FiiO E9 Desktop Headphone Amplifier and Dock for E7 USB DAC

Take a look at these:

PreSonus Audiobox ($150) http://www.presonus.com/products/detail.aspx?productid=53

FiiO E9 ($110) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004M172FY

Peachtree Audio iDac ($1000) http://www.amazon.com/Peachtree-Audio-idac-Digital-Converter...

or the Nova for just a bit more and it has a tube and built in amp: http://www.amazon.com/Peachtree-Nova-Integrated-Stereo-Ampli...

The latter is what my cofounder has (pictured in my post in the background on the window sill) and loves. He also had a Decco for a while (before realizing they were underpowered for his speakers): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SljFut8cUnc&feature=chann...

A few more that I'm not too familiar with: http://www.amazon.com/Audiophile-Products-Fubar-Plus-Headpho...

Can't say I've ever had the explodey sound any of my Android phones through the audio jack. I've had it a handful of times with some bluetooth buds, but I'd just as soon chalk it up to their cheapness.

I do have the hissing sound he's described when using my ATH-M50's with my phone, and even my laptop. My solution (albeit more expensive than his DIY one) was to buy a portable DAC/amp, specifically a Fiio E17[0]. It connects via USB/micro/C, and it's worked on every laptop and Android phone I've had since the Samsung GSII. It also used to be able to dock with a separate desktop amp[1], until my dock broke. There are plenty of other portable, Android-compatible DAC's that are not too expensive. It's a bit of a bummer to feel like you need to pay for yet-another-piece-of-gear just so you can enjoy your audiophile headphones with your audiphile-quality music on the go, but sometimes that's the price of fidelity.

[0]https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Alpen-Portable-Headphone-Amplifi... [1]https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Desktop-Headphone-Amplifier-Dock...