One question we get asked a lot is ‘do I need a headphone amplifier?’ This article will inform you of the benefits of adding an amplifier to your existing setup, or buying an amplifier with your new headphones.

When you’re buying some new headphones it’s always good to think about what your source will be; whether it’s an iPhone, Laptop, DAP (Digital Audio Player), your home HiFi or a bit of everything, figure out which has the lowest output and if it can drive your chosen headphone. So if you use a mobile phone as your main source and you’ve decided on some Shure SE535 earphones which are hard to drive, you will need a headphone amp to add some extra power so you can get the most from your new purchase.

There are plenty of headphones designed to be used with mobile phones and other low powered portable devices; these headphones generally have low impedance (up to 32ohm) and high sensitivity (100db and over) so they are very easy to drive. This doesn’t mean that you won’t benefit from an amp; not only do amps add extra power but they can also change the sound by improving sound stage, separation and depending on the amp add warmth or brightness.

Another benefit of getting a headphone amp is that some of them have EQ settings on them, so you can adjust the amount of bass you want depending on what you’re listening to.

If you have decided to go for a headphone amp you now need to decide which one to go for, there are many to choose from and they go for anything between £20 and £1500. Amps can be split into two main groups, portable and desktop. If you are going for a portable amp then you could go for something like the FiiO E12 which is powerful enough to drive most portable headphones, it is a good size and has a bass boost setting. If you require more power then you could go for the OPPO HA-2 or the Cypher Labs Picollo. Both of these amps can drive most headphones and they will also improve the sound quality, with the HA-2 being slightly warmer than the Picollo. For the harder to drive headphones there is the Cypher Labs Duet. This amp has adjustable gain settings and provides a less distorted, more accurate sound with plenty of power.

If you only use your headphones at home then you should go for a desktop amplifier as they are generally more powerful. There is a much larger range of desktop amplifiers and you really should know what headphone you will be using before choosing the amp, for example if your headphones have a warm/bassy sound then it’s a good idea to go for a brighter/detailed amplifier. This also works the other way around; a warm sounding amp will compliment bright headphones and balance the sound out.

If you have any questions about choosing the right amplifier then give us a call at Hifi Headphones on 01903 768 910 or you can send an email to support@hifiheadphones.co.uk – we will be more than happy to help.

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Verdict

We are impressed with the sound quality and power which the Fiio E18 provides; together with the mobile DAC functinality and everything else, nothing gives better value for money. However, it would have been much better (and safer) to have that gain switch recessed, or indeed buried into the side of the unit, rather like the E12. There’s no way we would chance using the E18 with an IEM whilst out and about. Either that prominent gain button should be ripped off or the switch covered up with tape, to save our ears from a possible bashing. Similar with the track/play/pause controls on the side of the unit – these can be swithed and operated all too easily.

Pros

• Great Value

• Oodles of power

• Extra functionality with smartphones

Cons

• Gain switch and track select buttons too prominent

The Swiss have enjoyed enormous success with their pocket knives, they are handy and can do a variety of jobs. However if wishing to hack your way through the jungle, a 3-inch blade is going to keep you busy.

Up until recently, portable headphone amps appear to have been aimed at providing a good level of power, or a lot of features. The Fiio E18 changes this, as it can accept a digital signal from a multitude of handsets as well as PC, and amplify enough to power any less-sensitive headphones up to 600 Ohms! Please check the E18 Kunlun page on Fiio’s site (http://www.fiio.cn) for exact details on compatibility.

Key Features

The E18 is a no-nonsense design like the E12, but with a few more tricks up its sleeve. DAC functionality combined with track select controls make this a versatile and useful addition to any portable set-up. Gain and bass boost controls will help get your preferred sound from a vast array of headphone models.

First Impressions

The track skip/back buttons on the side along with play and pause are handy, but it would have been preferable to have seen these recessed – unrequested track skips are an annoyance. Bass boost and gain switches are placed near the volume pot on the top end, and there’s little to prevent accidental operation of the gain switch. Accidental operation of the gain switch could potentially be quite damaging if wearing sensitive IEMs.

There’s a switch on the opposite end to select the source for the DAC (PC or phone) and also there’s the option of using the E18 as a power source itself; this was tried with Fiio X3 and smartphone – they both started accepting a charge, although this smartphone is not compatible with the DAC.

The outward design is not dissimilar to that of the E12 which is an amplifier only. It has been mentioned that the E12 is a little better in terms of amplifier quality, as well as more powerful. But the question everyone wants to know the answer to is ‘will it power my headphones?’ and the answer is very likely to be yes.

The E18 was tried with the AKG K240 DF (600 ohms, 88dB sensitivity) and the dial wasn’t turned all the way up – it was ear splittingly loud with room to spare! The E18 should be able to drive anything the modern world has to offer, within reason. The manuafacturer states an impedance range of 16 – 150 ohms, but there’s nothing like trying these things. So long as your recording is done well (and not extremely quiet), the E18 is enough to really blast it out.

