# FiiO E7 Review



## bcpk

The FiiO E7 portable DAC/Amp unit is a highly-anticipated device from this relatively new budget audio manufacturer. Following the popularity of their E3 and particularly their E5 mini amplifier, FiiO is looking to move into higher performance portable amp territory. Coupled with an internal Digital to Analogue Converter, it is not the first device of its kind, but it is slated to retail for half the price of some of the more popular portable DAC/Amps currently available, making it an interesting proposition for those more money-conscious.
  





  First physical impressions of the E7 are that it is very light. It weighs 85 g compared to the 140 g of the iPod Video it was paired with, but it is still fairly large. The body is constructed of brushed black aluminium while the front is glossy plastic. The back is embossed with the letters "E7". There are four buttons down the left-hand side of the unit for Up, Down, Menu/Enter and Power/Back. The buttons themselves are metallic silver in colour and feel quite solid to press. As well as this, the device does not react to your first keypress, in an attempt to reduce accidental clicks when in a pocket or bag. Over all it feels quite solid and held up well to the couple of weeks of use it went through.


_*Included in the box :*

 FiiO E7
 Thick rubber band for holding the unit to your player
 Velvet pouch (may be replaced by silicone sleeve below)
 Mini-B USB cable
 3.5mm male-to-male interconnect_

 The final production model is to include a silicone sleeve allowing operation of the amplifier while being protected.
  





*In use :*

 Due to its combined DAC and Amp internals, the E7 is quite a versatile device. An appreciable amount of care seems to have been taken with the design in terms of inclusion of features, such as a low-power OLED screen, long battery life and USB charging. A particular favourite is is the provision of a second headphone-out jack, which is a very basic yet useful addition. This allows you to demo the amplifier to a friend without breaking your music-listening stride, burn-in a pair of new 'phones while using your current pair or to share sound when watching a movie on your laptop. On the other hand, there has been some consternation about the omission of line-out level output from the E7, meaning it is currently not possible to use solely the DAC component. FiiO's explanation is that users would get confused between the standard headphone-out and and the line-out jack, resulting in possible hearing damage. This reasoning is understandable given the "beginner audiophile" demographic implied by the E7's price. However, it does limit the upgrade path of buyers insofar as they will have to layout for both a DAC and an amp should they wish to step up from this combined unit. The E7 has a proprietary docking port at the bottom which may be used for a line-out in the future, but there is no conformation of such at this stage. Currently this port is to be used to dock the E7 into FiiO's upcoming E9 desktop amp, which seems like a nice tie-in by FiiO from one angle, or a "lock-in" from another.
  





*Sound :*

 As a first exposure to amplifiers, the sound of the E7 was certainly impressive. Compared to the headphone-out jack of an iPod Video and Eee PC 1000H netbook, clarity was noticeably improved when used either as solely an amplifier (with the iPod and a Line Out) or as a USB DAC and amp. Of particular note was the effect the E7 had on vocals, giving them greater definition and making sense of muttered verses that had previously been unintelligible. To finally understand a lyric after several years of listening to a track was very pleasing and is probably the characteristic of the E7 to which it is most easy to relate. On a more basic level, the unit supplies plenty of driving power for more demanding portable 'phones. By way of comparison, the Sansa Clip+ required full-volume to drive the 55 Ω Audio-Technica ATH-CK10s to sufficient volume in a busy room, whereas the E7 needed approximately level 12 of 60 to achieve an equivalent volume. Using the E7 with Etymotic ER-4Ps, instrument separation was increased along with a widening of the soundstage. The larger soundstage may well be a side-effect of the sharpening of the ER-4Ps sound, allowing for faint, fading-out sounds to be heard for longer. On the other hand, while granular detail was improved on the Audio-Technica AD700s, soundstage was not greatly affected. Another general positive of the amplifier was the "filling in" effect it had on faint background rhythms. What might have before sounded like one note repeated cyclically, the intervening tune between the prominent note was heard thanks to the E7. Most commonly this occurred with a background guitar where one particular strum is played with greater emphasis and the noodling in between was previously indiscernible.
  





  Part of the allure of the E7 is its build-in Digital to Analog Converter circuitry. While the iPod Video's Wolfson DAC is said to be of relatively good quality, the DAC of the E7 (also Wolfson) surpassed it. Comparing the two, the improvements are not so dramatic as from the iPod headphone-out to E7 headphone-out, but there was a boost in clarity perceived. The purpose of the DAC is to let the E7 be used essentially as a "sound card" with a computer. Compared to the headphone jack of an Eee PC 1000H, the E7 improved the experience much in the same way it did with the iPod - greater clarity of vocals, increased detail, wider sound. The E7 also reduced the hiss of the headphone out quite noticeably. Compared to the iPod, the E7's hiss is about a third as loud, and perhaps half as loud as the Eee PC. Hiss is roughly the same volume as the FiiO E5. The volume levels themselves go between 0-60. There is plenty of volume left at the upper end of the scale, with the E7 being set somewhere between 10-15 most of the time. However the lowest volume setting is still a little loud, and may not be quiet enough for those wishing to use the E7 to fall asleep with.
  





