[h0race]

Yes.

Thanks! I'm watching the post box like a vulture.

I just need to find a UK source for the short right angle micro usb to micro usb lead - no luck yet.

 

[DaniXFI]

Hey folks, how does this E5 compare to FiiO e18? Lets say sound quality is my only concern (particularly bass quality and absence of noises).
 
I want an awesome amp+dac for my desktop PC and boosting my Beyer 770 pro 80 ohm. Oh and portability is a plus since I may want to use it with my htc one m7 ocasionally.
 
Not sure if they're overkill but I have 200$ to spend here lol. Thank you very much in advance.

 

[RojasTKD]

Though I can't speak from personal experience, I'm under the impression the E5 is a superior in audio, even if not by a huge amount. But it is a bit bulkie. It's definitely more feature rich.
 
If you can get I on the Massdrop price of $149 + $9.68 shipping it's a pretty good deal. There only 12 hours left on the massdrop you may want to act fast if you think you want the E5.

 

[AUserName501]

Spoiler: Quote: DaniXFI

Originally Posted by DaniXFI /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Hey folks, how does this E5 compare to FiiO e18? Lets say sound quality is my only concern (particularly bass quality and absence of noises).
 
I want an awesome amp+dac for my desktop PC and boosting my Beyer 770 pro 80 ohm. Oh and portability is a plus since I may want to use it with my htc one m7 ocasionally.
 
Not sure if they're overkill but I have 200$ to spend here lol. Thank you very much in advance.

 
E5 is far too large to stick to the back of a phone. I don't think the E5 is really that good unless you are interested in the optical input and bluetooth receiver.
 
I think the E18 is your better choice. Fiio Q1 is similar and cheaper so I would try that first but the E18 has higher power output.

 

[DaniXFI]

   
E5 is far too large to stick to the back of a phone. I don't think the E5 is really that good unless you are interested in the optical input and bluetooth receiver.
 
I think the E18 is your better choice. Fiio Q1 is similar and cheaper so I would try that first but the E18 has higher power output.

 
wat? I had never heard of this Q1 and I just have read the head-fi's review, oh man I'm more confused than ever lol. Thanks. Seems like a great new guy, I guess not as powerful as E5/e18 but the price is really low and looks better than e10k.
 
I still haven't discarded soundblaster E5, since portability is just a "bonus", 99% of the time I will use it on desktop. Time to think! haha.

 

[FlacFan]

   
E5 is far too large to stick to the back of a phone. I don't think the E5 is really that good unless you are interested in the optical input and bluetooth receiver.
 
I think the E18 is your better choice. Fiio Q1 is similar and cheaper so I would try that first but the E18 has higher power output.

WAT?
 
The E5 is smaller than my Samsung Galaxy S2, which is inside an Otter box. It is a bit thicker and the shape is a bit unusual. Other than that it beats pretty much everything else out there IF you enjoy fiddling with EQ settings.....
 
Cheers.

 

[ClieOS]

   
E5 is far too large to stick to the back of a phone. I don't think the E5 is really that good unless you are interested in the optical input and bluetooth receiver.
 
I think the E18 is your better choice. Fiio Q1 is similar and cheaper so I would try that first but the E18 has higher power output.

 
Obviously you have never seen what an actually large stack look like.
 

 
An E5 would be considered slim by some

 

 

[RojasTKD]

The E5 is not something I wouldn't want to put in my pocket strapped to my phone, but something I'd take in a bag or backpack. personally I normally wouldn't take any DAC/AMP with me in my pocket. It's more of I can take with me if I want kinda of thing, in my mind. Mostly stationary and take it from place to place (or bag/backpack) kinda thing.
 
I JDS Labs C5D will be a bit less bulky but not be as feature rich. if your looking mainly to carry for on the go use the C5D or something smaller would might be a better option. If you looking for something feature rich that you can take with you from time to time when the need arises the E5 could be an good option.

 

[VinegarBoy]

Two hours left to get in on the drop of the Creative E5 at Massdrop.com.

133 have committed to buy at $149 which is $50 off the list price.

I had previously weighed the E5 against the Cozoy Astrapi. With the Astrapi at $125, I had decided to try it as my first experience with an iOS DAC/Amp. Then I saw the drop at $149 and given only a $25 price difference Massdrop made up my mind for me.

 

[trappedintime]

Two hours left to get in on the drop of the Creative E5 at Massdrop.com.

133 have committed to buy at $149 which is $50 off the list price.

