Design and Build
Even though the FiiO E17 is quite a low-cost product or you can even say an entry level one, the DAC has a solid build and elegant design. The brushed finish looks stylish without being anything plain simple or too pompous. Overall E17 looks and feels great considering its small size that comfortably fits in your palm or with the iPod or smartphone in your pocket.
The buttons are solid and feel good quality so one need not worry about wearing them off to the point of breaking or getting stuck. The OLED screen is a nice addition to the e17 and the information that it displays is exactly what you need making it very convenient to use without being too complicated. Overall it is a very lightweight, durable and compact portable DAC and headphone amplifier.
Features and Accessories
The DAC/amp comes with some little gadgets that can easily spoil you off at such price. The OLED has a little screen protector and six rubber feet to hold it in place. You also get two silicone bands with the FiiO logo on top that make it easier to hold it together to your portable player. In addition, E17 supplies you with a nice soft velvet pouch where the amp can be stored safely.
FiiO E17 comes with plenty of features, which make it a very versatile product suitable for most needs. The Mini USB is located on the bottom and is the main charging source. However the USB is not the only digital connection as this small DAC also has a coaxial as well as an optical connection on the top by using S/PDIF input via the supplied adapters.
An AUX input is located on the underside while the headphone output is on the top, both suitable for 3.5mm stereo plugs, which is understandable considering the small size of the DAC. E17 has a dock connector dedicated to working with other of FiiO’s desktop amplifiers such as the E09K which I personally use. There is also a locking key that not only locks the buttons but also turns off the OLED screen and I find that to be very convenient when I use E17 passively only as a DAC docked to E09K on my desk.
Performance
It is worth noting that when E17 is paired with the e09, for example, the USB and AUX inputs are blocked. However the e09k has its own, which makes these two products a suitable pair.
The li-ion battery has 1500mAh and claimed by the manufacturer to last for up to 15 hours but in reality one cannot expect to get more than 8-9 hours out of it. However it can be constantly recharged while with the dock or USB connector.
The DAC can accept a hi-end signal with up to 24-bit at 192 kHz but only through the S/PDIF. The USB input only meets the 1.0 standard you can only accept file up to 24-bit/96kHz, so if you are to play 192 kHz files you must use the S/PDIF input.
OK, but how does it sound? You are right, let us get to the real question of interest. I listen to the E17 either with my AKG Q701 headphones or with the stereo speakers that I connect to the integrated amplifier through the e09k. In both cases the sound that comes from the DAC feels tonally balanced. I do not use the inbuilt equalizer and I find the sound to be quite accurate and neutral, which I highly appreciate. It is not really transparent and revealing so if you plan to use it with monitor speakers, for example, bear in mind that E17 is more or less forgiving to poor recordings. The sound is un-fatiguing, thus pleasant and easy to listen for hours. It gives you a sufficient performance for the money you pay in that price class. However, this means that more expensive DACs have greater details and reveal more nuances of the overall music picture.
When it comes to the amplifier it is worth mentioning that it does not have the needed muscles to power the most demanding headphones by itself. It has an output power of >220mW (32Ω loaded) and the headphone impedance range is said to be 16Ω - 300Ω. This should be enough for my AKG Q701 but it is easy to see that E17 does not perform well with these headphones on the very high volumes. This will no longer be a problem if you pair it with the E09K as I do.
In conclusion, the E17 gives more than you can ask for at the price of £100 (from amazon in the UK) in terms of features, extras and sound quality. It is a good start if you are looking for your first DAC/amp and the perfect choice if you are on a budget.