  As far as sound equalizing goes, the E7 offers a single modifier - Bass Boost, ranging between 0 and 3. At 0, the E7 sounds quite cold and analytical. Level 1 increases the bass, to a more natural or perhaps slightly warm level. It is probably least noticeable of the settings in terms of colouring the sound. The subsequent levels 2 and 3 are quite curious. Rather than increase the bass level, it seems that they simply "bloat" the lower frequencies without increasing their volume greatly. Effectively the low end sounds less controlled. This is a demo E7 unit and other reviewers have commented on the E7's rather lacklustre Bass Boost option, so hopefully it is an issue that will be addressed before the final production units are released. In any case, Level 1 was used for this review. Care must be taken when discussing Bass Boost, and its potency should not be overplayed; the E7 can not turn a pair of 'phones into something they are not. The AD700s, for instance, gain a welcome impact in the bass department, but this was more a case of concentration of the bass already available rather than any dramatic change in the sound signature. An additional caveat to consider is that the increased clarity provided can be detrimental when paired with poor quality recordings. The sharpness and clarity that was appreciated with high-bitrate source files conversely worked against some lower bitrate songs by making distortion painfully apparent. To draw an analogy, it's like using the Sharpen tool in Photoshop on a noisy photograph; rather than improve the appearance it instead draws attention to artifacting and compression in the picture.
  





_*Pricing :*_

 While the E7 is a relatively inexpensive amplifier, its price tag expected in the region of $85 should give those using cheaper earphones some pause for thought. As stated earlier, the E7 can not turn your headphones or earphones into something they are not. The E7 should improve most 'phones noticeably but if there is not a solid foundation for it to improve on, your money may be better spent investing in a better pair. With the exception of heavily-discounted earphones like the Head-Direct RE0, at this end of the budget spectrum a more dramatic improvement would probably be noticed with an upgrade in 'phones than insertion of an amplifier into your audio setup. Compared to its younger and smaller brethren, the FiiO E5, the E7 is a much more serious device. Price and size are both increased considerably. But, to its credit, the E7 does perform quite a bit better. After spending some time with the E7, the E5 sounded rather congested and lacked the sharp clarity that the E7 brought, as well as having a reduced soundstage.
  





*Conclusion :*

 The E7 was a pleasing improvement over the headphone-out of the devices it was tested with. It brought nice clarity and separation to the sound save for those times when lower bitrates began to sound a bit hollow. The DAC was an added bonus but is hampered by the current lack of line-out options. The included accessories were nice and the unit seems well made (especially considering this particular unit was assembled by hand). For its price and general handiness, it is a compelling device.



_*Note :* This review was done with a unit from a sample production run. The final appearance may be different (See ClieOS's Impressions) and menu bugs should be fixed.

*Testing Tracks :*
 Bat for Lashes - Glass, Daniel
 White Hinterland - Icarus
 Mos Def - Hip Hop
 Shinichi Osawa - Star Guitar
 Radiohead - Reckoner, Harry Patch (In Memory Of)
 The Sound Providers - Dope Transmission, Old Times Sake (Ft. Asheru)
_



 Great thanks to Shane @ LambayRules.ie for the loan of the E7 and the opportunity to do my first ever review. Thanks to |joker| for some writing advice, too 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Thanks for reading!


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## Ricardo Dawkins

Nice review. Very useful.


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## ljokerl

Gorgeous pics. I don't need it but they make me want one anyway


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## rawrster

Thanks for the review. I kinda want one just to see how it is


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## mnagali

@joker and rawrster -- if you guys do get it, please be sure to compare its USB DAC function with your uDACs and D10s


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## buz

Is there any place we can preorder it from? Looks like Dealextreme will stock it but they are notoriously unreliable about unstocked items...


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## AdityaIshak

how it compared to E7 vs ibasso ibasso T3D or D2 + BOA
 Which one is better to buy in the SQ / overall rating
 I wanted headamp portable to paired with my koss porta pro LE


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## yuinlover

that is great, thank you


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## Dev Avidon

The obvious comparison is the icon mobile; it's certainly a better looking unit.  Comparison thread anyone?


