Portable headphone amplifier

babhishek · 21st May 2009, 14:44

navin - it is quite tough to get a response from Uncle Wilson , in general ...
Any tips to get a faster response?

Also, how would you rate the FiiO amps?

navin · 21st May 2009, 15:35

I have not heard the FiiO amps. Uncle Wilson usually respons in a few days. His life is very hard. he is up at 6am and making deals all the time. Give him 2-3 days between emails.

The best way to get his attention is ask him for a quote and when he responds ask him if he can ship to India.

frankmehta · 30th May 2009, 14:13

Just got something in the mail.. In record time. These guys at queeniehw on Ebay are GREAT at service.

The Fiio E5 Headphone Amplifier:

Haven't used it much, but I did fire it up for a few minutes before I put it to charge. And the initial impressions are:
1. Lightweight and Compact, despite having a built in Li-Ion battery that by the way, charges via microUSB from the PC (read, highly convenient!)
2. Surprisingly good build quality. Buttons are good to press.
3. Good package with gold plated cables
4. FULLtoo similarity to the previous generation iPod Shuffle

5. I know you'll have been waiting for this one: Sound Quality

I'm currently using a phone without a 3.5 mm Jack, hence used my sister's Creative Zen Neeon 2 4Gb to do the honours.
The headphones of choice were the Creative EP-630's
With or Without you by U2, ripped at 160kbps was the choice of song.
The bass boost was turned off.
FIRST listened to the song at moderate volumes on the Creative without the amplifier. Sounded fine to me. Was never a fan of the Neeon.
Connected the headphones through the amplifier, powered it up and VOILA! Brilliant sound. The loudness increased by a few db, but that's not the reason why I purchased the Fiio. I purchased it to increase the dynamic range of the music, and make up for the puny inbuilt amplifier of most music players and DAP's.
Played the same song at the SAME volume on the Neeon and had to bump down the volume on the Fiio and was quite taken aback by the difference. The vocals were far far more crisp and the bass was sounding tight and clear. None of the muddy nonsense I got on bumping the volume of the Neeon without the amplifier.
The volume buttons on the Fiio are small, but there are a lot of steps, hence you can optimise the volue according to your preference and the level of the recording.
I do not believe in bass boost and do not like it anywhere, but, just for the sake of it, bumped up the bass using the boost button on the Fiio. It did what it says. It boosted the bass and overpowered everything else in the song. Not my cup of tea, but many might just fall in love with it.
Details in music I could head only at higher volumes without the amp, started coming through even at normal listening volumes.

All in all, a very very VFM proposition. I love it, already. Hope I can make good use of it soon.

PS: Plan to pair it with someone's iPod and check it out. Let's see!

Presenting to you guys, the Fiio E5 Head Phone Amplifier.

babhishek · 31st May 2009, 15:55

where did u order the amp from?
i see yours was shipped on 18th of may...
i ordered an amp on the 20th from hongkong as well so i thouht I'd get the details from you

thanks and happy listening

frankmehta · 31st May 2009, 17:19

i ordered from ebay. queeniehyw is the name of the seller i think..

adithyav · 17th June 2009, 13:40

I used the Fiio E3s originally and thought they were pretty good but the E5's are better in every aspect so I ended up giving my brother the E3 and got myself an E5. Right now using the E5 with Sleek Audio SA6 headphones and listening to music from either my 5800XM or 32Gb itouch.

It might work out cheaper than ebay if you go through a site called deal extreme or something similar. I ordered from that site when I was in the US (I study there) and I got one for 15 something dollars including international shipping. Shipping took a while but it was definitely worth the wait.

If anyone is looking for a portable headphone amp, I would say look no further as these are simply too good for the price that you pay for them. Also, an amp like this proves to be essential when you get high end earphones or IEMs and your player just has average SQ because they really help you appreciate your music (and your earphones) better.

