guys, i am interested in small, light and affordable headphone amplifier. the other day i tested hippo box, ordnance .22 and this amp. i am using ordinary IEM and obviously the ordnance is overkill. so im looking for alternatives. been looking into fiio e3 and e6. these are my thoughts regarding them:

e3
- smaller
- no need for EQ
- no need for volume button
- no need to press on/off

e6
- lithium battery
- better sound quality
- future-proof, in case i upgraded to better IEM

at first i wanted to get the e3 but i have worries about the aaa battery. now probably the question would be is it better for me to get the e3 (and possibly eneloop batteries) or jump to e6 straight? at the moment i am using Philips SHS8000 IEM (i know, but i really like the sound) connected to LG E900 and i have no plan to upgrade. i dont really care about the price, but i would like to have something convenient. based on my research the e3 has no buttons, which is perfect for me. but if swapping batteries are too often, i might as well get the e6 which uses lithium battery.

thanks in advance

cmoybb, interesting diy stuff. probably if im free i would love to get my hands on the DIY kit... but again, i think it's a little big for me. i finally ordered the e3 on ebay since it's only around 10USD. if it's acceptable i will get the eneloop, otherwise i would order the e6.

poorman fiio E3 AA-battery mod.

I like the fiio E3, despite it's curvy frequency response. it works well with some less-lively IEMs. However, the AAA battery doesn't last very long and I happen to have plenty of rechargeable AA battery. So I bought an 2-slot AA-battery holder with switch, and put the E3 gut into it. Now it is a little bulky and heavier, but it now has on/off switch so I can no longer need to unplug the earphone whenever im done listening.