Fiio E17 or IBasso D4 for HD 600 & Shure SE 535 (or other comparable products)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roan3489 

I am looking to get a portable DAC/Amp for use with a pair of Sennheiser HD 600's & Shure SE 535 . I have read some great reviews on both the IBasso D4 and the Fiio E17 Alpen. I was wondering which would provide a better overall sound (or other product you might recommend i.e. RSA P-51). I would be using both DAC and amp in use with my iPod. Also, what would be the best way to connect to DAC/AMP to ipod. I'm mkaing the transition from home audio into the Head-Fi, so this is my first post. Please help a noob out! Thanks

"Welcome to Head-Fi! Sorry about your Wallet!"

ok, I think both are similar. but the E17 has more features. There is no definite reviews yet so you really can't get a definite answer. PM ClieOS on Head-Fi or ask Mike @ Headfonia, theya re the only two who would know.

YOU CAN NOT use the DAC in the E17 or D4 with the iPod or any portable music player(for the most part) you can only use the amp part. It's good that you have an iPod. I would recommend getting the FiiO L9, doesn't matter whether you go with D4, E17 or another amp/dac or whatever. The L9 is an LOD and will bypass lower quality circuitry, amp, and headphone out jack on the ipod giving the amp a pure digital signal straight from the ipod's own internal DAC. So yeah. the LOD is the best way to connect.

All you do to connect it, is to take the Dock end of the LOD and plug it into ur ipod. then u take the 3.5mm male cable and plug it into the input section of your amp(it needs to have an amp in it, whatever u r buying)

Are you going to use with computer? Does your computer have optical or coaxil out?

Both the D4 and E17 could do for you. but remember. no definite anything yet. The E17 is looking a bit better at the moment. You could sell ur HM 101 now. with the E17 and D4 you just plug it in through USB and bam. new audio from a wolfson chip :)  :D

Andt hen take it with u when you are done. There aren't any specs i could fine(without digging) on the D4. so i can only tell you that the e17 has quite a bit of juice @ 215mW @ 32 Ohms and has good reviews on it and is $50 cheaper and supports SPDI/f  not sure how dual DAC's work in the D4

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roan3489 

I was kind of leaning towards going with the Fiio anyway as I have read that there have been some problems with the DAC in the D4 due to the USB failing. I also had already got a E9 for free from a co-worker. Thanks for your input and I'll keep my eye out. Now I just need to find a place to buy an E17 that ships sooner than the middle of February

I am as well. I will buy off amazon though. no exceptions. Time doesn't matter. 

wonder what ibasso is thinking right now. In this thread. fiiO gets recommended over ibasso (due to people being poor, and then if they have money, its over ibasso's range) so i wonder what ibasso is thinking of this sponsorship/partnership of head-fi. i can just imagine their agents crawling this thread and other threads in this part of the forums and hating my guts or something. I can't even count how many times i have recommened and got people to go for the fiio.

bumpity bump, since i've heard D4 is really great with DT880 (250).  how does the E17 compare on paper to the D4?

Purchased the JDS Labs C421, it's even more stunning in person.

Just bumping this back up.

Are there any choices that are similar or on par to the E17s, because the 2nd batch of the E17s does not seem to have a confirmed shipping date (keeps postponing and postponing)?

But I saw someone saying that it is too sensitive for custom IEMs, if this is the case, I will not be getting the C421 because I have a JH11 myself.

The low gain was changed to accommodate high sensitivity IEM's.