I had previously weighed the E5 against the Cozoy Astrapi. With the Astrapi at $125, I had decided to try it as my first experience with an iOS DAC/Amp. Then I saw the drop at $149 and given only a $25 price difference Massdrop made up my mind for me.

I committed on the first day. I've got an X7 but hoping this is a satisfying solution for use in the car and on the go with my iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6+

 

[VinegarBoy]

I see the E5 as being the perfect first step into an iOS certified DAC/Amp.

The feature rich model, while large to some with DAC and amp chips that other head-fiers take exception to has an obvious advantage to the DAC/Amp marketplace; Brand visibility. Anyone with the slightest tech background on personal computers recognize Creative Labs and as such, are more apt to try using a DAC and amp with their iOS device.

I actually see Creative's E5 being a boon to the audio community. With their bulldozing the competitors through name recognition and a very handsome device with features that may never actually be used Creative can start a wave that increases quality of all DACs and concurrently drops prices.

The other high profile name in this market is Sony but they have missed the opportunity to start the wave with their high price of their entry level model.

Audiophiles and wanna be's realize the unimportance of brand name recognition as we have dealt with this issue through many hours of research either reading or testing various devices, some with no vowels in the brand and product name.

Increased volume in the market and competition within the marketplace has the consequences of higher quality and lower prices, two factors that directly affect us, the consumer.

 

[VinegarBoy]

I committed on the first day. I've got an X7 but hoping this is a satisfying solution for use in the car and on the go with my iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6+

How is that X7 working out for you? I haven't studied the size in detail and suppose it must be connected to AC? The shape is really funky.

I'm curious about truly how well the Bluetooth connection works.

Guessing you like it since you're also buying the E5. I hope the E5 performs to your expectations (and mine too)!

 

[trappedintime]

How is that X7 working out for you? I haven't studied the size in detail and suppose it must be connected to AC? The shape is really funky.

I'm curious about truly how well the Bluetooth connection works.

Guessing you like it since you're also buying the E5. I hope the E5 performs to your expectations (and mine too)!

I really enjoy the X7. I purchased the LE via Massdrop a few months back. I didn't understand exactly how it would work for my setup. Given the mixer, I thought I could output multiple sources in multiple directions (i.e. iMac USB audio > X7 amp and Apple TV thru optical out). That was me misjudging my specific use cases. BUT it has performed really well overall. My setup is an iMac in my bedroom to the X7, which is now my bedroom amp. It's powering 2 Sony floor speakers (~$200 pair from early 2000's) and with the digital volume, I run it at about 10-20% and it cranks it out. I was floored with how much power it has for a stereo setup. I then run optical in from my living room apple tv thru the wall, and optical out thru the wall back to my living room receiver. My bedroom apple TV is running to a SPDIF converter, and audio in. Thus I have 3 input sources, plus the bluetooth and USB host (sometimes I plug my iPod classic in to charge and play lossless music from it). So I can have music or audio from video going in both rooms, or kill the volume on the X7 amp and just have the line out in the living room.
 
The SBX settings are nice for movies, and it does output DTS and DD5.1, but I'm not running a surround sound setup, so it virtualizes that. The X7 is marketed as being great for console gaming and living room entertainment, but the bluetooth control of the iOS app is putrid. So slow! Likewise, the additional rear/center/sub outputs are for computer speakers, and thus of little use to me. I've used the bluetooth and it sounds okay, but for my home setup I have a lossless library and I control that with the apple remote app, and use my iMac as a server for true 24-bit audio. I can even airplay video from my computer with VLC outputting DTS via the X7 and the video going to my projector. So for $400, it does a whole lot. The software sucks though if you're not at your computer, which I'm hoping doesn't ruin my E5 experience. I think using my iPhone or iPad this won't be as big of a deal to me. Wi-fi or bluetooth 4.0 (no line of sight) connection to control the X7 would have put it over the top as far as ease of use.
 
I'm an Apple guy and always have been (work there now), so in the past year I've sought out better ways to get the audio quality Apple's products don't provide. Unfortunately the lack of aptX support in iOS is still a major drawback to the bluetooth usage of the X7 and E5. If it had aptX I might be more likely to step away from 24-bit audio at home. If this improves my car audio and I can leave it in my Accord's center console and just pull it for use with cans while I'm at a coffee shop or walking around the city, I think the $150 will be worth it over time. Creative needs to step up the software and admit that it's not a smooth experience. I have a feeling they aren't hiring premier devs or putting the money into development to make it a smoother management experience, which is a bit of a shame when you see how they market it. But I do appreciate their involvement in this community and they certainly are bringing hi-resolution audio to the mainstream. I evaluated Sony's PHA-3, and while it's a great product, it isn't for someone tied to Apple products and the price point isn't justifiable. I bought their UDA-1 which powers my office setup, but they weren't selling many of those at $800 so for a $200 woot deal, it was a no-brainer. They are still capable of making some great products, but they aren't even as close to being in touch with consumers as Creative is right now.
 
