[obzilla]

 
Quote:

 
...seriously, Skullcandy!?!?!?

 
I have a pair of Beats solos hanging next to my 900s and 780s, the mic is great, I use it on my laptop for Skype all the time.

Music? Ohhhh no no no, not for quite some time.

Horses for courses, or... being a hoarder? Hard to say

 

[Roller]

Quote:

 
LOLi found it kind of amusing also when i saw that xD but i figure he has his reasons. I mean, it's probably one of those headphones you bring to school and you don't care if you lose them or not. When you go up in price for your IEMs and your portable player, you kind of get paranoid at school sometimes.....

Good point. I'd still prefer to walk around with a pair of pink earmuffs, than Skullcandy *cough cough* headphones, though.

 

[i2ehan]

Haha, it was only a matter of time until someone else mentioned Beats.

 
I still remember the day I sold my IE8's, and soon afterwards went over to Target, and bought the skulls for $16. I was completely broke at the time, which of course anyone with student loans is all too familiar with. 

 I'm extremely patient in these matters, and in my experience, it's always paid off!

 

[lazysleepyboi]

 
Quote:

Haha, it was only a matter of time until someone else mentioned Beats.

 
I still remember the day I sold my IE8's, and soon afterwards went over to Target, and bought the skulls for $16. I was completely broke at the time, which of course anyone with student loans is all too familiar with. 

 I'm extremely patient in these matters, and in my experience, it's always paid off!

i still have my sennheiser ie8s with me xD i bring them everywhere actually. I keep them with me on my front pocket so i don't have to worry about people stealing it =] also besides that, i have custom tips for it, so i have audio bliss when im listening to it. It's always annoying when someone tries to talk to you in the library when you finally get a position you like for your headphones =/

 

[Jibbie]

Even very hard to drive headphones should be able to reach loud volumes off of a simple computer headphone out.  An amp isn't for volume. An amp supplies the power the headphone drivers need to operate at their full potential.  An amp improves just about every aspect of a headphone's sound (assuming they two have decent synergy).  Bass impact and depth increases, soundstage opens up, mids come forward, highs extend more while losing sibilance.  IMO, a headphone like the Pro 900 is not worth its price unless it at least has something like an Ibasso driving it.  Otherwise, you could have gotten the HFI 580 (or similarly priced headphone) and enjoyed similar quality of sound for much less money.  
 
If you're hesitant on spending a lot of money on an amp, I'd recommend trying either a small portable amp from a company like Ibasso, or the E7/E9 combo.  The Fiio combo is just such an amazing value for a starting amp/dac set that its hard to pass up.  And, people who have it and the Pro 900s report good things.  An amp isn't necessary, but to me, its like buying a modern day console and playing it on a standard definition TV, or like buying a nice sub for your car but only buying an amp that supplies it half of its needed current.  Just seems kind of like a waste IMO.

 

[i2ehan]

Thank you Jibbie, excellent insight. I just scored myself a pair of CK10s, so my quest for the best trance cans/IEMs is complete, for now!

Its ironic, even before your post, I was only minutes away from commiting to the E7. I know exactly what you mean, IMO hi-fi gear isnt hi-fi, until its appreciated close to its full potential. Being that this would be my first amp, and in accordance to what you said, the best starter amp, will I need anything besides the amp itself? Extra cables, whatnot?

 

[Jibbie]

A USB DAC usually comes with its own usb cord (thought not always), and an amp usually only comes with its power cable.  You'll probably need to buy a cable to hook your DAC to your amp, however if you're getting the E7/E9 combo, the E7 just sits in the E9 so you won't really need any cables.  I needed to buy a mini 3.5mm jack to RCA male cable in order to hook my D4 to my M-Stage

 

[i2ehan]

Ill most probably purchase tonight then. Im currently at the library till 11pm EST so once I get home, ill post back.

 

[colmustard]

 
Quote:

Thank you Jibbie, excellent insight. I just scored myself a pair of CK10s, so my quest for the best trance cans/IEMs is complete, for now!

Its ironic, even before your post, I was only minutes away from commiting to the E7. I know exactly what you mean, IMO hi-fi gear isnt hi-fi, until its appreciated close to its full potential. Being that this would be my first amp, and in accordance to what you said, the best starter amp, will I need anything besides the amp itself? Extra cables, whatnot?

If you get the e7 then I highly recommend that you think about getting the e9 aswell once you have the available funds. The e9 is a pretty powerful amp and there is a noticeable difference switching between the e7 and e9. The e7 is quite a nice little dac itself though and will portably drive your 900s with ease 

 

[i2ehan]

Im confused however. If the E9 is a step up from the E7, why not just go with the E9? Also, I can use both the E7/E9 together? If so, as a starter amp, why buy both opposed to one? Besides, were I considering both, why not just wait out the E11?

 

[BournePerfect]

You would be using the E7 soley as a dac when it's docked in the E9...
 
-Daniel

 

[colmustard]

 
Quote:

Im confused however. If the E9 is a step up from the E7, why not just go with the E9? Also, I can use both the E7/E9 together? If so, as a starter amp, why buy both opposed to one? Besides, were I considering both, why not just wait out the E11?

I was asking the same questions before I got my e7/e9 

 
This is how it works, the e7 is a portable DAC amp (Digital to Analog Converter), but is nowhere near as powerful as the e9. The e9 is a desktop pre-amp, with no DAC functionality. This means that the e9 won't be able to do anything with a digital source such as from a laptop or mp3 player. The e7 docks into the much more powerful e9 and works as the DAC so that it can process and amplify that digital source (usb included). In essence the e7 is a fantastic portable DAC amp that will greatly improve and tighten up the sound in your 900s while your in the library. But when you get back home and want something a little more powerful to take your 900s to the next level, you just dock the e7 into the e9 and now you have a hi-fi home rig setup.
 
The e11 is going to be a more powerful portable DAC amp than the e7, however I have no idea if FiiO is planning on pairing it with another pre-amp like the e9 or not.
 
Also with the e7 you will want to get the FiiO L3 cable if you are using an ipod. The L3 cable bypasses the ipod's internal amp to ensure that your getting the cleanest signal possible. 
 
 
All together the combo package should run you between $220 - $240 depending on where you buy it from.
 
 

 

[i2ehan]

Probably one of the best explanations Ive read, in general! Thank you so much! That answers pretty much any questions I had regarding DACs and pre-amps. Though Im curious, if I was willing, could I also take the E9 with me on the go, and use both the E7/E9 combo while at the library, both of which I can easily accomodate in my laptop bag?

 

[Jibbie]

You could bring both to the library, yes, as long as there is an outlet for the E9 power cable.  By portable, he is just referring to the E7's ability to be strapped to the back of an ipod and put into a pocket.  Smaller desktop amps are great for transporting to different locations, as long as once you are there, you are stationary.

 

[Roller]

What about pairing just the E9 with the Pro 900? I ask because I already have a DAC that I'm pleased with, and I never really liked E7 in the first place.