I was trolling the web recently, hoping to find a high-quality headphone amp that would be smaller and cheaper than the Headroom jobs.
I may have hit the jackpot.
What I found is a small unit made by a Canadian engineering student -- hand-wired and powered by two AAs. They put out a whopping 400 mA, and they use what look like very good parts.
He sells 'em on eBay, where they go for $75 to $110. I emailed him, though, and found out that he also sells them direct for $60 plus $4 for US shipping. I ordered one immediately.
The biggest weakness appears to be the plastic case. He says only one has been broken among the 125 he's sold. And he fixed it free.
Here's one on eBay, where he provides photos and an extensive description of the unit:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3069617609There's a little more about them on pages 4 and 6 of his web site:
http://www.geocities.com/ilm86c/audio.htmlAnd you can email him at swing_version@hotmail.com
After I get mine, I'll post a report on the sound.