First, I want to thank FiiO for the E7 sample, especially since they took the time to make it a one-off special edition.


The full production will look the same, expect for a thicker plastic box.






Spec
Output Power: 150mW (16Ω); 16mW (300Ω)
Headphone Impedance Range: 16 Ω ~ 300 Ω
SNR: ≥95dB (A weighted) on line-in; ≥100dB (A weighted) on USB-in
Distortion: <0.009% (10mW)on line-in; <0.008% (10mW) on USB-in
Frequency Range: 10Hz ~ 1000kHz
Power Supply: Internal 1050mAH rechargeable Li-ion battery
Recharging: USB 5V DC 400mA
Size: 96mm x 55mm x 15.5mm
Weight: 100g



The inside: E7, silicone band for wrapping with DAP; a short 3.5mm-to-3.5mm interconnecting cable, about 5 inches end-to-end; a soft pouch; a heavy duty USB cable; a manual (not show).






E7, from the headphone-out's end.


From the USB / dock / AUX-in (line-in)'s end.

This post has been edited by ClieOS: Feb 5 2010, 02:53 PM

Want to thank FiiO again for the special edition. Nothing is different from the standard edition except for the extra printing.




The 4 buttons are very well made aluminum.


Build Quality and Accessories
Build quality is simply great - on par, if not better than, others good portable amp I have (3MOVE, iBassso T4/T3D, etc). The aluminum case is so well finished that it looks seamless on all the joins. While FiiO has always had a decent build quality on their product, E7 is simply another big step forward. The two tones OLED screen is, as expected, stunningly good to look at. It is sharp and bright. All mini jacks have metal sleeve, which also look great.

Size wise, E7 is slimmer than typical portable amp (i.e. Practical Device XM3/4/5) and about half the size and weight of 3MOVE (which is also a portable DAC amp like E7). Obviously it is not the size of an ultra-portable, but given all the features it has, I think making it any smaller will likely to be an unnecessary challenge that FiiO don't need to take on.

Accessories wise, you have the soft pouch for storage, a silicone band in case you want to warp it with a DAP, a heavy duty USB cable which is unusual (most USB cable of this type is really thin) and a manual. If there are anything missing, they will be 4 small stick-on rubber feet. The 4 hex screws protrude a little out from the back plate so they will serve as feet, but they will get scratched if you use them that way. You will be better off getting some stick-on rubber feet yourself if you don't want scratches.



From left: iBasso T3D, Linearossa W1, and E7.




Meier Audio Corda 3MOVE and E7.


E7 next to Sansa Fuze (left), Nationite s:flo2 (right), and iPod Nano4 (bottom).


Navigation
Navigation is fairly simple and straightforward. One press on the menu button goes into menu selection, and then you just go up and down and find the setting you want to change. In the setting, there are EQ (bass boost), USB charger, Sleep timer (auto off timer), Keylock (auto 'hold' function), Volume limiter, startup volume memory, and system info.

Startup volume memory is for the E7 to retain the last volume setting. If it is not turned on, E7 will reset its volume to 10/60 during next startup. I was told the firmware is upgradeable only via a special cable. My assumption is FiiO uses the dock to update firmware so basically it means at this point it is not user upgradeable. In any case, beside some small typo in the menu, the firmware seems to run very smoothly and there really isn't any real reason to update the firmware. Hopefully by the time E7 is finally released, the typo should be corrected. The keylock, or auto hold, can be set between 20 and 60 seconds, which is a bit too long in my opinion. I would like the minimum to be 10s. Once the keylock is engaged, you will need to press the menu button for a few second to unlock. When it is locked, the screen will be turned off as well. If you don't set the key lock, the screen will remain on all the time.

Startup screen. Sorry for the blurry picture as my camera was a hard time focusing on the bright OLED screen.




E7, connected to Nano4's line-out via a FiiO LOD.


SQ
First, let's talk about the line-in and headphone-out. While on early on FiiO has decide to keep the same chip set as E5 on the E7, the decision has been made in the last minute to switch from the original OPA2338UA to the better performing AD8692 by ADI. I was also told that all the coupling caps are Elna Purecap for audio instead of the less desirable tantalum caps.

