[Fencefeet]

Been trying to decide between these two for days now. I've been lurking on all of the threads discussing these two but I am finally giving in for some more potentially personalized advice. So, first things first. I know that the M80's are very good on their own and do not need to be amped, but I would still like one just to squeeze every little bit of awesomeness that I can from these amazing cans.
 
I listen to them on the go and at my PC equally, and I am currently running an X-Fi Titanium sound card in my PC. I was primarily wondering if the FiiO E17's DAC would be an improvement over this. Also, I've read that the E11's amp is superior to the E17's, but if it serves as a better DAC than my soundcard it may be worth it. However, $140 is a bit out of my price range compared to the awesome deal of $60 for the E11. (But if you guys say the extra cash is worth it given everything I have stated, then I will not hesitate!) So, with all of that said, does anyone have any wisdom on the subject?? Thanks a lot in advance!
 
 
EDIT: Forgot to mention that I am open to other amps as well! I am also driving the M80's (portable) using my Droid Razr Maxx and Nexus 7 Tablet.

 

[Fencefeet]

bumpity bump wump

 

[RingingEars]

I had the M80 and the E17. They sound fantastic together...

 

[Fencefeet]

Awesome. That is good to hear. After a little more research I think I am just going to buy the E17. The fact that I can't use the E11 while it is charging didn't seem like a big deal at first, but after realizing how much I listen to music at my computer it is kind of an unfortunate feature. Also I think I may just get rid of my X-Fi Titanium Fatality Pro sound card in order to compensate the cost difference. From what I am reading the DAC/Amp combo will sound better than the card alone, so hopefully it will be worth it. 
 
Pretty sure I've made my decision, but if anyone else has any input I'd love to hear it! And thanks a lot for the response, RingingEars.

 

[sygyzy]

Isn't the obvious question - do you need a DAC?

 

[RingingEars]

Quote:

Awesome. That is good to hear. After a little more research I think I am just going to buy the E17. The fact that I can't use the E11 while it is charging didn't seem like a big deal at first, but after realizing how much I listen to music at my computer it is kind of an unfortunate feature. Also I think I may just get rid of my X-Fi Titanium Fatality Pro sound card in order to compensate the cost difference. From what I am reading the DAC/Amp combo will sound better than the card alone, so hopefully it will be worth it. 
 
Pretty sure I've made my decision, but if anyone else has any input I'd love to hear it! And thanks a lot for the response, RingingEars.

Good choice. I loved it as a DAC/amp on my computer and the M-80 was a great sounding can.

 

[Dranus]

Judging by the components you have you honestly dont need an amp+dac unless your PC is garbage.  Part of the reason I bought the m80s is because they dont require an amp.  Seriously I would save the cash on your future headphone upgrade and a more dedicated amp + dac. 

 

[RingingEars]

Quote:

Judging by the components you have you honestly dont need an amp+dac unless your PC is garbage.  Part of the reason I bought the m80s is because they dont require an amp.  Seriously I would save the cash on your future headphone upgrade and a more dedicated amp + dac. 

Onboard PC sound generally is garbage. An external DAC or at the least a good sound card(I'm not a fan of the latter) is a must. The E17 is a great sounding DAC and pairs exceptionally well with M80.
Fencefeet... It will be a night/day difference from the quality of onboard audio.
 
Edit: I am not familiar with the X-Fi titanium sound card...

 

[Dranus]

I have the e17 and the X-fi and I agree it would definitely be a big improvement over onboard sound, however the X-fi isnt too bad.
Does it sound better than the x-fi... YES.
 
Is it a $150 improvement? absolutely not.
 
If your interested I'm receiving a jds labs O2+ODAC Combo next week to replace my Fiio e17 (I dont like the muddy midrange), I'll let you know what i think compared to the Fiio e17 + e09K combo when it comes in. 

 

[RingingEars]

Quote:

 
 I'm receiving a jds labs O2+ODAC Combo

Now there's an idea I can concure with. I need to get the ODAC for my O2. T H A T  I S  G O I N G  T O  S O U N D  N I C E!!!

