[Roller]

The last talks we had with the representative left me with rather high hopes, but since I had been away for quite some time, I don't know if any news transpired since then.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

The last talks we had with the representative left me with rather high hopes, but since I had been away for quite some time, I don't know if any news transpired since then.

Well I don't think ZO3 will get released that soon this time, ZO1 was out for only a little while before ZO2 was launched but this time I think it'll take longer time before we (hopefully) see ZO3. However I try to keep reminding them as much as I can to base the config on 2.1 as I can't state this enough, ZO2.1 sounds bloody fantastic to me, the reason it was changed were the quite prominent hissing which later turned out to be a faulty component, don't remember which exactly but it wasn't about the amping components so you could probably still base it on the 2.1 but swap out that faulty component to get that nice sound. It didn't either work with LOD at all as it was way too loud but yea that's just a matter of adding different gain levels as on ZO2.3.
 
So yea it's a shame you people can't hear ZO2.1 because I love the way it sounds like, it has a "fullier" sound (more prominent lower mids I think) and possibly a bit better soundstage but with the biggest difference in the bass response due to the punch in the bass MrNurse is missing in 2.3 which is very present in 2.1, that was like the first thing I noticed when coming from ZO1 to ZO2.1. For a amp with 32-lvl bass adjustment it's VERY important to get the bass response right, it doesn't have to have the highest resolution or extension in the highs but at least the bass response is important for their targeted consumer market.
 
Keep in mind that digiZoid is only a family business and their success with ZO2.3 is pretty relevant for what future holds us and therefore I'd hope people are not TOO critical on it. But yea it saddens me when I got the ZO2.1 and know how great it sounds like for the price when they could have a killer $100 bass amp if they based the config on it and just fixed those issues it had. ZO2.3 sounds more like ZO1 but it features different amping config I think.
 

 

[Roller]

So true, one of the things we expect for the immense number of steps is suiting everyone's particular preferences But the whole too loud output from line out was always a trait since the original one.
 
Wait, so does your ZO2.1 also suffer from that hissing?
 
Also, I'm still curious to see if digiZoid is going to apply the full SmartVektor contour this time around.
 
 
EDIT: Seems like digiZoid finally started licensing their tech to other manufacturers, which could be great news to us all

 

[Totally Dubbed]

Quote:

Keep in mind that digiZoid is only a family business and their success with ZO2.3 is pretty relevant for what future holds us and therefore I'd hope people are not TOO critical on it. But yea it saddens me when I got the ZO2.1 and know how great it sounds like for the price when they could have a killer $100 bass amp if they based the config on it and just fixed those issues it had. ZO2.3 sounds more like ZO1 but it features different amping config I think.
 

well from what I hear/read.
The bass amp to get is the ZO2.
 
On top of that, I know its a family business too, and I really hope the ZO2 lives up to expectations, as if it does, I'll be raving about it !
 

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

 
Quote:

So true, one of the things we expect for the immense number of steps is suiting everyone's particular preferences But the whole too loud output from line out was always a trait since the original one.
 
Wait, so does your ZO2.1 also suffer from that hissing?
 
Also, I'm still curious to see if digiZoid is going to apply the full SmartVektor contour this time around.
 
EDIT: Seems like digiZoid finally started licensing their tech to other manufacturers, which could be great news to us all

Well the ZO2.1 hissing is only a prob with the most sensitive headphones and most IEMs, on my Panasonic HTF600 56 ohm and 64 ohm M-Audio Q40 headphones as well as some of the 32 ohm headphones I got the hissing is not an issue, only on the XB500 it's somewhat prominent which is the most sensitive headphone I got (despite being 40 ohm, it goes loud as ****).
 

 

[Roller]

Hum, I shouldn't be particularly worried since 40ohm/96dB isn't exactly what I'd call touch sensitive.
 
