# Fiio E7/E9 vs E17/E9 vs E10?



## ztreb185

Im not sure if I should get the Fiio E7/E9 combo now or get the E10 amp/dac now.  E10 is really cheap only $80 and I've heard its better audio quality compared to the E7/E9 which is around $180, but obviously the amp has more juice.  Or i could just get the E9 and wait for the E17 later on but not sure when that will be.  Any thoughts?


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## ClieOS

In the long run, I think E17+E9 will be a better investment. However, the combo is likely to be around $300 or so.


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## Aaron1006

It also depends on what you'll be using them with.


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## ztreb185

I plan to get the HD 598s or the HD 650s.  I know you dont really need an amp for the 598s but i want to drive them to their full potential.


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## PurpleAngel

Get the HD-598 (50-Ohm) for now, it is cheaper then the HD-650 (300-Ohm) and will work with more sources.
  I've heard some good reviews on the Fiio E11.
   
  What are these headphones going to be plugged into (besides the amp itself)?


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## ztreb185

Well this is mostly going to be used for my desktop pc.  So its gona look something like pc -> e7/e9 or e10 or e9/e17 (in the future) -> headphones


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## chef8489

As of right now Fiio still has not completely settled on the e17 specs. No one knows how the finished product will sound like nor preform. It is scheduled to be released in Jan.


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## PurpleAngel

Quote: 





ztreb185 said:


> Well this is mostly going to be used for my desktop pc.  So its gona look something like pc -> e7/e9 or e10 or e9/e17 (in the future) -> headphones


 

 I believe (guess) the E9 has a better headphone amplifier chip then the E10
  The E9 was talked about as having one of the best headphone amplifier chips, rated 600-Ohms.
  As the E10 is only rated to 300-Ohms, one could guess the it's not as good a headphone amplifier chip as the E9.


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## holden4th

Quote: 





chef8489 said:


> As of right now Fiio still has not completely settled on the e17 specs. No one knows how the finished product will sound like nor preform. It is scheduled to be released in Jan.


 


 I thought the E15 was going to come out before the E17 and the DAC from that would be the DAC for the E17? If that is the case then surely the E15 would be the better choice if you are not worried about it being portable. Could anyone enlighten me on this (Feiao?).


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## LimeANite

You could also do E10 + E9.


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## lumpas

I do have the exactly same question as Ztreb185, but I wonder wich one is the best for Sennheiser IE8? 
   
  It's mostly between E7 and E10. Since I will not be able to get a socket ( I will use them in school). So I will only use the E7/E9 combo at home, and I don't use headphones at home really.


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## LimeANite

Quote: 





lumpas said:


> I do have the exactly same question as Ztreb185, but I wonder wich one is the best for Sennheiser IE8?
> 
> It's mostly between E7 and E10. Since I will not be able to get a socket ( I will use them in school). So I will only use the E7/E9 combo at home, and I don't use headphones at home really.


 


  E7.  The E10 can only be run out of a computer USB port.


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## lumpas

Quote: 





limeanite said:


> E7.  The E10 can only be run out of a computer USB port.


 


  Okey. But if I should be able to use a USB port the E10 is better?


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## LimeANite

Quote: 





lumpas said:


> Okey. But if I should be able to use a USB port the E10 is better?


 


  Yes.  You can't plug in a portable player to it though since it has no audio-in jack.  The audio can only be fed via usb from a computer.


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## milosolo

Three weeks ago Fiio quoted Feb2012 release in another thread. What is your source for the earlier release date? I hope it's true.
   
  That's super impressive LEAN JIT design and manufacturing if they haven't finalized specs <60 days from release.
  
  Quote: 





chef8489 said:


> As of right now Fiio still has not completely settled on the e17 specs. No one knows how the finished product will sound like nor preform. It is scheduled to be released in Jan.


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## chef8489

From Fiio. I skype with them almost every evening and they have replied to my emails also. The employee name is Sunny. I also quoted the conversation with them in a different thread.
  Quote: 





milosolo said:


> Three weeks ago Fiio quoted Feb2012 in another thread. What is your source for the earlier release date? I hope it's true...


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## PurpleAngel

Quote: 





milosolo said:


> Three weeks ago Fiio quoted Feb2012 in another thread. What is your source for the earlier release date? I hope it's true...


