[chimmycham]

I was dead set on the Fiio E17, but have read that some people actually prefer the E10 to it.
 
I've got a set of Sennheiser HD598s
 
Do any of you know if the E17 would be a significant improvement over the E10?
 
excerpt from an article from Headfonia that made me dead set on the E17:
 
'with the Alpen (e17), the bass is punchier (awesome!), tighter (awesome x2), soundstage is wider, and the midrange is clearer [than the E10]'
 
But, after MUCH more research, I've found that there are people who have owned the E10, then upgraded to the E17, and in the end they stuck with the E10, returning the E17.
 
I was hoping someone could give me an idea of what they think?
...and maybe even someone here has owned both.
 
 
And for that matter.
I only read bad things about the

NuForce Icon uDAC-2

 
Any input on that compared to these Fiios?
 
How about for my HD598s?

 

[cel4145]

I was dead set on the Fiio E17, but have read that some people actually prefer the E10 to it.

What I've heard is that some people like the E11 better than the E17 as a headphone amplifier, but of course it doesn't have a DAC. ClieOS rated the E11 and E17 as comparable in his shootout:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/620775/the-sub-200-portable-amps-shootout-11-10-amps-compared

But the E17 is generally considered better than the E10. It always possible that someone would like the lower model device better.

 

[chimmycham]

So if I were to get an Amp, such as the E11, and then a DAC on the side, would this give me a better sound than a Amp/DAC combo?

 

[StratocasterMan]

Here's a review that included both the E17 and the E10 that you may want to read:
 
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57381659-47/fiios-tiny-and-extraordinary-sounding-headphone-amplifiers/?tag=txt;title
 
It also mentions the Audioengine D1 in passing...