Pono was the best SS headphone amp I ever heard

I don’t like my music on the go.  I don’t like having something on or in my ears, the hole in the head effect, or since I live in Chicago, the lack of awareness of my external environment which could lead to being criminally assaulted.  I have 3 Stereo systems in my home and would avoid using headphones in preference to listening to one of them.  Nonetheless, it’s unavoidable sometimes.  As I write this I have a house full of visitors and am listening to my B&W Bluetooth phones before I leave for work.  When I travel I can’t bring any of my systems with me.  I have had a few high end portables, dabbled with Amps, etc.
  I did audition the Pono at a store.  It was the first high end portable I heard and I had brought my own Oppo PM3 phones.  It was impressive with and without an amp.  I was put off by the reports of difficulties in file transfer And subsequently bought a high end Sony portable the size of a cigarette lighter.  The Sony also sounds amazing for such a small gizmo.  A lot of time elapsed between the two 
listens so I wouldn’t dare to compare.  The Sony is virtually impossible to extract the little memory cards and I have reverted back to my I phone with Bluetooth.
  

Good thing you passed on the Pono. Support is almost nonexistant. What a fiasco.

@tpreaves2

I went with a Fiio. Much better UI, size and expandability.

But damn, the Pono's handling of headphones was something else.

Best,
E

Try the Ayre Codex but only with the balanced output.  Similar circuit that Ayre designed for the Codex.  Not very interesting until you acquire a special balanced cable to use with two 3.5mm plugs.  Same balanced setup you can do on a Pono.  Huge difference in sound quality. 

The Stax SRM-T1 or SRM-007T tube headphone amps, for their Lambda Pro Earspeakers. 

Sadly neither the Codex nor Stax are good candidates for "music on the go"

Best,
E