[HK-47]

 
Quote:

Ok, so I've been lurking around Head-Fi for a few months now, reading mostly about head phones and I finally decided on the Ultrasone HFI-580's. I've had them for a few weeks now and I love them. But now I'm becoming keenly aware of how underwhelming an iPhone is as a source. So I've been reading about desktop amps and dac's and I think I've settled on the Fiio E9/E17 combo. But before I actually go buy them, I wanted to run a few things by the geniuses of the Head-Fi forums. I do most of my music listening (mostly symphonic metal) at work with my iPhone (can't use my work computer for music). Currently I just plug my 580's directly into my iPhone. Here are my questions...
 
1) Can I do this... iPhone --> E9/E17 --> 580's without having to have anything plugged into my computer?
2) Do I need one of the Fiio LOD cables to achieve what I'm trying to do?
3) By using the setup listed above, will the E17 work all the time without having to be "charged?" In other words, does it run off the A/C power of the E9 or a battery that has to be charged?
4) I may also be getting some earbuds, possibly the Yuin PK2's for now... would this be a good setup for those as well as the 580's?
 
Thanks in advance for your answers. Some of my questions may have already been answered in this thread, and I did do some searching before posting, but I don't really have the time to read all 83 pages of this thread.
 
-papaholmz

 
If you're going with a desktop setup using the iPhone as the source, you don't need the E17. Better yet, get an E9i instead. It's the same amp, but has an Apple LOD instead of the usual FiiO dock so you can dock your iPhone directly to into it.
1) iPhone --> E9/E9i without a computer will work.
2) Any standard iDevice LOD to mini plug will work. You don't need one if you get the E9i.
3) You don't need the E17 for this setup. That said it will charge off the USB connection (not the AC adapter) of the E9. I'm not sure if an E9i will charge your iPhone though.
4) Sorry, haven't heard the PK2, but in general most earbuds/IEMs should be fine straight out of the iPhone headphone out. The E9 has way too much gain for IEMs/earbuds in my experience -- it leaves only a very small usable range on the volume knob, even at low gain.

 

[papaholmz]

Thanks for the response. What I'm trying to do is bypass the iPhone's DAC, and correct me if I'm wrong, but the E9i doesn't have a DAC. So with the E9i all I would be doing is amplifying something that has already been processed poorly by the iPhone's crappy DAC. So my next question would be this... Is there a way to bypass the iPhone's DAC, use another DAC in its place, and amplify the signal without having to have something that must be connected to a computer or something that needs a battery to operate (like Fiio's portable amp/DAC devices)?

Thanks,
papaholmz

 

[HK-47]

 
Quote:

Thanks for the response. What I'm trying to do is bypass the iPhone's DAC, and correct me if I'm wrong, but the E9i doesn't have a DAC. So with the E9i all I would be doing is amplifying something that has already been processed poorly by the iPhone's crappy DAC. So my next question would be this... Is there a way to bypass the iPhone's DAC, use another DAC in its place, and amplify the signal without having to have something that must be connected to a computer or something that needs a battery to operate (like Fiio's portable amp/DAC devices)?
Thanks,
papaholmz

 
Running an LOD to an E7/E17 would do the same thing. You'll still use the iPhone DAC. To bypass it, you need something like the HRT iStreamer or the NuForce Icon iDo. I'm not sure if there's a cheaper alternative out there.

 

[scannon18]

The cheapest option I know of is to stream via wifi an iPhone to an apple TV ($100) and run an optical connection out to a dac.
 
The iStreamer looks cool but is not portable, which is disappointing. 

 

[papaholmz]

Thanks so much for the replies. It looks like the NuForce Icon iDo is what I am looking for.
 
-papaholmz

 

[Bee inthe Attic]

For those knowledgeable about the E9/E9i, can I use it as a pre-amp into my Little Dot I+ hybrid amp?
 
My chain will be:
 
MacbookPro> Fiio E10> FiioE9i (using the E9i Pre-Output) >Little Dot I+

 

[tme110]

it does have a pre out but why are you trying to do that?
 

 

[Bee inthe Attic]

Quote:

it does have a pre out but why are you trying to do that?
 

 
I listen to my music from my laptop, using my USB DAC (fiio e10).
The e10's output already has a splitter in it going to the e9 and my desktop speakers.
How else would I listen through the Little Dot from my laptop?? (short of getting a 3-way splitter, which I can't find and likely will degrade the sound).
 
