# FiiO E6 - story of the tiny amp continues... (w/ review on 1st page)



## ClieOS

Here is the new chapter for the story about FiiO's tiny amps' line-up: E6 has been in development for over a year now and ready to be launched months ago. But due to the respect for Westone, which has decided to bundle the new E6 with some of their IEM, the launch is delayed till 25th of August. Yes, the end of this month, so that Westone will have enough time to finish up the bundle pack on their end.
   
  Anyway, I have had this little marvel for a few weeks now and I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am. Will it beats E11? No. But will it out-do E5 several times over? Hell yes. For those who think E5 is nothing but toy, this is where FiiO is trying to prove to you how serious a tiny amp that cost much less than a decent meal can go. I haven't had the time to review it just yet, but rest assured  the review will come. Here are some pictures for you to look at, and I'll answer any question as long as it is not overly complicated.
   
 *[UPDATE] FiiO E6 Review* - 25th AUG, 2011.
   





   
*Tech Prelude*
  So E6 is using the same set of opamps as the E7, does they sound just the same?  Well, yes and no. Yes is that the general sound signature of E6 is still consistent to other FiiO’s amps, clear and mostly transparent. No is that the actual design of the circuit has been changed. As told, E6 utilizes a different power circuit to provide true +/- power for the opamp to improve the performance instead of the old charge-pump design on E7.  Well, I am not an electronic engineer so don’t ask me about the detail. All I can say is the E6 does sound better than E7 – and I will leave the detail for later.
   
*SPEC*
  Spec is mostly the same as E5 / E7..
   
  Output Power: 150mW (16Ω); 16mW (300Ω)
 Headphone Impedance Range: 16 Ω ~ 300 Ω
 SNR: ≥95dB (A weighted)
 Distortion: <0.009% (10mW)
 Frequency Range: 10Hz ~ 100kHz
 Power Supply: Internal rechargeable Li-ion battery
 Recharging: USB 5V DC 500mA
 Size: 41mm x 40.2mm x 8mm
 Weight: 16g
   




   
*Packaging, Accessories and Build Quality*
  As you can see on the picture, the packaging is similar to FiiO’s own E1. Blister pack isn’t my favorite but I guess one can’t be choosy on a $30 amp. Accessories wise, there is an USB cable for charging, two 3.5mm-to-3.5mm interconnecting cables (one L-to-L  three inches and one straight-to-straight 2.5 feet), and two transparent back clip. The back clip will fit into the triangular opening on the E6 and it is very secure. Also, the back clip is made out of polycarbonate and it is extremely strong (for a clip of this size). Just so you know, polycarbonate is the same stuff Mythbuster use for their blast shield most of the time. In case you do manage to break one, there is an extra clip waiting.
   




   




   
  While the E6 does look a little cheap since it is all made out of plastic and extremely light (16g), the overall build quality, as you can expect from FiiO, is quite decent. The whole housing is glued tight and nothing is loose, including the shiny triangular slot that holds the back clip. The volume buttons feel really solid, so is the power/ EQ / hold switch.
   
  One of the tests I have done is on electromagnetic Interference – basically it is the same cellphone test I have done on my E5 review. I placed the amp very close to my cellphone then I made a quick call to myself to check any RF interference. To my surprise, E6 is dead silent the whole time, not even when it was placed next to the cellphone.
   
  Overall, I am pleased.  While metal housing is classier, it really is the interference that I thought will be problematic for E6. Yet E6 is able to prove it is better than E5 in that regard.
   




  Digital volume control on the side.
   




   
*Battery Life*
  The listed battery life is 10 hours, which is the same as E5. Though I didn’t actually do a battery drain test, I did use it for over 6 hours or so between each recharge. I think the actual run time will depend largely how you use the amp, but 8~10 hours seems perfectly achievable to me.
   
*Gain and Hiss*
  The old E5 has a gain of 5dB (3dB is double in signal), the new E6 is said to be 2.8dB higher than E5. For the RMAA test I did, the result indicate roughly a 3dB difference between E5 and E6, so that confirms the increased gain of 2.8dB – which totals the E6 gain to about 8dB. What that means is E6 can get really loud if you want it too. However, there available power is still limited by the opamp in use, so don’t expect E6 to out shine E11 in that regard. I have tested E6 on 150 ohm IEM like the RE262 and ER4S to low impedance IEM down to 16 ohm UE200. The results are all very decent. It might not able to sound as good as $100+ amp, but the performance is admirable for such a small device.
   
  Hiss is an issue to E5 when it comes to loud volume. Basically the amp (E5) stays well-behave when it is in low volume. But hiss starts to increase once the volume is set to over half of the total volume. The reason is how E5 increases its volume - it is done by increasing the gain (which is different from the common method of limiting input signal like in cmoy). The downside of gain adjusted volume is that gain increment also means the internal noise will increase as well, and that is what causes E5 to hiss when the volume is up. On E6, the volume is also controlled with gain so hiss does exist. The good news is the hiss level is about half as much as E5 and like E5, only occurs when you set the volume to very high. What that means is, as long as you have a decent level of input, you shouldn’t find hiss a problem on E6.
   




  Pushing the power switch up for 3 seconds to turn the amp on/off. Push it once when the amp is on to switch between different EQ. Push the power switch down to lock the volume setting (hold).
   




  Blue light is the power on indicator (turns red when charging). Red dot shows the amp is on EQ1 (turns to blue for EQ2, purple for EQ3 and no light for flat EQ)
   
*Sound Quality and EQ*
  So how do E6 compared to E5 and E7? Compared to E5, E6 (flat EQ) is cleaner, In fact, even cleaner than E7. It loses a tad of warm from the mid, but becomes crisper on the treble. Overall, E6 sounds a hair more extended and revealing than E7, which also means it sounds better than E5 by a decent margin.
   
  How about JDS cmoyBB and SoundMAGIC A10? For cmoyBB, as I have mentioned from my cmoyBB review – it is better than E7 but not vastly. What cmoyBB does really well is on the rendering on space, layering and air, though it also carries an extra sense of lushness (which I see it more as a kind of coloration. Note: I prefer neutral amp). To me, E6 fits nicely between E7 and cmoyBB. However, that is assuming both are on flat EQ. Once E6 is on EQ2, the two are incredibly close with the same richness in sound – those who love their amp sounding rich will definitely like this. For A10, I always consider it to be comparable to E7 but come with a very different flavor. It is warm, full and musical. To me, E6 is technically more accurate but just like how A10 compares to E7, they are very different sounding. With EQ1, E6 can actually capture some of the warm and fullness of A10, though still not quite as musical and spacious.
   




  RMAA tested with 16 ohm load. Don't mind the ripple beyond 5kHz and drop off near 20kHz, it is caused by my soundcard. EQ3 was adjusted (-3dB) to show the difference to flat EQ.
   
  So if you haven’t noticed, I just finish describe to you what I think really makes E6 a true gem – its EQ. It can be clean, lush, or warm and full on a push of a switch. Sure it is not going to turn into cmoyBB or A10, but the effects are still enjoyable and fun. Even without the improved sound quality from E7, the EQ on E6 alone will worth the investment. The one EQ I haven’t mentioned is EQ3, which is a 3dB reduction across the whole frequency range. Different from E7 which has a limiting input of 1.4V (any higher will clip), E6 is capable of 2V input.  But for even higher input, E6 will still clip and render the amp useless. The EQ3 is basically a feature to prevent that from happening by lowering the overall gain so the amp can take a larger signal without clipping. In RMAA test, EQ3 performs as good as flat EQ except for the lower gain. I tested E6’s EQ3 on s:flo2’s line-out (which will clip E5 and E7) and it actually sounds pretty good - very comparable to S:flo2 headphone-out. Of course this is done to proof a point rather than any real practicality since the headphone-out is pretty good already.
   
  So how about E6’s big brother, the E11? Besides being a bit more forward sounding, E6 lacks the overall resolution and authority to really compete with th3e much more powerful E11, which I do consider to be a class better than E6. But putting that aside, both are better amp than what their price tags would have want you to believe in.
   
  *HifiMan RE0 is used as the reference IEM in the review. Sources include Sansa Fuze (LO), iPod Nano 4G (LO) and s:flo2 (LO)
   




  E6 (left) and E5 (right)
   
*Verdict*
  As I was told that E6 took almost a year of development to get it right. FiiO has managed to address some of the weakness in old E5 / E7 and add some very useful features to E6. While it may be just an entry level amp that cost about $30, I think FiiO is again taking the concept of entry level to a new height with E6.


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## ExpatinJapan

What do all the buttons do. Charged by usb?


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## bcpk

Looks great! How is the build quality?


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





expatinjapan said:


> What do all the buttons do. Charged by usb?


 

 Yes, charged by USB. One side is volume control (digital, much like E5), the other side is On/Off (3 seconds) and hold. On/Off also doubles as the EQ button and gain switch in single push. It goes from flat -> EQ1 (red LED on the back, 1st bass boost) -> EQ2 (blue LED on the back, 2nd bass boost) -> Gain reduction mode (red+blue LED on the back, for high output source such as T51 / S:flo2 to avoid clipping).
   

  
  Quote: 





bcpk said:


> Looks great! How is the build quality?


 
  It is all plastic, so some might find it cheap compared to the full metal on E5. It is also extremely light (lighter than the battery on E11). Overall however is quite decent.


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## goodvibes

Looks like it's perfect for it's purpose.


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## shadow84

at the 4th pic, what are that 2 clips?


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## Armaegis

I'm guessing shirt/belt clips. Nice that they include a spare.


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





shadow84 said:


> at the 4th pic, what are that 2 clips?


 
   
  Quote: 





armaegis said:


> I'm guessing shirt/belt clips. Nice that they include a spare.


 

 Correct. It is made out of plastic and removable so FiiO includes a spare in case someone broke or misplaced one.


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## MrProggie

If it's cheap enough, I'll buy one just because I want one more gadget.


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





mrproggie said:


> If it's cheap enough, I'll buy one just because I want one more gadget.


 
  It should be around the same price as E5, last I heard.


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## mikeaj

Listed specs are same as the E5:
  150 mW into 16 ohms
  16 mW into 300 ohms
  >= 95 dB (A)
  < 0.009% (10 mW) -- though in practice, the E5 could do under 0.02% even at 15 ohms at 100mW, so this isn't much of a cherry-picked best case scenario
   
  ...and so on.  Same as the quoted values for the E7 actually.  E5 and E7 both use the TPA6130 output amp chip, though they use different pre-amp chips.  I'm guessing the TPA6130 is used again, especially since this part has that digital volume control built in.
   
   
  I'm kind of wondering what's really different from the E5 aside from the housing and ports/buttons layout.  There's the different bass boost option.  Also, the gain reduction mode is very useful, to use with those high output sources.  So I'm going to guess that it's the gain stage that's different.  One complaint about the E5 was that the maximum possible gain was like 6 dB (or so, I forget exactly).  If you had a high output source, the E5 would clip the input.  On the other hand, if you had a pretty low output source like many portables, the gain was not always sufficiently high to make use of the E5's max output power.
   
  Is the gain in the normal mode higher than for the E5?  That would be great.
   
  edit: originally I put 3dB, but on second thought I think it was more like 6dB.  My E5 is currently plugged into my TV, so I don't feel like moving it to test, sorry.


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





mikeaj said:


> Listed specs are same as the E5:
> 150 mW into 16 ohms
> 16 mW into 300 ohms
> >= 95 dB (A)
> ...


 
   
  Gain is definitely higher on the E6, but I don't have an exact dB. Also, I can't confirm this yet - I think E6 is using the same opamp as E7 amp section, but the power supply section has been redesigned to give the better performance. I haven't have the time to compare it to E7 yet, but to E5, E6 sounds more transparent and dynamic.


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## jant71

So tiny, cute, and affordable. Hard not try one just like the E5 esp. since it should be a bit more amp and less volume booster. Design is pretty sweet with the small size/light weight, loop/clip choice, and extra clip. This can be a comfortable little necklace style amp unlike the E5 which is a bit weighty or the E3( a bit thick and no loop or clip).


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## DaBomb77766

This looks pretty awesome.  If it's basically just a better version of the E7 as a portable amp, then I'm all over it...it's a bit of a pain to carry the E7 around everywhere.

 Do you know where it will be sold at first?


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





dabomb77766 said:


> Do you know where it will be sold at first?


 
  It should be everywhere. For what I know, FiiO is overstocking E6 because of the Westone bundle deal. So this time we won't need to wait very long before most dealers get their hand on E6.


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## TheGame21x

Very interested in this. Seems like it would make a kick-ass portable rig alongside my Sansa Clip+.


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## DaBomb77766

Quote: 





clieos said:


> It should be everywhere. For what I know, FiiO is overstocking E6 because of the Westone bundle deal. So this time we won't need to wait very long before most dealers get their hand on E6.


 


  Sounds great!  So will this amp pretty much just be replacing the E5 then?


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





thegame21x said:


> Very interested in this. Seems like it would make a kick-ass portable rig alongside my Sansa Clip+.


 
  I would think so as well.
  
  Quote: 





dabomb77766 said:


> Sounds great!  So will this amp pretty much just be replacing the E5 then?


 

 I think that's FiiO's plan.


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## Remustan

Such a tiny thing cant bring out much power, can it? I had the e5 and it literally didnt change the sound.


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





remustan said:


> Such a tiny thing cant bring out much power, can it? I had the e5 and it literally didnt change the sound.


 

 That depends how much power you need (* what you are trying to drive) and what your definition of 'change'. FiiO has always aimed for a neutral and transparent sound. If that's not what you want, there are other amps that provide coloration among with power.


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## koolkat

Eh, I think the amp/dac in the Clip+ is already very good. Pairing it with an entry-level amp like the E5/6 might make the set-up worse, no?


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## Pasiasty

*ClieOS*, what about hiss from E6? Is this amp more suitable for high- efficiency low- impedance IEM's? I find E11 is too loud to listen comfortably on my SM3's. Do You know what is the output impedance of E6?


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





koolkat said:


> Eh, I think the amp/dac in the Clip+ is already very good. Pairing it with an entry-level amp like the E5/6 might make the set-up worse, no?


 
  With E5, there isn't much of a point. But with E6, the EQ (especially EQ2) itself is more than worth the admission fee. Plus I didn't find E6 to degrade Clip+ sound. If anything, it makes the headphone-out sounds less compressed.
  
  Quote: 





pasiasty said:


> *ClieOS*, what about hiss from E6? Is this amp more suitable for high- efficiency low- impedance IEM's? I find E11 is too loud to listen comfortably on my SM3's. Do You know what is the output impedance of E6?


 

 I can still hear hiss with the most hiss-prone IEM in my collection, the Shure SE530, but it is a tad lower than on E5. Like on E5, the hiss level increases with volume and it is mostly silent when the volume is below half of the total volume. Assuming the source has decent output, it is almost impossible to listen to SE530 at that high of a volume, so I have no worry there. Don't know how it will be with SM3 though, especially since E11 is totally different to E6 in design.
   
  As for output impedance, I don't know the number nor have any gear to measure it. But I will venture a guess and say it is probably close to E5 and E7 since the amp section should be very similar. That means it will be around 0 to 1 ohm. Well, I'll ask to confirm.


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## ClieOS

Just got some confirmation:
   
  1) Though the opamps are the same as in E7, the overall structure on the amp section design is different. Now the preamp stage works with +/- power supply to give better performance.
   
  2) The output impedance should be < 1 ohm.


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## yoshipl

@ClieOS  
  About that review, any time soon?


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





yoshipl said:


> @ClieOS
> About that review, any time soon?


 

 I have over 10 items need to be reviewed first, but I'll try to make it before the 25th.


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## yoshipl

No biggy, just asking. 
  Oh, and btw: what's the battery runtime in e6?


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





yoshipl said:


> Oh, and btw: what's the battery runtime in e6?


 
  The listed spec says over 10 hours. I haven't had the time to test it yet.


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## jowens

ClieOS, how would this compare to a cmoyBB?
   
  Also, have you paired the E6 with an Xcape IE? I find the IE to be good straight from my Fuze, but it does need fairly high volume.
  Hoping something small like an E6 could take the xcape to a higher level. Maybe more bass definition and soundstage (with LOD from Fuze)?


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## stupid11

this seems to be very interesting. i have seen and tried some of fiio products and most of them are very satisfying. can't wait to try fiio e6.


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





jowens said:


> ClieOS, how would this compare to a cmoyBB?
> 
> Also, have you paired the E6 with an Xcape IE? I find the IE to be good straight from my Fuze, but it does need fairly high volume.
> Hoping something small like an E6 could take the xcape to a higher level. Maybe more bass definition and soundstage (with LOD from Fuze)?


 

 I did a quick A/B with E7 and cmoyBB. I find that the E6 is a tiny tad more revealing and less warm that E7, otherwise they are very similar. As for cmoyBB (on default opa2227), it has a warmer, richer, more expensive layer of soundstage, but other than that, the performance is comparable. I would say E6 is right between E7 and cmoyBB (which I think is already pretty close in performance, though different in flavour). It won't win cmoyBB, but I think the gap is smaller than the price difference between them.


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## Parall3l

This looks great 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Almost missed this little amp, should work well with my DAP.


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## ubercaffeinated

westone's web site is already showing "AMP'D" versions of their universals, but doesn't say anything about the E6... yet.


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## Rahartha

I hope E6 was in Indonesia,


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





ubercaffeinated said:


> westone's web site is already showing "AMP'D" versions of their universals, but doesn't say anything about the E6... yet.


 

 If you look at the W2 AMP'D, it says 'Westone E6 amp by FiiO' in the description.


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## Jack C

I eagerly await ClieOS's review on this new little amp.
   
  As ClieOS mentioned, this amp was "ready" quite some time ago. In fact, you can see some mention of a E5 replacement in Head-Fi forum history many months ago. This time around FiiO addressed some of the main wishes that people had with the E5: more gain, more EQ choices, and more original aesthetics. I believe the overall ergonomics is a huge step up as well, and the quality of the bundled accessories also received a significant upgrade.
   
  FiiO indicates that the E5 will stick around as they have different plans for the E5 and the E6. While most consumers will probably find it worthwhile to go for the E6, the E5 remains a mature product with a lot of value and market recognition. I am guessing this is kind of like how you can still buy a Sony PS2.
   
  Jack


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## phntmsmshr

Quote: 





clieos said:


> I did a quick A/B with E7 and cmoyBB. I find that the E6 is a tiny tad more revealing and less warm that E7, otherwise they are very similar. As for cmoyBB (on default opa2227), it has a warmer, richer, more expensive layer of soundstage, but other than that, the performance is comparable. I would say E6 is right between E7 and cmoyBB (which I think is already pretty close in performance, though different in flavour). It won't win cmoyBB, but I think the gap is smaller than the price difference between them.


 
  How would you say it compares to SoundMAGIC A10 in terms of clarity? I have found that the E5 didn't bring much to my sources or IEMs but A10 pulled some really nice clear signal out of my iPod.


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





phntmsmshr said:


> How would you say it compares to SoundMAGIC A10 in terms of clarity? I have found that the E5 didn't bring much to my sources or IEMs but A10 pulled some really nice clear signal out of my iPod.


 

 E6 is more revealing when it comes to micro detail. With A10, you'll get more texture on lower end and body, that's because A10 is inherently a warm sounding amp with a colored FR curve. If you are looking for amp with a warmer, richer tone, cmoyBB with an upgraded opamp is probably the best option for you.


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## JamesFiiO




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## Armaegis

Just a thought for future designs, shape the clip so that it easily clips onto other daps. Back in the day I had an e5 and Sansa Clip and I would just snap the respective clips together and put it in my pocket, but the clips didn't quite line up right so it wasn't as compact as it could be. Just a minor thought.


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## kanuka

very nice!
  so, have you tried it with some high-impedance like the er4s, re262, pk1? or even the RE0 ?


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





kanuka said:


> very nice!
> so, have you tried it with some high-impedance like the er4s, re262, pk1? or even the RE0 ?


 

 Yes, I have tried them, just not the PK1 as I haven't used it regularly these days. Overall it pairs better with the warm sounding RE262 than ER4S/RE0 synergy wise, though it is able to drive them all to very loud. With teh colder sounding IEM like ER4S and RE0, I tend to use it with the EQ.


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## kanuka

Quote: 





clieos said:


> Yes, I have tried them, just not the PK1 as I haven't used it regularly these days. Overall it pairs better with the warm sounding RE262 than ER4S/RE0 synergy wise, though it is able to drive them all to very loud. With teh colder sounding IEM like ER4S and RE0, I tend to use it with the EQ.


 

 but i guess, it cant get the 100% out of  them like the E11does, right? but still, sounds much better like the E5


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





kanuka said:


> but i guess, it cant get the 100% out of  them like the E11does, right? but still, sounds much better like the E5


 


 100% is a tricky word. If it is by pure driving power, no, E6 isn't as powerful as E11. But as good as E11 is, there are still better amp that can drive RE262 / ER4S / etc to higher level.


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## stupid11

Quote: 





clieos said:


> I did a quick A/B with E7 and cmoyBB. I find that the E6 is a tiny tad more revealing and less warm that E7, otherwise they are very similar. As for cmoyBB (on default opa2227), it has a warmer, richer, more expensive layer of soundstage, but other than that, the performance is comparable. I would say E6 is right between E7 and cmoyBB (which I think is already pretty close in performance, though different in flavour). It won't win cmoyBB, but I think the gap is smaller than the price difference between them.


 

 how is the staging of E6 itself? can it really add the soundstage depth of IPod video???(i.e. increasing the presentation of soundstage layer)
   


  Quote: 





clieos said:


> 100% is a tricky word. If it is by pure driving power, no, E6 isn't as powerful as E11. But as good as E11 is, there are still better amp that can drive RE262 / ER4S / etc to higher level.


 

 how is the sound quality of E6 itself compared to E11? is E6 brighter than E11??? because it seems that E11 is too dark for me....
   
   
  thx~~


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





stupid11 said:


> how is the staging of E6 itself? can it really add the soundstage depth of IPod video???(i.e. increasing the presentation of soundstage layer)
> *As far as I can tell, it doesn't improve soundstage as it is.*
> 
> how is the sound quality of E6 itself compared to E11? is E6 brighter than E11??? because it seems that E11 is too dark for me....
> *I'll say E6 is brighter than E11.*


 


 Answered in bold.


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## nfinite

is it worth it to upgrade from E5 to E6?


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## sulkoudai

will the E5 get cheaper and replace the E3??
   
  and is the E6 a big upgrade from the E5??


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## Riku540

Second paragraph of the _*very first post*_...
  Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *ClieOS* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Will it beats E11? No. But _*will it out-do E5 several times over? Hell yes.*_


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## Varley

This and the TBC - X3 from Fiio look absolutely fantastic, I can't help but support their company and buy both...Well that's my excuse to treat myself


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## keanex

Depending on the price I'll pick up one of these for my girlfriend. It's small and unobtrusive enough to convince her to try it.


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## kiteki

There's none on amazon and 1 on ebay but the seller won't ship until September.
   
  If you can't buy something what's the point in advertising it.


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## keanex

I don't think it's actually for sale yet...


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## Riku540

Quote: 





kiteki said:


> There's none on amazon and 1 on ebay but the seller won't ship until September.
> 
> If you can't buy something what's the point in advertising it.


 

 Again... on the _*very first paragraph*_ of the _*first post...*_
   
  Quote: 





clieos said:


> E6 has been in development for over a year now and ready to be launched months ago. But _*due to the respect for Westone, which has decided to bundle the new E6 with some of their IEM, the launch is delayed till 25th of August.*_ Yes, the _*end of this month*_, so that Westone will have enough time to finish up the bundle pack on their end.


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## keanex

That's really keen of Westone!


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## ClieOS

Quote: 





sulkoudai said:


> will the E5 get cheaper and replace the E3?? *Most likely not.*
> 
> and is the E6 a big upgrade from the E5?? *See below.*


 

 1) E6 sounds better than E5. It is cleaner, more revealing and less colored. 2) The EQ on E6 is much more usable to that of E5. 3). More gain (louder) on E6. 4) It doesn't clip / distort as easily as E5 on higher input. 5) E6 hisses less than E5.
   
  I have said it before, E6 is not going to beat E11. But for around the same price region as E5, E6 will prove to be better in almost every way, except perhaps for those who still fancy the aluminum housing on old E5.


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## stupid11

Quote: 





nfinite said:


> is it worth it to upgrade from E5 to E6?


 
  it think yes. as i guess this will totally replace the legendary E5???
  
   


  Quote: 





clieos said:


> 1) E6 sounds better than E5. It is cleaner, more revealing and less colored. 2) The EQ on E6 is much more usable to that of E5. 3). More gain (louder) on E6. 4) It doesn't clip / distort as easily as E5 on higher input. 5) E6 hisses less than E5.
> 
> I have said it before, E6 is not going to beat E11. But for around the same price region as E5, E6 will prove to be better in almost every way, except perhaps for those who still fancy the aluminum housing on old E5.


 

 nice to know that E6 is better in these sector as E5 is quite weak in these sectors stated above. It is very good to know that fiio can fix these factors.


----------



## jorjjamur

to my shame... i just asked a friend who is leaving for HK on friday to get me the E6.. i know they should not be released until 25th but hey... they staying until the 27th maybe my luck will hold..  oh yeah of course i kinda forgot to tell them that it is not released yet  
   
  *crossing fingers* hope they find it..


----------



## Honsami

I have a Sansa Clip+ and a Klipsch S4 IEM, which is 18ohms.  Should I expect better sound quality from using this new gadget?  I'm already impressed with the sound but don't know how much it could be improved.


----------



## T.F.O.A

will the westone bundle be 'eq'ed  for westone iem or not?
  just a thought...


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





stupid11 said:


> it think yes. as i guess this will totally replace the legendary E5???


 

 I think they will coexist for a short while. But I believe the long term plan is for E6 to replace E5 since they two are sharing the same price bucket.

  
  Quote: 





honsami said:


> I have a Sansa Clip+ and a Klipsch S4 IEM, which is 18ohms.  Should I expect better sound quality from using this new gadget?  I'm already impressed with the sound but don't know how much it could be improved.


 
  You'll see bigger upgrade if you get a better IEM. There are quite a few better IEM than S4 on the same price, so save your money for now and come back when you are ready to upgrade your S4.
  
   
   
  Quote: 





t.f.o.a said:


> will the westone bundle be 'eq'ed  for westone iem or not?
> just a thought...


 
  The only difference between the Westone E6 and FiiO E6 is on the logo / marking, I believe.


----------



## T.F.O.A

oh thanks Tae. not bad, good thing i haven't sell my um2


----------



## EraserXIV

I've been looking for a decent amp to pair with a RE262. How does the E6 synergize with it? Do you recommend anything else for the RE262? I was also thinking about the ibasso T3.


----------



## ClieOS

E6 is okay with RE262. I won't call it great. T3 is of course better in all regard. Depends on how much you are willing to spend however - you can get the LEAR FSM-01 from eBay for $150. It is a seriously good sounding amp but has its short coming. I will be reviewing it in a few weeks if you can wait. It you think $150 is too much, T3 will be my next recommendation.


----------



## Syncing

Since the E6 is a neutral amp, what kind of improvement/change would it have on the warm-mid sounding Shure SE215?


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





syncing said:


> Since the E6 is a neutral amp, what kind of improvement/change would it have on the warm-mid sounding Shure SE215?


 

 Purely on headphone-out (in this case, from Sansa Fuze), you will notice tighter bass control, more extensions / less mid focus. If you are using line-out (that is better than the headphone-out, which in this case is teh same Fuze with a custom LOD), the improvement will be more apparent. However, SE215 isn't a particularly hard to drive IEM, so don't expect night and day difference.


----------



## JamesFiiO

I saw someone were worry about the clip is not so stable, below is some photos of how the clips work and I think it is already very strong, unless you try to destroy it.


----------



## Parall3l

Someone creative is going amazing things with those clips


----------



## sulkoudai

That's one strong clip.....


----------



## JamesFiiO

BTW, the Clip is made by Polycarbonate, someone must know well about it, it is different with normal plastic, usually call ABS, PC is 3 - 4 times expensive than abs.


----------



## Hosoi

Just what i was going to ask for my rockboxed sansa fuze v1 and shure se215.Thanks ClieOS.LOD it is then.
  
  Quote: 





clieos said:


> Purely on headphone-out (in this case, from Sansa Fuze), you will notice tighter bass control, more extensions / less mid focus. If you are using line-out (that is better than the headphone-out, which in this case is teh same Fuze with a custom LOD), the improvement will be more apparent. However, SE215 isn't a particularly hard to drive IEM, so don't expect night and day difference.


----------



## stupid11

Quote: 





jamesfiio said:


> I saw someone were worry about the clip is not so stable, below is some photos of how the clips work and I think it is already very strong, unless you try to destroy it.


 


  this is nice!!!! i am going to need this feature very much, want it very much @_@
  really love ur products feiao. nice work.


----------



## Jack C

You can't hear it, but in those pictures, the E6 is saying "Nom nom nom..."
   
  Jack


----------



## ubercaffeinated

i wonder why westone is opting to bundle the E6 with iems that are already easy to drive.


----------



## Armaegis

Perhaps because they believe it makes their iem sound better than straight out of an ipod?


----------



## JamesFiiO

I will used AP to test some data, which can describe why a amp can improve the sound quality. of course, it is just an objective way and does not means all.