21st May 2009, 14:44	#16
babhishek BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: KOLKATA Posts: 328 Thanked: 35 Times View My Garage	navin - it is quite tough to get a response from Uncle Wilson , in general ... Any tips to get a faster response? Also, how would you rate the FiiO amps?
	() Thanks

21st May 2009, 15:35	#17
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,196 Thanked: 9,292 Times	I have not heard the FiiO amps. Uncle Wilson usually respons in a few days. His life is very hard. he is up at 6am and making deals all the time. Give him 2-3 days between emails. The best way to get his attention is ask him for a quote and when he responds ask him if he can ship to India.
	() Thanks

30th May 2009, 14:13	#18
frankmehta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,000 Thanked: 3,577 Times View My Garage	Look what the mailman just brought in! Just got something in the mail.. In record time. These guys at queeniehw on Ebay are GREAT at service. The Fiio E5 Headphone Amplifier: Haven't used it much, but I did fire it up for a few minutes before I put it to charge. And the initial impressions are: 1. Lightweight and Compact, despite having a built in Li-Ion battery that by the way, charges via microUSB from the PC (read, highly convenient!) 2. Surprisingly good build quality. Buttons are good to press. 3. Good package with gold plated cables 4. FULLtoo similarity to the previous generation iPod Shuffle 5. I know you'll have been waiting for this one: Sound Quality I'm currently using a phone without a 3.5 mm Jack, hence used my sister's Creative Zen Neeon 2 4Gb to do the honours. The headphones of choice were the Creative EP-630's With or Without you by U2, ripped at 160kbps was the choice of song. The bass boost was turned off. FIRST listened to the song at moderate volumes on the Creative without the amplifier. Sounded fine to me. Was never a fan of the Neeon. Connected the headphones through the amplifier, powered it up and VOILA! Brilliant sound. The loudness increased by a few db, but that's not the reason why I purchased the Fiio. I purchased it to increase the dynamic range of the music, and make up for the puny inbuilt amplifier of most music players and DAP's. Played the same song at the SAME volume on the Neeon and had to bump down the volume on the Fiio and was quite taken aback by the difference. The vocals were far far more crisp and the bass was sounding tight and clear. None of the muddy nonsense I got on bumping the volume of the Neeon without the amplifier. The volume buttons on the Fiio are small, but there are a lot of steps, hence you can optimise the volue according to your preference and the level of the recording. I do not believe in bass boost and do not like it anywhere, but, just for the sake of it, bumped up the bass using the boost button on the Fiio. It did what it says. It boosted the bass and overpowered everything else in the song. Not my cup of tea, but many might just fall in love with it. Details in music I could head only at higher volumes without the amp, started coming through even at normal listening volumes. All in all, a very very VFM proposition. I love it, already. Hope I can make good use of it soon. PS: Plan to pair it with someone's iPod and check it out. Let's see! Presenting to you guys, the Fiio E5 Head Phone Amplifier. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

31st May 2009, 15:55	#19
babhishek BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: KOLKATA Posts: 328 Thanked: 35 Times View My Garage	where did u order the amp from? i see yours was shipped on 18th of may... i ordered an amp on the 20th from hongkong as well so i thouht I'd get the details from you thanks and happy listening Last edited by babhishek : 31st May 2009 at 16:00.
	() Thanks

31st May 2009, 17:19	#20
frankmehta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,000 Thanked: 3,577 Times View My Garage	i ordered from ebay. queeniehyw is the name of the seller i think..
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 13:40	#21
adithyav BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 38 Thanked: 0 Times	I used the Fiio E3s originally and thought they were pretty good but the E5's are better in every aspect so I ended up giving my brother the E3 and got myself an E5. Right now using the E5 with Sleek Audio SA6 headphones and listening to music from either my 5800XM or 32Gb itouch. It might work out cheaper than ebay if you go through a site called deal extreme or something similar. I ordered from that site when I was in the US (I study there) and I got one for 15 something dollars including international shipping. Shipping took a while but it was definitely worth the wait. If anyone is looking for a portable headphone amp, I would say look no further as these are simply too good for the price that you pay for them. Also, an amp like this proves to be essential when you get high end earphones or IEMs and your player just has average SQ because they really help you appreciate your music (and your earphones) better.
	() Thanks