 
  If the guys at Fiio were business smart (hopefully they are), they would not talk about any new products just before Christmas.
  Buyers of their products will stop buying current products if they know something new is coming out soon.
  If they do not carry a big inventory, then it's not a problem to talk about new stuff.


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## ClieOS

Either January or February is just estimation. The early prototype has been finished, as far as I know. Now they are ironing out the bug as well as gathering all the parts needed for manufacture. They are also busy trying to fulfill the demand of current line-up so R&D is not their top priority right now. You'll need to feed yourself first before you can expend.


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## bowei006

i'm looking at getting the FiiO E11. the E17 SHOULD just be an update for the E7 right? But if it is priced the same at around $88....would this E17 be worth waiting for rather than getting an E11?


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## ClieOS

First, E17 will be priced much higher than E11, possibly over $150. Second, E17 will be the best sounding amp/DAC FiiO has made so far, at least that's the plan.


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## bowei006

I'm going to guess better than the E10 then which is currently their best(DAC wise), and is going to have more pushing power than the E9 and E7 combo......that's some mad power right there for ~$150.....FiiO has really proven itself time and time again.


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## LimeANite

Quote: 





bowei006 said:


> I'm going to guess better than the E10 then which is currently their best(DAC wise), and is going to have more pushing power than the E9 and E7 combo......that's some mad power right there for ~$150.....FiiO has really proven itself time and time again.


 


  No, it shouldn't have more power than the E7/E9 combo.  It's meant to take the E7's place, so it will still dock with the E9.


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## bowei006

Quote: 





limeanite said:


> No, it shouldn't have more power than the E7/E9 combo.  It's meant to take the E7's place, so it will still dock with the E9.


 


  ooo forgot about that >_<...fiio is doing things waay too fast. even products that were just comming out new get replaced in a month!
  They are also raising the prices more and more.


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## a4suited

Hello all,
   
  First time poster long time lurker.
   
  Anyhoo, I was wondering about the E7 myself. I've searched the forums but still don't get how this all works per say. I was going to start a new thread but already seeing all these other posts about Fiio products I decided to just piggy back off this one.
   
  <threadjack>
  Uses for the E7/any amp:
  - for my personal listening between many desktops, laptops and android devices
  - amplifying signals for live monitoring audio when recording with my dslr rode videomic
   
  1) I was wondering if I would reap any benefits from a DAC headphone amp. I have a pair of Shure SE425 with custom ear sleeves. I was under the impression its better for cheaper or decent headphones that don't have enough juice going to them? (noob)

   
  2) Does the DAC work with android? My xoom has OTG capabilities can I configure it to output an audio signal via the micro USB?
  3) Is that the only way I can get a direct line out from my xoom or will plugging into the normal audio port that I put my headphones into now mess with the amp or negate its purpose?
  4) What is the benefit of the E7/E9 combo? Isn't the E9 an amp by itself? so why would you need both? Just for the docking feature?
   
  Thanks in advance all.


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## chef8489

1 yes
  2 not that I am aware of.
  3 yes/no I am not sure you can get a true line out from the xoom. If you use the hp out you will be double ampping your source.
  4 The benifits of the e7/e9 combo is the e7 would be the dac where the e9 would be the amp. There is no dac for the e9. You can only provide source through a line in unless you use the e7 or other dac. The e7 hooks up through usb to a pc to use as a dac.


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## putente

Get an E10 now, save some money, and later get an E9. I'm using that setup right now (E10 as USB DAC for the E9, using an L2 cable), and it's superior to the E7+E9 combo I was using previously. This, obviously, if you don't need a truly portable solution as the E7 is (battery powered, I mean). You can always use the E10 as a semi-portable combo, with your laptop, on the go, and then use it at home, as USB DAC for the E9...


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## CantScareMe

fiio e7, e9, e17, e10 
   
  so many combinations.
   
  Even I'm confused:
   
   
   
*Desktop pc rig: which setup of these fiio's will give (supposedly) the best sound quality for full size headphones?*
   
  Is it
  (my guess) fiio e17 + e9. As the e17 has the best dac out of the all the fiio units ever produced, and is unique in this way. A better dac than the e10...?


