[ag3ntch3rry]

Hi everyone! I couldn't find any threads which specifically compare the e1 with e5. This is my first step into the world of amps so I'd like a little bit of information.

I will be using the amp with my iPod touch 3G and UE Metro.fi 220vi. There is not much difference in price between the e1 and e5 on eBay (only AU$10 difference).

From what I've gathered so far, the e1 has a very long cable that only works with iPods. The e5 appears to work with everything else beautifully.

Any help is appreciated

 

[stang]

E5 is a piece of crap. There I said it. It makes the music overly bassy and makes everything sound a lot worse. I wouldn't even bother with it. I've no idea about the E1 though, probably the same story.

 

[Scott_Tarlow]

Yep, a bunch of fuss for nothin.

 

[ag3ntch3rry]

Oh, is that so...

Are there any other amps of the same size around then? I really dont want to carry anything bigger than my ipod; IMO itll just defeat the whole purpose of portability.

 

[bcpk]

If I'm honest I'm not sure the Metro.Fi would benefit much from an amp...

 

[JackRyan]

I am not sure why the negative reactions over the E5 - especially the comment that it makes music overly bassy. The E5 comes with a EQ that can be set to either flat or a very mild and subtle 3dB boost. Do a search on this forum and you'll find many people commenting that the bass boost on the E5 is very mild. Now at this price and size, the E5 doesn't perform any magic, but it does very well driving high impedance phones that the average DAP has trouble with. It certainly doesn't make everything sound a lot worse. I will agree, that the E5 can't be compared to $800 in headphone amplifier gear.

The benefit of the E1 is that it has the iPod controls and doesn't need its own battery, but the bad thing is that it doesn't offer the bass boost feature and it decreases the battery life of the iPod/iPhone it is attached to. Sound quality wise, I would put it right at the level of a E5. Some people uses a LOD such as the FiiO L1 with a E5 and find that to be a suitable solution.

 

[Scott_Tarlow]

because the internal amp in most daps is just as good, volume does not = good amping.

 

[Drag0n]

You get what you pay for, so the amp isnt a rip off.
Is it worth bothering with? Thats up to the buyer. Its mostly a novelty or toy to me.
I have an E3 and an E5, only because i got a good deal so i grabbed them out of curiousity, not like a serious buy.
It sometimes makes something sound a hair better, and sometimes makes it worse honestly, depending on what its hooked up to.
Its input can get over-driven easily. Its not like other amps where you turn your player all the way up and use the amps volume control to set the listening level.

Dont expect miracles. Its not a serious amp. Spend $100 on a mini3 and at least youll have something.

 

[c64]

The goldring ns1000 sound great through an e5 connected to a xonar.
These cans love the e5.
The E5 is a fantastic cheap bargain yes nobody pretends it's a true amp but with some cans you can achieve a great sound.

 

[Brandon7s]

I like my ER4, E5, Clip+ combination. Sounds waay better than straight of my iPod (5.5g) ever did. The bass boost is actually pretty nice with the ER4.

 

[FraGGleR]

I would also like to chime in that the e5 is good for the money. It is an introduction to amps and is great if you have cold headphones/iems that could use the bass boost. My Clip, e5, Shure E2C combo is a nice budget setup that sounds much better than the Clip straight to the E2C. It isn't meant to be used with $300+ equipment. And I personally think it sounds better with a LOD than a 2nd gen 16gb Touch headphone out as well as a 1st gen 32gb Touch headphone out.

That said, a properly built Cmoy will give you better sound for maybe $20 more. But you are taking on a lot more size.
Synergy with your equipment is crucial for all amp purchases.

 

[stang]

The E5 wasn't bad, but I wouldn't pay more than $15 for it. I paid $5 ages ago (like 10 months) and yes it did make my earphones go a lot louder, but it makes the bass muddy and has too much prominence.

 

[RedSky0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon7s /img/forum/go_quote.gif I like my ER4, E5, Clip+ combination. Sounds waay better than straight of my iPod (5.5g) ever did. The bass boost is actually pretty nice with the ER4.

Really? I would say the exact opposite.

I.e, ER4P + E5 being far better than Fuze + E5 (same chip irrc). Not to mention that the 5.5G's rockbox EQ is so good at adding sub-bass. Eh, anyway I digress.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stang /img/forum/go_quote.gif The E5 wasn't bad, but I wouldn't pay more than $15 for it. I paid $5 ages ago (like 10 months) and yes it did make my earphones go a lot louder, but it makes the bass muddy and has too much prominence.

Maybe slightly, but with bass boost off I hear very little difference in clarity. What I tend to do nowadays is double-amp my ER4Ps. The E5's amp doesn't seem to be particularly better than the 5.5G's, a bit quieter even (presumably less powerful in output) but maybe less harsh. Double amping though seems to make my ER4Ps more revealing which I guess is no surprise given they have a somewhat higher impedance and are generally known to be quite hard to drive. I know the whole stigma about double amping, but it sounds fine to me, would hardly even say I get more hiss if any at all. I think it would be hard to dispute that with a portable rig on a budget, the benefits here outweight the negatives of doing this.

 

[f4phantom2500]

i own both the e5 and e1, and although i havent used the e5 in a long time, i can say that, from what i remember after having gone from e5 to e1, the e1 gives a more balanced, neutral, tighter sound than the e5. i find the e1 to be better than the e5 and better than nothing when using an ipod.