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## pinkmoon1972

Curious how this compares to the icon mobile too, agreed its much better looking.


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## Azathoth

I'll probably pick up one of these in the next week or so - for comparison i'll see how its amp stacks up to my mini3, and its DAC to my uDAC.


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## Sibling Chris

Now I have one, I would echo very much what the original reviewer has said.
   
  I have just got my mits on one of these, which currently is in limited supply in the UK - 20 units initially, this is who I bought from...
 http://www.mp3amplifier.com/product_info.php/products_id/84?osCsid=a2b34fcjn5sdbanp0t5kldh223

 Initially I pre-ordered at £55 but the price has gone up a little since then to £65 (GBP)

 I recently purchased some AKG K271 headphones - mainly for home studio recording purposes, but I like the natural sound so much, I find I'm using them more and more around the house generally. The ipod touch struggles to drive these and this is my main portable source, usually paired with Atrio M5 IEMs.

 I cannot claim to be a headphone amp expert and this was my first purchase of this type of equipment, so please bear that in mind as you read my comments! I am sure there is much better equipment out there, but I would guess not at this price point

 I will not post all the tech details since they can be read elsewhere. I was specifically looking for something portable and had settled upon the ibasso T3D until the RRP of this unit was announced. The ibasso was going to knock me back about £130 and as the E7 is also a USB DAC and came in at half the price it seemed well worth a punt. The ibasso price-wise as I am sure you will all appreciate is pretty much the thin end of the wedge in this area of gear!

 The unit is quite small, although not the smallest out there. it’s about twice as fat as my touch, slightly less width and height. It is VERY light, but seems to be quite sturdy construction, only time will tell of course! Metal back and sides and a very glossy front which incorporates an OLED two-colour screen. I use it also with the Fiio LOD (L1)

 first of all what about using with my Atrio M5 IEMs? At first I didn't notice much difference - these IEMs are really great, isolate well and have a good bass response. Having listened more critically since plugging them in I can say that the stereo width and sound separation has improved, although really the IEMs don't absolutely need amping I think I will continue to use them with the E7 in place. The E7 bass boost needs to be set on 0 or 1 at most, otherwise the sound does become quite muddy (which I guess you would expect) - it seems like the bass boost feature does not simply turn up the gain in the lower frequencies but changes the balance of the mids/high's too and to my ears this does not work well with these IEMs as you turn it up. There are 3 bass boost levels; setting to 3 reminds me of being at a bad 80s disco, bass pumping, with some DJ who has speakers twice the size of the dance floor that make you fall off your feet if you get within a few metres of them! Still as I said, bass set to no more than 1, sounds lurrrrrverly 

 Now for my AKGs, which is really why I went for a headphone amp in the first place. Boy does this make then sing! I have been really impressed with the improvement in sound quality. I turned up the bass boost to 2, but 3 is OK too if you like a little more. What hit me immediately was the punchy-ness of the bass, clear tight sounding drums and clean but mellow vocals (a little more towards the bright side). I flicked between a few different tracks on my ipod hearing very similar things sound quality wise - a little Faithless had me sticking the cans on SWMBO and saying "you have to listen to this!". Listening to my own music recorded at home is way more satisfying as the sound now is more what I remember playing back through my PC DAW and m-audio interface

 I dare say that the results I have had may have been the same using any other headphone amp, but at £55 I'm glad I didn't spend a lot more. The E7 easily meets my requirements and that's before I've plugged it into my laptop at work using the USB DAC. I will be very surprised if the E7 does not give some of the more expensive (and well known) headphone amps out there a run for their money - it will be interesting to see how well the unit does when it becomes more widely available and what comparative reviews with other units have to say about it. It seems to me to have much more to offer than previous (very cheap) fiio offerings (like E3 and E5) and I would have thought will elevate fiio's position in the market place considerably


 If I am being picky it would be nice to have some sort of screen dimming or even the ability to completely swicth off the OLED display whilst listening, as it is quite bright...however this is the only indication the unit is actually switched on.

 USB charging can take place with the unit off, but I had to try this to find out, since there is no indication the unit is actually charging when it is off.

 The key lock function seems largely redundant, seeing as the initial key press does not register in order to save you accidentally pressing the keys when its in your pocket. I have heard some reviews say the keys are a problem in this respect, but it is my understadning this is by design.

 My only other issue is finding some nice portable case that my ipod touch and E7 can go into together and also bearing in mind the extra space needed for the LOD...but that is not a problem unique to the E7!! the E7 "velvet" pouch is really only sufficient just for the E7...oh, and although not listed in the box contents, there is a silicone skin - just one black one though.

