Hmmm, may I know why is LOD needed when there's a 3.5mm hole beside it? And may I know if its better to use higher end models of FiiO or FiiO e6 is just enough?
How about telclast and cube c30? Any good combination of amp?

Definitely there will be an audible difference when you go from E6 to E11

The LOD bypasses the internal amp of the Nano taking the pure audio signal direct to the FiiO E6. You can't bypass the internal amps of both the Telclast and the Cube C30

When you don't do bypass and add an external amp, you will be double amping. Something audiophiles don't encourage. Your audio will still be subjected to the coloration of the internal amps of the respective players

OH! So now i get it, are you saying that the internal amp of nano is not very good, and if u combine the not very good internal amp with good external amp, the result will be neutralized? So that means bypassing the internal amp is needed so the audio data can go into the external amp straightly?

Other than that, do i need very good LOD? Cuz I can find LOD selling at rm30. So if the quality of LOD wont affect much, then i will just get the cheap ones.

For me only lo We different level, u adi next stage of audiophile level hmmm.. So basically the sq of a mp3 is depends on its internal amp only right ? So another way, the pure, unamped analog signal produced by a rm100 and rm1000 are the same?

Passing the already amped signal from the nano (inferior internal amp) through an external amp like the e6 would distort the signal. Using a LOD bypasses the internal amp of the nano, sending a pure, unamped analog signal to the relatively superior external amp, so you'd get the full effects of the e6.

And IMO, the fiio LODs are more than good enough for us beginners

It also depends on the internal DAC of the player. So far, only iDevices and selected Sonys with dock connections allow you to bypass the internal amps

i heard some android dev are tying to make LOD out of android phones..

POPO Hisoundaudio IEM is now performing way better than before after several hours of burn in. SQ is good both on Rocco-P and on my Samsung SII using Poweramp app. The bass quality is the first one you notice as if you are using a sub, the clarity of the vocals is superb.

hmm, how good is the internal dac of idevices? And does it changes the sq a lot?

IMO, it does affect the SQ but not as much as amps would do. Erm, I've heard that idevices which use Wolfson DACs perform better if compared to those with Cirrus DACs. If I'm not mistaken, iPod videos (5.5g and earlier), iPhone 4/4s and the iPad have decent DACs.

And P.S, I'm still a noob too

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Added on June 25, 2012, 3:00 pmAnd no, the quality of the analog signal depends on the DAC used.

This post has been edited by hebe0330: Jun 25 2012, 03:00 PM

Hmm, is it noticeable? And is there a thing like external dac and can bypass internal dac? And since ipod is a dac, it is a dap rite? A dap can have a dac, but a dac cannot have a dap ?

I guess so. the difference may be mainly due to the internal amp instead of the DAC though. Okay I'll try to explain :

DAC stands for digital-to-analog converter. It is a chip used to process digital files (stored in binary) in your mp3 players, computers and so on into analog form (think of electromagnetic waves) to be transmitted to your headphones/IEMs.

DAP stands for digital audio player. For example, iPod, zune, and so on. It has a DAC chip in it to convert all your audio files stored inside it into audio form to be enjoyed by audiophiles like you.
So technically, you're right. Every DAP must have a DAC chip in it to enable playback.

Hope this helps.

yup, i roughly know how it goes, and the better the DAC is, the smoother the magnetic wave right?

I guess so? not sure about the technicalities

Hmmm, i think it is Cuz i read an article about it before. And one more thing, the hissing sound is caused by dac or internal amp?

is anyone using hippo pipe portable amp? i wonder if could perform well with my Pioneer M390 without the LOD. Source: iPod touch and Asus A43S laptop.

This post has been edited by screwedpeep: Jun 25 2012, 05:30 PM

this isn't technically true. the LODs on iDevices do not totally bypass the internal amps, its is only a pseudo line out. to totally bypass the internal amps of the iDevices, you have to use either the Dostex HP-P1 or the CLAS as the iDevices hasn't been designed to provide a true line-out connection.

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Added on June 25, 2012, 5:40 pmandroid phones do not need a LOD, can use the USB-OTG connector. what the android phones requires is actually an USB audio out codec/driver, which so far seems to be only available on the Galaxy S3. hopefully it will get ported to the other phones / tablets soon.

This post has been edited by hongrui: Jun 25 2012, 05:40 PM

Hi, I need suggestion on DAC (+AMP) for IEM of mine.
I have AT CK-300M, Creative EP-630 (rarely use) and Samsung Galaxy Note stock IEM, I also planned for FAD Adagio II.
I need one that can bring out the best from my IEM, well especially the FAD Adagio II that I'm planned to.
I like BASS (thumping bass) and clarity on mid, I'm not into high (headache with too much high pitch).
I probably will goes portable so battery is a good idea but I'm most using it on my main PC and sometimes laptop, and if my Galaxy Note has the capability of output USB audio then well, I'll probably going for that as well.
I think my condition is a bit... umm... too specific? haha... anyway I can goes up to max FiiO E17 (my first choice), if others capable of I need, please do suggest more.
Thank you in advance.

Umm... hard choice, how's Hippo Cri Cri+ compare to FiiO E17?
I did auditioned E7 before, the sound is kind of very high pitch and Hippo (can't remember the model) has much warmer and detail sound, especially on the mid!
Does E17 gives the same output of E7?

Thanks for all the input, my first DAC purchase so I don't want regrets

hippo cri cri+, slim 24 bit dac+amp, that can run on internal battery, or USB

Hi there, anyone mind explaning the differences and specialties between e7 e10 and e11? getting one of these soon. Ready to spend on these..

It really depends on your applications

What is/are your source/s