[sysfail]

Has anyone ever tried these together? If so, how does it sound when playing a large range of rock music from indie to metal?          Also, would the FiiO e7 alone be able to work with the HD 600s? Or is the Fiio e9 definitely needed as well? Thanks in advance!
 
 
 
 
 

 

[iamvincent]

I would rather see you buying HD555/HD595 (mod it with simple 123 ) and buy a better DAC+Amp
a bad DAC/Amp makes a good headphone sounds bad, but a good DAC and Amp makes almost everything sounds like
150% of what they are worth
 
sure FiiO e7 is not that bad, and e9 is cool for me
but I've listened to HD 600 plug into some stupid expensive setup, one ovbious one is Benchmark DAC 1 with Woo Audio 3
and guess what is the CD I put into CD Player: Gun N Rose !!
and I know HD 600 is simply a level higher on most of it's competitor, so even though that e7=e9 sounds OK for me, I still have to say:
NO
 
If this is the first headphone you try to get, avoid the brand Sennheiser as a whole starting at around $100 mark
If you have an Amp already, should have told us

 

[sysfail]

Well I have a FiiO e5 amp and have a Sennheiser PXC 350, a Grado sr80i, and also might get an Audio Technica ATH-M50 soon. I just got a good deal on the HD 600 (have not received them yet) and want them to be at least enjoyable when listening to music within the rock genre. Wondering if the FiiO e7 + e9 will do the trick, or do I really have to spend way over that budget to make the HD 600 enjoyable?

 

[authistic]

iamvincent isn't right.
 
phones are much more important than amps :/
I'm sure you'll enjoy E7+E9 combo with ur HD600.
 
greez

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Well, I went for the uDAC over the E7 and E9, and I couldn't be happier.  It mates very well with the HD 600 - I spent hours A/B'ing it with the Beyerdynamic A1 and I couldn't identify any differences.  The line-out has slightly loose bass, but that's the only real flaw - its DAC and headphone amp are both excellent.  Now, I wouldn't expect it to drive current or voltage-hungry loads, but the HD 600 has been great with it.  No clipping even at big transients.
 
At the price of the uDAC refurbished, I think it's a no-brainer purchase.  The only real drawback is no battery power or line-in.

 

[sysfail]

The NuForce uDAC? Wow, do you think that could be better than the e7 + e9 combo? Because that sure is a good deal if it's all it takes to power the HD 600!

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

The NuForce uDAC? Wow, do you think that could be better than the e7 + e9 combo? Because that sure is a good deal if it's all it takes to power the HD 600!

 
Well, the uDAC DAC section is more highly regarded than the E7, and and the same for the E7's amp section.  The E9 is a better amp, of course - it's much more powerful.
 
The uDAC 2 is also supposed to be significantly better - both the DAC and the amp - than the original uDAC, which I have.
 
What I'd do is get the uDAC 2 and see if it works for you.  If you decide you need more power or an otherwise better amp, you can add the E9 or other amp of your choice, using the line-out of the uDAC 2.  That's what I did/am doing, and like I said I haven't found a convincing reason to get a "better" amp.
 
On the other hand, the E7 can function as a battery powered amp for DAPs - which the uDAC 2 can't.  The original uDAC actually works with the iPad, but it's discontinued now.  You could look for a used one though; that would be even more inexpensive.

 

[sysfail]

I'll look into that thanks!

 

[iamvincent]

Quote:

iamvincent isn't right.
 
phones are much more important than amps :/
I'm sure you'll enjoy E7+E9 combo with ur HD600.
 
greez

that is not truth, in many situation
try to drive mhy BeyerDynamic 990 250/600omh with E7+e9, not to mention my Grado 225
moreover, I did say HD 600 is fine with E7+E9, as long as you are happy
 
and yeah, everything is better than plug things straight into computer, just saying with better Amp, HD 600 can do better
if any one wants to ignore this fact, feel free to do so

 

[acidbasement]

OP, wait till you get the HD600s before deciding you need to upgrade your amp.  See what you feel is lacking in the sound, if anything.  You will probably want to upgrade your amp at some point, but don't rush into it.  Get to know the HD600 first.  It's an excellent headphone, and while your e5 may not be able to bring out its absolute best qualities, it will certainly give you a lot of enjoyment.  I suspect that you might want to upgrade your source first, but how would I know because you didn't tell us what source you were using. 

 

[sysfail]

Oh I am using an iPod Classic with Apple Lossless files. I will also be using the FiiO L1/L3 when I do get the E7/E9 combo. Yeah I will definitely see how I like it with just the E5 amp first, but later on I know I would want to get the best (or close to the best) out of the HD600 without it costing more than the headphone itself.

 
Quote:

OP, wait till you get the HD600s before deciding you need to upgrade your amp.  See what you feel is lacking in the sound, if anything.  You will probably want to upgrade your amp at some point, but don't rush into it.  Get to know the HD600 first.  It's an excellent headphone, and while your e5 may not be able to bring out its absolute best qualities, it will certainly give you a lot of enjoyment.  I suspect that you might want to upgrade your source first, but how would I know because you didn't tell us what source you were using. 

 

[Jube]

I actually just got my e9 in the mail earlier today. I got my hd600's in 2008, used them with a total airhead from then since 2010. The airhead seemed to only minimally boost bass, but at that time I was new to the audiophile world so maybe I was missing more. Since last year I used a e7, and now I have the e9. So I have tried a couple different alternatives and I would say I wish I got the e9 sooner! I'm very happy with it mostly because I used to feel the 600's lacked any type of bass and I considered getting 650's on multiple occasions. Now with the e9 the headphone sounds balanced. The bass has punch so that I can still enjoy my rock songs but hip hop as well. It's not bloated, but it's tighter and satisfying now. I definitely recommend it.

Edit: to the op, if I were you I would use the hd600s without anything but your e5 for a month or two.. The more you listen you will get accustomed and see what you find is lacking. Then when you finally upgrade you feel like you got your money's worth because you appreciate the improvement that much more. Just my 2 cents

 

[jd4091]

E9 supplies plenty of power to my HD600s.  Bang for the buck, E9 is very good.