That's unfortunate about the XB500, I know how you fancy them

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

That's unfortunate about the XB500, I know how you fancy them

No not anymore, I prefer HTF600 and especially M-Audio Q40 way over them, the XB500's been sitting on the shelf for quite a while now. Both the HTF600 and Q40 sounds amazing with ZO2.1 and my dolby headphone config. *_* I let my dad have a listen today to the Q40 + ZO2.1 + my Dolby Headphone foobar2000 config and it put a smile on his face, he doesn't usually listen to music that much but he was more than impressed with what he heard, he hates overpowered bass and didn't think it sounded like that at all but he was more impressed with the details in the music and was wondering why it sounded like some sounds coming from outside of the headphones lol and I explained it's what we audiophiles refers to as soundstage etc.

 

[Roller]

Come on, you know you want to convert him...

 
What about future headphone purchases? What do you have in mind?

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

What about future headphone purchases? What do you have in mind?

 
Not much atm as I'm so satisfied with the Q40 headphones which hardly need any EQing for me to sound right (just a tiny bit bump in the lower mids around 500Hz and ZO2.1 set to lvl6-7) but there's one very good candidate though, the new Philips L1. It seems to have a Frequency response curve and the soundstage I'm looking for according to the reviews so far.
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PhilipsFidelioL1.pdf
 
I'm still also very slightly interested in headphones such as Audio Technica PRO700MK2 (but I think I'd prefer Q40 slightly over them) and DT990 PRO (bassiest open-back headphones) with a bit EQing at 8kHz to bring down the peak severly. In the more distant future maybe Hifiman HE-500 + some bassboost (ZO2.1 / 3 or whatever I have then).

 

[Roller]

Quote:

 
Not much atm as I'm so satisfied with the Q40 headphones which hardly need any EQing for me to sound right (just a tiny bit bump in the lower mids around 500Hz) but there's one very good candidate though, the new Philips L1. It seems to have a Frequency response curve and the soundstage I'm looking for according to the reviews so far.
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PhilipsFidelioL1.pdf
 
I'm still also very slightly interested in headphones such as Audio Technica PRO700MK2 (but I think I'd prefer Q40 slightly over them) and DT990 PRO (bassiest open-back headphones) with a bit EQing at 8kHz to bring down the peak severly. In the more distant future maybe Hifiman HE-500 + some bassboost (ZO2.1 / 3 or whatever I have then).

 
Don't you find the Q40 a bit on the dark side? Also, you're coming from relatively comfortable headphones, so going to a pair of PRO700MK2 will be pure torture for your ears :S
 
And I'm not sure about the DT990 Pro being the bassiest open back headphones, that might go for LCD-2
 
EDIT: Oh, I completely forgot about the HE-500. Still, makes me wonder which would suit me better, HE-500 or LCD-2 rev2.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Quote:

 
Don't you find the Q40 a bit on the dark side? Also, you're coming from relatively comfortable headphones, so going to a pair of PRO700MK2 will be pure torture for your ears :S
 
And I'm not sure about the DT990 Pro being the bassiest open back headphones, that might go for LCD-2
 
EDIT: Oh, I completely forgot about the HE-500. Still, makes me wonder which would suit me better, HE-500 or LCD-2 rev2.

Q40 isn't dark anything brighter and sibilance would start appear here and there, it's neutral sounding to me in the highs which I prefer, I hate boosted highs, to me it sounds better with say 3~5dB recessed highs than 3~5dB boosted highs, I actually prefer slightly warm sound, especially lower mids being slightly higher elevated than highs for a fullier sound so optimally I prefer tiny bit boost in the mids and quite neutral highs or just a tiny bit recession here and there (very slight slanting FR curve which headphones like Hifiman HE-500 and LCD2/3 have or the L1 as I linked to). I personally think Hifiman HE-500 would satisfy me more than LCD2 both sound but especially comfort wise, I hate heavy headphones! The HE-500 is explained as more forward, engaging, immersive sounding than LCD2 which is more relaxing, "distant"/laid-back sounding whit slightly less bass impact and the HE-500 doesn't demand a powerful amp.
 
Regarding DT990 Pro 250 ohm, check this FR curve:
 

 
And then compare to M-Audio Q40 that I use now:
 

 

 

[Totally Dubbed]

Sorry for such a long delay....
 
I'm really enjoying the A10's - I'm thinking of buying them anyway from MP4nation for my D2K's
I'll refrain from doing so until my ZO2 arrives.
 
They give "life" and provide a nice coloured sound to my D2K's.
 
