Anyone use one for either a laptop or portable music player (iPhone / iPod / etc)?

i'm about to be the lame wanna-be audiophile that uses one with my iPhone - head-fi is better place for in-depth discussion but curious to see if anyone has gone down this path and is now a few hundred/thousand dollars in and loves it or regrets it

4/22/2012 11:38:43 PM

I like to prioritize:

1. Audio source - high bitrate/flac/etc
2. Player (iPhone 4 actually has a decent built in DAC/AMP)
3. Headphones / IEMS
4. AMP/DAC

Once you tackle 1-3 then I'd consider an AMP/DAC. Truthfully though it all depends on what type of headphones you're using. With some higher end IEMs you'll barely benefit from an added AMP/DAC on something like an iPhone.

5/7/2012 10:59:29 AM

if there's a vacuum tube attached to it i'm suspending you on principle

5/7/2012 12:27:08 PM

http://www.fareastgizmos.com/media_devices/evergreen_corporation_edifier_e10_vacuum_tube_headphone_amp.php

5/7/2012 1:10:32 PM

I actually just bought the Fiio e17. Great all around DAC/AMP for cheap (~$200).

http://www.headfonia.com/the-upgrade-fiio-e17-alpen/

5/8/2012 11:52:20 AM

i definitely agree with the priorities although i put the headphones as #2 above the DAC but i haven't done a ton of comparisons to be honest

1. most is 256kbps aac or lossless - definitely not all though
2. iphone 4s or mbp early 2011 are the 2 primary DACs
3. shure se535
4. been using the fiio e11 for 2 weeks now and overall i'm hooked - biggest complaint is when i use an LOD i lose controls via the mic which makes it it less usable when i'm walking around the city but great for the train/tram to/from work

i tried a friend's fiio e10 and it was finicky / sensitive with the headphone jack and overall i was extremely underwhelmed

5/9/2012 7:22:06 AM

Nice! You have a pair of 535s? Me too! Clear ones! Love them. You gotten custom sleeves yet? I need to do that.

Actually literally just got the e17 in the mail listening to it now. The equalizer on it alone is nice. Being able to turn up the bass slightly is something I've missed with my iPhone and is nice on my laptop.

One thing that's important to note. The fiio devices do not bypass idevices built in DAC. So if you use your fiio with an iphone/ipod you'll only be using the amp on the fiio not the DAC. Which isn't horrible because the newer idevices have great DACs. The DAC comes in handy with most laptops.

I can't comment on the quality of any other fiios but I know they really stepped up their game with the e17.

[Edited on May 9, 2012 at 11:38 PM. Reason : s]

5/9/2012 11:10:44 PM

not the clear ones and no custom sleeves yet - won't be until i get back to the US that i get this done due to cost - i think there's a noticeable difference with a great seal (when i have my fingers pushing them in slightly to make a better seal)

i think i'll end up getting the e17 for my desk at some point but the battery on the e11 is so good that i use it throughout the day without having to recharge and then just recharge it overnight - not even sure how long it would go without recharging

5/10/2012 1:18:45 AM

another recommendation for a fiio here
i bought a cheap one ($20) and love it - it doesn't fuck with the quality whatsoever, just amplifies it, which is exactly what i wanted.

5/10/2012 3:52:36 AM

Quote :

"One thing that's important to note. The fiio devices do not bypass idevices built in DAC. So if you use your fiio with an iphone/ipod you'll only be using the amp on the fiio not the DAC. Which isn't horrible because the newer idevices have great DACs. The DAC comes in handy with most laptops. "

Yeah, the solutions for getting SPDIF out of your ipod aren't generally portable. Wish there was a product that could do it with just a dock adapter cable.

5/10/2012 4:58:29 AM

Wow after using this for a week I plugged my Shure's back into my laptop headphone jack and it sounded horrible! Not to mention all the buzzing and noise.

5/15/2012 9:42:06 AM