[JBHorne]

So, just to confirm...the new E17K is not compatible with the E09K base? We must wait for the E09S in June (tentative)???
 
Thanks!!!

 

[AUserName501]

Spoiler: Quote: JBHorne

Originally Posted by JBHorne /img/forum/go_quote.gif

So, just to confirm...the new E17K is not compatible with the E09K base? We must wait for the E09S in June (tentative)???
 
Thanks!!!

 
You'll have to wait for the E09s.

 

[Digital7]

FiiO, James? I need to ask you two questions.

Does the Alpen II E17K have the same functionality and firmware to support Android 'exactly' the same way as the E18, or is there some difference? Please explain.

Also, does the Alpen II E17K power itself, like the E18, or does the E17K rely on USB power from the Android phone? Please give me a clear unambiguous answer on both my questions, i will appreciate it. Thankyou.

I will not buy the E18 because it weighs too much and the size is too large, but if the E17K does have exactly the same OTG Android functions as the E18, then i will buy the E17K. Cheers.

 

[JamesFiiO]

FiiO, James? I need to ask you two questions.

Does the Alpen II E17K have the same functionality and firmware to support Android 'exactly' the same way as the E18, or is there some difference? Please explain.

Also, does the Alpen II E17K power itself, like the E18, or does the E17K rely on USB power from the Android phone? Please give me a clear unambiguous answer on both my questions, i will appreciate it. Thankyou.

I will not buy the E18 because it weighs too much and the size is too large, but if the E17K does have exactly the same OTG Android functions as the E18, then i will buy the E17K. Cheers.

 
Not the same, and the E17K will still consume a little current ( <50mA ) from the smart phone. 

 

[Digital7]

Thankyou James for the quick response.

To be honest with you i already bought the E17K, but i haven't taken it out of the box yet, i didn't open it yet. But now i'm gonna take it back to the store and see if i can exchange it for something else. I would have exchanged for the E18, but like i said, the E18 weighs too much and it is too big; i am looking for something that offers the same quality and functionality as the E18 but in a smaller and lighter package. I hope FiiO will keep this in mind for future products.

Also, just to let you know, i already own an E11 and an E12 Mont Blanc, but the reason i bought the E17K is because it's a DAC/AMP and i thought it contained its own power supply and i thought it had Android-specific OTG capability. Not to worry.

I hope you will indulge me a little here James because i would like to avail myself of this opportunity to give some lengthy feedback if you would care to read. One other thing i need to let you know, i auditioned the X1 and the X3 very closely with top-grade neutral headphones and uncompressed 16bit WAV files and i was disappointed with both of them, i have to say IMO i thought my Android phone performed at least on-par if not better than both of these, sorry, but i'm being honest.

So, in terms of feedback for your company, i do hope you guys will possibly develop a version 2 of these two DAPs (X1 - X3), because you would know we audio enthusiasts out here are looking for a portable music player with pro DAC/AMP performance, but so far i can't agree with the performance of the X1 and X3.

After i auditioned them 'closely' and at length, and remembered what they sound like, afterward the pro reviews agreed 'exactly' with my analysis about the sound characteristics of these two DAPs.

About the X1, i found that the treble/highs sounded undefined and slightly soft and mushy, and the bass had too much artificial hard 'thump' (the gain and EQ were set to 0), and the midrange was slightly forward, and the soundstage was somewhat narrow, that is my own opinion, but now look here at what the review from two different pros said...

Reviewer comments... "My out of the box impression of the X1 - compared to the X3 and X5 - initially was not great, and FiiO did warn me that I might not like it. Both the X3 and X1 are more colored DAP’s than the X5. The X1 sounded a bit thick, bass heavy and not as resolving as I had hoped, with a narrow center focused soundstage. It seemed the X1 was struggling a bit for air also with an attenuated treble response."

So, i found this reviewer's comments to be quite accurate.