Its almost like without them, the D2K's sounded "empty"
The best way to describe the A10 IMO is "soothes the sound"
 
I added it to our head-fi products page, I'm surprised that its not there already!
 
The E11, I stand by what I said before.
It drives MUCH better, especially for cans, like the D2K's which need to be driven.
 
It provides a cleaner sound, more refined, and not at all coloured.
The E11, if anything brings out the mids a little
The A10 does the exact opposite
 
In terms of bass:
-The A10 with XB ON, sounds like it gives more MID-BASS, rather than sub-bass, even though the graphs contradict what I'm saying here, I'm only writing what I hear, not what I read.
-The E11's bass on EQ2 is similar to the A10, if not identical. I do feel the A10, has a little more bass, when it has the XB on vs the E11 - but that might be due to the "warmness"
 
I suspect, MrNurse, you stick to your E11, especially if you felt the ZO2 was "muddy" - The A10, IMO isn't muddy, but just adds a different SQ to the overall SQ, the E11, doesn't do this, it keeps it almost as the source intended it to be.
This is almost something I didn't want from an amp: "yet another E5, which I won't use"
I feel the E11, is like the E5, just more capable to go louder, harder and with different gains. Of course it doesn't distort like the E5 did at some points, but I want something that adds to the SQ, not just amplifies it.
 
All depends on taste, as you can see - you might disagree with me over the fact that it doesn't add to the SQ, and this is totally understandable
They are BOTH brilliant amps.
 
But if I were to buy one, personally I would go for the A10, due to its size, soft sound, and in fact finish and look are visually appealing to me.
As ClieOS said "oriental beauty" - it really is.
 
Sounds like I'm hyping the A10 a lot, but it does deserve the credit I'm giving it.
I think more people (if not already) need to get it.

 

[MrNurse]

Quote:

The E11 does drive better, be it my MG7's or the D2K's (well especially the D2K's)
 
Now for your bass.
The E11 with bass off, and the A10, bass wise (forgetting warmness) sound identical.
But as I said EQ2 on the FiiO is like the XB ON, on the A10.
 
Thus it really depends how much bass you want.
Personally with the MG7's unless I want to bang my head back and forth, the EQ1 on the E11 is enough.
EQ2, thus XB on , on the A10 is too much at times.
 
I'll come back in a bit with some more impressions.

 


Quote:

Sorry for such a long delay....
 
I'm really enjoying the A10's - I'm thinking of buying them anyway from MP4nation for my D2K's
I'll refrain from doing so until my ZO2 arrives.
 
They give "life" and provide a nice coloured sound to my D2K's.
 
Its almost like without them, the D2K's sounded "empty"
The best way to describe the A10 IMO is "soothes the sound"
 
I added it to our head-fi products page, I'm surprised that its not there already!
 
The E11, I stand by what I said before.
It drives MUCH better, especially for cans, like the D2K's which need to be driven.
 
It provides a cleaner sound, more refined, and not at all coloured.
The E11, if anything brings out the mids a little
The A10 does the exact opposite
 
In terms of bass:
-The A10 with XB ON, sounds like it gives more MID-BASS, rather than sub-bass, even though the graphs contradict what I'm saying here, I'm only writing what I hear, not what I read.
-The E11's bass on EQ2 is similar to the A10, if not identical. I do feel the A10, has a little more bass, when it has the XB on vs the E11 - but that might be due to the "warmness"
 
I suspect, MrNurse, you stick to your E11, especially if you felt the ZO2 was "muddy" - The A10, IMO isn't muddy, but just adds a different SQ to the overall SQ, the E11, doesn't do this, it keeps it almost as the source intended it to be.
This is almost something I didn't want from an amp: "yet another E5, which I won't use"
I feel the E11, is like the E5, just more capable to go louder, harder and with different gains. Of course it doesn't distort like the E5 did at some points, but I want something that adds to the SQ, not just amplifies it.
 
All depends on taste, as you can see - you might disagree with me over the fact that it doesn't add to the SQ, and this is totally understandable
They are BOTH brilliant amps.
 
But if I were to buy one, personally I would go for the A10, due to its size, soft sound, and in fact finish and look are visually appealing to me.
As ClieOS said "oriental beauty" - it really is.
 
