Here is the new chapter for the story about FiiO's tiny amps' line-up: E6 has been in development for over a year now and ready to be launched months ago. But due to the respect for Westone, which has decided to bundle the new E6 with some of their IEM, the launch is delayed till now . I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am when I first received it. Will it beats E11? No. But will it out-do E5 several times over? Hell yes. For those who think E5 is nothing but toy, this is where FiiO is trying to prove to you how serious a tiny amp that cost much less than a decent meal can go.
Tech Prelude
So E6 is using the same set of opamps as the E7, does they sound just the same? Well, yes and no. Yes is that the general sound signature of E6 is still consistent to other FiiO’s amps, clear and mostly transparent. No is that the actual design of the circuit has been changed. As told, E6 utilizes a different power circuit to provide true +/- power for the opamp to improve the performance instead of the old charge-pump design on E7. Well, I am not an electronic engineer so don’t ask me about the detail. All I can say is the E6 does sound better than E7 – and I will leave the detail for later.
SPEC
Spec is mostly the same as E5 / E7..
Output Power: 150mW (16Ω); 16mW (300Ω)
Headphone Impedance Range: 16 Ω ~ 300 Ω
SNR: ≥95dB (A weighted)
Distortion: <0.009% (10mW)
Frequency Range: 10Hz ~ 100kHz
Power Supply: Internal rechargeable Li-ion battery
Recharging: USB 5V DC 500mA
Size: 41mm x 40.2mm x 8mm
Weight: 16g
Packaging, Accessories and Build Quality
As you can see on the picture, the packaging is similar to FiiO’s own E1. Blister pack isn’t my favorite but I guess one can’t be choosy on a $30 amp. Accessories wise, there is an USB cable for charging, two 3.5mm-to-3.5mm interconnecting cables (one L-to-L three inches and one straight-to-straight 2.5 feet), and two transparent back clip. The back clip will fit into the triangular opening on the E6 and it is very secure. Also, the back clip is made out of polycarbonate and it is extremely strong (for a clip of this size). Just so you know, polycarbonate is the same stuff Mythbuster use for their blast shield most of the time. In case you do manage to break one, there is an extra clip waiting.
While the E6 does look a little cheap since it is all made out of plastic and extremely light (16g), the overall build quality, as you can expect from FiiO, is quite decent. The whole housing is glued tight and nothing is loose, including the shiny triangular slot that holds the back clip. The volume buttons feel really solid, so is the power/ EQ / hold switch.
One of the tests I have done is on electromagnetic Interference – basically it is the same cellphone test I have done on my E5 review. I placed the amp very close to my cellphone then I made a quick call to myself to check any RF interference. To my surprise, E6 is dead silent the whole time, not even when it was placed next to the cellphone.
Overall, I am pleased. While metal housing is classier, it really is the interference that I thought will be problematic for E6. Yet E6 is able to prove it is better than E5 in that regard.
Digital volume control on the side.
Battery Life
The listed battery life is 10 hours, which is the same as E5. Though I didn’t actually do a battery drain test, I did use it for over 6 hours or so between each recharge. I think the actual run time will depend largely how you use the amp, but 8~10 hours seems perfectly achievable to me.
Gain and Hiss
The old E5 has a gain of 5dB (3dB is double in signal), the new E6 is said to be 2.8dB higher than E5. For the RMAA test I did, the result indicate roughly a 3dB difference between E5 and E6, so that confirms the increased gain of 2.8dB – which totals the E6 gain to about 8dB. What that means is E6 can get really loud if you want it too. However, there available power is still limited by the opamp in use, so don’t expect E6 to out shine E11 in that regard. I have tested E6 on 150 ohm IEM like the RE262 and ER4S to low impedance IEM down to 16 ohm UE200. The results are all very decent. It might not able to sound as good as $100+ amp, but the performance is admirable for such a small device.
