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dac or amp?

post #1 of 7
7/31/11 at 6:56pm
Thread Starter 

im new to this and although ive read many posts about the difference im still confused as to what i should get. i need something  thats portable and can power the 160 ohm Fa011's. I will be listening to music through a laptop AND an mp3 player. im not sure if i should get the fiio E7 or E11. the e11 looks very portable and god very good reviews and seems to be able to power the Fa011's however is it usable with a laptop? I know the E7 is, but its more expensive and reviews say that the E11 is better. What should i get? If anyone has other suggestions on other Amps/dac's that can be used with laptops please tell me. Something thats not too expensive. possibly under 120 dollars.  thank you in advance.

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post #2 of 7
7/31/11 at 7:16pm

If your using on board audio then a Fiio E7 + Fiio E9 would be a worthwhile investment. That would total $200 but it is worth it due to having both a Dac and a more powerful Amp. The Fiio E7 alone is really good (I own one) but for it's amp I don't hear it getting much louder then my on board, But I have a really powerful on board sound card. Personally I haven't tried the Fiio E11 but it's just an amp. So in order to use it with a computer you would have to use a 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm adapter and plug it into your laptops audio out. It would only amplify the sound so don't expect any sound improvements other then it getting louder. So imo I would get the Fiio E7 + Fiio E9.


Edited by bcasey25raptor - 8/2/11 at 11:25am
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post #3 of 7
7/31/11 at 8:17pm
Thread Starter 

thank you for ur help. what about on my cowon ? is it better to just go cowon>amp>fa011? do u think a regular hp envy sound card is enough to drive a 160 ohm headphones like fa 011 ?

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post #4 of 7
7/31/11 at 8:23pm

lol, E7 trying to power a 160-ohm headphone.  Get the E11 instead, stick all your music in your Cowon.  If you can stretch your budget just a bit more, you can afford a used iBasso D2+ Boa, which will make you very happy with both your Cowon and your laptop.  E9 + E7 may not be a bad idea if you are willing to go for a stationary rig, or an Audinst MX-1.


Edited by Mad Max - 7/31/11 at 8:28pm
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post #5 of 7
8/2/11 at 10:52am
Thread Starter 

thank you ill look into that, what is the problem however with directly connecting the Fiio e11 directly to the laptops audio jack?

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post #6 of 7
8/2/11 at 11:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ggops View Post

thank you ill look into that, what is the problem however with directly connecting the Fiio e11 directly to the laptops audio jack?



Your double amplifying.

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post #7 of 7
8/2/11 at 2:57pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by bcasey25raptor View Post


Your double amplifying.


Which may result in clipping and distortion, depending on the volume levels of the laptop and amp, plus it won't result in much sonic improvement, if at all.  Garbage in, garbage out; especially since the E11 is supposed to be neutral-like.

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