[GloriousLettuce]

Hey guys,

It's been a while since I had the X5 and i find it very transparent and clean, however the amp section always sounded a bit cod, dull, too sharp and not very alive.

I imagined maybe I will get E12 some day and in the meantime I got a E06 amp for my iPod and out of fun I tested it on X5 and surprisingly, being an inferior amp, I enjoyed it a lot more than FiiO X5 amp itself! The mids just came alive, soundstage was really felt as if surround sound was 'switched on', eveything just opened up.

Then the fallback, simply not enough juice for hd600, muffled bass on higher volume and so on.

Am I crazy? Here I am with a 40 euro amp hanging off a 300 euro DAP which sounds insane.

What do you guys think?

Any amps with similar sound signature like E06 but better quality and power?

Thanks!

Oh and I'm using HD600, Fidelio X2, Hp150, E80s all showing same results.

 

[AndroidVageta]

Proof:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/809271/fiio-x5-japanese-limited-edition-and-e12a-mont-blanc-plus-accessories
 
All the E12 really does is add a bit more stage width and slightly "dulls" the sounds JUST a tad. The X5 sounds more vivid without the E12A...more clear. But only just. 
 
It's like the X5 alone sounds more precise while the E12 adds stage. 
 
The E12 does have a TON of power though...a lot.

 

[GloriousLettuce]

Proof:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/809271/fiio-x5-japanese-limited-edition-and-e12a-mont-blanc-plus-accessories

All the E12 really does is add a bit more stage width and slightly "dulls" the sounds JUST a tad. The X5 sounds more vivid without the E12A...more clear. But only just. 

It's like the X5 alone sounds more precise while the E12 adds stage. 

The E12 does have a TON of power though...a lot.

That's what i found too. I guess E12s only amplify the sound and slightly alter. I know what I'm searching for is doing voodoo with amping, I guess my best bet is to pick a range and choose a set in a local shop. I have a FiiO distributor here who are willing to let you test anything for as long as you'd like. Will post my updates with first paycheck. XD

 

[AndroidVageta]

That's what i found too. I guess E12s only amplify the sound and slightly alter. I know what I'm searching for is doing voodoo with amping, I guess my best bet is to pick a range and choose a set in a local shop. I have a FiiO distributor here who are willing to let you test anything for as long as you'd like. Will post my updates with first paycheck. XD

 
Yeah well the sound does alter a tad but like I said, the sound stage really opens up. Depending on the music I'll either use the amp or won't if I want more open sound or more detailed sound. 
 
Either way the E12 is still a great amp in all ways (especially if you're a bass fan with the bass boost switch) so I'd still recommend it with the X5. 
 
As for the E6 sounding better I can't comment as I've yet to hear it. 

 

[GloriousLettuce]

   
Yeah well the sound does alter a tad but like I said, the sound stage really opens up. Depending on the music I'll either use the amp or won't if I want more open sound or more detailed sound. 
 
Either way the E12 is still a great amp in all ways (especially if you're a bass fan with the bass boost switch) so I'd still recommend it with the X5. 
 
As for the E6 sounding better I can't comment as I've yet to hear it. 

 
I'll get back to you with comparisons in a week.

 

[GloriousLettuce]

   
Yeah well the sound does alter a tad but like I said, the sound stage really opens up. Depending on the music I'll either use the amp or won't if I want more open sound or more detailed sound. 
 
Either way the E12 is still a great amp in all ways (especially if you're a bass fan with the bass boost switch) so I'd still recommend it with the X5. 
 
As for the E6 sounding better I can't comment as I've yet to hear it. 

 
Hmmmm so I have the E12 and can say to my ear, the differences are very subtle, but noticible. The treble is better, less piercing, more refined and spacious.
 
The rest is quite evened out and goes to insane volumes even on HD600 - which is great for classical music cause it tends to be pretty quiet.
 
Overall, happy with the purchase, but still curious about the iFi iCan models.