Hiss is an issue to E5 when it comes to loud volume. Basically the amp (E5) stays well-behave when it is in low volume. But hiss starts to increase once the volume is set to over half of the total volume. The reason is how E5 increases its volume - it is done by increasing the gain (which is different from the common method of limiting input signal like in cmoy). The downside of gain adjusted volume is that gain increment also means the internal noise will increase as well, and that is what causes E5 to hiss when the volume is up. On E6, the volume is also controlled with gain so hiss does exist. The good news is the hiss level is about half as much as E5 and like E5, only occurs when you set the volume to very high. What that means is, as long as you have a decent level of input, you shouldn’t find hiss a problem on E6.
Pushing the power switch up for 3 seconds to turn the amp on/off. Push it once when the amp is on to switch between different EQ. Push the power switch down to lock the volume setting (hold).
Blue light is the power on indicator (turns red when charging). Red dot shows the amp is on EQ1 (turns to blue for EQ2, purple for EQ3 and no light for flat EQ)
Sound Quality and EQ
So how do E6 compared to E5 and E7? Compared to E5, E6 (flat EQ) is cleaner, In fact, even cleaner than E7. It loses a tad of warm from the mid, but becomes crisper on the treble. Overall, E6 sounds a hair more extended and revealing than E7, which also means it sounds better than E5 by a decent margin.
How about JDS cmoyBB and SoundMAGIC A10? For cmoyBB, as I have mentioned from my cmoyBB review – it is better than E7 but not vastly. What cmoyBB does really well is on the rendering on space, layering and air, though it also carries an extra sense of lushness (which I see it more as a kind of coloration. Note: I prefer neutral amp). To me, E6 fits nicely between E7 and cmoyBB. However, that is assuming both are on flat EQ. Once E6 is on EQ2, the two are incredibly close with the same richness in sound – those who love their amp sounding rich will definitely like this. For A10, I always consider it to be comparable to E7 but come with a very different flavor. It is warm, full and musical. To me, E6 is technically more accurate but just like how A10 compares to E7, they are very different sounding. With EQ1, E6 can actually capture some of the warm and fullness of A10, though still not quite as musical and spacious.
RMAA tested with 16 ohm load. Don't mind the ripple beyond 5kHz and drop off near 20kHz, it is caused by my soundcard. EQ3 was adjusted (-3dB) to show the difference to flat EQ.
So if you haven’t noticed, I just finish describe to you what I think really makes E6 a true gem – its EQ. It can be clean, lush, or warm and full on a push of a switch. Sure it is not going to turn into cmoyBB or A10, but the effects are still enjoyable and fun. Even without the improved sound quality from E7, the EQ on E6 alone will worth the investment. The one EQ I haven’t mentioned is EQ3, which is a 3dB reduction across the whole frequency range. Different from E7 which has a limiting input of 1.4V (any higher will clip), E6 is capable of 2V input. But for even higher input, E6 will still clip and render the amp useless. The EQ3 is basically a feature to prevent that from happening by lowering the overall gain so the amp can take a larger signal without clipping. In RMAA test, EQ3 performs as good as flat EQ except for the lower gain. I tested E6’s EQ3 on s:flo2’s line-out (which will clip E5 and E7) and it actually sounds pretty good - very comparable to S:flo2 headphone-out. Of course this is done to proof a point rather than any real practicality since the headphone-out is pretty good already.
So how about E6’s big brother, the E11? Besides being a bit more forward sounding, E6 lacks the overall resolution and authority to really compete with th3e much more powerful E11, which I do consider to be a class better than E6. But putting that aside, both are better amp than what their price tags would have want you to believe in.
*HifiMan RE0 is used as the reference IEM in the review. Sources include Sansa Fuze (LO), iPod Nano 4G (LO) and s:flo2 (LO)
E6 (left) and E5 (right)
Verdict
As I was told that E6 took almost a year of development to get it right. FiiO has managed to address some of the weakness in old E5 / E7 and add some very useful features to E6. While it may be just an entry level amp that cost about $30, I think FiiO is again taking the concept of entry level to a new height with E6.
