We say “Fiio” and we mean “inexpensive HiFi,” we say “inexpensive HiFi,” and we mean “Fiio.” The company has long and firmly taken its place in the market, offering solutions for high-quality sound at an affordable price. One of the best in terms of price / quality products Fiio was a small desktop DAC with headphone amplifier E10. A couple of months ago, the company updated it, traditionally naming the new model E10K. What brought this update?
Fiio E10 always caused me positive emotions: a small, very inexpensive, with a good sound - that is necessary for business trips and frequent trips, it is not a pity to throw it into a backpack and take it with you to rest. There is no need to wait for revelations from E10, but for its price it is a worthy replacement for the low-quality built-in sound chips of laptops and PCs. The long-awaited update has improved it in all respects, leaving the price (about $ 80) at the same level.
The well-proven (although far from ideal) WMAP40 WM8740 from Wolfson was replaced by the PCM5102 from Texas Instruments. This made it possible to more effectively implement a digital filter and reduce delays, which, according to the company, made it possible to improve the sound quality. Judging by the latest products, Fiio clearly decided to leave Wolfson chips and switch to TI products.
The low-pass filter and the bass boost circuit were also optimized, which made it possible to significantly reduce the noise level and distortion. In the amplifier part, the LMH6643 came to replace the AD8397, the amplifier circuit was also optimized, which also benefited.
The good old Tenor TE7022 is used as the USB interface, so the E10K implements USB Audio 1.0 in synchronous mode. On the one hand, this limits the maximum sampling rate of 96 kHz, on the other hand, the Fiio E10K does not require drivers. In addition, Tenor has long been familiar with Fiio, and they do not see the need to change it. According to unofficial information, digital data buffering is used to eliminate the drawbacks of a synchronous connection in E10K.
Specifications
- Frequency range: 20 Hz - 20 KHz
- Output power: 200 mW @ 32Ω
- Output Impedance: <1.04Ω
- Signal to noise ratio: > 105 dB
- Channel imbalance: <0.4 dB
- Total harmonic distortion: <0.006% @ 1 kHz
- Channel separation: > 70 dB @ 1 kHz
- Range of voltage: 7.39 V
- Recommended load impedance: 16Ω - 150Ω
- Input: micro USB
- Outputs: 3.5 mm TRS for headphones and linear
- Power supply: USB bus, 5 V, 500 mA
- Dimensions: 79 mm x 49.1 mm x 21 mm
- Weight: 78 gr.
Package and Delivery
The only thing that upset me in the transition from the old version of the E10 to the new one is packaging. The previous version of the E10 was supplied in an excellent tin box, the new one in a standard cardboard box for Fiio. Of course, for an inexpensive solution, such a box is more than good, but I still miss the previous version.
New packaging traditionally has dimensions comparable to a compact disc, only thicker. It traditionally has a sticker to check the device for authenticity. Inside you will find an amplifier, silicone legs that can be glued to your E10K to protect it from scratches, and a microUSB cable. In general, everything you need for full use.
Design and management
The device is very small, but it looks very cool. The compact case of black anodized aluminum with grooves on the sides is diluted only with the white designations of the outlets and the company logo. All controls are located on the front and rear panels (for the old E10, the gain switch was on the bottom panel).
The rear panel contains a USB connector, a gain switch, a coaxial RCA-output SPDIF (the ability to use the E10K as a converter from USB to SPDIF is a nice bonus) and a 3.5 mm TRS line output that allows you to bypass the built-in amplifier. On the front panel there is a volume control, a bright blue LED indicator, a bass boost function switch and a headphone output.
The volume control is very good, its course is very smooth, there is no noise when adjusting.
Sound
The following headphones were used for listening:
Of course, the Fiio E10K is not yet another “killer of the giants,” more expensive solutions sound better, but for a device at a price lower than $ 80 - the E10K is capable of very, very much. Of course, this minicombine is not the best choice for high impedance headphones or tight orthodynamic models, although it does very well with 250Ω headphones from Beyerdynamic. In general, the E10K is not capricious in the choice of load, and sensitive IEM, and large overhead models, play very well with it.
Fiio did a good job on the E10 sound. The new version is more neutral, better in resolution and pleases with reduced noise levels. This makes it a more versatile solution, allowing the amplifier to work with a large number of headphones and simplifying their selection.
In general, the sound of the E10K is almost even, the warmth of the sound of the first version of the E10 was left with only a hint, softening the sound and making it musical and engaging.
The bass is well controlled and gently fed. The E10K, of course, does not have a crazy punch and wild bass energy, but considering the price of the bass, the E10K deserves all praise. Separately, I would like to note the relevance of the woofer, they do not crawl into the neighboring frequency range, as is often the case with inexpensive products. Traditionally, Fiio products have a bass boost feature. It is improved compared to the old model and adds a little less than 6 dB, so in the E10K bass boost adds warmth and physicality to the music, instead of jamming it with percussion bass.
The mid-frequency range is also not bad, you can find fault with the not-very-wide virtual scene, but a good separation of instruments and the transfer of performance emotions is more than good.
The upper frequencies are unobtrusive, but not reduced. They give enough airiness and lightness to the compositions, without causing fatigue or causing sibilants.
Of course, I could not help but try the E10K as a DAC with other amplifiers. To do this, you will most likely need an adapter cable from 3.5 mm TRS to 2 RCA connectors ( ).
The first thing I tried with the E10K was the Espressivo-E amplifier from Feliks Audio. It is focused primarily on high-impedance headphones, the bundle turns out to be very musical, with softened HF and dynamic percussion bass.
I also tried the E10K with the Fiio E12DIY version. In fact, such a bundle is able to deal with many desktop combines in the primary and secondary range. E10K offers a fairly good digital audio conversion to analog, and the power and energy of the E12 takes the sound to a new level, correcting almost all the flaws in E10K (with the exception of the stage width).
findings
No need to be a rocket scientist to note that the upgrade was a success for Fiio. The already quite good E10, which was popular, became noticeably better. Reduced noise, improved detail, more neutral sound - Fiio engineers fixed almost everything that could be put to a claim to the previous E10. If we add to this a good appearance and an affordable price, we can say that we are dealing with one of the clear leaders of the budget segment.
The article is based on materials .
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