RHA MA 350 Earphone Review

RHA MA 350's

I would like to first preface this review with a big thank you to RHA for sending out their MA 350's for review, especially considering how fast they arrived.  I also want to state that this review is absolutely, 100% my true opinion on the MA 350's.  I am being totally and completely honest about how I personally feel these headphones perform. The RHA MA 350's are overall a very refined earphone with a few minor rough edges.  They combine exceptional build quality, superbly machined aluminum driver enclosures and a clean minimalistic aesthetic approach that I absolutely love.  The sound is relatively impressive as well with a sparkly clear upper register and a surprisingly present and refined lower end.  Priced at $40 U.S. dollars, there are only a few other earphones in the MA 350's price range that match the price to performance ratio of the MA 350's, and they typically don't have machined aluminum driver enclosures! So without further ado, lets get into the nitty gritty of what these headphones bring to the table.

The MA 350's packaging is what I consider to be standard earphone packaging, it was more than sufficient in protecting the MA 350's enclosed within.  Included in the packaging is of course, the MA 350's themselves, three sets of silicon ear tips, small, medium and large respectively.  A nice little carrying pouch is also included, which in my opinion is to be expected with any $30+ dollar pair of headphones/ earphones.

As stated earlier, the RHA MA 350's driver enclosures are manufactured from machined aluminum and consist of a two tone silver and black color scheme.  RHA states on their website that the design for the MA 350's was inspired by the "aerophonic design of a trumpet bell" which I believe results in a very elegant and simplistic design. The MA 350's are absolutely the best built earphones that I have ever used in this price bracket.  The MA 350's feature a 1.2m braided fabric cable (think of the fabric cables used on higher end gaming mice and gaming keyboards) that has the positive effect of increasing durability and reducing tangling, however it does have the undesirable effect of an extreme level of cable noise that I will go into later.  The MA 350's also feature a 3.5mm gold plated connector. With gold being connectors being pretty common place even in lower end earphones these days, this is a nice but relatively unremarkable feature.  I like the inclusion of rubber where the cable meets the driver housing as well as the inclusion of the strain relief rubber where the cable meets the 3.5mm connector.  While only time will truly tell how the MA 350's hold up against use, these features coupled with the solid driver housing design and braided fabric cable increase my confidence in the MA 350's level of durability.  The MA 350's also have an extremely impressive three year warranty. As far as I am concerned this is practically unheard of for earphones in this price range. Circling back to the cable noise issue, I found that the while the braided fabric cable reduced tangling it also has the unfortunate side effect of a massive amount of cable noise.  This issue is one of the two total main issues that I have with these earphones.  You know that the cable noise is excessive when you blast Radiohead at ear splitting volumes and you can still hear the swish swishing sound of the fabric cable as it makes contact with well... anything.  I do not know whether it is possible to rectify excessive cable noise issues by modyfying the preexisting fabric cable, or if the fabric cable needs to be substituted with a more traditional rubber one.  All I know is that these are the first pair of earphones that I have used that feature a fabric cable and I am not impressed with the cable noise issue.  I would rather sacrifice having my earphones be tangle free than sacrifice sound quality due to cable noise.

Simply because many people so often request it, I will give a brief overview of the RHA MA 350's technical specifications.  Keep in mind however that product specifications do not always directly correlate to how well a product will perform especially in the case of headphones.  Nevertheless, the RHA 350's feature a fairly sizable 10mm mylar driver, a frequency response of 16-22,000Hz, a very low 16Ohm impedance and a sensitivity of 103dB.  I can confirm that the MA 350's are capable of being played at extremely loud volumes with minimal power input.  In other words, you wont have to crank up the volume slider on your laptop or portable device very much in order to achieve a loud volume level.  While earphones like the MA 350's are typically very easy to drive, the MA 350's really seem to be capable of playing at louder volumes than most other comparable earphones.  That being said, be careful not to turn them up too loud as they are capable of absolutely thrashing your ears.

