[Change is Good]

With the below specs I would think that they must be loud enough. What is it about the sound that makes you think that they need to be driven harder? Is there something that you feel needs a tweak by EQ?

• Sensitivity: 118 dB SPL @ 1Mw
  
• Impedance: 31 ohms @ 1kHz
  

I have a pair of Sony XBA-3 BA IEMs which from the below you can see is not as sensitive as the Westones and has an impedance low enough that might get close to challenging some phones or DAPs. Amping them helps a little but they can get along without being amped on my phone. My HD600's are 300 Ohm so the phone just can't get the voltage swing necessary to drive them.

• Impedance : 12 ohms at 1 kHz
  
• Sensitivity (db) : 108 dB/mW
  

Benefiting from amping and "singing" to me are two different things. They get loud with the F806 alone... but don't sound as full and engaging.

 

[StanD]

Benefiting from amping and "singing" to me are two different things. They get loud with the F806 alone... but don't sound as full and engaging.

When Sushiglobster said, "I really think my G2 is having some difficulty making them sing," that made me think that either the phone can't drive them or he's looking to alter the sound profile, perhaps by EQ.
Perhaps he can explain better what he meant.

 

[Sushiglobster]

Benefiting from amping and "singing" to me are two different things. They get loud with the F806 alone... but don't sound as full and engaging.

 
Well, let me clarify here. Yes, my IEMs do get pretty loud. However they don't sound so full or engaging.  
 
 

  When Sushiglobster said, "I really think my G2 is having some difficulty making them sing," that made me think that either the phone can't drive them or he's looking to alter the sound profile, perhaps by EQ.
Perhaps he can explain better what he meant.

 
I don't have the technical specs on my phone's audio output capabilities. However, I do think my phone is struggling to drive my IEMs. I say this because I have to crank them near max volume to achieve a more enjoyable listening experience. At the same time though the volume is quite loud and fatiguing. This is what makes me think an amplifier is needed. Loud Volume and Drive I think are two different things. Perhaps I'm wrong in my thinking? 
 
What I'm going to do in a few minutes, is plug my IEMs into my DENON AVR (Model: X4000) I need to see if there is large notable difference in Drive. My AVR should be more than capable of driving my Westone W4R IEMs.

 

[Change is Good]

   Perhaps I'm wrong in my thinking?

 
You are not wrong in your thinking. The 4R definitely benefits from amping...
 
Like I said, I have the 4R paired with the E12 via LOD out of my F806. Lovin it...

 

[scrypt]

  sorry, there are some very small bugs so we need to fix the bugs first ( something relate to charge feature ) but it should launch market in the coming soon.

 
I read this yesterday and wanted to respond, but I was in an area which apparently lacked T-Mobile coverage.
 
Now that others have responded, I'll echo the sentiment which was fresh the day before:  Delay your release if necessary, James, and don't worry about it.  Quality control is important.
 
The same impatience which provokes people to post that they're losing interest in the release of a product will make them lose interest in the product entirely (and the company that makes it) if the released is premature.
 

* * * *​

 
One reason that development of the E19 might have halted is because of new developments in portable audio.  Certain new Android smartphones advertise 24-bit 192k playback (the Note III, the G2, etc.), which means that the external DACs we buy will have to be at least as high-resolution as the DACs in our smartphones. 
 
Obviously, a new generation of devices is here and, with it, a new generation of portable DAC/Amps.  A fair number of current DACs already boast features such as DSD playback. 
 
Perhaps the people at Fiio are thinking about that and planning their next products accordingly.

 

[steveting99]

  One reason that development of the E19 might have halted is because of new developments in portable audio.  Certain new Android smartphones advertise 24-bit 192k playback (the Note III, the G2, etc.), which means that the external DACs we buy will have to be at least as high-resolution as the DACs in our smartphones. 
 
Obviously, a new generation of devices is here and, with it, a new generation of portable DAC/Amps.  A fair number of current DACs already boast features such as DSD playback. 
 
Perhaps the people at Fiio are thinking about that and planning their next products accordingly.

