[bowei006]

Quote:

Just received my e12 today. Using it with my 5th gen iPod touch, I can hear a lot of noise on the left channel whenever there's WiFi activity, otherwise its clean when I turn WiFi off. Anyone having the same issue?

"Welcome to Head-Fi! Sorry about your wallet!"
 
I do get some EMI when my iPhone is in close proximinity to the E12

 

[jassed]

Guess I'll just have to stay away from strong radio waves. Anyways, first impression of the E12 I felt that soundstage is narrower than e07 and e11, but I can live with that in return for the better punch and prat factor.

 

[jassed]

Guess I'll just have to stay away from strong radio waves. Anyways, first impression of the E12 I felt that soundstage is narrower than e07 and e11, but I can live with that in return for the better punch and prat factor.

 

[Tehol]

I have a couple questions if you don't mind.  I'm fairly new to this and am still learning so try to bear with the newbie aspects of my queries.  I primarily use an HTC 8x for music with Ortofon e-q5 IEMs.  I turn the Beats feature off and get decent sound but I would like to improve my source as much as possible and was thinking of buying the e12.
 
The e-q5s are easy to drive and the HTC 8x supposedly sends some extra juice to the 3.5 mm (~2.5v total) so the volume is good but I am also thinking about getting the FXZ200 for when I feel like listening to music with a different sound sig and read those do benefit from some extra power (sensitivity is 96db I think).  I'd also very occasionally use it to drive a couple of pairs of IEMs or headphones for watching movies with my wife when our toddler is asleep and listen to music at my PC but it is really for mobile use. 
 
My original budget was $100 to get my feet wet with portable amps but I'll stretch it a bit  for this.  So I'm not after a 'volume booster,' if that's what I'm essentially doing, I'll listen to any advice or criticism.  

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

I have a couple questions if you don't mind.  I'm fairly new to this and am still learning so try to bear with the newbie aspects of my queries.  I primarily use an HTC 8x for music with Ortofon e-q5 IEMs.  I turn the Beats feature off and get decent sound but I would like to improve my source as much as possible and was thinking of buying the e12.
 
The e-q5s are easy to drive and the HTC 8x supposedly sends some extra juice to the 3.5 mm (~2.5v total) so the volume is good but I am also thinking about getting the FXZ200 for when I feel like listening to music with a different sound sig and read those do benefit from some extra power (sensitivity is 96db I think).  I'd also very occasionally use it to drive a couple of pairs of IEMs or headphones for watching movies with my wife when our toddler is asleep and listen to music at my PC but it is really for mobile use. 
 
My original budget was $100 to get my feet wet with portable amps but I'll stretch it a bit  for this.  So I'm not after a 'volume booster,' if that's what I'm essentially doing, I'll listen to any advice or criticism.  

"Welcome to Head-Fi! Sorry about your wallet!"
 
earphones are designed to work with the majority of the sources. Sensitivity doesn't matter IF you don't have the same comparison used in terms of how much power or 96dB by what etc etc. 
 
Anyway, the term, benefit from power is generally used by people here on HF and around the audiophile world to mean it really just improves. I wouldn't say the improving is from the extra power. That would actually be wrong. As most music players have enough Current and Voltage so in that sense 'benefit' from 'extra power' would be a bit elitist. But what is generally meant is that due to how 'good' the amp is, it will thus improve it. Many like to listen to music a bit louder in this day and age which is why I think the term 'benefit from power' is still with us today.
 
So now the question is why and should you. Android devices(popular ones) on genral do not have a very good amp section out. so thus pairing it with another amp will basically mean that that amp, say the E12 will just be amping the already not too good sound out of the HTC.
 
This is usually fixed with a LOD, but the HTC's do not feature this. Some Android (depending on software, hardware, and OS support) can send digital signal to DAC and amp but that function is not always 100% reproducable by people.
 
If the volume is loud enough right now and fine. I would say to just go with it. As of right now, it would only be worth strapping an amp to your phone if you want to drive some bigger headphones out.
 
Getting a differnt player and other options would be better future options in my opinion.

 

[Tehol]

Many thanks for the thoughtful answer. My OS is Windows so I'll see if LOD is supported. I do have a couple of ipods in my desk drawer; I think I will dust one off since that looks like a better solution in terms of SQ if one goes with a portable amp.

