Upgrading from FiiO E7

[fleasbaby]

Hi All,
 
I have had a good browse through all the reviews and shootouts,m and thought I would ask for some final input before pulling the trigger...I would like to upgrade my trusty FiiO E7, which I have had for just over a year now...I want to explore new territory, so I was thinking of the following:
 
iBasso T5
iBasso Boa
Cmoy (need to pick a flavor, please excuse the pun)
C & C BH or BK
 
And if I can rustle up the cash, Headstage Arrow (although I would like to keep this little gambit below $200 if possible).
 
I am using a Rockboxed iPod classic, 160GB, with an LOD, and I switch between a pair of Yuin PK2 and a pair of Grado SR60i headphones. The headphones are slated to be upgraded later in the year, probably to a pair of PK1 and a pair of Grado SR125i (225i funds permitting).
 
I would welcome any advice, thoughts or feelings...I love my E7, but as always, am curious to see what else is out there.

 

[fleasbaby]

*bump*
 
Anyone?

 

[Sniperbombers]

cough" that fiio e17" cough

 

[4-HGeek]

First of all, you should wait at least 24 hours before bumping.

*bump*
 
Anyone?

Secondly, what music do you listen to most often? I've discovered the genre of my music has a huge bearing on which amp/can pair I end up choosing for a given listening period.

My cMoyBB v2.03 9V with the AD8066ARZ opamp with bass boost enabled is good for electronic music on my SRH840s, but I much prefer my PA2V2 and HD598s for jazz and orchestral.

Give some more specifics about your personal listening preferences, and you might get more responses.

 

[fleasbaby]

My apologies, I was unaware of the etiquette behind bumping.
 
I listen to a good amount of jazz, mostly from the late fifties and sixties, tending toward spiritual and free (ie: Miles, circa Bitches Brew, and Coltrane during his years on the Impulse label). I also like a bit of modern electronic, in the vein of Flying Lotus, Machine Drum and Ras G, I frequently dip into dub by Scientist and Lee Perry and I always have a little time for a bit of classical.
 
I was hoping to avoid going with the next FiiO, more out of curiosity than anything else.

 

[4-HGeek]

I'm unimpressed by FiiO's quality of materials. See this thread.
 
For jazz and orchestral, I like a relatively flat EQ. My choice is PA2V2 simply because it's inexpensive and is clear and crisp for the money. For everything else (rock, electronic) I like a little more oomph to the low end. This is why I like the cMoyBB,
 
I'm generally a cheap guy. I know I could get better sound quality and EQ out of $200+ amps, but I just don't spend enough time listening to justify the added cost. Perhaps if I were made of money as some members of this community seem to be, I could offer comparison to the higher-end gear (not a slam as much as slight jealousy 

).
 
In my experience, audio is highly preferential. Don't be afraid to try something and sell it off later if it doesn't fit your tastes.
 
Quote:

My apologies, I was unaware of the etiquette behind bumping.
 
I listen to a good amount of jazz, mostly from the late fifties and sixties, tending toward spiritual and free (ie: Miles, circa Bitches Brew, and Coltrane during his years on the Impulse label). I also like a bit of modern electronic, in the vein of Flying Lotus, Machine Drum and Ras G, I frequently dip into dub by Scientist and Lee Perry and I always have a little time for a bit of classical.
 
I was hoping to avoid going with the next FiiO, more out of curiosity than anything else.

 
 

 

[fleasbaby]

My FiiO did indeed have that issue when I first got it, but with a little use it seemed to go away...odd considering I honestly thought it was a physical defect that had to be repaired within the unit...It has since been very reliable, and most enjoyable, I am however, afflicted with a curiosity to see what else is out there.
 
I was unaware of the PA2V2, but am intrigued now. You might have swayed my previous inclination to try an iBasso actually. How is the battery life on your unit? How long does a single charge last, and how often do you need to replace the batteries altogether?
 
I concur by the way...quality doesn't need to cost your life savings. It would be nice to drop $500 on a portable amp, but then how would I feed my kid or buy beer?

 

[4-HGeek]

Quote:

I was unaware of the PA2V2, but am intrigued now. You might have swayed my previous inclination to try an iBasso actually. How is the battery life on your unit? How long does a single charge last, and how often do you need to replace the batteries altogether?

 
PA2V2 uses rechargeable NiMH AAs. I bought this package from Amazon and I intend to use it to keep a charged set on hand. I don't really want to babysit the amp, which is basically required if you use the internal charger (it doesn't automatically disconnect after a full charge). The Sony charger will shut off after a full charge, preventing overcharge and adding life to the batteries.
 
