Reddit mentions of FiiO E17 Alpen Portable Headphone Amplifier USB DAC

Alright, who is downvoting all of the Burn-In recommendations? I have these headphones. They truly sounded much better after leaving them on all night each night playing music (for about a week). Burn-in on these headphones is not "snake oil."

Secondly, I ran them directly from my Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty soundcard and they sounded alright. However, I really believe you would appreciate the expanded soundstage and more-together (not more) low range after some amping. I bought my brother a FiiO E17(which is great for a low budget), and I liked the combo.

I too bought a pair of 598s as my first pair of "good" headphones. I used them straight out of the computer for a while and it was fine.

If you want you could splurge for a Fiio E17 Alpen as an amp/DAC. It makes a bit of a difference, but the 598s fair fine without it.

(Here is a link to a good read about amps/DACs if you want to read up a bit.)

I have had those at work for the last 2 years, I have paired mine with a http://www.amazon.com/E17-Alpen-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW and they work well together.

This looks like it has everything you asked for.

http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E17-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=pd_cp_e_1

I'm using a fiio e17 portable amp/dac combo with my dt 990 250 ohms. It's the only dac/amp I have used, but I have zero complaints, it works great.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0070UFMOW

Well the higher the impedance the harder to drive the headphones, thats the basics of it. In DT990s case the 600ohm is the best sounding one, but not by much. The DT990 250ohm premium is almost as good. The DT990 32ohms is also pretty good. You will only be able to tell the differences when listening to all three of them at the same time. But i think the one you were considering must have been the Pro 250ohm model, which is quite a bit different compared to its premium counterparts. It is more uncomfortable, has a smaller soundstage with muddier bass. It is also the cheapest at 200$. If I were you I'd go with the Premium 250ohm or 32ohm models. They both cost around 300$ new and run around 200$-250$ used(on Amazon via Amazon warehouse). If you get the 32ohm model you CAN skip getting an amp, as it wont be necessary, it will certainly improve the sound but wont be necessary. With the 250ohm premium an amp becomes a necessity. If you're going with a brand new 250Ohm premium then just get that along with a AMP+DAC like the E17 or if you want to go cheaper get the E11(it is the same amp as the E17 but without a DAC). You can skip getting a E9 as it wont give as much benefits and would unnecessarily push you overbudget. This should cost you about 440$ if you buy from Amazon(New DT990 Premium 250ohm + Fiio E17 or E11, with the E11 you'll be in budget but will loose on getting a DAC. Or you can get a used DT990 Premium 250 ohm(check out the 4th listing that lists it as like new, if Amazon says it is like new it means it will impossible to differentiate it from a brand new one) with a E17 to stay within budget

You want portable or is this just at home?

If you're only at home O2/ODAC combo or the Magni/Modi combo.

Magni: http://schiit.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=13

Modi :http://schiit.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=14

O2 : http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=o2full

ODAC (this is the combo and the odac by itself) http://www.jdslabs.com/storecat.php?fetchcat=5

If you want to be on the go as well at home I would say the E17/E09k combo. This way you can take the E17 on the go but dock it at home.

E17 : http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E17-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1368754570&sr=1-1&keywords=e17

E09k : http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Output-Desktop-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B008J26ZL4/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1368754606&sr=1-2&keywords=e17


If you want to do away with a pricier DAC a behringer uca202 is an easy substitute.

http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCA202-Audio-Interface/dp/B000KW2YEI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1368754731&sr=1-1&keywords=uca202

Edit - Links

I may not be answering your question, but I am answering the question I asked many years ago when I became interested in CD player guts.

Get rid of your CD Player. Buy dBpoweramp rip all your CDs to FLAC, play from a digital source. A decent DAC like the cheap little behringers, a Fiio, or a Headstreamer is a better DAC than most CD Players. Take that output from any of your computers and feed it to your amplifier.

Jacking around with CD players is a losing game. There are a ton of variables that can be removed by merely removing them. An OK CD reader on a computer is an awesome CD ripper, and dBpoweramp ensures it's a good rip.

I was able to plug up my FiiO E17 USB DAC as well. I get the feeling anything that is Class Compliant(conforms to standards and no driver is necessary) is going to have good chances of working.

Amazon U.S for an extra 20 bucks but I paid 4 bucks for prime shipping which is 1 day. I tried j&r music and they showed in stock . I paid and everything get an email a week after and say out of stock. I'm like fine whatever you should have said that. Then I try mp4nation and I pay an extra 18 bucks for fast shipping and I get a email 5 days later and also out of stock. I raged hard and complained. Then while raging check Amazon which did not have it before now has it at 20$ extra and I say F it and get it.