 

[Evshrug]

LOD stands for Line Out Dock... literally, a line-out feed from the docking pins of a portable music player, usually an iPod. Some portable CD players used to have line-outputs built in, but all the line-out options for iPods were waaaay expensive except for Apple's dock (which IMO was pretty expensive too), then finally cheaper options began to be released (my favorite being FiiO's L11). For me, my iPod's headphone jack was starting to wear out and short sometimes, so I got my first LOD and modest FiiO E5 amp as an alternative, but hooking that pairing up to my cassette adapter for my car radio was a revelation! Where previously I had sadly considered that the speakers were almost blown out, suddenly music had much better control and clarity. The main use for an line-out signal, of course, is to bypass a built-in amp so that you don't have the extra coloration of double-amping when using something like an E12.

The E12 was also a clarity and refinement upgrade from the E5, not to mention the bass boost was actually usable without a large hit to overall SQ. Also improved the sense of "depth" in placing instruments in a realistic space.

 

[UnreelWorld]

Headfi noob...  Some quick Q's regarding E12 and gain. My setup AKG K550s with double amping Astro Mixamp RX5.8 (for Dolby headphone) and E12.
 
With gain at 16db, I achieve much higher volumes, pot at 35-50% and hiss gets heavy at 50% but its LOUD. Gain @ 0.
 
Pot is at near 100%, volume is loud but no room for extra oomph (if desired) but no hiss (or very little)
 
So is is better to run this amp at 0 gain at or very near 100% (loud with no room for more and almost no hiss)
-or-
16db gain at or near 50% with more hiss (across the board) BUT more volume to really add oomph when desired
 
I feel uneasy running a amp at 100% rather than 50%, is that justified?
 
Thx!

 

[korebrent]

Sorry. I wasn't being defensive. I was just making a point that I didnt start talking about noise. 

I wasn't really trying for any aggravation or anything. Sorry if it seemed that way. I just read posts and answer them really.

lol dude put the ol butt hurt faced uh whatever that cute thing is lol well played Sir well played

 

[korebrent]

After my, um, "cooldown time", I think I am the one who owes you an apology.
For my part, I do enjoy this thread!
BTW, the bear video clips cracks me up!

I haven't laughed so hard in months reading this post n this picture lol

 

[Tehol]

found a v1 locally from a guy that wanted the v2 bass boost for his Shures.  I really like it so far but need to spend some time lost in music to get a sense of it.  The help and advice I got for my questions is appreciated.  I did like the more subtle boost from the V1 as a matter of personal preference.

 

[Duncan]

I think I would probably prefer v1 as well, as I find my E12 bass-boost a tiny bit over-bearing...
 
Haha, can't win them all - consumer preference was for stronger bass, and now we're asking for the opposite...
 

 

[Chris J]

Headfi noob...  Some quick Q's regarding E12 and gain. My setup AKG K550s with double amping Astro Mixamp RX5.8 (for Dolby headphone) and E12.
 
With gain at 16db, I achieve much higher volumes, pot at 35-50% and hiss gets heavy at 50% but its LOUD. Gain @ 0.
 
Pot is at near 100%, volume is loud but no room for extra oomph (if desired) but no hiss (or very little)
 
So is is better to run this amp at 0 gain at or very near 100% (loud with no room for more and almost no hiss)
-or-


16db gain at or near 50% with more hiss (across the board) BUT more volume to really add oomph when desired


 
I feel uneasy running a amp at 100% rather than 50%, is that justified?
 
Thx!

Hey,
In your case, running the amp at 100% is nothing to worry about.
As long as the amp's output is still clean, i.e no clipping, you should be OK.
Better to have less hissssss than more hissssss.

Maybe someone with some Astro Mixamp experience can weigh in here, I'm surprised that the Astro is not outputting more volume, sounds like the volume or gain is not set correctly in the Mixamp???

 

[UnreelWorld]

^^^ Thx for the reply. The mixamp is set to full volume and has no gain control. I do not get clipping with the E12 on low gain at or near 100%, it is very loud and impactful with very little hiss (all the way up to near 100%) On high gain I get to the same volume and hiss at 50% (or slightly less). For now, low gain supplies enough volume and less hiss so if 85% is no biggie that is what I am running with

 

[Chris J]

Strange, the K550 is a very efficient headphone.

I use AKG Q701 at 0 dB gain and I don't have to turn the volume way, way up to get a decent volume level.
I hope someone else has some Mixamp experience they can add?