[WittyName]

just got my RE0s and they sound nice. i want to get a little amp to use with my iPod. i was thinking of the Fiio E1 because of the line-out functionality. any suggestions?

 

[Mad Max]

That is a good choice.

Personally, I much better prefer my cleaner, crisper, airier, and more revealing Minibox-E+ over my Fiio E5.

 

[semisight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WittyName /img/forum/go_quote.gif just got my RE0s and they sound nice. i want to get a little amp to use with my iPod. i was thinking of the Fiio E1 because of the line-out functionality. any suggestions?

Having played with mine for a while, I'm going to advise against it actually. The improvement that it makes has some drawbacks; the output is cleaner and fuller, but at least on my iPod touch the soundstage is narrower. Also, the cable is longer than necessary and it adds another level of complexity to listening to music.

If $20 isn't that much to you, go for it. But if money is tight, it doesn't impact the sound enough to be worth it.

 

[WittyName]

thx for your input semisight.

i'm listening to my RE0s through some amplified computer speakers and i think i'll take the low-end benefit over the squeezed soundstage. i really plan on using this at the office so the cable length shouldn't be much of a concern; unless of course i fall in love with it and decide i need it on the train

for $20 i have to try it.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grahamnp /img/forum/go_quote.gif How far does the bass quantity scale with more power? I am happy with the bass from my EF2 but I plugged them into my dad's NAD integrated for fun and they went from clean and polite to loud and boomy with the lower frequencies. I didn't like the loss of quality but it was interesting to see the transformation.

RE0 scales extremely well indeed and is very sensitive to source quality. Unamped, straight out of my Sansa Clip, the bass is weak, lacks definition and sounds a bit sloppy. When I add my MiniBox E+ amp into the mix, the bass suddenly comes to life with far more authority and power, but due to double amping and MiniBox's slightly bright character, some harshness in the upper mids/treble is also introduced unfortunately. When I plug the RE0 into my Audigy 2 ZS with kxProject drivers, the whole range, not just the bass becomes much more alive - apart from the improvements in the bass region, the midrange becomes a lot more transparent and the treble looses all signs of harshness.

 

[Mad Max]

I've never heard harshness with the MBE+ + RE0 even when double-amping unless I threw the stock silver mini-to-mini into the mix. I don't like that little thing at all.

 

[Antrax]

OT:
do you need a special cable to connect an amp to a dap like the sansa clip?
whats this cable called? i've heard names like 'mini to mini' and 'interconnect' but im not sure.
does it come with the amp? is the 'stock cable' usually not so good so you need to buy a good one? if so how much does a good one cost and can you recommend me good brands for these cables?
thanks in advance

 

[Mad Max]

An amp will usually come with a 3.5mm-to-3.5mm stereo cable to hook up your amp to [whatever]. The cable is also called an interconnect since it hooks up two components together and what not. Usually it is a cheap copper string or something, lol. Minibox-E+ comes with a cheap silver cable that adds harshness and some fatiguing brightness to the sound - kind of depends on the music. You need a mini to mini for the Sanza clip. Same thing will work for an ipod, but the ipod's line-out gives a better, unamplified signal so a line-out dock (or LOD) is used.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Max /img/forum/go_quote.gif An amp will usually come with a 3.5mm-to-3.5mm stereo cable to hook up your amp to [whatever]. The cable is also called an interconnect since it hooks up two components together and what not. Usually it is a cheap copper string or something, lol. Minibox-E+ comes with a cheap silver cable that adds harshness and some fatiguing brightness to the sound - kind of depends on the music. You need a mini to mini for the Sanza clip. Same thing will work for an ipod, but the ipod's line-out gives a better, unamplified signal so a line-out dock (or LOD) is used.

Ahh, thanks for pointing that out. I thought the harshness was the result of double amping and MiniBox's own character coming into play, but if the problem is just the cable, that's great news. Which cable do you use instead of the stock one?

 

[noris83]

Anyone know how long does the shipping takes on average? I'm moving in 2 weeks and don't want the package delivered to an empty place.

 

[dfkt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antrax /img/forum/go_quote.gif is the 'stock cable' usually not so good so you need to buy a good one? if so how much does a good one cost and can you recommend me good brands for these cables? thanks in advance

There is no sonic difference between cables, they all "sound" the same. They just move electrons, after all. Build-wise and shielding-wise there of course are differences between cables, but they're usually negligible for these extremely short runs.

 

[WittyName]

Quote:

Originally Posted by noris83 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyone know how long does the shipping takes on average? I'm moving in 2 weeks and don't want the package delivered to an empty place.

from where? my headdirect order shipped really quickly, i had it in 3 business days i think.

 

[noris83]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WittyName /img/forum/go_quote.gif from where? my headdirect order shipped really quickly, i had it in 3 business days i think.

That should be fine. I've had some stuff shipped out of China and it takes 4-6 weeks.

 

[Antrax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Max /img/forum/go_quote.gif An amp will usually come with a 3.5mm-to-3.5mm stereo cable to hook up your amp to [whatever]. The cable is also called an interconnect since it hooks up two components together and what not. Usually it is a cheap copper string or something, lol. Minibox-E+ comes with a cheap silver cable that adds harshness and some fatiguing brightness to the sound - kind of depends on the music. You need a mini to mini for the Sanza clip. Same thing will work for an ipod, but the ipod's line-out gives a better, unamplified signal so a line-out dock (or LOD) is used.

and what about cowon d2+? does it need a mini to mini too like the sansa clip? and which goes along better with an amp? i have both clip+ and d2+.

 

[dfkt]

Neither the D2+ nor the Clip+ will benefit a lot from an amp in combination with the RE0. The RE0 are more or less in the "sweet spot" impedance- and sensitivity-wise, and both players can drive them well. The Clip+ might be a bit on the quiet side, but that's up to one's personal preference, if it's enough SPL or not.