From another Reviewer about the X1... "Sound-stage wise it is average, and it’s actually a fairly centered between your ears kind of sound. Same goes for the detail retrieval: it’s not bad, but it is nowhere near the level of higher end DAPs. It’s not as neutral or linear tuned as most high end players. I’m not saying the X1 is bass heavy, but even with the EQ off, you will always have quite the bass presence. Bass unfortunately isn’t the tightest, most detailed or fastest. On the other side we have the treble and just like with the bass, the detail level isn’t the absolute best and it isn’t that extended either. Treble is missing some air and sparkle too. The mids are fairly smooth and engaging but like before, the detail levels unfortunately aren’t the highest and I find the voices to be a little more forward sounding. The weaker element of the X1 to me is the ISL28291 AMP section."



So, yeah, i agree exactly with these reviewers comments from what i heard of the X1, and i hope FiiO will do more work to aim for a more neutral accurate sound in the future, regardless of the model or price point.

And to me, the X3 was just plain messy, the sound was very confused and muddy and disparate. Severely lacking clean tome or transparency.

So after thinking i might buy the X5, i find from multiple reliable reviews that the iBasso DX90 (similar price to the X5) easily beats the X5. The consensus from many reviews is unanimous, the iBasso DX90 is superior to the X5 in every way.

So then, please think about me as a customer James, and from my point of view, where does this leave me if i'm looking for decent amping? Obviously i will go and purchase an iBasso DX90 if i've got my head on straight, yeah?


Therefore, one simple question from me James, i hear that the X7 is in development, but obviously that will not be in my price range, i would like to ask you if FiiO is bringing out a version II of the X1 and X3?

And for what it's worth, i would hope that FiiO aim to avoid AMPs and DACs that color the sound. All music has already been mixed and mastered according to the producers taste, so we need neutral sound from the AMP/DAC, NOT WARMTH! I hope you will take this feedback to your company. We don't need warmth, we just need neutral, no AMP or DAC should ever color the sound tonality or characteristics of the source material.

I'm still a big fan of FiiO and your products and what you guys are doing, so no offense intended to you or your company, quite the contrary, i have much respect for your company and what you guys do, but i hope you will agree there is nothing wrong with honest feedback.

I like the actual aesthetic design and size of the X1 styling, but all we need now is a more neutral sounding AMP/DAC section. Cheers.

 

[Thanasis]

Hi guys I was wondering if it worths to buy the older E17 instead of E17K if u value the optical connection.

 

[Digital7]

I think the answer to your question is probably self-evident, depending on how much you need the optical connection; but, just keep in mind that the new E17K IMO performs better than the older E17 for Amping and DAC purposes; it is cleaner, is more detailed, and has superior stereo separation; tonally it's a great sounding transparent DAC/AMP, really good!

I also have the FiiO E12 Mont Blanc portable Amp, and i can tell you that using the E17K just for the AMP with the line-in is really worth it, the E17K sounds even better than the E12 Mont Blanc, so i'll be selling my E12, true story!

 

[Q Mass]

I'm somewhat confused now :-/
My understanding is that although not mentioned on the web-page for the 17K, it does do USB OTG, but only with those phones/devices which support it, e.g. Xperia Z1.

And that it DOES power itself ( web page states 15 hour battery life )

So you should be able to use it as you hoped?

If someone could clarify I'd be most grateful, as this is how I'd hoped to use the 17K too.

 

[TripBitShooter]

Yes u can use it this way. The phones using the latest android versions would usually support USB OTG, but there are also a number of apps in the play store that can help u check as well.

 

[AUserName501]

Spoiler: Quote: Digital7

Originally Posted by Digital7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Thankyou James for the quick response.

To be honest with you i already bought the E17K, but i haven't taken it out of the box yet, i didn't open it yet. But now i'm gonna take it back to the store and see if i can exchange it for something else. I would have exchanged for the E18, but like i said, the E18 weighs too much and it is too big; i am looking for something that offers the same quality and functionality as the E18 but in a smaller and lighter package. I hope FiiO will keep this in mind for future products.