When fed by iPod nano4 line-out, in comparison, E7 (no bass boost) is more neutral sounding than E5, just a tad colder than E1. E7 has a softer bass impact, but a better treble performance. It actually feel a little thin and grainy compared to the warmer, more musical sound signature of original E5 amp section because of the extra fine detail E7 has. It also has a better depth in soundstage but not particularly wide. Once switch to Bass Boost Lv1 however, E7 starts to sound warmer and acquire a better width in soundstage, while still retaining most of its crispy detail. This works fairly well with analytical IEM like RE0, while BB Lv0 sounds better with warm sounding IEM like Sherwood SE-777. Overall, I will say E7 is definitely better sounding than E5 (more) and E1 (less). In fact, I will say E7 amp section performance is getting very close to that of iBasso T4 and Linearossa W1.

Now, how about the DAC? E7 use PCM2706 as its USB receiver, but the actually decoding is done by Wolfson WM8740, which is pretty well known for having a good sound. I don't have any other DAC amp of E7 price range to compare it with (well, there is only one other DAC amp in this price range anyway), and compare it to the more expensive 3MOVE is pretty unfair since 3MOVE do have a really good amp section. But my unscientific listening does suggest to me that the DAC section is really well, better than the PCM270x-only solution used by 3MOVE or Go-Vibe USB DAC. I would have love to listen to the line-out but FiiO has decided they won't have a dedicated 3.5mm output for line-out. Instead, they prefer a dock solution (which hopefully we will see a separate cradle for it). I think it goes without saying that E7 sound much better when fed by the DAC than by Nano4.

EQ
I think the bass boost function deserves some further explanation. On Lv0, bass boost is off and the general sound signature is on the cold, analytical side. On Lv3, it is very warm, with the treble slightly roll off. In fact, it is a bit like the bass boost on E5 (signature wise), but E7 does it in a more gentle way. The actual bass boost on Lv3 isn't massive, but it does give a much warmer and fuller bottom. Lv1 and Lv2 fill in the gap between the two, with Lv1 as the warmer Lv0 and Lv2 as the more analytical Lv3. I think the whole bass boost function works more like a general EQ giving different sound signature, which I prefer over just a simple bass boost.



FiiO amp with Travagan's Colors, iBasso, T3D/T4, Go-Vibe Derringer, and Linearossa W1.


Conclusion
It has been a long road of making and waiting, but finally E7 has come to live. It is almost every bit it was set out to be and FiiO has done a great job to achieve its goal of making a budget portable DAC amp with a fantastic value. I think It will be the new standard of the industry, to say the least, when it comes to measuring price/performance ratio of any portable DAC amp.

The only question left is: when will TI deliver those overdue chips to FiiO so the full production can begin?

wow... i wonder how much will it cost? Around Linearossa W1's pricing? or cheaper?

It will be around US80, close to RM300.

Thanks a lot bro. You know i'm waiting for this one!

hmph kinda reasonable... ^^ i wonder if yuheng & walabies is bringing this in?

between this and Linearossa W1... which is better?

ouh yeah.... ive been waiting this for months...
and i do think Fiio will do a good job on this since E5 is really a bad a$$ amp for its price....

Hows the battery life? As in can last how many hours per full charge?

not sure why it's needed.. since amp has limited controls anyways.. but at the screen least it tells u exactly what the settings are.

This post has been edited by DaEMoNteNTAcLe: Feb 5 2010, 04:37 PM

Linearossa only amp woh. this got DAC. good for lazy ppl like me

Hm.. I'm kinda worried about its digital volume control (no fast and fine control). The DAC compatible with Apple Mac OSX?

woa..great thank for the impression,master clieos..
hope someone can make a bulk for it

W1 is slightly warmer, more musical and has a better soundstage, while E7 has better treble resolution. If it is pure taste, I prefer W1 only by a little bit over E7. However, when everything is considered, E7 has a better value. If USB DAC isn't on your must-have list, then I'll say they are equally matched.

200 minutes (about 3.5 hrs) to fully charged via USB port, and a monstrous 80 hrs of battery life.

