SE530 + Headamp Pico Combo Impressions

After the path of SE530, the question here is really if I could pursue this any further to enhance the sound of what is being spit out of my portable player. After much looking around, I've decided to experiment and invest in a portable amplifier. Choices choices led me to my first little Headamp Pico unit with the USB connection for it to work as a DAC.

Physically, this little dynamite leaves me pretty impressed. It feels solid without actually being heavy. Polished and definitely has a sturdy feel to it. It comes with a protective case, which is my only gripe with this little unit, that the darn case is a wee bit to tight for sliding the unit in and out. Still a minor aesthetic matter that I can live with. So onward with the test and impression!

The first thing I had to do was to figure out how in the world I needed to connect the darn to my player. I was contemplating to use a mini 3.5" to 3.5" cable to keep things cheap and simple, but ultimately went for an infinitely more expensive option of getting a line-out cable made for my portable (it's an iPhone). That little cable, (Silvercab from Qables) set me back quite a bit. Could've gone for the Pro version of the cable, but to think about shelling substantially extra dough for some gold in the cable just wasn't something that made too much sense. So settled for the pure silver connect instead.

Hooking things up the way it looks logically it was on to the music!

Listening to some of the familiar tunes that I have been listening to regularly through the same amp-less combo, definitely highlighted the difference with/without the amp. Perhaps some would call this soundstaging (if I understand correctly) but here is where this here combo made the difference. The music is now coming out with more "depth". While previously, the SE530 out of the iPhone alone allows me to distinguish instruments and placement of the instruments left, right and centre of my head and ears, this little amp + the LOD out introduced depth. So.. it's not only left or right, but how far left and how far right. With some critical listening, one can tell if the drums are placed behind the guitars or vice versa for example. Bass response is the other part where I noticed the difference. While the SE530 raw out from my iPhone makes the bass sound full and boomed, this little combo here, somewhat reduces the bass boom and moves it into the background somewhat, while still remaining audible. In all honesty, I think this makes the music more realistic. Reverting back to the SE530 raw out, makes me appreciate that the raw out sounds rather artificial. The bass guitars was too out of control and in your face, often dominating the whole tune. I like it with this little amp, letting the bass recede into the background, subtly maintaining the rhythm of things.

The tunes that made a lot of difference (this is just some of them) include:
- Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever (and how the amp disperses the boom of the drums)
- The Who - Eyesight to the Blind (listen to the piano keys being also dispersed more cleanly into the back)

The other bit that I do notice, is the fact that this little combo does very nicely in fleshing out the overall soundstage. Reverting to the raw out again, gives me an impression of the soundstage collapsing, as if the instruments are all now cramped back into a smaller room. This is definitely noticeable when listening out for the echos in the vocals, that somewhat gives you the idea of the acoustics of the recording space. Critically listening for it, the raw out echoes are there, but becomes somewhat blended with the rest of the instruments, and makes it audibly feel like a collapse of soundstage.

In short, another interesting step forward in my little hobby. On another note, it's really beginning to hurt my pockets too.