Also, just to let you know, i already own an E11 and an E12 Mont Blanc, but the reason i bought the E17K is because it's a DAC/AMP and i thought it contained its own power supply and i thought it had Android-specific OTG capability. Not to worry.

I hope you will indulge me a little here James because i would like to avail myself of this opportunity to give some lengthy feedback if you would care to read. One other thing i need to let you know, i auditioned the X1 and the X3 very closely with top-grade neutral headphones and uncompressed 16bit WAV files and i was disappointed with both of them, i have to say IMO i thought my Android phone performed at least on-par if not better than both of these, sorry, but i'm being honest.

So, in terms of feedback for your company, i do hope you guys will possibly develop a version 2 of these two DAPs (X1 - X3), because you would know we audio enthusiasts out here are looking for a portable music player with pro DAC/AMP performance, but so far i can't agree with the performance of the X1 and X3.

After i auditioned them 'closely' and at length, and remembered what they sound like, afterward the pro reviews agreed 'exactly' with my analysis about the sound characteristics of these two DAPs.

About the X1, i found that the treble/highs sounded undefined and slightly soft and mushy, and the bass had too much artificial hard 'thump' (the gain and EQ were set to 0), and the midrange was slightly forward, and the soundstage was somewhat narrow, that is my own opinion, but now look here at what the review from two different pros said...

Reviewer comments... "My out of the box impression of the X1 - compared to the X3 and X5 - initially was not great, and FiiO did warn me that I might not like it. Both the X3 and X1 are more colored DAP’s than the X5. The X1 sounded a bit thick, bass heavy and not as resolving as I had hoped, with a narrow center focused soundstage. It seemed the X1 was struggling a bit for air also with an attenuated treble response."

So, i found this reviewer's comments to be quite accurate.


From another Reviewer about the X1... "Sound-stage wise it is average, and it’s actually a fairly centered between your ears kind of sound. Same goes for the detail retrieval: it’s not bad, but it is nowhere near the level of higher end DAPs. It’s not as neutral or linear tuned as most high end players. I’m not saying the X1 is bass heavy, but even with the EQ off, you will always have quite the bass presence. Bass unfortunately isn’t the tightest, most detailed or fastest. On the other side we have the treble and just like with the bass, the detail level isn’t the absolute best and it isn’t that extended either. Treble is missing some air and sparkle too. The mids are fairly smooth and engaging but like before, the detail levels unfortunately aren’t the highest and I find the voices to be a little more forward sounding. The weaker element of the X1 to me is the ISL28291 AMP section."



So, yeah, i agree exactly with these reviewers comments from what i heard of the X1, and i hope FiiO will do more work to aim for a more neutral accurate sound in the future, regardless of the model or price point.

And to me, the X3 was just plain messy, the sound was very confused and muddy and disparate. Severely lacking clean tome or transparency.

So after thinking i might buy the X5, i find from multiple reliable reviews that the iBasso DX90 (similar price to the X5) easily beats the X5. The consensus from many reviews is unanimous, the iBasso DX90 is superior to the X5 in every way.

So then, please think about me as a customer James, and from my point of view, where does this leave me if i'm looking for decent amping? Obviously i will go and purchase an iBasso DX90 if i've got my head on straight, yeah?


Therefore, one simple question from me James, i hear that the X7 is in development, but obviously that will not be in my price range, i would like to ask you if FiiO is bringing out a version II of the X1 and X3?

And for what it's worth, i would hope that FiiO aim to avoid AMPs and DACs that color the sound. All music has already been mixed and mastered according to the producers taste, so we need neutral sound from the AMP/DAC, NOT WARMTH! I hope you will take this feedback to your company. We don't need warmth, we just need neutral, no AMP or DAC should ever color the sound tonality or characteristics of the source material.

