[ClintonL]

Hey guys, looking for an dac/amp to replace my old fiio e17 for my laptop. I need something which will not require extra power and i'll mainly be powering IEMs (lz-a4's) with them. Amp wise the won't need that much but wondering how much a better dac will help over my e17. I'm considering a used Oppo ha-2 although concerned since it has an internal battery which will be in constant use when connected to my laptop. Thinking that or the audioquest red. Budget is about 180 USD.

Cheers

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Hey guys, looking for an dac/amp to replace my old fiio e17 for my laptop. I need something which will not require extra power and i'll mainly be powering IEMs (lz-a4's) with them. Amp wise the won't need that much but wondering how much a better dac will help over my e17. I'm considering a used Oppo ha-2 although concerned since it has an internal battery which will be in constant use when connected to my laptop. Thinking that or the audioquest red. Budget is about 180 USD.

 
The Ibasso D-Zero Mk2 has a charge switch, just disable charging when the battery's full.

 

[fabioyamauti]

I have a Schiit Fulla 2 AMP/DAC and I like it very much. It works connected to a notebook / PC / iMac with an USB cable, no need to connect a power chord (it has no internal battery). And it even works with smartphones and tablets, but in this case, you'll need to connect another USB cable to an USB outlet. The DAC quality is excelent, it uses an AKM 4490 DAC chip. The amp has enough power to drive most headphones.

 

[fabioyamauti]

Ah, the Schiit Fulla 2 costs only 99 USD, it's really a bargain!

 

[ClintonL]

Will it be an upgrade over my e17.
 
Cheers

 

[fabioyamauti]

Good question, I don't know the DAC chip the e17 uses but the Fulla 2 has the AKM 4490 which is used in some desktop DACs like Marantz and others.

 

[1nsider]

Why are you concerned over OPPO having internal battery? Any device has a shut off for power when the battery is fully charged, it's a safety precaution same as every cell phone on the market. DAC on OPPO is superior to the other mentioned IMO and you can also use it to charge your phone as you listen to music. I switched to Schiit stack and may consider selling mine if the price is right. Let me know if interested