Each step is roughly about 1.5dB increment, and yes, E7 works with all Windows and Mac OS, unless you are using ancient OS like Windows 98 or OS7

wow... u really poison me kaw kaw...

i think i'll be a slow poke... >.< no $$ for amps yet... but will noted this model... for future wishlist ( xmas!!! )

the question everyones been asking
how does the amp perform compared to T3/T3D?

it would be even better if they put line-out instead of dual headphone outs

Haha, just answered these question on Head-fi, so I am just copy and pasting them here:

RE0 sounds better with T3D. Given that T3D is almost $50 more expensive (and without an DAC), I think the result is expectable.

Line-out has been moved to the dock connector. I asked James @ FiiO and their concern is that people connecting their headphone to the line-out to "try it out" which could possibly damage their headphone and even worst, their hearing. They have many non-audiophiles customers so the decision is made not to risk any chance. There could be a cradle (with line-out jack) released later if enough interest has been shown, or else the line-out will be left to the upcoming E9.

upcoming E9... gosh another blooding sucking model...

haha .. you're not obliged to upgrade each time new model come out lah moniqee ..

anyhoo, the new upgrade is very welcomed but .. not really liking the appearance somewhat .. but that's just personal preferences of course. hehe.

keepg finger crossed, hopefully will arrive by apr

keep us updated with the pricing as well

Ooo bulk on this?

ltd uts on 1st shipment ... RRP RM339 thru apple resellers ... 4 lyn forumners, pls PM 4 best $ but delivery only in apr

PM me for best price then... ^^

d pre-order thread for d FiiO E7:
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1325243

hhmmm..... i know its cool and all.. i hv E5 myself.. works great!!

but than E7 totally kills it with a big bulky design.. a screen??!! seriously?? it takes up space and batt life.

the E5 is great enuff... E7 shud have followed E5 design simple clip design with more buttons and features, slider for 3 level bass/ button for vol. memory/ vol. button & on/off button. better batt life.

importantly portable enuff to blend in a single cable connected to ur player and fit pocket or clip.

E7 is great just the size.. maybe I'll get it for home use wer i can place it nicely with my speakers, not in my pocket with is already filled with keys, wallet, phone, mp3 player etc..

Unlike E5 (which is only an amp), E7 is designed as an external sound card for laptop user, so size, though important, is not the primary factor. If you look around, the only similar product in the market, which is NuForce Icon Mobile, has roughly the same size (may be a little smaller, but not that small), and much less features nor as long as a battery life. My Meier Audio Corda 3MOVE for an example, is twice as heavy, twice as large, and run less than 20 hours on rechargeable 9V. If you consider what E7 is targeting at, I think it is not half as bad as you think it is.

well... E9 is coming soon... who knows maybe later end of the year... who knows what kind of amp it might be then...

This post has been edited by moniqee: Feb 12 2010, 07:33 PM

Since line out is done via the dock, maybe in the future there will be LOD for E7. I don't think all people would want to pair it with E9, maybe some others want to pair it with their own amps.

Hopefully we will have one after the full production begin, or at least a small batch of cradle might be produced as long as there is an initial demand for it.

Small update: After roughly 100 hours of burn-in, I give E7 another listening against T4 and W1 using RE252. I can't say in 100% certainty but it does feel the soundstage is opened up by a tiny bit. Still not quite as good as T4 or W1 but it is better than before as background detail is easier to notice in comparison. The overall presentation seems less grainy and edgy than before. On previous listening, I preferred T4 just a little bit over E7, but now I think the line is really blurring.

now ClieoS wanna make me kidnapped all his stuffs...

another good review! wonder when will it reach here... hmmm

FiiO E7 Getto

dunno what else to imagine .. you get both la moniqee e7 and e9 .. and compare for us ya .. thx!

got ppl bringing it dy .. pay now get in April

hahaa .. waa .. so fast pre-order aa ?

if i'm bloody rich then it's ok...

unfortunately u r looking at a poor student here...

haha .. ok2 .. with the new year approaching .. i'm hoping this year to be a prosperous year for you .. which translates to you getting more toys ..

gong xi!

Sorry but any further updates The E7 should have 150 hours by now

I stop intentionally burning-in the E7 once I pass 100 hrs, and pretty much lost track of the time by now.

On the other hand, dfkt @ anythingbutipod.com just posted the E7 RMAA result on ABi's forum. Those of you who are more technical can go to their portable amp forum to check it out.

