For almost $40, not a bad deal at all! The bass boost feature is absolutely awesome. I’m a little disappointed there is no volume control, but I guess there’s only so much room in an Altoids box.
In a mini box where about 75 small, white, edible disks once
sat, there is now headphone amp circuitry.
It’s cool, it’s creative… it’s a headphone amp encased in an Altoids
box. It has a few things missing, but
makes up for it with two great features and quality components, relative to
other Cmoys.
There is no volume control on the unit. That’s determined by your sound source’s
output (iPod, portable turntable, etc).
The maker’s explanation for a fixed gain is pretty practical: no
potentiometer means less circuitry the signal has to pass through. That’s combined with an ergonomic reason:
when you access your sound source, your hands are already there and it should
have a volume control… and how many do you really need? So instead of a volume control on the amp,
there is a gain control. This gives a
good, even boost to your headphones.
That’s more important when dealing with high-impedance headphones in the
range of 150+ Ohms, but I’ve had it engaged all day, just for fun.
When the gain is not engaged, there is a small grounding
problem. I have the unit hooked up to
the audio output of my PowerBook, and there is a hum in the AKG K701 headphones
I’m using. As soon as the unit is placed
on my computer’s titanium shell and cuddled with my hand, the hum goes
away. It also goes away when the gain
switch is flipped on.
The BassBoost feature alone is well worth buying the
unit. It gives such an incredibly clear
and powerful lift on the lower end (14.1dB, almost three times bass loudness),
adding more low frequency presence than any other headphone amp I’ve ever
heard. Big bass is a signature of my
generation, and a design to emphasize this is perhaps best delegated to someone
of my generation.
The designer of the BassBoost Cmoy is an engineering
undergrad at the University of Missouri.
He set out to improve the general Cmoy design as well as to innovate the
functions and features. The result is a
tweaked version of a regular Cmoy, employing the same TI opamp (OPA2227P) but
with higher quality components and even custom-printed circuit boards for a
professional look.
One non-audio improvement is a DC power jack. Although it’s not included, recommendations
are made to get your own for under $10.
The entire unit will run on a 9V battery, but when DC power is plugged
in, the battery is politely bypassed.
Normally, I am not a huge fan of the AKG K701
headphones. However, when they are met
with a great amp and given a little pat on the behind (a.k.a. bass boost) they
come alive. Such is the case with the
BassBoost Cmoy. It delivers such
incredible bass response that it’s actually hard for me to listen to anything
else right after using the feature.
However, with lesser headphones like the AblePlanet Clear Harmony
phones, the bass boost can muddy up the mix, especially at louder volumes.
Some people may not like the frequency spectrum being
altered because it doesn’t accurately reflect the master recording. However, that’s very subjective and depends
on your personal preferences. Some
people hook up massive car audio systems with bass that can be heard two blocks
away (including me) because that’s how they like to hear their music. I’m happy this Cmoy has an option to adjust
the bass.
So there it is. Leave
it to a young entrepreneur to take a great product and make it greater.
The Verdict