 So, for the price I certainly recommend it, particularly if you do not already have a headphone amp.


 HTH
 Chris


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## Sibling Chris

sorry moved my post to other E7 thread..,


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## mnagali

I know that the E7 doesn't yet have a proper line out to use it strictly as a DAC, but I was wondering if it'd be possible to use its headphone out in the meanwhile to feed to another amp w/o too much much compromise in SQ? and if so, what volume setting would be best?
   
  thanks!


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## JamesFiiO

We are making the LOD for our E7! it can output the line out from the dock!


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## germanturkey

for 85 bucks i'm seriously considering this.  once i start work this summer.  just to clarify, i can hook it up to my laptop via a usb cable (like the above picture) and use it as an amp?  amazing.  haha.  i'm so easily impressed.  i think it'll pair nicely with my ck10s.
   
  if someone with ck10s could be as nice as to detail what exactly it does to them  aside from turning up the volume slightly.


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## Azathoth

Quote: 





jamesfiio said:


> We are making the LOD for our E7! it can output the line out from the dock!


 

 Great! When will this LOD be released?


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## bcpk

Quote: 





germanturkey said:


> for 85 bucks i'm seriously considering this.  once i start work this summer.  just to clarify, i can hook it up to my laptop via a usb cable (like the above picture) and use it as an amp?  amazing.  haha.  i'm so easily impressed.  i think it'll pair nicely with my ck10s.
> 
> if someone with ck10s could be as nice as to detail what exactly it does to them  aside from turning up the volume slightly.


 

 Much the same as with the ER-4P : they sound quite similar to my ears.


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## Berserker

Quote: 





> While the E7 is a relatively inexpensive amplifier, its price tag expected in the region of $85


 
  I believe you are right. Mp4Nation just started selling them for that with a free cable: http://mp4nation.net/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9_45&products_id=404


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## Jack C

Quote: 





mnagali said:


> I know that the E7 doesn't yet have a proper line out to use it strictly as a DAC, but I was wondering if it'd be possible to use its headphone out in the meanwhile to feed to another amp w/o too much much compromise in SQ? and if so, what volume setting would be best?
> 
> thanks!


 


 As James from FiiO mentioend, a LOD cable is coming for the E7.  Until then, if you want to use the Headphone out as a "line out", Do the following:
   
  Take your amplification device and connect a normal line-level out source to it. Adjust the amplification device to a comfortable listening level.  Now remove the line-level source and connect the E7's headphone jack to it - start the volume out at 0. Increase the volume output on the E7 until you arrive at about the same comfortable listening level.  If you want to be exact, you can try switching back and forth a few times.
   
  I used the E7 to drive a tube amp I have in my 2-channel listening room and went through the above proceedure to make sure I was supplying a safe/reasonable input level.
   
  Jack


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## mnagali

yup I was aware of the upcoming LOD cable (hence my underline emphasis), but in the meanwhile I'll give your suggestion a try


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## germanturkey

hmm, what do you guys think of bestofferbuy.com?  $79.60 with free shipping..  apparently its not good.  i wouldn't be surprised if someone on this site wrote one of the reviews on resellerratings..  they too bought an e7.  haha.  i guess micca is the way to go.  i can get a L1 lod too.


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## jack95

Do you guys think that this amp would power the higher end headphones well.


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## bcpk

dfkt seemed to think it drove the HD650s fairly well. I didn't get to try it with anything particularly demanding.


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## Jack C

I use the E7 to drive headphones as high as the DT990/600. Even there, it delivers a good amount of volume for normal listening. Those who frequently listen to their music in a "spirited" manner may wish for an additional 6 to 10 dB of volume. This does depend on the source too, as some devices such as the Teclast T51 on "Normal" EQ has such a hot line-out signal that it can drive the E7's to a higher output level than if the E7 played through its own USB DAC. However, the consequence is that some bassy pop songs will be over driven into distortion.
   
  HD650 has no problems with the E7 regardless given its higher efficiency and lower impedance.
   
  Jack


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## JeFFz

Had a quick listen with this using a LOD in a headphone shop yesterday. They sounded pretty nice with my MTPC, this is my first time trying out an amp though. It gave body to the mids of the coppers and the bass sounded a bit more impactful and bodied. Still deciding on whether should i get it or not hmm...


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## MusicalChillies

Looks like the new iphone 4g imo, well a bit lol.


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## Soletaken

Quote: 





jack c said:


> Those who frequently listen to their music in a "spirited" manner may wish for an additional 6 to 10 dB of volume.


