Review: Fiio E12 (comparison to C&C BH + JDS Labs O2 + JDS Labs C421)

[Bill-P]

Yeah, if your gears need more clarity, then the E12 won't be able to do much. C&C BH would be the better deal.
 
However, if you have a DT880 or something similar that has a lot of treble but not much else, I think E12 is going to be the better deal.

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

However, if you have a DT880 or something similar that has a lot of treble but not much else....

 
Say what?

 

[Bill-P]

Quote:

 
Say what?

 
I mean not as much as treble. 

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

 
I mean not as much as treble. 

 
This is how the Hatfields and McCoys set to feudin'!
 
OK, maybe they didn't have headphones back then.........

 
never mind!

 
 
BTW, the E12 works great with my 600 Ohm DT880s!

 

[Bill-P]

And I agree! It really does work well with the DT880 600. In fact, I dare say E12 is well worth its price tag when coupled with the DT880, but some people preferred the edgy and overly brighter (read: harsh and sibilant) O2 for some reason...
 
Oh well, just goes to show not all of us hear the same thing.

 

[zazex]

Quote:

And I agree! It really does work well with the DT880 600. In fact, I dare say E12 is well worth its price tag when coupled with the DT880, but some people preferred the edgy and overly brighter (read: harsh and sibilant) O2 for some reason...
 
Oh well, just goes to show not all of us hear the same thing.

Having had an O2 for several months, I have to disagree with your characterization of it.
It may not be a buttery sweet and rich sounding piece of gear,
but I've never found it 'harsh and sibilant' - no matter what the source or headphones.
 
(BTW, my E12 came in yesterday - first impressions are pretty good, but it's too soon
to make a real determination...)

 

[waynes world]

Quote:

(BTW, my E12 came in yesterday - first impressions are pretty good, but it's too soon
to make a real determination...)

 
The E12 is awesome with the right source/headphones/iems. But so is the C&C BH though lol.
 
My observations are that that E12 adds a bit of warmth, and narrows the soundstage slightly. So with a brighter source (such as my ELE DAC), or with neutral to brighter headphones/iems, and especially with headphones that are open and have a wide soundstage (such as the AD900X), the E12 is perfect. I have version 1, and I find that the bass boost on it is perfect as well for the applicable gear.
 
The BH though adds a bit of brightness, and if the SF switch is used, widens the soundstage as well. I find it to be perfect for my closed, neutral to warm headphones (such as the WS99's), or for most of my iems off of a warmer source such as the Clip Zip.
 
Ymmv of course

 

[Bill-P]

Having had an O2 for several months, I have to disagree with your characterization of it.
It may not be a buttery sweet and rich sounding piece of gear,
but I've never found it 'harsh and sibilant' - no matter what the source or headphones.
 
(BTW, my E12 came in yesterday - first impressions are pretty good, but it's too soon
to make a real determination...)

 
Well, like I said (and also wrote in the first post), there are indeed people who have said the same thing you just wrote.
 
It may be just me who's hearing this "harsh and sibilant" sound from the O2, but I don't think it's a fault of the particular O2 that I compared the E12 with, because I also owned a DT880 600 and O2 combo for a few months, and my opinions of that combo were pretty much just the same.
 
So let's just say not all of us hear the same thing.

 

[zazex]

Quote:

 
 
Well, like I said (and also wrote in the first post), there are indeed people who have said the same thing you just wrote.
 
It may be just me who's hearing this "harsh and sibilant" sound from the O2, but I don't think it's a fault of the particular O2 that I compared the E12 with, because I also owned a DT880 600 and O2 combo for a few months, and my opinions of that combo were pretty much just the same.
 
So let's just say not all of us hear the same thing.

 
Fair enough.

 

[billliu]

E12 seems to be a little warm.
A more neutral or cold source such as J3 may be more suitable.
I hope the pricetag can be a little lower in Taiwan.

 

[leadbythemelody]

So the C&C BH is gonna be better than the e12 for the sennheiser hd650's since it has less treble (darker sound), thus needing more clarity?

 

[Annafrancesca]

Got the E12 yesterday. Coming from an E10 and an E7, I would say the E12 is an upgrade from both interns of SQ. Mids are thicker and bass has more impact (bass boost off). But there is something about the high mids and treble that annoys me a little. It's a nuisance using my SM3 and gets particularly annoying from LCD2. I can't pinpoint what it is, but I may need to give it a few more days to see if its my brain that needs to adjust.

 

[Annafrancesca]

Oh...in comparison, the RSA P51 Mustang still beats the E12 in almost every category, except maybe in power output.

 

[zazex]

Quote:

Oh...in comparison, the RSA P51 Mustang still beats the E12 in almost every category, except maybe in power output.

 

 
Haven't heard it, but at $375 vs $125 +/- for the E12 it should.

 

[Annafrancesca]

^^yep.

But has anyone else noticed the oh so slightly tin can-nish high end?

Edit:

After a lengthy listening session I must admit, I am finding it hard to hate the E12. I can't say I am particularly fond of it, but I have a history or ranting about things I don't like. This is certainly not one of them. Why? I really don't know yet. I am still listening to my favorite tracks and thinking, hmmm. Not bad.

Edit:

Listening to Diana Krall's Devil May Care (Live in Paris) and the hi hats and ride cymbal really does sound off. Very little sparkle but the most annoying is the tin can sound. (Imagine 128kbps Mp3) Can anyone confirm this? Did I get a faulty unit? Does it get better with burn in?

Edit:

Ok, it's overly thick with my SM3, with the LCD2, this amp is impressive.

Edit:
After a few days, the metallic tin can sound is gone. maybe my brain adjusted. I have to admit, I am starting to like this amp paired with the LCD2 bass boost and crossfeed OFF, Gain set to 0. With a 5.5th Gen iPod Photo fed through a Fiio L9 lossless and >320kbps material.
It adds warmth and extra body. Bass is very well controlled and textured. Separation is above average. Vocals sound great. Listening to Fly Me To The Moon by Ana Caram from Chesky's Acustic Jazz and I can definitely hear the reason people rate this amp highly.

I have read people describe this as congested with narrow soundstage, but I don't hear that at all. If anything, it adds a little bit of airiness and spaciousness to the music. Fiio did a great job with the E12.

Edit:

I am starting to like it with my SM3.


Warning: The E12 can grow on you.