I'm still a big fan of FiiO and your products and what you guys are doing, so no offense intended to you or your company, quite the contrary, i have much respect for your company and what you guys do, but i hope you will agree there is nothing wrong with honest feedback.

I like the actual aesthetic design and size of the X1 styling, but all we need now is a more neutral sounding AMP/DAC section. Cheers.

 
My old Fiio E17 works with my smartphone even though Fiio won't confirm it will work. The reason they don't confirm it will work because it is device specific and they specifically built the E18 because it's likely to be more compatible with android devices. If you had tested the Fiio E17k with your smartphone then it may have worked or it may not have. Fiio can't tell you because they don't know because it comes down to specific devices working and others don't.

 

[Thanasis]

I think the answer to your question is probably self-evident, depending on how much you need the optical connection; but, just keep in mind that the new E17K performs better than the older E17 for Amping and DAC purposes; it is more clean, more neutral, more balanced, tonally it's a great sounding DAC/AMP, really good! ....

Thanks Digital7. Comparing the specs of the 2 devices there is no much difference between the 2 but anyway, the specs are subjective......

 

[bangdomarkin]

Not the same, and the E17K will still consume a little current ( <50mA ) from the smart phone. 

James, a doubt, E17 and E07K also consume this current? E17K can turn off USB charging?

 

[Thanasis]

Guys I am wondering what to buy. E17s are still selling. Without optical i am afraid that noise will leak to my cans... . Any side by side comparison among E17, E17k and E18 available? Chipsets etc. Will i will benefit from the USB upgrades of the E17k ? I mostly play Mp3s and .flac

 

[JamesFiiO]

Thankyou James for the quick response.

To be honest with you i already bought the E17K, but i haven't taken it out of the box yet, i didn't open it yet. But now i'm gonna take it back to the store and see if i can exchange it for something else. I would have exchanged for the E18, but like i said, the E18 weighs too much and it is too big; i am looking for something that offers the same quality and functionality as the E18 but in a smaller and lighter package. I hope FiiO will keep this in mind for future products.

Also, just to let you know, i already own an E11 and an E12 Mont Blanc, but the reason i bought the E17K is because it's a DAC/AMP and i thought it contained its own power supply and i thought it had Android-specific OTG capability. Not to worry.

I hope you will indulge me a little here James because i would like to avail myself of this opportunity to give some lengthy feedback if you would care to read. One other thing i need to let you know, i auditioned the X1 and the X3 very closely with top-grade neutral headphones and uncompressed 16bit WAV files and i was disappointed with both of them, i have to say IMO i thought my Android phone performed at least on-par if not better than both of these, sorry, but i'm being honest.

So, in terms of feedback for your company, i do hope you guys will possibly develop a version 2 of these two DAPs (X1 - X3), because you would know we audio enthusiasts out here are looking for a portable music player with pro DAC/AMP performance, but so far i can't agree with the performance of the X1 and X3.

After i auditioned them 'closely' and at length, and remembered what they sound like, afterward the pro reviews agreed 'exactly' with my analysis about the sound characteristics of these two DAPs.

About the X1, i found that the treble/highs sounded undefined and slightly soft and mushy, and the bass had too much artificial hard 'thump' (the gain and EQ were set to 0), and the midrange was slightly forward, and the soundstage was somewhat narrow, that is my own opinion, but now look here at what the review from two different pros said...

Reviewer comments... "My out of the box impression of the X1 - compared to the X3 and X5 - initially was not great, and FiiO did warn me that I might not like it. Both the X3 and X1 are more colored DAP’s than the X5. The X1 sounded a bit thick, bass heavy and not as resolving as I had hoped, with a narrow center focused soundstage. It seemed the X1 was struggling a bit for air also with an attenuated treble response."

So, i found this reviewer's comments to be quite accurate.