Link to Amazon

I would call it a day with modi/magni dac/amp combo. There are tons out there I haven't tried, but this combo will take care of your needs with the akgs and probably through another upgrade if you choose to do that

Depends on how portable you want or need to be, however. Something like a fiio e18/17/07 might be enough

http://www.amazon.com/E17-Alpen-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW

FiiO e17 pushing V-Moda Crossfade LP's

alternatively there are dac/amp combos that go for the same price as the magni (or less) that plug into the usb.

Monoprice Desktop Amp

Fiio e07k

Fiio e17

Fiio e10k

alright, ill check them out. What about an amp, any recommendations for that? Amazon recommends this

> the xbox one has the SPDIF port but the e17k doesn't have one.

and there's your answer. Only the previous version FiiO E17 featured an optical input.

Not OP, but the Fiio E17 DAC/amp combo would work well with those headphones.

I purchased these in August 2014. They are both still like new in box condition. I recently upgraded my desktop to utilize TRS/ XLR because the RCA connections created a static background with my powered speaker while playing games. I never had any issues while listening to music or watching videos. If you don't use a powered speaker, or if you don't play games through speakers, this is an awesome DAC/ AMP pair.

I did use the E17 in my car for about a year to act as a signal amplifier to my radio input. But I always kept it in the case so it doesn't have any scratches. They look brand new. The only issue I would mention is that the LCD screen does show a "burn in" because I have used it almost every day and so the text "USB IN" is visible on the screen. If you don't understand what I mean by LCD Burn In just ask and I will try to get a picture of it.

I'm having trouble finding the specs on FiiO's website, so I'm including these Amazon links for reference. When I get off work I'll try to do a little more digging.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Alpen-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510938798&sr=8-2&keywords=FiiO+E17&dpID=41txNfEtYYL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Output-Desktop-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B008J26ZL4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1510938798&sr=8-4&keywords=FiiO+E17&dpID=41CpZWsDoyL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I paid $248 for the pair of these, and I'm firm with my $150 price. Shipping will be $10 USPS Priority Medium Flate Rate. Paypal preferred, but I'll accept a check. They will ship once the check clears, which takes about 3-5 days.

I realize I'm new here, so I'm happy to use a middle man if that's a thing on this subreddit. I've done a few trades in both r/Starcitizen_trades and r/pkmntcgtrades

https://www.reddit.com/r/Starcitizen_trades/comments/6qummw/psa_confirmed_trades_thread_august_2017/dmdh1yz/?context=3

https://www.reddit.com/r/pkmntcgreferences/comments/4yxrum/supremegunmans_reference_thread/

Any questions I'll try to get to after work.

Thanks

Sorry for the sloppy desk and poor quality picture.


DT 990's


FIIO E17


AntLion mod mic

It is a Fiio e17 Dac and Fiio e09k.

Just about any head unit that supports A2DP should work... Just go to crutchfield, sort by features, then buy some place less expensive.
I've had good luck with their scratch and dent section too.

IMO, Bluetooth streaming audio sounds like shit. I would at least consider getting USB audio out to work like this guy so that you could use an external DAC like the Fiio E17 or something similar.


Or if you have room for a double-DIN, you could get a SPH-DA100 with ARLiberator for some awesome HDMI display mirroring and music streaming.

What's your recommendation for both portable and desktop use? >$500 US budget. Right now I'm looking at a Fiio E17 and a set of Sennheiser Momentums (over ear). I listen to CD-quality or better lossless files on an iPod/iPhone/MacBook Pro. I don't care about built in iPod controls/mic, but if there's a version of the headphones with that built in, I'll probably get that one. No brand loyalties.

My holy grail headphones would be something in the same design as the Bose Triports (slim, very lightweight, circumaural), but with excellent sound.

Budget - <$500 US. Closer to $350 would be ideal, but $500 if it's worth it (which I think it probably is). I don't currently have a DAC/headphone amp, so I'm hoping to fit that into the total.

Source - iPod, iPhone, MacBook Pro.

Requirements for Isolation - I don't need to block out other sound, but I don't want people sitting next to me in the library to hear my music. This is important to me.

Preferred Type of Headphone - Circumaural preferred, but on the slimmer side--I would also consider IEMs. My only experience with IEMS was a set of $80 Ultimate Ears that I found uncomfortable and difficult to achieve a good seal with. They broke after ~6 years of light use.

Preferred tonal balance - I'm not sure, although I know I don't want a ton of extra bass.

