NuForce took the unusual approach Thursday of making a headphone amp tailored just to iOS users. The Icon iDo links to the Dock Connector on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod and takes over the DAC process itself, extracting sound as though it were a USB device. The amp effect also helps boost high-end headphones that often need need much more power to be driven properly, with support ranging to as low as 12mW at 300Ohm to 130mW at 18Ohm.
