Hey everyone,

Ok, so I have an SR-71 which I am happy with for the most part, but currently both my DAP's are good only from the headphone out (Rio Karma/iAudio X5); this leads to a problem I'm experiencing with piano passages and clipping. It happens too often for my liking and unfortunately, Ray Samuels hasn't been able to help other than to suggest that I drop the volume out down to 25% of full volume (at that output I have a hard time driving Grados with the amp) or to get a better source So instead, I've decided that maybe I need to get a new amp.

Can someone suggest something helpful to me? Is Ray right(only solution is a better DAP)? Is there a better sounding amp out there that is more or less as portable as the SR-71? Are there other options for me otherwise?

i dunno about your DAPs, but try to walk into an apple store and hook up your rig. i can crank my ipod to 100% (no eq of course, eq is the devil, especially on an ipod) and my Headamp AE-1 delivers clean signal up past earbleed levels.

So take your hornet, plug it into an ipod, preferrably through a demo ipod radio remote if they have it instead of the headphone out, and see if the hornet breaks up on you.

The Headroom MicroAmp with Desktop module is a bit larger than the SR-71, but will drive anything I can throw at it. IMO it's also a better sounding amp. The new Headroom modules may make it even better. Battery charge life is pretty short (6-8 hours) with the Desktop module, but you can opt for the Micro module that increases battery charge life at a small cost in sound quality.

definitely check out the size before tho - the microamp can't fit into my rig bag, but the SR71 can. it's a matter of inches!