----------



## Genocide174

I'm sure this question has already been answered, but being the noob I pretty much am, I'm still going to ask: Is it going to be louder than e5? If so, how much?
   
  to feiaio, what stores will it be hitting first?


----------



## ClieOS

It is definitely louder than E5, but I can't tell you how much at teh moment as I have yet to measure it myself. Will update in a few days as I am trying to finish up the review.


----------



## nikp

Quote: 





clieos said:


> It is definitely louder than E5, but I can't tell you how much at teh moment as I have yet to measure it myself. Will update in a few days as I am trying to finish up the review.


 


  Looking forward to it! I might consider putting one more into my collection.


----------



## JamesFiiO

The gain of E6 is 2.8 dB bigger than E5,  so E6 will be noticeable louder than E5 at the same volume.


----------



## JamesFiiO

We had shipped E6 to most of our agent all over the world. plz contact one local seller who listed in our website www.fiio.com.cn


----------



## Genocide174

Quote: 





jamesfiio said:


> We had shipped E6 to most of our agent all over the world. plz contact one local seller who listed in our website www.fiio.com.cn


 


  Well that's a problem for me. I live in Sweden and the only store you have on your site doesn't have the latest products, so I always have to find it somewhere else.


----------



## candy287

can this drive my senn. hd25-II to its potential ? im currently running it on my sony walkman s750 and im very disappointed how its lacking on everything.


----------



## Genocide174

Quote: 





candy287 said:


> can this drive my senn. hd25-II to its potential ? im currently running it on my sony walkman s750 and im very disappointed how its lacking on everything.


 


  sony walkmans are usually very weak, atleast from my experience. I'd buy a sansa clip+ and a fiio e6. Epic sound. (If the e6 sounds anything like e5)


----------



## dziendobry

Same problem in the U.S. it seems no one has them listed as for sale yet.
  Quote: 





genocide174 said:


> Well that's a problem for me. I live in Sweden and the only store you have on your site doesn't have the latest products, so I always have to find it somewhere else.


----------



## candy287

i have the clip and its ok for what it offers but in my ears the walkman that i have is better, more puncher/ tad detailed. anyways hope to know aswell is it the same sound sign. as e5?
  Quote: 





genocide174 said:


> sony walkmans are usually very weak, atleast from my experience. I'd buy a sansa clip+ and a fiio e6. Epic sound. (If the e6 sounds anything like e5)


----------



## Genocide174

Quote: 





candy287 said:


> i have the clip and its ok for what it offers but in my ears the walkman that i have is better, more puncher/ tad detailed. anyways hope to know aswell is it the same sound sign. as e5?


 

  
  ClieOS clearly said that the e6 is better than e5, and knowing that fiio's gear never lets down, I have a hard time thinking the e6 is a let down.


----------



## ClieOS

As promised, the review has been updated on 1st page. Check it out.


----------



## elfary

Thanks for the review. The best point of the E6 is that it seems to get rid of the low bass roll off that the E5 featured no matter the load. Thus to get a ruler flat frequency off balanced armatures the E6 seems to be the cheapest way (May be that's the reason for the Westone bundle).
   
  If it just keeps up in distortion (Which apparently do) and it improves a bit the crosstalk performance of the E6 it might be a really strong bang for the buck gadget.


----------



## sulkoudai

thanks man, I'm ordering one tomorrow


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





elfary said:


> Thanks for the review. The best point of the E6 is that it seems to get rid of the low bass roll off that the E5 featured no matter the load. Thus to get a ruler flat frequency off balanced armatures the E6 seems to be the cheapest way (May be that's the reason for the Westone bundle).
> 
> If it just keeps up in distortion (Which apparently do) and it improves a bit the crosstalk performance of the E5 it might be a really strong bang for the buck gadget.


 

 Yes. The bass rolls off is a side effect for the small coupling caps used in E5 / E7. FiiO managed to remove some of the caps because of the new power circuit so it runs more linearly now. That is one of the reason why it also sounds better than E5 / E7. As far as the RMAA test I ran between E5 and E6, the result are a general improvement on all front except for THD (0.024% > 0.032%). Thought number is so small it really doesn't matter. Most noticeable improvement are on intermodulation distortion + noise (0.299% > 0.073%) and stereo crosstalk (-78.7dB > -82.5dB). The result is of course a good explanation of why E6 sounds cleaner than E5.


----------



## elfary

Even though i own an iBasso T3 and i still have a working E5 i think i'm getting the E6 as it might be handy in several scenarios.
   
  Thanks a bunch for you review and RMAA.


----------



## Jack C

US buyers can check the following thread in the FiiO forum for E6 availability updates:
   
http://www.head-fi.org/t/567160/new-amplifier-e6-come-to-market#post_7707993
   
  Jack


----------



## emsijs

The problem with the new Walkmans is the sound level limitation. Thats why I love my good old A818, witch has an option to disable it with ease. I recently got the Fiio L5 cable and i'm very happy with it, but since my E5 has suffered very hard times and it's difficult to adjust the volume, I'm planning to get the E6. The thing I really like is that the volume buttons are not on the same side with input/output connections.
  As far as I know, there aren't really any alternative choices at this price, right?


----------



## Parall3l

Quote: 





emsijs said:


> there aren't really any alternative choices at this price, right?


 

  
  Nothing this beautiful anyways. Apparently the Objective 2 can be made for less than $50. Theres also the popular Cmoy. Both of the amps are DIY types though.


----------



## kanuka

sorry if been asked before
   
  being the E11 a competitor against the T3d,
  how is it the E6 vs ibasso T4 ?


----------



## ClieOS

I'll say E6 is better than T4 overall.


----------



## kanuka

Quote: 





clieos said:


> I'll say E6 is better than T4 overall.


 








 that's  a surprise


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





kanuka said:


> that's  a surprise


 

 Market has changed a lot since T4 almost 3 years ago, so there's no really that surprising to find newer amp kicking the old one around.


----------



## Varley

Just ordered the E6 from AMP3 - £16.99, Will be here friday - No brainer for me.


----------



## natty15d

Quote: 





varley said:


> Just ordered the E6 from AMP3 - £16.99, Will be here friday - No brainer for me.


 

 same here, roll on monday


----------



## Jack C

We've shipped out quite a few E6's already, hopefully their new owners can chime in with some additional feedback in the coming days.
   
  Jack


----------



## Varley

Mine came today, fantastic. Still listening


----------



## jowens

Quote: 





varley said:


> Mine came today, fantastic. Still listening


 

 Give us your thoughts when you can, along with details on what phones you are using, etc...
   
  Waitng patiently for mine to arrive.


----------



## JosiahB

I just got mine yesterday from Micca Store through Amazon. Although I wont be using the amp for quite the same thing as most people, I'll go ahead and post my opinions anyway.
   
  I have to first say that I wouldn't really consider myself and audiophile (yet), and I don't own any high quality headphones (again, yet; I've bean reading a lot on the forums here, and I think I'll be getting some ATH AD700s later in the year). Anyway, I'm using the amp to connect my headphones to the sound output on my video game consoles, as my TV doesn't have any headphone ports. I used a male 3.5mm headphone to double female RCA to connect the sound output from my Wii to the amp (and I keep the amp plugged into the Wii's USB port while using it so that I don't have to worry about batteries).
   
  I tested the amp with several games and it worked great. The sound was crystal clear and there was no hiss unless I turned the volume up quite a ways, well over comfortable listening for me. I've tried it with all the EQs and I have to say that I liked the sound best with the EQs off. Though I did think that EQ 2 sounded good for games with an orchestrated soundtrack. The only negative I have is that twice I have heard a high pitch sound from my headphone; both times I made one full cycle through the EQs on the amp and it went away. I did try the amp with my Sansa Fuze (I have Rockbox installed), and although it didn't sound bad, I felt that it sounded better when I just plugged my headphones directly into the player. I should note that I haven't really used the amp with the Fuze much at all.
   
  Over all I have to say I'm immensely satisfied with the sound quality of the amp. I've never heard my video games so clear; I've heard sounds I had never heard before, and it would sound even better with a good pair of headphones. I should also note that the amp felt well built, despite being very small and light. The wires that came with it also felt very sturdy, and the clips feel very strong.
   
  I know my impressions probably won't be useful to most people because I'm using it for a different purpose than most, as well as not being very experienced in hi-fi sound, but I thought I'd give my two cents worth anyway.
   
  I do have to say I highly suggest purchasing from Micca Store. The shipping was very fast; I ordered the amp on Monday, it shipped on Tuesday, and it got here on Thursday (and that's from Virginia to south Florida). The only issue I had, and it's minor, is that the free headphone splitter that came with the amp wasn't the best of quality. I could get my headphones into one of the jacks easily, but the other took quite a bit of force; when I tried to remove it, the headphone jack pulled out of the plastic guard surrounding it. This wasn't a big deal though since it was free, and I didn't really have a need for it.


----------



## sulkoudai

still waiting for mine....


----------



## Parall3l

My local store is going to have them in stock soon,


----------



## sulkoudai

Quote: 





parall3l said:


> My local store is going to have them in stock soon,


 


  i wish there was a local store that sold these kinda stuff in Adelaide, there was a store in the city that sold awesome stuff (Senn HD650, etc) but that shop closed (or moved) and the best headphones shop i know is Harvey Norman (which is still bad, they sell like every Beats models, some low end Senns and Klipsch S4s for 150 bucks, ONE FIFTY BUCKS!!)


----------



## Parall3l

Headphonics is getting FiiO stuff in a couple of weeks and they have free domestic shipping I think. Might want to check them out, their pricing is pretty competitive to the US-based dealers on somestuff. (Not Ultrasones but thats not their fault)


----------



## koolkat

I would like to ask a general question.
   
  Can someone with a FiiO amp, specifically the E11 or E7, compare the differences in sound when plugging the E11/7 straight into the line out, and straight into headphone out. I'll be mostly using my laptop or Clip+ as my source and both don't have the line out jack. 
   
  Ty.


----------



## Parall3l

I thought you can't bypass the internal amp via headphone jacks ?


----------



## Ciaran Van Don

Just got this amp and I'm absolutely loving it.  Personally I think it provides a much wider soundstage than it's predecessor the fiio E5, it also provides a little more detail in both the mid and high frequencies.  The biggest surprise for me was that even on setting 3 the highest setting the bass managed to retain alot of it's detail without sounding muddy or flabby.  This amp will probably work best with fairly neutral (cold) headphones with good bass extension as I would consider it to have a slightly warm sound signature but it still works really nicely with my CALS!  This is definitely worth the price tag and I feel that FiiO are definitely moving in the right direction now as a wasn't very impressed with either the E5 or the E7.


----------



## mikeaj

Quote: 





koolkat said:


> I would like to ask a general question.
> 
> Can someone with a FiiO amp, specifically the E11 or E7, compare the differences in sound when plugging the E11/7 straight into the line out, and straight into headphone out. I'll be mostly using my laptop or Clip+ as my source and both don't have the line out jack.
> 
> Ty.


 

 By using line out instead of headphone out, you're bypassing the high current output stage (generally op amp or dedicated headphone driver amp chip), which can introduce some extra distortions.  However, an external amp's input impedance is quite high, much higher than headphones, so it is an easy load for the headphone output stage to drive.  Therefore, with most headphone outputs, it won't make a noticeable difference to use the headphone output rather than a line output.  The Clip+ headphone output is actually pretty good enough already, even driving headphones, so that will not be a problem sending to an amp (but on the flip side, this means there's not much motivation to use an external amp with it unless you need more volume or want to get slightly better sound quality).  It's harder to say for the laptop, but it may likely be a decent upgrade even just out of the headphone output.  It may not be a big deal with many headphones though.


----------



## koolkat

Thanks for the replies.
   
  It sucks that I'm using a laptop as my source.
   
  I can't install a sound card, and there's no line out jack...


----------



## DaBomb77766

Quote: 





koolkat said:


> Thanks for the replies.
> 
> It sucks that I'm using a laptop as my source.
> 
> I can't install a sound card, and there's no line out jack...


 


  This is what a DAC like the E7 is for!


----------



## alv4426

Just got a E6 today by surprise with my W2... I'm kinda surprised by it so far, the second setting with the blue light is good.


----------



## koolkat

But apparently I can't bypass the internal onboard sound chip, so plugging in the E7 won't make much of a difference. 
  
  Quote: 





dabomb77766 said:


> This is what a DAC like the E7 is for!


----------



## Parall3l

Quote: 





koolkat said:


> But apparently I can't bypass the internal onboard sound chip, so plugging in the E7 won't make much of a difference.


 

  
  You can't ? Thats unheard of. Is there no usb ?


----------



## koolkat

Oh yea.

 Totally forgot about the USB ports, LOL !
   
   
  So would the sound be way better with an E7 on? 
   
   
   
  Edit: Is it possible to connect the E11 to the laptop via USB to bypass the internal amp?


----------



## Parall3l

I'm the 7 thousandth viewer, do I win a prize ? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I wonder if a USB to 3.5mm cable actually exist and does it bypass the internal amp or not.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





koolkat said:


> Edit: Is it possible to connect the E11 to the laptop via USB to bypass the internal amp?


 
  No. In fact, you can't use E11 when it is charging.
   
   
  Quote: 





parall3l said:


> I wonder if a USB to 3.5mm cable actually exist and does it bypass the internal amp or not.


 
  Sure it does, USB to 3.5mm is the connector first generation iPod shuffle used, but it has nothing to do with bypassing anything.


----------



## stupid11

Quote: 





parall3l said:


> I'm the 7 thousandth viewer, do I win a prize ?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  i think USB to 3.5mm cable is actually exist. DIY-ers can make almost every kind of cable, even though this kind of cable is not common.
  
  edit:yes... Ipod shuffle 1st gen use this kind of cable


  Quote: 





koolkat said:


> Oh yea.
> 
> Totally forgot about the USB ports, LOL !
> 
> ...


 
  ya!!! i think it is possible to bypass the internal amp through USB to E11. however, there is no DAC or soundcard that changes the internal computer's digital data to analogue data. therefore, my prediction is there will be no sound produced (maybe some hiss) if u connect E11 to USB. CMIIW
  
   


  Quote: 





dabomb77766 said:


> This is what a DAC like the E7 is for!


 


  but again how to bypass the E7 internal amp?? to get its pure DAC output so that E6 can be connected to E7 without degrading the sound??
  hell yeah... another connector to E7....... i guess????
   
  edit: yeah... a fiio L7 connector is needed


----------



## Riku540

Quote: 





stupid11 said:


> but again how to bypass the E7 internal amp?? to get its pure DAC output so that E6 can be connected to E7 without degrading the sound??
> hell yeah... another connector to E7....... i guess????


 

 The FiiO L7:
  http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=22&MenuID=020303


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





stupid11 said:


> but again how to bypass the E7 internal amp?? to get its pure DAC output so that E6 can be connected to E7 without degrading the sound??
> hell yeah... *another connector to E7*....... i guess????


 

 It is called FiiO L7.


----------



## mikeaj

Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *stupid11* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> ya!!! i think it is possible to bypass the internal amp through USB to E11. however, there is no DAC or soundcard that changes the internal computer's digital data to analogue data. therefore, my prediction is there will be no sound produced (maybe some hiss) if u connect E11 to USB. CMIIW


 
   
  Cables are just wires.  Just think of the functionality that's necessary.  You need digital music data to be transported and converted to an analog waveform and then have that waveform amplified (buffered) by a high current output device to drive the headphones.  E11's USB connection is just for charging the device.  There's no chip that reads music data over USB and does DAC.
   
  Quote: 





stupid11 said:


> but again how to bypass the E7 internal amp?? to get its pure DAC output so that E6 can be connected to E7 without degrading the sound??
> hell yeah... another connector to E7....... i guess????


 

  E7 internal amp uses the same output stage chip as the E6 (and E5) and it's somewhat likely that the whole E6 amp as a whole is no better than the E7's amp--or at least they're probably very comparable.  So I'm not sure why one would connect an E7 to an E6.


----------



## Ulti

Hey Head-Fi-ers,
   
  I've got an iPhone 4, Xears TD-III Blackwood and Shure SRH440s.
   
  I just wondered would it be worth getting the E6 for this setup or would I not really notice any difference? Also how much difference does the Line Out cable for the iPhone 4 give compared to just using the Headphone Out?
   
  I'm a uni student so although this is "quite" cheap, I do have a budget and the money for a E6 can go a long way haha.
   
  Thanks!


----------



## stupid11

sorry double post. still a newbie


----------



## stupid11

Quote:


mikeaj said:


> Cables are just wires.  Just think of the functionality that's necessary.  You need digital music data to be transported and converted to an analog waveform and then have that waveform amplified (buffered) by a high current output device to drive the headphones.  E11's USB connection is just for charging the device.  There's no chip that reads music data over USB and does DAC.


   ya! as i said the internal laptop's Opamp can be bypassed through USB port because of course the opamp would not exist in USB output. as i said before that there will be no sound produced as there is no DAC exist in E11
  note: the fact that he want to connect from USB to 3.5mm input of E11
  CMIIW
   
  Quote:


mikeaj said:


> E7 internal amp uses the same output stage chip as the E6 (and E5) and it's somewhat likely that the whole E6 amp as a whole is no better than the E7's amp--or at least they're probably very comparable.  So I'm not sure why one would connect an E7 to an E6.


 
   
  some people said that E7 is somehow too warm and even dark. those who don't like dark sounding may find this as boring. ClieOS also states that E6 is balanced and even has its EQ features which somehow i think is better than Fiio E7 amping function. lastly, same output stage chip same opamp or even DAC chip could produce different sound signature. it all again depends on other factors such as resistor and capacitor even a solder tin could change sound signature. some people in my local forum also argue that a battery could change sound signature. CMIIW


----------



## Varley

Quote: 





ulti said:


> Hey Head-Fi-ers,
> 
> I've got an iPhone 4, Xears TD-III Blackwood and Shure SRH440s.
> 
> ...


 

 Any addition to the iPhone is a plus imo - The E6 is fantastic - I've been using it more than me E11 recently - The red and purple EQ's are a bit pointless with what IEM's/headphones I have, but the blue and neutral are fantastic; they add a real clarity and fullness to my RE-262s - Paired with the J3 with BBE ViVa they sound amazing, no distortion, no cracking, just as if someone has fed them some steroids!
   
  I've also got to say that the E6 seems so so light, is well made and feels pretty bomb proof for the material - The clip is well and truly unbreakable (to a certain extent) - The *only *downfall I can pick from this from the price is the fact it's a fingerprint magnet! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  Edit : I've also used it for over 5 hours now straight out the box, and it's still running strong powering my RE-262's!


----------



## Inks

ulti said:


> Hey Head-Fi-ers,
> 
> I've got an iPhone 4, Xears TD-III Blackwood and Shure SRH440s.
> 
> ...


 I personally don't think it will be worthwhile, the IP4 is already a really good source. I think that cash is better set on upgrading either one of your headphones.


----------



## CommonerCoffee

While waiing for my RE262 to arrive, I've decided that it's about time I should get a really tiny amp since everyone seems to say that the RE262 doesn't sound nearly as good as it could unamped.
   
  So I came across this and the FiiO e6 seems to fit the bill. I got a few questions before I order it though. My setup is going to be an ipod touch->e6->re262 and I want it to be as portable as possible. 
   
  So between http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-FE6-2118-E6-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005HJWWW8
  and http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E6-Headphone-Amplifier-Micca/dp/B005JT8OT6/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1315248743&sr=1-9
   
  Which on should I be looking to buy and what are the differences?
   
  I would prefer something like a double ended 3.5mm jack cable to get from my ipod to the amp.
   
  Sorry if this comes across as a stupid question.


----------



## mikeaj

Quote: 





stupid11 said:


> some people said that E7 is somehow too warm and even dark. those who don't like dark sounding may find this as boring. ClieOS also states that E6 is balanced and even has its EQ features which somehow i think is better than Fiio E7 amping function. lastly, same output stage chip same opamp or even DAC chip could produce different sound signature. it all again depends on other factors such as resistor and capacitor even a solder tin could change sound signature. some people in my local forum also argue that a battery could change sound signature. CMIIW


 

 Should be that the circuit design and PCB layout that matter more so than the battery (and definitely solder), but yes there are things that make a difference other than the chips used.  Sometimes the design--and layout to a certain extent--can make a very significant diffreence.  I just wouldn't _expect_ there to be a huge change since these are designed by FiiO under similar constraints.  If they claim an improvement of the E6 over than E5 I believe them though.  Certainly the E7 was a little bit better than the E5 even though they both use the same output chip (different input stage though).
  
   
  Quote: 





commonercoffee said:


> While waiing for my RE262 to arrive, I've decided that it's about time I should get a really tiny amp since everyone seems to say that the RE262 doesn't sound nearly as good as it could unamped.
> 
> So I came across this and the FiiO e6 seems to fit the bill. I got a few questions before I order it though. My setup is going to be an ipod touch->e6->re262 and I want it to be as portable as possible.
> 
> ...


 


 E6 comes with a M/M 3.5mm cable, right?
   
  Word of warning:  if you listen to music with a very high dynamic range (read: pretty much classical music only, maybe some jazz records) and want the loudest parts to get to live listening levels, E6 may be borderline not powerful enough for the RE262 (95 dB SPL / 1 mW input; 150 ohms).  E5/E6/E7 can only do about 23 mW into 150 ohms, which equates to about 108.6 dB SPL maximum if you take all those numbers at face value.  A good benchmark value to reach is maybe 105-115 dB SPL.  Note that above 80 dB or so for sustained periods can cause hearing damage, so this is already pretty loud.  For most listening I would think this is plenty though.  As we've seen, this was enough for ClieOS and probably most others.


----------



## CommonerCoffee

So should I be ordering from the first or the second link? And what does M/M stand for?


----------



## Varley

In regards to the RE-262 unamped - I can't listen to it unamped now, it's too boring and dry - You've got to give it some power for it to shine and be enjoyable, I find the same thing to apply to the RE0's - I just don't need to drive them as loud through the amp


----------



## MBQuart

Quote: 





commonercoffee said:


> So should I be ordering from the first or the second link? And what does M/M stand for?


 

 That is Male to Male, describing what type of plugs are on the included cable.  The E6 includes TWO cables (generous!) that have 3.5mm M/M connections.  Male at one end and Male on the other end.  The E6 and your source component supply the female ends of the connection.


----------



## CommonerCoffee

Huh, so if http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E6-Headphone-Amplifier-Micca/dp/B005JT8OT6/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics and http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-FE6-2118-E6-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005HJWWW8
   
  feature the same amp, why does the second link cost more if it doesn't include the Micca Y cable thing? Is the first link missing anything that the second link includes?


----------



## MBQuart

Quote: 





commonercoffee said:


> Huh, so if http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E6-Headphone-Amplifier-Micca/dp/B005JT8OT6/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics and http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-FE6-2118-E6-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005HJWWW8
> 
> feature the same amp, why does the second link cost more if it doesn't include the Micca Y cable thing? Is the first link missing anything that the second link includes?


 
  I would buy from Micca.  Aren't they are an official retailer for Fiio products?  See their website here - http://www.miccastore.com/index.php


----------



## Ulti

Quote: 





varley said:


> Any addition to the iPhone is a plus imo - The E6 is fantastic - I've been using it more than me E11 recently - The red and purple EQ's are a bit pointless with what IEM's/headphones I have, but the blue and neutral are fantastic; they add a real clarity and fullness to my RE-262s - Paired with the J3 with BBE ViVa they sound amazing, no distortion, no cracking, just as if someone has fed them some steroids!
> 
> I've also got to say that the E6 seems so so light, is well made and feels pretty bomb proof for the material - The clip is well and truly unbreakable (to a certain extent) - The *only *downfall I can pick from this from the price is the fact it's a fingerprint magnet!
> 
> ...


 


  I've had the E5 before but I never really carried it out as I couldn't tell too much of a difference between the sounds, I did notice it was improved but only ever so slightly and not worth me carrying it around.


  Quote: 





inks said:


> I personally don't think it will be worthwhile, the IP4 is already a really good source. I think that cash is better set on upgrading either one of your headphones.


 

 I've heard the SRH840 cushions help with improving the sound of the SRH440 so I'll probably go for that if I can get ahold of it in UK (waiting for Shure to reply).


----------



## Varley

I had the iPhone 4 before I gave it to the Mrs, and while it is good on its own, the E5 did add to it - which made it worthwhile for me - I don't use my Blackberry as a source really but the E6 is a good addition, and £17 for it is tuppence really 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  And yes, the 840 pads do help the 440's a lot indeed, that's the first thing I did to mine when I got them, then I added a Sennheiser headband for comfort (my dad has them now) -
  You can get the pads from here - http://www.juno.co.uk/products/shure-srh840-replacement-ear-cushions/396497-01/?utm_source=google_uk&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Google%2BShopping
   
*My Modded 440's from like last year : *





 - You can slightly see the headband velcroed on


----------



## EraserXIV

For under $100 is there anything better than the E6 if you are pairing with an RE262? I was thinking the E11 was the next logical upgrade, but I'm not sure if it's darker signature is a good fit for the RE262.


----------



## Jack C

Quote: 





commonercoffee said:


> Huh, so if http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E6-Headphone-Amplifier-Micca/dp/B005JT8OT6/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics and http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-FE6-2118-E6-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005HJWWW8
> 
> feature the same amp, why does the second link cost more if it doesn't include the Micca Y cable thing? Is the first link missing anything that the second link includes?


 


  Hi,
   
  Nothing is missing from that listing, as you will receive the full retail E6 package plus the Y cable.
   
  Jack


----------



## Varley

Quote: 





eraserxiv said:


> For under $100 is there anything better than the E6 if you are pairing with an RE262? I was thinking the E11 was the next logical upgrade, but I'm not sure if it's darker signature is a good fit for the RE262.


 


  The E11 is what I'm using mostly with the 262's - The E6 works with the J3 but still struggles a bit when you compare it to the E11- I use the E11 on high gain, high power, bass setting 1 - Works wonders


----------



## dippyboy_87

Is this e6 even better than the cmoyBB for driving iems or low impedance headphones like something upto 150 ohms?


----------



## MrProggie

I bought one. 28 dollars including shipping is cheap.


----------



## eke2k6

Could anyone tell me how this would pair up with the Vsonic GR07? I'm contemplating holding out for the ZO V2, but the price of the E6 is quite appealing.


----------



## ClieOS

GR07 doesn't need amping, but in case you still want to know - they pair pretty well together.


----------



## eke2k6

Thanks


----------



## cptindustry

would the e6 be a good match with my clip+ and hd25?


----------



## firev1

Quote: 





cptindustry said:


> would the e6 be a good match with my clip+ and hd25?


 

 Not really, hd25 is good stuff so you should pair it with more good stuff like the E11 or something. Imo e6 bottlenecks the hd25's potential.


----------



## cptindustry

IMO the HD 25 sound good even unamped. I used to carry around the mini3 and i felt it sounded a bit better but I ended up selling the mini3 anyways. The size of the e6 is just so appealing for its portability. A lot less obtrusive than the mini3 or any other cmoys.
  
  Quote: 





firev1 said:


> Not really, hd25 is good stuff so you should pair it with more good stuff like the E11 or something. Imo e6 bottlenecks the hd25's potential.


----------



## Jupiterknight

Quote: 





cliffroyroycole said:


> Okay, well, my E6 arrived yesterday, and in my view, anyone who doesn't pick one of these up, especially someone who has never tried an amp, is missing out on an excellent entry level piece of gear. I had heard the E5, but was not very impressed (and they seemed to fail a lot too). But the E6 is an outstanding little amp, on par with more expensive amps, that's for sure. I have it hooked up to my iPod Classic via LOD and a Whiplash mini to mini cable, and then to my JH5s, and the sound is quite nice. The E6 gives the music a little more oomph and detail, but it's very neutral too, doesn't muck up the bass (I use it on the pink setting, whatever that is. Not much bass boost, could be one up from no boost. Not sure).
> 
> To me, it's just too cheap to pass up. Not saying it will supplant the also inexpensive JDS Labs CmoyBB v2.03, but it certainly is in the same ballpark in terms of using an amp to up the ante a bit when it comes to improving SQ. It's more than a volume booster, that's for sure, and a far cry from the FiiO E3 or even the E5. I owned the E7 once, but wasn't that impressed (sold it). I won't be selling the E6.
> 
> ...


 


  X2. Very impressed by this "ultra" portable amp. I was very skeptical about this release, as a previous owner of E3/5, it has certainly taken me by surprise. I have owned other portable amps like the Arrow/ Ibasso T3/Headsix, but all sold them for various reasons, but I'll
  keep this one.
   
  I'm not indicating that it sounds or perform better than the amps I mentioned, but it's price/performance ratio is IMO almost unbeatable and an excellent and very affordable way for newcomers to try out an amp.
   
   Don't expect it to drive expensive and/or hard to drive headphones very well, look elsewhere! But again, as a portable amp than can actually be used in the outside world with IEM's or portable headphones, it's more than worth it's admission price.


----------



## EraserXIV

Quote: 





jupiterknight said:


> X2. Very impressed by this "ultra" portable amp. I was very skeptical about this release, as a previous owner of E3/5, it has certainly taken me by surprise. I have owned other portable amps like the Arrow/ Ibasso T3/Headsix, but all sold them for various reasons, but I'll
> keep this one.
> 
> I'm not indicating that it sounds or perform better than the amps I mentioned, but it's price/performance ratio is IMO almost unbeatable and an excellent and very affordable way for newcomers to try out an amp.
> ...


