[leogodoy]

I think USB is the best as the E17 becomes the sound card, where hooking up via optical or coax means something inside the pc is the sound card. In general, the e17 will do a higher sampling rate than most PC sound cards. But it is possible that the difference would be essentially non-existent.

Is this correct? I think optical also makes your DAC the "sound card", bypassing the one on the computer.

 

[ClieOS]

Optical, coax, and USB are all digital connectioin that will bypass your PC internal sound card.

 

[eric5469]

I have a x1 paired with an e17 and some momentums. Would I be better off soundwise with an e12 or stick with the e17?  Should I go with the better dac in the e17 or better amp in the e12?

 

[Stevierg]

  Optical, coax, and USB are all digital connectioin that will bypass your PC internal sound card.

That is not true. Using all three will make the E17 the dac. However, the optical port and coax can still be affected by the sound card.
For example some sounds cards will still do processing on the audio before it sends it out via optical or coax.
 
Ideally it would be best to use usb if you had a choice.

 

[ClieOS]

  That is not true. Using all three will make the E17 the dac. However, the optical port and coax can still be affected by the sound card.
For example some sounds cards will still do processing on the audio before it sends it out via optical or coax.
 
Ideally it would be best to use usb if you had a choice.

 
Well, software enhancement of that sort is mostly handled by the CPU this days, since most soundcard actually doesn't have dedicated hardware DSP / audio processor (unless it is the good, expensive one, which makes using E17 a moot point but that's another story). Regardless, they can almost always be disable in setting.

 

[SolidMusic]

That is not true. Using all three will make the E17 the dac. However, the optical port and coax can still be affected by the sound card.
For example some sounds cards will still do processing on the audio before it sends it out via optical or coax.

Ideally it would be best to use usb if you had a choice.

Yes, my Asus DX do that if i want.

 

[Stevierg]

   
Well, software enhancement of that sort is mostly handled by the CPU this days, since most soundcard actually doesn't have dedicated hardware DSP / audio processor (unless it is the good, expensive one, which makes using E17 a moot point but that's another story). Regardless, they can almost always be disable in setting.

Sure, but how many motherboards come with optical out or even coax? Most likely you are using something like an Asus card or a Soundblaster card that has hardware processing and effects. The point is, any of those adjustments affect the audio before it gets sent to the E17. Connecting the E17 direct with USB pretty much bypass all of those, plus it gives you the added benefit of charging while using.
 
If anyone has better sound quality over coax or optical vs USB I would be amazed to find.

 

[ClieOS]

  Sure, but how many motherboards come with optical out or even coax? Most likely you are using something like an Asus card or a Soundblaster card that has hardware processing and effects. The point is, any of those adjustments affect the audio before it gets sent to the E17. Connecting the E17 direct with USB pretty much bypass all of those, plus it gives you the added benefit of charging while using.
 
If anyone has better sound quality over coax or optical vs USB I would be amazed to find.

 
I am not saying coax or optical offer better SQ over USB. I would have preferred USB myself. However, with the correct setting by a competent PC user, bypassing any 'extra' processing isn't that difficult and certainly is achievable. I mean, how difficult it is to fire up the sound driver control panel and untick all the settings, right?
 
I must confess that I haven't built a PC for awhile, but I do think many motherboard these days do come with S/PDIF output built-in, or at least I will expect any motherboard that is mid range and above should have one. 
 
Talking about ASUS and Creative's sound card - actually I do have both on my PC now, and yes, setting can be disabled as needed. A lot of these 'sound effect' are software based as well, and you can just as well use a playback software that supports such effect and it will have more or less similar effect on E17 over USB. It is less so an issue on which source the effect comes from, but more on how to setup correctly so you are not getting what you don't want, I think.

 

[SolariS]

Has there been a firmware update which adds auto screen timeout to the E17? It's been about a year and I try to utilize the Hold feature whenever possible but I still have burn-in in the middle when I scroll the settings. It makes it hard to read that whole middle line without adjusting your viewing angle and simply looks bad; I tried taking pictures of it but they don't come out clear. It just gets cumbersome when you regularly need to change the volume etc. when another step of toggling the Hold is involved. Nevertheless, I think that an easy firmware update that adds screen timeout would have greatly increased the convenience and value of using this device. The sleep timer already has a timer involved so its not like its not there already, combine that with the Hold outcome and voila?

 

[itsDanny]

Does any one know if the DAC in the ZxR is better than the one in the E17? I have both (ZxR for a present), but they both sound incredibly similar (an untrained ear I suppose) and do not know which to give away.

 

[zachary80]

I'm having problems with docking my E17 in my E09k. Lately there has been a significant channel imbalance, with the right barely because audible and coming through crackling when it does work. I've tried different USB ports, uninstalling/rebooting/reinstalling drivers, different headphones, and using the E17 on its own (works fine). I plan on trying the amp with the RCA inputs and also without the E17 but I haven't been able to test it like that yet.
 
Has anyone seen this issue before?

 

[SpiderNhan]

zachary80
I had a similar problem my E17 and E9. No channel imbalance, but I did get crackling when using the combo via USB. I got an optical cable and that fixed the crackling but it was too much hassle and I eventually gave up on docking them and got rid of the E17. I still use the E9 fed through RCA cables from an Aune T1.

 

[The red hope]

Anyone else have the display on the E17 die completely? Still fully functional just without the display. 

 

[SolariS]

  Anyone else have the display on the E17 die completely? Still fully functional just without the display. 

 
This is exactly the reason why I bought a 3 year warranty on mine because my Fiio E5's headphone connection got loose in under a year making it useless. In regards to the E17, like I said a few posts above, why even have a firmware version display and default menu option if none was ever to be released? FiiO supposedly mentioned that the E17 firmware isn't user upgradable and that only the ASIO drivers are available for download. Your issue could have potentially been avoided by a simple screen timeout menu option. My screen burn-in would have absolutely been avoided and I know I'm not the only one to have this happen. As it stands, it seems like they release a product and completely abandon it in terms of support and upgrades to move onto the next newer one.
 
Edit: Link added, no firmware update ever released: http://www.fiio.net/en/supports/26

 

[SolidMusic]

Anyone else have the display on the E17 die completely? Still fully functional just without the display. 

Sorry, if you put on hold position the display is off!!! See if there are a problem with a switch.