[SoundDreamer]

lshalamb,
 
I wonder if your setting on the usb output isn't interfering with the optical output. Are you setting your SPDIF setting to 24/96, your Digital Audio (S/PDIF) to 24/192 with Digital Audio (S/PDIF) as the default player when using optical out?
 

 

[DanBa]

 
Quote:

Okay. Then to isolate where the problem lies, the next step would be to compare with another laptop or optical out source. If USB on another laptop sounds about the same as the optical, then your Alienware sounds like it may have something wrong with the optical out (may be just your laptop, may be all of them, I'd look online for reviews that mention the optical out.)
 
If the USB sounds better than optical on other laptops (the more different laptops you can try the better) then there MIGHT be something wrong with the SPDIF input on your E17. I would see that as a last resort, but if USB sounds better on several different laptops, then that might be the case. The main reason I would doubt this is that the E17 uses the same DAC to decode the digital from either input. This is why USB and optical SHOULD sound much the same. (Laptops really don't generate a high enough quality source to hear the difference between 96k and 192k, like bowie said.)

The jittered USB audio stream is different than the jittered SPDIF audio stream.
And inside the E17, at least the module decoding the incoming SPDIF signals is not the same module that handles the incoming USB audio stream.
Different stuff, different quality.

 

[ClieOS]

The jittered USB audio stream is different than the jittered SPDIF audio stream.
And inside the E17, at least the module decoding the incoming SPDIF signals is not the same module that handles the incoming USB audio stream.
Different stuff, different quality.

I don't know what you guys are discussing, but here is how E17 works:

USB-in -> TE7022 (USB receiver and transcode to SPDIF) -> Wolfson SPDIF transceiver -> Wolfson DAC -> amp section and line out

SPDIF-in (opt or cox) -> Wolfson SPDIF transceiver -> Wolfson DAC -> amp section and line out

AUX-in -> amp section

So basically all the digital audio stream inside E17 is handled as SPDIF signal between the input and the SPDIF transceiver. The USB input is transcoded to SPDIF signal on the USB receiver chip and that is one of the big reason why E17 doesn't have the tiny gap issue like the E10 (which is probably caused by an clock or sync issue on the TE7022 and is isolated by the Wolfson SPDIF transceiver on E17).

That being said, if you find distortion on SPDIF-in but not USB-in, then it is highly likely it is an issue withe the SPDIF source. If it is the problem on the SPDIF transceiver, distortion will appear on USB-in as well since it is the same chip that does the SPDIF decoding. My guess is on the SPDIF driver or setting on the PC that has the problem.

Also, I saw some discussion a few page earlier but it is worth noting E17 only does stereo channels and no Dolby digital at all.

 

[RoadKam]

Quote:

...

So basically all the digital audio stream inside E17 is handled as SPDIF signal between the input and the SPDIF transceiver. The USB input is transcoded to SPDIF signal on the USB receiver chip and that is one of the big reason why E17 doesn't have the tiny gap issue like the E10 (which is probably caused by an clock or sync issue on the TE7022 and is isolated by the Wolfson SPDIF transceiver on E17).
That being said, if you find distortion on SPDIF-in but not USB-in, then it is highly likely it is an issue withe the SPDIF source. If it is the problem on the SPDIF transceiver, distortion will appear on USB-in as well since it is the same chip that does the SPDIF decoding. My guess is on the SPDIF driver or setting on the PC that has the problem.
Also, I saw some discussion a few page earlier but it is worth noting E17 only does stereo channels and no Dolby digital at all.

Thanx, ClieOS - that's pretty much how I thought it was happening. I didn't figure FiiO would put in two seperate decode paths, and why I thought it was very unlikely that the E17 was the problem.   And looking at your description, if there WERE going to be a problem with one input and not the other, the transcoder on the USB would have to be the culprit which would make the USB sound worse, not the optical.
 
I used to be on an internal IBM helpdesk, and I think I tend to troubleshoot too  much.
 
 

 

[gEaK]

Email update from advancedmp3players: expected stock arrival now pushed back from 29th of Feb to 16th of March.
 
Again I'm left wondering where these dates keep coming from.
 
Either Fiio are giving them to the retailers and keep delaying (In which case I wish they would simply stop giving out dates until the units are 100% ready as it's incredibly frustrating)
 
Or the retailers are making them up to entice/appease customers (possible but seems unlikely to me personally)
 
Feiao I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this if you're still with us.
 
I realise this is probably getting boring to those of you who have already received their units. However, I've now been waiting over 2 months whilst 2 different retailers have my money and all I'm getting in return are unreliable dates that keep getting pushed back, I'm beginning to find it difficult to express my anger while remaining civil. I apologise to anyone who feels I'm clogging up the thread but I'm just seeking some reassurance as contacting the retailers/Fiio directly has proved to be of no help to me whatsoever.

 

[Etrips]

Quote:

Email update from advancedmp3players: expected stock arrival now pushed back from 29th of Feb to 16th of March.
 
