[b-16707]

Looking around it seems like a bunch of these sub $100 amps get 4-5star ratings so it makes it really hard to choose. No doubt that it will do well with a ATH M50X that I have but I was wondering about the Audeze sine. Anything better I should look at? I dont want anything with a battery in it so these small desktop amps are perfect.

 

[Kerry56]

The Fiio E10K does seem to get the majority of the love around here at this price point.  I did notice one other at the Schiit site, called the Fulla, for $79, but haven't read much about it here at headfi.

 

[b-16707]

yea i looked at Schiits stuff too. Amazing designs for sure. I just feel a bit funny that the name is a cuss word. What if someone asks me what device you have? LOL. superficial i know...
 
the bass boost on the e10k is another selling pricepoint for me. I love me some extra bass.

 

[Me x3]

Yeah, E10K works very well.
Plenty of extra room for sensitive headphones like the M50X
 
Fulla is nice too, although you don't get a bass boost switch.

 

[ElMariachi]

Check out the centrance dacport slim. You should be able to find one for under $100. Also the AudioQuest Dragonfly are great (the black one goes for $98). to my ears they are both a significant upgrade from the e10k. Although neither have bass boost.

 

[b-16707]

thanks for the recs. Would you find that the bass boost on the e10K and actual significant bass boost?

 

[ElMariachi]

I wasn't a big fan of the bass boost. It seemed a little too bloated for my tastes

 

[b-16707]

hmm dacport and dragonfly are roughly double the price. i dont doubt they offer more for their price though.

 

[Me x3]

  thanks for the recs. Would you find that the bass boost on the e10K and actual significant bass boost?

Yes, the boost in the bass is pretty significant.
The results will surely depend on the headphone, the recordings used and your preferences.
Some recordings with some headphones don't need a boost in the bass so turning on the boost might end up in bloomier bass, while other headphones with other recordings might benefit from the boost, you know what I mean. Sometimes even a relatively bassy headphone can benefit from the bass boost when the listener is a bass head or borderline bass head and/or the recording need that kind of boost to sound more lively. Most of the times EDM fans would prefer a slight boost on some of their favourite music, good part of EDM recordings are not intended to be played on a perfectly flat system.
 
I listen mostly to opera and classical recordings and thus I don't use the bass boost very often, on the other hand some of my friends can't live without the bass boost.

 

[b-16707]

thats good info! too bad i cant just try out an array of amps. I do like more bass though which means the e10k could still be the amp for me.
 
you work for fiio Me x3?

 

[Me x3]

  thats good info! too bad i cant just try out an array of amps. I do like more bass though which means the e10k could still be the amp for me.
 
you work for fiio Me x3?

Nope.
I'm the founder of FiiO Store Argentina so I have plenty of FiiOs around but I don't work for FiiO.
 
Been a FiiO user for years before making FiiO Store Argentina, I like the way the brand portray high sound quality and attention to fine details for affordable prices.
That's why I've chosen FiiO. For similar reasons I also appreciate and normally recommend Schiit Audio.
 
Trying before buying is always a safe move, but that said, differences among quality solid state amplifiers are not that big, so you really can't go wrong picking one blindly as long as you know it's a solid pick technically speaking. In other words, if you like your headphones unamped, then you'll probably like them a bit more with the FiiO E10K and you'll probably like them a bit more using a Burson Conductor, but if you don't like them with FiiO E10K then best chances are you won't like them using a Burson Conductor, because pricier gear can add some extra hint of refinement but won't change the sound character because we are talking about neutral equippment.

 

[b-16707]

thanks for the info. Since I made the first post in this thread, i have moved to an audeze sine as my primary set of headphones. Really cant wait to see what the sound is like with an amp.
 
Schitt stuff looks good too. I however dont like the name as it suggests other things haha. Almost like Evian water, spelled backwards is Naive.
 
Definitely not getting a Burson Conductor, so expensive! But its nice to see what high end looks like out there.