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## LimeANite

Quote: 





cantscareme said:


> fiio e7, e9, e17, e10
> 
> so many combinations.
> 
> ...


 

 When the E17 is released, this will probably be the best Fiio home use combo.  However, since it won't come out until early next year, we don't know for sure.  Right now, E10+E9 is the best.


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## biggerliz

best for novice senn HD 600? don't really know what i'm getting myself into...but the simpler the better (all in one purchase).


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## MofoingSANTA

I'm going to borrow this thread and ask a simple question. I recently bought the Astro MixAmp so I could use my PC360s together with my Xbox. I feel tho that they need a little bit more juice, so i figured I should get myself a amp. I don't know which one to buy tho, the FiiO E9 is suppose to be a great choice, but I'm not sure if that would the best amp together with the PC360 and the MixAmp.


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## AykDaddy

So the Fiio E17 will (if we predict correctly) a better sounding DAC than the Fiio E10 and on top of that can be used as a portable AMP which the E10 can't due to the integrated battery?
   
  Well, sounds like a no brainer to me to wait for the E17. I just cancelled my order for the E10


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## Mad Lust Envy

mofoingsanta said:


> I'm going to borrow this thread and ask a simple question. I recently bought the Astro MixAmp so I could use my PC360s together with my Xbox. I feel tho that they need a little bit more juice, so i figured I should get myself a amp. I don't know which one to buy tho, the FiiO E9 is suppose to be a great choice, but I'm not sure if that would the best amp together with the PC360 and the MixAmp.




The PC360 is super efficient, and sound practically the same with a mini amp or power amp. You probably just don't like it's inherent sound signature, because Mixamp alone, or E9 in the mix, the difference is almost nil.


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## erwin

have read this thread through and am still looking for some advice on what i should do.
  bought an e7+e9 combo not too long ago and unfortunately i dropped my e7. it still docks the e9 but my pc no longer recognises the dac thing which means it's rendered pretty useless. i bought the combo as my headphone out on my laptop was broke so i had to go with usb to continue listening to my laptop where all my music is ripped in flac/lossless quality.
   
  so.. i've lost my box/papers for the e7 purchase, so warranty seems very unlikely. and i'm not sure i even want to get it fixed with better and newer products on the market.
   
  so my options as i see them are:
  1. get the e7 fixed by fiio
  2. buy the e10 - important question: can i connect the e10 with the e9 or is this of no use? if i got things right the e10 does what the e7/e9 combo does but it only has usb in, so if i want to listen to my ipod instead of my pc i'd have to go through the e9 ánd the e10? how do i put these in chain? is it possible? i've got the ipod->e9 cable from fiio, think it's called the e3 or e1?
  3. wait for the e17  - can i lock the e17 in the e9?
   
  my setup is beyers dt 770 pro 80ohms and laptop, usually:
  pc > e7/e9 > denon receiver > good speakers
  or
  pc > e7/e9 > beyers
   
  thanks for the advice guys, didn't want to start a new thread


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## ClieOS

erwin said:


> 1. get the e7 fixed by fiio




Get it fixed. Even if you want to upgrade, a working E7 can still be sold and fund your next purchase.




erwin said:


> 2. buy the e10 - important question: can i connect the e10 with the e9 or is this of no use? if i got things right the e10 does what the e7/e9 combo does but it only has usb in, so if i want to listen to my ipod instead of my pc i'd have to go through the e9 ánd the e10? how do i put these in chain? is it possible? i've got the ipod->e9 cable from fiio, think it's called the e3 or e1?




Yes, E10 can be used with E9 as it has a line-out via the common 3.5mm stereo jack. Unfortunately E10 will not work with iPhone / iPod. 



erwin said:


> 3. wait for the e17 - can i lock the e17 in the e9?




Yes., E17 can dock onto E9. Obviously E17 is meant to be an upgrade for E7, but it will also be more expensive as well. The release date is around early Feb. 2012.


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## erwin

thanks for the answer,
   
  in relation to my 2nd question; i can still plug in my ipod in the e9, right? i have the e3 cable so even without the e7 that should.. work, right?


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## ClieOS

erwin said:


> thanks for the answer,
> 
> in relation to my 2nd question; i can still plug in my ipod in the e9, right? i have the e3 cable so even without the e7 that should.. work, right?