The sound signature of the RHA MA 350's is a healthy reprieve from the sound signature that typically accompanies earphones in the $40 to $50 dollar price bracket.  I too often find that many comparable earphones produce either bloated sound signatures that attempt at satisfying the all to common "bass head"mentality or they lack bass altogether.  The MA 350's produce a detailed sound signature consisting of crystal clear, sparking highs and a well defined bottom end that is completely devoid any degree of bloated or muddy bass.  The MA 350's upper range is commendable because RHA was able to achieve a crystal clear sparkly sound signature while simultaneously keeping the sibilance to a minimum.  The MA 350's are very good at reproducing trance and EDM style electronic music, but remain balanced enough to perform well in any genre of music.  I think its safe to say that the MA 350's are a "bright" headphone overall due to their sparkly higher frequencies, but at the same time they do not lack in the bass department either.  Even so, I find the MA 350 sound signature extremely likable. If I had one gripe with the MA 350's in regards to sound quality, it would be that the mid range is only ever so slightly recessed.  Of the lower and upper ranges, the mid range is also least defined.  Despite this minor issue, its merely a small blip on the radar when you factor in the entire scope of the MA 350's audio quality bliss.  One final area that I found particularly surprising was the MA 350's extremely low range from the 60 to 30Hz range.  I performed a frequency range test spanning all the way from 20Hz to 20,000Hz and was impressed with the MA 350's sub bass performance especially when you consider the fact that the MA 350's are merely a mid level earbud type design.  Additionally, the MA 350's performed surprisingly well with bass heavy music, although the sparkly upper register would likely turn off the average bass head.  The soundstage on the MA 350's isn't spectacular nor is the instrument separation.  However, this tends to be a common thing with earphones in this price range and in that regard I would place the MA 350s as slightly above average.

The RHA MA 350's are a serious contender in a price range typically inhabited by a few gems and a plethora of average to sub average earphones.  My absolute favorite part about the earphones is their ability to reproduce an upper range that truly shines while avoiding annoying sibilance that detracts from female vocalists, symbol hits and soprano brass instruments (such as the trumpet) as well as the overall sound quality of the track.  I should also mention that the MA 350's are extremely effective at reproducing the sharp, staccato brass hits of up tempo jazz while also effectively reproducing the fragile and intricate sound of the violin in classical music.  If you haven't gotten the picture by now, I find the MA 350's upper range truly spectacular!  The biggest gripe that I have with the MA 350's has to be the cable noise.  I am extremely nit picky when it comes to having the absolute best sound possible and perhaps I am overreacting, but the cable noise is a bit of a detractor for me.  Maybe it's just because I really couldn't find a major fault anywhere else but I find the microphonic's bothersome.  The build quality of the MA 350's however is absolutely amazing, so kudos to RHA for the clean and elegant design.  Me and whoever designed the look of these earphones obviously think alike because I am a sucker for minimalistic and simplistically designed products and the MA 350's achieve just that.  All in all and despite the cable noise issue, I received a very positive vibe from the MA 350's.  Sitting at the $40 dollar price point, I definitely put them in my recommended list.  Be sure to check out the links below to RHA's website and the Amazon product page and as always, thanks for reading.

CLICK HERE for RHA MA 350 Product Page
CLICK HERE for RHA MA 350 Amazon Product Page

Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Review

Sennheiser HD 280 Pros

The Sennheiser HD 280 Pros are tried and true professional studio monitor headphones designed for intensive sound production and monitoring applications. They feature a basic but practical design and high grade durable components (such as the extremely thick gauge coiled cable, beefed up headphone joints and high grade durable plastic construction) that results in a rugged and durable headphone that is designed with longevity in mind even through extensive daily use.  It is readily apparent upon holding the 280 Pros for the first time, that Sennheiser took extra time ensuring that the 280 Pro's can withstand many years of heavy use.  In this fashion, the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's compete with other tried and true, durable studio monitor headphones such as the Sony MDR-7506's, Sony MDR-V6's, Shure SRH-440's and even the Audio Technica ATH-M50's.  From my perspective, the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's are one of the most commonly used headphones in the professional studio community, right behind the Sony MDR-7506's and V6's.  While the HD 280 Pro's do happen to be less analytical than other comparable studio monitor headphones (such as the 7506's) they are headphones that are designed on the basis of a balanced and relatively analytical sound signature. In other words, these are not extra bass or overly colored headphones at all (although they do maintain a ever so slightly colored sound signature).  They are, for the most part, a balanced headset.

