/off switch, to turn the A10 on you have to connect to the line out, and to turn it off, disconnect from the line out. The battery lasts around 10 hours on a charge. The A10 comes with a USB cable, a 3.5mm cable, a 3.5mm splitter cable, a ipod dock connector and a pouch. Very nice accessory kit.



Sound quality.
As with all the amps I have tested, I tried the A10 with various headphones and sources. To use the A10, simply connect it to your player with the provided cable.
What the A10 offers is a more fullbodied sound with a better low end and a bigger soundstage. The bass boost, which is stated as 4dB at 50Hz, adds a nice warmth without making it sound boomy or muddy. The A10 does not really add more volume to the original sound, but it adds detail and more effortless attack to the sound as well as bettering the soundstaging. The A10 also cures bass rolloff issues that some sources may/do have.



To sum up.
The good: the overall sound, generous accessory pack, size and design.
The bad: no on/off switch.

Verdict: The A10 is a solid amp at a very competitive price. SoundMAGIC has succeeded in their first amp attempt. Recommended.