[Jetblack08]

  Anyone have any idea how this stacks up against the JDS Labs C5? It's been torture to research as they have the same name, lol. 

I actually own both... the Cayin seems more poweful. It is fairly new so I don't know if it is fully burned in. They JDS C5 is crystal clean. Not ready as of yet to say which is better, but both are very nice amps.

 

[TeddyShot]

Anyone have any idea how this stacks up against the JDS Labs C5? It's been torture to research as they have the same name, lol. 

Well from what I've heard, the Fiio E12A is better than the JDS Labs C5 and the Cayin C5 is on par with the E12A if not slightly better.

 

[conquerator2]

Beautiful stack, beautiful sound 

Much preferred to the regular E12.
 

 

[rock&rollfrenchfries]

I havent tried any of the c5s but I have an e12. Lemme tell ya. The e12 is ridiculously overhyped. It makes big power sure. It will get loud with hard to drive sets. The sound isn't just dark. Doesn't just lack soundstage.  It's a cheap sound. The sound of compromise... The bass and sub bass are just ok with the bass boost on. The lower vocal ranges are just ok. Everything north of about 1000-2000 hz sounds muffled and weird aside from this weird "fairy dust" spike up around 10,000 or so. Weird nasaly crappy crap sound. My receiver sounds much better in every way. It's nothing special worth maybe 25 bucks. Makes me question whether another headphone amp is what I should really be looking for. Or if the right receiver or integrated is the way to go.
 
Anyway the regular e12 is mediocre at best. The c5s almost have to be better. E12 is a huge dissapointment for $130.

 

[K.T.]

Well from what I've heard, the Fiio E12A is better than the JDS Labs C5 and the Cayin C5 is on par with the E12A if not slightly better.

 
It's a matter of preference.
 
Both the E12A and Cayin C5 are great, but have a different sound signature and different strengths. I think they are on a par with each other in terms of musical satisfaction. Depends on what you like.
 
The Cayin seems more powerful, open, neutral, propulsive. Kind of a strong, sure, dramatic presentation.
 
The E12A is more intimate, but supremely musical in the midrange. More of a moving, emotionally involving presentation.
 
Both will give you a different insight into the same music.
 
I'm glad I have both.
 
I don't have the JDS C5, but actually am not itching to try it, owning the E12A, Cayin C5, and E12DIY.

 

[GridIroN]

  Beautiful stack, beautiful sound 

Much preferred to the regular E12.
 

 
 Are you doubling amping when you connect only an amp to a DAP? 
 

Well from what I've heard, the Fiio E12A is better than the JDS Labs C5 and the Cayin C5 is on par with the E12A if not slightly better.

 
Thanks. This is useful information. 

 

[Xdaggersoul]

   
 Are you doubling amping when you connect only an amp to a DAP? 
 

It is not double amping if you are using the line out of the DAP.

 

[twister6]

   
 Are you doubling amping when you connect only an amp to a DAP? 
 
 
Thanks. This is useful information. 

 
X1 has a single 3.5mm output which can be selected as HO or LO (with amp bypassed).  I'm pretty sure he has the later one since X1 built-in amp is just ok, nothing special, so it would make more sense to unleash output of X1's DAC into 3D space of C5

 

[rontant]

I wonder if you all set the Gain to High most of the time and Bass Boost to On?

 

[Xdaggersoul]

  I wonder if you all set the Gain to High most of the time and Bass Boost to On?

For IEM's, high gain prevents much use of the volume pot. So I only used it in low gain with bass boost on. 

 

[rontant]

For me, it depends on the iem. I turn on bass boost and high gain for Altone 200 and Havi to give the sound a fuller body but with the rest of the iems I got, only low gain and occasionally bass boost.  

 

[Xdaggersoul]

  For me, it depends on the iem. I turn on bass boost and high gain for Altone 200 and Havi to give the sound a fuller body but with the rest of the iems I got, only low gain and occasionally bass boost.  

But for my Ety's, bass boost is a must have!

 

[TeddyShot]

Wait so for the Sennheiser 598, is it better to use high gain on this amp? By that I mean does it give it better audio quality?

 

[Za Warudo]

I only use high gain for my HE560, and it has plenty of headroom on low gain.

 

[TeddyShot]

Does high gain give better sound quality?