Here is another review on HeadFi http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f105/review-...one-amp-470899/

The E7 is around the same price as Go-Vibe Derringer, hopefully can test it someday to decide which one to keep xD

had received d E7 demo ut last wk going tru burn-in ... may present in @ d coming apple experience week @ tropicana city mall fr 11 - 14 mac ...

This post has been edited by E1 - AKG: Mar 2 2010, 04:47 PM

cn this baby power al mx5021?

hmm... iBasso D2 Boa vs E7? hmm...

uhh~~ i would loveee to get that verdict too!

wil b @ d apple experience wk @ tropicana city mall ovr d nxt 4 days wif d E7 ... those interested 2 test it out, jz txt me in advance ...

deal extreme still not take down those E7

any official release date of Fiio E7

wat do u mean by 'deal extreme still not take down those E7'

http://www.inearmatters.net/2010/03/fiio-e7-on-dx.html

oh ok

bad English

I didn't double check what that i wrote and attach the link for reference.
I send email to deal extreme but they didn't reply yet. I think what Clieos get from Fiio is right.
Thank Clieos to provide information to avoid we get prototype units

This post has been edited by jycheang: Apr 16 2010, 10:41 AM

apparently FiiO is still not able to ship the E7

e7 is using the wolfson WM8740 mono

http://www.audiodesignguide.com/DAC_final/DacFinal.html
it has good review..

but i think because of the review i want to hunt for this . .AD1955 mono too analytical .

This post has been edited by studwo: Apr 27 2010, 08:18 PM

Hmm... dont count your chickens before they hatch... is E7 coming soon?

factory had just revised d production delivery to june

Is this real E7 or fake? It looks different from ClieOS' pictures

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9245...116943255008866

Both are real. The one I have is pre-production model. The one in the link is final version. The internal and SQ are the same, but the final version has a different face plate and a updated firmware.

Nice. If only i can spare a couple of hundred bucks for this. Im broke man!

Time to open my Fiio E7 package muahahaha

Listening through usb using it's DAC, the treble is just awesome
Good upgrade from onboard sound for me

This post has been edited by terradrive: May 24 2010, 07:52 PM

btw, tats d 2nd prodn ut in msia u hav

since 24/5, 6pm ...

1st ut > xiang49 (cod)
2nd ut > terradrive (cod)
3rd ut > i'vN (cod)
4th ut > jigon (poslaju)
5th ut > zerorating (poslaju)


This post has been edited by E1 - AKG: May 24 2010, 09:10 PM

Holy Shit, I'm the 1st? WOW!

I think I need to get better cans to unleash the full potential of this amp+DAC

David, we need to TALK ABOUT THIS.

LOL.

This post has been edited by xiang49: May 24 2010, 09:58 PM

What headphones/earphones are you using?

very entry level cans, KSC75

show us some eye-catching pics.. huuu

terradrive > wat cans r u using wif d e7

Haha, sell ur stax Does Jaben has demo baby stax bro?

latest update:

since 24/5, 6pm ...

1st ut > xiang49 (cod)
2nd ut > terradrive (cod)
3rd ut > i'vN (cod)
4th ut > jigon (poslaju)
5th ut > zerorating (poslaju)
6th ut > ongbs (poslaju)
7th ut > amicliff (poslaju)

The ones I'm using are listed on my signature except the shp895.

Tried E7 on DT770 pro 250ohm. It's able to drive it heh. But most likely not as good as crossroads edge

This post has been edited by terradrive: May 25 2010, 12:01 AM

2 diff animals ...

seriously not bad weh.. its actually powerful enough to drive the DT770 pro /250.. but volume close to 80% already
bass responds is good.. can actually hear the vibration when a bass guitar hits.. mids is quite soft but the details are still very audible... the highs is what i like the most.. especially the sound of the cymbals ching ching ching.. fuuuh sounds like as if im hitting it (i play drums btw ) and not to mention the hi-hat.. can listen to how the drummer control it
tho with all this stuff.. the lack of mids is the biggest flaw (its the DT770's fault since its meant for monitoring) vocals may not be as good and laid back but the sharpness is definitely mind blowing with those older records before the loudness war (1979 teresa teng - tian mi mi) for example.. coz you can hear all the details and the vibrations in the vocal.. however newer songs with remastering.. its sad that you cant really hear these details

