Only high quality custom IEM’s will provide the isolation so that you might be able to appreciate the hard work the DAC is doing. Also keep in mind all the extra logistics for a three piece (trans)portable stack.Įven if I could somehow justify getting these items to accompany a transducer of according finesse, one must always keep in mind that while on the go circumstances for listening are less than ideal. Not to mention that not that many MP3 player actually support digital data output for an external DAC to handle. I never felt the E10 to be lacking musicality at the slightest bit.įostex HP-P1 and Cypher Labs AlgoRythm Solo can process the digital signal from most iDevices, however these are not really E10 price range. The TE2077 + WM8740 + AD8397 combination has just enough technicalities to resolve a typical mainstream recording, but the musicality is just amazing. The thing with the E10 (and I think I’ve said it before) is that it just sounds good. It’s not ALO Continental – level midrange, but for $80 it better be not ALO Continental level midrange. The midrange is just nice and full sounding. Turn off the bass boost and you get extra clarity in the bass section, but with the HD25-1, I just like it with the bass boost on. And the most important thing is that the bass is just fun. The bass is not super-articulate compared to say an AMB Labs Mini3, but it’s tight enough for music listening purposes (unless you really want to be picky about it). You get these punchy, fat, round bass, beat after beat.

So the thing is running with the bass boost on. I had mistakenly switched the bass-boost switch on as I thought that to be the power switch (the E10 automatically powers on as you plug in the USB cable to the back panel). In particular was the bass, which I find very addictive. Everything sounded right and full sounding. Things are sounding very, very good, and I’m happily nodding my head to the beats of the music. Full mids, good bass, spacious open sound, unoffensive treble. Amazingly good in fact, despite the fact that I just finished the ALO Continental amplifier review less than 24 hours ago. With the E10, plug in the USB cable in, play a familiar tunes in Itunes, plug a headphone in, and I was immediately listening to the newest DAC from Fiio.įirst impression: this thing sounds good. Like any gear fresh from the mailbox, what I do is set it up with the simplest system I have around. The finishing of the brushed metal is so good in fact that at first glance the Fiio looks like a typical product from Ray Samuels. High quality all metal packaging with an exceptionally well designed volume control (with numbers too!) and all the right interfaces. The E10 was very easy to like from the very beginning. EDIT : The New E10K has replaced the E10 from this review: Go here:

Fiio e10 drivers