Past headphones - Right now I'm using a set of Sennheiser HD280 Pros at my desk, and some Klipsch S4i's for walking around. Both are fine, but neither really blows me away. I once had 5 minutes alone with some HD800s, and I've been pining after that kind of sound ever since. I know I can't afford to get there right now, but I'd like to get a little closer. Also, I don't want these new headphones to be as big as the 280's, if possible. I find them too big and heavy to wear walking around.

Preferred Music - A little of everything, but a lot of rock. Usually punk, pop-punk, power metal, 80s/90s pop rock--mainly vocal and guitar heavy stuff. I want to clearly hear the bass, but it should never overpower the rest of the instruments. I also listen to quite a bit of acoustic guitar, and some classical piano.

Location - US.

Sorry. The correct site is: http://swappa.com
This is the DAC I meant: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0070UFMOW/

Once you start using DAC, you will not go back... it brings out the instruments from the songs that would not have heard before

They don't leak sound imo I'm using a regular sound card since there is no need to buy a new one because I bought this

E17 EQ can lower the treble, it is also a dac which could improve the sound of your console (optical), or PC (usb,opti,coax). its a little out of your price range at 140. the E7 half the price but I believe only does 3 different bass boost EQ.

90% of the time I use Shure e3c IEM's when tracking drums and a portable FiiO e17 headphone amp to boost the weak signal out of my Tascam US-1800 audio interface. The IEM's are very balanced and unlike the other IEM's I have, ever drum that is mic'd up can be easily distinguished and the highs on the overheads and hi-hat are also very clear so I know if I'm messing up on the more intricate and faster rhythms.

I prefer not having very bass heavy IEM's when tracking because the bass will wash out the other toms and it's more important to hear the click on the kick when playing. I mic the kick with a Shure Beta 52A part way in the resonant head and pointing towards the impact zone and then a 15" PA Speaker I modified to be a microphone for all the super low, sub-like thump, but when I'm recording I turn that down in the mix.

Anyways, the point is that the benefits of tracking with IEM's is that you can hear every single hit even better than if you were listening in the room and also that there is less ear ear fatigue from longer recording sessions. Also, in my opinion at least, when mixing for your monitors (the IEM's in this case) it's better to have more of a flat response than huge bass and low end. I'm not totally sure what the current equivalent to my discontinued headphones are but I'm guessing they would be the Shure SE315 or possibly the Shure SE425 IEM's.

If you don't already have a good soundcard like a Xonar or HT|Omega, you're on a laptop, or you use multiple devices and you use headphones I recommend one of these FiiO E17 amps. It takes basically every input type, runs of battery if you want to use it in a portable setting. If you use Coax or Toslink it will support dolby3d and other virtual 3d setups. Use it with the ipod adapter and you can bypass the internal dac on your iphone/ipad/ipod to get really good sound.

Pretty much the best bang:buck you can get for portable amps/dac.

If you want good sound people here have nailed it pretty good. Sansa Clip sounds pretty good even out of the box.

Cowon are known for having good sound as well. I would recommend at some point if you want something that sounds really good - look at getting a DAC or DAC/AMP combo - these things really enhance MP3s - they will make you say "oh wow..." especially if you are using good headphones. I have 3 DACs and I recently just heard the FiiO E17 and was really impressed with it - particularly for 100 bucks.


Get the sansa and look later into a DAC/AMP combo. Even with the DAC you are under 200 bucks. :)

FiiO E17 - 121.99 http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E17-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW

Also look at FiiO E10 - I have one of these, very happy with it.
http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E10-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005VO7LG6/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1373074173&sr=1-10&keywords=FiiO

I hadn't thought about ordering the U-Turn, good point.
As for preamp and amplifier, I've got neither. This is the only amp I own, but I figured its only suitable for headphones.

Say I get the Rega RP1, what preamp/amp or integrated amp would you recommend I get with the remaining £170?

I called Sony support after trying one more time to play during my lunch break this afternoon. While the problem still persists when I'm not using my headphones, I've come to notice it's only a fraction as bad when only listening through my speakers. Sony support says it may be my headphones fault, and of course upon further examination it seems my headphones just weren't liking those big fights, (so weird). Here is a quote from a linked article:

>As the load impedance drops many amps will at some point switch from "voltage clipping" to "current clipping". In the first case the amp runs into the power supply rail which limits the peak output. This is usually a fairly clean sort of clipping. But in the second case protection circuits in the amp are triggered to limit the peak current, a DC-DC or regulated power supply may current limit, or some amps simply fall on their face in other ways when asked to deliver current in excess of their design limit. In all of these cases the amp is no longer able to swing close to the normal supply voltage and its output is artificially limited--sometimes in a rather harsh ugly sounding way.