Yes, you can plug your iPod directly into E9 via a LOD. 

Err... E3 is an amp. I am sure you mean L3.


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## erwin

thanks for helping me out this much, one last question, to connect the e10 with the e9, is this through the line in of the e9?
   
  so, this setup: pc > e10 > (line in) e9 (line out red/white) > denon receiver?
   
  thanks


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## chicolom

Quote: 





erwin said:


> thanks for helping me out this much, one last question, to connect the e10 with the e9, is this through the line in of the e9?
> 
> so, this setup: pc > e10 > (line in) e9 (line out red/white) > denon receiver?
> 
> thanks


 


  Why would you put the E9 between the E10 and receiver?  It would be better to go straight from the E10 line out to the reciever's audio in.
   
  E10 connects to E9 with a mini to mini interconnect (3.5mm), not red/white RCAs.


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## ClieOS

erwin said:


> so, this setup: pc > e10 > (line in) e9 (line out red/white) > denon receiver?




It will work, but my suggestion is to plug E10 straight to the Denon receiver as well if you want to listen to speaker


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## erwin

yeah but my denon only has red/white as audio in, can i go from stereo 3.5 to stereo red white? am a bit inexperienced as you can tell


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## ClieOS

Sure, you can get a mini to RCA cable from most electronic store.


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## elektrikgypsy

Everyone's licking their lips about the E17 in that it's 'better'. I'm seeing it increasing its support of files up to 24/192, but isn't it using the same chipset as the E7? If I play an Apple lossless file ripped from a CD through an E17/E9 combo, how is it going to sound any better than it would through my E7/E9? Will the increased capacity somehow make the same 16/44.1 file sound better somehow?
   
  I mean, I'm well up for buying it if it *will* sound appreciably better - I'm a massive fan of FiiO's stuff so far; I just don't follow the physics! Am I missing something? Are all you other Head-Fi people playing 24/192 sourced libraries?? And if so, ripped from what?!


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## chicolom

Quote: 





elektrikgypsy said:


> Everyone's licking their lips about the E17 in that it's 'better'. I'm seeing it increasing its support of files up to 24/192, but isn't it using the same chipset as the E7? If I play an Apple lossless file ripped from a CD through an E17/E9 combo, how is it going to sound any better than it would through my E7/E9? Will the increased capacity somehow make the same 16/44.1 file sound better somehow?
> 
> I mean, I'm well up for buying it if it *will* sound appreciably better - I'm a massive fan of FiiO's stuff so far; I just don't follow the physics! Am I missing something? Are all you other Head-Fi people playing 24/192 sourced libraries?? And if so, ripped from what?!


 

  
  People seem to unanimously prefer the E10 to the E7, and it's cheaper and still has the same chip.  Mike at Headfonia gave some early impressions and said the E10 & E17 are very similar sounding.  So the price difference comes down to more features and portability (like the E7 has). 
   
  https://www.facebook.com/headfonia/posts/261758477220167


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





chicolom said:


> People seem to unanimously prefer the E10 to the E7, and it's cheaper and still has the same chip.


 

  It is only the DAC chip that is the same. The USB receiver chip are different and so are the whole amp section. It is the USB receiver chip on E7 that holds E7's DAC back, and the better USB receiver chip on E10 makes a better use of the same DAC chip. The E17 will use the same USB receiver chip as E10, but it have another SPDIF chip to allow full access to the DAC chip capability via SDPIF. E17 will also feature a better amp section as well.


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## wacomme

Why not just get the e17 and forgo the e9?


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## wacomme

How would the E17, sans E9, operate as a dac and amp for AudioEngine A2 speakers connected to an iMac? In other words, can one forgo the e17/e9 combo and just use the e17 for the AudioEngine A2 connection?


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## twelvebears

Quote: 





wacomme said:


> How would the E17, sans E9, operate as a dac and amp for AudioEngine A2 speakers connected to an iMac? In other words, can one forgo the e17/e9 combo and just use the e17 for the AudioEngine A2 connection?