 

 I just received my E7 yesterday.
  After listening at max volume for a bit on my K702s, I was enjoying how they sounded and the volume was good enough for semi-focused listening, but I felt a little disappointed as it was missing that extra 'Umph' in volume where the music completely saturates your consciousness.
   
  I figured there must be some way to increase the output from my computer and after finding nothing in the windows sound settings I went into foobar2000's settings and found a convenient option to increase the pre-amp gain.
  After adjusting the gain by +5 I found my ideal intensive listening volume at 55/60.
   
  I think I might actually survive the wait for my Headstage Arrow


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## Jack C

Yea, when I use the E-MU 0404 to drive the E7, I have to dial back the main output level because the E-MU 0404 is a pro audio device and the output is quite a bit hotter than consumer line level signal. But I can definitely dial in more output from the E7 than playing directly from the USB DAC.  Though the +gain in the Foobar2000 is worth a look.  I've always wondered about such "pre amp boost" features in media players - exactly what is it doing?  I am always afraid that doing so inadvertently causes clipping when high volume signal is played.
   
  Curiously, the headphone out on my Logitec ZX-2300 computer speaker can drive the DT990/600 at least 10dB louder than the headphone output on the E-MU 0404.
   
  I for one will be glad to try the new FiiO E9 - Over 1 watt of power per channel!!! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  Jack


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## RAFA

Quote: 





jack c said:


> Yea, when I use the E-MU 0404 to drive the E7, I have to dial back the main output level because the E-MU 0404 is a pro audio device and the output is quite a bit hotter than consumer line level signal. But I can definitely dial in more output from the E7 than playing directly from the USB DAC.  Though the +gain in the Foobar2000 is worth a look.  I've always wondered about such "pre amp boost" features in media players - exactly what is it doing?  I am always afraid that doing so inadvertently causes clipping when high volume signal is played.
> 
> Curiously, the headphone out on my Logitec ZX-2300 computer speaker can drive the DT990/600 at least 10dB louder than the headphone output on the E-MU 0404.
> 
> ...


 
   
  Hey Jack, where did you get the info on the E9 from? Can you tell us more?


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## Fizban

Hmmm....I tried it (E7) out with my Denon D1001, AKG K450 and the Philip's 9850 and they all sounded worse.....sounded weird and muffled.  But ok with the Miles Davis and Silver Bullet.
   
  Just my 2 cents.


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## ClieOS

Quote:


fizban said:


> Hmmm....I tried it (E7) out with my Denon D1001, AKG K450 and the Philip's 9850 and they all sounded worse.....sounded weird and muffled.  But ok with the Miles Davis and Silver Bullet.
> 
> Just my 2 cents.


 

 What is the source?


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## Jack C

Wow, definitely more info please.
   
  Jack


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## Randius

I am pairing the E7 with iPhone 3GS connected by Plexcio Performance LOD. I noticed that if I hear interference, the E7 will cease to function shortly after and need to power on. Also, all settings will set to default. Does anyone else encounter this or is my E7 a one-off case?


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## Ymerej

i'm planning to buy an e7 to use with my zen and eterna rev.1, do you guys think this will improve my listening experience or should i just go with the e5 instead. thanks.


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## mangamonster

I ordered mine from Head-Direct via Amazon on Friday and BAM! ...it just came in this morning. Really quick shipping using USPS first class. An unexpected surprise. I'll probably do an unboxing of it on my tube account. Despite the problems some people are having using it as an amp only, I should be ok since I'm using it strictly as a dac/amp for my laptop.


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## nonsupremous

Wow.  That is great news.  I have now ordered 2 things from there and one took 11 days and the other 20 days.  I am not at all pleased with that. 
   
  You should be fine using it as a DAC/Amp for sure.  I think they probably should have not billed this as an amplifier.  It really needs to be used as a DAC.  Looking forward to your comments.
   
  I just ordered my LOD for the Walkman this morning.  So hopefully by week's end I'll be in business.
  Quote: 





mangamonster said:


> I ordered mine from Head-Direct via Amazon on Friday and BAM! ...it just came in this morning. Really quick shipping using USPS first class. An unexpected surprise. I'll probably do an unboxing of it on my tube account. Despite the problems some people are having using it as an amp only, I should be ok since I'm using it strictly as a dac/amp for my laptop.


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## mangamonster

I hope you get the goods in soon...to be honest, the E7 is seriously surprising the hell out of me...the sound quality is outstanding.
   
  Oh, and as promised


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## mnagali

Quote: 





randius said:


> I am pairing the E7 with iPhone 3GS connected by Plexcio Performance LOD. I noticed that if I hear interference, the E7 will cease to function shortly after and need to power on. Also, all settings will set to default. Does anyone else encounter this or is my E7 a one-off case?


