SoundMAGIC A10 Portable Headphone Amplifier (Black)

I bought this after reading numerous reviews about the fiio amps. I was considering the difference between the E6 (looks cheap) and the E11 (kinda too big). Was it worth it for the E11 or maybe the E-7? All the while I just wanted something that would fit in between, the Sound Magic A10 does this. I found an overly technical review of this amp praising it's sound quality but condemning it for the slightest little bump in the middle its performance curve. I looked at the graph and thought, you cant hear that! It was perfect for my needs. I've been into home theater for a long time and know home audio very well (Rotel and B&W if your curious) but I also consider the dollars to benefit ratio. This Little amp is well worth its price. It feels good in the hand, quality fit and finish (This is what bother me most with the fiio). It doesn't scratch up your ipod finish and it sounds so good!I have a couple pairs of Shure in-ear buds, a set of Grado SR80's as well as Sennheiser ear buds and a pair of Hd280 cans. I started my examination with my 11 yr old daughter and her apple earbuds and asked if she noticed a difference. she immediately tried to steal it. I tried the grado's, direct in the ipod and then thru the amp. Amazing! This isnt just a slight difference with fancy "SteroPhile" words, it's night and day. Like going from a flat boring alarm clock radio sound to real spacious separation and layers of instruments comparable to the actual CD playing thru my home system. Wow? Listen to Dave Matthews perform Eh-hee and you'll see what the crazy people mean about voices in your head. Your Music will sound alive again. I went from using my classic ipod as a 700 cd music box for my truck to having it and my Grado's nearby looking for an opportunity to listen to this fine little amp.This amp also exposes weaknesses of improperly balanced buds. My sennheiser earbuds which I use when cutting the lawn on my tractor used to sound good with the volume up all the way. Now they just have too much bass (and I'm only at about 1/3 on the volume dial). I prefer the Senn's over the Shures because they're easier to put in your ear but the Sound Magic makes them near muddy. I dont use the Xbass switch, its unnecessary to me but thats obviously my opinion it does boost the bass, I just havent found a need for it.Back to the amp, It measures 2 3/4" x 2" x 1/2" thk. It holds a charge well. The first day I got it though, I left everything plugged in and the battery was dead the next day. I wish it had a switch in the volume wheel to turn it off. In it well outlasts my ipod touch. I typically put it on the charger so I know where it is. I've read that some people are concerned with the vol wheel, thinking that it may go up by accident in your pocket. I dont see that. There is a nice resistance in the wheel to avoid this. The line out connector is the only real issue for me. If you rubber band the amp to your ipod as I do, you can put the wire in a kink that stresses the connector which in my case dropped a channel. I'm trying to be more careful with it but I'm concerned with its lifespan.In closing I'll say that I do recommend this amp. I never did get a chance to compare it to the Fiio but from what I'm hearing I dont think I need to. If your looking for an amp to add some dynamics to your ipod and dont like the look of the fiio's get this, you'll be very happy.

good sound quality, cheap!!!Is better than Fiio but with cheaper price. You wont disapointed. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

This device has no practical use. Hearing with or without it is the same thing. I attached this to a Sansa Clip: uncomfortable & useless. No improvement at all. I payed atention to the other two reviews, unlucky me. Better to save your money for another thing. Regards.

This is a great amp to have, however has a few things one has to consider before buying it:-The volume knob isn't well placed and thus means sometimes you can accidentally bump up the volume-The sound signature you'll get will be warm. I quite liked the warm signature I got from the amp, but I know some might dislike that.Other than those two points, excellent amp to get.