Feiao I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this if you're still with us.
 
I realise this is probably getting boring to those of you who have already received their units. However, I've now been waiting over 2 months whilst 2 different retailers have my money and all I'm getting in return are unreliable dates that keep getting pushed back, I'm beginning to find it difficult to express my anger while remaining civil. I apologise to anyone who feels I'm clogging up the thread but I'm just seeking some reassurance as contacting the retailers/Fiio directly has proved to be of no help to me whatsoever.

You and me both buddy. Sadly I think I'm going to start looking for an alternative.
 

 

[SoundDreamer]

Quote:

You and me both buddy. Sadly I think I'm going to start looking for an alternative.
 

I'd highly recommend that you wait until the next release date. It will go by real fast. It seems like the X-mas holiday was just yesterday. Believe me, it'll be worth the wait.
 

 

[gEaK]

Well, I saw Amazon UK had received a few units back in stock earlier and after thinking about how tired I was of waiting I decided to pay the extra £40.
 
I feel this is my only option.
 
I'm cancelling my advancedmp3players order, and I'm going to wait until I receive my mp4nation order and then return the Amazon one for a refund to get my £40 back.
 
I've watched the stock count on the Amazon item page go from 8 down to 5, and then to 4 after I placed my order.
 
I honestly don't know why the other websites in question can't operate this way, it makes everything so much simpler.

 

[DanBa]

Quote:

I don't know what you guys are discussing, but here is how E17 works:
USB-in -> TE7022 (USB receiver and transcode to SPDIF) -> Wolfson SPDIF transceiver -> Wolfson DAC -> amp section and line out
SPDIF-in (opt or cox) -> Wolfson SPDIF transceiver -> Wolfson DAC -> amp section and line out
AUX-in -> amp section
 

Quote:

Thanx, ClieOS - that's pretty much how I thought it was happening. I didn't figure FiiO would put in two seperate decode paths
 

 
I still see two different paths, therefore two different SQ.
 
USB path:
Music file > player > jittered I2S (PCM) > USB transmitter >> USB bus > jittered’ USB (PCM) > USB bus >> USB receiver > USB decoder > jittered’’ I2S (PCM) > Wolfson SPDIF transceiver (jitter attenuator): jittered’’’ SPDIF (PCM) > jittered’’’’ I2S (PCM) > Wolfson DAC
 
SPDIF path:
Same music file > same player > same jittered I2S (PCM) > SPDIF transmitter >> SPDIF cable > different jittered’ USB (PCM) > SPDIF cable >> same Wolfson SPDIF transceiver (jitter attenuator): different jittered’’ SPDIF (PCM) > different jittered’’’ I2S (PCM) > same Wolfson DAC
 
 
"Hi mike, do you notice any difference between the toslink and USB input?"
 
"As for the toslink and USB question, the USB is better no doubt, while the toslink is slightly better balanced than coaxial. But this may be due to the quality of the transport I use for the toslink and coax (I use an Onkyo ND-S1 Ipod dock) and the USB is via a MacBook Air.
 
USB has clearly more air, bigger soundstage, better ambiance and overall tonal balance is very good. Toslink and coax are more congested in comparison, lacking ambiance details."
http://www.headfonia.com/the-upgrade-fiio-e17-alpen/
 
 
 
 

 

[RoadKam]

Quote:

 
I still see two different paths, therefore two different SQ.
...
 

Sorry, don't feel like arguing with you.
 

 

[JamesMcProgger]

trying to cancel my order on MP4nation, placed on jan 12th, I just lost interest, specially since I didnt got into the mid feb batch and was moved to the waiting list for mid march... 

 

[ObeyurMaster]

Quote:

trying to cancel my order on MP4nation, placed on jan 12th, I just lost interest, specially since I didnt got into the mid feb batch and was moved to the waiting list for mid march... 

I'm glad I didn't pre-order on mp4nation.....I almost placed my order for the second batch. I went till the payment screen but backed out just in time. I then came across Micca store's twitter updates, waited for a week and grabbed the E17.
 

 

[ClieOS]

I still see two different paths, therefore two different SQ.
...

Two paths, yes; Two different SQ, questionable. That's a big assumption on whether jitter is bad enough to be audible or not.

...
"As for the toslink and USB question, the USB is better no doubt, while the toslink is slightly better balanced than coaxial. But this may be due to the quality of the transport I use for the toslink and coax (I use an Onkyo ND-S1 Ipod dock) and the USB is via a MacBook Air.
...

Hmm...

 

[DanBa]

So, what is/are the cause(s) of these differences of SQ ("[size=8pt]the USB is better no doubt, while the toslink is slightly better balanced than coaxial")?[/size]

 

[ClieOS]

Can't say I know. But certainly comparing on two different sources really isn't an ideal way for A/Bing, right? I would think eliminating or at least minimizing other unnecessary variables is the key to a better comparison.