Fiio E12? Crossfeed?

Rabbit
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Fiio E12? Crossfeed? Jun 28, 2013 10:31:30 GMT

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Post by Rabbit on Jun 28, 2013 10:31:30 GMT

Has anyone heard one?

I've seen varied reviews on it but mostly inane stuff tbh. It's supposed to be 850Mw output (Not sure what load) but the weird thing is that people seem to write about things like a stiff a volume knob, it's quite big, the bass boost is good, the crossfeed is poor, but very little about how it actually sounds.

I liked the Meier Audio crossfeed a lot when I had one and used it quite a lot. Then made the fatal mistake of taking it to work where it was stolen and could no longer get another one.

There are pros and cons to crossfeed but the Meier one had variations that you could set on the front which, imo set it above anything else you could get. I don't like these units where it's either on or off but with a little degree of user setting, you can get a good happy medium with them depending on what you're listening to.

Unfortunately, there aren't that many crossfeeds available (probably due to the 'purist' attitudes of hi fi people) and certainly nothing that gets near Jan's unit.

Unfortuntately he doesn't sell them any longer and he stopped just before mine was nicked!!!! I even asked him if he had an old battered one lying around.

Two things got my interest with the E12 - 850mw and crossfeed.

I wish these companies would put one out so we could have a listen since they aren't widely available in shops and rely on reviews to get a feel for them.

It's weird, but as I get older, I start looking for things I'd have turned my nose up when I was younger..... tone controls, crossfeed, EQ.

I've always been a power freak and wanted as much power as possible on amps though.

Jeremy - take over from where Jan dumped us and put the whole combo in one of those cases!!! (With assorted, sensible leads too)

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-FIIO-E12-PORTABLE-HEADPHONE-AMPLIFIER-FROM-LONG-ESTABLISHED-UK-COMPANY-/171044627035?pt=UK_CE_MP3Access_RL&hash=item27d30de25b

Last Edit: Jun 28, 2013 11:27:46 GMT by Rabbit

Ian

Rabbit Administrator Posts: 7,091	Fiio E12? Crossfeed? Jun 29, 2013 16:13:58 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Rabbit on Jun 29, 2013 16:13:58 GMT oooh ..... fame. I was contacted by a retailer who is prepared to send me an E12 to review, so coming here soon!!! Perhaps if I ask about something posh, I could get one of those sent too? Any shops got an HE6?
	Last Edit: Jun 29, 2013 19:46:32 GMT by Rabbit Ian

solderdude
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Fiio E12? Crossfeed? Jun 29, 2013 19:08:40 GMT

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Post by solderdude on Jun 29, 2013 19:08:40 GMT

Jeremy (well BMF actually) already asked me about designing a (parametric ?) equalizer and crossfeed as well.

They all turn out pretty expensive.

here is a picture of a 3 stage parametric EQ I once built to equalize a listening room I had troubles with deadening with the usual stuff.

another problem with it is that it is not very 'graphic' and you really have to know (measure) what you are doing.

There is not a huge market for crossfeed and there are lots of good (even better?) digital cross-feeds around.
I made an adjustable crossfeed where the switches from Jan's unit were more or less replaced with potmeters so it became stepless.
Was a B... to adjust by ear.

In my experience crossfeed has to many disadvantages and found that I had to use different settings for different recordings or use a 'universal' setting. For me it made some recordings sound better and others worse. so I ditched the concept all together and never looked back.
It did not create the 'in front of the head' speaker experience as well.

If Jeremy decides he wants something like that I will provide some nice ideas but with quality materials used it won't be cheap and a real 'niche' product.

Last Edit: Jun 29, 2013 19:09:02 GMT by solderdude

use your EARS to enjoy MUSIC .... NOT as an analyzer

Rabbit
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Fiio E12? Crossfeed? Jun 29, 2013 19:37:02 GMT

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Post by Rabbit on Jun 29, 2013 19:37:02 GMT

Thanks for the info, Frans. Yes it's a difficult one because of cost and then until a good one is made, it'll never take hold in the market.

I've seen various parametric EQ units but cheap and nasty tbh. They would probably introduce more artifacts than do what I'm after.

You've probably guessed that I'd like to emulate your filters for different headphones so I can try to 'flatten' as much as possible in order to compare rather than compare a bass orientated headphone with a treble orientated one.

ie get them to flatten as much as poss. and then compare what they do. It's something that would allow perhaps a headphone like the DT150 which is comfortable and large for the ears, to work in a more comparative way to say an hd600 which is a tad more even or even use the t40 as a reference to try and emulate.

Theoretically possible to build a database of settings for best response from different headphones? A bit like that programme that GE puts out, but unfortunately only works when you use Ipod players. It's rather good and something to emulate perhaps, with a decent source and amp.

IMO the headphone is the most variable part of the whole chain, but (in theory, not real world) it would be nice to get them a little closer in sound and eliminate as many variables as possible so that the choice becomes more a question of what is the most comfortable, which for me is very important. An uncomfortable headphone is useless for me, even if it sounds great!!

I found the Meier unit worked incredibly well on some recordings, while on others, it was better off. The tuning, although switched was great because you could match to what you heard more rather than these crude on/off switches which seem to predominate. (as it is on the E12 and some of the ones that Tyll puts out)

It didn't throw the sound 'out' for me either, but it was just a tad more comfortable sometimes on the extreme L/R recordings when using headphones. I know it messes the stereo image but image for me is less important - I find imaging very difficult on a headphone but dead easy on speakers!! For headphones, I have to really concentrate and almost plant the image and fix things whereas on speakers, things are just there.

These bass boost switches seem to be a big thing nowadays. The E12 also has this bass boost. Suggests that there's something wrong with the headphones or source? If I boosted the bass on the HD650 or even the PX100 on it, it would be over the top.

I have an idea ....'The Listening Studio'. Amp, leads, crossfeed, eq. Yes I know - big bucks!!

Or a modular system that can be built up?

It was Jeremy's case that got me thinking. For instance, I have a digital portable recorder which I can cart around to take samples or whatever. It's fairly big and has 5 mic inputs so I can take some nice AT mics around with me and use the stereo pair on the front plus the AT's and another cardoid stereo mic if I need to. Lots of ways to get a clean recording and it all fits into a nice suitcase.

Jeremy's flightcase gave me the idea. Rather nice for people who travel. I guess though, that not many do with say HD40 or Senn 650 plus amps and sources!!!

Mind you, many people don't like to veer from flat on the amp to compensate for their headphones. They'd rather change the headphone than tweak the amp output to match.

Listening to some Soul stuff at the moment and even on that, it has the old Rhodes piano wavering between left and right with a quick vibrato. On headphones, very annoying. Fine on speakers.

I even put a cooker in the car!!

Last Edit: Jun 29, 2013 19:42:36 GMT by Rabbit

Ian

Post by Rabbit on Jun 28, 2013 10:31:30 GMT

Post by Rabbit on Jun 29, 2013 16:13:58 GMT

Post by solderdude on Jun 29, 2013 19:08:40 GMT

Post by Rabbit on Jun 29, 2013 19:37:02 GMT

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