Fiio e17 vs Audioengine D1 ( paired with the ATH-M50s or the Beyerdynamic DT-1350 )

[lofthanza]

I am not sure if I am reviving an older discussion, I have tried to search in the forum for an answer to my question, but I couldn't find one yet.
Well, I have been listening to music with my ATH-M50s through my laptop or sometimes my iphone. I have never listened to a quality DAC, so I don't know how much I am missing in the sound quality. Now since I have decided to spend some money (less than $200) on a DAC/AMP combo, I am here to ask for advice. I have shortlisted my choices to the Fiio e17 and the Audioengine D1. My question is, which one is generally superior to the other in sound quality, and if you happen to know, which one would pair better with the ATH-M50s and my new arrivals, the Beyerdynamic DT-1350. 
If you know a better DAC/AMP in this price range, then please tell me.

Your help is so much appreciated!

 

[lofthanza]

I am not sure if I placed this thread in the right place!!

 

[lofthanza]

Please help!

 

[Koolpep]

Hi!
 
well, it depends on your laptop and the parts they used for the amp and DAC part. But in general, yes, you will hear an improvement, I am sure about that.
 
The E17 is for sure a great amp/DAC for the money. 
 
First: you want a portable solution or a stationary solution?
 
The Fiio E7 I wouldn't recommend, I have it and am not too impressed (but also a bit spoiled with nice desktop amps) But today I bought the new E07K (slightly below E17) and it's a huge improvement especially in the soundstage department. So the E17 is supposedly even better.
 
So for me, the recommendation goes to the Fiio E17 if it needs to be portable and the Audioengine D1 when you are fine to have a stationary setup and no plans for upgrading.
 
However, with the E17 you would have the option to add the E09K at a later stage, which is also a great stationary amp for just $109. And also it would give you the option of using the L7 add on and use the E17 purely as DAC and connect it to any kind of amp in case you want to do that. So on the Fiio side, definitively more versatility.
 
Cheers,
K

 

[lofthanza]

Thanks a lot Koolpep for your answer. For me, I don't mind portability at all, and I don't mind price either as long as it is under $200. So if the Audioengine D1 is better than the Fiio e17 in sound quality, then it can be what I need. But my question still goes on, which one of them has the better sound quality?

 

[Koolpep]

Hmmm,

Don't have both, so can't comment/compare.

Anyone?

 

[that_aznpride101]

Sorry for reviving this old thread, I'm currently in the same situation using Audiotechnica ATH-M50 headphones, and I've been using a Headroom Total Bithead dac/amp (they don't make these anymore) for the past 7 years. I love the sound quality but was wondering if anyone knows if the Fiio E17 or the Audioengine D1 is better compared to the Total Bithead?

 

[that_aznpride101]

Bump

 

[TrollDragon]

I bought the Audioengine D1 to pair with my DT880 Pro's @ 250 Ohm, the volume had to be at 90% to get a decent listening level from the D1.

It was boxed up the same day and shipped back to B&H for an exchange to the E17/E09K combo and I have been using that ever since. The E17 is a nice portable that gives you a multitude of inputs and nice tone controls. Docked to the E09K it has all the power to drive the DT880 with plenty of headroom to spare.

Also the E09K has Line Out, Pre Out and Aux In connections, a feature full little power house IMHO.

The Audioengine will probably drive the M50's decently but you will be looking for an quick upgrade down the road for other headphones.

 

[that_aznpride101]

I bought the Audioengine D1 to pair with my DT880 Pro's @ 250 Ohm, the volume had to be at 90% to get a decent listening level from the D1.

It was boxed up the same day and shipped back to B&H for an exchange to the E17/E09K combo and I have been using that ever since. The E17 is a nice portable that gives you a multitude of inputs and nice tone controls. Docked to the E09K it has all the power to drive the DT880 with plenty of headroom to spare.

Also the E09K has Line Out, Pre Out and Aux In connections, a feature full little power house IMHO.

The Audioengine will probably drive the M50's decently but you will be looking for an quick upgrade down the road for other headphones.

 
Awesome, thanks for your input! Btw, did you notice any differences in sound quality between the E17 and the Audioengine D1? 

 

[TrollDragon]

Sorry I didn't have the D1 long enough to remember.

I had emailed Audioengine before I purchased it asking them if it would drive the DT880's properly and was told it would... Then after I first hooked it up and kept turning the volume control up, my dislike for the product grew proportionately.

If they had given it a decent amplifier I might still have it. If you are looking for a sort of portable DAC / Amp for easy to drive headphones then the D1 is a good choice. Otherwise the E17 is a great sounding little unit and is much more versatile.

 

[Inertius]

I've been using a D1 with my DT770 250 ohms cans for a while, and I think it sounds good for the price. Volume over 50% would cause ear damage - I can't imagine cranking it up to 90%. It sounds fine with my M50's and HD598 as well. I've only compared it with a Fiio E12, but that isn't a really fair comparison since the E12 doesn't have a DAC. I'm fairly certain that both little amps will sound great with efficient headphones like the M50 and DT-1350.

 

[raulromanjr]

I have the D1 and the E07K.  I considered getting rid of the D1 once I got the E07K but I have since decided to keep the D1 to use with my MacBook Pro when listening at home.  When on the road with either my Macbook Pro or my iPhone 4S I use the E07K for it sheer portability and convenience and the sound is very good compared with the D1.  If I had to choose I would give the D1 the edge sound-wise and the D1 is also able to play 88K/24bit and 176K/24bit without upconversion to 96 or 192.  The D1 is limited on the power side because of it's reliance on USB for power and this will be an issue if you want to drive anything above 150ohms at audiophile levels.
 
E07K

 
D1