*edit* after listening directly from my nokia 5130.. and thought about the time i tested on terra's e7 (coz yesterday i didnt compare with the nokia ) .. i did realise the soundstage on the e7 is a little lacking as compared to my nokia 5130 ... but nevertheless its still a bargain.. especially for those whose source is a laptop

This post has been edited by Bonchi: May 25 2010, 05:36 PM

u wish....

they said they bring the baby stax, but im not so sure either they have the demo or not
if there's any gath on wesak day or on saturday... i may come... i need to buy something at kl... doing some mini project and need some stocks...

tq 4 d review, guess 4 a portable amp wif usb/dac plus d excellent design, built & finishg quality, its really worth every single cent

---

Added on May 25, 2010, 12:59 pmanother update:

since 24/5, 6pm ...

1st ut > xiang49 (cod)
2nd ut > terradrive (cod)
3rd ut > i'vN (cod)
4th ut > jigon (poslaju)
5th ut > zerorating (poslaju)
6th ut > ongbs (poslaju)
7th ut > amicliff (poslaju)

since 25/5 ...

8th ut > leeshock (cod)
9th ut > zarksentinel (poslaju)

This post has been edited by E1 - AKG: May 25 2010, 12:59 PM

Hehe Fiio already started designing the LOD for E7, but it would be released later as they are currently ramping the production of other LODs (sansa, sony, ipod, etc) and the E7 itself.

Hi, how is this compared to go-vibe petite? planning to get one. thanks! Since you used ibasso 4, does this mean this is better than ibasso 3?

Any reviews from the new E7 owners? ^^ how is it?

apart fr those above, thr r some ovr @ d sales thread, http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1325243

The E7 totally rocks compared to onboard soundcard lol.

Volume is definately much higher now and clarity is so much clearer.

I just love the EQ boost, doesnt drown the highs to much.

Have nothing else to reference it agaist I only own a astro mixamp which is design for games, and havent used it to listen with music much

I was listening to GnR's old song "November Rain" with e7 paring ori KSC75, the ending guitar solo part by Slash is much much powerful than listening to KSC75 alone.

This amp+DAC is pretty good in improving background details.

How much is the Fiio E7 final price? Any demo unit in MacStudio?

lets do a meet tis sat say at krispe kreame bts 4 those who wans 2 try d e7, any1?

Anyone who wants to try Fiio E7 that lives nearby Wangsa Maju area can contact me
Bring your cans so I can have a test too hehe

By the way on easy to drive cans like my AD300, Eterna etc the difference aren't that big. Overall details does improve and music sounded less flat. The biggest improvements are on those headphones that are harder to drive.

another poor man succumbed to poison

1 downside of this amp is when you connect to USB it will automatically start charging. The default setting on USB charge is always on, and you have to manually turn it off. Quite annoying.

I wonder if there's any new firmware to address it.

2 keep things simple & economical, fiio went wif usb link & charging in 1, thr4 its an auto chrg wif d 'opt out' ... anyway, fiio would hav alreadi seen ur post, lets await any advise on their end

So when lets say, if I start my E7.. and set USB Charge to Off..

does the E7 run from batt or run directly from usb power without passing the battery?

After hours of usage, I notice the battery status reduced by 1 bar.

sounds like a good idea

Hmmm, dunno whether I'll b free or not, not demo set in Mac Studio yet is it?

MacStudio @ LYP do have stk but are retailg @ RM339 ... not sure if they're doing demo, especially on wkends, thery r so busy

e7 should be run from battery when the USB Charge is set to Off.. i assume the reason behind this is not to drain the notebook/netbook battery

So far, my verdict :

1. notebook -> FiiO E7 -> ATH ESW9

2. Sansa Clip 4G V1 -> FiiO E7 -> ATH ESW9

Cheers

u'll need a lod then

I see.

---

Added on May 28, 2010, 10:16 amwhat's the resistance of the ESW9 again?

This post has been edited by chingwooi: May 28 2010, 10:16 AM

i think it's on the lower side..less than 50 ohm..

Cheers

meh.. the volume on sansa clip is very very soft to begin with

depends on your headphone impedance..mine is 10 click below the max volume is the highest volume i can bear.. more than that i'll turn deaf

Cheers