 

[Fencefeet]

Yeah after reading some reviews and comparisons I pretty much came to that conclusion. My sound card is okay, and honestly the E17 probably won't be worth the entirety of the $140 just on that front, but if it is noticeably better I can certainly justify selling the card and making up some of the difference between the E11 and E17.
 
I consider myself an audiophile, and I just read WAY too much about amps on here to not at least have tried one. So, if I can get a good amp for my portable setup as well as a good DAC/amp for my PC that will likely sound better than my X-Fi, it's totally worth the chance. Also, I'm kind of crossing my fingers that some of the Android devs out there figure out a way to implement DAC's with 4.1 tablets over USB. The E17 and my Nexus 7 would be O_O, I'm sure.
 
Just ordered the E17 a couple of hours ago, and very glad that I did. I will definitely come back and give an update on how I think it compares as soon as it comes in--just in case any googlers come across this with a similar question as mine. 

 

[Dranus]

Just got the objective 2 + odac combo.  Holy crap.
sound quality makes the Fiio e17+ e09k sound like a cheap toy... and I was already impressed with the Fiio combo.
 
I never really heard that much of a sound quality improvement on my m80 with the Fiio... however with the o2 combo friggin awesome.
 
I'll write up a more detailed comparitive tomorrow.
 
For those who cant decide on a e17 or O2 combo spend the extra cash
 
 
only critisism I have on the o2 is the cheap housing and volume knob... 

 

[Fencefeet]

I'd be very very curious to hear what you have to say about the O2+ODAC combo with your M80s! Especially compared to the E17 + M80 combo-- I'm still gathering judgement on this little guy, but so far I like it! SO, being that you had the E17 + M80 combo and now have the O2/ODAC + M80 combo, I'd love to hear your impressions! Most importantly I'm interested if the price differential is worth it...as it is twice the cost of the E17, and isn't portable, which is a tad of a deal breaker. But I'll hold opinions until I read yours!
 
EDIT: I also forgot to ask, Dranus what sound card do you have, exactly? If it is the Titanium, then our setups are literally the same to the T. Which makes me value your input even more!

 

[Dranus]

I just tried a back to back with comparison with the o2 combo and the Fiio combo using the m80s... 
I have to say they both sound pretty much the same.  Maybe abit more instrument separation with the o2 but all in all the e17 sounds just as good as the o2.
 
However when I use my AKG Q701 its no question the advantage goes to the o2.  Bigger soundstage, my missing mids are there and textured bass.
Sorry I originally stated the improvement was with the m80s I should have mentioned it was with the AKGs.
 
I use my m80s as my go to headphones commuting back and forth on the subway and the more i use them the more I'm impressed with them.  I love how i can just stick them into my iphone and the sound is fantastic with or without my fiio e17.  Of course the M80s dont compare with my AKGs in terms of sound detail the truth is I'm not going to commute with them... they're too rediculously huge.
 
I'll do a comparitive on the soundblaster x-fi (not the Titanium version) later on today with the Fiio and m80s.
 
If the M80s are your main headphone the e17 maybe the better choice for an AMP+Dac combo plus the e17 is obviously more portable, in the meatime enjoy your e17 when it comes in.. I certainly did, its what got me into this Headphone obsession.

 

[chumpas]

Hey guys,
 
I know I'm a little late for this party. However, I just wanted to know what your recommendations are for a portable Amp for the M-80s. I'm currently in law school and I spend a large part of my day in the library and walking around campus. I need a portable amp that doesn't add too much weight/bulk to my pocket/backpack since I have really heavy books. 
 
I got the V-Moda M-80s a couple of days ago and I'm switching between my iPod Shuffle and my iPod touch for music. However, ocassionaly I plug them into my Galaxy S2 phones to listen to my FLAC files. I need a portable amp that will work with all the devices. I will eventually purchase a DAC, but right now I think I should just look for a small amp to give the headphones that extra punch they need.
 
Any suggestions. I'm always open to corrections. I have read here that a lot of people use these headphones without an amp, and I must confess they sound really good. However, I have that feeling in the back of my head that I can get a little bit more out of these headphones with say...the FiiO E11. 
 
your thoughts?