FiiO E5
Apr 16, 2009 at 7:30 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 16
SpikeX

SpikeX

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First of all, I have searched the numerous threads on the E5, but I could not find exactly what I was looking for.

Does the E5 actually improve the sound quality with full-size headphones (like a pair of AKG K 530s or something similar), or does it just make them louder? I know it's cheap so it would be worth a try but I want to know if anyone has seen improvements in sound quality with it at all, and if so, what was improved?
 
Apr 16, 2009 at 8:02 PM Post #2 of 16
with my cowon d2 and my hfi 780s i find the e5 brings out detail in alot of tracks and seems to add body to the sound , infact i never listen without it
edit :i suppose it suits easily driven headphones better
 
Apr 16, 2009 at 8:12 PM Post #3 of 16
with grado sr225 it doesn't add anything worth it. I also use a D2 as source
 
Apr 16, 2009 at 9:01 PM Post #4 of 16
Except for the $20 and under phones, on everything I have, the E5 adds a bit of volume, detail and clarity. It's more than just a volume boost, to my ear and brain.
 
Apr 17, 2009 at 4:38 PM Post #5 of 16
Cheap and portable are the watchwords for the Fiio 5. They help with my super portable rig of a Sansa Clip and Yuin PK2. I don't think they do much for better quality equipment.
 
Apr 17, 2009 at 7:46 PM Post #6 of 16
found myself doubting my own post so had a quick check ,put on radioheads paranoid andriod and even with the first 10 seconds it was clear the e5 helps alot ,the detail was much clearer and had more texture ,theres a wooden instrument being struck and some sort of castanet thing going on in the left ear (sorry for the terrible description) without the e5 its too faint with its much much better, i am talking night and day differance to my forty something years old ears.
 
Apr 17, 2009 at 9:23 PM Post #7 of 16
The E5 helps a nice bit with grado sr60s, and for curiosity i even used it with my akg K240s, it helped those from the D2 even more, definitely something to look into for a budget portable rig.
 
Apr 18, 2009 at 7:02 PM Post #8 of 16
So it seems that most people are seeing some kind of positive results with the E5. Obviously, as mentioned, it won't make a very high-quality system sound better, but it will help mid-end and lower-end equipment. I think I'll go out and pick one up and see if it works then. Thanks for the help!

In the meantime, please keep posting your success / failure stories!
 
Apr 18, 2009 at 7:37 PM Post #9 of 16
The E5 is what it is. A $20 ultra-portable budget amplifier. Don't expect it to have magical abilities. In my opinion, it's worth its price but I don't hear a big difference in sound quality. In my opinion, the bass boost mode works better for some headphones than others. I guess it's synergy.
 
Apr 18, 2009 at 10:08 PM Post #10 of 16
Quote:

Originally Posted by yukihiro /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The E5 is what it is. A $20 ultra-portable budget amplifier. Don't expect it to have magical abilities. In my opinion, it's worth its price but I don't hear a big difference in sound quality. In my opinion, the bass boost mode works better for some headphones than others. I guess it's synergy.



X 2 perfectly said. There are many other amps just slightly higher in price that will give you more "Bang for the Buck". I havn't used either of my Fiios in some time and that pretty much says it for me.
 
Apr 19, 2009 at 2:33 AM Post #11 of 16
It's just a amp under 20 bucks, don't expect too much man.

Honestly speaking, E5 barely adds anything to the music with bass boost off.
when bass boost is on, you can hear a little deeper bass, but the bass boost also
makes the music sound a bit muddy.

I suggest you put down some more money and get a decent Cmoy amp from ebay or something.
 
Apr 19, 2009 at 6:42 AM Post #12 of 16
My E5 adds a lot to the final sound. It is a $20 amp that does incredibly well for what you pay for it. I notice a lot more detail in music.

With $8.50 AUD ($5 USD - perfboard + op amp), I made myself a cmoy amp using around the house components and it easily sounds better than my FiiO E5. So if you can solder, I suggest making yourself a cmoy. I'll upgrade the components in mine to higher accuracy and precision as I go along.
 
May 3, 2009 at 12:07 PM Post #13 of 16
I don't think I'll be going with the E5 then if there isn't a good difference in sound quality. How do the CMOY amps worK? Are you supposed to make one yourself?
 
May 3, 2009 at 8:32 PM Post #15 of 16
I bought the E5 a while ago for my Zune and PFEs and I found that I liked my PFEs without the E5 more. I was wondering if the amp needed some burn in or would there be no difference?
 
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