: Very affordable, very short for clean looking portable rigs, feels durable regardless of size, very clean audio, comes with 1 year warranty
: None
BACKGROUND
I'm a portable user and I have a Fiio X1 + Fiio E11k (A3) stack. The E11k came with a stock Fiio L8 interconnect. I would say it sounds pretty good but lasted only a few months of normal use. I only take it off once in a while when I need to use the X1 on its own while charging the E11k. I know I can use both while charging but I'd like to optimize battery life by not doing so. After a few months, I noticed a constant channel imbalance, either I can only hear faint vocals like coming from a tin can or only one side of the headphones has music. I immediately tried re-positioning the IC and some positions would fix the problem. Also, pressing the IC jacks to the ports on the amp or the player would also fix the problem. The thing is, when I put the stack down and accidentally touch the wires of the IC, the problem goes back. So I concluded that it's an interconnect issue. It must've been broken inside.
I asked the reseller if it's covered by warranty and they said that accessories are only covered for a month so I started searching for alternatives. First one on the list is the Fiio L16. It has good reviews and fairly affordable (approx. $12). Problem is there is a scarcity of stock for that item in this country (Philippines). Not many sellers carry it anymore, much less a fewer sellers still selling it. So I asked the seller for alternatives that has the same quality (as the L16, not the L8), if not price, and they recommended the JDS Labs Ultra Short IC. At $7.45, I got one without any hesitation. See my impressions below.
SOUND
I'm not a believer of cables having an effect on the sound, at least not something immediately noticeable. I was in for a surprise when I started playing some of my favorite tracks.
- The BASS has better volume and a touch cleaner and more noticeable. Bass guitar notes are clearer. Kick drum rhythms are more easily distinguishable.
- There are DETAILS that I never noticed before, not unless I nit pick and listen closely. They're just effortlessly obvious now (e.g. when one of the performers bumped on or adjusted the mic on one of the live tracks I usually listen to)
- There is a touch more DEPTH on all of the tracks I listened to.
- In summary, my music is much more enjoyable, it's like my portable rig came to new life with a simple IC change. That is where the magic is - the change is IMMEDIATELY NOTICEABLE.
Wow! I would say I'm a believer in cables now. Though like headphones, there will be a point of diminishing returns. Right now, I'm perfectly enjoying my simple set up with the new IC. It may take a while before I even consider an upgrade.
I highly recommend these ICs for the budget conscious, if not as an upgrade to stock ICs, at least a very good replacement.
Happy listening!
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