 
I'm glad to read the above. The direction by smartphone manufacturers' are going in the right direction in regards to high fidelity sound.Whether this is for spec up-manship so they stand out among the crowded market, or genuine improvement in features, I can't really say. But it's good for those who are looking for quality sound. People are willing to pay for high quality screens incorporated in smartphones and that's now reached a high enough standard that makes it hard to back. Within a few years, high quality audio will be a standard feature - I'm hoping.
 
Steve

 

[StanD]

   
Well, let me clarify here. Yes, my IEMs do get pretty loud. However they don't sound so full or engaging.  
 
 
 
I don't have the technical specs on my phone's audio output capabilities. However, I do think my phone is struggling to drive my IEMs. I say this because I have to crank them near max volume to achieve a more enjoyable listening experience. At the same time though the volume is quite loud and fatiguing. This is what makes me think an amplifier is needed. Loud Volume and Drive I think are two different things. Perhaps I'm wrong in my thinking? 
 
What I'm going to do in a few minutes, is plug my IEMs into my DENON AVR (Model: X4000) I need to see if there is large notable difference in Drive. My AVR should be more than capable of driving my Westone W4R IEMs.

The impedance and sensitivity specs of your Westone's look like they are ideal for being driven by phones and portable devices. You shouldn't have to crank them, but then again you said that they were loud and fatiguing. By fatiguing do you mean too much treble, resonant peaks (silibants)?
Try your Westones on another cellphone or DAP. Read some reviews of your IEM, perhaps the information you need is there. Does you phone work well with other cans or IEMs? Maybe one or both of them (IEM or phone) are defective 

 
Good luck and let us know how this works out.

 

[scrypt]

You might be interested in this preview of the E18 brought to you by ClieOS:
 
In Ear Matters: Preview of the FiiO E18 Kunlun: Surprise, Surprise
 

 
Gain and bass controls:
 

 
The analog in which doubles as a line out:
 

 
Note the accessories:
 

 

The details are quite interesting -- follow the link for those and for more pictures.

 

[Ashade]

You might be interested in this preview of the E18 brought to you by ClieOS.

Greatly appreciated.

I'm going to enjoy those bigger bands in my note.

 

[scrypt]

Greatly appreciated.

You're welcome, Ashade!
 
BTW:  ClieOS also started a thread on head-fi in which he reposted his review.  He published larger versions of the photos than I did, so you might want to have a look (and also give his thread some support):
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/685414/preview-fiio-e18-kunlun-surprise-surprise

 

[carpler]

Hi to evereybody!
I'm new here, but I read this forum very often.
 
I love listen music in "portable" way, so I'm looking for info about a dac to be connected to an Android device.
In about a month my wife must to replace her Galaxy S with a new smartphone so my idea is to use it as a portable player, without the phone section.
The phone mounts already the rom cyanogenmod (the last 10.1.3 with 4.2.x Android version).
I am very interested in the products Fiio: Models E17 and E18 seem to really do for me.
 
What I don't understand is: under what conditions the dac is recognized by Android? Is enough a recent version of Android or is otherwise necessary to modify the kernel (or something else)?
 
Another thing I do not understand is if you need a special player to be able to use the DAC?
 
In the preview posted above I read:
"On Android, you might not get the full 24/96 but limited to 16/44.1 depends on what your Android can support."
Can someone explain me better this point? With the Galaxy S and cyano I would be able to take full power of the E18? How?
And this is possible also for the E17 or not? I read that the E17 model requires more battery energy...
 
I know that here in the forum there are many post about this, but I've not found the answers for my question.
 
Ah, by the way: still no debut day for the E18?
 
Many thanks!

 

[Sachigatsu]

look like a custom E12, Nice

 

[Change is Good]

James, can you guys please make an angled miscro usb cable to use with the Sony Walkman LOD port. I would love to use my Sony F806 with the E18's DAC...

 

[scrypt]

  James, can you guys please make an angled miscro usb cable to use with the Sony Walkman LOD port. I would love to use my Sony F806 with the E18's DAC...

 
That request seems a tad specific, don't you think?  One problem with Fiio's making a short angled cable is that it might only work with a few specific devices, which wouldn't be especially profitable for them unless such devices were popular to the point of being ubiquitous.
 
Scroll down to the bottom of this page and you'll see what I mean:
 
http://www.sys-concept.com/U-toslink_miniplug.html

 

[TekeRugburn]

I think right angled micro USB otg cables would be awesome if it was included