Fiio e5 + Senn HD 201 - Page 2

108 db is relatively high. And if they got impedance below 50 ohm you should be safe.

Low impedance phones are actually tough loads for headphone outputs on DAPs. The signal quality from a headphone out can increase dramatically as the volume and headphone impedance is increased. The E5 is not as susceptible to sound quality degradation due to low impedance loads as some DAPs are, so using it as a buffer amp between the HO of a DAP and a pair of low impedance headphone amps can yield very good results.

I've searched and couldn't find a PSP RMAA plot. Such a plot with a 16-32Ohm load would be interesting to this thread.

Jack

Well, all things considered, including cost, the E3 is 8 bucks max. What does that say? probably not very high quality components. My homemade Cmoys use the top of the line components and end up costing about 25 bucks. that being said, I believe the E5 is probably a better amp.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conrthomas 

Well, all things considered, including cost, the E3 is 8 bucks max. What does that say? probably not very high quality components. My homemade Cmoys use the top of the line components and end up costing about 25 bucks. that being said, I believe the E5 is probably a better amp.

Totally agree. The E5 is the best choice. Weighs only 30 grams with chargeable battery. 18 dollars on ebay with free shipping,can't be beaten. Of course it would be better if he spent some extra money and got a cmoy, kit or prebuilt.

It's been a while since I parted with my E5, but if there's one headphone that I felt truly justified the FiiO amp's price, it was the HD201.  I also had the E3 for a brief period of time, and I feel that the E5 is just far better all around as it has the volume controller as well as the bass boost switch.  They both exhibit hissing but it won't be too much of a problem with the insensitive HD201 as long as the PSP itself isn't too noisy.  I unfortunately don't own a PSP so I can't say how much it'll help, but if you're planning on getting a FiiO amp, I'd definitely go with the E5.

Though if/when you have the means, it might be better to invest in a dedicated DAP.

The E5 works great with my RE0.  Couldn't be happier.  The volume control is very nice too with small increments in adjustment.  For a few buck extra than the E3 its really a no brainer.

Searching through eBay as suggested, you will find this (~shipping costs included, all in US dollars):

• Option 1: PSP -> $10 FiiO E3 -> HD201 = $10
• Option 2: PSP -> $18 FiiO E5 -> HD201 = $18

And let me add these two, just in case you want to get the PSP out of the chain:

• Option 3: $30 Sansa Clip+ 2GB -> $10 FiiO E3 -> HD201 = $40
• Option 4: $30 Sansa Clip+ 2GB -> $18 FiiO E5 -> HD201 = $48

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrProggie 

Totally agree. The E5 is the best choice. Weighs only 30 grams with chargeable battery. 18 dollars on ebay with free shipping,can't be beaten. Of course it would be better if he spent some extra money and got a cmoy, kit or prebuilt.

Yup, Cmoys are some of the best, they only use analog components and top of the line ones at that. (I'm talking 8-9 bucks for the TI dual op-amp chip, the OPA2132 alone)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mudo 

Searching through eBay as suggested, you will find this (~shipping costs included, all in US dollars):

 

• Option 1: PSP -> $10 FiiO E3 -> HD201 = $10
• Option 2: PSP -> $18 FiiO E5 -> HD201 = $18

 

And let me add these two, just in case you want to get the PSP out of the chain:

 

• Option 3: $30 Sansa Clip+ 2GB -> $10 FiiO E3 -> HD201 = $40
• Option 4: $30 Sansa Clip+ 2GB -> $18 FiiO E5 -> HD201 = $48

The fact that the E3 runs on AAA batteries means that unless you have some rechargeables around, that long-term it makes more sense to spend the extra $$ on the E5.....not to mention that it is a better amp overall.

Given the choice, I think E5 is a superior choice if you are looking for more than a simple volume boost. The dedicated volume control on the E5 will allow you to set the source volume to near max so that you get a really clean and strong signal. 

All of the low priced FiiO E5's on eBay are from HongKong and China sellers. I would recommend that potential US buyers evaluate the pros and cons of buying from HK/China sellers, especially in terms of warranty and support service in case it is needed. 

Jack