[ClieOS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by buz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I find that peculiar though. ClieOS claims it sounds about the same as a Nationite s:flo2 DAP which everyone is raving about sounding oh so good? Now I am little confused, to be honest. ClieOS, would you have a Clip+ to compare?

Well, I don't have any extra to add, or change. I trust my hearing, and it is up to you to determine whatever you read is BS / placebo or not.

 

[buz]

I'm beginning to think I should just get an s:flo2 and an uDac and find out for myself. Head-fi is really bad for your wallet - and your sanity.

And, of course, then I also want to try the GMP 8.35D, HFI-780 and CK-10. Maybe I should just commit myself (to the asylum that is) now

 

[RAFA]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfkt /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, the claims about that overhyped Nationite/Teclast thing are very likely BS/placebo...

What claims are you talking about. People just write down their thoughts about the T51/S:flo2. SQ is, no matter what a RMAA test says, a subjective thing.
If you are interested how the S:Flo sounds and find the posts partly inconsistent, just read ClieOS impressions. It is the most accurate description.

 

[dfkt]

Maybe I wasn't clear, I posted that right after getting up this morning... I meant the E7 does not sound quite as good as a DAC, as the Sansa Clip+ does as a player. Comparing the E7's headphone out with the headphone out on my AudioFire sound card shows that it's quite congested in comparison, narrower soundstage, worse stereo imaging. Playing the same song over the Clip+ and ABing it with the USB-E7, the Clip+ sounds better, it sounds very similar to my AudioFire. That's what I tested so far, as far as USB is concerned. So far the E7 performed like a medium nice USB sound card, not like a really good one.

BUT: Used over the analog line-in the E7 does sound better than when it's used as a DAC. Using the FiiO E7 with the Clip+ and 16 Ohm phones keeps the sound exactly the same as the Clip alone, without using the E7. Meaning, the E7 is as transparent as the Clip+, in that case. I volume matched both to 0.1dB, and Clip + Hippo Shroom sounded the same as Clip + E7 + Hippo Shroom. That's a nice result already, since the Clip+ is a really good performing player.

I don't doubt that the Teclast/Nationite is a solid performing (or at least sounding) player either, but the hype is certainly getting out of hand. Just today someone posted in another thread that he can't hear a difference between a S-Flo and a Clip+. That's just one opinion, same as other people seem to have the opinion that it's the best sounding player ever. I doubt that. I don't doubt it's good - but I doubt it's a lot better than the next best thing. I know some people are also getting it for its line-out, and for other very valid reasons, but I just don't buy into the hype. I've heard lots of players, good and bad, and I would be very amazed if the gap between the S-Flo (or Hifiman or AMP3 or RoCoo or whatever) is really big to the usual solid performers like Sony, Sansa, iPod and so on (Cowon don't count, they only sound decent with sound enhancements). I will be getting at least the AMP3 and the RoCoo soon, so I will know for sure what they do in reality. Don't know if I get the Teclast... but that's all quite off-topic for this thread. Sorry for the long post.

 

[ljokerl]

^ The performance gap comes into play when you hook up a significant load. With low-impedance phones the Amp3 sounds similar to my sansa fuze but with a bucketload of hiss added in. It's when you drive something like an Ety ER-4S or one of my full-size cans that the Clip/Fuze start feeling overwhelmed. To be honest the Amp3's limits aren't that much higher than your average DAP but it is definitely more authoritative with extremely inefficient cans such as my JVC HA-DX3.

I am also in on the S:Flo preorder but I haven't read anything about it besides ClieOS's review. Not expecting a portable panacea for all audio woes, that's for sure, but hype is just how things work on forums like this one. The truly good gear persists. The FOTMs fade into obscurity at varying rates.

Edit: For the record my portable rig still consists of the Fuze and T4. The Amp3 is just something I play around with at home.

 

[RAFA]

I feel like brainwashed, suddenly I want to buy a Clip+

... Head-fi has a certain influence on readers and writers.

I will buy the E7 for the E9, because I am curious about how they sound together.

 

[dfkt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ The performance gap comes into play when you hook up a significant load. With low-impedance phones the Amp3 sounds similar to my sansa fuze but with a bucketload of hiss added in. It's when you drive something like an Ety ER-4S or one of my full-size cans that the Clip/Fuze start feeling overwhelmed. To be honest the Amp3's limits aren't that much higher than your average DAP but it is definitely more authoritative with extremely inefficient cans such as my JVC HA-DX3.

Indeed, this initial test with low impedance phones was just to see if the E7 "doesn't suck" - if it doesn't make good gear sound worse. I was aware that there will be no improvement in that test setup, but so far so good, the E7 held up over line-in.

Sure, it doesn't fix the inherent hiss of low-impedance phones, and it's channel crosstalk could be better, but it's definitely on par with the T4 and such amps.

In the next time I will be checking which phones and/or sources the E7 actually improves, and if it's a better USB sound card with higher impedance stuff too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am also in on the S:Flo preorder but I haven't read anything about it besides ClieOS's review. Not expecting a portable panacea for all audio woes, that's for sure, but hype is just how things work on forums like this one. The truly good gear persists. The FOTMs fade into obscurity at varying rates.

Amen, brother. I think I've been here too long to still get excited about FOTM group dynamical behavior. But still not long enough to just shut up, smile, and walk away.

 

[prone2phone]

fiio is not in the sponsors, so it can not be overhyped. it will likely be overtrolled

 

[lawrywild]

Does anyone know anything more about the E9 yet? ETA? I'm really interested to hear what it can do..

 

[elfary]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfkt /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's decent over line-in, as a DAC it leaves a bit to be desired. Crosstalk could to be improved in both modes - the headphone-out of my AudioFire has noticeable better stereo imaging, for example. For the Clip and low-impedance IEMs it doesn't do anything at all - the sound stays exactly the same, not better, not worse. The hiss of the E7 with those kinds of phones is about the same as the hiss of most decent quality MP3 players.

The crosstalk of the E5 and E7 looks pretty bad. Since it's one of the strenghts of the iPods i'm afraid of going after an E1 for my 2009 Classic since the addition might deter from the great stereo separation the iPod already has.

 

[Azathoth]

ipod nano playing ALAC + FiiO E1 + Senn IE8 = awesome.

The E1 is better than the E5's sort of grainy SQ. Really a good deal for only $20 or less.

 

[d3adeyes]

has anyone heard anything about a release date for the E7?S I thought it was supposed to be out by now

 

[ClieOS]

Last I heard FiiO is still trying to press TI to deliver the USB receiver chip.

 

[xformulax]

ugh, anyone know which usb receiver chip it is exactly? our company probably makes a similar part, and i could get them supplied at a lower cost

edit: looks like a pcm2706?

 

[Julien]

I have a E1 and overall like the performance but the ergonomics (control) are God awful. You can't touch or move the control without hitting the up or down track. Just try and push the clip. Also I like to keep it in my pocket but again every move or time I put my hand in it changes the track. Couldn't care less about being able to change tracks so is there a way to defeat the track change?

Ideally I would like to see the E1 type device with just a headphone out jack (no (unneeded and inconvenient extra) cord or control) with a volume control on the front surface or bottom by headphone jack.