[zemonn]

New member to the Head-Fi site which seems to be a great place to read on all things portable audio.  I'm no audiophile by a long shot, but enjoy listening to a wide variety of music and found there are a plethora of ways to lighten the wallet while improving the listening experience.  I currently sit at a desk for hours doing research and so find listening to music to be an essential means of blocking out external noise and keeping the work flow constant. 
 
I'm trying to find a decent budget amp/DAC unit with an optical TOSLink input and a standard analog input (USB input is completely inconsequential).  I currently have a Fiio E6, which is a great deal for the price, so the natural extension would seem to be the Fiio E17.  However, I've also read a little bit about a SMSL SD-793II unit which seems to offer similar options at a cheaper price.  I listen to music at my desk pretty much all day, so the fact that the SMSL is not rechargeable isn't an issue.  
 
I'll be using the DAC/AMP with either a Discman Optical Output or an iPhone 4 LOD adapter.  As far as phones, I'll be most likely using this with a pair of ATH-A700s or Bose QC15s (for those loud situations) at school and Senn HD-598/Grado SR-80is at home.  Genres will range from classical/instrumental to Rock to some old hip-hop.  
 
So, has anyone had a chance to compare these or have any strong opinions about the SMSL (which seems to be far less known)?  Also, does anyone know of a REPUTABLE Ebay seller they would recommend for either?  I don't know how many counterfeits for the products are out there, but I'd rather not take a chance if I don't have to.
 
Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[crossmxn]

Did you find something about the SMSL SD-793II?

 

[zemonn]

Unfortunately, no.  I still haven't bought it as I'm not sure how much I'd use it.  However, if someone found they were really pleased with the performance, I'd be inclined to pick one up.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Unfortunately, no.  I still haven't bought it as I'm not sure how much I'd use it.  However, if someone found they were really pleased with the performance, I'd be inclined to pick one up.

I've bought 4 SMSL products, at least two are not working (one is the SD-793).
So it might be worth spending the extra cash for the E17 (wait for one to go on sale).

 

[crossmxn]

Thanks to both of you, I think I'm going to save for the FiiO E17 waiting is killing me, I think my Ultrasones PRO550 needs something better than my laptop and TV headphone out to shine.