 

 What about the T3 did you not like? I was debating between purchasing that and the E6, but I wasn't sure if the price increase was worth it. I do like that it has a 30+ hour battery life vs the E6's 10.


----------



## Jupiterknight

Quote: 





eraserxiv said:


> What about the T3 did you not like? I was debating between purchasing that and the E6, but I wasn't sure if the price increase was worth it. I do like that it has a 30+ hour battery life vs the E6's 10.


 

 When I owned the T3, more than a year ago, I primarily used it with some TF10. I don't know what the excact impedance output of the T3's are, but the TF10 are in my experience very sensitive to almost any kind of impedance output from an amp and in this particular case I felt that the T3 didn't really do the TF10 any favors!
   
  I can't really remember and comment on if the T3 sounded better than the E6 with other IEM's/headphones since it's been so long since I owned it, but in the end I didn't use it very much or at all, so it was not worth keeping.
   
  I agree that the battery life of the E6 is very low vs. many other amps, but again so is the price. Due to the E6's unique size and reasonable performance I feel I will be using this amp "on the go" way more than any other portable amp I have owned. To me, that''s a great value!


----------



## alv4426

I just used my E6 with my TF10 for the first time and all I can say is WOW. I didnt really think the E6 was that great cause I dont feel it made a huge difference with my W2 (which it came with) but with the TF10 these sound amazing. Everything is better including at least I think separation of instruments which I think was already pretty good. I think I may be enjoying these more than my full size cans and maybe even my full system...
   
  EDIT: Forgot to mention its been maybe 45 min my ears are already sore, I should get these re-shelled


----------



## Jupiterknight

Quote: 





alv4426 said:


> I just used my E6 with my TF10 for the first time and all I can say is WOW. I didnt really think the E6 was that great cause I dont feel it made a huge difference with my W2 (which it came with) but with the TF10 these sound amazing. Everything is better including at least I think separation of instruments which I think was already pretty good. I think I may be enjoying these more than my full size cans and maybe even my full system...
> 
> EDIT: Forgot to mention its been maybe 45 min my ears are already sore, I should get these re-shelled


 
   
  I can somewhat agree to this.
   
  I just spend some time listening to my now reshelled TF10 with the E6. I'm not going to jump the gun and say everything sounded much better, but I will say it was a very pleasant surprise and that I so far believe that the TF10 with the E6 actually may have found a better partner than any other portable amp I have tried it with.
   
  Now this makes me believe, without having measured it, that the impedance output of the E6 may be very low maybe between 0-1 Ohm to explain why it performs so very well with the TF10. 
   
  If anyone knows, please correct me.


----------



## ClieOS

I have mentioned it in the review - but yes, you are right. E6's output impedance is less than 1 ohm.


----------



## ExpatinJapan

Quote: 





clieos said:


> I have mentioned it in the review - but yes, you are right. E6's output impedance is less than 1 ohm.


 


  what is E11 output impedance? (and ibasso T3 for a general comparison). 
   
  Thanks.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





expatinjapan said:


> what is E11 output impedance? (and ibasso T3 for a general comparison).
> 
> Thanks.


 

 I believe E11 output impedance is under 1 ohm as well, so are all FiiO portable amp. The only FiiO amp with > 1 ohm output impedance is the E9, but there is because the opamp it used required a specific output impedance to be stable. I don't know the exact output impedance of T3, but as far as iBasso goes, they generally have a 10ohm output impedance. It might seem a lot, but the true is, a lot of older gears have much higher impedance (120ohm at times) yet people are totally fine with them. People these days are getting much pickier about output impedance than ever. Personally, I kind of see it as part of the synergy issue.


----------



## Armaegis

I prefer the big Beyers out of a higher impedance like an OTL tube amp. They just don't sound right to me otherwise.


----------



## babbkutz@comcast

The E6 is going to make many people rethink the sound/cost equation........it's cheap and quite good.......... it works great with my Ety 4s and my Earsonics SM3s


----------



## eke2k6

Quote: 





babbkutz@comcast said:


> The E6 is going to make many people rethink the sound/cost equation


 


  I hope so. Mine just shipped from Amazon/Micca Distributors


----------



## stupid11

i wonder if this amp can drive yamaha Hp3 ortho(150 ohm) maximally in reasonable volume without any significant level of noise? my E5 drive my Hp3 with a lot of noise~~~~


----------



## FinnTheHumen

Quote: 





eke2k6 said:


> I hope so. Mine just shipped from Amazon/Micca Distributors


 
  me too ordered today Delivery Estimate: September 15, 2011 - September 20, 2011
   
   
Do the e6 have a bass boost like e5?


----------



## firev1

Quote: 





finnthehumen said:


> me too ordered today Delivery Estimate: September 15, 2011 - September 20, 2011
> 
> 
> Do the e6 have a bass boost like e5?


 

 Yes it does, but I would prefer listening to it on EQ2 +db which also somewhat adds bass or listen to it flat.


----------



## elfary

iBasso T3 output impedance is less than 1 Ohm. Or that's what i was told by iBasso at the time i bought it. It seems accurate by the flat frequency response it provides to hard to drive balanced armatures (TF10)


----------



## ClieOS

Good to know, though I have had no complaint regarding my T3D.
  
  Quote: 





elfary said:


> iBasso T3 output impedance is less than 1 Ohm. Or that's what i was told by iBasso at the time i bought it. It seems accurate by the flat frequency response it provides to hard to drive balanced armatures (TF10)


----------



## dachness

Quote: 





clieos said:


> I have mentioned it in the review - but yes, you are right. E6's output impedance is less than 1 ohm


 
  Quote: 





clieos said:


> I believe E11 output impedance is under 1 ohm as well, so are all FiiO portable amp. The only FiiO amp with > 1 ohm output impedance is the E9, but there is because the opamp it used required a specific output impedance to be stable. I don't know the exact output impedance of T3, but as far as iBasso goes, they generally have a 10ohm output impedance. It might seem a lot, but the true is, a lot of older gears have much higher impedance (120ohm at times) yet people are totally fine with them. People these days are getting much pickier about output impedance than ever. Personally, I kind of see it as part of the synergy issue.


 

 Just what I was looking for 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





. Did you measure both the E6 and E11 for output impedence? If not, where did you find the output impedences?
   
  Thank You,
   
  Daniel


----------



## ClieOS

No, I didn't measure them myself (though I will build a simply rig to measure output impedance in a week or two). The number is quoted from FiiO.
  Quote: 





dachness said:


> Just what I was looking for
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## dziendobry

Got mine today, I am loving it, great value.  However I did like the way the E5 clipped to the silicone case of my Fuze, I don't usually amp my Clip+ but it would be nice to figure out how to attach the two without using a rubber band. 
   
  Anyone have any idea's, or would like to share how they have the two connected?


----------



## pshhyeahh

So between the Fiio E6, Fiio E11, and JDS Labs CMoyBB, the CMoy would still be the one to choose for let's say DT 770 Pro 80s?


----------



## MrProggie

Quote: 





dziendobry said:


> Got mine today, I am loving it, great value.  However I did like the way the E5 clipped to the silicone case of my Fuze, I don't usually amp my Clip+ but it would be nice to figure out how to attach the two without using a rubber band.
> 
> Anyone have any idea's, or would like to share how they have the two connected?


 


  Try some double sided tape.


----------



## Varley

_*Mine clip perfectly together, everything is accessible *__*and they don't move *_


----------



## cmzwirner

I just got mine today. It came as an extra with my Westone 2's. IMO, with 320 bitrate mp3's and an iphone 4 i think it sounds better without the amp. Even the flat EQ makes the SQ drop immensely.


----------



## alv4426

I totally agree with this, and since this is my only portable amp I'm not 100% that any amp can be used with a phone because I get a lot of interference from it.
  
  Quote: 





cmzwirner said:


> I just got mine today. It came as an extra with my Westone 2's. IMO, with 320 bitrate mp3's and an iphone 4 i think it sounds better without the amp. Even the flat EQ makes the SQ drop immensely.


----------



## eke2k6

First Impression: wow that's small. As for the sound, its not bad. But I'm coming from an iPhone 4 that already has a pretty good amp section. The improvement is prob only 1-3% and it wasn't in the areas I wanted.
   
  With that said, if anyone wants to take it off my hands for the price I bought it (it's 2 hours old), send me a PM


----------



## dachness

Those using the E6 with the iPhone4. Are you using a LOD cable to the E6 or are you amping the Headphone Out?
   
  Was considering the E6 for an iPhone4 and ATH-M50, but I think I am going to stick with my current setup.
   
  Daniel


----------



## eke2k6

I used the LOD cable. I'd recommend at least trying out the E6 for your M50 since it's a headphone and might benefit from some added power.


----------



## alv4426

I dont have an LOD yet so straight out the headphone jack. But the E6 sounds great with my sony mp3 and TF10. As for use with the M50 I didnt hear much of a difference


----------



## Riku540

Quote: 





alv4426 said:


> I dont have an LOD yet so straight out the headphone jack. But the E6 sounds great with my sony mp3 and TF10. As for use with the M50 I didnt hear much of a difference


 
   
  Using the headphone jack into the E6 is double-amplifying the signal and therefore degrading the sound quality. Also, the interference you're getting is most likely because the headphone jack is also the wired headset/microphone jack. A line out should bypass all this and provide much better signal and sound quality, especially on a phone.
   
  Unless you intend to get a LOD, you probably are better just leaving the amp out of the equation; considering how easy it is to drive IEMs, and as powerful as the E6 is for its price and size, doesn't even come close to say, the E11.


----------



## alv4426

I was planning on getting an LOD but honestly I think the iphone 4 is good enough for my purposes since I dont use it as my DAP and even the E6 is too annoying to carry around for me.
  Quote: 





riku540 said:


> Unless you intend to get a LOD, you probably are better just leaving the amp out of the equation; considering how easy it is to drive IEMs, and as powerful as the E6 is for its price and size, doesn't even come close to say, the E11.


----------



## ClieOS

Funny that my observation so far (from a couple of new Westone owners whom posted here) seems to suggest Westone IEM that come with E6 are less likely to benefit from E6 (though not a surprise since Westone tends to be very efficient and doesn't need amping). But they actually find E6 to be used with other IEM / headphone.


----------



## Varley

I've been using my E6 in par with my Clip+ and the new Brainwavz Beta's - It's a massive difference for me - Well worth the extra 18g


----------



## firev1

As for the posts on M50's, the E6 does a good job at driving it since the M50 by itself is already super easy to drive, your setup like Riku said degrades the signal and will benefit from and LOD. Also, despite its price, the E6 is miles away from the E11.
   
   
  Off topic: How are the Brainwavz Beta's? Is it a true upgrade from the M3? 
   
  Quote: 





varley said:


> I've been using my E6 in par with my Clip+ and the new Brainwavz Beta's - It's a massive difference for me - Well worth the extra 18g


----------



## Varley

In regards to the Beta's - I don't think they're meant to me an upgrade to the M3? As they're almost 1/4 of the price - I also can't vouch as I haven't heard the M3 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  In comparison to the M1's which are double the price - And I own - I prefer the Beta's a lot more, they actually sound unbelievable to my ears - Balanced (with a slight warmth) punchy and I can't really see any floors with them so far - The only minor concern I have is that I've been using them mainly when walking the dogs etc, so all the minor more critical details seem to be missed over other higher tier IEM's - The vocals are ever ever so slightly veiled behind songs are certain genres; but if you're OK with that, the music shines through.
   
  This is all with the supplies Comply tips that come with them, amped with an E6 with Clip+ (not used any other source)- The comfort and fit for me is fantastic and I never fiddle with them - I've not tried any other tips with them 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 - *Total steal for £15*


----------



## firev1

Oops, mixed up the Betas for B2 :S  I was kinda concerned about sound isolation regarding the tips though but it seems your happy with them  Good to know that there are better options then the alpha, I want to compare this over my feels pro 900 to take out and about too.​
  Quote: 





varley said:


> In regards to the Beta's - I don't think they're meant to me an upgrade to the M3? As they're almost 1/4 of the price - I also can't vouch as I haven't heard the M3
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## avi3108

Hi I have a pair of Denon AH-C710's (Impedance 16 ohms and sensitivity 110dB SPL/Mw) and a Cowon i9 (Sound output power 30mW + 30mW) but it doesn't have a line out so would like to know if there would be an improvement in sound quality if i just use the headphone out on the E6. Would it also improve sound quality on a macbook pro 17 2011 model?


----------



## firev1

No and no


----------



## maniac2003

For me the E6 does make a difference (for the better) with my setup:
  Cowon D2 - 37mW @ 16 Ohm
  Phonak Audeo PFE perfect bass (012) - 32 Ohm, 107 dB
   
  The sound for me has better instrument seperation and it's more dynamic/layered.
  Always nice to have such a tiny box.


----------



## unlazy4sports

Newbie here.  Sounds like this amp makes a difference paired with the Sansa Clip+.  I'm thinking about getting this for the Clip+, but is also planning on buying the Fiio X3 when it comes out.  Will this amp be unnecessary for the X3 since it will have an internal amp?


----------



## Agnaem

I didn't read all the posts at the X3's thread, so I might have missed a couple of updates. That said, AFAIK E5, E6, E7 and X3 all uses the same amp, but w/ different implementation which results in different SQ, notably in E6 where it manages to beat E7's amp. Whether E6 is a good pair w/ X3 will depend on how X3 turns out but IMO, an amp to be paired w/ X3 should be something better than the E6. (For example, the E11 or E17) 

Just me 2 cents.


----------



## sulkoudai

I got the E6 today, I'm using it with the FiiO L9. The L9 doesn't fit properly because of my case but it still works 

I'm using the Hippo VB with it and it sounds so much better than the iPhone 4.


----------



## bcpk

My HTC Sensation has pretty good SQ but the E6 *really* helps in terms of fullness of  sound with higher-impedance portables like the PortaPros.
   
  Definitely worth the €20.


----------



## Varley

Quote: 





bcpk said:


> My HTC Sensation has pretty good SQ but the E6 *really* helps in terms of fullness of  sound with higher-impedance portables like the PortaPros.
> 
> Definitely worth the €20.


 


 Absolutely. My PortaPros on the 'blue light' setting  from my Clip+ are on another level.


----------



## Varley




----------



## elfary

Quote: 





bcpk said:


> My HTC Sensation has pretty good SQ but the E6 *really* helps in terms of fullness of  sound with higher-impedance portables like the PortaPros.
> 
> Definitely worth the €20.


 

 Since i'm interested in the HTC Sensation you might be very helpful for my wallet. How do the Sensation hpout cope with DBA-02 (Balanced Armatures) ? Since i don't know about the output impedance of that very phone i'm worried that it might not be able to drive balanced armatures well without an amp.
   
  And about amping that very smartphone with the E6...How bad is the RF intereference ? When i try to amp my iPhone with the E5 or the iBasso T3 the RF is unbearable whenever the phone xmits.


----------



## johntodd

How durable is this little amp ?


----------



## GreenTea

It feels really light but it seems very durable. I think there was a post saying that the plastic was polycarbonate plastic which is significantly higher quality when compared to cheaper plastics such as ABS plastics FiiO could have opted to use.
   
  I was a bit skeptical about it but since it was only $30 CAD, I bought one and now that I have it, it's absolutely worth the money. Makes a huge difference with my HD555s and MS1s coming out of my PC as well as a Samsung GS2. The difference is totally noticeable; this little thing sounds great!
   
  I'm a noobie though. I don't have any "difficult to drive" headphone or desktop amps (yet) to be able to compare it to but I'm sure if you check back to previous posts there are far more experienced and qualified people that have given their opinions on the E6.
  
  Quote: 





johntodd said:


> How durable is this little amp ?


----------



## Ciaran Van Don

I like this little amp, my V-Moda Vibes really open up with it - sounding more airy.  I get a better bass extension for a thumping low end and the recessed mids and highs come forward a little bit.  It's great for Trance and Techno anyway!  I'm sure this combination would not be to everyone's tastes lol


----------



## yjt93

I just got this with my westone 3s, I dont have any difference when I dont use the EQ, is there any other to keep this on while using my westone 3? sorry for a stupid question lol
   
  edit: when using with westone 3 it also gives small amounts of background noise that I wouldn't get from source


----------



## bcpk

Quote: 





elfary said:


> Since i'm interested in the HTC Sensation you might be very helpful for my wallet. How do the Sensation hpout cope with DBA-02 (Balanced Armatures) ? Since i don't know about the output impedance of that very phone i'm worried that it might not be able to drive balanced armatures well without an amp.
> 
> And about amping that very smartphone with the E6...How bad is the RF intereference ? When i try to amp my iPhone with the E5 or the iBasso T3 the RF is unbearable whenever the phone xmits.


 


  It sounds pretty good with the DBA02s but the E6 would make a difference. RFI is noticeable when the amp is next to the phone, not so much when it's clipped to your shirt or elsewhere.


----------



## SilverS

Just placed an order for an E6 yesterday, super excited to see how to works out with my ES7s


----------



## Genocide174

I have a dilemma. The E5 I can get cheap at a local store which has the best guarantee policy ever. Simply bring it back when it's broken and they'll give you a new one. The E6 I can get cheap too from say mp4nation, but then ofcourse they're located in Hong Kong so if it were to brake I'd have a big problem..
   
  I have a sansa clip+ and klipsch image S2 and I'm getting the PL30's soon. Is it worth getting the E6 over the E5?


----------



## eke2k6

If you really want the E6, I'm selling mine because I have no use for it. It's for 28 dollars and it was used less than 30 minutes total.


----------



## Genocide174

Quote: 





eke2k6 said:


> If you really want the E6, I'm selling mine because I have no use for it. It's for 28 dollars and it was used less than 30 minutes total.


 


  Well I can get it for 28 dollars at mp4nation with free shipping..


----------



## mikeaj

If you have a Clip+, I'd forget about getting either.

E5 or E6 is mostly just for the volume boost (you won't need it for those IEMs) and low output impedance (not a problem of the Clip+) and better performance than many integrated amps (but the Clip+ has similar performance). So helpful to others, not so much to your setup. As always, YMMV.


----------



## estreeter

I started a thread a while back looking for the smallest 'mini rig' - tape the current Nano to one of these and its going to be very hard to beat.


----------



## Armaegis

Think the e6 circuit would be small enough to replace the ANC circuit of a Beats Studio?


----------



## Reticuli2

The E7 gives the Sennheiser massive and deep tuneful bass, making the HD25 borderline dark.  You will get better sound using a device's line out, but you will still get a big change with the HD25 sending such an amp a headphone jack signal.
  Quote: 





candy287 said:


> can this drive my senn. hd25-II to its potential ? im currently running it on my sony walkman s750 and im very disappointed how its lacking on everything.


 


 The E7 compares similarly to the Cmoys, but with a digital volume control and a DAC.  It widely beats the headphone jack on a Sansa Clip or Clip+.  Using the jack on those to feed a headphone amp is always going to limit the amp, as mentioned.  The E5 tested very inferior to the E7 and Cmoys.  Has anyone tested the E6 and compared it to the E7 and Cmoys using RMAA and the same soundcard, preferrably one that doesn't actually cause roll-off?  I keep hearing blanket statements that the E6 has superior performance to the E7 and there are some tests of the E6, but I don't see any tests of the E7 and  Cmoys on the same system that would justify such claims.


----------



## BloodyPenguin

Just got my E6 Today.  VERY happy with it.  Though the FiiO L1 Cord you see was defective (and has been sent back).  Guess I need to pay a little extra and Get one of the newer FiiO Cords.
   
  Anyhoo...  On to my current set up:
   
   
  iPod nano (5th Gen), FiiO E6 (Mini Amp), Koss Portapro's
   

   
   
   
  I am very happy with the sound.  I think it is about as good as it gets for the price.
   
   
  My only question is, I plan on getting a pair of Grado's SR60i/80i by the end of the year.  Will the E6 be able to drive them sufficiently? 
   
  ..


----------



## estreeter

Quote: 





reticuli2 said:


> The E7 compares similarly to the Cmoys, but with a digital volume control and a DAC.  It widely beats the headphone jack on a Sansa Clip or Clip+.  Using the jack on those to feed a headphone amp is always going to limit the amp, as mentioned.


 
   
  Happy to hear otherwise, but isnt there a commercially-available LOD for the Clip/Clip+ now ? I could be getting it confused with the LOD they bought out for the Sony players - anyone ?


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





bloodypenguin said:


> My only question is, I plan on getting a pair of Grado's SR60i/80i by the end of the year.  Will the E6 be able to drive them sufficiently?


 
   
  Grado are mostly 32 ohm with relatively high sensitivity, so you should be fine.

  
  Quote: 





estreeter said:


> Happy to hear otherwise, but isnt there a commercially-available LOD for the Clip/Clip+ now ? I could be getting it confused with the LOD they bought out for the Sony players - anyone ?


 

 No such thing as LOD for Clip / Clip+. May be you confused it with LOD for Fuze?


----------



## BloodyPenguin

Thanks for the reply.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  Quote: 





clieos said:


> Grado are mostly 32 ohm with relatively high sensitivity, so you should be fine.


----------



## sulkoudai

Quote: 





bloodypenguin said:


> Just got my E6 Today.  VERY happy with it.  Though the FiiO L1 Cord you see was defective (and has been sent back).  Guess I need to pay a little extra and Get one of the newer FiiO Cords.
> 
> Anyhoo...  On to my current set up:
> 
> ...


 


  yea, my friend uses his SR60s with iPod Touch+Fiio L9 line out+Fiio E6. and it sounds so good


----------



## elfary

@ClieOS Do you know what the crosstalk figure of your RMAA into 16 Ohm resistance was ?
   
  I'm trying to figure out how does the E6 fare vs the E5 in the crosstalk area since in the frequency response department it's clear that there's an interesting improvment (No bass roll-off).


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





elfary said:


> @ClieOS Do you know what the crosstalk figure of your RMAA into 16 Ohm resistance was ?
> 
> I'm trying to figure out how does the E6 fare vs the E5 in the crosstalk area since in the frequency response department it's clear that there's an interesting improvment (No bass roll-off).


 

 They are both around the 57~60dB area IIRC, but you should take that number with caution as I have measured far better amp that turned up with relatively similar number. My conclusion is that my soundcard is simply not good enough to 'tell' between a good amp and a great amp on a lot of area. That's why I don't posted RMAA result much as the measurement relies too much on the quality of the soundcard (and actually the whole system, especially the cleanest of the power supply) and in this case, mine just sucks and only good for basic stuff. I'll do another RMAA tonight and give you the number.


----------



## elfary

I know that RMAA absolute figures are not very reliable (Specially crosstalk ones) but they are good enough for comparison between devices.
   
  Anyway 60 is a quite a good number of such a low load.
   
  I still use the Fiio E5 as a volume control at the office and i'm trying not to jump on the E6 for that purpose till the E5 dies...but my E5 seems unbreakable. 3 years into service and still keeping up.
   
  I would have never thought that this 20$  device would serve me for countless hours and would last all these years. These folks at Fiio make very sturdy stuff


----------



## ClieOS

Just run a RMAA test on E5, E6 and E7. Using both E7's DAC (line-out) and D-zero's line out as source, it shows that E6 is in average about 1.5dB better than E5 and E7 on crosstalk.


----------



## elfary

Thanks a lot for running the tests.
   
  So it's pretty much an acceptable performance in that area and the almost ruler flat frequency response it can provide to balanced armatures makes it a really worth purchase.


----------



## JamesFiiO

We can post the test data by our AP


----------



## elfary

That would be greatly appreciated. And i wish more manufacturers would offer to do so (I've asked to many smartphone makers about the output impedance of their devices headphones out and they have never given me a figure. Nor Westone or Shure would provide me with an impedance curve of their iems). As a customer i feel kind of naked against the marketing thunderstorms 
   
  Let me conclude the post by appreciating the great value of the Fiio products. As well as the build quality. As i told earlier my E5 is three years old and still works as day one. And it has many flight hours under her belly


----------



## Reticuli2

Quote: 





jamesfiio said:


> We can post the test data by our AP


 


 Yeah, that would be great.
   
  Next step would be for me to find the cheapest vendor online for the USA.  My O2 is still a ways off and I'm not too hopeful about anyone being able to get me a zero-gain 4556 non-split-railed cmoy.  I really wanna hear my Emu 0204 with its hot 2.07V output in all its glory.  A digital volume control on the E6 looks like it might seal the deal.


----------



## MrProggie

Finally got mine. Sounded a bit muddled and grainy right out of the box right after the first charge.
  The amp is *almost* able to play my HD650s loud enough.
   
  Not very transparent compared to Headstage Arrow 2G(HA), though. Perhaps it will help a little burning it in a few hours.
   
  After 15-20 minutes of play it either starts to sound better or I am getting used to the sound. The louder you play the more grainier it sounds. 
  The amp is of course not able to pinpoint the position of music instruments like HA is, but then it only costs one tenth of HA.


----------



## JamesFiiO

the output impedance of E6 is 0.3 ohms, and the FR graphic is as below


----------



## elfary

Thanks a lot !. ClieOS was spot on 
   
  Too bad smartphone makers refuse to release a single fact about their headphone outs.


----------



## gordec

I am currently planning on using my Vsonic GR07 with my HTC Desire HD phone. I know HTC phones are typically known for poor quality DACs. Will getting a portable amp like E6 offset the inadequacies of my music player?


----------



## eke2k6

Only if you use a line out dock. If you use it directly from the headphone jack, you might as well try to spray cologne on a turd...get what I mean? Or you could just double the E6 money and buy a sansa clip+


----------



## Rainman26

@ClieOS will my shure se315 benefit from e6? I am planning to buy e6 if it makes a difference. Are there any interferences on itouch 4g (background noise or hiss)? Thanks!


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





rainman26 said:


> @ClieOS will my shure se315 benefit from e6? I am planning to buy e6 if it makes a difference. Are there any interferences on itouch 4g (background noise or hiss)? Thanks!


 

 iTouch? Or do you mean iPhone (which will more of an issue since it is a cellphone)? I won't imagine it will be much of a problem from iPod Touch but I don't really own any iPhone or iPod Touch. I can only tell you EMI is minimum on my Samsung Galaxy Ace. I won't say SE315 will benefit a lot by amping simply based on spec but I don't own one either.


----------



## Rainman26

Quote: 





clieos said:


> iTouch? Or do you mean iPhone (which will more of an issue since it is a cellphone)? I won't imagine it will be much of a problem from iPod Touch but I don't really own any iPhone or iPod Touch. I can only tell you EMI is minimum on my Samsung Galaxy Ace. I won't say SE315 will benefit a lot by amping simply based on spec but I don't own one either.


 


  Thanks ClieOS, its itouch 4th gen by the way, I'll just give it a try and reply to this thread if there are any differences.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





rainman26 said:


> Thanks ClieOS, its itouch 4th gen by the way, I'll just give it a try and reply to this thread if there are any differences.


 

 Cool. Looking forward to your impression.


----------



## Koopa989

has anyone tried this with the line out from a SFlo2 or Teclast DAP?
   
  im just wondering if the E6 is suitable enough for it.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





koopa989 said:


> has anyone tried this with the line out from a SFlo2 or Teclast DAP?
> 
> im just wondering if the E6 is suitable enough for it.


 

 With S:flo2, you really don't need a small amp like E6. What you will want is something better, E11 for the least.


----------



## JSitthi

Do the improvements justify an upgrade from the E5 if I'm using it with the SE215s? Source is a MacBook Pro, nothing special.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





jsitthi said:


> Do the improvements justify an upgrade from the E5 if I'm using it with the SE215s? Source is a MacBook Pro, nothing special.


 

 Yes, IMO.


----------



## coolguyalex

Would the E6 be beneficial in these setups?

 iPod Classic 160gb>LOD>E6>Audio Technica ESW9A/Audio Technica ATH-AD900/Beyerdynamic DT1350/HifiMAN RE-262


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





coolguyalex said:


> Would the E6 be beneficial in these setups?iPod Classic 160gb>LOD>E6>Audio Technica ESW9A/Audio Technica ATH-AD900/Beyerdynamic DT1350/HifiMAN RE-262


 

 You are probably get more out from the EQ than on the increase in output power. I'll say RE262 will likely see the most change.


----------



## Reticuli2

Depends on what the output impedance of the iPod is.
  Quote: 





coolguyalex said:


> Would the E6 be beneficial in these setups?iPod Classic 160gb>LOD>E6>Audio Technica ESW9A/Audio Technica ATH-AD900/Beyerdynamic DT1350/HifiMAN RE-262


----------



## Achmedisdead

I got my E6 last night. The EQ2 setting is just the kick in the nuts that my Zune HD needed.


----------



## kite7

Quote: 





elfary said:


> I've asked to many smartphone makers about the output impedance of their devices headphones out and they have never given me a figure


 

 They will never provide it even when it takes 1 minute to measure and calculate. I measured one the other day being the HTC Desire Z and that output impedance was a whooping 64 ohms; a reason why IEMs sound horrible on a lot of smartphones.


