RANT WARNING. I'm just gonna type as I go along, expect minimal structure. I don't know what's the point of this post, so maybe don't read unless you're as bored as I am. Yes, I bought a new headphone amp; no, it probably wasn't the most efficient use of $280. In any audio rig the most important components are the source and the speakers - I've known this for the longest time, and i'll justify my purchase later. The most cost-effective way to get a better sound is to upgrade these two and skip the stuff in between. I've been through 4 different interconnects (why aren't they just called cables??) ranging from a $60 DIY Mogami to a $150 ALO cryo silver, and they all sound practically identical. Yes, copper is slightly warmer and dynamic, silver is more balanced and analytical, but these differences - already minute even at higher volumes - practically vanish when you're on the bus/train. If you're talking about differences between different types of copper, silver and crystal, they're even more negligible. As long as you aren't using some cheapo oem cables thinner than clothes hangers, you'll be fine. Paying 3digit sums for an IC is, well, lame. Hello, it's a few inches of metal, its spsd to be cheap!
Amps suffer a similar problem, and I suspect most ppl purchase based on the mojo factor as well. To put it simply, portable amps suck. The basic designs are identical, the variations are circuit implementation and design, and component quality. I've never heard the Lisa or a Pico, but I've heard the RSA amps many times, including the feted SR71. So too the Corda Move and of course my recently acquired iBasso D3. They all suck. The price in relation to sound, compared to dedicated desktop or home units, is pretty abysmal. It's an unfair comparison, but a universal truth in terms of absolute SQ. And once again, whatever improvements in bass extension and definition, airiness, imaging, and whatever fancy superlatives you can throw in - and there are improvements, certainly - get obscured by background noise.
ICs, amps, caps (external capacitors! can you imagine it, it's like carrying a freaking bomb around! And after all the effort Apple puts into shrinking their players down..) - none of them will truly give you a instant "wow" effect on the go, which is what they were intended for. You'll hear more improvement changing eartips to get better isolation. Granted, I don't have golden ears..but I do think I'm more experienced than the majority. And yes I see the folly of investing too much in the head-fi hobby. I've nvr liked the term audiophile, it somehow depicts one who is more in love with the sound than with the music. Well, listening to Westlife on a pair of Stax electrostatic cans isn't gonna make me suddenly like them..at the same time, I still enjoy my music even through the terribad Kenwood system in my parent's car.
The main reason I bought the D3 is cos good portable sources are kinda non-existent. Apple's pre-amp, even on their latest iPod range, falls short. Cowon, Zune, Creative, Sanza etc are too ugly, expensive, or difficult to use, and most of them don't have a true line-out, one of Apple's trump cards. So unfortunately, short of getting an iMod, the only way to improve my source is to get an amp. The .22 was alright but honestly not much better than the iPod by itself. In the event I get a larger headphone, I'll also need an amp to drive it so i'll just take it as an investment for the future. A good portable DAC is also sth I've been eyeing for a long time, since using headphones on computers without one just kills your ears. The Go-vibe was decent, but once again the D3 is alot cleaner and clearer.
I recently tried the legendary-before-it-was-made Westone 3, and the soon-to-be-legendary Sennheiser IE8. Both are ~$600, and sound better than any IEM i've tried, regardless of amping. The best universals - one balanced armatures, the other dynamic driver - cheaper than most amps. I was sorely tempted to get either (or both o.o) but I still enjoy my atrio alot so I'll resist the upgraditis. In any case, they won't sound 2x better than the atrio even at over 2x the price - diminishing returns is a painful reality, so is financial responsibility. Anw, I've made a couple of resolutions regarding audio equipment for the coming year(s): 1. No more upgrading of amp/DAC/IC. 2. Save for the W3/IE8 and forever be satisfied, covet not after customs. 3. Save for a very good pair of headphones and forever leave head-fi. 4. Never, ever, wander into home hi-fi territory until I have over $50k in savings. 5. Stop looking at new guitars. Thx for reading, sorry about your eyes. I like this font type and size!

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