From another Reviewer about the X1... "Sound-stage wise it is average, and it’s actually a fairly centered between your ears kind of sound. Same goes for the detail retrieval: it’s not bad, but it is nowhere near the level of higher end DAPs. It’s not as neutral or linear tuned as most high end players. I’m not saying the X1 is bass heavy, but even with the EQ off, you will always have quite the bass presence. Bass unfortunately isn’t the tightest, most detailed or fastest. On the other side we have the treble and just like with the bass, the detail level isn’t the absolute best and it isn’t that extended either. Treble is missing some air and sparkle too. The mids are fairly smooth and engaging but like before, the detail levels unfortunately aren’t the highest and I find the voices to be a little more forward sounding. The weaker element of the X1 to me is the ISL28291 AMP section."



So, yeah, i agree exactly with these reviewers comments from what i heard of the X1, and i hope FiiO will do more work to aim for a more neutral accurate sound in the future, regardless of the model or price point.

And to me, the X3 was just plain messy, the sound was very confused and muddy and disparate. Severely lacking clean tome or transparency.

So after thinking i might buy the X5, i find from multiple reliable reviews that the iBasso DX90 (similar price to the X5) easily beats the X5. The consensus from many reviews is unanimous, the iBasso DX90 is superior to the X5 in every way.

So then, please think about me as a customer James, and from my point of view, where does this leave me if i'm looking for decent amping? Obviously i will go and purchase an iBasso DX90 if i've got my head on straight, yeah?


Therefore, one simple question from me James, i hear that the X7 is in development, but obviously that will not be in my price range, i would like to ask you if FiiO is bringing out a version II of the X1 and X3?

And for what it's worth, i would hope that FiiO aim to avoid AMPs and DACs that color the sound. All music has already been mixed and mastered according to the producers taste, so we need neutral sound from the AMP/DAC, NOT WARMTH! I hope you will take this feedback to your company. We don't need warmth, we just need neutral, no AMP or DAC should ever color the sound tonality or characteristics of the source material.

I'm still a big fan of FiiO and your products and what you guys are doing, so no offense intended to you or your company, quite the contrary, i have much respect for your company and what you guys do, but i hope you will agree there is nothing wrong with honest feedback.

I like the actual aesthetic design and size of the X1 styling, but all we need now is a more neutral sounding AMP/DAC section. Cheers.

 
thank you very much for your comments and advices to our products, we will keep improving our products step by step ( I think most head-fi'er can confirm this ).   to be honest, you must realize that there are not any audio device can meet everyone's requirement , cause the SQ is related to subject issues. 
 
about our new products, yes, we will keep upgrade our products , just like E7 to E07K, E17 to E17K, and we will release X3 ( II ) in March but it is too early to upgrade X1, maybe in 2016.

 

[JamesFiiO]

James, a doubt, E17 and E07K also consume this current? E17K can turn off USB charging?

 
 
About the compatible of smartphone and extra DAC , it depended on two thing, 
 
 
1, the max output current of the Android Phone. mark as I1
 
2, the consume current of extra DAC from USB port.  mark as I2
 
If the I2 is less than I1, so there should have not problem to usd the DAC with the phone. 
 
Depended on our research, there are some Android Phone can output 500mA current in OTG mode. which is big enough for even our x3/x5, and E17.
 
but some Android phone can only output only 200-300mA current in OTG mode.
 
here is the consume current of some of our products.
 
x3/x5/e17 , about 400mA
 
e07k/e17k, less than 100mA
 
e18, less than 50mA.
 
So, The E17K should have not problem to work as extra DAC for most Android phone if it supports USB digital out. 
 
 
The reason why we have not list the USB DAC features for E17K, is there are lots of Android phone can't supports USB digital out , so it took us a lots of resource to explain why E18 can't work with some Android phone. 
 
I hope you guys can understand not everyone know the reason and we don't want to get trouble about this issues.