----------



## maksikanets

Today on my Fiio E6 was low battery and I tried to load it, and no reaction from him only start burning smell
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. I think i will need send it back for repair. I so upset about what happened


----------



## Achmedisdead

Quote: 





bloodypenguin said:


> My only question is, I plan on getting a pair of Grado's SR60i/80i by the end of the year.  Will the E6 be able to drive them sufficiently?
> 
> ..


 


  It works very well with the SR60i. I just got mine the other day, the first combo I tried was ZuneHD-->E6-->SR60i. That player didn't work very well with the Grados before, it gave a very bass-light and bright sound...(of course,  all the Grado-haters say that's how they always sound) but add the E6 and the EQ2 setting, and the combination sounds really, really nice.


----------



## fray92

Anyone with a FiiO e6 can you please confirm me this.
  When i plug a 3.5mm jack from either my L9 LOD or a 3.5-to-3.5 interconnect cabble (come with the E6), i notice the plug doesn't come in completely into the line-in jack. There is still bit outside, about 2-3mm but noticeable. The sound still come out though.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





fray92 said:


> Anyone with a FiiO e6 can you please confirm me this.
> When i plug a 3.5mm jack from either my L9 LOD or a 3.5-to-3.5 interconnect cabble (come with the E6), i notice the plug doesn't come in completely into the line-in jack. There is still bit outside, about 2-3mm but noticeable. The sound still come out though.


 


 It should fit all the way in.


----------



## eke2k6

Quote: 





fray92 said:


> Anyone with a FiiO e6 can you please confirm me this.
> When i plug a 3.5mm jack from either my L9 LOD or a 3.5-to-3.5 interconnect cabble (come with the E6), i notice the plug doesn't come in completely into the line-in jack. There is still bit outside, about 2-3mm but noticeable. The sound still come out though.


 


  You might have to force it a bit. But if you're not having problems with it, I suggest you leave it as is


----------



## AJCxZ0

I just got my E6 yesterday and both 3.5mm sockets require some significant force to insert the jack and are held in very firmly, which is no bad thing.


----------



## Achmedisdead

Quote: 





ajz0 said:


> I just got my E6 yesterday and both 3.5mm sockets require some significant force to insert the jack and are held in very firmly, which is no bad thing.


 


  +1, especially the input hole is very tight.


----------



## fray92

Listen to your advices, i tried to twist and put a little bit force when pluged.
  It came in completely now and i fell much secure than before.
  I thought that i got a defective unit, seem like it is the same to everyone xD
  Thank you, guys.


----------



## Reticuli2

[size=10pt]So you apply the EQ3 setting to get the low gain mode that allows 2V inputs? So that would explain why there was some distortion on crescendos (I thought that was strange for HDtracks) and the balance seemed oddly tilted to the left, with a kind of lack of dynamics and the acoustic space not being filled out completely on the right side. Right channel info hard right would play, but without the ambience and stuff in between right and center didn't seem very resolved. I notice the E7 also does a similar thing. Whenever I find that happening I know the Emu 0204 is too high accidentally and have to test it again. Funny quirk. Now, the 2.17V output of the 0204 should be fine, right? I don't need to worry about the extra 0.17V or anything? Is the input tolerance withOUT the low gain mode on the E6 about the same as on the E7? And I assume you can't burn anything out by accidentally putting a 2V signal in when the low gain mode is not on.[/size]


----------



## dfkt

Here's my FiiO E6 review: http://anythingbutipod.com/2011/10/fiio-e6-portable-headphone-amp-review/
   
  Enjoy. I know I do.


----------



## estreeter

Thanks dfkt - appreciate your efforts.


----------



## Reticuli2

Rightmark didn't find any problems with the device. In 2V mode (red & blue light together), 80dB S/N ratio & dynamic range with USB power. 90dB without USB power. 70dB separation as a line output without USB power, which is consistent with other good quality near-zero-ohm headphone jacks. No issues with distortion at the Emu 0204's 2.17V output at 100 volume in Windows in 2V mode. Sounds nice.
   
  Not quite as much gusto and bite in the mids and highs as the E7, but bass is more tuneful and lacking in the E7's wooly quality into higher impedances. E6 is slightly more refined and grain & grit free in the midrange. Having the USB powering the E6 seems to give some (but not all) of that gusto and control back to the E6, at the expense of refinement and noise floor. This is obviously even more apparent when the battery is running low, which there doesn't seem to be any visual indication of.
   
  With low impedance headphones like the KRK 6400, the E6 is superior. With higher impedance headphones like the ER4S, there's no question the E6 is an improvement. I assume the smaller battery will become a bigger problem for very high ohm cans. Mostly good in my opinion compared to the E7 except in the 50-70ohm range, where the E7 seems to have the right combo of current and voltage even if it's not as refined. With headphones in between like the Fostex T50rp or my modded Sennheiser HD25, it's a toss up. It changes them some good, some bad.
   
  T50rp sounds more constrained and less resolved on the E6. HD25 is rather midrange-oriented with the E6 while it sounds downright dark and bass heavy on the E7, while retaining a bite up top. I definitely prefer the KRK on the E6. Tron Legacy's score blows me away with that combo. Ditto with the ER4S but with a very different sound where orchestral recordings are more ambient, warmer, more real.
   
  Synthetic or produced music sounds more artificial with the seams and artificial distortion and other processing more apparent. I'm not too fond of how the E7 drives the Ety. It's both warmer, but dryer than the E6 with them. Maybe that's more accurate? I don't know. I can send the 0204 headphone jack (prior to clipping) at 3 o'clock into the E7 at 60 (max volume) with the ER4S and get symphony hall volumes (try Recognizer), but it doesn't sound as liquid or engaging as the E6 at lower volumes. I don't need to crank this little guy to engage on the Ety. Perhaps that "dryness" is actually the E7 just fleshing out more low-level detail while the E6 is glossing over it? Don't know. And the E6 sounds fine with line outs while I find the E7 does better with headphone outs going into it.
   
  Neither the E7 or E6 are clean with USB power when maxed out. Buzz. I do find I also hear quite deep into the sound with the E7 and modded HD25 combo, though: the difference between MP3 encodings compared to their lossless versions is night and day.


----------



## estreeter

Quote: 





reticuli2 said:


> Rightmark didn't find any problems with the device.  In 2V mode (red & blue light together), 80dB S/N ratio & dynamic range with USB power.  90dB without USB power.  70dB separation as a line output without USB power, which is consistent with other good quality near-zero-ohm headphone jacks.  No issues with distortion at the Emu 0204's 2.17V output at 100 volume in Windows in 2V mode.  Sounds nice.
> 
> Not quite as much gusto and bite in the mids and highs as the E7, but bass is more tuneful and lacking in the E7's wooly quality into higher impedances.  E6 is slightly more refined and grain & grit free in the midrange.  Having the USB powering the E6 seems to give some (but not all) of that gusto and control back to the E6, at the expense of refinement and noise floor.  This is obviously even more apparent when the battery is running low, which there doesn't seem to be any visual indication of.
> 
> ...


 

 @Reticuli2, great stuff, but I really needed a few *paragraphs* in there !


----------



## Achmedisdead

Quote: 





estreeter said:


> @Reticuli2, great stuff, but I really needed a few *paragraphs* in there !


 


  +1


----------



## Reticuli2

Yes, Mrs Krabappel.


----------



## WakiDabeast

have you heard these with the hd25 if so how did they sound, I want to get the e6 for my hd25 instead of my iphone


----------



## Reticuli2

Only the modded HD25's I have.  I liked the E7 better with the HD25 as it seems to match 50-70 ohm headphones better than the E6.  Ditto with the Fostex.  Outside that narrow range, the E6 comes out ahead.  If you find the HD25 you have is recessed in the mids, you should just get the E6.


----------



## WakiDabeast

Quote: 





reticuli2 said:


> Only the modded HD25's I have.  I liked the E7 better with the HD25 as it seems to match 50-70 ohm headphones better than the E6.  Ditto with the Fostex.  Outside that narrow range, the E6 comes out ahead.  If you find the HD25 you have is recessed in the mids, you should just get the E6.


 


  how does the e6 and e7 affect the hd25, have you heard the pa2v2? or e11?


----------



## Reticuli2

Technically they should affect them the same except that the e6 should have more bass authority with the way its power supply works (I think I read), but the modded hd25 and the fostex sounded very midrangey with e6.  Even eqing in Winamp didn't seem to help as much as when using the e7.  I couldn't tell you why that happens.  A lot of people find the hd25 way too dark and bassy when amped well, so maybe that's a good thing with the e6 if you have a stock hd25.  I find this modded hd25 neutral strait out of an Emu 0204 (not much electrical damping) and dark out of the e7, but it can be substantially eqed in both cases to good effect. I have not heard the pa2v2 (an amp?) or the e11.  For the price the e6 is going for, I would definitely get one no matter what.  It is an outstanding little portable amp that can take a full 2V input in mode three and works extremely well with headphones below 50 ohms and above 70 ohms for as high as you can tolerate the volume limitations.  It might also match much better than you'd expect from 50-70ohms, but you'll have to try it in your case to find out if it's the right tone for your ears.  I bought mine from someone that didn't find it to match well with their stuff, so you can also get some of your purchase price back even after 30 days.  Too cheap not to give it a go.
  
  Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> how does the e6 and e7 affect the hd25, have you heard the pa2v2? or e11?


----------



## WakiDabeast

Quote: 





reticuli2 said:


> Technically they should affect them the same except that the e6 should have more bass authority with the way its power supply works (I think I read), but the modded hd25 and the fostex sounded very midrangey with e6.  Even eqing in Winamp didn't seem to help as much as when using the e7.  I couldn't tell you why that happens.  A lot of people find the hd25 way too dark and bassy when amped well, so maybe that's a good thing with the e6 if you have a stock hd25.  I find this modded hd25 neutral strait out of an Emu 0204 (not much electrical damping) and dark out of the e7, but it can be substantially eqed in both cases to good effect. I have not heard the pa2v2 (an amp?) or the e11.  For the price the e6 is going for, I would definitely get one no matter what.  It is an outstanding little portable amp that can take a full 2V input in mode three and works extremely well with headphones below 50 ohms and above 70 ohms for as high as you can tolerate the volume limitations.  It might also match much better than you'd expect from 50-70ohms, but you'll have to try it in your case to find out if it's the right tone for your ears.  I bought mine from someone that didn't find it to match well with their stuff, so you can also get some of your purchase price back even after 30 days.  Too cheap not to give it a go.


 


  tru tru, wait so will the e6 give the hd25 more bass or mids, because I like the sound signature, I don't think it's dark, I think the bass is just really punchy without bleeding into the mids.


----------



## Reticuli2

Bass is a little more tuneful and quick on its feet, but there seems to be more midrange focus and a smoother, liquid sound with the E6 on those two headphones.  My hd25s are already really liquid by default, so it's more on top of that.  Even with EQing, the Fostex doesn't get V-shaped-sounding with the E6.  I have one mild EQ for it and one severe in Winamp, and even on the latter it sounds almost like the Fostex coming direct out of the Emu 0204 without any EQing... but much faster low-end.  Try it.  It's not a BAD sound that way, but the E7 can be more crisp up top after EQing AND darker in how the bass balances to the mids.  The E6 seems forgiving and universally liquid with them.  Probably the same amount of detail.  So maybe it's the mild grit or dryness on the E7 that helps "harden" the highs a touch, which adding a trough EQ to allows you to exploit.  The E6 just never get hard or a bite to it with the HD25 and Fostex.  If I had some of my other headphones from storage that are 64ohms, I guess I could confirm it's the 50-70ohm cans that don't seem quite as crispy to me as on the E7.  Perhaps it's just those two headphones I've got, though.  I can't say if your stock HD25 will sound right to you or not, or even if they don't if the bass speed advantage is sufficient to overlook the apparent tonal changes that might occur.  You've got an inexpensive means of finding out, though.
  Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> tru tru, wait so will the e6 give the hd25 more bass or mids, because I like the sound signature, I don't think it's dark, I think the bass is just really punchy without bleeding into the mids.


----------



## Novalis

Just ordered the E6 and a pair of M50 from DX.
   
  Not sure if any of them is genuine though, =s
   
  Should be fun to play around with anyways. =)


----------



## ClieOS

DX always has genuine FiiO products, but I have no hope for that M50.


----------



## 7Virtues

Should I get a line out cable or will the 3.5 to 3.5 work fine?
   
  Curious, I just got my e6 and this is my first portable amp


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





7virtues said:


> Should I get a line out cable or will the 3.5 to 3.5 work fine?
> 
> Curious, I just got my e6 and this is my first portable amp


 

 If you are using an Apple product, get a FiiO LOD. It should cost you less than $20.


----------



## 7Virtues

Quote: 





clieos said:


> If you are using an Apple product, get a FiiO LOD. It should cost you less than $20.


 


  I see there is a L1, L3, and L9 by them, whats the difference, because I can't see any specwise.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





7virtues said:


> I see there is a L1, L3, and L9 by them, whats the difference, because I can't see any specwise.


 

 L1 is the slim version, L3 is the full size version with better cable, L9 is the L-shaped version where the cable goes out from the side of the dock instead of the bottom.
   
  Check them out on FiiO website: http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?MenuID=020303


----------



## Lobuh

I feel that the second eq option on the E6 balances out grado 80i's really well.


----------



## WakiDabeast

which has least hiss pa2v2, e7, e6, or soundmagic a10?


----------



## Achmedisdead

Quote: 





lobuh said:


> I feel that the second eq option on the E6 balances out grado 80i's really well.


 


  I agree...the EQ2 works great with my 60i's.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> which has least hiss pa2v2, e7, e6, or soundmagic a10?


 


 Hiss: E7 > E6 > A10 > PA2V2.
   
  While PA2V2 might have the least hiss, it also has the least performance among the 4.
   
  Also saw your question on other threads - sibilance is mainly an issue of the headphone, especially peaks in the frequency response around 2kHz ~ 8kHz. If you want less sibilance, try EQing that section of the FR down. Amp is really not the answer for sibilance.


----------



## WakiDabeast

Quote: 





clieos said:


> Hiss: E7 > E6 > A10 > PA2V2.
> 
> While PA2V2 might have the least hiss, it also has the least performance among the 4.
> 
> Also saw your question on other threads - sibilance is mainly an issue of the headphone, especially peaks in the frequency response around 2kHz ~ 8kHz. If you want less sibilance, try EQing that section of the FR down. Amp is really not the answer for sibilance.


 

 Wait hiss is sibilance right? if so how would the E11 fit in with those amps. I found a great deal on them, so far seems the most likely candidate, it will be paired with an iphone 3gs, and soon iphone 4. I will use it on my computer, but I don't need a DAC I only have like 3 flac albums, and not all my songs are 320, like half. Also what else does the DAC purpose serve, rather than on the computer?


----------



## Armaegis

No, hiss is not sibilance. Hiss is generally considered a background noise, while sibilance is peaks in the treble area (although sometimes valleys can cause sibilance too).


----------



## WakiDabeast

oh so then which is least sibilance out of those including e11


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> *No, hiss is not sibilance*...


 

 This ^
   
  Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> oh so then which is least sibilance out of those including e11


 
  You still don't get it. Hiss is the electronics noise from the amp, sibilance is the overly sharped 2kHz ~ 8kHz peaks from your headphone. Regardless of what amp you use, it won't make any difference if your headphone is sibilant. Asking for what amp will have less sibilance is like asking for what shoe will make you an NBA star - the problem is not on the shoe, nor the amp.


----------



## Agnaem

Seems like some people got you confused. Sibilance do sounds like a snake's hiss, for an e.g.; an emphasized 's' sound when the vocal says anything with an 's'.

However hiss in audio is not sibilance. While not exactly the same, a hiss is somewhat similar to a pink noise(you can google for one); and is a background noise i.e. something that 'plays' all the time, when there really shouldn't be any.


----------



## Reticuli2

Always use low gain modes unless you run out of volume AND are using a low output source (in this case for the latter).  You'll get better performance from any amp if you don't need the gain.


----------



## Armaegis

Quote: 





clieos said:


> You still don't get it. Hiss is the electronics noise from the amp, sibilance is the overly sharped 2kHz ~ 8kHz peaks from your headphone. Regardless of what amp you use, it won't make any difference if your headphone is sibilant. Asking for what amp will have less sibilance is like asking for what shoe will make you an NBA star - the problem is not on the shoe, nor the amp.


 

 Although fair to note, if your amp has a moderate or high output impedance and your headphones also have an impedance spike in the treble, then the interaction will actually affect the frequency response and alter those peaks.


----------



## WakiDabeast

No i get the difference with the hiss and sibilance, and I'm pretty sure source has to do with sibilance, my iphone gives out a lot more sibilance than the Sansa, it does change the eq.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> No i get the difference with the hiss and sibilance, and I'm pretty sure source has to do with sibilance, my iphone gives out a lot more sibilance than the Sansa, it does change the eq.


 


 Any half decent source will show you sibilance when there is sibilance in the recording, and iPhone is actual quite revealing.


----------



## WakiDabeast

Quote: 





clieos said:


> Any half decent source will show you sibilance when there is sibilance in the recording, and iPhone is actual quite revealing.


 


  so it is good to have a 4khz spike? cause the sansa had sibilance, but not as much...


----------



## shotgunshane

Your iPhone doesn't have a 4khz spike.   For instance, if you have an iPhone 4 you have a flat response and less than 1 ohm output impedence.​


----------



## WakiDabeast

Quote: 





shotgunshane said:


> Your iPhone doesn't have a 4khz spike.   For instance, if you have an iPhone 4 you have a flat response and less than 1 ohm output impedence.​


 


  Idk I mean that's just compared to the Sansa, but I am sure that the iphone boosts the mid range region. Whether or not it's intended that's how I hear it.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> Idk I mean that's just compared to the Sansa, but I am sure that the iphone boosts the mid range region. Whether or not it's intended that's how I hear it.


 


  Well. iPhone certain doesn't boost mid range. It is revealing because it is a flat yet clean sounding source, as with all of Apple products. If you don't think it is flat, then you are having the wrong idea of what is flat sounding. Also, what is your Sansa anyway? There are way too many Sansa out there and only the recent few are considered to be good (not including the Fuze+, I think).


----------



## Vonx

Quote: 





clieos said:


> This ^
> 
> You still don't get it. Hiss is the electronics noise from the amp, sibilance is the overly sharped 2kHz ~ 8kHz peaks from your headphone. Regardless of what amp you use, it won't make any difference if your headphone is sibilant. *Asking for what amp will have less sibilance is like asking for what shoe will make you an NBA star - the problem is not on the shoe, nor the amp.*


 


  Actually, they have shoes that increase your vertical jump now. The arch in your shoe forces optimal positioning for a propulsion-like effect. 
   
http://www.cnbc.com/id/39064018/Is_The_300_Basketball_Shoe_Worth_It
   
  However, your original point is still correct, haha


----------



## WakiDabeast

Quote: 





vonx said:


> Actually, they have shoes that increase your vertical jump now. The arch in your shoe forces optimal positioning for a propulsion-like effect.
> 
> http://www.cnbc.com/id/39064018/Is_The_300_Basketball_Shoe_Worth_It
> 
> However, your original point is still correct, haha


 

 in physics that doesn't work ^^, it can only make the force more efficient and that would depend on the persons foot arch and stuff. I had a Sansa fuze, but I recently returned it. I only say that the iphone boosts the mid range, compared to my on board sound card. Either way I want a slightly more dark sounding amp that will hopefully give me a little emphasis on something rather than sibilance. I mean really all I'm asking is what will help the sibilance, I know the amp is not the main factor in sibilance, but it certainly makes a difference.


----------



## Vonx

Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> in physics that doesn't work ^^,* it can only make the force more efficient and that would depend on the persons foot arch and stuff*. I had a Sansa fuze, but I recently returned it. I only say that the iphone boosts the mid range, compared to my on board sound card. Either way I want a slightly more dark sounding amp that will hopefully give me a little emphasis on something rather than sibilance. I mean really all I'm asking is what will help the sibilance, I know the amp is not the main factor in sibilance, but it certainly makes a difference.


 


  making the force you apply more efficient > higher vertical jump > it does physically work
   
  the shoe forces your foot to be in that particular arch, therefore enhancing your jump


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





vonx said:


> Actually, they have shoes that increase your vertical jump now. The arch in your shoe forces optimal positioning for a propulsion-like effect.
> ...


 

 Yes, but does it NBA regulated? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   


  Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> ... I mean really all I'm asking is what will help the sibilance, I know the amp is not the main factor in sibilance, but it certainly makes a difference.


 
  In that case, A10, E11 and E6 all fit the bill. PA2V2 will likely highlight sibilance instead if dampening it.


----------



## WakiDabeast

Quote: 





clieos said:


> Yes, but does it NBA regulated?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   

  alright thanks , who do you think the cable has an effect on sibilance, or sound in general?
   
   
   
   


  Quote: 





vonx said:


> making the force you apply more efficient > higher vertical jump > it does physically work
> 
> the shoe forces your foot to be in that particular arch, therefore enhancing your jump


 
   

   
   
   
  oh true I mean for like propulsion, they don't add any force.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> alright thanks , who do you think the cable has an effect on sibilance, or sound in general?


 

 As long as they are properly built, most cable sound the same in short length. Remember your source (i.e. DAP, desktop CD player or PC) all use paper thin (probably thinner) copper trace on the PCB, so are any amps you are going to have. There are also the cheap, regular copper wires in your headphone and the transducer inside - do you really think add a few inches to even a foot or two silver in the mix really going to change the world? Money is better spent elsewhere, like on a better headphone.


----------



## WakiDabeast

Quote: 





clieos said:


> As long as they are properly built, most cable sound the same in short length. Remember your source (i.e. DAP, desktop CD player or PC) all use paper thin (probably thinner) copper trace on the PCB, so are any amps you are going to have. There are also the cheap, regular copper wires in your headphone and the transducer inside - do you really think add a few inches to even a foot or two silver in the mix really going to change the world? Money is better spent elsewhere, like on a better headphone.


 


  so replacing 1.5 m steel cable with a 1.5 copper on is pretty much useless?


----------



## ubercaffeinated

Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> so replacing 1.5 m steel cable with a 1.5 copper on is pretty much useless?


 


  Yes. You could replace it with 1.5 m of gold and still not tell the difference in an A/B test as long as both cables are built properly.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> so replacing 1.5 m steel cable with a 1.5 copper on is pretty much useless?


 
   
  Unless it is for special purpose (i.e. where a lot of heat is generated), no one uses steel as conductor as it is rather a poor material of choice (see this). That by definition means steel is not really 'proper' for the job.


----------



## Eric_C

Quote: 





ubercaffeinated said:


> Yes. You could replace it with 1.5 m of gold and still not tell the difference in an A/B test as long as both cables are built properly.


 

  
  WakiDabeast seems to be referring to the Sennheiser HD 25-1, which is the only headphone I know of to use steel cables as stock. It's also the rare headphone that almost everyone agrees on about recabling = sonic improvement.


----------



## ubercaffeinated

Quote: 





eric_c said:


> WakiDabeast seems to be referring to the Sennheiser HD 25-1, which is the only headphone I know of to use steel cables as stock. It's also the rare headphone that almost everyone agrees on about recabling = sonic improvement.


 


  Ah didn't catch that he was talking about the HD 25-1 cables. My bad. Good to know!


----------



## WakiDabeast

Quote: 





eric_c said:


> WakiDabeast seems to be referring to the Sennheiser HD 25-1, which is the only headphone I know of to use steel cables as stock. It's also the rare headphone that almost everyone agrees on about recabling = sonic improvement.


 


  Yeah but Idk if getting an amp will help more or new cable, if it's cable it will be copper but nickel plug, which only decreases longevity not sound, so idk which is the better investment.


----------



## Eric_C

Where does it say that the copper cable uses a nickel plug?
   
  ubercaffeinated: No worries! He never stated it explicitly, I only managed to infer because I happen to be familiar with that headphone.


----------



## WakiDabeast

http://www.recordcase.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=showdetail&wkid=1319147120-5987&ls=e&nc=1319162301-11063&rubnum=&artnum=0020103439&file=&gesamt_zeilen=0Tsuche--for%20sennheiser%20hd25


----------



## Eric_C

Quote: 





wakidabeast said:


> http://www.recordcase.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=showdetail&wkid=1319147120-5987&ls=e&nc=1319162301-11063&rubnum=&artnum=0020103439&file=&gesamt_zeilen=0Tsuche--for%20sennheiser%20hd25


 


  I don't see "nickel" anywhere on that page.


----------



## WakiDabeast

Quote: 





eric_c said:


> I don't see "nickel" anywhere on that page.


 


  I mean it's colored silver... so it's not gold


----------



## Eric_C

^ Oh ok. My IE8 had a silver-coloured jack and it didn't give me any problems in 18 months. Neither did my HD 25-1 since I got it 12 months ago. But we are seriously derailing this thread--if you have questions about the HD 25-1, I'm sure you can find the answers on headphone-specific threads.
   
Back on topic: I notice the E6 cable has a tendency to not slot fully into the amp. Anyone else experience this?


----------



## Achmedisdead

Quote: 





eric_c said:


> ^ Oh ok. My IE8 had a silver-coloured jack and it didn't give me any problems in 18 months. Neither did my HD 25-1 since I got it 12 months ago. But we are seriously derailing this thread--if you have questions about the HD 25-1, I'm sure you can find the answers on headphone-specific threads.
> 
> Back on topic: I notice the E6 cable has a tendency to not slot fully into the amp. Anyone else experience this?


 

 Yes, it takes a good bit of force to get it in there.


----------



## Eric_C

=\
  Happened in the store, as well. They didn't realise that the jack wasn't fully inserted into the LOD, and I sat there for half a song wondering why people were praising such a hollow-sounding amp.
   
  Issue only seems to be with the stock cables though; I'd wager any other cable, cheap or otherwise, will fit better.


----------



## ubercaffeinated

Quote: 





eric_c said:


> =\
> Happened in the store, as well. They didn't realise that the jack wasn't fully inserted into the LOD, and I sat there for half a song wondering why people were praising such a hollow-sounding amp.
> 
> Issue only seems to be with the stock cables though; I'd wager any other cable, cheap or otherwise, will fit better.


 


  Hmm, the Fiio LOD cables seem to take a bit of force too. Not bad, but definitely takes some force.


----------



## mkz

Thanks ClieOS for review. It match perfect to clip+.


----------



## ArthurHew

Anyone set this with AegoM does it sound better the x-fi fps?


----------



## ACDOAN

Thanks for the reviews as well as the instruction. I almost have the unit returned thinking that the unit does not take charge. Now, I know the followings:
   
  1. Hold the power button up for a few seconds to turn the unit on.
  2. The blue light EQ really makes my Sony Viao headphone jack out sounds first class.  Harsh HF is tamed down and the vocal are clear and full. I listened to Queens and AC/DC last night and I have to say that I am very pleased with my under $30.00 purchase.
   
  The hiss noise is pretty bad when I have the E6 USB and the cooler fans USB running the same time but when the music is playing, I cannot hear the hissing noise.
   
   
  Thank you FiiO for providing these gadgets at low budget but they work.


----------



## ACDOAN

Updated: If I do not charge the E6 via my laptop USB port while listening to music, there is no hissing noise. Good stuff.


----------



## estreeter

*Ouch ! *You know I cant link to you-know-who, but most of you will know who this comes from. Basically, he feels that Fiio have gone backward from the E5 - dont shoot the messenger.
   

 Falls 25% short of FiiO specs for output power into 16 and 150 ohms
 Lower build quality, poor quality clip, and more plastic compared to cheaper E5
 Single control has 5 functions which is not intuitive and may be confusing
 Alarming levels of ultrasonic/RF leakage of DC-DC charge pump into audio output 
 50% higher price than E5
 Very marginal clipping performance
 Excessively broad bass EQ results in muddy/bloated sound
 Requires 3 extra actions every time powered on to use with sources over 1.1 Vrms 
 Moderate phase error


----------



## ClieOS

Good thing I don't listen to amp using scope, but I guess there is no pleasing for the engineer .


----------



## bcasey25raptor

What is the difference between the fiio e5 and fiio e6? Did they discontinue the fiio e5?


----------



## ClieOS

FiiO is still selling E5 but it will be discontinued and replaced by E6.


----------



## kimolas

Hi ClieOS: Thank you very much for your review, I am now a happy owner of my very own E6. I just have a question regarding volume; do you know how many steps the E6 has? I am using a Westone UM2 and a line-out from an iPod Touch 2G, so I am worried that by being at 4-10 clicks of the volume I am listening to music at too high volume. What are your thoughts?


----------



## ClieOS

Can't remember the exact number, but I think it is around 60~64 steps. The actual volume of your headphone is not only determined by the source and amp, but also by the sensitivity and impedance of your headphone. So it really isn't much point to tell you how much volume should you set on the amp. Just use as little volume as you can while still able to enjoy the music.


----------



## kimolas

Thank you very much!! I also just looked at your IEM comparison thread. I will listen at low volumes, thanks!


----------



## Achmedisdead

Quote: 





estreeter said:


> *Ouch ! *You know I cant link to you-know-who, but most of you will know who this comes from. Basically, he feels that Fiio have gone backward from the E5 - dont shoot the messenger.
> 
> 
> Falls 25% short of FiiO specs for output power into 16 and 150 ohms
> ...


