[joxdante]

Great review dude..really convincing. Im gonna grab an E11 today. Wish me luck.

 

[hyune_83]

Wow amp is fairly large...

 

[hyune_83]

Great review btw.

 

[Brooko]

Just an update after 12 months ownership (I edited the review on the front page)
 
 
Quote:

 
EDIT - UPDATE 1st March 2012
I've had the E11 over a year now - and I still use it when the mood takes me - I still like it's warmth, and occasionally use it's bass boost feature. My cans have changed quite a bit - I now have HD600, MS1i, and HM5 and for IEMs use Brainwavz B2 and (recently) Shure SE535 (Spec Ed).
 
What I need to comment on and make plain in this thread is a couple of issues I have noticed over time with the E11.
 
[1] Jack quality. While the input jack is still nice and tight, the output is actually quite loose. I'm not having any issues with connection drop-outs or anything - just thought it should be noted. If internal access to the jacks was relatively easy, I'd simply bend the metal connectors a little to tighten it. Unfortunately, I can't see a way to access them - so for now I'm just relatively careful how I handle it.
[2] Some weird noise / static from time to time. The E11 is not good in this area. I've noticed over time that I tend to get odd bursts of static when using the E11 with both iPod and iPhone (both via LOD). At first I thought it was my LOD - so I replaced that, but to no avail. Then I read about others who have had the same problem. Next, I started using the iPod in 'flight mode' - so all wireless signals are turned off. That seemed to work so far. Personally I have no problems with this - I pair the iPod with the E11 most of the time - and I don't need wireless (it's purely there for the music). For my iPhone, I usually operate ultra-portable (no amp) so no issues. But if you do have an iP4 and wireless connectivity is a must - be aware that you may have issues with EMF/electrical interference on the E11. I'm not the only one who has reported it - so just something to be aware of.
**UPDATE** - on Voldemort's blog he tested the E11 and found "Significant RF leakage from DC-DC converter into output" - this may be the cause of the static bursts after all.  Anyway - next trip overseas, I'm going to see what else is around.  Most of the time it doesn't bother me - but sometimes (particularly with IEMs) it gets annoying.  

 
Turns out it can't be RF leakage from the DC-DC converter - as the frequency would be inaudible (96Mhz).  So I'm stumped as to what causes the weird static bursts.  In the end I gave the unit away.

 

[Brooko]

And another follow up:
 
Used the E11 quite a bit over the last 2 weeks - I was away, so it was a good chance to put some more time in with it.  Anyway - the RF noise is now very noticeable (maybe I'm more in tune with it?) - but it's now at the point that it's significantly annoying.  And the jack is now quite sloppy - too easy for it to slip out.
 
For the money I paid, I have no real complaints - I got almost 12 months out of this product without really noticing a lot of flaws.
 
However, I would not recommend this amp anymore to anyone else.  The RF bleed issue (which others have also reported) is obviously a design fault.  Pity - great form factor, sound and price.  Undone by design and build quality (jack + RF).
 
I'm now going to consign this to the cupboard and look for something else.
 
Turns out it can't be RF leakage from the DC-DC converter - as the frequency would be inaudible (96Mhz).  So I'm stumped as to what causes the weird static bursts.  In the end I gave the unit away.

 

[Redrider469]

A very well written review. I agree that the E7 is a bright sounding amp. That's the very first thing I noticed when I took my first listen. I've gotten used to it though. Can't decide though if I want to +1 the bass or leave it at 0.

 

[Isbiten]

Quote:

And another follow up:
 
Used the E11 quite a bit over the last 2 weeks - I was away, so it was a good chance to put some more time in with it.  Anyway - the RF noise is now very noticeable (maybe I'm more in tune with it?) - but it's now at the point that it's significantly annoying.  And the jack is now quite sloppy - too easy for it to slip out.
 
For the money I paid, I have no real complaints - I got almost 12 months out of this product without really noticing a lot of flaws.
 
However, I would not recommend this amp anymore to anyone else.  The RF bleed issue (which others have also reported) is obviously a design fault.  Pity - great form factor, sound and price.  Undone by design and build quality (jack + RF).
 
I'm now going to consign this to the cupboard and look for something else.
 
 
What about the E7, still going strong?
I'm looking for an amp for DT770 80ohms that I'm planning to buy.
I'm also considering the E5, it's SUPER cheap.
 

