[bandit390]

I plan on getting my first headphones (probably the new sennheiser 598) and was looking to see which amp to get. I keep coming across the E7/E9, but I don't know how they really work together, when one is just a better desktop solution vs portable lesser solution, right?  
 
If I had to choose one, which would I be better off with?  I will mostly being using this for music/movies/games plugged into my soundblaster x-fi in my pc, but it would be nice to have a portable solution, especially if the E7 isn't that weak compared to the E9. Or should I just get the E5 at $23 and call it a day, cause I'm not an expert and don't know if I could tell the difference anyways. Or if there are any other brands in the same price range that I need to look at for a entry/beginner level, let me know.

 

[shipsupt]

There are plenty of other options out there, that's for sure, NuForce, Headroom, Practical Devices, the list is very long. There are certainly plenty of threads you can research here on the topic.

I have not heard the E7 or E9 so I can only offer some opinions on the E5.
- You won't get a DAC with the E5 so it's not really going to offer you much of anything with your desk top set up, which is what you said you would mostly be using it for.
- Keep in mind as you are searching that it's not likely your portable device will make use of the portable DAC, unless it is one of the few that has digital output or you select a DAC that can take a digital signal form, say, an ipod.
- IMHO the E5 doesn't do much for my Apple portable devices. The form factor is great, but the "improvements" are so small I'm not sure it's even worth carrying.

I've read some good reviews on the E7 and the E9. It appears to be a very versatile combination and might be a good place to start. I'd consider doing some more research here and consider your listening. You might want to take some time to listen to those 598's for a while before rushing to any decision on an AMP/DAC too.

 

[afrobat]

You would want the Fiio E7 if you could only choose one. The E7 is a dac and amp. The e9 is only an amp.

 

[tme110]

this same question gets asked and answered almost every day.

 

 

[shipsupt]

this same question gets asked and answered almost every day.

 

Are we in danger of filling up the Internet?

Kidding of course.

We all have to start somewhere, and we are all in different places in our journey.

Give the OP some time to learn the community. He can do the same for someone else someday. We were all eager and excited when we were discovering this hobby.

 

[afrobat]

Yes, I agree with shipsupt. Just, to the OP, in the future, please try to search the forums a little more thoroughly please

.

 

[R-Audiohead]

Maybe it would help him if we described how the two FiiO units interacted so he could make an informed decision, rather than just telling him which option is better?
 
To the OP----
 
The FiiO e7 is a device that can be utilized as a portable headphone amplifier or as a DAC (digital to analog converter) which essentially works as an external soundcard for your computer.  If you used the e7 for your music out of your computer this is recommended and you would essentially be bypassing your current computer sound card.
 
The FiiO e9 is a non-portable, more powerful amplifier than the FiiO e7 but does not have the capability of being a DAC on its own.  With just the e9, you would have to run a signal from the 3.5 mini jack out of your sound card into the line in of the FiiO e9, which is a less ideal connection compared to USB DAC as far as how the signal (and essentially the sound) is effected when it hits the headphones.
 
What makes the combo so functional is that the e7 can dock to the e9 and THEN the e9 can utilize the e7 as a DAC and thus provide a cleaner signal while bypassing your internal sound card.  I personally love the functionality of the e7/e9 combo... as the e9 is a pretty neutral amp (does not "color" the audio signal) and puts out quite a bit of power for headphones with high resistances like 300 ohms.
 
However, given that your HD598 are running at much lower resistances (like 50 ohms?) you may not benefit much from the e9.  If you're looking for something that is portable it may be best to run the e7 as your DAC out of your computer and also use it on the go.  You can always upgrade and add the e9 later... and I understand the combo deal that is available but you won't be missing out on THAT much cash if you order separately and you may end up saving yourself money in the long run if you're satisfied with the e7.  My guess is even the e7 will provide much more power than you'll need.
 
Also, something else to keep in mind while we are discussing "portable".  The Senn HD 598 are an open headphone and will therefore not isolate (block out sound) and will leak a lot of sound to those around you.  Open headphones generally aren't the best for on the go portable uses.
 
Edit:  Confusing grammar

 

[BrucYSN]

I've own the E7 the DAC dose not function much better than my integrated sound card. I doubt it will beat your sound card since it sound like a professional sound card ( at least better than mine ). I do notice the sound is a bit more pure, and smooth and fuller maybe, but very subtle. And this is just comparing to my lousy integrated sound card. As of amp it dose have somewhat more than subtle gain on my IE7. I do notice better detail lack the vibration of the vocal and better sustain on the strings. And yes, even smoother. However, I only used it as a portable amp and end up benching it since when i commute this detail dose not matter at all, since i couldn't really tell while on the train.
I never tried them on the big cans.

My advice is just stick with your sound card and get a real setup later when you are more appreciated to the Reference sound..
Another thing is that the HD598 are considered over price since it's new. For more than $200 it is competing with some serious mid-class cans.

 

[Ninja]

I've own my dt770 80ohms for about a year before I jumped on the e7 this feb. All I can say is that I had immediately notice a major differences in performance from my cans after the upgrade. (more so from my iphone then PC) Without them, I did not understood why amping was so important to non-standard impedance cans. My suggestion would be to get your sens first, understand its unamp characteristics before making the jump. Those sens aren't cheap esp if they are your first cans, I don't feel you need to get knee deep in your first investment. That said, this is probably not something people around here would normally recommend but then again, I'm not a regular poster. (as you can see, I've made a total of TWO post in 8 years! do I get a badge for being a uber forum gnome?!)
 
also,

e7 will basically render that sound card useless in the sense that your sound card and the DAC in the e7 does similar things.
That said, I'm not sure your SC would amp your sens properly and that the e7 would do proper surround sound compared to the SC, (the x-fi has Dolby decoder and stuff i think)

when you plug in the e7 into win, you are basically asking the computer to use the e7 DAC as a sound card instead of the one inside your PC, however, you don't NEED to use the e7 DAC if you just want to amp your sens. 
You could plug in a 3.5mm audio cable into the SC and then connect it to the e7 input. In other words, you sorta only enable the DAC function thru the miniUSB port on the e7, you will bypass the DAC thru the 3.5mm input. (or thats is what I concluded after a few month of usage)
 
note: Sorry if none of this makes any sense, English is not my first lang and its like 3:20 am here in Hong Kong, technically, IM FROM THE FUTUREEE D:

 

[gus6464]

I ordered the E7/E9 combo months ago when it was new and people were raving about it to use with by DT770/250's. I found the E9 amp to be fantastic and power my Beyers with absolute ease. I found the E7 to only be ok and did not find it that much better than my sound card. I returned both because I bought them as a combo and started looking at other options like the Tube Magic D1 but I simply could not forget how fantastic my cans sounded with the E9 amp.
 
So I ended up ordering a Monitor 02 DAC and an E9 by itself and have been really happy since. The Monitor 02 is a much better DAC but then again the E7 was not meant to compete against it.