[mildewonrice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDA_ABAT /img/forum/go_quote.gif bcpk: Excellent question. The real answer is that I enjoy the overall Ety sound. I'm really into detail. If there was another headphone option that offered similar detail PLUS clear, accurate, visceral bass, would definitely consider it... especially if it didn't require an amp when using a portable source and was offered at a price point that would not make my better half go completely bonkers. That being said, I was intrigued enough by the comments here and the sale price to order a set of RE0. Thanks for the advice folks! Bruce

thats exactly why i ordered my RE0's. They were the "new kid" on the block, and i was intrigued as to if they were really as good of a deal as people were saying

ive only had them 48 hours (used for like 20 of that

), but i have to say, i havnt regretted the decision at all. they are awesome.

 

[durden]

Bruce, glad to hear you purchased the RE0's. Hope you're as happy as I am with them.

Cheers!

 

[BDA_ABAT]

BTW: To folks that are using the supa-inexpensive FiiO portable amps like the E1, do they really provide much of a difference in sound quality? I guess my head-fi snobbishness was showing... I was skeptical that a mass produced $22 amp could sound decent.... so I didn't add one to the RE0 order.

But, now that I'm thinking about it, I sort of wish I'd added the FiiO E1 to the RE0 order. Even if the amp itself isn't great, it may sound better simply because it's bypassing the headphone out and going with the line signal from the dock.

Bruce

 

[BDA_ABAT]

OK, for $25, I added the FiiO E1.

Thanks!
Bruce

 

[semisight]

Give us your review when you get them, I'm curious to know what you think (especially about the E1, I'm thinking of getting one for myself).

 

[jdc65]

It's not clear to me that the E1 is really an 'amp' at all (vs. line out w/ volume control). In other words, is full volume exactly the same as line out? If anyone knows, I'd be curious.

 

[bcpk]

Err, I'm not sure I fully understand the "is full volume exactly the same as line out?", as my iPod tends to sound worse as it gets towards the higher end, not better, but listening at mid-volume there is a clear difference in favour of the E1 between an the headphone out. It incorporates the internals of the E5, I believe.

 

[BDA_ABAT]

jdc65: the way the E1 works has to be via amplification... that's how it changes volume. Line out just provides a signal without it being amplified.

In my case (iPod 60 GB), the line out produces a more clean signal than the signal that gets output through the headphone jack. The signal goes from the (relatively) good Wolfson digital-to-analog converter that Apple uses in some of their iPods through a (relatively) crappy opamp to the headphone output. If you use the line out, you bypass the crappy opamp and just get the good signal from the very decent Wolfson DAC. But, in order to control the volume, you need an amplifier that can adjust the volume.

So, even if the amp components in the E1 are extremely modest (at $22, they HAVE to be!), it could result in better sound mainly because of bypassing Apple's opamp. Donno... am giving it a shot! Will post impressions once I get the goods and have some burn in time.

Bruce

 

[jdc65]

Thanks for the responses, clears things up.