Oh, and here's my living room setup that the X7 is helping bring together:

 

[VinegarBoy]

I really enjoy the X7. I purchased the LE via Massdrop a few months back. I didn't understand exactly how it would work for my setup. Given the mixer, I thought I could output multiple sources in multiple directions (i.e. iMac USB audio > X7 amp and Apple TV thru optical out). That was me misjudging my specific use cases. BUT it has performed really well overall. My setup is an iMac in my bedroom to the X7, which is now my bedroom amp. It's powering 2 Sony floor speakers (~$200 pair from early 2000's) and with the digital volume, I run it at about 10-20% and it cranks it out. I was floored with how much power it has for a stereo setup. I then run optical in from my living room apple tv thru the wall, and optical out thru the wall back to my living room receiver. My bedroom apple TV is running to a SPDIF converter, and audio in. Thus I have 3 input sources, plus the bluetooth and USB host (sometimes I plug my iPod classic in to charge and play lossless music from it). So I can have music or audio from video going in both rooms, or kill the volume on the X7 amp and just have the line out in the living room.

The SBX settings are nice for movies, and it does output DTS and DD5.1, but I'm not running a surround sound setup, so it virtualizes that. The X7 is marketed as being great for console gaming and living room entertainment, but the bluetooth control of the iOS app is putrid. So slow! Likewise, the additional rear/center/sub outputs are for computer speakers, and thus of little use to me. I've used the bluetooth and it sounds okay, but for my home setup I have a lossless library and I control that with the apple remote app, and use my iMac as a server for true 24-bit audio. I can even airplay video from my computer with VLC outputting DTS via the X7 and the video going to my projector. So for $400, it does a whole lot. The software sucks though if you're not at your computer, which I'm hoping doesn't ruin my E5 experience. I think using my iPhone or iPad this won't be as big of a deal to me. Wi-fi or bluetooth 4.0 (no line of sight) connection to control the X7 would have put it over the top as far as ease of use.

I'm an Apple guy and always have been (work there now), so in the past year I've sought out better ways to get the audio quality Apple's products don't provide. Unfortunately the lack of aptX support in iOS is still a major drawback to the bluetooth usage of the X7 and E5. If it had aptX I might be more likely to step away from 24-bit audio at home. If this improves my car audio and I can leave it in my Accord's center console and just pull it for use with cans while I'm at a coffee shop or walking around the city, I think the $150 will be worth it over time. Creative needs to step up the software and admit that it's not a smooth experience. I have a feeling they aren't hiring premier devs or putting the money into development to make it a smoother management experience, which is a bit of a shame when you see how they market it. But I do appreciate their involvement in this community and they certainly are bringing hi-resolution audio to the mainstream. I evaluated Sony's PHA-3, and while it's a great product, it isn't for someone tied to Apple products and the price point isn't justifiable. I bought their UDA-1 which powers my office setup, but they weren't selling many of those at $800 so for a $200 woot deal, it was a no-brainer. They are still capable of making some great products, but they aren't even as close to being in touch with consumers as Creative is right now.

Oh, and here's my living room setup that the X7 is helping bring together:

Nice to hear your X7 conments. It's value is definitely seen as a multi-function device, as the DAC seems to be secondary to its amplification applications.

I hate hearing your read on the Bluetooth features of the X7 relative to iOS. One would guess that iOS devices are more popular than Android devices, and the E5 being iOS certified, Creative, by some method, would address the problem. I can't totally blame Creative though, Apple seems to lack responsiveness to user complaints and suggestions for mass compatibility. I think your employer needs to devote more time and solutions to a number of issues including the obvious Bluetooth compatibility issue.

Given proper forethought and a touch of tech-itis. The X7 can provide a tool to provide integration to a number of dissimilar pieces of A/V hardware.

 

[turbobb]

  Hi guys, using an iPod 5G, I can't access the additional functions like EQ, SBX, etc. when connected via BT. I thought I read that this was possible (but perhaps it's on Android only and not iOS?). I've tried removing/reinstalling the SB Central app as well as re-pairing but that didn't work. Only when I'm connected via lightning cable can I access these functions in the app... Any ideas?
 
Thx!,
Tim

 
Bump, in case anyone knows the answer to this?