 

 Assuming the A2s are powered, you don't need and amp, just use the line-out from the E17


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## twelvebears

The E7/E9 or E17/E9 combos are great as long as you're using full-size phones with high-ish impedance than need lots of volts, but you're better off without the E9 if you use low impedance 'phones (especially balanced armature IEMs), as the output impedance on the E9 is way to high for these and will noticeably affect the frequency response.


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





twelvebears said:


> Assuming the A2s are powered, you don't need and amp, just use the line-out from the E17


 
  YOu will need a FiiO L7 for that.


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## wacomme

Interesting. I have Etymotic ER4s as my portable phones, and the AudioEngine A2 as speakers for my Imac. It seems that the A17 alone would fit the bill for both setups - portable amp for my headphones, and dac for my A2s. I presume the A17 is a better headphone amp than my current old style (3 - AAA battery) TotalAirHead amp, correct?
  
  Quote: 





twelvebears said:


> The E7/E9 or E17/E9 combos are great as long as you're using full-size phones with high-ish impedance than need lots of volts, but you're better off without the E9 if you use low impedance 'phones (especially balanced armature IEMs), as the output impedance on the E9 is way to high for these and will noticeably affect the frequency response.


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## wacomme

Anyone?
  
  Quote: 





wacomme said:


> Interesting. I have Etymotic ER4s as my portable phones, and the AudioEngine A2 as speakers for my Imac. It seems that the A17 alone would fit the bill for both setups - portable amp for my headphones, and dac for my A2s. I presume the A17 is a better headphone amp than my current old style (3 - AAA battery) TotalAirHead amp, correct?


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## ClieOS

If you are asking whether E17 is better than Total AirHead, then the answer is 'most positively yes'.


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## cactus_farmer

Quote: 





twelvebears said:


> The E7/E9 or E17/E9 combos are great as long as you're using full-size phones with high-ish impedance than need lots of volts, but you're better off without the E9 if you use low impedance 'phones (especially balanced armature IEMs), as the output impedance on the E9 is way to high for these and will noticeably affect the frequency response.


 


  What about low impedance, low sensitivity orthodynamics like the Hifiman HE-6?
   
  What happens to the E9 when faced with those loads?


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## sobirish

From what I've heard, the E9 does very well with orthodynamics.


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## LimeANite

Pretty sure the E9 would have trouble driving the HE-6.  The LCD2 is a different story - it's not a very demanding headphone at all, and the E9 might even be able to drive the HE-500.  But the HE-6 is out of the question.
   
  As for what would happen if you tried to use the HE-6 with it, you'd probably hear a lot of clipping and it would sound funny.  I doubt anything would break though.


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## rage1221

This is my first post here. I've been reading for through the threads for a couple of weeks. I bought my first pair of decent headphones last month, the HD598 for $173 on sale. I just had to send them back to Amazon for a replacement because somehow I managed to blow the left side.
   
  I was using the E6 with them. Still not really sure how I blew them, but I like to listen to music loud. I use to be a muscian, so my hearing isn't as good as it should be at my age. I'm waiting on my replacement set, but in the meantime I'm trying to figure out if I should send the E6 back and get a better amp.
   
  My question is the similar to the others here. With the headphones I have, should I get the e7/e9 instead? Or wait on the e17 and just call it a day with that alone? Or should I get the e9 for now, and wait for the e17 to be available and use the e9/e17? Money really isn't an issue as long as I stay uner $300. But I also don't want to go overkill just because I can.
   
  This headphone thing is so overwhelming. Also, would anyone be able to offer me some friendly advice on how I could have blown my first set of HD598s so I don't do it again? I figured a higher quality headphone would have been more difficult to break.
   
  I have until Jan. 31st to return the HD598s. Should I send them back and get something else? I was really on the fence about which ones to get. I got the 598s because they seemed like a steal at $173 new.
   
  Music Interests: Rock (Tool, NIN), Classic Rock (Zepplin, Floyd, Eagles), Blues (SRV, BB King), Classical, Metal (Soil Work, Lamb of God), Old Country (Nelson), Pop (Citizen Cope, Michael Jackson)
   
  I don't really listen to too much Rap, R&B, or New Country; but if I think it sounds good I'll listen to anything.
   
  Thanks guys. Sorry for the billion questions.