Tech Prelude
So E6 is using the same set of opamps as the E7, does they sound just the same? Well, yes and no. Yes is that the general sound signature of E6 is still consistent to other FiiO’s amps, clear and mostly transparent. No is that the actual design of the circuit has been changed. As told, E6 utilizes a different power circuit to provide true +/- power for the opamp to improve the performance instead of the old charge-pump design on E7. Well, I am not an electronic engineer so don’t ask me about the detail. All I can say is the E6 does sound better than E7 – and I will leave the detail for later.
SPEC
Spec is mostly the same as E5 / E7..
Output Power: 150mW (16Ω); 16mW (300Ω)
Headphone Impedance Range: 16 Ω ~ 300 Ω
SNR: ≥95dB (A weighted)
Distortion: <0.009% (10mW)
Frequency Range: 10Hz ~ 100kHz
Power Supply: Internal rechargeable Li-ion battery
Recharging: USB 5V DC 500mA
Size: 41mm x 40.2mm x 8mm
Weight: 16g
Packaging, Accessories and Build Quality
As you can see on the picture, the packaging is similar to FiiO’s own E1. Blister pack isn’t my favorite but I guess one can’t be choosy on a $30 amp. Accessories wise, there is an USB cable for charging, two 3.5mm-to-3.5mm interconnecting cables (one L-to-L three inches and one straight-to-straight 2.5 feet), and two transparent back clip. The back clip will fit into the triangular opening on the E6 and it is very secure. Also, the back clip is made out of polycarbonate and it is extremely strong (for a clip of this size). Just so you know, polycarbonate is the same stuff Mythbuster use for their blast shield most of the time. In case you do manage to break one, there is an extra clip waiting.
While the E6 does look a little cheap since it is all made out of plastic and extremely light (16g), the overall build quality, as you can expect from FiiO, is quite decent. The whole housing is glued tight and nothing is loose, including the shiny triangular slot that holds the back clip. The volume buttons feel really solid, so is the power/ EQ / hold switch.
One of the tests I have done is on electromagnetic Interference – basically it is the same cellphone test I have done on my E5 review. I placed the amp very close to my cellphone then I made a quick call to myself to check any RF interference. To my surprise, E6 is dead silent the whole time, not even when it was placed next to the cellphone.
Overall, I am pleased. While metal housing is classier, it really is the interference that I thought will be problematic for E6. Yet E6 is able to prove it is better than E5 in that regard.
Digital volume control on the side.
Battery Life
The listed battery life is 10 hours, which is the same as E5. Though I didn’t actually do a battery drain test, I did use it for over 6 hours or so between each recharge. I think the actual run time will depend largely how you use the amp, but 8~10 hours seems perfectly achievable to me.
Gain and Hiss
The old E5 has a gain of 5dB (3dB is double in signal), the new E6 is said to be 2.8dB higher than E5. For the RMAA test I did, the result indicate roughly a 3dB difference between E5 and E6, so that confirms the increased gain of 2.8dB – which totals the E6 gain to about 8dB. What that means is E6 can get really loud if you want it too. However, there available power is still limited by the opamp in use, so don’t expect E6 to out shine E11 in that regard. I have tested E6 on 150 ohm IEM like the RE262 and ER4S to low impedance IEM down to 16 ohm UE200. The results are all very decent. It might not able to sound as good as $100+ amp, but the performance is admirable for such a small device.
Hiss is an issue to E5 when it comes to loud volume. Basically the amp (E5) stays well-behave when it is in low volume. But hiss starts to increase once the volume is set to over half of the total volume. The reason is how E5 increases its volume - it is done by increasing the gain (which is different from the common method of limiting input signal like in cmoy). The downside of gain adjusted volume is that gain increment also means the internal noise will increase as well, and that is what causes E5 to hiss when the volume is up. On E6, the volume is also controlled with gain so hiss does exist. The good news is the hiss level is about half as much as E5 and like E5, only occurs when you set the volume to very high. What that means is, as long as you have a decent level of input, you shouldn’t find hiss a problem on E6.
Pushing the power switch up for 3 seconds to turn the amp on/off. Push it once when the amp is on to switch between different EQ. Push the power switch down to lock the volume setting (hold).