 


  I'm happy with the EQ2 setting, but I am using it with slightly bass-light headphones too....my SR60i's and ATH-P5's. He is absolutely right about the non-intuitive controls though, and the clip would be more fragile than the all-metal E5, although I haven't broken one.


----------



## hoenn041

hmm considering getting a fiio e6. using it to drive my vsonic gr07. i noe it doesnt benefit much from amping, but when im outisde i really cant hear much bass, and it sounds quite sibilant on my creative zen x-fi2. mayb the eq2 will solve these issues? tried playing with eq, bass boost, x-fi settings but i always ended turning off everything lol.
   
  at home i'm on my titanium hd soundcard from my computer, sibilance isnt an issue and it sounds freaking awesome especially since its quiet at home as well. jus sounds better in every way compared to when im out.


----------



## vintage vin

Newbie question here:
   
  How would you know if E6 is already full charged?
   
  TIA!


----------



## marc2003

when it's charging, there is a red LED light. it goes off when it's finished.
   
  you can read the full manual here: http://www.fiio.com.cn/upfile/File/2011/20110829113157.pdf


----------



## seekadds

I got this little bugger bundled with Westone 3's. The E6 is a neat little device. However, I already have iBasso's D10 with topkit, and this produces a clearer and more dynamic sound. Not that I expected the E6 to outperform significantly larger, more expensive portable amps. 
   
  Let me start with the bad. I have a Clip+, but I see very little benefit with using the E6 with the Clip+. The Clip+ can already drive all my IEMs decently, and the increase in SQ is negligible to my ears. The Clip+ struggles to drive full-size cans, and the E6 might come in handy then, but realistically I rarely or never use the Clip+ with full-size cans. I don't use the EQ settings on the E6.
   
  Although it "fails" in its volume-increasing and sound improvement duties (with my mp3 players), it does provide some other benefits. Firstly, it reduces the hiss out of my other DAP: a Sony Walkman X; without adding all the bulk of my iBasso D10. I can still fit the rig in my pocket this way. Secondly, my cell phone has a really weak amp, and it struggles to power even my most efficient IEMs. So the E6 is useful there, although honestly I rarely listen to music from my phone unless I forget to bring one of my DAPs.
   
  Still, as situational as these two scenarios are, I think they make the E6 worth keeping. Especially since it came bundled, and it has such a tiny, tiny footprint. In summary, the E6 is small - this characteristic is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. If you are someone who either has never had a portable headphone amp, or you are someone who, like me, can find even the slightest use of it, then I recommend this tiny amp. Because it won't cost much money nor will it weigh you down.


----------



## ACDOAN

I still do not understand how an El-cheapo plastic square box that costs under $30.00 can sound that good. Just order 2 more for back-up.


----------



## Reticuli2

Yes, but why does the E6 seem to have better controlled and more "pure" bass than the E7, in spite of the more glassy-sounding midrange and edgy quality of the former over the latter?  What's allowing the E6 to exceed in the bass department if it fails in the measured performance compared to the E7?

  
  Quote: 





estreeter said:


> *Ouch ! *You know I cant link to you-know-who, but most of you will know who this comes from. Basically, he feels that Fiio have gone backward from the E5 - dont shoot the messenger.
> 
> 
> Falls 25% short of FiiO specs for output power into 16 and 150 ohms
> ...


----------



## bcpk

My main problem with the E6 is that the clip is upside-down ...


----------



## biggerliz

so will this drive a senn HD 600? and is there a similarly sized/basic DAC that i can purchase?


----------



## Reticuli2

E7 apparently measures better than the E6 and has a DAC built in.  It's bigger, though.


----------



## WakiDabeast

idk about on my m50 but my hd25's soundstage improved with this little amp


----------



## leobigfield

Hi guys. Just got my E6 today to use with my Clip+, my Ortofon e-q5 and my on-the-way Denon D2000. Unfortunately on the EQ2 it seems to have a small channel imbalance, making the left channel louder and with more dynamics than the right channel. Has anyone experienced this? Or i just got a broken unit? 
   
Edit: After some audition, it seems that my e-q5 has a somewhat more "dynamic, fuller" sound with a little more bass when driven directly from my Clip+ in comparison with the E6 in flat mode... Using my laptop it`s the inverse: Fuller sound with the E6. In booth cases the treble do improve quite a bit, becoming smother and clearer than before. 
   
Edit 2: That's sooo strange... Feed by my laptop, the E6 sounds very very good... It gives me more detail, clearer and smoother highs, fuller mid range and more presence and punch to the already tight bass...  but from the clip+ don`t, and actually the clip seems to sound worst...    
   
P.S.: Sorry for my English, it`s not my native language.


----------



## Trolol

Which EQ setting has the best sound quality? Off or EQ2 (blue)?
 I think off is crisp and clean, but EQ2 has good bass, but treble is a bit lower. What are your thoughts?


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





leobigfield said:


> Hi guys. Just got my E6 today to use with my Clip+, my Ortofon e-q5 and my on-the-way Denon D2000. Unfortunately on the EQ2 it seems to have a small channel imbalance, making the left channel louder and with more dynamics than the right channel. Has anyone experienced this? Or i just got a broken unit?
> 
> Edit: After some audition, it seems that my e-q5 has a somewhat more "dynamic, fuller" sound with a little more bass when driven directly from my Clip+ in comparison with the E6 in flat mode... Using my laptop it`s the inverse: Fuller sound with the E6. In booth cases the treble do improve quite a bit, becoming smother and clearer than before.
> 
> ...


 

 Try setting the volume on Clip+ to really high (max), then use E6 to control volume. If you keep find volume imbalance on E6, you might need to exchange it for a new one.
   


  Quote: 





trolol said:


> Which EQ setting has the best sound quality? Off or EQ2 (blue)?
> I think off is crisp and clean, but EQ2 has good bass, but treble is a bit lower. What are your thoughts?


 
  It is all very personal. Jusy pick one you like or use them both (not at the same time of course),


----------



## bowei006

your review makes my  E5 jelly  but I just ordered the E17...so not so jelly anymore


----------



## ACDOAN

Quote: 





bowei006 said:


> your review makes my  E5 jelly  but I just ordered the E17...so not so jelly anymore


 


  Good for you. I like my D3 feeds thru E6 with or without EQ. My old forgotten DVD player in my attic now has been resurrected .  Not bad for the money FiiO. However, Moi, not too much into to the E7 as an amp. I hope the E17 has been revamped from the E7.
   
  Too many E....if I confused some of the E...never mind.


----------



## bowei006

Quote: 





acdoan said:


> Good for you. I like my D3 feeds thru E6 with or without EQ. My old forgotten DVD player in my attic now has been resurrected .  Not bad for the money FiiO. However, Moi, not too much into to the E7 as an amp. I hope the E17 has been revamped from the E7.
> 
> Too many E....if I confused some of the E...never mind.


 

 if you read the headfonia, clieos, headfonics review....it is definatley changed. the E7 was just a DAC with possibility of amp. the e17 is both.


----------



## maksikanets

After few month testing after replacing my E6, the new works perfectly, I think maybe a little batter than previous. From EQ setting  I more like EQ2, for me its good bass for music I listen


----------



## leobigfield

Quote: 





clieos said:


> Try setting the volume on Clip+ to really high (max), then use E6 to control volume. If you keep find volume imbalance on E6, you might need to exchange it for a new one.


 
   
  Well, the imbalance is only on the EQ2 setting... it's like the bass for the right channel is not comming out... i tried to put the Clip+ at maximum and raise the E6 volume but the imbalance continues.... Think i got a bad one after all... 
   
  Thanks by the answer!


----------



## ACDOAN

Never underestimate this little starter amp because of its low price. I tried the D3 with the E7 with a CDP and another D3 with the E6 with another CDP. I used both Toslink connection. To my surprise, I like the E6 as an amp better than the E7. The E7 has better mid range but the piano sound is very thin and artificial while the E6 has a bit bright but clean and forwarding mid range and the piano sound is fuller and more realistic.
   
  Both set (D3/E7 and D3/E6) are set flat without the help of any EQ.  I wonder how long the battery life in the E6 will last before it stops taking charge? I do not mind to get a couple more D3 and E6 for spare.
   
  Again, this is just my own experience.


----------



## OverByter

Thank you ClieOS, being new to this hobby I came upon this site while researching the E6, perfect review, everything I was looking for and needed to know all in one spot. I look forward to many fun and fruitful hours spent on this site.


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





overbyter said:


> Thank you ClieOS, being new to this hobby I came upon this site while researching the E6, perfect review, everything I was looking for and needed to know all in one spot. I look forward to many fun and fruitful hours spent on this site.


 

 Welcome to HF. We will try our best to let you feel sorry for your wallet!


----------



## jdat

so this is technically my first headphone amp which was purchased mostly for driving a set of Beyer DT 880 Pro (250 ohms) but has also been used with Ultimate Ears 200s.

 All in all, super satisfied with it, I us the treble EQ for some movie watching, otherwise with flat EQ.
  It is used piggyback to a Sansa Clip+ , they are perfect companions, especially since I have removed/sawed off the broken clip on the Sansa mp3 player.


 I was using the included angled mini interconnect with mixed results, this really helped me realize the importance of custom interconnects for portables in relation to the length.

_Well the cable is dead!_ After a month or so of light use, but the cable was twisted in a convoluted way which contributed to shortening the cables life span, so no hard feelings.

 Just ordered angled Neutrik plugs to make a custom interconnect. Let the fun begin.


----------



## H20Fidelity

Quote: 





jdat said:


> so this is technically my first headphone amp which was purchased mostly for driving a set of Beyer DT 880 Pro (250 ohms) but has also been used with Ultimate Ears 200s.
> 
> All in all, super satisfied with it, I us the treble EQ for some movie watching, otherwise with flat EQ.
> It is used piggyback to a Sansa Clip+ , they are perfect companions, especially since I have removed/sawed off the broken clip on the Sansa mp3 player.
> ...


 

 You could also look into Fiio L8 which uses the same gauge wire as L9 LOD. (L8 has right angled plugs)


----------



## hyogen

anyone pair this with Triplefi 10?  would you say it drives them to the max?  probably not too hard to do


----------



## Mysterious

Would you say this will make a significant difference when used with a V-Moda M80's ?


----------



## weikiang

Will this be able to power a tf10? Or is there any significant difference between this and E11 in using it with a tf10?


----------



## dfkt

The TF10 are extremely sensitive - anything will power them. Or, in other words - you probably won't need an amp with them at all.


----------



## hyogen

weikiang said:


> Will this be able to power a tf10? Or is there any significant difference between this and E11 in using it with a tf10?





I have tried the e6 and have tried a couple different amps with the tf10.

I HIGHLY recommend that you use the sound attenuator the tf10 came with. That lets you use more power to drive them without the volume being too loud. 

E6 will not drive the tf10 as well as e11. I know because I have the e17 and the amps are pretty comparable. 

E6 does drive them adequately...but not fully. You should hear fully driven tf10s..... Soundstage like my dt880 250 ohm.. In fact pretty much the same as DT880 in every other way. *EDIT* except for some detail in the highs (DT880 is better)

I think e11/e17 will drive tf10 fully...but I think I have heard a little better soundstage from my tf10 than with e17 with a different amp


----------



## Mackem

I have a pair of DT770 Pro 80s and I was thinking about getting a FiiO E6. I am using them at home on my desktop PC and would perhaps would like to use them listening to my iPod in the garden during the summer. My question is is the E6 powerful enough to power these? Also, which LOD should I pair with it for my iPod Touch 4G?
   
  Thanks.


----------



## shockdoc

I've had my E6 for about 7 weeks now and it's a great little amp. It's my first dedicated headphone amp (other than a Sennheiser DSP Pro...but that's a different animal-lol) and for what it does it does it quite well. EQ2 is definitely the most "fun" setting and since I use this on my gym rig (2nd gen Nano, L3 LOD and MEElectric CC51's) fun is what I'm looking for. It easily improves the sound on my MEELectrics and my NuForce NE-6's but it actually makes my old UE Triplefi 3's sound worse. The most surprising part to me wasn't necessarily the lifting of another layer of veil from the music but what it did to the soundstage. At first it was a little annoying and it seemed that the R/L balance was off or something but after sort of getting used to it I was amazed how it broadened the soundstage and gave it more depth and possibly even a tiny bit of height. It made enough of a difference that I'm now looking at something to improve the sound of my modded Senn 580's. Will probably get the E17 in the next month or so. This could start to get very expensive very quickly! Good job Fiio.
   
  ps- I totally get what everyone is complaining about with the volume control.


----------



## Mackem

Quote: 





mackem said:


> I have a pair of DT770 Pro 80s and I was thinking about getting a FiiO E6. I am using them at home on my desktop PC and would perhaps would like to use them listening to my iPod in the garden during the summer. My question is is the E6 powerful enough to power these? Also, which LOD should I pair with it for my iPod Touch 4G?
> 
> Thanks.


 
   
  Does anyone know? Is there a soundcard for my PC I can get that will also drive the headphones better than the onboard sound?


----------



## dogears

I have to get one soon


----------



## JayMitch

Can anyone comment if the E6 introduces any more hiss than an iPhone/iPod on its own?


----------



## iHenry

I don't notice any hiss from my E06 using the Sansa Clip+, an iPad2 and two different laptops.


----------



## ACDOAN

No hiss from Ipad2, Itouch 4, Iphone 4gs. Good gadget not quite as loud and lively as CMOY amp.


----------



## whereas

My experience with the E6 is that it makes inexpensive headphones (earbuds) and my IEMs sound slightly better, and more expensive headphones (ATH-M50s, D5000s) sound slightly worse.


----------



## Angels and Air

Quote: 





jaymitch said:


> Can anyone comment if the E6 introduces any more hiss than an iPhone/iPod on its own?


 
  Listening with my Shure SE315 directly from my iPhone has hiss, but using the Fiio E6 and Fiio L9 LOD eliminates the hiss.


----------



## nirvana das

in an accident i have lost my 85% hearing hearing in my one ear...and other ear normal..
  i am a gamer n play counter strike 1.6...
  at full window sound i can listen very thin sound from my damaged ear..
  i need a very very loud amplification for my 85% hearing loss..so i can enjoy my gaming..
  can this amp. can so loudness...?


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





nirvana das said:


> in an accident i have lost my 85% hearing hearing in my one ear...and other ear normal..
> i am a gamer n play counter strike 1.6...
> at full window sound i can listen very thin sound from my damaged ear..
> i need a very very loud amplification for my 85% hearing loss..so i can enjoy my gaming..
> can this amp. can so loudness...?


 
   
  No really sure how much 85% is. The maximum gain of E6 is close to 8dB.


----------



## nirvana das

85%= when I place mobile speaker up on my ear than I able to listen music from my damaged ear...

so u can determine how much amplification iI need..


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





nirvana das said:


> 85%= when I place mobile speaker up on my ear than I able to listen music from my damaged ear...
> so u can determine how much amplification iI need..


 
   
  That really doesn't tell how much gain you will need. It will be useful if you know that in dB. By going with the NRR standard, a 85% volume reduction is probably around -26dB or so. If that that's the case, you will need much more gain than E6 can provide. In fact, I don't know any headphone amp with that much gain.


----------



## nirvana das

can u determine from my ear audiogram that how many gain I need...?

it is possible to connect two amp. together..?


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





nirvana das said:


> can u determine from my ear audiogram that how many gain I need...?
> it is possible to connect two amp. together..?


 

 Sorry, don't really know how to read an audiogram, Beside, connecting two amps together doesn't give you twice the power or gain. At some point the 2nd amp will reach its max voltage output and clip the signal (generating noise instead of music).


----------



## nirvana das

k I want to know that 

can u listen at maximum volume of e6 comfertabilly more than 1 min..?
if ur ans is yes than it will not work for me surely....
I listen that level of sonund at which normal people get irritate in few seconds...


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





nirvana das said:


> k I want to know that
> can u listen at maximum volume of e6 comfertabilly more than 1 min..?
> if ur ans is yes than it will not work for me surely....
> I listen that level of sonund at which normal people get irritate in few seconds...


 

 If I am pairing E6 to an iPod's line-out - no, I can't listen to it at that volume, not even for 2 second.


----------



## nirvana das

k plz tell me which fiio amp has loudest volume output...


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





nirvana das said:


> k plz tell me which fiio amp has loudest volume output...


 

 The loudest FiiO are E17 and the new E07k, both with +12dB at max gain.


----------



## nirvana das

I m from india..

n here e11 n e6 model is available..

so what about e11..?


----------



## ClieOS

I just checked. E11 has a gain of +12dB as well.


----------



## nirvana das

which headphone or earbud should I use with e11 or e6 for very loud amp..

iI prefer earbud more..because earbud give more pressure sound..


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





nirvana das said:


> which headphone or earbud should I use with e11 or e6 for very loud amp..
> iI prefer earbud more..because earbud give more pressure sound..


 
   
  There are plenty of choices. Just look into the links in my signature.


----------



## Omniscient

I like my fiio e6, but when it's turned on while charging, it makes some weird crackling noise in the background.


----------



## Achmedisdead

Quote: 





omniscient said:


> I like my fiio e6, but when it's turned on while charging, it makes some weird crackling noise in the background.


 
  Are you charging from the computer or from a wall charger?


----------



## l3endaN

hi....does all of portable amp must using LOD cable....??
   
  instead of if im using 3.5mm to 3.5mm which come with E6  compare with using LOD  at my sony nwz-f800......whic 1 sq better....??


----------



## l3endaN

hi....does all of portable amp must using LOD cable....??
   
  instead of if im using 3.5mm to 3.5mm which come with E6  compare with using LOD  at my sony nwz-f800......whic 1 sq better....??


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





l3endan said:


> hi....does all of portable amp must using LOD cable....??
> 
> instead of if im using 3.5mm to 3.5mm which come with E6  compare with using LOD  at my sony nwz-f800......whic 1 sq better....??


 

 No.
   
  Generally speaking, using LOD avoid issue of increase noise due to double amping. However, if the source has a clean headphone-out with very low noise, double amping is fine as well.


----------



## l3endaN

OIC....
   
  which meant when the portable amp is connected....at the same time i close all the EQ and sound enchantment on my mp4....
   
  the sq output of the amp is almost same with using LOD right....??
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  thanks for your previous replay....


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





l3endan said:


> OIC....
> 
> which meant when the portable amp is connected....at the same time i close all the EQ and sound enchantment on my mp4....
> 
> ...


 
   
  For the best result, yes, close all the EQ and set the volume high, then use the amp to control the volume.


----------



## gtcharlie

New to portable ampifiers and came upon this thread for the E6.  I am wondering if it would be a worthwhile purchase for me.  I have an iphone 5, a pair of Shure SE215 limited editions IEM's, and the Klipsch Image Ones.   Mostly listen to HQ downloads through the Rhapsody app so I have no equalizer capabilities on the iPhone.  And I find the Image Ones to be pretty bass heavy while the Shures are fine in that category.  Will the E6 make a difference given my situation?   Are the EQ settings worth having?


----------



## Achmedisdead

Quote: 





gtcharlie said:


> New to portable ampifiers and came upon this thread for the E6.  I am wondering if it would be a worthwhile purchase for me.  I have an iphone 5, a pair of Shure SE215 limited editions IEM's, and the Klipsch Image Ones.   Mostly listen to HQ downloads through the Rhapsody app so I have no equalizer capabilities on the iPhone.  And I find the Image Ones to be pretty bass heavy while the Shures are fine in that category.  Will the E6 make a difference given my situation?   Are the EQ settings worth having?


 
  The EQ settings are flawed, IMO. It's best used on the flat setting.


----------



## gtcharlie

So the flat settings won't help tame the bass on the Klipsch headphones?


----------



## gtcharlie

Any amps out there in this price range which will tame the Klipsch Image One bass?


----------



## Strydez

I'm looking at purchasing this amp for my Ipod touch as it is cheap. I own Ultrasone Pro 550s and I am wondering if this would be a  good buy as far as helping the sound quality. I like my bass and the Ipod does not do the headphones justice in that department. I'd like an overall enhancement to the sound quality but mainly the bass. Would this help me?


----------



## Achmedisdead

Quote: 





strydez said:


> I'm looking at purchasing this amp for my Ipod touch as it is cheap. I own Ultrasone Pro 550s and I am wondering if this would be a  good buy as far as helping the sound quality. I like my bass and the Ipod does not do the headphones justice in that department. I'd like an overall enhancement to the sound quality but mainly the bass. Would this help me?


 
  You'd be better suited either buying one of the EQ apps, or the FiiO E11.


----------



## goatonboat

After hearing the distortion in this amp today I trialed - I really find it hard to reccommend!


----------



## Cya|\|

Sorry if this has already been answered, but can the e6 be used as a cheap desktop amp? That is, can I keep it always connected to the pc via usb?
  Do you think it could drive a pair of iems with 350ohm impedance, but with very high sensitivity?


----------



## AJCxZ0

cya|\| said:


> can the e6 be used as a cheap desktop amp? That is, can I keep it always connected to the pc via usb? Do you think it could drive a pair of iems with 350ohm impedance, but with very high sensitivity?




I keep mine on the desk between my computer audio out and USB for power and Sennheiser HD555 headphones. It works perfectly with no noise.

When I use my MEElectronics M6 IEMs I get significant hiss when the USB is connected and none when it is not. Others have reported the same. I'm not sure how much difference your higher impedance will make compared to the nominal 16 Ohm M6.


----------



## griZZly64

My setup Sansa Clip Zip -> Fiio e6 -> se215LTD 
   
  IMO it gets a little bit more out of my shures. Especially if you love bass and thought the 215 was lacking (I didn't but do enjoy the added bass). Im extremely happy with my purchase.


----------



## Omniscient

achmedisdead said:


> Are you charging from the computer or from a wall charger?


 I'm charging from a computer and I have to use my dac to stop the noise, but it still happens at times.


----------



## Makenzie

mackem said:


> I have a pair of DT770 Pro 80s and I was thinking about getting a FiiO E6. I am using them at home on my desktop PC and would perhaps would like to use them listening to my iPod in the garden during the summer. My question is is the E6 powerful enough to power these? Also, which LOD should I pair with it for my iPod Touch 4G?
> 
> Thanks.




I'm wondering the same thing. Has anyone had this amp on the dt770 pro 80s yet? Would like to use the e6 with my nexus 4, and the 770s. Can the e6 push the 770s to loud volumes?


----------



## Cya|\|

Amp arrived. Is there any way to reduce noise? It's so noisy when it is plugged via usb, and even when it is not.
 How long does it take to fully recharge?


----------



## Cya|\|

With my new iems, the tzard 350 at 350ohm, the amp is almost totally silent. Just a barely audible noise.

 Ofc with the usb unplugged. With the usb plugged it's still very noisy.


----------



## SmOgER

Quote: 





goatonboat said:


> After hearing the distortion in this amp today I trialed - I really find it hard to reccommend!


 
  You failed to adjust input, dude. Turn off external EQ coming to the AMP.


----------



## eyal1983

I use my E6 on its neutral setting only.
  I noticed that when I use it plugged to the USB, it sounds somewhat nicer- with more authority (better punch). 
  did someone notice that ?


----------



## eyal1983

correction: the battery was on the low side i guess... i fully recharged and now it's better.


----------



## burgoc02

I'm planning on getting an HD600, has anyone tried it with the Fiio E6? I currently have an E6 but find it useless with my HD 449s. But I've been thinking of upgrading my headphones and was wondering if the E6 will help with higher impedance phones like the HD600. I use a 1st Gen iPod Touch.
   
  I bought the E6 because people said the 449s benefit from an amp... I was sadly dissapointed and considered selling my E6. But looking at the bright side, now that I intend to upgrade my headphones I might just keep the it, if it will benefit me. What do you guys think?


----------



## Cya|\|

So, this amp is able to drive very well my heir audio tzar 350, at 350ohm.
  
  I was wondering: how many months does the amp last? I've read on the instruction manual that the battery won't last forever, and sooner or later i'll have to dump the amp. So, how long does it last?


----------



## Jakkal

I have ordered E6 to lower the output impedance of Hifimediy Sabre DAC. I'll post impressions when it comes.


----------



## wburton

does using a headphone amp increase the chance of blowing out your cans' drivers?


----------



## ClieOS

Quote: 





wburton said:


> does using a headphone amp increase the chance of blowing out your cans' drivers?


 
   
  Excessive volume will blow out the drivers, and that's what the volume knob is there to prevent.


----------



## Jakkal

I've been using my E6 for couple of days now. I really like it with LOD out of my iPhone, it does improve the sound stage and the punch. It works well with Hifimediy Sabre dac too, but you have to use EQ3, otherwise it gets distorted because of the high 2Vrms output of the Sabre. The only con I found is the noise when is charging via usb. Other than that is a great little, cheap, transparent starter amp.
  I have one question though, how you know when to charge it, is there any indication that battery is low?


----------



## newphones

I'm tempted to buy this amp. Logic and evidence dictate that it isn't necessary in my case, but I'm tempted anyway. 
   
  I have an iphone 5 (sounds ok) and a macbook (sounds amazing). I ordered a sansa clip which should arrive soon.
   
  Anyone have good (or bad) experiences pairing the E6 with either the iphone 5 or sansa clip+?


----------



## Jakkal

iPhone 5 has higher output impedance (3.5 Ohm) and weaker amp compared to iPhone 4/4S. So, if you have source dependent IEM, it will benefit from the lower >1 Ohm output on E6. The problem is that as far as I know there is no LOD for the iPhone 5 new digital lightning connector and if you don't want to double amp, you have to go something like this -> iPhone 5>30-pin adapter>LOD>Fiio E6. It depends if your headphones will benefit from amping.


----------



## newphones

Quote: 





jakkal said:


> iPhone 5 has higher output impedance (3.5 Ohm) and weaker amp compared to iPhone 4/4S. So, if you have source dependent IEM, it will benefit from the lower >1 Ohm output on E6. The problem is that as far as I know there is no LOD for the iPhone 5 new digital lightning connector and if you don't want to double amp, you have to go something like this -> iPhone 5>30-pin adapter>LOD>Fiio E6. It depends if your headphones will benefit from amping.


 
  So I can't use the fiio e6 with the iphone 5???


----------



## Jakkal

You can, but either you double amp from the iPhone headphone jack (not the best option as far as I know) or you have to use lightning to 30-pin adapter then LOD then Fiio E6. The second option is more expensive with iPhone5 cause add one more adapter (30$) to the rig. I'm not verry familiar with the new iPhone 5 lightning conector, so you can do some more research about it and what's best way to connect it with amp.


----------



## newphones

Quote: 





jakkal said:


> You can, but either you double amp from the iPhone headphone jack (not the best option as far as I know) or you have to use lightning to 30-pin adapter then LOD then Fiio E6. The second option is more expensive with iPhone5 cause add one more adapter (30$) to the rig. I'm not verry familiar with the new iPhone 5 lightning conector, so you can do some more research about it and what's best way to connect it with amp.


 
   
  Thanks for the clarification. If I get the fiio, I will use it exclusively with the sansa clip+ then.


----------



## Jakkal

Well, you can use it the same way with your iPhone, just double amp from the headphone jack.


----------



## newphones

Quote: 





jakkal said:


> Well, you can use it the same way with your iPhone, just double amp from the headphone jack.


 
   The Koss DJ100's are supposed to sound good with them, but I'm growing disenchanted with the 100's, so I might not even get around to buying the amp. 
   
  So, double the power if I run the fiio through the IP5? Ha ha, I just want better sound not really a louder signal.


----------



## pss395

When I first bought this amp to pair with my HD439, this amp was soooo awesome! It make music sound really clear and instrument separation was good. I've always set it to Mid boost to listen to chillstep.
  But recently my amp got worse. The sound is just, well, mess up. It's so annoying that now I only plug my headphone directly to my macbook. I don't know if it's a burn out amp or something, I only see that it got worse.
  Anyway, I'm planning to buy the CmoyBB from JDSLab, do you guys think it's a good amp?


----------



## wburton

Quote: 





pss395 said:


> When I first bought this amp to pair with my HD439, this amp was soooo awesome! It make music sound really clear and instrument separation was good. I've always set it to Mid boost to listen to chillstep.
> But recently my amp got worse. The sound is just, well, mess up. It's so annoying that now I only plug my headphone directly to my macbook. I don't know if it's a burn out amp or something, I only see that it got worse.
> Anyway, I'm planning to buy the CmoyBB from JDSLab, do you guys think it's a good amp?


 
  its mostly just a bass booster. get a fiio e11.


----------



## Jakkal

Quote: 





pss395 said:


> When I first bought this amp to pair with my HD439, this amp was soooo awesome! It make music sound really clear and instrument separation was good. I've always set it to Mid boost to listen to chillstep.
> But recently my amp got worse. The sound is just, well, mess up. It's so annoying that now I only plug my headphone directly to my macbook. I don't know if it's a burn out amp or something, I only see that it got worse.
> Anyway, I'm planning to buy the CmoyBB from JDSLab, do you guys think it's a good amp?


 
  I think you can find your answer here (click).


----------



## Moolok

FiiO E6 was and still is my very first headphone amp. I was in need of decent inexpensive headphone amp to use at office with my android phone and full sized headphones (Samson SR850). I stumbled upon this thread and review and I was sold. Ordered my unit right away. I still use E6 every day.


----------



## jaycee1

I am amazed by the quality of this product. It has a fantastic synergy with both the jvc harx700 and the koss sportapro's. 
   
