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Convince me to NOT get the Fiio E17 "Alpen"

post #1 of 17
1/25/12 at 5:40am
Thread Starter 

I've been struggling to take the plunge on a DAC/AMP for the past few months, as it will be the last piece of gear I get for awhile.  I've got a budget of $150, although I don't mind spending more if the price per performance gain is justified.  I've looked at the Maverick Tubemagic D1, Yulong U100, Audinst Hud MX1, audiogd nfb12, and the Fiio E17 just seems the most appealing.  In addition to being a solid DAC and having enough juice for my cans (in sig), its portable and has some nifty features (gain/treble/bass control).  Am I overlooking anything else that will make me regret this purchase?

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post #2 of 17
1/25/12 at 6:19am
Isn't the T50RP very hard to drive? That'd be the only thing that would make me reconsider the Alpen, though you could always get a better amp later on.
Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 1/25/12 at 6:37am
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post #3 of 17
1/25/12 at 6:36am

The stock version is not very hard to drive, but some mods apparently do decrease the efficiency to a K70x-like level.

 

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post #4 of 17
1/25/12 at 6:39am
I love the hardware EQ, which is something I think more companies need to jump on. At least subtractive EQ.... like say removing treble emphasis on the DT990s. More subtle that drastic EQ would be so welcome for many of us.
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post #5 of 17
1/25/12 at 6:59am

I'd wait for the ODAC. :) 

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post #6 of 17
1/25/12 at 2:14pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by stv014 View Post

The stock version is not very hard to drive, but some mods apparently do decrease the efficiency to a K70x-like level.

 

Pretty much this, although I personally don't know of the K70x's.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy View Post

I love the hardware EQ, which is something I think more companies need to jump on. At least subtractive EQ.... like say removing treble emphasis on the DT990s. More subtle that drastic EQ would be so welcome for many of us.
Yeap, love the hardware EQ options, would definitely be nice to see more utilities/goodies included as the standard.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Negakinu View Post

I'd wait for the ODAC. :) 

Eh :/ How does the E10 do with your HD580s?
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post #7 of 17
1/25/12 at 11:57pm
Thread Starter 

Well I guess I have a good month to decide, first batch of e17s are sold out anyhow...

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post #8 of 17
1/26/12 at 9:30pm

The E17 is, hands down, the best amp/DAC in it's price range and, arguably, one of the best if not the best values over all. That said, the ODAC is promising. It'll probably be a while before you get your hands on one, though, and even longer if you don't want to go the DIY route.

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post #9 of 17
1/29/12 at 4:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dorino View Post

The E17 is, hands down, the best amp/DAC in it's price range and, arguably, one of the best if not the best values over all. That said, the ODAC is promising. It'll probably be a while before you get your hands on one, though, and even longer if you don't want to go the DIY route.


 

Only thing holding me back from the E17 is the upgrade path isn't really that great, when I don't necessarily need the portability/all-in-one/EQfunctions. Definitely interested in the ODAC although I most likely wont be building one...

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post #10 of 17
2/11/12 at 11:51am

The e17 is very compelling for me. The only drawback for me is that I also would not need this for portability. And would prefer something bigger for my desktop listening area. Two questions:

 

1. When and where are these available

 

2. Is there a better desktop option for me

 

I'd using the d2000's

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post #11 of 17
2/12/12 at 1:07am

I'm also curious for if it's feasible to use these small portable things for desktops. I'd always imagined dac/amps to be boxes on my desks, but this looks more like a USB hub.

 

Is there any likelihood that Fiio releases a E19 that mimics the E9 but improved?

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post #12 of 17
2/13/12 at 12:26pm
Thread Starter 

Still haven't bought anything yet, although I'm actually leaning more towards a NFB-12.1 now.  Hardware EQ is kinda nice, but it's nothing I cant do with software, and I don't need the portability.  The NFB-12 will also have more than enough power for my HD580s, where the E17 might not.  The NFB-12 also provides a nice upgrade path for a discrete amp, like the O2 or an asgard, further down the road.

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post #13 of 17
2/14/12 at 6:27pm

So the E17 would not be able to drive modded T50RPs?

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post #14 of 17
2/20/12 at 3:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Omark12 View Post

So the E17 would not be able to drive modded T50RPs?



Wut he said ^^^

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post #15 of 17
2/21/12 at 5:57pm

The E17 Has less Amp power then the E11 if that helps u figure your question out.

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