Blue light is the power on indicator (turns red when charging). Red dot shows the amp is on EQ1 (turns to blue for EQ2, purple for EQ3 and no light for flat EQ)
Sound Quality and EQ
So how do E6 compared to E5 and E7? Compared to E5, E6 (flat EQ) is cleaner, In fact, even cleaner than E7. It loses a tad of warm from the mid, but becomes crisper on the treble. Overall, E6 sounds a hair more extended and revealing than E7, which also means it sounds better than E5 by a decent margin.
How about JDS cmoyBB and SoundMAGIC A10? For cmoyBB, as I have mentioned from my cmoyBB review – it is better than E7 but not vastly. What cmoyBB does really well is on the rendering on space, layering and air, though it also carries an extra sense of lushness (which I see it more as a kind of coloration. Note: I prefer neutral amp). To me, E6 fits nicely between E7 and cmoyBB. However, that is assuming both are on flat EQ. Once E6 is on EQ2, the two are incredibly close with the same richness in sound – those who love their amp sounding rich will definitely like this. For A10, I always consider it to be comparable to E7 but come with a very different flavor. It is warm, full and musical. To me, E6 is technically more accurate but just like how A10 compares to E7, they are very different sounding. With EQ1, E6 can actually capture some of the warm and fullness of A10, though still not quite as musical and spacious.
RMAA tested with 16 ohm load. Don't mind the ripple beyond 5kHz and drop off near 20kHz, it is caused by my soundcard. EQ3 was adjusted (-3dB) to show the difference to flat EQ.
So if you haven’t noticed, I just finish describe to you what I think really makes E6 a true gem – its EQ. It can be clean, lush, or warm and full on a push of a switch. Sure it is not going to turn into cmoyBB or A10, but the effects are still enjoyable and fun. Even without the improved sound quality from E7, the EQ on E6 alone will worth the investment. The one EQ I haven’t mentioned is EQ3, which is a 3dB reduction across the whole frequency range. Different from E7 which has a limiting input of 1.4V (any higher will clip), E6 is capable of 2V input. But for even higher input, E6 will still clip and render the amp useless. The EQ3 is basically a feature to prevent that from happening by lowering the overall gain so the amp can take a larger signal without clipping. In RMAA test, EQ3 performs as good as flat EQ except for the lower gain. I tested E6’s EQ3 on s:flo2’s line-out (which will clip E5 and E7) and it actually sounds pretty good - very comparable to S:flo2 headphone-out. Of course this is done to proof a point rather than any real practicality since the headphone-out is pretty good already.
So how about E6’s big brother, the E11? Besides being a bit more forward sounding, E6 lacks the overall resolution and authority to really compete with th3e much more powerful E11, which I do consider to be a class better than E6. But putting that aside, both are better amp than what their price tags would have want you to believe in.
*HifiMan RE0 is used as the reference IEM in the review. Sources include Sansa Fuze (LO), iPod Nano 4G (LO) and s:flo2 (LO)
E6 (left) and E5 (right)
Verdict
As I was told that E6 took almost a year of development to get it right. FiiO has managed to address some of the weakness in old E5 / E7 and add some very useful features to E6. While it may be just an entry level amp that cost about $30, I think FiiO is again taking the concept of entry level to a new height with E6.
Posts
35 comments:
Good thing you mention that the clips are strong. Just from pictures they looked like cheap plastic.
Great review!
Could you please make an RMAA test with multi BA earphones and the E6?
I would be very pleased
I measured three multi-driver IEM (one dual BA, one dual dynamic and one triple BA). They are all flat.
I am not sure what you are looking for, but if you are worrying about E6's output impedance and how it might affect the frequency response of multi-BA IEM, I can tell you that E6's output impedance is close to zero, so it won't affect the FR at all.
I am happy to hear that.
I've ordered an E6 which is already here, but I hadn't had the time to test it yet because I'm sick and my ears hurt like hell.
I was worrying about that the low frequencies could roll away.
That's good to hear :)
Well, there are a very small roll off at the bass if you look at the RMAA above. It is basically less than 1dB under 30Hz so it is very hard to notice by normal hearing.