Any suggestions?

 

[tme110]

You don't want to use a pre out to the little dot - you want to use a line out which it also has.  I'd use the pre-out to go to your (I'm assuming) self-powered speakers.

 

[Bee inthe Attic]

Quote:

You don't want to use a pre out to the little dot - you want to use a line out which it also has.  I'd use the pre-out to go to your (I'm assuming) self-powered speakers.

 
My setup is a bit complicated, but here it is:
 
MacbookPro> Fiio E10 (E10's output using a splitter to a. & b.)
a. to self-powered desktop speakers
b. to Fiio E9
 
...then the E9 has two outputs:
1. output to Sony receiver which is powering my larger/better speakers (so I can play my laptop music on these)
2. pre-output to Little Dot
 
 
Is there something I should change here? I'm just starting out and not quite sure what works best.
 
Also, the reason I run the small self-powered speakers from the E10's output (using a splitter), is so that I don't have to power on the E9 each time to use them.
Are you suggesting I switch the Little Dot to the E9's output, and the Sony receiver to the pre-output?
 
Thanks for the help

 

[wje]

Quote:

... Is there a way to bypass the iPhone's DAC, use another DAC in its place, and amplify the signal without having to have something that must be connected to a computer or something that needs a battery to operate (like Fiio's portable amp/DAC devices)?
 

 
From my readings, it's essentially impossible to bypass the standard Apple DAC, even when using a LOD cable.  Apparently, Apple has their equipment so locked down, it makes it hard for using such a device when compared to other devices, which would allow bypassing the internal DAC and providing just a straight digital signal on the output.
 
If I'm wrong in what I've indicated regarding the limitations on controlling the Apple output and bypassing their built-in DAC, please do correct me.  I'm just relaying information that I've read and how I've understood their operation.

 

[tme110]

Quote:

 
From my readings, it's essentially impossible to bypass the standard Apple DAC, even when using a LOD cable.  Apparently, Apple has their equipment so locked down, it makes it hard for using such a device when compared to other devices, which would allow bypassing the internal DAC and providing just a straight digital signal on the output.
 
If I'm wrong in what I've indicated regarding the limitations on controlling the Apple output and bypassing their built-in DAC, please do correct me.  I'm just relaying information that I've read and how I've understood their operation.

I think this question wasn't initially answered because it's the single most asked question on head-fi.  You normally can't bypass an apple DAC unless you get a special apple compliant chip that the developer paid for use of that chip that's needed, like the iPure, or iStreamer, or iWadia, or the new peachtree devices, etc

 

[tme110]

Quote:

 
My setup is a bit complicated, but here it is:
 
MacbookPro> Fiio E10 (E10's output using a splitter to a. & b.)
a. to self-powered desktop speakers
b. to Fiio E9
 
...then the E9 has two outputs:
1. output to Sony receiver which is powering my larger/better speakers (so I can play my laptop music on these)
2. pre-output to Little Dot
 
 
Is there something I should change here? I'm just starting out and not quite sure what works best.
 
Also, the reason I run the small self-powered speakers from the E10's output (using a splitter), is so that I don't have to power on the E9 each time to use them.
Are you suggesting I switch the Little Dot to the E9's output, and the Sony receiver to the pre-output?
 
Thanks for the help

It seems like there should be a simple solution but it hasn't popped into my head yet.

 

[Bee inthe Attic]

Quote:

It seems like there should be a simple solution but it hasn't popped into my head yet.

if you figure it out, please let me know.
 
 
...is there a Fiio rep on this board that could help me??

 

[borizm]

FiiO E9 is AB class amplifier as 99.9% amplifier on the market [AB works as A with a very small output currents].
Output is based on Texas Instruments TPA6102 integrated circuit, which use flying capacitor pump to generate negative voltage to avoid decoupling output capacitors - TI calls it "Direct Path". TPA6102 it's not a bad IC, and should have sufficient current for power even 32 ohm headphones with typical sensitivity, but FiiO E9 is not a good implementation of TPA6102.
My friend enjoys modified by me FiiO E9 with his AKG K702 (62 ohm) and Philips SHP9000 (32 ohm) and AKG K260 (600 ohm) and appreciates it almost as much as very decent A class amplifier, but stock FiiO E9 was truly unlistenable.
 
FiiO E9 has overcomplicated design [too much low quality op-amps], while FiiO E11 is (probably) only a one decent AD8397 op-amp with a volume control and chassis.