You are paying what you are getting. How much does a Pico cost these days?
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FiiO e7 vs. Headroom Total Bit - Page 2
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- BlutoSlice
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Sorry, just wants to explain why we don't install the line out from 3.5mm socket!
Our target user is not only hi-fi'er, there are lots of our user is not so similar with what call line out, what call headphone out! for them, they will plug earphone to any socket that can be pluged!
that means they have big chance to plug an earphone into line out! as you know, The output signal from line out is constan! that will cause big problem, or the earphone is burn out! or the high
sound level will hurt the ear of our user!
For example, iPod, Zune, Sansa, Sony, none of them will install the line out to a 3.5mm socket in their portable device ! for us, maybe only one in thousand will have problem with such design, but
it means big big trouble for us!
BTW, that may be a little different between FiiO and others, for us, the sound quality is not the only thing that we must take care! you may notice that all our products market with CE/FCC!
I'd have to disagree IMO non hi-fiers would not be buying a DAC/heaphone amp in the first they would plug directly into the their ipods and I could be wrong but wouldnt the line out be of a lower volume thatn the HP out as it would be unamped?
Can you confirm if there will be a cable LoD avaialble to achieve line out? on the E7. I will most likely still buy one regardless as it seems to offer good performace for the price.
- ClieOS
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Line-out will be the loudest possible output (in voltage) before distortion and in many case as loud as the HO @ max (i.e. iPod). Amp doesn't necessary need to make the sound louder than the original signal, such as when the gain is zero.
- BlutoSlice
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Ah ok, thanks for the explanation.
- Scott_Tarlow
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I was responding to the point they made that the DAC chip used in the e7 is the same as many high end amps. and they thought they would sound the same, which is false. I was suggesting he get the headroom instead, which sure is still more expensive. I don't know which is better, but as far as i am concerned FiiO is an unproven company and the e7 is completely unproven other than a couple of reviews. The bithead has stood the test of time.
People buy FiiO products because they are cheap, not because they actually do something.
Another option is the uDAC
- ClieOS
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I was responding to the point they made that the DAC chip used in the e7 is the same as many high end amps. and they thought they would sound the same, which is false. I was suggesting he get the headroom instead, which sure is still more expensive. I don't know which is better, but as far as i am concerned FiiO is an unproven company and the e7 is completely unproven other than a couple of reviews. The bithead has stood the test of time.
People buy FiiO products because they are cheap, not because they actually do something.
Another option is the uDAC
I agree using the same chip doesn't euqal to having the same sound, but at least I think having a quality chip is always better than having an inferior chip when all other are equal. As for whether E7 is good for its asking price or not, time will tell when it actually becomes available.
There are plenty of people who find FiiO doing something for them, just because you don't share their POV doesn't made their opinion less valid or simply placebo. I have a HeadStage USB DAC cable which used the same DAC chip as E7 and I do find HeadStage to be better (even compared to 3MOVE PCM2704 based DAC). But for $69 with only the DAC vs. $85 on E7 with both DAC and amp, I have no doubt in my mind which is the better buy. The point is not everyone has money to blow on expensive stuff and they can use some improvement even if it may not be as impressive as a Pico. Remember that E7 is designed primary as an upgrade option targeting the netbook user that suffered from bad onboard soundcard, not something that are sold for $500 and trying to be the best of the best.
- Scott_Tarlow
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I was never suggesting the pico, i was suggesting the iBasso or the bithead, which he was considering.
- JamesFiiO
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E7 is used WM8740, and the big different with other brand! is we try to provide quality products in reasonable price! I think we had do that!
BTW, the world will be simple if the high price = high quality! the retail price is quite complex! as you all should know , never compare an
comercial products with hand work products in price! and please don't juge one products only in it's price!
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I am not going to argue with a member of the trade, but I owned the FiiO E5 and mistook volume for amping. Maybe the E7 is different, I am not really saying it is bad. What I am saying is we know the Headroom and the iBasso are good.