The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's come in a relatively standard box, but I am pleased to announce that its a box that is actually reusable.  Most of Sennheisers lower to medium price tiered products come in annoying disposable packaging.  The HD 280 Pro's deliver very little in the way of accessories.  Included in the box is the headphones themselves and a 6.3mm screw-on adapter that screws on to the pre-existing 3.5mm plug on the headphones themselves to allow connections to amps and other professional grade audio equipment that require the use of the bigger connector.  The HD 280 Pros do not come with any form of carrying case; pouch or hard case.  I found this to be a bit disappointing seeing both the ATH-M50's and the Sony MDR-7506's are are in the same price bracket and both supply carrying pouches with their headphones.

The first thing one will notice when removing the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros from the box is that they are a fairly hefty pair of headphones.  They are not necessarily designed to be the next big thing in headphone comfort (more on that later).  For those interested in technical specifications, the HD 280 Pros sport an over ear (circumaural) design for minimal sound leakage in or out. Because of the professional studio nature of these headphones, they are extremely adept at keeping outside sound from entering the headphone and keeping sounds inside the headphones from leaking out.  They have a 64Ohm impedance (can be powered by your portable device but amping them helps sound and volume level significantly) an 8-25,000Hz frequency response, 102dB sound pressure level, 40mm dynamic type driver with neodymium magnets and a max power rating of 500mW.  These headphones are not really designed for use with portable devices.  They can of course be used with portable devices, but without and amplifier they really do not achieve their maximum sound quality potential.

HD 280 Pros in ball configuration

In terms of build quality it is obvious that the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros are designed to withstand years of heavy use.  The ruggedness of the headphones themselves is a testament to this idea.  Every single thing about these headphones is big.  The long, coiled cable is constructed of a very thick gauge wire with plenty of insulation which also results in zero cable noise.  The connections were the wire connects to the jack and were the wire goes into the ear cup are reinforced with rubber and plastic that prevents the cable from flexing too much.  This is done in order to ensure that the connections don't wear out from constant flexing and result in a broken connection (the first component to go out in headphones is typically the cable, either where it connects to the plug or were it enters the ear cup) because the cable on the HD 280 Pros is not detachable, this is an important feature that will ensure longevity.  The joints that allows the ear cups to swivel as well as fold flat are constructed to be extremely durable.  The HD 280 Pro's are 100% plastic, but the plastic is a high grade plastic and is relatively dense as well. I was personally surprised at the weight of the headphones despite them being of plastic construction. There have been some reports by online reviewers that the HD 280 Pro headband is prone to cracking after a few years.  However, I have also read that this issue was not present in all HD 280 Pro models to begin with and that it has since been corrected. Sennheiser has an amazing warranty program that I have experienced first hand.  If your HD 280 Pro's were to break for any reason under normal use, I am positive that Sennheiser would send you a replacement very quickly.  So far, I have not experienced any build quality issues with my 280 Pros and I think that it is safe to say that they are extremely durable headphones.  One last important thing to note, the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro comes in the standard black color scheme, bit a silver scheme is also available for purchase.  Obviously, the HD 280 Pros are not headphones designed to be aesthetically flashy, so I just bought the regular black set.  Most people don't wear studio monitor headphones in public as they are not necessarily designed for use with portable devices, nor are they very lightweight or super portable (although the HD 280 Pro's do fold up into a handy little ball for traveling).

Comfort is my biggest issue with the HD 280 Pro's.  I happen to have been graced with a relatively large head.  The HD 280 Pro's happened to be manufactured with a vice grip like clamping force.  The result is headphones that, to me aren't comfortable in the slightest.  I can get a maximum of an hour listening session with the 280 Pros before I start to become uncomfortable.  They really do apply a massive amount of force.  This is due to the HD 280 Pro's being professional studio monitors.  In order to allow minimal sound in and let minimal sound out, the HD 280 Pro's have to sit on your head with a certain degree of clamping force.  If they were loose, sound would leak in and out much more readily.  All studio monitors have more clamping force than traditional consumer headphones like Bose headsets or even my Sennheiser HD 439's.  However, the HD 280 Pros have, by far, the most excessive clamping force out of any of the studio monitors I have listened to or owned.  They are entirely impossible to wear with glasses on as well as the mash the metal frame of your glasses into your head.  I was able to lesson the clamping force a little bit by stretching the HD 280 Pros out over a soccer ball for a few days.  I suppose it worked, but the clamping force is still too much for my tastes.  If you have a smaller head, perhaps the the clamping force wont be an issue, but for those of us with big melons I would honestly suggest looking elsewhere.  It really is that bad.