  Both seem to have more treble (as well as bass, as well as midrange), which seems to contradict common sense: how can there be MORE of everything if I am listening at the same volume (confirmed with an spl meter)? I was also shocked to discover that the E6 has a completely flat frequency response curve.
   
  The only possible explanation then, is that this tiny amplifier brings out all of the available information (or at least a lot more of it) from both your source and headphones. 
   
  As a result, I am now seriously contemplating buying a fiio E11.
   
  The only misstep I've encountered so far is that the fiio does not pair very well with a pair of igrado's I also have. The fiio brings out far too much of the treble on the igrado's, resulting in a rather exaggerated treble response. However, the fiio is absolutely fantastic with slightly darker or neutral headphones.


----------



## jump3r

i just ordered fio e6 for $27. lets see how it amplifies hd439, px100 ii


----------



## valleynomad

Bought one for $19


----------



## jump3r

steal offer dude for $19...hope u enjoy it too


----------



## Cla55clown

Still lovin' this little thing. Like many others in this forum, it was my first hp amp. Listening to it now with my Nook Color streaming MOG 320. Great little amp for the $$.


----------



## FrequencyBlue

I have JVC HA-FXT90, an IEM that has somewhat balanced sound with slight bass and treble boost, more on the bright side. While I love the overall sound of it, I find the bass quantity lacking for my dance/edm music enjoyment. So my question is: Will this little amp give me more bass quantity, keep them controlled and leave everything else intact?


----------



## jump3r

Quote: 





frequencyblue said:


> I have JVC HA-FXT90, an IEM that has somewhat balanced sound with slight bass and treble boost, more on the bright side. While I love the overall sound of it, I find the bass quantity lacking for my dance/edm music enjoyment. So my question is: Will this little amp give me more bass quantity, keep them controlled and leave everything else intact?


 
  yup it will gv u deep and controlled bass.. well u shld go for e11 if u can


----------



## uzunaruto

For some reason, my e6 wont turn on anymore and  I considering replacing it. Is it better to just get another e6 or upgrade to the e11. 
   
   
  P.S. I never really venture out of the $100 dollar range with headphones and if I do, then I got it for a good deal


----------



## jump3r

Quote: 





uzunaruto said:


> For some reason, my e6 wont turn on anymore and  I considering replacing it. Is it better to just get another e6 or upgrade to the e11.
> 
> 
> P.S. I never really venture out of the $100 dollar range with headphones and if I do, then I got it for a good deal


 
  whats ur source dude?


----------



## uzunaruto

Ipod touch 5g


----------



## jump3r

Quote: 





uzunaruto said:


> Ipod touch 5g


 
  if u can get fiio E11 for $50 get that. or e6 is just fine with ur ipod.


----------



## bob husel

Thanks for your quite concise review.  I'll go as far to say that I'm a big fan of these tiny amps.  Just about every headset I've used needs a little bust to bring out the sound quality of most recorded media. I don't blast my music, and it's nice to bring out the detail at low volume. I've got some very high end equipment at home,and it's really a let do to plug in my phone and have to listen to a tin can, These little guys help a lot. I'm surprised that there aren't more people with these things in their pockets.   B. husel


----------



## GregC

I bought an E6 from Beach Camera on Amazon.  I checked with James and he told me how to validate it was authentic and the number checked out.  I really liked the sound and it worked perfectly for amplifying my Clip+ for use in the car; however, it stopped working after 5 to 8 hours of use.  I had only used it 6 times.  I read reviews on Amazon and people claimed their E6 was delivered DOA or stopped working after a couple days of use.  I like the sound quality but I am troubled about the QC issues.  Now I doubt I will try the X3 until other people have a chance to report back on reliability.


----------



## Swollen17

I've had mine for about a year now, and have had zero issues. I've never heard of any reliability issues, but since I didn't have any there was no reason for me to look into it. I have upgraded to an E17 for most of my use, but if I go somewhere and don't want to take the extra bulk (mountain biking) I take the E6. Not as good as the E17, but in a pinch it brings out a lot of extra sound in my Beyer 880, and 990 (both 250 ohm) vs. my unamped phone, and helps my IEM's quite a bit too. In case anyone wonder, no the Beyer's don't go mountain biking with me.


----------



## zugu

Hi,
   
  I currently use a Fiio E6 with a pair of Vsonic GR06 IEMs, and a Samsung Android smartphone as a source, with great results.
   
  I will soon upgrade to Vsonic GR07 Bass Edition, and I don't know whether I should also buy the Fiio E12 or stick to my E6 amp.
   
  What do you guys recommend?


----------



## marko93101

Quote: 





zugu said:


> Hi,
> 
> I currently use a Fiio E6 with a pair of Vsonic GR06 IEMs, and a Samsung Android smartphone as a source, with great results.
> 
> ...


 
  Stick with the E6 till you get the GR07's and then decide. Only you'll really know if they need more power!


----------



## Swollen17

I totally agree. The E6 runs my 250 Ohm Beyers, so it shouldn't have any problem with GR07s, so you don't "need" anything more. Depending on which Samsung phone you have (S3/S4), you might be able to run a DAC with it, and then you could think about the E17 as a DAC/Amp over the E12 Amp. I went tdown the same road a while back, and went with the E17 because of the DAC option.


----------



## GregC

I wanted to let the people know that James responded to a personal message and the failure rate is low on the E6.  Just my luck that it failed after two charges.  Beach camera issued a RMA since it failed less than 30 days after I received it.  I like the size and performance of the E6 if it can last more than a few uses.


----------



## Krydel

Would this be worth getting for my HFI-580s?


----------



## Foldedpencil

So the consensus in this thread back when the E06 first came out was that it did not really benefit when driving Westone 3's from a clip+.  I just got a pair of W4R's that I am running from a Clip Zip, and they just don't sound as natural or spacious from the Clip as they do out of my 8 year old creative X-fi sound card.  Would the E06 (or E11 for that matter) be able to help the Clip get closer to that level?  Or should I just shut up and enjoy my portable rig for now and see what happens with the Fiio X5?
   
I have also been looking at pictures of the RSA Shadow and dreaming about how great the Clip would look sitting on that thing... but the price tag is a bit steep that way...


----------



## Tanjent

Yeah...foobar 2000 thru my absolute crap pc and creative ....sounds  better than Clip +
   
  Amps dont improve SQ...


----------



## jump3r

i would not say that dude.. amp will surely crisp the highs and will make the lows fuller..


----------



## Tanjent

I would because an amp will only boost volume... Maybe if it were driving a higher impedance headphone, it would appear to improve SQ...by giving it the required juice to properly run that headphone.


----------



## marko93101

So what Tangent is saying jump3r is that it's not an improvement in SQ, in fact it's the headphone/IEM being able to perform at their fullest potential with the little extra juice


----------



## Tanjent

Yes ^^ marko


----------



## Foldedpencil

But how can you tell the difference between poor SQ from the DAC (DAP?) and under-preforming headphones?  I thought that some of the problem with a cheap internal amp was not simply lack of volume, but also lack of control over the drivers.


----------



## Tanjent

The headphones ohm rating...
  and sensitivity


----------



## Foldedpencil

What is the equation? The Clip Zip output max is 18mW @ 160 Ohms and up to .54 V.  The W4Rs have a sensitivity of 118dB @ 1 mW and an impedance of 31 Ohms.  I only listen at about half volume, so I think they are getting enough power, but what about control?


----------



## Tanjent

What and they dont sound any good to you? File quality?


----------



## Foldedpencil

I have been playing FLAC files.  It just sound so much more distant (especially the vocals) compared to how it sounds when I play them through the computer.  The detail is there but something is off that really gets in the way of my enjoyment.  Perhaps it is just an EQ issue, but I cannot seem to get them to match the more natural sound off of the PC.
   
  Maybe it is just psychoacustics, but from everything I have read I had every reason to expect that it would sound great.  I was hoping to find that I just needed a better amp so I would have an easy fix.


----------



## Tanjent

Do you have Rockbox? is it a cross feed issue?


----------



## Foldedpencil

I do have Rockbox, I am using "Simple (Meier)" under crossfeed (as recommended by other head-fi'ers), but I have to admit, I am not really sure what all of those settings do.


----------



## Tanjent

From the Rockbox web site:
   
 Crossfeed attempts to make the experience of listening to music on headphones more similar to listening to music with stereo speakers. When you listen to music through speakers, each ear will hear sound originating from both speakers. However, the sound from the left speaker reaches your right ear slightly later than it does your left ear, and vice versa.
 The human ear and brain together are very good at interpreting the time differences between direct sounds and reflected sounds and using that information to identify the direction that the sound is coming from. On the other hand, when listening to headphones, each ear hears only the stereo channel corresponding to it. The left ear hears only the left channel and the right ear hears only the right channel. The result is that sound from headphones does not provide the same spatial cues to your ear and brain as speakers, and might for that reason sound unnatural to some listeners.
 The crossfeed function uses an algorithm to feed a delayed and filtered portion of the signal from the right channel into the left channel and vice versa in order to simulate the spatial cues that the ear and brain receive when listening to a set of loudspeakers placed in front of the listener. The result is a more natural stereo image that can be especially appreciated in older rock and jazz records, where one instrument is often hard-panned to just one of the speakers. Many people will find such records tiring to listen to using earphones and no crossfeed effect.
 Crossfeed has the following settings:
  Crossfeed.  Selects whether the crossfeed effect is to be enabled or not.  Direct Gain.  How much the level of the audio that travels the direct path from a speaker to the corresponding ear is supposed to be decreased.  Cross Gain.  How much the level of the audio that travels the cross path from a speaker to the opposite ear is to be decreased.  High-Frequency Attenuation.  How much the upper frequencies of the cross path audio will be dampened. Note that the total level of the higher frequencies will be a combination of both this setting and the Cross Gain setting.  High-Frequency Cutoff.  Decides at which frequency the cross path audio will start to be cut by the amount described by the High-Frequency Attenuation setting.   Most users will find the default settings to yield satisfactory results, but for the more adventurous user the settings can be fine-tuned to provide a virtual speaker placement suited to ones preference. Beware that the crossfeed function is capable of making the audio distort if you choose settings which result in a too high output level.
   
   
   
   
  Trust me   simple is the way to go....
   
  Maybe see if you can road test some amps at a store near you...take your rig and try some out...


----------



## Foldedpencil

That is a really good idea.  I will have to look into if there is a store around me with that kind of stuff.


----------



## galaxian

Can I use Fiio E6 as amplifier to my sansa fuze and use it to drive externally powered speakers (for now it is creative cambridge soundworks ps2000).  If no, which other portable amplifier do you recommend. I don't want to transform the sound coming out of the player, so looking for a sort of neutral amplifier (like Fiio E6).
   
  Thanks


----------



## Krydel

Decided to pick one up not knowing if it would improve anything. Haven't had chance to try it with my laptop yet but wow with my s3 it is night and day difference. I expected the higher bass boost to be overpowering and muddy the sound but I think because my hfi-580s are quite harsh and bright up the high end it balances out into an amazing, rumbling bass yet clear mids and highs experience. Thoroughly recommended!


----------



## Tanjent

Nice!


----------



## Nicolas L

I might be sounding slightly dumb, but... do people amp IEMs? (specifically the Shure SE215s). The E6 hits the bullseye of my budget, but would it enhance my audio experience? (I haven't got a pair of decent headphones :/, though I wish I did)


----------



## Vidmaven

Quote: 





nicolas l said:


> I might be sounding slightly dumb, but... do people amp IEMs? (specifically the Shure SE215s). The E6 hits the bullseye of my budget, but would it enhance my audio experience? (I haven't got a pair of decent headphones :/, though I wish I did)


 
  Yes. Not sure about your Shures but quite a few of my IEMs definitely benefit from amping. Sometimes the DAP just doesn't provide the level of "oomph" you need. The E6 also has a few EQ boosts I believe to crank up the bass, etc..


----------



## Tanjent

Quote: 





vidmaven said:


> Yes. Not sure about your Shures but quite a few of my IEMs definitely benefit from amping. Sometimes the DAP just doesn't provide the level of "oomph" you need. The E6 also has a few EQ boosts I believe to crank up the bass, etc..


 
  Good for a Volume boost..when your MP3 player cant cut it......also add Bass with the EQ function...


----------



## Nicolas L

Quote: 





vidmaven said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  Quote: 





tanjent said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  That's pretty nice then, Since I'm using an iPod Nano 4G as my primary source, do I really have to get a LOD, or will the M/M cable that comes with the E6 suffice?
   
  (mainly because the LOD's price is near equivalent with the amp itself)


----------



## Tanjent

Dunno i use a Clip +...
   
  But I think a LOD is required


----------



## Rubbertje

Hi,
   
  I have a weird hiss in my recently bought E6, but not all the time.
   
  My setup is as follows:
  Asus Vivobook -> HDMI cable to Dell pc monitor -> E6 in headphone-out of pc monitor -> Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphone
   
  The hiss exists only in this setup, it doesn't matter if I charge it (directly via external USB charger) or not.
   
  When I attach the E6 directly to the headphone-out of my Vivobook, there's no hiss (but the general sound quality is a bit poor, so not preferable).
  When I attach the headphone directly to the monitor (so no E6), there's no hiss either.
   
  The hiss get's louder only if I turn up the volume of the E6.
  What could be wrong? Thanks.


----------



## papijoe08

I have no idea that my e6 would still be alive after 2 yrs of daily use.  Amazingly battery life still the same or maybe just dipped a little.


----------



## Tom22

clieos said:


> Here is the new chapter for the story about FiiO's tiny amps' line-up: E6 has been in development for over a year now and ready to be launched months ago. But due to the respect for Westone, which has decided to bundle the new E6 with some of their IEM, the launch is delayed till 25th of August. Yes, the end of this month, so that Westone will have enough time to finish up the bundle pack on their end.
> 
> Anyway, I have had this little marvel for a few weeks now and I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am. Will it beats E11? No. But will it out-do E5 several times over? Hell yes. For those who think E5 is nothing but toy, this is where FiiO is trying to prove to you how serious a tiny amp that cost much less than a decent meal can go. I haven't had the time to review it just yet, but rest assured  the review will come. Here are some pictures for you to look at, and I'll answer any question as long as it is not overly complicated.
> 
> ...


 
  
 thanks for the fantastic review! i have owned these about a month now,
  
 i was wondering how to interpret graph you posted. I mean i can read it and understand it somewhat but i was wondering for eq3 with the -3db reduction. technically if you increase the volume enough it can match its "vanilla mode"
  
 what i mean is if the volume is 2 for vanilla mode
 would volume 4 for the eq3 lead to the same output (frequency response)? as a volume 2 for its vanilla mode/flat eq
  
 on trustedreview website said it toned down the bass and the treble frequencies. I tested this myself and it seem to be right, even with the volume increase. it might be just a placebo effect however. 
  
 i'm curious because i want to tone down the booming bass and the siblant treble of my klipsch s4i. And i also don't want to change the frequency response of my re400 and my noontec zoros. i love them!


----------



## ClieOS

tom22 said:


> thanks for the fantastic review! i have owned these about a month now,
> 
> i was wondering how to interpret graph you posted. I mean i can read it and understand it somewhat but i was wondering for eq3 with the -3db reduction. technically if you increase the volume enough it can match its "vanilla mode"
> 
> ...


 
  
 EQ3 really is just normal mode with reduced gain (volume). The reason is to make sure the amp won't distort when the input signal is too high. Yes, technically you can increase the volume enough so the output will match the normal mode (to an extent)
  
 S4 is more or less a lost cause


----------



## Tom22

clieos said:


> EQ3 really is just normal mode with reduced gain (volume). The reason is to make sure the amp won't distort when the input signal is too high. Yes, technically you can increase the volume enough so the output will match
> the normal mode (to an extent)
> 
> S4 is more or less a lost cause




Yes i made the mistake to buy it 2 years ago 
based on cnet intervieww and some reviewss on head fi (i take care of my stuff so they're basically new only very smal scuff marks on the logo)

Im trying to really just use them until they break, (they isolate well for commuting) and i dun want to toss them away. 
Tried to reduce the treble by using olive foam and comply but complys too expensive. And i still have some olives left over.

Thanks for replying. I guess ill just have to enjoy it with my re400, noontec zoros more


----------



## Bytor123

I love this little amp. I use it with a shuffle out on the bike - nice and small but gives a good boost to the IEMs I use (Skullcandy FMJs or Marley People Get Ready or Beacon IEMs). EQ lets me get the best out of these 'phones (yes, not expensive ones, but fine for out riding). It does feel a bit flimsy, but I've had no bother after several months. I like FiiO products (bar a dodgy cable on a Rocky). For the price I can't see a downside to this.


----------



## jump3r

marko93101 said:


> So what Tangent is saying jump3r is that it's not an improvement in SQ, in fact it's the headphone/IEM being able to perform at their fullest potential with the little extra juice


 
  
,ya that is what an amp/dac do...


----------



## Bytor123

Yes, I know - what I'm not understanding is why can the FiiO work as a DAC on an Android device and not on an iPod - don't you have to buy an expensive DAC to get past the iPod internals...? And yet it's the same music files; what is it that Apple is charging for when it wants companies to pay for the right to 'DAC' the files from an iPod? Sorry again if this is a daft question...


----------



## uzunaruto

uzunaruto said:


> For some reason, my e6 wont turn on anymore and  I considering replacing it. Is it better to just get another e6 or upgrade to the e11.
> 
> 
> P.S. I never really venture out of the $100 dollar range with headphones and if I do, then I got it for a good deal


 
  
 Alright this little guy started working again after two months of playing dead, just hoping it doesn't do that again....


----------



## Nicadraus

I'm considering in getting this little amp for my phone.


----------



## Tom22

nicadraus said:


> I'm considering in getting this little amp for my phone.


 
 i think its a safe investment
  
 my itouch's headphone jack shorted out and for a year(costed 200$ at apple to fix) and already paid 50$ for stores to attempt to fix it,-->waste of time and money
  it was just a expensive alarm and to watch videos in bed ( didn't know about using its lod cable) at the time didn't want to throw it away or give to someone it was 32gb
  
 got the fiio e6 this summer and connected to my 32gb itouch with lod cable--> ITS BACK!!!!! omg it holds so much more songs than my 16gb iphone (use to listen to just 256kps- 320kps, now have lossless files (they take up so much space!!!, but sound amazing)
  
 now i have more than enough space for my music (its exclusively for music)
  
 now i know if the headphone output on my fiio e6 shorts out i can easily pay 30-45$ a new one or upgrade to its older siblings been eyeing the e17 and the e70k for a while , rather than pay apple 200$ to fix just the headphone jack
  
 that was my original reason for getting it
  
 but now it gives more tighter bass, decent mid range and some lower treble sparkle (would like more extension and sparkle) but hey its cheap!--> no eq
  
 the eq 2 red as everyone stated is better left alone, bass is so muddy and bleeds easily to the midrange and makes the treble seem out of steam and no sparkle
  
 eq3  blue light is great for more dance, edm music for more lively sound and helps a lot with female vocals bumps up the bass and the treble, still like more extention i feel it bumps the midbass and the mid treble more so than the sub bass and the higher treble
  
 the eq4 purple light i actually find is very useful! heres why: i find i use it interchangable with eq1(vanilla mode) i use low impedence gear (noontec zoro, monster turbines, hi fi man re400, monoprice 8320) and when i find the vanila mode to loud, i use the eq4 but bump up the volume a few notches. (imo when using the re400s i use the eq 1 on volume 4 ( 3 clicks, first click= 2 clicks then increase 1 at a time) it gets a little to loud to me, instead i use eq 4 with volume 6 (5 clicks) its inbetween volume 3-4 on normal eq (hopefully that make sense)---> it reduces all frequencies by 3 db i think
  
 fantastic option i think it needs more attention to the public when their they short out the headphone jack on their devices! most ppl throw them away and use it as excuse to upgrade their gear 
  
 i will be sticking with my current itouch for a long time! and for now the fiie6 as well


----------



## Nicadraus

tom22 said:


> i think its a safe investment
> 
> my itouch's headphone jack shorted out and for a year(costed 200$ at apple to fix) and already paid 50$ for stores to attempt to fix it,-->waste of time and money
> it was just a expensive alarm and to watch videos in bed ( didn't know about using its lod cable) at the time didn't want to throw it away or give to someone it was 32gb
> ...


 
  
 Thank you for the input. Will surely get one.


----------



## BrightCandle

Just one thing to bare in mind with this amp is that if you are charging it the noise in the power supply affects the sound. So you really can't use this amp plugged in and charging like in a desk environment.
  
 Mine doesn't seem to have the red light on the top so its actually really hard to tell what mode its in, it just seems to switch between purple and blue. The interface is very reduced and I think its pretty awkward to use. The volume rocker is simple enough but the mode switch and power switch is just awkward as you pull it up for everything.
  
 I am no expert on the sound of headphone amps and don't have much to compare it to so I'll skip that, but I wanted to make sure people knew about the hiss when charging the amp.


----------



## Tom22

brightcandle said:


> Just one thing to bare in mind with this amp is that if you are charging it the noise in the power supply affects the sound. So you really can't use this amp plugged in and charging like in a desk environment.
> 
> Mine doesn't seem to have the red light on the top so its actually really hard to tell what mode its in, it just seems to switch between purple and blue. The interface is very reduced and I think its pretty awkward to use. The volume rocker is simple enough but the mode switch and power switch is just awkward as you pull it up for everything.
> 
> I am no expert on the sound of headphone amps and don't have much to compare it to so I'll skip that, but I wanted to make sure people knew about the hiss when charging the amp.


 
 yea you can't use it while charging the hiss is far tooo annoying but the battery on the little guy is more than enough for me, i can go many days without charging it ( i only listen maybe 1-2 hrs a day, my on subway commute though)


----------



## SlimShadyMJ

So, anyone know how this will work with the UE6000? I like the sound, just thought I'd try to open them up a bit when using them with my iPod (touch 2nd gen). Will it help the slightly recessed treble? Add some sparkle? Will it have enough power for the UE6000 without causing issues, or is there another amp around this price that can do a better job?


----------



## Tom22

slimshadymj said:


> So, anyone know how this will work with the UE6000? I like the sound, just thought I'd try to open them up a bit when using them with my iPod (touch 2nd gen). Will it help the slightly recessed treble? Add some sparkle? Will it have enough power for the UE6000 without causing issues, or is there another amp around this price that can do a better job?


 
  
 personally i used them with my noontec zoros, hifiman re400, monster turbines, vsonic gr07
  
 the closest in sound signature amongst what i have to your ue6000 is the noontec zoros and the turbines
  
 more so the noontec zoros in the sense that the treble rolls off bit more quickly
  
 the fiio e6 i feel is a dark amp, to be totally honest i honestly don't think they do much if anything to the treble ( if anything it sounds even more recessed relative to the bass and the mids emphasis)
  
 now i'm a/bin this with my iphone with the amp and without at roughly what i think is the similar volume ( on iphone alone i use the noontec at about 4 clicks /16 i think) on the fiio amp i use it at 1 click (on the fiio amp 1 click is +2 in volume, so for convenience sake i will just say clicks from now on ) 2 clicks (which really +3 volume)
  
 what it does is bump up the volume (using 4+ on iphone vs +3 with the amp) the bass feels more emphasized if you want to think of it in relative sense the bass seems like its been bumped up +3 the mids +2 treble +0/1
  
 the bass becomes bigger and tighter more so in the midbass > sub bass 
  
 the lower mids- middle mids is more emphasised so male vocals become more rich
  
 female vocals in the higher mids to lower treble still sounded nice but not as nice as with male vocals
  
 no change really in sound stage
  
 as stated above i did not feel like the treble was really touched at all, there was no extra sparkle or extension, but no harshness either
  
 also something to note the post above was just comparing both the iphone and amp in vanilla mode (no eq on the fiio amp so eq1= nothing)
  
 ignore eq2 the bass is far too overblown and gets muddy fast, making the transitition to mid range very weird and makes the treble soo recessed
  
 the eq 3 however is a better than eq 2 i still like to use the amp without eq or on eq4 (reducing db good for low impedence and high sensitive gear (basically most of my gear) and good for using volume inbetween eq 1 (cause i felt the volume difference in eq1 was too big sometimes, and i use eq3 as a way to find a inbtween volume ex i can use the noontec zoro only up to +3 volume on eq 1 but when use eq4 i can go as far as +5, cause it limits the amount of juice that goes into the headphones)
  
 soo back to eq3 the bass is a looser but bigger (tighter than eq2 but less than eq1) the mids become a bit recessed the lower treble gets bumped it ( on my slight siblant gr07) made the siblance more noticeable
  
 the mid to higher treble was pretty much left untouched so there was no much sparkle despite the increase in bass and treble
  
 hoped it helped lemme know if you need any help or clarification on what i said above


----------



## SlimShadyMJ

tom22 said:


> personally i used them with my noontec zoros, hifiman re400, monster turbines, vsonic gr07
> 
> the closest in sound signature amongst what i have to your ue6000 is the noontec zoros and the turbines
> 
> ...


 
 Holy freaking crap. Thank you so much. A better answer than I could have hoped for lol. Thank you. Now, I'll continue my search for an amp.


----------



## villagepark

I have a fiilo e17 and I want to be able to use 2 headphones at once with my friend. I am assuming that a headphone splitter is not a good idea. Is it possible to hook up the E6 to my E17 so that I can listen from the E17 headphone jack and they can listen from the E6 headphone jack?


----------



## Tom22

slimshadymj said:


> Holy freaking crap. Thank you so much. A better answer than I could have hoped for lol. Thank you. Now, I'll continue my search for an amp.


 
 no problem id be hesitant to say this but i'll say it anyway if u want better treble extension stay away from fiio amps unless u go above the andes or the ek70k i think thats called u know what i mean
  
 from the reviews i read it seems like their all relatively dark not ur tastes


----------



## Shawn71

villagepark said:


> * I am assuming that a headphone splitter is not a good idea.
> **Is it possible to hook up the E6 to my E17 so that I can listen from the E17 headphone jack and they can listen from the E6 headphone jack?


 
 *Why do you think so? It is Ok. but little more power needed(raise the vol) to drive both.
 **No > This is how you think - source o/p > i/p of E6 > o/p of E6 > i/p of E17 > o/p of E17 > Headphones? so where would you connect the second HP?
  
 PS: all i/o's are 3.5mm jacks.


----------



## papijoe08

Tragic day today, after more than 2 years of service my fiio e6 w/ l8 have been stolen (maybe the thief thought it was a mini mp3 player).
 A job well done to my old friend that made me enjoyed numerous iems / headphones for the past years. It was the only truly portable amp I've had (my cmoy amps we're way too big, heavy and bulky for a portable). What's amazing is it was never broken, the battery life is still excellent and I've never thought that the build quality would be that good. Again, farewell to my old e6. The story of my tiny amp ends here. :/


----------



## Shawn71

papijoe08 said:


> Tragic day today, after more than 2 years of service my fiio e6 w/ l8 have been stolen (maybe the thief thought it was a mini mp3 player).


 
 Sad to hear but same time LoL.......true he would've thought E6 toy a new design shuffle which attracted him.


----------



## papijoe08

shawn71 said:


> Sad to hear but same time LoL.......true he would've thought E6 toy a new design shuffle which attracted him.


 
 Yah dude the e6 really looks like a shuffle haha and you're right sad but LOL, I'll just get another e6 or maybe something else with the same form factor as the e6 and e5 like the nuforce mmp.


----------



## Tom22

papijoe08 said:


> Yah dude the e6 really looks like a shuffle haha and you're right sad but LOL, I'll just get another e6 or maybe something else with the same form factor as the e6 and e5 like the nuforce mmp.


 
 try the andes or the e11!
  
 those are the two i wanna try after my fiio e6 bites the dust
  
 ive been hard on the headphone jack, but i rather replace the amp than my ipod touch, cheaper and more easily replaceable


----------



## Shawn71

Get the E11 as there's an updated version E11K(as usual,FiiO's naming convention) is due launch by 2014, which will have non-replaceable battery. so if you want the Original, that has BL-5B replaceable battery, get it before june'14. I got mine already.........otherwise it's your choice.
  
 One more thing,I ordered E6 but received E06(labelled in the back of the amp and box). All I could figure out the difference between E6 and E06 is that, the power/EQ switch's groove has the markings of power sign+lock sign(hold) than power sign/EQ on top position and HOLD in the bottom.....on E6.


----------



## papijoe08

tom22 said:


> try the andes or the e11!
> 
> those are the two i wanna try after my fiio e6 bites the dust
> 
> ive been hard on the headphone jack, but i rather replace the amp than my ipod touch, cheaper and more easily replaceable


 
 I have had the e11 and its way too bulky for my pocket unlike e6 where-in I can just clip it in my shirt effortlessly.


----------



## papijoe08

shawn71 said:


> Get the E11 as there's an updated version E11K(as usual,FiiO's naming convention) is due launch by 2014, which will have non-replaceable battery. so if you want the Original, that has BL-5B replaceable battery, get it before june'14. I got mine already.........otherwise it's your choice.
> 
> One more thing,I ordered E6 but received E06(labelled in the back of the amp and box). All I could figure out the difference between E6 and E06 is that, the power/EQ switch's groove has the markings of power sign+lock sign(hold) than power sign/EQ on top position and HOLD in the bottom.....on E6.


