Questions about the Fiio E7/E9 combo

Hi Altyx

There are more threads explaining about the fiio combo and your types of questions than any other bit of kit. Except possibly LCD headphones!  Do a search and all will be revealed....

But to help you from my basic fiio experiences:

I notice that changing the volume or the EQ on the E7 has no effect on the output through the E9. - Only works as a DAC when docked

But when the E7 is removed from the dock, sound stops being transmitted - USB wont work when E7 undocked, time to go 3.5mm lead.

What is the benefit of pairing the 2 in the first place? - More than likely better sound quality than your PC or MAC DAC / Soundcard.

Is there any way I can get the EQ benefit from the E7 while still having it plugged into the dock? - Unfortunately no

What's the difference between using the E7 alone and using it paired with the E9 besides the fact that more audio can be outputted? - Aside from being portable. With the E9 it can add more juice for hard to drive cans. You can use the eq and bass boost undocked obviously. You don't have to use the E7. You can use another fiio dac product (E17 just released) or a different manufacturer to upgrade.

Hope this helps but like I say search it and you will find more reviews and advice than you knew there were questions to be asked.

Hey trotoir how does the E7/E9 power your HD650 and DX00? Was thinking about either of these combinations, could you please tell me your impressions?

Personally I don't think it does the 650's justice at all. I end up spending too much time EQ ing to barely get the sound I like as opposed to enjoying the music. And as a result my Senns are spending more time gathering dust which is not on. The louder I crank the E9 the more underwhelmed I seem to become. I'm left feeling like I am missing out on their potential. It's fine with the Denon's or should I say just about acceptable but I know the Fiio's are the weak link to better things. That's just my experience. I also have an issue with low level distortion that's become the nail in the coffin.

Don't get me wrong its not all doom and gloom, some good listening times have been had and Fiio is a great place to start, but for me it's just time to move on.

Hey DeathDomokun,

I also have the HD650 and E7+E9 combo, and I can say that it drives these headphones exceptionally well. I do have an issue that I think is unrelated to the headphones, though. This could be a problem with the E7-E9 being incompatible with my laptop or Windows 7, or it could just be a laptop/W7 issue - being incompatible with all DACs and/or Amps.

As for whether or not the E7 and E9 is a good pairing, I'd like to quote a very knowledgeable gentleman, who you will be able to find, along with more information, by google search. Try using quotation marks to find instances of some or all of the below text word for word.

(regarding the HD650)..."Generally you need about 2 volts RMS (5.7 volts peak-to-peak) for wide dynamic range music at realistic levels. PC and portable audio gear is typically limited to around 1 volt or less with many managing only about 0.5 volts. So you might need a headphone amp. While the 650 may deserve better, even the $20 FiiO E5 can manage about 1.3 volts which might be enough for many tastes. The FiiO E9 can do a great job with the 650 as its 10 ohm output impedance is relatively insignificant compared to 650’s 300 ohms and the E9 has a very healthy 7 volts of output".

EDIT: I noticed Trotoir disagrees above, and that's neither a bad thing, or surprising! The opinions on the HD650s are very diverse, and likewise for amps driving them. My opinion is that these headphones have a distinct signature and sound, and if you don't like it, using other headphones is by far a cheaper and more before effective remedy than trying to change the sound with cables, amps, DACs, mods or otherwise.

I think this tends to go with other headphones as well, but is doubly true for headphones like the HD650 (and K701/2s) where the opinions are so strong, varied and common.

Just to add context to my post. When I plug the 650's into my Pioneer JDM mixer I realise the sound I have been missing via the E9. I was surprised that the mixer sounded sweeter than the E9. And weirdly the Denons sound less able through the mixer. All a bit odd to me. Sometimes ignorance can be bliss but once you have had a taste of something better it niggles at the back of your mind.

you can't use the EQ of the e7 when it's docked into the e9.

however, i remember reading that the new e17 does allow you to use the EQ while docked.