Sennheiser HD 439's (left) Sennheiser HD 280 Pros (right)

Sound quality. Oh how I love the sound signature.  If not for the clamping issue, I would probably listen to the 280 Pro's much more than I do currently. I found that the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's produce a relatively warm sound signature for studio monitor headphones.  The sound is a lot more neutral than my Sennheiser HD 439's, but compared to the coldly analytical sound signature of my Sony MDR-7506's, these do give off a certain essence of warmth.  The sound is only ever so slightly colored.  People who claim that the HD 280 Pro's don't have any bass depth must have had their hearing impaired, or they have only ever listened to the 280 Pro's from some crappy portable device's line out.  The low frequencies that these headphones can expand into are far deeper than what many of my other headphones can achieve.  If I had one gripe about the bass response on these headphones, it would be that it lacks some tangible impact.  The bass response is overall good, yes but if you are looking for thumping bass and impressive bass impact, look elsewhere.  There isn't much to say about the mid range other than the fact that its just at the level that I like it at (at the same relative presence and level as the bass) and that its tight and controlled. The upper range is one of my favorite parts about this headphone.  It lacks sibilance and harshness that many other studio monitor headphones in this range (such as the 7506's) produce.  I often found myself cringing at the amount of sibilance produced from my Sony MDR-7506's while listening to rock albums that had lots of symbol crashes.  Not with the HD 280 Pros.  The headphones reproduce treble in a delicate and non overbearing manner.

HD 280 Pro Sliver

I love the overall sound quality of the HD 280 Pro's simply because there doesn't seem to be one specific type of music that its not good at reproducing.  I suppose that other headphones might suit bass heavy music better than the HD 280 Pro's simply because of their lack of bass impact.  Other than that, the HD 280 Pros reproduce anything from classical to metal, jazz to trance with surprising aptitude.  With the exception of the Audio Technica ATH-M50's, the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's sound surprisingly lively for being a pair of analytical studio monitor headphones.  Additionally, because these headphones are designed for the studio, they respond incredibly well to equalization meaning you can tailor the sound signature of your music to however you like it with ease.  One unfortunate drawback to the HD 280 Pro's in terms of sound however is a slight but perceptible resonance that occurs.  I have noticed that a variety of lower to mid range closed back Sennheiser headphone have this resonance characteristic.  I believe that this issue is caused simply by the plastic construction of the ear cups and a non sufficient amount of sound absorbing material inside the ear cups themselves.  There is a DIY mod called "the blutack mod" that can be performed to rid of this issue and also increase bass response.  I have done it myself, but wont go into it here (I will most likely post about it at a later date). Besides this minor issue, the overall sound of the HD 280 Pro's is commendable.

While I love the sound quality of the HD 280 Pro's, the comfort has always been an issue for me.  If you have a large head such as myself, you may want to consider looking at some other headphone options.  I always recommend auditioning and trying on a pair of headphones if possible before purchase to ensure that their sound signature fits your liking and that the comfort level is acceptable.  Otherwise, the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's are a demonstration of rugged build quality, longevity and commendable sound quality.

CLICK HERE for Sennheiser HD 280 Pro product page

Sony MDR-XB700 Review

The Sony MDR-XB700's are a pair of headphones that I picked up more out of an impulsive decision rather than actually researching the headphones.  While I liked them initially, I used them during what I like to call my "bass crazy" phase when I listened to copious amounts of dubstep, electronic, trance music etc.  Today, my music horizon encompasses many more genres requiring headphones that are able to perform well in all genres, whether it's jazz, rock, orchestral or electronic.  The XB 700's from Sony are no doubt bass heavy headphones, designed specifically with the "bass head" community in mind (hence the "extra bass" moniker on the box) and while they may suit many casual headphone enthusiasts or just the average music listener who wants some extra bass punch in their headphones, they will be sure to disappoint if you prefer the balanced sound signature of many audiophile grade headphones. Before I really get into meat of the review, lets overview specs, included accessories, features, build quality and comfort.