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TBH, the DAC chip isn't the most important thing when deciding to get a DAC or not, but actually how its implemented. Many DACs use the wolfson DAC. I owned the Pico, D10 and D2 all at the same time. All use the 4870 and all sounded significantly different. The Pico sounded the best, then the D10 and then the D2+. I have never thought FiiO's were a good product. Many people I feel trick them self into liking them, just because they like having gadgets and they are cheap. The products are cheap, and thats what they sound like. They look good. Thats fine. I would still go with a proven company. I am sure you will be happy either way.
1, Anyone here will find we hardly reply question or join in argument in head-fi! of course except our sub forum! we are not trying to prove how good we are, or wants to argue with you !
we just wants to say don't jude anything in price! is it wrong?
2, You can not deny what you said! not to tell that you are trying to add your opinion to others, how can you said "other is trick them self into liking them"!
3, If you had bought our products and don't like it, I am very sorry for that! but I must thank you for support us! but will it be better if you can say it is not suitable for you!
- Scott_Tarlow
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Again, I never said they were a bad product, I said they weren't a good product. I also said it was a cheap product. You are selling it for cheap. I would call it a bad product if it were 40 dollars. Most people like buying good products. The E5 to me seems like it was originally intended to get more volume to bigger cans, but that is not what amping is about,especially in the audiophile world. People are buying this product to use with IEMs, I bought it to use with my Shure Se210s! As I trained my ears more, I stopped using the FiiO E5 all together. I said the product was cheap, and it sounds cheap. To me, that is what the product is. Really, I don't want to argue with you. Your product makes many people happy, thats a good think.
Another note, I wasn't saying just because a product is cheap it is bad. My reasons for suggesting the two other companies are pretty clear. I have no reason to not like this product other than my ears. I am not the only one who thinks this way. If had said he only wanted to spend 100 bucks and did not even mention the Headroom product, it would be a different story. When comparing between a tested product, one that many people are happy with, vs a new product that very few have tested, its pretty obvious which product is the safer bet. I just wanted to give the OP good advice. I am sorry if I offended you. Maybe I'll stop giving advice and fighting the fanboyisms that is Head-Fi. Its clearly a loosing battle.
- stratowhammy
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wow, this thread really blew up. So, I ordered off of bestofferbuy.com ... what a mistake! I haven't received the e7 and now they tell me its on back order. I'm getting a refund. However, I'm taking heed of everything that was said in this forum, and I'm thinking of getting a double DAC (depending on the price). I saw that iBasso Mamba was mentioned. But to answer the questions about the e7's quality, I don't know because I never received it. STAY AWAY FROM BESTOFFERBUY.COM!!!!

TBH, the DAC chip isn't the most important thing when deciding to get a DAC or not, but actually how its implemented. Many DACs use the wolfson DAC. I owned the Pico, D10 and D2 all at the same time. All use the 4870 and all sounded significantly different. The Pico sounded the best, then the D10 and then the D2+. I have never thought FiiO's were a good product. Many people I feel trick them self into liking them, just because they like having gadgets and they are cheap. The products are cheap, and thats what they sound like. They look good. Thats fine. I would still go with a proven company. I am sure you will be happy either way.
I felt the opposite. Many people buy an expensive DAC/ Amp then trick themselves into liking it because they don't want to admit they wasted money.
- BlutoSlice
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I should have the e7 delivered tomorrow, and just incase you missed the fiio lod thread there will be a E7 LOD cable for DAC only use, external amping would be a big plus. I intend to use the E7 just for the DAC and then add a Matrix M-stage or similar when I have the money. The e7 was only £60 which is far cheaper than the uDAC or headstage dac stick, the headstage DAC cable was a alternate but I think the E7 offered more features.
- High_Q
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I have never tried E7 and I don't think I will because I really distrust FiiO from the fact the they are selling a joke of amp like E5(embarassed to put on my signature). I cannot believe I got sucked into buying one. E5 pretty much makes everything sound worse. Anybody know what opamp is inside it?
Edited by High_Q - 5/27/10 at 3:49am
- FiiO e7 vs. Headroom Total Bit
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