 
  
 I'm interested in gettign another e6 if it is still better than nuforce mmp, does e06 have a sonical difference with the old e6? thanks


----------



## Shawn71

papijoe08 said:


> I'm interested in gettign another e6 if it is still better than nuforce mmp, does e06 have a sonical difference with the old e6? thanks


 
 Sorry, I couldn't help here.....This is my first E6 toy. But one thing for sure, E11 is more powerful than E06. E12 is more of a neutral amp.
  
 edit> I don't think E6 had undergone any change in the internals......otherwise FiiO would've announced to it's consumers. OR, It could be like, a new supplier had been appointed and just to differentiate from the old supplier,on the parts level,the new E06 have the said cosmetic change externally.


----------



## Systehm

Will this do much of anything to better the sound or volume of the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm's? I need something to hold me over for a few weeks until I get a desktop amplifier, and I can have this at my house by Saturday or Monday. My apologies if this or something similar has been asked or discussed before in this thread.


----------



## macky112

Dear head-fi expierts,
  
 I am new to the head-fi scene, and currently have following IEMs/cans: MEElectronics M6, M9, and also Monoprice 8323 and 8320
  
 These are really amazing bang for the buck IEMs/cans that I picked up based on the reviews on this forum, so thanks!
  
 Now I started to commute more, and noticed the bass in these IEMs/cans get drawn out during car rides, and so I am looking for a portable amp to bring out some of that drawn out bass during my commute.
  
 Based on my IEMs/cans selection, my question is: will a Fiio E6 be good enough for me, or will I benefit from a Fiio E11 more?
  
 any input is appreciated, TIA
  
 M


----------



## Tom22

macky112 said:


> Dear head-fi expierts,
> 
> I am new to the head-fi scene, and currently have following IEMs/cans: MEElectronics M6, M9, and also Monoprice 8323 and 8320
> 
> ...


 
 i have personal experience with both monoprice 8320 and 8323
  
  in terms of the 8320 youd be better off not using them for commuting. they don't isolate enough at all and your going to wreck your ears trying to drown our the noise
  
 the fiio6 i think is good starting point but word of warning for anyone new to using amps, even 1 click on volume is more than > iphone (i can't put an exact number on it) but you can easily find yourself turning up too loud. (theirs 62-64 clicks on the fiioe6 at max) i use them at max 3 clicks on the monoprice on the normal setting (no eq) or around 5-6 clicks in eq 3 (reducing dB by 3 )
  
 check out the gallery for this thread you'll see how i attached the fiio6 to my ipod, its more convenient this way so your not holding two pieces while out and about
  
 the e11 steps the output even more so you'll get even more power and volume
  
 both are dark sounding (more emphasis on the bass and lower mids ) and a more rolled off treble 
  
 even with the eq2 i'll repost what i posted last time. i hope no one minds the repost


----------



## Tom22

personally i used them with my noontec zoros, hifiman re400, monster turbines, vsonic gr07
  
 the closest in sound signature amongst what i have to your ue6000 is the noontec zoros and the turbines
  
 more so the noontec zoros in the sense that the treble rolls off bit more quickly
  
 the fiio e6 i feel is a dark amp, to be totally honest i honestly don't think they do much if anything to the treble ( if anything it sounds even more recessed relative to the bass and the mids emphasis)
  
 now i'm a/bin this with my iphone with the amp and without at roughly what i think is the similar volume ( on iphone alone i use the noontec at about 4 clicks /16 i think) on the fiio amp i use it at 1 click (on the fiio amp 1 click is +2 in volume, so for convenience sake i will just say clicks from now on ) 2 clicks (which really +3 volume)
  
 what it does is bump up the volume (using 4+ on iphone vs +3 with the amp) the bass feels more emphasized if you want to think of it in relative sense the bass seems like its been bumped up +3 the mids +2 treble +0/1
  
 the bass becomes bigger and tighter more so in the midbass > sub bass 
  
 the lower mids- middle mids is more emphasised so male vocals become more rich
  
 female vocals in the higher mids to lower treble still sounded nice but not as nice as with male vocals
  
 no change really in sound stage
  
 as stated above i did not feel like the treble was really touched at all, there was no extra sparkle or extension, but no harshness either
  
 also something to note the post above was just comparing both the iphone and amp in vanilla mode (no eq on the fiio amp so eq1= nothing)
  
 ignore eq2 the bass is far too overblown and gets muddy fast, making the transitition to mid range very weird and makes the treble soo recessed
  
 the eq 3 however is a better than eq 2 i still like to use the amp without eq or on eq4 (reducing db good for low impedence and high sensitive gear (basically most of my gear) and good for using volume inbetween eq 1 (cause i felt the volume difference in eq1 was too big sometimes, and i use eq3 as a way to find a inbtween volume ex i can use the noontec zoro only up to +3 volume on eq 1 but when use eq4 i can go as far as +5, cause it limits the amount of juice that goes into the headphones)
  
 soo back to eq3 the bass is a looser but bigger (tighter than eq2 but less than eq1) the mids become a bit recessed the lower treble gets bumped it ( on my slight siblant gr07) made the siblance more noticeable
  
 the mid to higher treble was pretty much left untouched so there was no much sparkle despite the increase in bass and treble
  
 hoped it helped lemme know if you need any help or clarification on what i said above


----------



## Tom22

macky112 said:


> Dear head-fi expierts,
> 
> I am new to the head-fi scene, and currently have following IEMs/cans: MEElectronics M6, M9, and also Monoprice 8323 and 8320
> 
> ...


 
 the e11 i would like to add is even darker > fiio6 so even more bass (even with no eq applied) i had demoed them a while ago but i do own the e6. and using the line out with my ipod makes it so convenient when adjusting volume and brought my ipod back to life (battery is bad and the headphone jack is distorted) but its 32gb so can't waste that!


----------



## shaolin95

I just got the E6 and WOW I am impressed. My TDK IE800 never sounded this good..in fact I many times wanted to sell them thinking they sucked! 
 My Xperia Z Ultra now is rocking the house with this tiny amp. I am getting the E11 on Monday but since the E6 is making me happy and so small, I may not keep the E11.


----------



## Tom22

shaolin95 said:


> I just got the E6 and WOW I am impressed. My TDK IE800 never sounded this good..in fact I many times wanted to sell them thinking they sucked!
> My Xperia Z Ultra now is rocking the house with this tiny amp. I am getting the E11 on Monday but since the E6 is making me happy and so small, I may not keep the E11.


 
 send the e11 over here! i like the e6 but the e11 is more practical especially with the ipod touch older generatsion (where the 30pin hole can easily plug into the bottom socket) and the headphone jack comes out at the same general area 
  
 i hate how the e6 the input and the output is on opposite sides


----------



## zunehdrocks

When using this with a portable player, should I keep the player at max volume?


----------



## shaolin95

From what I have read you dont, at least with my phone I do like 3 or 4 clicks down from max. But I guess it varies.


----------



## Tom22

zunehdrocks said:


> When using this with a portable player, should I keep the player at max volume?


 
 nope never have them at max volume, it will distort most of the time
  
 imo at max go to 80-85% and adjust the volume from the amp from there
  
 but even then its really far too loud even with the fiio amp at eq 1(no eq essentially) and even with eq 3( reduced db/ loudness) it was really loud.
  
 note i do tend to listen to a bit quieter than "normal people"
  
 but even then still i would recommend 70% to be enough but of course its up to you
  
 but the 1 rule of thumb is to never max out the volume of your portable player
  
 1) you blow out your ears 
 2) it distorts so much that any benefits you get from the amp gets nullified 
  
 just my two cents


----------



## zunehdrocks

I just got my first pair of good headphones (koss pro dj100) and a fiio e6. I wasn't completely sure what volume to keep my zune HD because this is actually the first headphone amp i've used. So thanks


----------



## Hisoundfi

I bought the e6 three weeks ago and fell in love with the thing. It's a perfect little amp for work or when on the go. It adds richness adopting to your music beyond what your smartphone provides. unfortunately it only lasted for about 2 weeks before the battery decided to not charge anymore. Has anyone else had issues with fiio products doing this? I am sending it back to be replaced. Hopefully it's a random defect in the one I had.


----------



## uzunaruto

I've had an issue with the e6 where it would charge but would'nt power on. A couple months later i found it in the bottom of my draw, turned it on and viola, it was alive again, weird huh...


----------



## Hisoundfi

Ya, I have done a little research online and it sounds like some of these have battery issues. I hope it only happens to a select few of these devices.


----------



## teyec

A question, what benefit does E6 have with EQ off?


----------



## Tom22

teyec said:


> A question, what benefit does E6 have with EQ off?




My favourite actually its a bit of sub and mid bass bump and a bit of lower treble bump


----------



## zunehdrocks

teyec said:


> A question, what benefit does E6 have with EQ off?


 
 It really depends on the headphone. Generally, headphones that need an amp sound gritty, sound harsh, have a small soundstage, and lack bass. The fiio e6 can help with that.


----------



## Tom22

zunehdrocks said:


> It really depends on the headphone. Generally, headphones that need an amp sound gritty, sound harsh, have a small soundstage, and lack bass. The fiio e6 can help with that.




Actually im in the minority, the headphone jack on my ipod touch (32gb) broke so i used the line out to my fiio e6. I just got the e6 to kepp my ipod touch alive (kept it alive another 9months and going strong!!)

I liked my neutral sound coming re400. It didnt need anymore treble or bass boost. I just need that little bass bump, it was little bas light for me but it could use a bit bump


----------



## teyec

Thank you for response. I'm using e200 Rockboxed and got used on enjoying my Phonak PFE 112 (gray filters, volume on -3, bass on +7, treble on +5). While E6 is doing wonders to listen them with my cellphone or PC, so far I'm liking the no EQ option for Phonak with e200, so thats why I asked. It can help sometimes moderately with harsh sound, but it seams like I do lose a bit of clarity on treble, so I wondered about your impressions.


----------



## Hisoundfi

The instructions say that it has to be plugged into a laptop or pc to charge. Does anyone know if it's harmful to plug it in to charge in a usb wall plug charger? 

Also, my (replacement) e6 seems to charge for a short period of time before the red light turns off. Does anyone know if this means that the device is done charging. I wouldn't assume so considering that it was such a short time frame. 

Help! I love this thing but after my first one kicking the bucket I wanna make sure it's not operator error. Thanks


----------



## Bytor123

I charge mine with a wall plug...no problems noted. Red light goes off when done charging, but it takes a little while (depends on how run down it is).


----------



## Shawn71

hisoundfi said:


> The instructions say that it has to be plugged into a laptop or pc to charge. Does anyone know if it's harmful to plug it in to charge in a usb wall plug charger?
> 
> Also, my (replacement) e6 seems to charge for a short period of time before the red light turns off. Does anyone know if this means that the device is done charging. I wouldn't assume so considering that it was such a short time frame.
> 
> Help! I love this thing but after my first one kicking the bucket I wanna make sure it's not operator error. Thanks




Yes you can very well connect to wall charger.....there are no problems.

Reg. The battery charge»»» I suggest you do a full discharge of the battery by using it for 10-12hours.let it drain out completely. Now connect to charger and check the charging time.

It seems that, You probably didnt drain the battery completely but connected to usb charging that has more power still unused and yiu get the fully charged status within minutes.And you use the E6 again just for a while say about 2 hours here and there and you charge it and the cycle goes on.....


----------



## Grodecki

Does this have enough power to amp from line out on an iPod classic? Debating grabbing one but don't see a great deal of point if I'm just running it off the headphoen output.


----------



## Hisoundfi

Yes, it has as much oomph as the e7, e17 ect, just in smaller form. This thing is an awesome portable rig, it's light enough to suspend without the clip. It'll make your music richer and fuller. Ipod, Android, and iPhone will all benefit from this little guy.


----------



## zunehdrocks

grodecki said:


> Does this have enough power to amp from line out on an iPod classic? Debating grabbing one but don't see a great deal of point if I'm just running it off the headphoen output.


 
 What headphones will you be using with them?


----------



## Grodecki

Primarily JVC FX850s which have a 16ohm impendance, provided i get on with them when they arrive anyway!
  
 Occasionally Audio Technica A900s which are 40Ohm


----------



## Shawn71

grodecki said:


> Does this have enough power to amp from line out on an iPod classic? Debating grabbing one but don't see a great deal of point if I'm just running it off the headphoen output.




you better use an LOD cable than using HO. And i recommend E11 if you can stretch your budget. That being said E06 is not a bad candidate and cant go wrong with its size either,but E11 has little more advantages like matching size to piggy back with classic/touch,replacebale bl-5b battery,analogue alps pot and gain.....E11 a budget HP amp but can handle any IEMs and HPs with ease upto 300ohms.


----------



## CAPO718

Will this work with headphones that have mic and volume control ? Can I still control the music and answer calls ? With my headphones plug in to this ?


----------



## ClieOS

capo718 said:


> Will this work with headphones that have mic and volume control ? Can I still control the music and answer calls ? With my headphones plug in to this ?


 

 No.


----------



## CAPO718

clieos said:


> No.


Thank you for quick response


----------



## elfary

A few days back i got a 'Westone'  E6 bundled with a replacement Westone 3 package.
  
 Decided to give it some use i ended up bringing it to the gym to power my gym iems (SE215) thru the iPod Classic line-out.
  
 Results if not as nice as the iBasso T3 are very enjoyable. Actually i find it an improvement over the very decent Classic 7G headphone out.
  
 Performance to price ratio is really high for this tiny thing.
  
 Very nice for driving low impedance earphones at a very low cost. It tends to be the other way around these days.


----------



## mephiska

shawn71 said:


> Reg. The battery charge»»» I suggest you do a full discharge of the battery by using it for 10-12hours.let it drain out completely. Now connect to charger and check the charging time.
> 
> It seems that, You probably didnt drain the battery completely but connected to usb charging that has more power still unused and yiu get the fully charged status within minutes.And you use the E6 again just for a while say about 2 hours here and there and you charge it and the cycle goes on.....




Do NOT follow his advice, it is incorrect for batteries in lithium ion devices. The E6 has a lithium battery and as such has no "battery memory." Repeated full discharges of this type of battery will actually damage it and reduce it's lifespan. 

What Shawn is suggesting here applies to older nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride batteries, they had this charge memory effect. Lithium ion does not and repeatedly discharging the battery completely will wear it out.


----------



## smith

I am actually having some interference problems with mine when used with my iphone4 ....anyone else have this issue, my E6 is around  a year old.


----------



## eladrian0396

How good will this amp sound on my ipod with the pumas bread n butter ear buds. I bought this app called swhipy which lets me play all my music library with an equalizer. I want to know if it will distort the sound or not.


----------



## Tom22

eladrian0396 said:


> How good will this amp sound on my ipod with the pumas bread n butter ear buds. I bought this app called swhipy which lets me play all my music library with an equalizer. I want to know if it will distort the sound or not.


 
 are you really listening to it that loud and boosting the bass that much? the mids are practically gone
  
 surprised its not distorting or clipping 0.0


----------



## eladrian0396

My ear buds have way toooo much mids, with that eq set up, i have plenty of mids. The bass isnt really that high, i only only use the first two bars for bass to get a rich boomy bass instead of the bulky acustic bass from the original ipod music app.


----------



## mikidigital

Can someone recommend a respectable seller for the E6,i am reading that there are a lot of fakes around...
 Also is an Lod cable necessary with an ipod?


----------



## H20Fidelity

mikidigital said:


> Can someone recommend a respectable seller for the E6,i am reading that there are a lot of fakes around...
> Also is an Lod cable necessary with an ipod?


 

 I tried giving you a link to FiiO's authorised sellers but it appears broken atm. I would advise you purchase from MP4Nation as they're an authorised FiiO seller. :http://www.mp4nation.net/headphones-earphones/fiio-audio-products/fiio-e6-portable-audio-headphone-amplifier

 About the LOD, what model iPod do you have?


----------



## mikidigital

h20fidelity said:


> I tried giving you a link to FiiO's authorised sellers but it appears broken atm. I would advise you purchase from MP4Nation as they're an authorised FiiO seller. :http://www.mp4nation.net/headphones-earphones/fiio-audio-products/fiio-e6-portable-audio-headphone-amplifier
> 
> About the LOD, what model iPod do you have?


 
 Thanks for the reply,and the link.
 About the LOD: i have an Ipod video 30gb,it is 5th gen i think,so is the LOD necessery for it?


----------



## H20Fidelity

mikidigital said:


> Thanks for the reply,and the link.
> About the LOD: i have an Ipod video 30gb,it is 5th gen i think,so is the LOD necessery for it?


 


 Yes, for iPod Video you will want to take advantage of the line out dock. It's always best to use line out whereever possible, as feeding an amp from a players headphone out means the signal is passing through the players internal amp. By using an LOD you bypass that taking a signal straight from the DAC.

 You can find them on eBay here: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=Ipod+video&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XIpod+lod&_nkw=Ipod+lod&_sacat=0

 I will also give you one I recommended: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SMSL-HI-END-Silver-plated-Audio-cable-for-iphone-ipod-Nano-DOCK-to-3-5mm-JACK-/121075927376?pt=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item1c30b00950


----------



## mikidigital

Thanks for the reply


----------



## Tom22

mikidigital said:


> Thanks for the reply


 
  
 i could sell you my fiio e6 amp =0 i only bought it to use the lod because the headphone jack on my ipod touch broke. now i got a new ipod touch so its basically gathering dust
  
 its well kept and i can give you everything in the box (i'll have to search around) plus ofc the lod cable (which comes separately)
  
 its guaranteed authentic purchased from headfoneshop.com in toronto


----------



## Bytor123

So my E6 has just died...it seems to charge ok (the red light comes on) but it won't turn on...had it several months, I use it regularly with an iPod shuffle out on my bike. Before I order another, are there any other similar size amps around?
 Thanks


----------



## HeadHoncho

Hi,
  
 I have been trying to make my way around the budget audiophile world, mostly with help from great reviewers like ClieOS and Joker. So my current doubt is regarding the source. I currently use just my phone (Sony Xperia SP) for my music needs, with IEMs like the Sony MH1C, Vsonic GR02 BE, VSD1, and VSD3 (Ordered, yet to receive). And I try to use 320kbps MP3 Files always, cant go higher, try not to go lower. Now, considering I am on a budget, and don't like carrying around extra equipment in my pockets (but will do if it really has a positive effect on the sound quality), should I get a Sansa Clip+/Zip or/and a FiiO E6 (for use with the phone and/or with the Sansa). Or if you have any other suggestions, I'm all ears. I'm from India, so availability might be an issue (clip+/zip/E6 are available though)
  
 Thanks in advance!


----------



## Shawn71

headhoncho said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have been trying to make my way around the budget audiophile world, mostly with help from great reviewers like ClieOS and Joker. So my current doubt is regarding the source. I currently use just my phone (Sony Xperia SP) for my music needs, with IEMs like the Sony MH1C, Vsonic GR02 BE, VSD1, and VSD3 (Ordered, yet to receive). And I try to use 320kbps MP3 Files always, cant go higher, try not to go lower. Now, considering I am on a budget, and don't like carrying around extra equipment in my pockets (but will do if it really has a positive effect on the sound quality), should I get a Sansa Clip+/Zip or/and a FiiO E6 (for use with the phone and/or with the Sansa). Or if you have any other suggestions, I'm all ears. I'm from India, so availability might be an issue (clip+/zip/E6 are available though)
> 
> Thanks in advance!




get E11 instead.....mp4nation.net.


----------



## ericr

The clip zip is the best value for the money purchase I've made. It sounds very good. FWIW, my E6 doesn't improve the sound of my clip zip.


----------



## HeadHoncho

shawn71 said:


> get E11 instead.....mp4nation.net.


 
  
 E11(~70$) with my phone will be better than a Sansa Clip+/Zip(~65$)?
  


ericr said:


> The clip zip is the best value for the money purchase I've made. It sounds very good. FWIW, my E6 doesn't improve the sound of my clip zip.


 
  
 Of all the reviews I have read, I am leaning towards the Clip+ over the Clip Zip... hardware is the same accept the screen, and I think because of that, battery on the Clip+ will be better.


----------



## Shawn71

headhoncho said:


> E11(~70$) with my phone will be better than a Sansa Clip+/Zip(~65$)?




I would say, first try investing on the E11 and since you are on budget you can then decide/buy the source(mp3player) as i cant say/comment on your xperia's SQ but all we can say the amp does some justice for sure when connected between the phone and ear/headphones. Having said that,you can first try out with your phone and hear yourself how it takes.

Though E11 is bit pricey to E06, its a wise futuristic investment actually,that it can handle any IEMs and most of the Over the ear,full size headphones(even 300 ohm power hungry ones). Features eq,replaceable nokia bl-5b battery etc and excellent form factor to match most of the source like ipods,touch,fiio,ibasso etc when piggy backed.

Whats ur overall budget?looks like you can stretch for both,upto $150......is my understanding correct? That way can give sone tips.


----------



## HeadHoncho

shawn71 said:


> I would say, first try investing on the E11 and since you are on budget you can then decide/buy the source(mp3player) as i cant say/comment on your xperia's SQ but all we can say the amp does some justice for sure when connected between the phone and ear/headphones. Having said that,you can first try out with your phone and hear yourself how it takes.
> 
> Though E11 is bit pricey to E06, its a wise futuristic investment actually,that it can handle any IEMs and most of the Over the ear,full size headphones(even 300 ohm power hungry ones). Features eq,replaceable nokia bl-5b battery etc and excellent form factor to match most of the source like ipods,touch,fiio,ibasso etc when piggy backed.
> 
> Whats ur overall budget?looks like you can stretch for both,upto $150......is my understanding correct? That way can give sone tips.


 
  
 Hahahahaha, no man, what I am doing right now is stretch my budget, and then some... I think my phone's SQ is good, but not great, because sometimes when I listen to music with the same files/IEMs on my laptop (it's a business laptop, no fancy audio card here), I find the SQ to be better, so there is definitely some room for improvement. This is what got me thinking about changing/modifying my source in the first place. I'v found a place nearby where they keep some FiiO amps, but they did not agree to let me sample them before purchasing. I'll push them a bit more for it, let's see.
  
 This raises another question for me, considering I'll be using an amp, with a decent IEM like a Vsonic VSD3S, won't it accentuate the distortion inherent in compressed mp3 Files?


----------



## ericr

headhoncho said:


> E11(~70$) with my phone will be better than a Sansa Clip+/Zip(~65$)?
> 
> 
> Of all the reviews I have read, I am leaning towards the Clip+ over the Clip Zip... hardware is the same accept the screen, and I think because of that, battery on the Clip+ will be better.


 

 Ouch! $65 for the clip?  Do they ever go on sale?  Here (USA) if you wait a bit it's not hard to get a 4GB Clip for under $35.
  
 If your phone sounds pretty good to start with maybe an amp is the way to go.  But if not, an amp won't be able to magically make a bad signal great (unless your phone has a high output impedance). 
  
 The clip+ & zip are pretty much interchangeable I guess.  I've only ever had a zip.  It gets really good battery life, but I've never timed it to see how long it can actually run.  It also plays while charging and charges very quickly (as the clip+ would I imagine).


----------



## ericr

HeadHoncho,
  
 Just compared the clip zip to my HP business laptop's headphone out.  The clip is WAY better than the laptop using Windows Media, and noticeably but not hugely better than the laptop with Foobar (with the WASAPI driver).
  
 Send me a PM if you have anymore Clip questions as I'm already OT.


----------



## Shawn71

headhoncho said:


> Hahahahaha, no man, what I am doing right now is stretch my budget, and then some... I think my phone's SQ is good, but not great, because sometimes when I listen to music with the same files/IEMs on my laptop (it's a business laptop, no fancy audio card here), I find the SQ to be better, so there is definitely some room for improvement. This is what got me thinking about changing/modifying my source in the first place. I'v found a place nearby where they keep some FiiO amps, but they did not agree to let me sample them before purchasing. I'll push them a bit more for it, let's see.
> 
> This raises another question for me, considering I'll be using an amp, with a decent IEM like a Vsonic VSD3S, won't it accentuate the distortion inherent in compressed mp3 Files?




well an headphone amplifier will definitely enhance SQ,sound stage,dig out the details, etc but not the other way. And thats where a dedicated mp3 players comes(compared to cell phones) like sansa,older gen ipod classics upto 5.5gen,cowon etc as they have decent audio grade SoCs/DACs but their built-in amp section does'nt bring out their full potential so we introduce an HP amp between dac and phones,bypassing builtin HP amp using the LOD cable which is superior to HP out of those players(using 3.5mm-3.5mm interconnect cable).


----------



## ericr

Does the Sony Xperia SP have Line Out capability? Or is it limited to the 3.5mm headphone out jack?


----------



## Shawn71

ericr said:


> Does the Sony Xperia SP have Line Out capability? Or is it limited to the 3.5mm headphone out jack?




I believe it does'nt have it and not sure either as i dont own one. If you have multipin socket (dock) at the bottom it might support LO capability as not all the models that has the dock connector support Lao,but charging,docking etc. Hope that helps some extent....


----------



## HeadHoncho

ericr said:


> Ouch! $65 for the clip?  Do they ever go on sale?  Here (USA) if you wait a bit it's not hard to get a 4GB Clip for under $35.
> 
> If your phone sounds pretty good to start with maybe an amp is the way to go.  But if not, an amp won't be able to magically make a bad signal great (unless your phone has a high output impedance).
> 
> The clip+ & zip are pretty much interchangeable I guess.  I've only ever had a zip.  It gets really good battery life, but I've never timed it to see how long it can actually run.  It also plays while charging and charges very quickly (as the clip+ would I imagine).


 
  
 What? Really? Clip+ for 35$??
  
 And that's the thing, I don't want to buy an amp without knowing what effect it will have with my phone really, can't find a place to audition first.
  
 Now I can buy only one of those, either a clip+, or an E11... Damn I don't know which one
 :-/
  


ericr said:


> HeadHoncho,
> 
> Just compared the clip zip to my HP business laptop's headphone out.  The clip is WAY better than the laptop using Windows Media, and noticeably but not hugely better than the laptop with Foobar (with the WASAPI driver).
> 
> Send me a PM if you have anymore Clip questions as I'm already OT.


 
  
 I don't use my laptop much, mostly use my phone... but considering my laptop with WMP sounded better than my phone, there seems to be a lot of room for improvement on my phone
  


ericr said:


> Does the Sony Xperia SP have Line Out capability? Or is it limited to the 3.5mm headphone out jack?


 
  
 No, it doesn't have line out, just the 3.5mm jack
  


shawn71 said:


> well an headphone amplifier will definitely enhance SQ,sound stage,dig out the details, etc but not the other way. And thats where a dedicated mp3 players comes(compared to cell phones) like sansa,older gen ipod classics upto 5.5gen,cowon etc as they have decent audio grade SoCs/DACs but their built-in amp section does'nt bring out their full potential so we introduce an HP amp between dac and phones,bypassing builtin HP amp using the LOD cable which is superior to HP out of those players(using 3.5mm-3.5mm interconnect cable).


 
  
 By that logic I need to get a Sansa as well as a FiiO. No can do.
 x.x


----------



## gnz2014

As this is a thread about the tiny E6, I wanted to ask the users that are using it if my possible combination of DAP, AMP, and headphone would make a good fit.
 First of all, I have a NOKIA Lumia device, so I'll be using the headphone jack. Second, I'm thinking of buying the E6, as I heard a lot of good stuff about it. And third, I'm thinking of buying a pair of Superlux HD330 which I also found good things said about them, and I found a shop with a good offer on the 330s. The big question is : Will this sound any good? because the headphones are 150ohm, and I'm afraid of the amp not being able to keep the Superluxes filled with juice. And, will the phone be a good audio source at all?


----------



## cdiaz

Can I charge the E6 safely with a USB cable plugged into an iPhone wall charger?


----------



## Shawn71

cdiaz said:


> Can I charge the E6 safely with a USB cable plugged into an iPhone wall charger?




Oh yeah....any wall charger that has usb port where you can connect the usb cable to charge any compatible devices that has micro usb,mini usb ports etc.....


----------



## Shawn71

I use the Apple's small square charger (came with iPhone 3G), rectangle (came w/classic 30GB) and samsung's (came with SGP 5") to charge all those and my fiio toys E06,E11 & E12 besides my classic 120GB and my other old samsung and LG phones....


----------



## cdiaz

Thanks


----------



## cdiaz

Just got it in the mail today. Love it! This was just what I was hoping for to give my iPod 160 GB Classic some beef. Obviously the iPod eq is worthless so I've been missing having some thump when I use my SE215's. This is perfect in the EQ2 setting. I've even found EQ1 useful with over trebled and under bassed 80s music.


----------



## Shawn71

cdiaz said:


> Just got it in the mail today. Love it! This was just what I was hoping for to give my iPod 160 GB Classic some beef. Obviously the iPod eq is worthless so I've been missing having some thump when I use my SE215's. This is perfect in the EQ2 setting. I've even found EQ1 useful with over trebled and under bassed 80s music.




Yeah the classic eq has no custom but E06 compensate that oomph and nicely pairs up.....


----------



## natebizzle

Has anyone used one of these, or any portable amp at all for that matter, on the headphone out of the PS4 controller?


