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JDS Labs cMoyBB v2.03 headphone amp review
Jason Tsay
At this point, you’re probably wondering why we’re reviewing an Altoids tin. Well, this tin is pretty special - it contains a portable headphone amplifeir rather than mints. In fact, the cMoyBB is actually one of the more popular portable amps in the audiophile community. The company will even customize their product to fit the headphones you use. How well does it work?
Features
- Alps RK097 Volume Control and On/Off Switch
- Bass Boost Toggle Switch
- DC Auxiliary Power Jack
- Automatic On/Off
- Texas Instruments OPA2227 Opamp in Gold-Plated DIP Socket
- Texas Instruments TLE2426 Precision Virtual Ground (2x optional)
- Decoupling Capacitors on All IC Supply Pins
- Custom 2-Layer PCB: Compact Layout with Ground Plane
Our Impressions
Our cMoyBB came in a nice plastic wrapper with some specs printed on it. We received some basic manuals as well as an AC adapter which the folks at JDS Labs were kind enough to send us (I believe you have to purchase your own for about $10).
The cMoyBB itself is fairly novel in terms of appearance. A rather large aluminum volume knob/power switch protrudes from the side of the Altoids tin (the tin is brand new, in case you were wondering). Adjacent to the knob are two 3.5mm headphone jacks - one for input and the other for output. Moving along to the next face, you’ll find a blue LED indicator and AC adapter port. At that point, we couldn’t stand it any longer and popped the hood. Inside we found a simple PCB (printed circuit board) and a heavy duty 9V battery. The most distinguishing feature on the board was the bass boost toggle. JDS Labs claims that this can increase just about 2 times the amount of bass perceived. Everything inside is securely mounted and neatly assembled. If you’re wondering if the AC adapter will charge the included battery, the answer is no. When you plug in the power adapter, the battery is automatically disconnected (this way, the battery will not explode or start leaking).
The main pair of headphones we used was the Ultimate Ears 700’s. These headphones, despite being one of the best pairs we’ve tested, have always been slightly lacking in the bass department. So we went ahead and plugged in the headphones and our iPod Touch, turning the volume knob to power on the amp. As a power saving feature, the cMoyBB turns off automatically when you unplug your headphones/source. JDS Labs recommends turning up your input source to a somewhat high volume and using the volume knob to control things. Be careful not to turn the volume knob too much though! This amp can generate some dangerously high volumes. Audio quality was greatly improved. The sound was much richer and felt more detailed. Bass, of course, was increased when we flicked the switch. You’ll probably notice the most change when you pair with the cMoyBB with a pair of high impedance headphones though. (Our input sources were a 4th generation iPod Touch and 6th generation iPod Classic).
The folks over at JDS Labs are all about customization and DIY - with a simple request, you can have the cMoyBB tailored to fit your needs be it the type of headphones you use or the color of the case. And guess what? It won’t cost you a penny. Better yet, they sell all the parts required to build your own cMoyBB, allowing you to explore and understand how each part works.
So then the question comes up - how practical is it to have a portable headphone amp? The answer to that would be, quite practical. While not everyone will be willing to carry around something like the cMoyBB everywhere he goes, having the ability to use it untethered is unthinkably useful. The 9V battery powers it for a considerable amount of time and can easily be swapped out. When the audio quality improvement is factored in, the practicality is not even a question.
Overall
The cMoyBB is a wonderful little portable headphone amplifier. While it may not come in the fanciest packaging or look particularly impressive, it is hand assembled by people who actually know how the amp works, and let me tell you - the cMoyBB works darn well!
Pro’s
- Greatly improves audio quality
- Minimal and snazzy enclosure
- Highly portable
Con’s
- Battery is not rechargeable (UPDATE: JDS Labs has just notified us that the charging boards are available here.)
Where to buy
MSRP: $59.99
This review was done by Jason Tsay, who was provided the cMoyBB by JDS Labs.