Using Shure SE315 + Galaxy S with Voodoo. I know it won't benefit much from E6 but out of curiosity and greediness I ordered one from Lowyat forum.
But clieOS, I have one question, you once posted about AMP..we have to bypass the DAC inside the phone and redirect the analog signal to the AMP, how do I do that with my Galaxy S?
Thanks
I don't think you can bypass the amp section in Galaxy S.
If you goal is to prolong battery life, you should set the volume on Galaxy S on low to mid and use the E6 to amplify the sound. You'll get slightly worst SNR and more distortion though you might not able to hear it in practice.
If your goal is to maximize SQ, you should set the volume to high (but not distorting) on Galaxy S and use the E6 to control the volume. This way you'll get as close as possible to a line-out signal and the best possible sound. This is generally how you should setup the whole rig when you have to double amp.
Hi,
I really like your review.
I just bought a AKG K271 MKII as my first headphone and I will connect it to iPod Nano(08 model), iPod touch (3rd gen) or my macbook air.
So I am think to get a fiio amp.
I am wondering if I need E7?
At home, I have B&W MM-1 as my computer speaker, which I think it provides DAC function.
So, now my question is e6, e7 or e11 is the best choice for me?
I will say I rarely connect headphone to my macbook air.
Budget between these three model isn't a concern.
Thank you!
Judging from what I have read about the AKG, I'll say E11 is probably the most suitable for you. Also, you might to pick up a LOD for your iPod as well. A fiiO L3 will do the job nicely.
Hi ClieOS,
Since E6 just released to replace E5 and E11 is a class better than E6.
Do you know if there is a new version of E11 coming soon?
New version? E11 is only in the market for 5 months, I don't think FiiO will want to release a new version of it. Their production line usually is planned for at least one year, if not more. There is however an upgraded version of E7 that will probably be better sounding than E11. It is called E17 but it won't be released till sometime early / mid 2012 and it won't be as cheap as E11 (likely to go over $150)
Hi there ClieoOS
Thanks for the review, as I was close to buying the E5, but now Im going the E6 ;)
Just wondering because I'm going to use it with my iphone4, would it make a huge difference using the headphone out port compared to buying an accessorie to use the line out function that connects to the charger part of the phone ?
As it would seem to be such a hassle, and I would have to buy another separate accessorie for the iphone to connect that to this E6
I have a SM3 that I've been using for over a year, and wondering if it would make a noticeable difference.
I had the Fio E1, but the plug didn't fit properly cos of the iphone case, so I didnt end up using it. It did make the sound more spacy, and natural, so is the E6 a lot better?
looking forward to your reply!
Cheers
James
Hi James,
You can certainly expect a noticeable improvement going from E1 to E6. I do recommend an LOD to use with iPhone, but it really depends on whether you find the improvement worthwhile or not and I think the iPhone's headphone-out should be good enough even when double amped. Just remember to set the volume on iPhone higher, then use the amp to control the volume.
Cheer.
Do you think the E6 is good enough for my needs? I wish to improve SQ. I'm using Audio Technica ATH-WS70 headphone, usually hear with my laptop and HTC Desire Z phone.
some question, wat is LOD?
Hard to say since I have none of your gears but I would think you should find E6 to be most useful with your HTC cellphone (as cellphone is generally weak in output). When you connect E6 to any of your source, try to set the source volume high and use E6 to control the volume. That should give you the best sound.
LOD = lineout-dock. This is mainly foe iPhone, iPod, etc, so don't worry about it.
A fellow LYN here, and an amateur in audio. I want to ask about the E6 -3db EQ.
How does it work actually? Will it decrease sibilance from IEMs eg. MEElec M9? Thinking about grabbing it, although my current config might not be needing it...
Configuration: Sony NWZ-B162F -> Cube F1/MEElec M19.
It just decrease the gain (amplification factor) of the amp. It has nothing to do with sibilance of your IEM.
Thanks a lot. That cleared out a bit.
I appreciate your review.And you can buy this wonderful amplifier on www.gadgetbrother.com with the rock-bottom price.What's more,it's free standard shipping for worldwide.
Hi ClieOS,
Many thanks for this great review.