Sounds like I'm hyping the A10 a lot, but it does deserve the credit I'm giving it.
I think more people (if not already) need to get it.

 
I returned my E11 because of the dent that I got. Now I have a choice to repurchase the E11 or try out the A10.
 
I want to try out the A10 because of the size. In terms of bass, I want the most possible because I can always EQ the bass down with my Rockbox Clip+. I just love (clean) bass.
I'm hesitant on the A10 because I don't want it to end up being like the ZO2:
1. Bass has noticeably less detail/not as clean as the E11. I'm hoping the A10 has detailed, clean bass.
2. Impact is lost! This was a huge problem. I love the impact and punchiness I feel with my Pro 900 and HFI580 with the E11. I really hope that isn't going to be lost with the A10.
3. Distortion/EQ-able. This is also big. With my E11 and Rockbox Clip+, I can EQ the bass to the maximum +24dB gain with virtually no distortion! With the ZO2, I have to leave the bass at 0. This is why I get much more bass with the E11 over the ZO2. From my video, the distortion is so significant that you can actually hear it from the recording on my iPhone.
4. Driveability. I hope the A10 would be able to drive my Pro 900

I also plan on purchasing the LCD-2 and I heard the E11 might be able to drive them.
 
I'm probably one of the biggest bassheads, but I'm also an audiophile. If you can answer this in terms of how it sounds with your D2K, I'd appreciate it since the D2K is similar to the Pro 900.
I should probably also wait until you receive your ZO2 so that you can hear what I don't want.
 
 

 

[bowei006]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/596482/the-sub-100-portable-amps-shootout-8-amps-compared
 
CLEIOS knows his stuff..the A10 didn't do so well against the E11. this is not an opinion or a remark. just a restatement of the generalities of the thread. and this is new. 2 days ago.
 
this is my opinion and remark:i use the E17 which tops all of them\..and love it with the hfi 580 and others. the E17 isn't THE best portable amp for $150 as there are some slightly better ones...but. the e17 has a DAC as well, full metal finish, and mulitple inputs..something nothing under $200 has that works against it. I've also pm'd an contributor rank owner of E10 and Audinist MX-1 and some others.most liked the fiio sound and E10 compared to audinist mx1. the user stated that Mike at headfonia prefered the MX1 due to how it looked better and had a higher price. from reading many of Mike's comments. i see that that could be true. heck i get jelly sometiems of other anmps like nuforces or HRT head streamers. but at the end of the day.. the E17 still seems to be the new crowd favorite. fiio has done it again. you may not need the E17 as you may not need a DAC...i do i wish i had two E17's just putting that out  there as it's fairly cheap and about to become mass availble..in about 2 months.

 

[MrNurse]

Quote:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/596482/the-sub-100-portable-amps-shootout-8-amps-compared
 
CLEIOS knows his stuff..the A10 didn't do so well against the E11. this is not an opinion or a remark. just a restatement of the generalities of the thread. and this is new. 2 days ago.
 
this is my opinion and remark:i use the E17 which tops all of them\..and love it with the hfi 580 and others. the E17 isn't THE best portable amp for $150 as there are some slightly better ones...but. the e17 has a DAC as well, full metal finish, and mulitple inputs..something nothing under $200 has that works against it. I've also pm'd an contributor rank owner of E10 and Audinist MX-1 and some others.most liked the fiio sound and E10 compared to audinist mx1. the user stated that Mike at headfonia prefered the MX1 due to how it looked better and had a higher price. from reading many of Mike's comments. i see that that could be true. heck i get jelly sometiems of other anmps like nuforces or HRT head streamers. but at the end of the day.. the E17 still seems to be the new crowd favorite. fiio has done it again. you may not need the E17 as you may not need a DAC...i do i wish i had two E17's just putting that out  there as it's fairly cheap and about to become mass availble..in about 2 months.

Yup! That's the thread that I linked a few posts up. Of course the E11 is ranked number 1

One other person with the A10 and E11 suggested I stick with the E11.
I'm considering keeping both the A10 and E11. I'd use the A10 to replace my E5 during gym use. I would also like to buy the E17 when it's available here. I just don't need 4 portable amps.