FiiO E10K Headphone Amplifier and USB DAC for PC, Laptop, Desktop only (Does not Support Mobile Phones)

After nearly 5 years of usage I am writing this review since I don't really have anything to do at the moment 😅. If you are starting your journey towards quality audio products, look no further. This is one of the most affordable quality audio product you will use over the years.Sound quality: Today the quality of sound in onboard motherboards in pc or laptop has improved to that extent that there is very small but noticeable difference in transparency between it and your 900$ DAC. So sound wise, it is a small notch over your onboard audio but about the same as other high end DAC.Features: It features a standard microUSB IN and 3.5mm OUT along with OFF to 10 volume POT in the front with a bass boost switch, which gives a cleaner bass boost than what you can achieve by EQ, although it makes the audio muddy in case of bad audio gear. In the back theres a 3.5mm line OUT which bypasses the internal AMP, a coax out that you will never use and a nifty little high gain switch which will allow it to output nearly 200mW @ 32ohm. You won't need that much power for IEMs, but it is just about powerful enough for 250ohm Beyerdynamics DT990 pro.Cons: While initially when I bought it for my Sennheiser HD598, I hardly had any qualms but 5 years I can mention a few although I still use it fully. Firstly not much of a problem but the blue LED is eye piercing bright. A simple solution I did was to open the DAC and slightly bend the LED away from the opening which significantly reduced my frustation. Secondly while the DAC has survived the test of time and durability, the volume POT now makes a bit of noise (I mean noise in audio) while changing volume, still its a very small nuisance which you can safely ignore.Other than this, it is a top notch DAC AMP combo. Even if you don't use the AMP, the DAC itself makes it worth the price and you can bypass the internal AMP for a better AMP like O2 or Magni. Also while it is stated that you can't use it in mobile, it is quite wrong. It boils down to power and low end mobile won't be able to power it, without the help of a powered usb hub. But modern phones with USB-C usually can power it by itself. I used to use it with OnePlus 7 using a USBC to microUSB cable just fine.

This is my first external DAC + Amplifier. I was looking to improve the quality my audio and started researching on amplifiers and DACs. DACs are discreet devices just like graphics cards but for sound. An amplifier just increased the loudness of whatever you are listening to. I mostly listen to music, watch movies on my laptop (which remains stationary most of the time). After reading up articles and suggestions for a couple of days on several sites, of which HeadFi (recommended website for researching up on anything audio) was the most influential, I settled on Fiio E10K (older model is Fiio 10).Now, why did I settle on this? - I was looking to improve the quality (not loudness) of my music (basically anything I hear through headphones)without breaking the bank. There were lots of amplifiers in the sub Rs.10K category and hardly any DACs. Since my listening was mostly going to be done at home, I wasn't looking for anything portable. I ignored the battery powered DACs/Amps and settled on this.The package was relatively small and the E10K was packaged snugly inside. I was surprised initially because I wasn't expecting something small. I can hold the DAC in my palm and wrap my hand around it. The E10K felt premium with the all metal body. It was beautifully crafted. My expectations were soaring by this time. I mean if something can look so beautiful, imagine what it would be like when used for the purpose it was built for. Alas this was not so! I was using the Sennheiser HD 180. I could hardly hear any difference between using the internal DAC of the laptop and the Fiio E10K. I was completely and utterly disappointed. I had just spent 5K to no avail.However I did not return it!It had after all been stated all over the web that external DACs hardly improved any quality when the drivers they would be driving would be of very low impedance. The Sennheiser HD 180 I believe are around 24 ohms (low impedance). Basically, don't buy these for low impedance headphones.Now my HD 180 are quite old and I had been planning to buy new headphones. I got the Sennheiser HD 598 SE. These headphones have an impedance of 50 ohms. I tried the headphones through the laptop DAC and then through E10K and i was blown away. The difference is big. The sound through the laptop DAC feels muddy, the instruments are mixed together, the bass was overpowering, but when i plugged the headphones into the DAC the sound was crystal clear, the sound-stage was wide, I could hear individual instruments and the vocals were lucid. Exactly what I had wanted when i bought the E10K.So in conclusion don't get these for earphones and low impedance headphones. If you have or are planning to purchase a good pair of headphones (high impedance) then I would recommend buying this as it does truly bring a difference in the sound quality of whatever you are listening to. Plus it is mentioned online that these can be powered via the micro usb port of a phone through an OTG cable, though i have not personally tested this. So they can be used on the go.

I have a motherboard with a realtek onboard audio ALC1220 120dB SNR HD Audio with Smart Headphone Amp. I was quite dissatisfied by its weak audio out besides having an headphone amp. Anyways, all these are marketing terms and onboard audio will never improve to the level that we stop feeling the need of an external audio solution. So, now coming to the fiio e10k. I feel the output is solid and the bass enhancement switch in the front works well if you are a bass head. I have a pair of audio technica ws550is (bass heavy headphones) which were struggling on the onboard audio and were sounding like a transistor from the 80's now sound like i imagined them to be.If you have ever experienced a bose or sennheisser sound booth where they give you a demo of there headphones(with all that crisp sparkling sound accompanied by that precise and punchy bass) and expecting that level of sound from this amp then i am afraid you'll get a bit disappointed.So to sum it up its a good deal if you are getting into sound and have started investing into good headphones which are above 35 ohms. Yes, if your headphones are above 35 ohms, you can clearly hear the difference in audio quality. The bass will get nice and punchy and will not overpower your mids and highs.