[phillyd]

I need a portable Headphone amp and DAC for my Lenovo ThinkPad Twist 2. I do some gaming, a lot of TV show/movie watching, and a lot of music playing through Klipsch Image One headphones. My sound preferences are more focused on full, warm and richness of sound, but with decent clarity. I also prefer a lot of bass by audiophile standards, but I do not like rumbling or distortion in my bass. I use mostly 320kbps MP3 but some FLAC as well. I use Foobar2000 for music. I also use Breakaway Live (audio processing software). I do not mind buying used and I do not want to spend more than $50. The cheaper the better. I am located in the US.

 

[johnson98]

you should check out the fireye mini, only $39, and extremely portable. good sound, should live up to your standards. yoy should also check out the fiio e11, as it is OUTSTANDING for its price, and only $55, just hardly out of price range. but you won't regret spending those extra $5

 

[phillyd]

Thanks for the suggestions! I think I'll be getting the Fiio e11, but I'd love to hear other suggestions!

 

[johnson98]

yup no problem, I'm gonna be going for the fiio e11, also the fiio e7 is affordable if you want a dac. btw fiio is known for making high value products for the money. honestly, anything below $25 will do very little to none to help your sound. my friend has the e11 and not only does it improve sound quality, clarity, and treble, but boy can it pump out the bass with 3 levels of bass boost, without overpowering the other spectrums of course! It also can power any cans you want as it has more than enough power for almost anything. also check out the cmoy bb and jds labs products

 

[phillyd]

The Cmoy bb seems pretty aweseome! How's the sound quality compared to the fiio e11?

 

[johnson98]

honestly, I haven't heard the cmoy bb but it has good reviews, but as compared to the e11, I can give you a firsthand comparison, but I decided on the fiio e11 as many people say it is better sound and battery. also, I love the bass boost on the e11, and, quite frankly, enough people ask me about my headphones. I dont need people asking me about an Altoids can Ahaha. but hey, its up to you, I chose the e11, but the cmoy bb has its benefits too

 

[johnson98]

also, as for bass the e11 wins, easily. I have also heard it has a warmer tone and a better sound stage, although I'm not sure about detail. this is talking about the e11, so honestly I think the e11 wins out

 

[johnson98]

oh, neither the e11 or the cmoy bb have dacs, just so you know

 

[phillyd]

Would I need a DAC?

EDIT: Oh yeah I see the E11 will just use the laptop audio, which is terrible.

So, I need an AMP and DAC, what do you guys suggest?

I see the Fiio E07K, but it's $90. a lot more than my budget. If I could find it cheaply used, I would love to buy it.

 

[H20Fidelity]

If you're only going to be using the device from your ThinkPad Twist 2, consider FiiO E7.

 

[johnson98]

also consider the normal fiio e7, just 50-60 dollars on Amazon

 

[phillyd]

They're pretty much identical in pricing used. Which is better?

 

[johnson98]

I have heard better reviews of the e7, and it has similar sound to the e11. also, the e7 has a screen which is a big plus. also, the fiio e7 and the e07k are NOT the same. they both have a MSRP but the fiio e07k is simply newer, but but very similar to the e7. if you look on Amazon, the e7 has been dropped from $90 to $55

 

[phillyd]

Thanks! Can you link me to this $55? I cannot find the listing.

 

[johnson98]

I just realized that I was thinking of the e11 which is 55 dollars. whoops! but I did find www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B003N0XDT4