 

 same thing happened with mine when I first got it---turns off, and settings reset too.  I noticed it only happens when I turned off the 3G radio (forcing data thru 2G/EDGE), but this is a non-issue if it's used as a DAC, or leave the 3G radio on.


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## tazdavid98

Just want to share my new config with you:
   
  iPhone 3G -> Fiio LOD L3 -> Fiio E7 -> Senn HD448
   
  and it sounds really... great! Very impressed how it sounds clear!
   
  My iPhone had troubles to drive my HD448 but now, it's fixed! 
   
  I also found some problems related to firmware I believe, I usually turn off the USB charging, but it sometimes automatically switch back to ON (bass settings and others stay same).
  Anyone else has the same problem?


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## Randius

Quote: 





tazdavid98 said:


> Just want to share my new config with you:
> 
> iPhone 3G -> Fiio LOD L3 -> Fiio E7 -> Senn HD448
> 
> ...


 
   
  My experience is worse. Sometimes the E7 will reset all settings to default.


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## warp08

I was impressed with the build quality and overall presentation of the E7, but sound quality is marginal at best when compared to my other amplifiers. I still think it is an excellent entry-level choice and you'll get a lot for the money.  But even with the JH16 Pros, the bass is quite anemic and the representation is overly digital and hollow.  And this is from the DAC input from my iPad.  I have also tested it thru the line input from my iMod and roughly it was the same experience.
   
  I have not encountered any bugs described above yet, but I couldn't make myself listen to it for long either.  I think this will be sold in short order.  I have originally ordered for my iPad as the HP-out SQ is merely average and I thought this would improve it somewhat.  The improvements, however, are so minor that it doesn't justify carrying around the E7.
   
  Shipping from Amazon was quick and painless from Micca, no complaints there.  I would buy from him again.


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## Fizban

Quote: 





clieos said:


> Quote:
> 
> What is the source?


 

 Uh it's just my old macbook.
   
  I'm sorry I should have stated it more explicitly:
  I compared this with my original set-up which is: Go-Vibe usb/dac, and then to a Pa2V2.
  Yup =)


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## ClieOS

Interesting. Did you try feeding the Go-Vibe to E7's line-in?


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## Fizban

Quote: 





clieos said:


> Interesting. Did you try feeding the Go-Vibe to E7's line-in?


 

 Uh........nope.
   
  I don't know much about these things really, just enjoying it as a hobby for really simple all-in-one-box kinda things haha.
   
  Sorry can't help you there 
   
  What I do know is that I vastly enjoyed my go-vibe dac-to-pa2v2 amp from my initially-lousy macbook.
  Vastly enjoyed.


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## Ypoknons

Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *bcpk* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> As stated earlier, the E7 can not turn your headphones or earphones into something they are not. The E7 should improve most 'phones noticeably but if there is not a solid foundation for it to improve on, your money may be better spent investing in a better pair. With the exception of heavily-discounted earphones like the Head-Direct RE0, at this end of the budget spectrum a more dramatic improvement would probably be noticed with an upgrade in 'phones than insertion of an amplifier into your audio setup.


 

 This is so true. It's great that you put that part in there, very important for the noobs to understand.


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## hiddenninja

So...would this improve the HD 280 Pros in general? If at all?


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## Ypoknons

It would help, but don't let it get the in the way of a headphone upgrade.


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## Ymerej

wrong tread..


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## tumama

Sorry for asking, If I buy the FiiO E7 I won't need to buy a sound card like the Asus Xonar Essence? It will by-pass the built-in sound card of the motherboard? Because I'm building a mini-itx system without pci slots.


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## slntdth93

Quote: 





tumama said:


> Sorry for asking, If I buy the FiiO E7 I won't need to buy a sound card like the Asus Xonar Essence? It will by-pass the built-in sound card of the motherboard? Because I'm building a mini-itx system without pci slots.


 

 Yes it would bypass the internal sound card and essentially, the E7 will be the sound card being used


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## hiddenninja

So...would this also improve the Audio Technica ATH-AD700's?


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## EazyWeazy3

Quote: 





hiddenninja said:


> So...would this also improve the Audio Technica ATH-AD700's?


 
   
  Anyone?


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## madcat20xac

Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *hiddenninja*
> 
> 
> 
> So...would this also improve the Audio Technica ATH-AD700's?


 
   
  the general consensus says amps barely help the ad700 at all


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## Jack C

The E7 is a fairly transparent amp with a flat frequency response, decent channel separation, and low noise, low distortion. Also, due to its very low output impedance, it is also indifferent to headphones with wildly varying impedance curves. So whatever characteristics that the AD700 has, or any other headphones for that matter,  it's probably faithfully preserved.
   
