LOD is analog. The E17 always shows something up in that section of the display, even when operating as only an amp (AUX input). Any quality difference between 3.5mm HP jack and LOD connector will be due to the difference in amping between the two ports on the ipod. The LOD is preferred, but is...

I love the E17. It's best, of course, with USB input from my PC, but I use it regularly with AUX input from my iPad or Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Couldn't recommend it more highly for the 3 Ps (price, performance, and portability).

+1 Not only is this recording sublime on my HD-598s, but the beginning of the first track is a great test of an audio setup. It allows me to tell the difference between using my E17 as a DAC/amp vs. just an amp. Using the E17 DAC, the cello has such a full, deep, and breathy bass, and I can...

My intent was portability, and as Xeroian said, a powered hub tethers you to an electrical outlet. I wish I had known about the Matrix USB DDC, but I already sank $50 into this setup.

DISCLAIMER: do this at your own risk. I'm not responsible. If you can't get a really small set of tweezers in there, this is what I would try: Put the tiniest dot of superglue on the broken end of the connector, push it into the E17, wait 30 seconds or so, and pull it out. You will definitely...

The issue with the CCK & E17 is that the iPad disables the CCK when it senses the high current draw. I don't know the details of the E17's schematics/design, but methinks the 150mA being drawn is on the +5V line, not the data line. He could test this by turning USB Charging off - then the...

USB should be bit-perfect, regardless of power levels. The power required for a solid signal across a few feet of cable via USB is really small. If a USB port has power issues, it would be noticed on the +5V wire used for powering devices, not on the data line. Even if your port isn't giving the...

This doesn't make any sense. The iPad CCK goes from 30-pin dock connector male to USB A female. The L10 goes from 30-pin dock connector male to 3.5mm male. The two are incompatible. The L10 gets you lineout, but not digital.

Xeroian, Does the Matrix device require the iPad output to be 24b/96kHz, or is that just the maximum supported? I primarily listen to 16b/44.1kHz. Thx.

Does FiiO know something the rest of us don't? Current Android builds (4.0.x) don't allow USB digital audio out. It would be great if Google has actually decided to implement this.

[=http://www.head-fi.org/t/587912/fiio-e17-alpen-first-impression-final-thought/3495#post_8399026]This[/] is how I did it, but it actually cost no less than the Matrix solution. The iPad current limit for the USB CCK is 20 mA. The E17 draws 150 mA (according to a FiiO employee who occasionally...

I've used my Shure SE215 IEMs with the E-17 with no problem, but they are 20 Ω. Per FiiO website, E17 headphone range is 16 Ω to 300 Ω, and at 16 Ω, power output is 250mW. Per Audio-Technica website, ATH-CKS77 are 14 Ω with max power input of 100 mW. Looks to me like you should NOT drive your...

Quote:   I am only asking because you did not mention it in your first post, but have you tried the reset button?  I've had my E17 for a month now.  Yesterday, it would not turn on (regardless of power source).  I hit the reset button, and everything is good now.   I suggest plugging...

Brilliant. The only thing I can say is that if it were a 16th note, you'd have cable management ;)

You're right. I fixed the sampling rate / bit rate confusion in my above post.

Quote: Nope.  See graphic below:     The entire purpose of a DAC is to take the lower "square" digital signal and convert it into the upper "smooth" analog signal. In the picture above, sampling rate is represented by the number of steps per second, and bit depth is represented by the...

Since you mentioned double-amping, I assume you've connected the phone to the E17 via the headphone jack or line out. If so, the signal is analog. There is no bit rate or bit depth. I'll have to check my E17 when I get home, but if it shows 48kHz, 16b with AUX input, it is only a place holder...

The SPDIF output on my Dell XPS 15 notebook is a 1/8" (3.5mm) jack which doubles as a headphone output. I use USB out. Windows 7 describes the USB out as SPDIF. I'm not sure of the technical details, but I think the USB interface uses the SPDIF protocol. In short, I don't think there is a...

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I can't tell from the pictures (yours or Amazon's), and I'm new to all this. Is that a female RCA connector on the SPDIF end of the DDC? Thanks.

I don't have a USB male-to-male cable, so the one I used was the best portable solution for me. Anyone who doesn't need portability can just plug the iPad and E17 into a wall-powered hub.

I'm not an expert, but it sounds like a driver issue.  What Ubuntu considers 0-100% volume is not matching the sound card's range.  Getting a DAC/AMP and using USB out might bypass this problem.   I use my PC, USB > E17 > HD598 and love it.  The E17 has more power than the 598s need.  I have...

Quote:   Yes.  iPad CCK $30, USB Hub $8, Battery $40, Cable ~$5.  So, $50-80, depending on what you already have.  I would have bought the camera connection kit anyway.  This was mostly a "can I do it?" project for me.  I usually just take my Shure SE215 in-ear phones around with my iPad in...

Yet another $20 Pier One glass head.  I found a coloring changing LED base that fits into the bottom of the head for $1.85.... and yes, the lady wears the headphones backwards so I don't have to spin them when putting them on.   For anyone interested in this as a stand, I do have one...

I think it's been covered much earlier in this thread or perhaps in another thread, but I though I'd post it anyhow.   Below is the kludge I've worked up to get digital audio out of my iPad and into my E17.  Luckily, I'm not in the habit of trying to lug this around with me, but it's nice to...