[PakoBoy]

hey guys, 
 
 
i am going to buy the se535 and i am not sure if i need to buy a amp or not.
i have a iphone 4 and was thinking to but the fiio e11 with a LOD, will it improve the sound?

 

[Purefighter]

Hello!
 
My first post so I might be a little light on specific terminology but I'll see if I can be precise in my explaination.
 
First off, I don't have the exact set-up you are looking at but it's fairly close (iPhone 3GS/Fiio e17 w/LOD/Shure se535).
 
One thing that I found made a big difference for me was using the EQ to adjust the bass slightly. I notice that the e11 has a 3 stage bass boost compared to the e17 which is adjustable from -10 to +10 in 2 point stages. I listen to my se535s with the bass at +2 and all other settings at factory and I find this to be a good level for me. I do enjoy my bass and tend to listen to a variety of music (Electro/Alt-Rock/Indie/Rap) but I definitely don't want the bass just blasting like a pair of Beats. Now based on your preferences if you find the bass a bit strong on the 535s (which is likely not the case) you won't be able to dial it down with the e11. If on the other hand you want a bit more bass the e11 should do the trick. Having not used the e11 I can't speak to the fine grained ability to adjust it within the 3 stages but I assume that the first stage should work out quite well.
 
I could absolutely see dialling down the treble a little as they are fairly bright in my opinion but I've been enjoying them the way they are. Without an EQ in the e11 hopefully you are happy with the treble where it is as well.
 
Assuming you don't own a portable amp already, I found that as this is my first amp, it took a few days of listening to really get a solid sense of the sound but once you do you will certainly find it hard to go back to listening to music straight out of your phone. It gives a wonderful transparency to the sound that I found was less dynamic coming straight from the phone. A touch of bass really brings the sound into better balance with these phones in my opinion.
 
If you do have the extra cash I do highly recommend the e17, it does give you a little extra control and if you listen to a computer at all then you can use the DAC. I am probably a more casual listener than many here so I can understand just going for the amp if you use your iPhone for the most part which is what I tend to do also.
 
Also for the LOD I would go with the L9. I just ordered on in after using the L1 which stuck up pretty far and resulting in the wire wearing through. I believe the L1 should be a tighter fit and less prone to breaking when carrying the amp and phone together in your pocket.
 
Hope this was helpful!

 

[ExpatinJapan]

I have an e11 that i never use.

Try the apps sonicmaxpro, equ and equalizer.

 

[Lillee]

I had an E11 with SE535 Ltd and it hissed so much I sold the E11 one week later.
 
Hold out and look around for a RSA Tomahawk, some can be had for as little as $150-$200 which is a steal. Miles better than E11

 

[proton007]

Quote:

hey guys, 
 
 
i am going to buy the se535 and i am not sure if i need to buy a amp or not.
i have a iphone 4 and was thinking to but the fiio e11 with a LOD, will it improve the sound?

 
What kind of improvement are you looking for?
If you want EQ (bass/treble) then it can help, otherwise i'm not too s(h)ure it'll change much. The SE535 is already pretty sensitive.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

The E11 is a good entry level priced amp, not too bad either. But satisfaction will eventually be brief and you may hunger for something more high end and wish you had saved the money for a later and greater purchase.
 
but yeah, the shure should be good enough on their own.
 
Will the E11 + LOD improve the sound? maybe, maybe not, it will be minimal at best.
Amps are more about power.
 
Try EQu or equalizer app if you want to tweak the sound to where you `think it sounds better.

 

[PakoBoy]

well thx everyone. i got the fiio e11 for only €25 so it won't matter if i won't be satisfied.