Sound quality

The Fiio E18 was run from a PC to test DAC functionality and quality. It was up against an X3 and E12 together, which seemed like a fair match. A 600 ohm Sennhieser HD540 was used.

The E18 appeared to give better resolution; sounds were relatively flat and dull on the X3/E12 combination. I decoupled the X3/E12 rig and plugged into the X3 alone; predictably, things improved in terms of details due to fewer connections in the chain, but the relative lack of power took some of the wind out of my X3’s sails. Bass and hats were pushed back a little.

Summary

With the wants and needs of the average portable audio fan growing all the time (in part helped along by just this sort of product!) the Fiio E18 tries to tick as many boxes and cover as may bases as it can, and it does a great job of all of them.

Score: 8/10

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FiiO X5 Lossless Portable Digital Audio Player & DAC

Summary

The FiiO X5 is the new contribution from this great brand; the company which is making a huge name for itself by bringing high quality budget-priced items to the market. Almost a year ago we were all taken aback by the arrival of the X3 which has certainly shaken up the digital audio player (DAP) market, but now FiiO has X-ceeded itself with the X5.

After coming to know the FiiO X3‘s sound quality, it was a little difficult to imagine how it could be bettered; both in terms of sound quality and power. The X5 creates a certain expectation as it’s larger. It is still pocket-sized, but it certainly makes for a pocket which is full.

Unlike the X3, the X5 has no internal storage so a micro SD card is required to get started. However it has 2 slots for these cards, so there’s a potential 128Gb storage capacity with current firmware/size limits.

Price – £289.95

FiiO X5 Lossless Portable Digital Audio Player & DAC

Pros

• Fantastic Sound
• Two Micro SD slots
• DAC capability
• Powerful amplification

Cons

• Wobbly wheel
• Auto hold – no manual hold button
• No internal memory
• Relatively bulky

 Key Features

• Supports High-Definition192kHz/24bit audio
• Lossless Playback for DSD/APE/ FLAC/ALAC/WMA/WAV
• High-Quality DAC Functionality
• Headphone Out, Line-Out and Coaxial Digital Output
• Dual Card Slots with 1024GB Memory Capacity (with future firmware updates)

First Impressions

Appearance takes priority over usability for perhaps the first 30 minutes of use; the buttons are not marked and the user can feel a little helpless initially. This soon passes, but the wheel remains a point of contention; its build does not appear to sit well with the rest of the device. It’s very light and wobbly, with a rubber touch wheel to select options or tracks on the screen. Notches or slight clicks are encountered as the wheel goes round, but these tend not to be linked so much with what is happening on the screen. A ‘two click’ turn of the wheel may not necessarily move you along by two options so watch the screen. It can be frustrating if the required option is just one ‘click’ away; it seems that a gentle turn of the wheel can turn into a few gentle turns, as the selected option doesn’t change, or changes too far. Fortunately the lower two buttons on the front of the X5 can be used to scroll through these items, so it’s not something we’re stuck with using.

Sticking with the wheel, the centre acts as a ‘select’ button for the X5; however it is machined and is uncomfortable to touch with the thick skin on my thumb. It’s worth it though. Also I was a little concerned that there appears not to be a space where I can throw a band over and have it strapped to my FiiO E12 – the X5 is full of buttons, screen and wheel, but I have found that a band can be placed over the wheel area and operation is not affected. Maybe the addition of an E12 is overkill however; having tried the X5 now, my demanding 600 Ohm AKG K240 DF headphones sound fantastic straight out of the headphone socket.

There is no ‘hold’ button on the X5, there is a simple timer function (from 30s to 120s, or off) which renders the screen blank and most of the buttons inoperable, until the power button is pressed. I noticed that the volume buttons turn into ‘track skip’ buttons in this state.

The screen shows a little more of the track titles than the X3 when browsing, for example I am able to read the full title of Duran Duran’s ‘Is There Something I Should Know’ but no band name is present in the filename. Compilations may still require guesswork as to the track title, or you might want to encode your files with the ‘Track Artist’ after the ‘Track Title’ so song names can be read with no problem. Also the screen is less square than that of the X3; it’s wider, but only the top half of any cover art is visible when tracks are playing as it gets stretched to fit across the screen. Not a real issue, but Sweet’s ‘Desolation Boulevard’ cover isn’t the same!

Sound Quality

I tried the X5 against the X3 with the HiFiMAN HE-400; despite their 35 ohm impedance, these are thirsty headphones and can really take some power to get them up to their full potential. The X5 felt a little more relaxed, more analoguish, more controlled. It appeared to go a little louder as well, although the two models are evenly matched. Both the X3 and X5 powered the HE-400 adequately, although a little more headroom (on both players) might be nice with quieter tracks.

Next, a high quality dynamic headphone was tried – the Beyerdynamic T1. With this headphone the differences were harder to spot between the two Fiio players but the X5 appeared to give a slightly wider and more spacious presentation; the X3 had a little more bass impact or ‘slam’ to it.