The Sony MDR-XB700's come packaged in one of those cheap boxes that I absolutely hate.  You know, the boxes that you are forced to throw away once you have opened them because they are pretty much incapable of holding the headphones after they have been opened up.  I know it's just a box, but I find it annoying the the packaging isn't reusable.  The XB-700's include a "pleather" (synthetic leather) drawstring carrying pouch and that's pretty much it in terms of accessories.  The carrying pouch is absolutely massive, its obviously constructed in this manner in order to accommodate the sheer massiveness of the XB700's themselves.  Even so, there is lots of empty space in the pouch even with the XB700's sitting snugly inside.  There are no spare ear cushions, no 6.3mm adapters included with the XB700's.  Inside the annoying disposable box rests the headphones themselves and the carrying pouch as well as a little instruction manual letting you know how to use a pair of headphones (pretty sad that we have to kill trees just to tell people how to put a pair of headphones on isn't it?)

If you are a spec head, the Sony MDR-XB700s technical specifications consist of the following: Very low 24Ohm impedance (easily powered by your portable device) a 3-28,000Hz frequency response (yes thats a three, as in 3Hz.  Your dog cant even hear sound that that low) large 50mm dynamic driver,  powerful neodymium magnets, 106dB/mW sensitivity (these can rattle your skull with ear destroying bass.  Be careful that you don't lose your hearing prematurely with these on) and a commendable power handling capacity of 3,000mW.

The build quality of the XB700's can be best described as "adequate".  It's not a poorly built headphone by any means, but it's also not the sturdiest built product nor is it constructed from the most durable materials.  Its pretty much 90% plastic if I am honest (not that plastic is necessarily a bad material).  The metal portion located where the headband connects to ear cup is actually an extremely thin layer of metal.  Behind it is just more plastic.  The silver ear cups themselves, are in fact, plastic.  The headband is covered in a soft pleather like material that I like, but the headband itself in my opinion, could use a bit more padding.  The padding is there, but its not enough to be adequate.  The massive "king size" ear cushions are extremely comfortable, yes.  However, if there is one downside to the ear cushions its that they do not let your ears breathe at all.  The result is sweaty ears after only an hour of listening in most cases.  One major annoyance about the XB700's is their incredible tendency for sound leakage.  They do an okay job keeping outside sound from coming in, but sound leaks out of them like a sieve that gets everyone of the airplane/ bus/ train all hot and bothered because they can hear with almost amazing clarity the obnoxious, earth shattering, bass blasting dubstep that you are no doubt listening to with an "extra bass" headphone.  It's almost incredible to me how much these cans leak. There is one upside to this however, your XB700's now do more than you expected: you can use them as a portable speaker system!  I believe that this issue is a direct result of the king size ear cushions inability to keep sound in and I also noticed that the XB700's have three slits or a vent if you will on the ear cup hidden away behind the headband.  Sony claims that the XB700s are closed back headphones, but sound does leak out from this vent.  The flat cord could best be compared to linguini, its the same relative thickness and shape.  I have a love/ hate relationship with the cord.  I like the flat cord style to a certain degree, but the cable is extremely short and connects to both of the ear cups.  Its essentially a Y-cable.

From an aesthetic point of view, the XB700s are absolutely ridiculous.  They look like they designed by Darth Vader or something, with the massive black ear cushions and the black and grey color scheme.  Expect to be looked at funny or pointed at if you wear these around in public, they are absolutely truly massive. Of course, if you don't mind people staring at what appears to be two monster truck tires with your head sandwiched in the middle, thats fine too.  You can however still take comfort in the fact that you wont look as idiotic as your standard brainless teen touting their craptastic Beats by Dre headphones, but thats besides the point.