  With the bass EQ, you can inject some good quality bass boost, which can help with lean sounding headphones.
   
  If someone is looking more for a "euphonic" sounding amp to achieve synergies with specific characteristics of a particular headphone, then a more colorful amp would be a better choice. There is no right or wrong answer, IMO, it all depends what someone is looking for.


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## Azathoth

Quote: 





hiddenninja said:


> So...would this also improve the Audio Technica ATH-AD700's?


 

 The Nuforce uDAC's hp out would be the better choice for the AD700's to give them a nice lift in their otherwise thin midrange.


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## allwaypm

This is my first time posting and I am a frustrated audiophile. I have a MAC Book Pro and I was thinking of buying the FiiO E7 as a first step to improve my audio. I am currently running the laptop through Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 powered speakers. I currently don't do much listening through headphones while I am at my desk. Would there be any advantage in buying the FiiO E9, and would the Klipsch system be able to be powered by the amp too? I am also in the process of auditioning the iTunes compatible FLAC players to help in my quest for better sounding music...
   
  Thanks for the tolerance in the lack of my knowledge...


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## dvo352

Anyone have static issues with the E7?  I'm trying to figure out what causes this static and all I can narrow it down to is movement.  But even the slightest movement _may_ cause static (not all the time).


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## tme110

hard to answer without knowing what kind of phones you have.  Is there a point in the e9 with this setup?  Not if the e7 sufficiently powers your headphones.  Can the e9 power your speakers?  No.  Besides it only has pre-outs on it (no powered outs except the headphones).  But I use the pre-outs on my e9 as a preamp to my audioengine speakers - so I always have the volume maxed out on the speakers and the speakers automatically cut out when you plug your HPs in.  However, the e7 does not have line outs or pre-outs so if you want to do the whole preamp thing you will need the e7 and e9.  (plus the extra power might be nice anyway)
   
  I would recommend trying out the e7.  And the only way to use the external DAC (e7) for your speakers is to also get the e9.  Note that the e7 will have a significant update (the e17) by the end of the year but it will cost twice as much.
  
  Quote: 





allwaypm said:


> This is my first time posting and I am a frustrated audiophile. I have a MAC Book Pro and I was thinking of buying the FiiO E7 as a first step to improve my audio. I am currently running the laptop through Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 powered speakers. I currently don't do much listening through headphones while I am at my desk. Would there be any advantage in buying the FiiO E9, and would the Klipsch system be able to be powered by the amp too? I am also in the process of auditioning the iTunes compatible FLAC players to help in my quest for better sounding music...
> 
> Thanks for the tolerance in the lack of my knowledge...


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## tme110

I have not.
  
  Quote: 





dvo352 said:


> Anyone have static issues with the E7?  I'm trying to figure out what causes this static and all I can narrow it down to is movement.  But even the slightest movement _may_ cause static (not all the time).


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## JIGF

Does everyone experience hiss in the sound?
   
  edit: does it work well with the koss portapro?


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## Martin J

how long did it take for you guys to get it fully charged for the first time...im runing 5 hours and it is not indicating full charge yet...the manual said about 200 minutes for full charge,,,,


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## paconavarro

jigf said:


> Does everyone experience hiss in the sound?
> 
> edit: does it work well with the koss portapro?




About 2 weeks ago I lend my e7 to my brother because I noticed some distortion on the low end a very subtle hiss when the bass drum or bass guitar reached some deepness. I asked him to see if he could detect it. He owns a pair of entry level sennheiser and didnt noticed it. 
Yesterday I got it back and made an intensive A B test with my macbook pro as source and its built in output. I noticed a better edge in the sound (not a huge change but noticeable) when the e7 is used, but I also got that small distortion, I switched to the built in output and the distortion is not present. Im using 32ohms DT990s with flat eq and no bass boost on the e7. I was planning to make a bit more tests with it tonight but I forgot it in the office  

I dont know if someone experienced this small distortion? I havent got any other headphone amp to compare, but I hope I get one soon.


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## JIGF

Quote: 





paconavarro said:


> About 2 weeks ago I lend my e7 to my brother because I noticed some distortion on the low end a very subtle hiss when the bass drum or bass guitar reached some deepness. I asked him to see if he could detect it. He owns a pair of entry level sennheiser and didnt noticed it.
> Yesterday I got it back and made an intensive A B test with my macbook pro as source and its built in output. I noticed a better edge in the sound (not a huge change but noticeable) when the e7 is used, but I also got that small distortion, I switched to the built in output and the distortion is not present. Im using 32ohms DT990s with flat eq and no bass boost on the e7. I was planning to make a bit more tests with it tonight but I forgot it in the office
> 
> 
> ...