These are the headphones I use:

http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-Custom-One-Pro-Black/dp/B008XEYT48

I don't have this type of problem, even with games that have high fidelity audio like DJ Max: Technika Tune. The suggestion is to buy one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E17-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1376005576&sr=8-4&keywords=fiio

(Basically a portable preamp). Sorry for the confusion, though if I play the game with a cheaper pair of headphones I can at least sit down for longer than 30 minutes without tearing off my ears now. :)

This will be my second time typing this out, since I hit the fucking Browser-Back shortcut on my mouse.

I wouldn't recommend the Koss Plugs as a set of mixing phones, even while travelling. The clarity is simply nonexistant. My suggestion is just to use them as a second pair to check out your bassline before you finalize a track. For something more balanced, you might want to set aside an hour or two and drag your eyeballs over this thread over at head-fi.

As an off-the-cuff recommendation, Velodyne vPulse have gained quite a reputation in the under-$150 category. they have plenty of bass output, but it's much tighter than the Koss, no muddiness. They also get plenty of compliments on the detail in the midrange/treble.

/r/Audiophile is a great resource, as is /r/Headphones, but to save yourself from shame, I will tell you ahead of time, anything called a soundcard will almost certainly get you laughed out.

Puts on top hat and monocle, raising a cup of tea with the pinky out

>A gentleman uses a DAC with a seperate Headphone Amplifier.

In all fairness a soundcard is nothing but a DAC with a built-on amp, though the integrated amp circuits are terrible, in terms of audio reproduction.

You can get a DAC and feed an amp with it, or you can get a DAC/Amp combo, which is a popular place to begin, and is a great solution for a personal digital studio, especially if you use your laptop as a creative device away from home. The most recommended (for good reason) is the FiiO e7. It performes both the DAC and amplifier functions, as well as including an input jack and a battery so you can stick it in your pocket and connect it to your ipod/phone/whatever and increase the quality of your portable listening as well (This bypasses the DAC and only uses the amp). The only drawback to the e7 is that the amp is kind of puny. Mind you it is still more powerful than whatever is built into your devices, but it can leave you wanting if you have some high-end, high-impedance headphones. To solve that, you can either get a FiiO e9 amplifier to leave on your desk and dock the e7 to when you are at home, or you can pick up a FiiO e17 which is almost identical to the e7, but with more juice to the amp. You mentioned a speaker setup at home, so you would also want a FiiO l7 line out plug so you could run the un-amped output of the DAC to your speakers. Keep in mind, none of this passes as "Audiophile grade" hardware, but it's certainly (digital) studio quality.

All in all, an e7 and a pair of vPulse IEMs would set you back about $150, give you the low-end you need, a full-up system you could pack in your pocket while you're on the move, and also boost the quality of your 8400's, and whatever monitors you choose at home.

I'll get off my soapbox now. Hopefully that gives you a head start on your research.

.

.

.

^tiny ^disclaimer: I don't work for FiiO, I'm not trying to sell you FiiO stuff, I don't even use FiiO myself. They just have a great reputation, and market at a reasonable price-range.

I use a S4 with a FIIO E17 portable amp. It has USB so when I'm at work, I use it as a usb amp with linux. When I'm traveling I use the Headphone jack, and if you have an Iphone 5 you can use even use optical.

Really drives the headphones and gives some good sound. Pretty cheap around 110 bux, if you already have good headphones that is.

For headphones, using VModa M-100 headphones right now, good for bass.

So I have an old Fiio e17 (FiiO E17 Alpen Portable Headphone Amplifier USB DAC (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lhlOybJ8JTN88) that I bought back in 2012, and I just bought a Fiio x5 2nd gen.

My question is how to theoretically get the best sound out of it. Should I use line out to the 17, using the x5s dac and the 17s amp?

Or should I use the coax out from the x5 to use the 17s both dac and amp?

Or are the x5ii's dac and amp both better than the old 17?

I know it's not going to make a massive difference between the options, but I'm curious which would perform better with a variety of headphones. I haven't been keeping up on my specs.

I can only speak to the DT-990 Pro.

It takes quite a bit to drive them to get the full soundstage, range, and overall experience. You will need an amp.

You said "mostly for home and bus/train so not a necessity but would be nice"
They wont be the greatest for use on the go, unless you have a travel amp - something like this https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Alpen-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW

I can play them through my iPhone 7, but the volume doesn't get as loud as I would like, and it's lacking the crisp audio that makes them unique in the first place.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-E17-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409041386&sr=8-2&keywords=fiio

I'm not entirely sure which DACs would would with the Galaxy Nexus (I used to own one but never tried a DAC with it), but something like the Fiio E17 DAC/Amp combo would be what you're looking for. Android is a bit of a pain to work with when it comes to audio, so do some research about what device supports your particular device before you buy it.