Size comparison, the XB700's are left

Now for the good stuff: the sound quality.  The XB700s definitely live up to the extra bass moniker on the box.  These cans are extremely punchy and capable of belting out the lowest bass frequencies with absolutely no distortion.  Yes, the bass is a bit bloated in the extreme low ranges but I was overall very impressed with the XB700's bass response.  I thought that the XB700's being so bass oriented was going to result in extremely bloated, muddy, distorted bass but I was pleasantly surprised to hear a surprising amount of bass clarity from the XB700's. The mid range is another story all together and unfortunately it not a good one.  Heres a word for you: recessed. Recessed, recessed, recessed, recessed, recessed! There is absolutely no other way to describe the XB700's mid range! It's so recessed it could practically be non existent!  Then you have the high range on the XB700's that might actually have the potential to be relatively impressive if it was backed up by a non-recessed mid range, but it almost sounds screechy in comparison to the non existent mid range.  If you look at an actual frequency graph for the XB700's you will notice that the XB-700's high range is a bit recessed as well, but not nearly to the degree that the mid range is.  It's unfortunate, with such amazing bass response with the XB700's a non recessed mid and high range would result in an extremely impressive headphone.  Unfortunately, this is not the case.  The XB700's perform very well with a very limited music genre selection. Do not even think for a moment of listening to anything remotely orchestral with them, nor vocal, jazz, acoustic or even rock.  If all you listen to is dubstep, these are the cans for you.  Otherwise, get something much, much more balanced!

Note: The Sony MDR-XB700s have just recently (as of this writing) been discontinued by Sony.  However, a few do remain in stores and they can also be found on Amazon.

CLICK HERE for Sony MDR-XB700 Amazon product page

Sennheiser Headphone Case? Look No Further

CASEBUDi Hard Headphone Case

The CASEBUDi hard case fits pretty much all of Sennheisers low to mid range over ear headphones so snugly, you would think that it was manufactured by Sennheiser itself. I use this case with my Sennheiser HD 439's and it works like a charm.  The only issue I see is that the cable on the HD 439's has to be removed in order for the headphones to fit in the case.  With other Sennheiser HD 400 series headphones (like the HD 419, 429, 449's etc.) this could pose a problem because these headphones do not have a detachable cable function.  Otherwise the CASEBUDi headphone case fits the Sennheiser HD 518's, HD555's, HD 598's all the way up to the Sennheiser HD 650.  Pretty much any full sized Sennheiser headphone between the HD 439's and the HD 650's that have a detachable cable will fit as perfectly.  The case also includes a little zippered pouch inside that is useful for storing cables or in my case, the rubber band and 3.5mm jack for my portable headphone amplifier.  This case has velcro on the back so it can be moved around inside the case to different positions.  This inside of the case is also very nice, it feels like it is covered in a soft, felt-like material.

HD 439's and accessories fit snugly in the case

As you can see in this picture, the Sennheiser HD 439's fit very well inside the CASEBUDi hard headphone case. I can even store my FiiO E7 amp, its accessories, the headphones themselves, and the headphones cable (which is in the black Sennheiser pouch) all inside the case.  This case is a great alternative to the cheap, bag cases Sennheiser supplies with many of their headphones.  In my case, the HD 439's didn't come with a bag or a case, so this hard case was practically a necessity!  The CASEBUDi headphone case is durable and will surely protect your precious Senns from a variety of accidents such as liquid spillage, drops and of course, being sat on.  The case is constructed very well and the zipper is of high quality operated very smoothly (its not one of those crappy zippers that gets stuck all the time).  I definitely recommend this case if you have a pair of Sennheisers that you travel with a lot and you want added protection for.  Especially when transporting some of the more expensive headphones like the HD 598's and HD 600's, this case is worth its weight in gold.  There have been reports by reviewers that this case also works for other headphones such as the Parrot Ziks, but you would need to do more research before buying this case to see if non-Sennheiser headphones will fit.  Five out of five stars goes to the CASEBUDi hard headphone case!