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## LimeANite

Quote: 





rage1221 said:


> This is my first post here. I've been reading for through the threads for a couple of weeks. I bought my first pair of decent headphones last month, the HD598 for $173 on sale. I just had to send them back to Amazon for a replacement because somehow I managed to blow the left side.
> 
> I was using the E6 with them. Still not really sure how I blew them, but I like to listen to music loud. I use to be a muscian, so my hearing isn't as good as it should be at my age. I'm waiting on my replacement set, but in the meantime I'm trying to figure out if I should send the E6 back and get a better amp.
> 
> ...


 

 That's odd that you managed to blow them - most headphones can take quite a bit more volume than the human ear can handle, even if you're half-deaf.  I'm pretty sure the E6 isn't capable of going that loud, which suggests that there was just a flaw in the headphones.
   
  ON amps, you don't need the E9 for the HD598s.  Just the E17 is enough to drive them, and it's out now, though I think everyone is sold out of their stock and will be getting more in February.


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## rage1221

Great, thanks!


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## rage1221

I have another dumb question. I have a Denon AVR-788 receiver. Do I need a headphone amp? Is the headphone output on the receiver amped well? I tried listening through it and it just didn't sound spectacular to me. That's why I'm inquiring about headphone amps.


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## turbare

Hello guys,
  Would the E17 be enough to power a pair of Shure SRH-440 (44 Ω) by themselves?
   
  Also, I'll be listening through a laptop at work and I'm not sure if I'd be perfectly fine with a DAC like the E10, instead of waiting for the E17 and paying ~double, since I won't be mobile at all.


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## PurpleAngel

Quote: 





rage1221 said:


> I have another dumb question. I have a Denon AVR-788 receiver. Do I need a headphone amp? Is the headphone output on the receiver amped well? I tried listening through it and it just didn't sound spectacular to me. That's why I'm inquiring about headphone amps.


 

 You would think the Denon AVR-788 would do a decent job of powering speakers.
  You can always plug a separate external headphone amplifier to the RCA outputs on the back of the Denon AVR-788.


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## LimeANite

Quote: 





turbare said:


> Hello guys,
> Would the E17 be enough to power a pair of Shure SRH-440 (44 Ω) by themselves?
> 
> Also, I'll be listening through a laptop at work and I'm not sure if I'd be perfectly fine with a DAC like the E10, instead of waiting for the E17 and paying ~double, since I won't be mobile at all.


 

 If you're not going to be mobile at all, then the E10 is perfectly fine.  The E17 basically takes the E10 and makes it mobile.  There are a couple changes (different headphone jack, slight change in the circuitry so it doesn't cut off the first millisecond or so of the first song you play), but they're not really worth paying double for unless you also need the mobility.
   
  And yes, both will be fully capable of powering the SRH-440.


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## froster2006

is it good to use E9 as DAC for a better amp later? or E7 is a  better choice? E7 doesnt fit a deskrop audio style...


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## Papander

froster2006 said:


> is it good to use E9 as DAC for a better amp later? or E7 is a  better choice? E7 doesnt fit a deskrop audio style...




E9 is amp only


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## kfscoll

Quote: 





cactus_farmer said:


> What about low impedance, low sensitivity orthodynamics like the Hifiman HE-6?
> 
> What happens to the E9 when faced with those loads?


 


 I have the E9 and the HE-6.  The E9 simply can't drive the HE-6 sufficiently.  My Schiit Lyr does fine with the HE-6.  For a smaller, cheaper set-up, you can run the speaker outputs from a Class-T amp (like the Dayton Audio DTA-100a) into the Hifiman HE-Adapter (which converts speaker-level output to 4-pin XLR) and drive your HE-6s that way.  I have that set up and it works pretty well, but it's not up to the standard of my Lyr or powering the HE-6 from the speaker outputs of a full-size receiver or amplifier.


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## Donnnie

A question :    I'm currently running the E17 from my PC to my NAD 3130 receiver using the L7 line out dock.  Although it sounds phenomenal, it would look and function a lot better if I had it docked into an E09k.  My fear is  I heard the sound is not as good with that setup (having the E09 going to my receiver via RCAs) than the way I have it now.  Any thoughts? Incidentally, 99% of my use is playing 24bit audio through my NAD, I could care less about headphone use..


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