Can the Fiio E5/E6s drive two headphones?
Nov 4, 2011 at 12:44 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 23

GigaFi

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TV -> 3.5mm extension cable -> Fiio E5/E6 -> 3.5mm splitter -> Two pair of headphones
 
Nothing too crazy, probably a pair of 50 ohm Sennheisers + 16 Ohm IEMS.
 
(Splitter: http://www.bsrsoft.com/help/photos/3.5mm%20splitter.jpg)
 
Will it work? Need something cheap for split screen gaming.
 
Nov 4, 2011 at 1:12 PM Post #2 of 23
Probably.  I left my splitter at home today, but I can test it this evening if you don't have a definitive answer by then.
 
Nov 7, 2011 at 1:59 AM Post #5 of 23


Quote:
Wouldn't it feed the same voltage into both headphones, if it can? So the IEMs are going to be a lot louder?



Didn't think of that but I suppose you would be right. Will probably have to find a pair of IEMs with volume control (or an adapter). Does the Fiio E7 let you control volume out of both 3.5mm outputs? (assuming it can power em)
 
Nov 7, 2011 at 2:31 AM Post #7 of 23
What game are you playing? If it's a shooter, then going split-screen means losing individual audio cues--both players are going to hear the exact same thing, even if you're standing in 2 different locations. This might negate the point of using headphones altogether.
 
Nov 7, 2011 at 2:35 AM Post #8 of 23
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Nov 7, 2011 at 7:28 AM Post #9 of 23
Thanks for the input all!
 
Quote:
What game are you playing? If it's a shooter, then going split-screen means losing individual audio cues--both players are going to hear the exact same thing, even if you're standing in 2 different locations. This might negate the point of using headphones altogether.


Will be playing Black Ops. Not sure if you are familiar with it or the Ninja Pro perk but what it does is pretty much amplify the footsteps around you while decreasing your own. Even with split screen, we get a pretty good sense of where the directional cues are.
 
 
Nov 7, 2011 at 9:12 PM Post #10 of 23
Sorry, completely forgot I'd posted in here until today.  I just did a few tests using the E6 with the Sennheiser HD555 and the VSonic GR07.  I ran everything out of the headphone out of a FiiO E10 since I don't have a tv with a headphone jack and the line out on the E10 sounded really static-y with the E6 for some reason.  Splitter was one from Micca Store that came free with the E6.
 
The best setup I found was with the splitter plugged directly into the headphone out, the HD555 plugged into the splitter, and the GR07 plugged into the E6 (plugged into the other half of the splitter).  With this setup, you can set the source volume to fit the full-size can, then use the E6 to bring that down to a proper level for the IEMs.  With the splitter plugged into the E6 (E6 powering both), the volume was always either too loud for the IEMs or too quiet for the full-size phones.  With the opposite of my final setup, the E6 couldn't get loud enough to bring the full-size phones to the same level as the IEMs.
 
Final setup looks like this:
                                     ______________E6_______________IEM
                                    |
SOURCE------------------|______________________________FULL-SIZE PHONES
 
 
Hope this helps!
 
 
Nov 7, 2011 at 10:14 PM Post #11 of 23


Quote:
Sorry, completely forgot I'd posted in here until today.  I just did a few tests using the E6 with the Sennheiser HD555 and the VSonic GR07.  I ran everything out of the headphone out of a FiiO E10 since I don't have a tv with a headphone jack and the line out on the E10 sounded really static-y with the E6 for some reason.  Splitter was one from Micca Store that came free with the E6.
 
The best setup I found was with the splitter plugged directly into the headphone out, the HD555 plugged into the splitter, and the GR07 plugged into the E6 (plugged into the other half of the splitter).  With this setup, you can set the source volume to fit the full-size can, then use the E6 to bring that down to a proper level for the IEMs.  With the splitter plugged into the E6 (E6 powering both), the volume was always either too loud for the IEMs or too quiet for the full-size phones.  With the opposite of my final setup, the E6 couldn't get loud enough to bring the full-size phones to the same level as the IEMs.
 
Final setup looks like this:
                                     ______________E6_______________IEM
                                    |
SOURCE------------------|______________________________FULL-SIZE PHONES
 
 
Hope this helps!
 


But then you lose the benefit of the E6 on the sound quality of the full-sized cans.
 
 
Nov 7, 2011 at 10:29 PM Post #12 of 23


Quote:
Originally Posted by jerg /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
But then you lose the benefit of the E6 on the sound quality of the full-sized cans.

 
Quote:
Originally Posted by LimeANite /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
With the opposite of my final setup, the E6 couldn't get loud enough to bring the full-size phones to the same level as the IEMs.


 
LimeANite, the E10 functions as an amp/DAC, correct? So what you actually have as a setup is more like:
 
 
                                            ______________AMP #2_______________IEM
                                           |
SOURCE----------AMP #1--------|______________________________FULL-SIZE PHONES
 
Nov 7, 2011 at 10:36 PM Post #13 of 23


Quote:
But then you lose the benefit of the E6 on the sound quality of the full-sized cans.
 



The E6 doesn't really add sound quality.  It doesn't have a DAC, so if your source is lousy, the E6 will sound lousy as well.  All it can do is modify the sound signature by emphasizing certain regions.  While this can be nice, it isn't useful if your ears are bleeding or you're straining to hear things.  The issue isn't with the E6's ability to drive two sets of headphones - it does this just fine - but with the differences in sensitivity and impedance between full-size headphones and IEMs.  IEMs have much lower impedance than full-sized headphones, so they require less power to drive at the same volume as full-sized headphones.  The power required by the full-sized phones is enough to make listening with IEMs painful and the power needed for comfortable listening with IEMs is low enough that most full-sized headphones will be too quiet to hear clearly.
 
Nov 7, 2011 at 10:50 PM Post #14 of 23
They would have to have really good sensitivity. This is a sub $100 amp that is only going to sound slightly better than the source. Basically, a wire with a gain.
It will accomplish your feat, but don't expect magic and fireworks. For gaming, the bass is going to be weak and the treble is probably going to sound tinny. I have the E6/7 and 11
and accept them for what they're worth.
 
By the way feiao, in a non Sponsored thread, a Sponsor can't respond to a question unless it is posed directly to them. Otherwise every MOT would jump in on all of their threads, although we do value 
your first hand experience. It's just to be fair to all MOT's and Sponsors. It's gotten out of hand in the past, especially with DIY cable manufacturers. It's gotten downright down and dirty.
 
Welcome to our wonderful forum.
 
 
Nov 7, 2011 at 10:54 PM Post #15 of 23


Quote:
LimeANite, the E10 functions as an amp/DAC, correct? So what you actually have as a setup is more like:
 
 
                                            ______________AMP #2_______________IEM
                                           |
SOURCE----------AMP #1--------|______________________________FULL-SIZE PHONES

True; I figured that the E10's amp wouldn't be necessary to specify in the diagram since both phones are getting their signal from it, with the IEMs being double-amped.. 
 
I just tried it again through the line-out.  I guess it must have been the song I was using earlier, because I'm not having any of the same static problems.  My conclusions still stand though.  With both plugged into the E6, the HD555 is below the volume I'd like (about 7-8 clicks of the E6's volume button), even with the GR07 just above my ideal volume.  Plugging just the HD555 into the E6 is much the same; with the E6 maxed out, I still want a bit more volume, especially for gaming.  Best combination is still having just the GR07 plugged into the E6.
 
 
 

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