Well i am not an audiophile but i like clean and accurte sound, thus i just bought a new iems after checking alot on your blog and also headfi. My new iems are Meelectronics a151, a ba iem.
As i am mostly listening classical music, jazz, blues, soft rock etc., do you think i may also consider buying this E6?
My source is an iPhone 3g. And i am not sure if radio signal of the phone will effect the amp? If it will be a problem then i will stop considering amps as i need to be online all the time with the phone.
If radio will not be a big issue, then will that E6 add some significant value to my a151's?
many thanks again..
murat
You don't really need to worry about amping as iPhone 3G should have more than enough power to drive A151 to fullness. Radio signal shouldn't be a problem but I don't think you will find very significant difference by amping A151.
Many thanks for the information.. again!!
You just saved me some bucks :)
My a151s will be here within few days. Actually i have mostly 128-192kbps mp3s at my iphone. I feel like i will need to upgrade them to a better bitrate for better performance. Flac or 320kbps or 192 kbps or VBR 0? Which one do you suggest me? I just put my CD's next to my computer and ready to re-rip them :)
192kbps is bare minimum on today's standard as many decent IEM tend to be more revealing these days. I will recommend at least 256kbps if not 320kbps. There is not need to get lossless on mobile devices as the difference between lossless and 320kbps is not something noticeable on the move.
Hello, I'm curious. I plan to purchase a UE 700 to go with my iTouch 2g. Will this E6 benefit me in any way? Cause I was thinking about getting an amp to compliment the IEMS.
Many thanks.
UE700 is quite easy to drive so your iPod Touch should be able to handle it without a problem. The biggest benefit of adding an E6 will be its hardware bass boost, which is better than the iPod internal bass boost and definitely will go well with UE700. But don't expect a night and day difference.
Hi i have a Nokia C3-00 and Hisoundaudio Popos. Should i be considering the E6? Thanks!
I have no idea how that Nokia will pair with portable amp, but in general there should be some improvement. Given the price of E6, I think it is worth a try.
Thanks for the answer! Would the Clip+ Zip, Hisoundaudio Popo, E6 be a good combination in your opinion? Thank you again.
Clip+ by itself should be able to drive Popo without any problem. You can add E6 onto the setup but it isn't a necessity.
What a great review, with the perfect mix of perception and numbers. Also kudos to author for answering all the comments. As a bonus, i even got an answer for something that had puzzled me for some time: How i should set the volume on my device and the AMP, and i understand the correct mix is high on device (i think 85-90% to avoid distortion) and low as possible on amp. Thanks!
By the way.. My Fiio E6 is litteraly useless while charging, used with my laptop. So much "electric noise" gets through (and the noise is VERY appearent when charging, not just me being sensitive). When not charging, it's dead silent. Is this an issue in general, a weak point of the Fiio E6 (don't see you mentioning it) or is it "a bad mixture of hardware" on my side, me being unlucky maybe ? My Laptop has a build-in soundcard, and used with my Samson SR850 (which offcourse are sensitive headphones). Is there maybe some simple measures to be taken to avoid this, or is it just something i have to accept ?
Thanks in advance.
If you hear a lot of noise when charging or connecting an amp (via USB) or USB DAC to the PC, it is a good indication that your PC has what we call a 'dirty USB' - that is, the noise generated by other parts of the PC is traveling in the ground channels of the USB port (and probably the whole ground of the PCB as well). This is mainly result of poor design by the PC maker, mostly due to trying to save cost (or space, in most case of laptop) by eliminating proper power filtering to take out the noise. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do except using a decent USB adapter to charge the E6 when used with laptop. You can also get an USB isolator but it usually cost much more than an USB adapter (and E6) so it is that economical.
Thank you very much for clearing this out, nice to get an understanding of the cause ;-)
Hello, would you happen to know if the Yamaha eph-100 with the sansa clip would benefit from an amp such as this? I'm having trouble finding information on how to determine these things.
Judging by EPH-100's spec, I'll say it should be very easy for Sansa Clip to drive and no extra amping is needed.
Post a Comment