CLICK HERE for CASEBUDi hard headphone case Amazon product page

FiiO E7 Portable Headphone Amplifier/ DAC Review

FiiO E7 portable headphone amplifier/ DAC

The FiiO E7 is one of the most popular portable headphone amps/ DACs on the market and rightly so.  The unit packs some surprisingly high grade components for such a small, relatively cheap portable device.  The E7 utilizes a Texas Instruments TPA6130A as its preamp and power amp. The relatively high grade amplifier housed within the E7 unit (for its size and price point) is a marked improvement over the much cheaper, poor performing, low powered Cirrus amp chips found in most iDevices as well as other various amp chips found in most portable devices.  The best part about the E7 though has to be it's DAC.  The Wolfson WM8740 DAC chip is a surprisingly high grade DAC chip for the E7's commendably low price.  There are two downfalls to the DAC capability of the E7 however, the first being that the DAC will not work when played from any portable device that uses the auxiliary input on the E7 (AKA iDevices, Sony Walkmans, Zune's or any music player that doesn't have a USB port or that doesn't have the capability to output audio via USB).  Basically the DAC chip is only utilized when using the E7 with a USB cable.  Secondly, the TI PCM 2706 USB receiver in the E7 only supports a maximum of 48kHz, 16-bit sample rate sound even though the Wolfson WM8740 DAC chip supports up to a maximum 192kHz, 24-bit sample rate.  This is simply the limitation of the USB receiver. If FiiO had chosen a higher end USB receiver, the amp could theoretically process a 96kHz, 24-bit sample rate signal via USB.  This is the only true hardware oversight by FiiO, but besides this small downfall the amp sounds great and the DAC greatly improves upon the digital to analog converters in most laptops as well as lower to medium end desktops with onboard or cheaper OEM sound card audio.

Aux line in, dock connector and USB in (left)
Two 3.5mm headphone line out ports (right)

Now for just a quick overview of all the technical specifications for those interested.  The FiiO E7 features a small, dual color OLED (Organic Light Emitting Display) screen that displays volume level, EQ settings as well as battery charge level.  One downfall to the screen is that while the E7 is powered on, the screen cannot be turned off.  The E7 is powered by a 1050mAH Lithium Ion battery that FiiO claims will provide a 80 hours of continuos operation (while I have not actually timed the battery life, I can confirm that it lasts for an extremely long time) Please note that battery life can be effected by the electrical impedance of the headphones used with the amp, headphones that require more power to drive will of course result in a quicker discharge of the battery, but the E7 will be sure to outlast your portable sources battery even when using hard to drive headphones.  The E7 features a three step bass boost EQ function.  This is the only equalization option available on the E7.  Ports on the E7 include a 3.5 auxiliary in port, USB port, proprietary FiiO dock connector for docking the unit with the FiiO E9 desktop amplifier as well as two 3.5mm headphone out ports on the top of the unit (yes the E7 can be used to power two headphones simultaneously allowing you to share your music with your friends). Buttons on the unit include volume up and down buttons, a menu/ enter button and a back/ power on/ off button.  FiiO claims that the amp can power anywhere from 16 to 300Ohm headphones although I would not suggest using this amp with anything over a 150Ohm impedance as the E7 really doesn't perform well with anything higher.  Included in the box is the unit itself, one USB cable (regular USB to mini USB) with two ferrite chokes that reduces signal noise and subsequently increases sound quality. One 3.5mm auxiliary cable (to connect iDevice, smartphone etc. via its 3.5mm jack) is supplied.  A nice soft pouch and a silicon case is supplied as well as a user manual and a rubber band (think smaller, black Livestrong armband) used to conveniently attach your E7 to the back of your portable device.  Some units come with a screen protector, it depends on the date of manufacture.

The FiiO E7 itself is made out of a beautiful black brushed aluminum finish.  While the unit itself is very light weight there is no question in regards to its durability.  I always keep the supplied silicon case on mine to prevent scratching or denting that may occur when I am using the unit out and about.  The buttons are silver and have a slight texture to them and supply satisfying clicks when pushed.  Some people have complained about loose 3.5mm output jacks on their E7's but I have yet to experience this problem.  The FiiO's glossy front glass is a finger print magnet and a possible scratch magnet, but if you used the supplied silicon case and or screen protector you should be fine.

