My Boostaroo Revolution arrived a few days ago in the mail and i figured i would share my experience with the world.
I have been dealing with beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro's (80 ohm) For a while now and i havent been able to get anywhere near the volume i wanted from them because i was sourcing from an iPod or PC sound card, So i finally decided to try a cheaper headphone amp and see if i liked it, I looked at custom made ones, and maybe i should have tried that route, But here is what i thought.
Upon opening the package a little slip came out telling me (basically) that the battery compartment was extremely hard to open and they knew this, and gave all sorts of funny instructions to get it open the first time and then said something like "it will open easier after a few times opening it" Which made me think, Why didnt they have a line of people opening them a few times, which made me laugh as it was partially ridiculous...back to the review, I finally got the compartment open and popped in the batteries.
This was of course i had already taken a second to realize it took AAAA Batteries, Which was one more A than i was used to, But all the same i popped them in and plugged in the boostaroo to my iPod and..... nothing... not a sound... not a light... nothing.. I wiggled the source cable and nothing... then i wiggled the headphone cable and Voila, a single channel.... then BOTH channels in full blasting stereo.
I found that the channels were easily knocked out by slight movements of the cord, and am currently in contact with boostaroo for a replacement, All the same it seemed when the cord was aligned correctly the performance was good enough for me to think the unit functions but only intermittenly, so i will continue on with the review, igoring this problem from this point on.
The audio is ALWAYS processed through and onboard 3d sound processor so self proclaimed "true" audiophiles wont like the fact that the sound isnt 100% true to the recording, But the amp definitely impressed me, i heard many details i hadnt before, i could definitely notice the 3d sound effect but it wasnt overbearing and is definitely bearable for a portable solution to needing louder headphones (60-300ohm headphones).
I will update the review with boostaroos response and how they handle the exchange and let you know if there are any improvements with the new unit.
All in all so far if the unit werent defective i would give it a 7/10 as a functional product, The 3d sound kind of works against the audiophile crowd, The AAAA batteries are a bit difficult to find, although their website cites walgreens etc as having them available, The battery cover is a bit strange, and the lack of an integrated ANYTHING (no power button, no volume knob or wheel, it turns on when you plug it in and off when you unplug it, a bit annoying)
For high impedience headphones on the go for 31$ keeping this thing in your pocket is worth it if you love being completely immersed in your music on the go, rechargable AAAA batteries might be a good idea though.
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