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$150 Desktop DAC/amp vs. Fiio E17?

post #1 of 10
1/31/12 at 2:29am
Thread Starter 

New to the community and have some questions about getting my first DAC.

After reading around here on head-fo, it is apparent that the FiiO E17 is the best portable headphone amp/USB DAC.

However:
(1) 90% of my listening time is at my desk.

(2) ATH-M50 doesn't need an amp to perform

...And so I'm curious:
Is buying the E17 for the the DAC section is worth it vs. a desktop DAC (maybe the HRT Music Streamer II?).  I understand the E17 has yet to be owned by all that many head-fiers, but does anyone have both the E17 and the HRT Music Streamer II?  Or at least know that one is a solid choice over the other for a DAC?


If the DAC section of the E17 is comparable to a desktop DAC in the same price range I may opt for the E17 so that I can amp more demanding headphones in the future and also pair it with the the next generation of the E9 amp/dock.

 

My entire music collection is 320 Kbps mp3s.

Thank you for your input!


Edited by jahnzy - 2/3/12 at 8:31pm
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post #2 of 10
1/31/12 at 10:18pm
Thread Starter 

Nvm...I was assuming you could use a DAC unamped...but it seems I was greatly mistaken...E17 it is.

 


Edited by jahnzy - 1/31/12 at 11:15pm
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post #3 of 10
2/2/12 at 6:03pm

any questions on E17? i am very active in the E17 thread by clieos and have it.

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post #4 of 10
2/2/12 at 7:32pm

Hmmm I think a more relevant question would be is there any other 150$ desktop  DAC/AMP (battery less) which can better the portable FiiO E17

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post #5 of 10
2/2/12 at 9:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by killmurer View Post

Hmmm I think a more relevant question would be is there any other 150$ desktop  DAC/AMP (battery less) which can better the portable FiiO E17


In the $150 price range, I think manufacturers see more value in creating desktop quality portable amp/dac combos than pure desktop amps. It is hard to imagine a super-competitive market for desktop amps where so many of them come out that one is bound to hit that price/quality sweet spot. But this is precisely what the E17 has been able to do in the portable amp/dac market. There is much less chance that a desktop amp will hit a similar sweet spot in this price range.


Edited by intendedUser - 2/2/12 at 9:15pm
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post #6 of 10
2/3/12 at 3:37am

Maverick tube magic d1 cough cough cough

just a suggestion ive been looking into it recently and is very interested in getting it. Its $200 and popular on head fi. Why not take a look?

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post #7 of 10
2/3/12 at 7:26pm


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by intendedUser View Post


In the $150 price range, I think manufacturers see more value in creating desktop quality portable amp/dac combos than pure desktop amps. It is hard to imagine a super-competitive market for desktop amps where so many of them come out that one is bound to hit that price/quality sweet spot. But this is precisely what the E17 has been able to do in the portable amp/dac market. There is much less chance that a desktop amp will hit a similar sweet spot in this price range.


Very true. 

 

But, there seems to be a LOT more desktop DAC/AMP at the $ 150 - 220 price point than the <$150 range. 
I think 150 is like the edge bigsmile_face.gif
 
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bowei006 View Post

Maverick tube magic d1 cough cough cough

just a suggestion ive been looking into it recently and is very interested in getting it. Its $200 and popular on head fi. Why not take a look?

 

I was looking for something like this biggrin.gif
 

 

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post #8 of 10
2/3/12 at 8:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bowei006 View Post

any questions on E17? i am very active in the E17 thread by clieos and have it.


 

Thank you for your reply!

Do you happen to have owned the E10?  If so, what do you make of the upgrade?

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by intendedUser View Post


In the $150 price range, I think manufacturers see more value in creating desktop quality portable amp/dac combos than pure desktop amps. It is hard to imagine a super-competitive market for desktop amps where so many of them come out that one is bound to hit that price/quality sweet spot. But this is precisely what the E17 has been able to do in the portable amp/dac market. There is much less chance that a desktop amp will hit a similar sweet spot in this price range.



Yea that's kind of the feeling I got while reading around...and why I had been leaning towards the E17 even though I couldn't care less about portability at the moment.


Edited by jahnzy - 2/3/12 at 8:32pm
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post #9 of 10
2/3/12 at 9:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jahnzy View Post


 

Thank you for your reply!

Do you happen to have owned the E10?  If so, what do you make of the upgrade?

 



Yea that's kind of the feeling I got while reading around...and why I had been leaning towards the E17 even though I couldn't care less about portability at the moment.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/587912/fiio-e17-alpen-first-impression-final-thought/780

 

i recommend reading form this page, sorry i don't have the E10. it's about an hour of reading, but if you are really starting to consider the E17. any questions and other info will all be answered by me and others in this thread. you can skip a lot of stuff here and there as we are just talking but there is some important stuff. 

 

And yes, if i only wanted desktoop i would have gone for the maverick tube magic D1 instead. but i need portability as well so the tube m agic was just knocked out. one user has the pico slim ($500) and he said....that they better watch out. the pico slim in his eyes is better...but not 4X the price better. FiiO is comming and it's comming hard. he talks about it in the link i just provided.
 

 

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post #10 of 10
2/4/12 at 1:18am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bowei006 View Post

http://www.head-fi.org/t/587912/fiio-e17-alpen-first-impression-final-thought/780

 

i recommend reading form this page, sorry i don't have the E10. it's about an hour of reading, but if you are really starting to consider the E17. any questions and other info will all be answered by me and others in this thread. you can skip a lot of stuff here and there as we are just talking but there is some important stuff. 


Yea, I've been reading it here and there.  Thanks bowei

 

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