FiiO E7 unit paired with Sennheiser HD 439's

Now for the most important segment of this overview/ review of the FiiO E7: the sound quality.  I will first describe the sound quality of the E7 when paired with my iPhone 5 via the 3.5mm jack (due to Apple switching away from the old 30-pin dock connector to the newer 9-pin lightning connector, there currently is no easy way to connect a FiiO LOD (Line Out Dock) cable to the E7 because it only supports the older 30-pin format) I will then describe the FiiO E7's sound performance when used via USB from my MacBook Pro.  Keep in mind that when using the FiiO E7 via USB with a computer, you are bypassing your computers DAC and amplifier, thus the FiiO E7 will sound exactly the same on ANY computer.  Also keep in mind that when the E7 is paired with an iDevice, the E7 is merely bypassing the iDevices amplifier (if using the line out dock connector) or amplifying the already amped signal coming from the 3.5mm line out on the iDevice.  Using either configuration (a line out dock connector cable, or a 3.5mm line out cable) the E7 will NOT be bypassing the iDevices internal DAC.  When paired with an iDevice or similar portable media player, the E7 will merely act as a headphone amplifier.  The DAC is completely taken out of the equation.  Now that that's out of the way, lets get to it!

First up, the E7 when paired via 3.5mm out with an iPhone 5.  Despite what many audiophiles may tell you about amplifying an already amplified signal, the E7 when paired with an iPhone 5 (in this case) sounds very good even just using the 3.5mm out on the iPhone with the supplied FiiO cable that comes in the box.  A few issues arise when amplifying an already amped signal, one phenomenon is called "amp piggy backing" this issue can be avoided by simply reducing the volume on the iPhone from anywhere to 75 to 50 percent and then increasing the volume via the E7 amp.  The result of this iPhone 5, E7 combo is a much cleaner and tighter signal.  With both of test headphones (Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's, 64Ohms and Sennheiser HD 439's 32Ohms) the bass was much less flabby, much tighter and even more prominent than the standard iPhone line out.  Mid ranges are less recessed on both headphones and much, much clearer and higher ranges sang out just absolutely beautifully. On top of this increase in sound quality, the FiiO E7 is an amp so it allows for louder volumes to be achieved with less distortion in comparison to just using the iPhones 3.5mm line out without an amp.  While both of my test headphones admittedly have pretty narrow sound stages, I did perceive a very slight increase in overall sound stage and instrument separation with this amp, however it was extremely subtle. I like the bass boost function a lot because you can really amp the bass up while avoiding distortion.  Distortion begins to occur in certain bass heavy songs when the E7's bass option is at maximum.  The E7 paired with the iPhone 5 via the standard 3.5mm line out achieves a very warm sound characteristic that I happen to like quite a bit.  Even without the bass boost equalization engaged, its very warm and musical and is definitely lacking from an analytical standpoint if thats what you like.  However, I prefer warmth over analytical any day, but thats just me.

FiiO E7 connected via USB to laptop

The E7 paired with my laptop via USB is a bit less warm and I suppose a tad more analytical.  However, you can achieve absolutely insane bass boost levels even with headphones that distort easily (like the HD 439's that I used) by knocking up the E7's bass boost to max and turning down the preamp level on your laptop to around -3 to -4dB.  I was able to achieve almost Sony MDR-XB700 levels of bass with my rather bass light in comparison Sennheiser HD 439's.  Whats great about the E7 when paired with a laptop is that through using the E7's bass boost options and the equalizations options on your computer you can achieve an analytical or warm forgiving sound signature or anywhere in between.  The E7 is particularly suitable for laptops because sounds several times better than onboard or Intel integrated audio and gets rid of all the signal noise associated with laptops.  If you have ever used a pair of studio monitor headphones on a laptop before, you know what I am talking about.  The E7 tightens the bass and brings out the high ranges more in similar but not as obvious manner as it does with the iPhone 5.

In summary, the FiiO E7 is a great entry level headphone amplifier/ DAC for those who are looking for a little bit better sound quality from their laptop and significantly improved audio quality from a portable device.  The E7 looks great, is built well and sports a nice OLED screen which is a nice feature for an amplifier to have.  It's a wonderful portable solution and a great choice for the entry level audio enthusiast!

Note: The FiiO E7 has been eclipsed by a newer model with a few minor sound and build improvements.  It's called the E07K, check out the Amazon product page HERE.

CLICK HERE for FiiO E7 Amazon Product Page