FiiO has beefed up the bass/treble setting of the X3 with a full equaliser in the X5 model; there are now 10 bands between 31Hz and 16kHz, the frequency bands roughly double in breadth as they move up through the frequency spectrum; ie. 31Hz, 62Hz, 125Hz, etc. The steps in terms of EQ volume are very fine indeed, so this is a useful tool to anyone wanting fuller control.

Verdict

In all, the X5 is a winner if you have headphones which can reveal its audio quality. If you plan to stick with sub-£100 headphones or only have portable uses, you may as well save your money and get the X3. If you’re confident that your equipment can get the best out of the X5, then that is what I recommend – it is a clear improvement over the X3 and the extra money spent will not be in vain.

Return to : Best high resolution audio players to buy in 2015 – Expert Reviews

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The FiiO E12 Mont Blanc is FiiO’s latest addition to their range of Portable Headphone Amplifiers. The E12 is the newer big brother of the superb E11, boasting a new look which is extremely durable with it’s all-over aluminium casing and seamless design. With improvments to the inner circuitry, FiiO have found the perfect balance between high-performance sound fidelity and long lasting durability. The E12 can be charged via USB on your PC, or by using your USB plug adapter. The unit will automatically adjust to the correct charging currency, the full charging time of the E12 is 3 hours.

• Smart Recharging User Friendly charging indicator
• Utilizes LME49710 & LME49600 Op amps, resulting in near-zero distortion at .00003%
• Large capacity Li-polymer battery provides +/- 11 volts, with total output power up to 850mW
• USB smartcharge circuit allow charging from laptop/PC, phone, or tablet
• Ability to drive high-impedance headphones such as planar-magnetic models
• Gain switch, bass boost, and crossfeed
• Durable and attractive aluminium enclosure

To purchase the unit, please visit our website:

Buy FiiO E12 Mont Blanc High Performance Portable Headphone Amplifier

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The first thing the new headphone FiiO E12 Headphone amplifier ‘Mont Blanc’ AKA E12 does is impress just with its styling and shape. It is as oblong as it is solid, as it is black, as it is er.. rectangular. The size and shape of the FiiO E12 Headphone Amplifier is perfectly suited to lie against an iPod for instance, to form a nice regular pocketable rig. For me however, the temptation to grab a disused femur and bash the head of a hapless colleague is great indeed. It’s just so black. And oblongtangular.

I eventually shook off my atavistic tendencies; and using logic and reason I connected it to a USB socket for a good charge. The light pulsated slowly while this went on, and remained steady once the E12 was full. The E12 is not a DAC like the E07k or E17, it just amplifies.

The E12 is suitable for IEMs as well as full sized headphones, as there is a gain switch offering an extra 16dB should they be needed. The E12 is listed as being compatible with headphones up to 300 Ohms, but I thought I’d try my good old AKG K240DFs which come in at 600. The K240s were brought up to a good volume, and the bass boost switch on the E12 came in handy with them as they’re a bit bass-light. I’d say they could be driven better, but I could be using an amp which was designed for them so no surpise there. The HE-400 was always only just at an acceptably loud level with the E7, but with the E12 I can turn it up further should I need to.

The bass boost switch can be set to ‘off’ or ‘on’ only, there are no incremental steps. It sounds equivalent to a level ‘3’ setting on the E7’s bass boost, as the effect is large. Whether it improves the sound depends on what music is playing, for me; and how it is produced. Some forms of music can end up sounding a bit boomy and woolly, others are improved no end. I would say that in the former case, bass boost is superfluous anyway.

I tried the crossfeed feature with interest, as there are certain tracks which cannot easily be listened to on headphones. Mainly those early stereo mixes which are still experimental and intended for loudspeakers only, with for instance drums panned hard left, and perhaps rhythm guitar panned hard right. This makes my ears want to do back flips ordinarily, but the crossfeed feature really makes these tracks listenable again. In the past I’ve had to put the signal through a mixing desk and play with the panning, but this does it for me; and very well too. It need hardly be said that its effect on normal stereo mixes is detrimental indeed, so use crossfeed only when required.

The volume is controlled by a small pot on end of the E12, and is stiff enough not to deafen anyone with a nervous twitch. There’s little chance of it being moved by accident, and has a satisfyingly weighty feel to it.

I tried the E12 with my HE-400 full sized headphones and also the Phonak Audeo PFE112. The versatility of the E12 is one of its strengths, but great attention is required if switching from full-size to IEM and back again. It’s a good idea to check the gain control and volume religiously before switching on as there’s nothing to prevent the equipment and eardrums of the careless being damaged!

I think though that Fiio should take more care of their quality control as this appears to be coated in some sort of adhesive. It’s stuck to my hand, and I’m not sure if I can dislodge it before the weekend. I might have to take it home, and that would be dreadful.

Lauri Cular

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