Something like this

http://www.amazon.com/FIIO-E17-Alpen-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=pd_cp_e_0

or

http://www.headphone.com/learning-center/hifiman-ef-2a.php

over any sound card. You just get more for your money quality wise, and don't need drivers or software, just plug and the dedicated hardware does the rest.

My first and most idiot-proof MP3 player: Creative NOMAD MuVo 128 MB MP3 Player. Yes, an indomitable ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT MEGABYTES. Absolute INSANITY.

Other keys features: no display, hot red color, plays MP3 AND WMA, and holds 4 whole hours of WMA music. What more do you need?

The icing on the cake? I knew nothing about audio formats, so I would convert all of my songs to the lowest possible bit-rate. I used to brag about how many songs I could cram on that thing. Cringe-worthy in retrospect.

As for giveaways, I would suggest this DAC or this amp.

Actually, just spend $17 more dollars and raffle this.

Look into Fiio. I think that this might be worth stretching the budget.

Hopefully someone who knows more will reply, I'm looking at buying some new speakers that I would connect to a DAC (which I basically bought in place of a soundcard) and this or something similar seems to be the best option so far.

(in your case, with some adapters like this or this)

I can't answer all of it, but I don't think lossless files necessarily have poor metadata support. It may just be that the sources you are getting these files from didn't bother with it.

If you have an apple i-phone it probably sounds better because it has a good built in DAC, some other phones may have this too, or it may just be that your computer isn't set up properly

yes a better soundcard can increase your sound quality, but you're probably better off buying an external DAC and using a WASAPI output. [Chart] I have a Fiio E17 and im getting a Aune T1 soon :)

As far as headphones i recommend a pair of Sennheiser 598's for $250 or if that's too pricey the Audio-Technica ATH-M50's are a great pair of phones for $160

A lot of this stuff goes on sale occasionally, there was recently a sale for the Fiio DAC where it was only $90. I'd recommend signing up for massdrop.com and looking for some good deals there and elsewhere

Personally I think the best setup for the price would be something like:

• Sennheiser HD 600
  
  
• FiiO E17 DAC/Amp
  
  The HD 600's are imo probably the best value for money in it's price bracket if you're looking for a fairly neutral/balanced sound. It is fully open though so it may leak a bit too much noise for your liking. If you need more isolation, take a look at the Philips Fidelio L2 (a lot more 'fun' sounding aka somewhat v-shaped sound signature).
  
  The FiiO E17 is a fairly bog standard portable DAC/Amp. Nothing special but it will get the job done.

I just entered the audiophile world so I'm not exactly an expert on all of this, but with that much money you could get a Schiit Stack (Magni and Modi AMP/DAC combo) or if you want a portable amp/dac you could get the Fiio E17, which is known to drive all but the highest impedance headphones. I don't know much about IEM's but for over the ear headphones I would suggest Sennheiser HD 650's if you're looking for a slightly mellow-er sound, or HiFiMan HE-400's if you're looking for a sharper, brighter sound with slightly deeper bass. Mad Dog headphones are also very nice if you're looking for closed cans.

The price of any of the combination here will be less than $600 USD but I would guess that things may be slightly more expensive to ship to NZ.

Here's what I use: FiiO E17 which is a good entry level DAC that is portable.

I love them both. They are the only two headphones I have kept, while trying/returning the rest. The X2s are more comfortable, with an airy/open feel, great to listen to music/game. I also love the v modas for techno/rap and gaming as well. I have also used the v modas to travel/fly with 2-3 times now as well. I would def pick up the x2s esp if you can get a deal.

Side note, since I've seen some other people mentioning an amp/dac, I picked up the

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Alpen-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0070UFMOW/ref=sr_1_30?ie=UTF8&qid=1484514699&sr=8-30&keywords=e17

This makes a WORLD of a difference. Sounds WAY better. You can also add additional bass. I would never go back to not having a DAC. I normally play directly from my PC (motherboard), with no soundcard, so this helps a lot.

1
2
3

Here's three that are dedicated DACs and Amps. I own the e10 and it sounds great, and not just for its price.

Also, they didn't say that the dedicated amp would be able to drive high impedance headphones well. Keep in mind that they're targeting Beats headphones which have low impedance.

Get a DAC. Fiio is known for the best portable DAC's. I don't know your price range, so here are some right now.

Fiio E6, $27

Fiio E11, $65

Fiio E17, $140

Fiio E18, $160

Hope this helps. If you can upgrade a phone, iPhone and HTC One has good sound cards from my experience.