----------



## Seler

Hey,
  
 I've been using Fiio E6 for some time now and with my previous notebook (Lenovo Y580) it worked completely fine. I have recently bought a new notebook (Clevo P150SM-A, I guess it's often called Sager 8268 at the other side of Atlantic) and I have a small problem: I can't charge it using USB port of my notebook and use my headphones at the same time (no sound) - just like connecting Fiio E6 via USB was disabling jack of my sound card which sounds ridiculous to me. Anyone knows what it might be? 
  
 Sorry for my English and thanks in advance for your help.


----------



## ClieOS

seler said:


> Hey,
> 
> I've been using Fiio E6 for some time now and with my previous notebook (Lenovo Y580) it worked completely fine. I have recently bought a new notebook (Clevo P150SM-A, I guess it's often called Sager 8268 at the other side of Atlantic) and I have a small problem: I can't charge it using USB port of my notebook and use my headphones at the same time (no sound) - just like connecting Fiio E6 via USB was disabling jack of my sound card which sounds ridiculous to me. Anyone knows what it might be?
> 
> Sorry for my English and thanks in advance for your help.


 
  
 Probably because your new notebook has a shared ground between the USB and the headphone jack, which causes the two circuit to short out when you connect E6 to both at the same time. In this case, I'll strongly advice never to connect them at the same time, just for safety reason.


----------



## Irbricksceo

Hey there, Budding Audiophile here. I just got one of these, my first amp. I've used it on my Desktop and My Ipod Nano with both my Audio-Technica ATH-M50's and my Vmoda Crossfade-LP's. Its a nice little machine, good at bringing out a bit more from the headphones. All in all, I like it. I don't always bother with it but when I use it, its a neat little thing. I've not really played around with the EQ settings, seeing as I'm not a bass-head (I prefer a more evenly distributed sound)  but just for fun, I tried EQ1 on the Vmodas while listening to Daft punk and, well, you can feel the bass.
  
 My only issue is I cant use it w/ My laptop since, unfortunatly, the jack is slightly damaged and while it isnt a problem with headphones, the amp is very sensitive to contact issues I guess and you get this horrendous noise from it that almost blew my earsdrums.


----------



## BenKatz

Hey guys,
  
 My question is quite simple. I've been looking into the E06 and E11K (Kilimanjaro2). I just want to know which one is better (as far as price/quality rate is concerned) for my setup, which is Xperia Z1 smartphone + Sony MDR-1R headphones.
  
 Thanks!


----------



## ClieOS

benkatz said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> My question is quite simple. I've been looking into the E06 and E11K (Kilimanjaro2). I just want to know which one is better (as far as price/quality rate is concerned) for my setup, which is Xperia Z1 smartphone + Sony MDR-1R headphones.
> 
> Thanks!


 
  
 E11K without a doubt.


----------



## Bytor123

^ Got to agree with that


----------



## sardar17

Got e6 yesterday,,,,with eq2 setting it improves my brainwavz m3 a lot and am lad i got this thing.
 However there is appreciable noise when i plug my earphone socket it...................as in the background is not black/dark and when i unplug there is visible difference.
  
 Anyhow it dosen't affect much,in fact i don't even notice it when music plays but i would have been happy had it been totally quiet.
  
  
 ps-----am using clip+ headphone out


----------



## Shawn71

FiiO's official AliExpress store......enjoy!

 http://www.aliexpress.com/store/1473108?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email


----------



## myemaildw

hi just to clarify does it make the same bass boost quality as my sony walkman? i have a sony walkman that plays only cds, no mp3s, cause that way i could use that as my primary audio player cause it has nice two bass boost options. and it is hardware bass and i do not hear even a hint of distortion. does the fiio e6 make the same bass boost? cause that is the main reason i would buy it. the software eq bass just isn't as good no matter how i do it. may be vox has the best eq but others distort bass eq. also the eq are not the same, each eq software eqs differently, and none of them is good for bass, except with vox being pretty descent but not as good as bass boost on my sony walkman cd player. just for interest i have sony walkman d-ej000 which cost me about 25 euro but it has the best bass sound. as i understand it is hardware bass. and quite frankly sony has a pretty good bass boost. now where is the bass button on my ipod, iphone? why did apple not put one in the iphones? i don't know, anyway this why i am looking at fiio e6 and want to clarify if it has the same bass as sony cd walk man player, i mean as good. or not as good, also does fiio e6 has two bass options like sony cd walkman players or only one bass eq? thanks


----------



## jetslipper

The Fiio E6 has 2 bass EQs, but I don't use any of them since it distorts the bass when paired with my Audio Technica ATH-Pro500MK2. But you can try, the Pro500MK2's impedance is not quite that high so I guess it gets distorted when the bass EQs are enabled.


----------



## SmOgER

jetslipper said:


> The Fiio E6 has 2 bass EQs, but I don't use any of them since it distorts the bass when paired with my Audio Technica ATH-Pro500MK2. But you can try, the Pro500MK2's impedance is not quite that high so I guess it gets distorted when the bass EQs are enabled.



 


Strange. It shouldn't distort no matter the impedance, try lowering the volume in the source and increasing FiiO gain.

To clarify, the 'red' mode is 'extreme low end' making everything sound very dark and muffled. 'Blue' mode is what is most commonly used with this amp: bass boost along with other EQ corrections to get more bass without losing clarity.


----------



## jetslipper

smoger said:


> jetslipper said:
> 
> 
> > The Fiio E6 has 2 bass EQs, but I don't use any of them since it distorts the bass when paired with my Audio Technica ATH-Pro500MK2. But you can try, the Pro500MK2's impedance is not quite that high so I guess it gets distorted when the bass EQs are enabled.
> ...




Yes, thanks for the tip. I really find the bass too much if I enabled the Red or the Blue EQ.


----------



## SmOgER

h20fidelity said:


> I tried giving you a link to FiiO's authorised sellers but it appears broken atm. I would advise you purchase from MP4Nation as they're an authorised FiiO seller. :http://www.mp4nation.net/headphones-earphones/fiio-audio-products/fiio-e6-portable-audio-headphone-amplifier
> 
> About the LOD, what model iPod do you have?


 
 wow, it's *$28.50 ​*+ free worldwide shipping, that means it's even cheaper than the cheapest ebay listings from Hong Kong.


----------



## jetslipper

smoger said:


> wow, it's *$28.50 ​*+ free worldwide shipping, that means it's even cheaper than the cheapest ebay listings from Hong Kong.


 
 I got mine for $23.00 (after discount coupons and with free shipping) from an online distributor in the Philippines. And it's authentic after checking and registering from the Fiio website :-D.


----------



## FiJAAS

I have a question,
I have a iPod Nano 6G and plan to use line out with the Fiio E6 with ripped compact discs to 128 AAC. My question is if I use the 6G EQ with the E6 will it sound bad? Or should I use EQ off?


----------



## SmOgER

fijaas said:


> I have a question,
> 
> I have a iPod Nano 6G and plan to use line out with the Fiio E6 with ripped compact discs to 128 AAC. My question is if I use the 6G EQ with the E6 will it sound bad? Or should I use EQ off?



 


128kbps is not really a great quality frankly... 
As for the EQ, it's up to your preference, if you are gonna use the iOS presets then you don't see the actual EQ curve anyway.


----------



## BrunoGDC

Hi, my gear is a Bose IE2 and Samsung Galaxy Fame (which will be replaced by a Moto X or Moto G), i've been using PowerAmp and the and the audio quality improve awesomely, but i think it can improve more, so i ask "The Fiio E6 will improve the audio quality of my gear?" i know it will be louder, but i want to know if it will make a real diference in audio quality. Thanks


----------



## FiJAAS

smoger said:


> fijaas said:
> 
> 
> > I have a question,
> ...




Thanks, what about 256?


----------



## SmOgER

fijaas said:


> Thanks, what about 256?



 

256kbps is a lot better. Generally 120-->192kbps is the most noticeable jump.


----------



## sgosh

I bought one of these from a shop called _Visions_, on Jan 8. About two weeks of daily (train commute) use later, the left audio channel failed. 

A bit of fiddling revealed it to be a faulty contact in the _input_ jack. 

Visions did an immediate over-the-counter exchange. However, I am a little worried that this may fail again, especially given the E06's modest price; did Fiio cheap out on the headphone jacks? 

How have everyone else's units been holding up? Hoping mine was just a lemon.


----------



## FiJAAS

If anyone has a iPod Nano 6G could you post pictures with it next to the E6? Thanks.


----------



## drBeatsB

I am using Sennheiser HD598 with Fiio E06 from cowon C2 or Macbook air or my Android Phone (Mi3) as source. I was planning to get a fiio E07K as upgrade. But in different threads many users are describing E07k as  E06 with dac functionality. Is it so? Will it be a thoughtful upgrade or I should look for  any other fiio models?
 thanks a lot in advance for your valuable inputs.


----------



## SmOgER

drbeatsb said:


> I am using Sennheiser HD598 with Fiio E06 from cowon C2 or Macbook air or my Android Phone (Mi3) as source. I was planning to get a fiio E07K as upgrade. But in different threads many users are describing E07k as  E06 with dac functionality. Is it so? Will it be a thoughtful upgrade or I should look for  any other fiio models?
> thanks a lot in advance for your valuable inputs.



Are you using E6 with MBA due to the lack of output power or for other reasons? I would be a bit surprised if MBA can't drive HD598 above comfortable listening volume.


----------



## drBeatsB

smoger said:


> Are you using E6 with MBA due to the lack of output power or for other reasons? I would be a bit surprised if MBA can't drive HD598 above comfortable listening volume.


 
 MBA is powerfull enough for HD598. Sorry for my poor description. Usually I use E06 for my Android mobile and Cowon. Fiio makes the sound much fuller and impactfull to my ear. Got my E07k yesterday and frankly from the last few hours listening experience, E07k is really E06 with DAC functionality   Also, I yet to get any substantial SQ diff from mba inbuilt DAC and E07k Wolfson one (using through usb)


----------



## SmOgER

drbeatsb said:


> MBA is powerfull enough for HD598. Sorry for my poor description. Usually I use E06 for my Android mobile and Cowon. Fiio makes the sound much fuller and impactfull to my ear. Got my E07k yesterday and frankly from the last few hours listening experience, E07k is really E06 with DAC functionality   Also, I yet to get any substantial SQ diff from mba inbuilt DAC and E07k Wolfson one (using through usb)




MBA (Cirrus DAC) SQ is really good, it's miles ahead of my desktop PC. As for the portable, I'am now really careful when buying a smartphone (basically SQ making my priority #1), as I've already said in Meizu thread, my current Meizu MX3 unamped is just miles better than my Desire HD paired with FiiO E6. Both of them had have/had poweramp (amazing player btw) installed, so we can rule out the software differences.

More about the FiiO E6 itself, I noticed that in blue EQ in tends to brings the highs more to thee background, which is necessarily a bad thing, but is definitely worth mentioning.


----------



## drBeatsB

smoger said:


> MBA (Cirrus DAC) SQ is really good, it's miles ahead of my desktop PC. As for the portable, I'am now really careful when buying a smartphone (basically SQ making my priority #1), as I've already said in Meizu thread, my current Meizu MX3 unamped is just miles better than my Desire HD paired with FiiO E6. Both of them had have/had poweramp (amazing player btw) installed, so we can rule out the software differences.


 
 I second you on MBA Dac SQ. Its really good. I'm curently using Xiaomi Mi3 with PowerAmp and Gonemad music player. Unamped it sounds somewhat anaemic and impactless with HD598. But with e06 or E07k, its SQ is not much behind than my Cowon C2 (which allegedly comes with a Wolfson 8960 chipset).  May be E07k will improve my Desktop or lenovo laptop SQ significantly, but I see no point in using E07k or E06 with MBA unless I use any hard to drive Headphone.


----------



## SmOgER

drbeatsb said:


> I'm curently using *Xiaomi Mi3* with PowerAmp and Gonemad music player. Unamped it sounds somewhat anaemic and impactless with HD598. But with e06 or E07k, its SQ is not much behind than my Cowon C2 (which allegedly comes with a Wolfson 8960 chipset).  May be E07k will improve my Desktop or lenovo laptop SQ significantly, but I see no point in using E07k or E06 with MBA unless I use any hard to drive Headphone.




If i recall correctly this review was what drove me away from this phone. Gsmarena may not be always very accurate with those measuring, but such a mediocre numbers gotta mean something,they are definitely above the margin of error. From the hardware side, it has DAC Cirrus CS42L73 so it doesn't look bad at all, but they probably screwed up with the audio libs and/or poor isolation materials/audio jack, cause I don't know how else to explain it.


----------



## Aviv

Will something happen to the Fiio E6 if I will charge it 24\7? I'm pretty sure it'll be annoying to turn it off and on every time you use it, so I thought about leaving it "on" and charging all the time. What do you think about it?


----------



## sgosh

aviv said:


> Will something happen to the Fiio E6 if I will charge it 24\7? I'm pretty sure it'll be annoying to turn it off and on every time you use it, so I thought about leaving it "on" and charging all the time. What do you think about it?


 
 That should work fine.  Lithium batteries have logic to ensure they don't get overcharged.  The E6 is capable of charging while in use.


----------



## Aviv

sgosh said:


> That should work fine.  Lithium batteries have logic to ensure they don't get overcharged.  The E6 is capable of charging while in use.


Thats great, thanks! Did anyone here try it so I'll be sure it won't ruin it? Lol


----------



## SmOgER

The only potential issue is the increased noise/interference while it's plugged, other than that, think about it as a laptop.


----------



## sgosh

aviv said:


> Thats great, thanks! Did anyone here try it so I'll be sure it won't ruin it? Lol




It's no different than leaving a cell-phone plugged in. I've left my Fiio attached to a USB port for a weekend, no issues.

For <$30, I wouldn't worry either way.


----------



## slowpickr

Just stumbled upon this thread.  Currently using the Fiio E11k which I've read is an upgrade to the E6.  However, the bass boost on it just isn't enough for me.  Would the E6 be a good purchase to add some low end bass?  Source is Fiio X1 line out.
  
 Thanks.


----------



## sgosh

slowpickr said:


> Just stumbled upon this thread.  Currently using the Fiio E11k which I've read is an upgrade to the E6.  However, the bass boost on it just isn't enough for me.  Would the E6 be a good purchase to add some low end bass?  Source is Fiio X1 line out.
> 
> Thanks.




The E6 on its "flat setting is most enjoyable.

I haven't heard the E11k. The E6 has 4 EQ settings, one of which is a bass boost. I personally don't care for it since it sounds flabby, and intrudes into the low-mids.

Bass-heads may find it to their liking. If anything, I'm more of a sub-bass-head, so if that's what you're after, you'll be disappointed.


----------



## slowpickr

sgosh said:


> The E6 on its "flat setting is most enjoyable.
> 
> I haven't heard the E11k. The E6 has 4 EQ settings, one of which is a bass boost. I personally don't care for it since it sounds flabby, and intrudes into the low-mids.
> 
> Bass-heads may find it to their liking. If anything, I'm more of a sub-bass-head, so if that's what you're after, you'll be disappointed.


 
 Thanks for the reply.  Definitely looking for more sub-bass.  Guess I'll pass.


----------



## SmOgER

sgosh said:


> The E6 on its "flat setting is most enjoyable.
> 
> I haven't heard the E11k. The E6 has 4 EQ settings, one of which is a bass boost. I personally don't care for it since it sounds flabby, and intrudes into the low-mids.
> 
> Bass-heads may find it to their liking. If anything, I'm more of a sub-bass-head, so if that's what you're after, you'll be disappointed.




Which bass boost are you talking about?

The "flat setting" is with NO LED AT ALL.
BLUE LED -- moderate bass boost (I assume that's what you initially thought is "flat setting") 
RED LED -- strong bass boost intended only for excessively bright recordings or headphones with plenty of slibinance and non-existant bass. This of course does mean that the bass will bleed into the mids and overall the sound will be muddy if you choose this EQ on top of balanced sound.


----------



## sgosh

smoger said:


> Which bass boost are you talking about?
> 
> The "flat setting" is with NO LED AT ALL.
> BLUE LED -- moderate bass boost (I assume that's what you initially thought is "flat setting")
> RED LED -- strong bass boost intended only for excessively bright recordings or headphones with plenty of slibinance and non-existant bass. This of course does mean that the bass will bleed into the mids and overall the sound will be muddy if you choose this EQ on top of balanced sound.




I was referring to light off as flat, and blue or red for bass boost. 
How on earth could anyone mistake bloated-blue or red settings as flat?


----------



## SmOgER

Strange, I don't find blue to be bloated at all. That's the most popular setting for this AMP. What headphones are you using it on?


----------



## oldschool

Red - bloated
 Blue - nice boost
  
 Blue comes after Red when playing with the switch


----------



## SmOgER

Exactly. If anything blue smoothens highs a bit, but it doesn't make the sound bloated or muddy.


----------



## sgosh

To my ears, Blue sounds like Red "bass bost" but with boosted highs to accompany it. It would be nice to see a response curve comparison of the different presets.

I typically use the E6 (mated with a Blackberry Q10) with a Polk Buckle, but also occasionally plug in the Sennheiser HD 555s, when at home. The AKG K-141 reveals the bloat quite clearly.

By bloat, I mean that the boost reaches into the low mids - by my standards anyway.


----------



## oldschool

sgosh said:


> It would be nice to see a response curve comparison of the different presets.


 
  
ClieOS's review


----------



## SmOgER

sgosh said:


> I typically use the E6 (mated with a Blackberry Q10) with a Polk Buckle




Polk Buckle by design has recessed mids and highs,
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PolkBuckle.pdf

Plus the blackberry settings (and colored sound signature on "flat" settings) might affect the output as well. 

All in all, I think it's safe to assume that it's because of certain combination and configuration that you have - you find the 'blue' EQ to be bloated. Normally it isn't.


PS. Are you sure you have genuine FiiO? It's damn hard to know for sure unless you bought it from trusted reseller. Fakes look nearly identical and have the same packaging.


----------



## sgosh

smoger said:


> Polk Buckle by design has recessed mids and highs,
> http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PolkBuckle.pdf
> 
> Plus the blackberry settings (and colored sound signature on "flat" settings) might affect the output as well.
> ...




According to Fiio's site, my E6 is genuine, after running the validation check on the box.

And I don't quite follow the reasoning.

Without the E6, the sound source isn't bloated. With the E6 on Flat, the sound isn't bloated. On Red and Blue, with three different headphones, bass boost quite noticably reaches up into the low mids.

I did another test, to rule out the BlackBerry Q10. This time, Harmon Karden CD player to NAD C350, Fiio hooked to the amp's headphone out.

Once again, I tried the EQ presets, and to my ears, same result - Red and Blue noticeably intrude their boost into the low-mids. Removed the Fiio from the chain, headphones directly to the NAD, and rotated the bass knob clockwise. The NAD's bass boost solidified the sub to low-bass without touching the low-mids, or making lower vocals boomy.

That's the kind of bass boost I enjoy.

A fairly simple process of elimination would suggest it's the way the EQ preset is shaped in the Fiio that I don't like, not the headphones, the source, or the Fiio itself - I love the thing on "Flat."

Of course, this is purely based on my subjective listening. 

"Well, it’s simple – don’t get the E6 if clear, punchy bass boost is your main requirement." - http://anythingbutipod.com/2011/10/fiio-e6-portable-headphone-amp-review/#pEAD0KvwcaIGA8mH.99"

"BASS EQ: I didn’t much like either EQ setting with any of my headphones or music. EQ1 is relatively muddy and bloated. EQ2 is a bit more restrained but still boosts way more than just the deep bass. Both settings seriously “thicken” male vocals. Some, however, might like the EQ—especially if they have really bass shy headphones—like say those you get for free on airplanes. The E6’s EQ came closest to being useful with my sterile sounding Etymotics but even then, with a lot of music, I couldn’t get past the muddy lower midrange and upper bass." 

That second article is excellent, with some great empirical testing.


----------



## bbieringer

Although I no longer have a pair of Sony XB-500's, I had a ton of fun pairing them with an E6. Plenty of bass!
  
 Of course, it can't beat my pair of Fidelio X1's with an ADL Cruise at the moment. Now that's a premium combination if you're on a budget.


----------



## SmOgER

sgosh said:


> "BASS EQ: I didn’t much like either EQ setting with any of my headphones or music. EQ1 is relatively muddy and bloated. EQ2 is a bit more restrained but still boosts way more than just the deep bass. Both settings seriously “thicken” male vocals. Some, however, might like the EQ—especially if they have really bass shy headphones—like say those you get for free on airplanes. The E6’s EQ came closest to being useful with my sterile sounding Etymotics but even then, with a lot of music, I couldn’t get past the muddy lower midrange and upper bass."
> 
> That second article is excellent, with some great empirical testing.




Well graphs tells us that blue and red settings boost the whole lower range up to the 1.5khz, but anyway, I've yet to see a headphone which won't benefit from EQ (will explain below) and E6 gives bass boost without clipping, so it doesn't make much difference for me if I'am EQing anyway. 


PS. Why do I think every HP benefits from EQ? 

1. It's next to impossible that it so happens than your HP sound signature PERFECTLY matches your sound preference (you may initially think that it does match, but after EQing or trying another pair you will quickly arrive to different conclusion). 
2. We all have different shape/size of ears (different seal=different sound) and we all have somewhat different hearing, so we perceive the sound differently to extent.


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## easy-rider

Leaving power requirements aside...how does the e06 compare to the e9 old version ?


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## lendo

I'm really curious about this little amp, been looking at it for some time but never got around to buying it. 
  
 Gonna be getting a new pair of headphones in a few days, right now leaning towards the Bose QC25s,Galaxy S4 as my mobile source. From what I gather (and I could be way off here), the fact that the QCs have ANC means they have their own amp/dac system built in.
  
 First, reckon the QCs will benefit at all from this little sucker, second, should the amp be connected through the line out or the micro usb? Can't find it but I read in some thread here that it needs to be connected through the USB to actually work properly.


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## Shawn71

lendo said:


> I'm really curious about this little amp, been looking at it for some time but never got around to buying it.
> 
> Gonna be getting a new pair of headphones in a few days, right now leaning towards the Bose QC25s,Galaxy S4 as my mobile source. From what I gather (and I could be way off here), the fact that the QCs have ANC means they have their own amp/dac system built in.
> 
> First, reckon the QCs will benefit at all from this little sucker, second, should the amp be connected through the line out or the micro usb? Can't find it but I read in some thread here that it needs to be connected through the USB to actually work properly.




Well the bose QC has the ANC circuit inside one of the earcups to cut the ambient noise and let you hear just the music to our ears, when ANC switch turned ON....this is no DAC nor headphone amplifier built-in to any QC series HPs......This process is called Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) which needs a battery, power the ckt, to cancel the ambient noise,so the name derived as ANC.......

And the S4's audio out (USB/HO) to any headphone AMP cld do the job,incl E6/06......Yes,the usb out will be better than HO of S4 ( any compatible mibile phones).....you need a special usb cable for usb out or a 3.5mm interconnect cable to use with 3.5mm HO from S4.....this interconnect cable is supplied as stock with any HP kit.


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## lendo

shawn71 said:


> Well the bose QC has the ANC circuit inside one of the earcups to cut the ambient noise and let you hear just the music to our ears, when ANC switch turned ON....this is no DAC nor headphone amplifier built-in to any QC series HPs......This process is called Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) which needs a battery, power the ckt, to cancel the ambient noise,so the name derived as ANC.......


 
  
 God, I really need to stop posting **** in the middle of the night, doesn't help clarity. I know what ANC is but I can def see why you thought I didn't based on my post. Anyway, got the answer I was looking for.
  
  


shawn71 said:


> And the S4's audio out (USB/HO) to any headphone AMP cld do the job,incl E6/06......Yes,the usb out will be better than HO of S4 ( any compatible mibile phones).....you need a special usb cable for usb out or a 3.5mm interconnect cable to use with 3.5mm HO from S4.....this interconnect cable is supplied as stock with any HP kit.


 
  
 Aight, thought as much. Damn micro to mini cables are a hassle to get hold of, but oh well.


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## sgosh

Quick update. I've had a second E06 develop the faulty jack problem, where one audio channel cut out.

I've upgraded to the E11K. Hopefully Fiio used more rugged headphone jacks in this unit.


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## BruceBanner

Sorry I haven't read any of this yet, I just wanted to ask quickly..
  
 I have seen some Fiio E6's called the *E06*, is the E6 and E06 two different products? Or are they the same thing?
  
 Ta,
  
 Bruce


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## sgosh

brucebanner said:


> Sorry I haven't read any of this yet, I just wanted to ask quickly..
> 
> I have seen some Fiio E6's called the *E06*, is the E6 and E06 two different products? Or are they the same thing?
> 
> ...


 
 Same thing, some people omit the "0."


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## markanini

Did anyone test the distortion figures at different frequencies with an appropriate resistive load?


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## sgosh

markanini said:


> Did anyone test the distortion figures at different frequencies with an appropriate resistive load?


 
  
Here is a pretty in depth analysis of the E06's performance and measurements.
  
 I found it sounded very pleasant, and it was able to play painfully loud without any discernible distortion.  Of course, our ears (and brains) can easily deceive us during listening tests, so the linked review will give you some hard data and measurements to ponder.
  
 The only reason I gave up the E06 is due to the fragility of the headphone jacks.  I had two units fail for that reason within about 2 months of use each.  I opted for the E11k instead, which is just as fun sounding, if a little brighter up top, and a little tighter down low.


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## sandman2338

FiiO announced today the discontinuation of E6 but also announced it will be replacing them with the A1
  
 https://www.facebook.com/FiiOAUDIO/posts/1009705822420284?fref=nf


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## wburton

sandman2338 said:


> FiiO announced today the discontinuation of E6 but also announced it will be replacing them with the A1
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/FiiOAUDIO/posts/1009705822420284?fref=nf


 
 Tempted to buy one now...


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## sandman2338

wburton said:


> Tempted to buy one now...




Won't be out til February


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## wburton

sandman2338 said:


> Won't be out til February


 
 Tempted to buy an E6.


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## sandman2338

wburton said:


> Tempted to buy an E6.




The value will go up like the original E11
Have you seen what they are worth now on Amazon like $150


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## wburton

sandman2338 said:


> The value will go up like the original E11
> Have you seen what they are worth now on Amazon like $150


 
 Yeah I saw that just recently while shopping for a new amp. I didn't get the E6 buy for only $25 I might just grab one...


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## LostMySelf

How does it pair with an iPhone 6S and RHA MHA750?


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## kd93

I currently own a pair of B&W P5 S2's that I'm quite fond of. They're my go to headphones after my old Sony MDR7506 finally broke down (the right speaker has started giving weird hisses?). My tastes in music having changed - I prefer a more prominent bass punch, compared to super clear mids, a recent fondness for warmer sound signatures made me go for these in addition to a pair of of C5 S1's that I possess. That said, my phone source, the Xperia Z1 Compact is pretty bad at driving the P5s and I was considering adding on the Fiio E6, for cheap. Are the Fiio E6, Xperia Z1 Compact and the P5 Series 2's a good matchup? Forgive my non-"audiophile language", I'm new to this world.


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## Leonard Harris

double post


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## Leonard Harris

ok i figured it out, seems better now my question is with these headphones,is this amp good enough or will they get better if i get say a Fiio a3? headphones are Creative Aurvana Live! thanks


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## Partlys4int

Hi everybody,
  
 Does anyone of you know where I can buy an LB cable to pair this E6 with my Walkman's proprietary port? I actually found one by a third party manufacturer but the cost of 79 euros is ridiculously high. I'm not willing to pay more than 20 euros for such a tiny cable.
  
 Thanks beforehand


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## Partlys4int

sorry, double post


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## Partlys4int

kd93 said:


> I currently own a pair of B&W P5 S2's that I'm quite fond of. They're my go to headphones after my old Sony MDR7506 finally broke down (the right speaker has started giving weird hisses?). My tastes in music having changed - I prefer a more prominent bass punch, compared to super clear mids, a recent fondness for warmer sound signatures made me go for these in addition to a pair of of C5 S1's that I possess. That said, my phone source, the Xperia Z1 Compact is pretty bad at driving the P5s and I was considering adding on the Fiio E6, for cheap. Are the Fiio E6, Xperia Z1 Compact and the P5 Series 2's a good matchup? Forgive my non-"audiophile language", I'm new to this world.


 
 The FIIo E6 will definitely improve the sound and drive capability of your Z1 compact (got the same phone, but I use a Walkman). For its low cost you can hardly go wrong with the E6. It is fairly neutral in amplifying the sound (dependable on your EQ choice) and is easy to carry around.
 My only gripe with the E6 is that I find by amplifying the sound of a dedicated DAP it looses a bit tightness, a bit accuracy. But not all that noticeable. However, that is with an audio player that already has a very good built-in DAC. If you use this with the Z1 compact, which has a 'basic' audio chipset, it will only improve the sound (a little) and driving capability.


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## frusciantees

hi guys, there's anybody know what type of usb charger for this e6?
thanks in advance


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## Shawn71

frusciantees said:


> hi guys, there's anybody know what type of usb charger for this e6?
> thanks in advance




Its a Mini USB port that can be connected to any PC/Laptop or wall charger......


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## frusciantees

shawn71 said:


> Its a Mini USB port that can be connected to any PC/Laptop or wall charger......



hi Shawn, thanks for the reply 
but do you know what type of Mini Usb port is it? I have a Mini Usb but its not compatible with e6 port..


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