Yep. I said I intend to use it to keep a charged set on hand. Haven't had to charge it yet, and I've had it over a week now.
 
As for the cMoyBB, I opened the USPS package last night and the stock 9V battery died on me this evening. I don't know if the stock 9V was just that bad, or if the AD8066ARZ op amp guzzled that much juice, or if it's a faulty unit. I'm going to get some new 9Vs at work tomorrow and try them. I'll also switch out the op amps to see if it's a chip issue. Listening to "I Remember" by Kaskade/Deadmau5 tonight suddenly sounded terrible in the middle of the song until I took the amp out of the chain.
 

 

[JRoMan]

 
PA2V2 uses rechargeable NiMH AAs. I bought this package from Amazon and I intend to use it to keep a charged set on hand. I don't really want to babysit the amp, which is basically required if you use the internal charger (it doesn't automatically disconnect after a full charge). The Sony charger will shut off after a full charge, preventing overcharge and adding life to the batteries.
 
Yep. I said I intend to use it to keep a charged set on hand. Haven't had to charge it yet, and I've had it over a week now.

Seriously, you won't have to charge/swap your batteries for at least a month or two, if not more. I only recharged my batteries the first time because I couldn't believe how long the amp kept going.

 

[fleasbaby]

This is good to know...I was worried about constantly cycling through them...I work at in an office that allows iPods, etc and spend a lot of time listening. At present my FiiO E7 needs to be charged once a week. Below is what he says about recharging:
 
"RECHARGING THE BATTERIES

Once the batteries are installed inside Pocket Amp 2, you will not have to open the amp up for about 500 to
1000 recharging cycles, which should easily amount to three or four years of normal use. Pocket Amp 2 has
a built in recharging circuit. When the AC adpater is plugged in, the batteries will automaticaly begin to
recharge, whether the amplifier is in the ON or OFF position. If the AC adapter is connected, and the amp is
ON and being used, the batteries will not be overcharged. However, if the amplifier is OFF, the AC adapter
should not be plugged in for periods longer than eight hours to avoid overcharging."
 
Looks like all you need to do to avoid overcharging is keep the unit on while charging, but I will email and ask if "in use" means you need to be running music through it too...just to be sure.
 
Was glad to see a healthy amount of Grado love in his pictures of buyers' rigs.

 

[fleasbaby]

So below was Gary's response regarding the batteries:
 
"The information on the Opertation Instructions page is a little outdated. The website is currently being remade and will be ready in one more month.

The good thing with the amps today is that when the batteries inside get full, the charging rate slows down to a point where it is just keeping them topped up (no matter if the amp is on or off). So it is not possible to overcharge the batteries."
 
 
So he has updated the units to actually never overcharge, thus eliminating the need to watch the unit if it isn't on and being used while charging.
 
True to his reputation, Gary was extremely affable. I plan to become one of his patrons shortly. Thanks for pointing me in his direction 4-H...much appreciated...

 

[bowei006]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/596482/the-sub-100-portable-amps-shootout-7-1-amps-compared
 
here's a shootout
 
despite what you guys ssay about FiiO's quality. a few bad apples in a case of thousands of units(more than other manu's usualy move) doesn't mean much.
 
i would say E17 as i have one. if you have any questions feel free to ask me

 

[4-HGeek]

Quote:

despite what you guys ssay about FiiO's quality. a few bad apples in a case of thousands of units(more than other manu's usualy move) doesn't mean much.

While I agree with the concept, I really didn't want to test the odds for having a second unit with the same jack issues. That's an issue that reminds me of cheap electronic toys when I was a kid. You'd think for the price of an E7 or even the E17 they'd use more robust solder points and jacks. People who use 1/4" to 1/8" adapters are bound to cause stress on the jack.

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

While I agree with the concept, I really didn't want to test the odds for having a second unit with the same jack issues. That's an issue that reminds me of cheap electronic toys when I was a kid. You'd think for the price of an E7 or even the E17 they'd use more robust solder points and jacks. People who use 1/4" to 1/8" adapters are bound to cause stress on the jack.

i  know what you mean though. The solders broke on my E5..but then again i was hanging them at a very awkward angle with full sized plugs.... but most don't have any problem..that's the point and like FiiO said, they strive now to fix any problems before something like the e10 ...semi disaster comes along