 

 That does not sound good at all.
   
  Thanks for reporting.


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## saltpot3816

I have a pair of AKG K272 HD that I want to run through a DAC/AMP off my Macbook pro... I had been looking at the Headroom Total BitHead, but then I thought I might want to do some more research before I buy... Any comparison to the Fiio E7??? I don't have any DAC or Amps now, and I'm just beginning to get into real audiophile territory... any recommendations on which I should get? The BitHead is $50 more, but if it's clearly a higher quality amp, then it's worth the extra cash to me... any help?


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## thelastwaltz

Hi all...first post here, so hello to you all.
   
  Yesterday I took delivery of the E7 and E9, and I'm mighty impressed with the combo.
   
  However, the E7 when used on its own has an annoying fault in the unit I received. The quality of the output jacks on the E7 is not so great. I plugged in my Etymotic HF3s into the unit last night to try it out for the first time and the connection in both jacks is poor. The sound was really muffled/distorted at first. When I swivelled the earbud jack around in the socket a little, it went away and the quality was great, but you've got to keep the connection in the same position or the sound deteriorates markedly...very quiet vocals and massive noise across the rest of the sound. Kind of like if you reverse the phase of one stereo channel so it's the same as the other....frequencies drop out completely and the signal messes up completely.
   
  A little disappointing, considering the otherwise excellent performance of the device.
   
  I'm hoping this sorts itself out as I move to Qatar in one week and won't therefore be able to return the unit to the supplier and get a new one back before I leave the UK.
   
  Anyone else had this problem?


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## ClieOS

Try cleaning the 3.5mm plug first and see how that goes.
  
  Quote: 





thelastwaltz said:


> Hi all...first post here, so hello to you all.
> 
> Yesterday I took delivery of the E7 and E9, and I'm mighty impressed with the combo.
> 
> ...


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## thelastwaltz

Hi...thanks for the tip. These are a pair of brand-new buds and were straight out of the box (previous HF3s were placed in the washing machine by dearest daughter - they did not survive). Have cleaned the jack nonetheless and still getting the problem. Will borrow some other phones and try those to see if the problem lies with the HF3, but my feeling is that it's a faulty unit.
   
  Shame, because I love what it does to my music


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## thelastwaltz

As a postscript, I just ordered a set of AudioTechnica M50S phones. As a complete newbie to the world of decent quality kit, I've spent close to £400 quid in the last 10 days alone. It's getting to be an expensive hobby already, but well worth it. I'm listening to more music that I've listened to since I was at Uni (and that was some time ago, I can tell you - kids etc). I just need to re-source all my MP3 tracks in Flac format now.


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## sinphase

I have the M50's and I'm looking into getting the FiiO E7, I'm just wondering if it'll be worth it. I would just be listening to music on my laptop.


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## jto168

Quote: 





sinphase said:


> I have the M50's and I'm looking into getting the FiiO E7, I'm just wondering if it'll be worth it. I would just be listening to music on my laptop.


 


  Yes.


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## Thommohawk

Quote: 





jto168 said:


> Yes.


 

 Definitely.


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## dhyu99

Just bought this few days ago! Looking forward to listen to it!!


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## thelastwaltz

I'm listening to my laptop streaming from Spotify in HQ mode now, using the E7 with Etymotic HF5s. The quality is so much better than without the little black box. Using the E7/E9 combo with my M50s playing .flac files is (to me) simply stunning. Definitely worth the reasonable investment.


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## Spunky424

Thanks so much for the in depth review. really looking into purchasing this unit and i think you've convinced me.


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## kakrohn

I have some Sony MDR-XB700 and a 4yr old Dell laptop... the headphone jack on the PC makes the cans crackle at times (doesn't happen with any other sources).  Will this DAC/amp fix this issue?  Will this sound better than when I hook up to my iPod?  I'm new to all this stuff.  Thanks


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## JJE37

> Will this DAC/amp fix this issue?  Will this sound better than when I hook up to my iPod?


 
   
  Yes and YYYEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssssssss


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## RUROKENROX

I really do want to know what the charge time on the Fiio E7 is because I just got mine and I'm charging it for the first time from a fully dead battery. I do not want to over charge it. Like the first post says *something about charging for 5 hours and not getting a full battery symbol even though the manual says like 200 mins* I am just worried about the charge time on this


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## tme110

it will sound even better hooked up to your laptop where it can be both an amp and DAC.  As discussed over and over in all these threads the e7 will only act as a amp when connected to an ipod.


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