headphone amplifier recommendations, please

In a continuing quest for better sound quality (clarity and range) from compact headphones, I was just reading that headphone amplifiers enhance the quality of music from portable devices like CD and MP3 players.

Anybody have experience and/or knowledge on this topic and is willing to share? Are they worth the money, and are there recommended brands/models (in the "affordable" range--not the professional models that cost in the thousands of dollars /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif)?

For awhile now, I've been eyeing in-ear "speakers" like the Shure e5 or the Etymotic ER4(S or P), and wonder if headphone amplifiers would really add significantly to the sound quality from these models. Any and all comments appreciated. Thanks!

I've been running a HeadRoom Supreme amp for over 10 years with my Senn HD580 IIs. I also have Shure E2Cs. Amps (and cans) have much improved in the last few years (e.g. Senn HD-650, Shure E3C, etc.)

Check two sites for their reviews and discussions:
-- http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/
-- http://headwize2.powerpill.org/ubb/forums.php
Everything and more than you wanted to know /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

But honestly, I much prefer my biamped, 18" subwoofer augmented Magneplanars to cans although I admit they DO have their place.

--Bob

I will be upgrading the headphones and possibly an amp myself. Don't know anything about it but upon looking for reviews in headphone amps, this one caught my eye. Certainly the price is right if available.

http://www.dansdata.com/cmoy.htm

Have to second the headroom amps, they're really nice.

http://headroom.headphone.com/layout.php?topicID=1

Musical Fidelity X-Can V3; $400 retail. It uses a pair of ECC88 tubes. HeadRoom Supreme; $450. Solid state/battery powered. See the April Stereophile for more exotic and expensive amps.

You can build your own cmoy amp for about $50. It's a very simple project.

http://tangentsoft.net/audio/cmoy-tutorial/

Thanks for all the feedback and links, guys. Looks like I have a lot of reading ahead of me. Those cmoy amps look very interesting--perhaps learn something along the way, and just can't beat the price! Saw some cmoys for sale on ebay...they look kind of funky...but it's all about performance.

If you buy a cmoy, please post your impressions, likewise on the headphones. Did you find out or not if you really need an amp for those small in ear headphones?

A dedicated headphone amplifier can indeed make a tremendous difference with quality cans. Recommend those with questions take a look at the two forums I provided URLs to above.

--Bob