 

[Brooko]

Quote:

What about the E7, still going strong?
I'm looking for an amp for DT770 80ohms that I'm planning to buy.
I'm also considering the E5, it's SUPER cheap.

 
Sold the E7 about a year ago.  Gave the E11 away a couple of months ago.  Now have an Arrow HE4G - couldn't be happier.
 
You'll need to talk to someone who owns a DT770 - I'm not big on giving advice on anything I don't have experience with - especially if it's going to influence a buying decision.
 
Here - following may help:
http://www.head-fi.org/search.php?search=amp+for+dt770+80+ohm
 
Search function is your friend 

 

[maporter]

Hmm, my E11 is about three weeks old & I can confirm the static noise issue, for me it happens when I switch the E11 on.  I get as loud constant burst of static until I remove the LOD cable on my Walkman, upon re-insertion the noise goes away & doesn't come back.  
 
With regards to the build issue, I guess you get what you pay for and considering the price it's not that bad. However I do have to take issue with the aluminium casing. there's no / not enough foam on the backing of either side of the aluminium.  If you attach the E11 to player using velcro or especially dual lock, you run the risk of deforming the aluminium quite easily.  As a result the casing with the led's can become what I can only describe a 'creaky', slightly deformed, slightly loose & feels horrible to touch.
 
I've managed to carefully remove this side of the casing and can confirm that it's pretty poorly made (same pressed alloy as the battery cover, only around 1mm thick),  with not one single piece of foam to pad the underside.  This leaves a good 4mm if not more of a gap between the casing and the PCB, as a result if you use Dual Lock to connect the E11 to any player, it will deform under the pressure required to connect both.  All it takes is a small amount of self-adhesive foam to be applied to the inside of the casing to prevent the deformation & really should have been thought about at the factory.
 
Okay maybe I'm being ultra picky, but it's really annoying to me - Thankfully easy to rectify.

 

[Brooko]

Quote:

Hmm, my E11 is about three weeks old & I can confirm the static noise issue, for me it happens when I switch the E11 on.  I get as loud constant burst of static until I remove the LOD cable on my Walkman, upon re-insertion the noise goes away & doesn't come back.  
 
With regards to the build issue, I guess you get what you pay for and considering the price it's not that bad. However I do have to take issue with the aluminium casing. there's no / not enough foam on the backing of either side of the aluminium.  If you attach the E11 to player using velcro or especially dual lock, you run the risk of deforming the aluminium quite easily.  As a result the casing with the led's can become what I can only describe a 'creaky', slightly deformed, slightly loose & feels horrible to touch.
 
I've managed to carefully remove this side of the casing and can confirm that it's pretty poorly made (same pressed alloy as the battery cover, only around 1mm thick),  with not one single piece of foam to pad the underside.  This leaves a good 4mm if not more of a gap between the casing and the PCB, as a result if you use Dual Lock to connect the E11 to any player, it will deform under the pressure required to connect both.  All it takes is a small amount of self-adhesive foam to be applied to the inside of the casing to prevent the deformation & really should have been thought about at the factory.
 
Okay maybe I'm being ultra picky, but it's really annoying to me - Thankfully easy to rectify.

 
I don't think you're being picky.  I do think you ultimately get what you pay for.
 
The E11 is great for what it does (at the price) - but I personally think charging a little more and eliminating the little errors (static noise, better jack, and pad the case/better panels) would ultimately pay dividends.  I've owned the E7, E11, and E9 - and while all were good products for their cost, I've since gone to an Arrow for portable and NFB-12/Little Dot combo for home use.  Yes arguably far more expensive - but after hearing the improvement with the new set-up, and getting the subsequent improvement in build quality, I doubt I'll ever go back to Fiio products.
 
The E17 specs/features actually seem quite good - but I had zero interest this time after the longer term impression the E11 left on me.
 
Seeing the quality and form factor of the Arrow was a huge step-up from the E11 - as it should be given the price difference.
 
And to anyone considering an E7/E9 combo for the desktop - I'd suggest NFB-12 as an alternative - then get a decent portable amp (if required).  Just my 2c based on the experience I've had.

 

[BruinAnteater]

Thanks for the review. Exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to change up my portable amp (E7), but wasnt quite ready to buy a high end portable amp. The E11 seems like what I want, just something that is warmer/more powerful than the E7 and something that wont break the bank. Thanks again for the review!