FiiO E5 Headphone Amplifier - Black

I like many reviewers here bought this to get a bit more volume out of my iPod Touch as this is a common problem for most users. The iPod Touch and other MP3 players do have a volume restriction built into them because of EU laws and that is why it always seems that bit too low.

First thing to note about this headphone amplifier is that it's primary purpose is to increase the volume of the device it's connected to. So if you're looking for better sound reproduction and bass etc then I would advise you to invest in a better pair of headphones. The FiiO E5 does have a bass boost button it and it does work but not with all headphones and the most significant difference you will hear when using the amp is the increase in volume.

You can buy many different headphone amps and this is one of the more entry-level devices and is reflected as such in the price. Having said that I am not at all suggesting it is poor quality, in fact the opposite. This is fantastic and you will notice a huge difference in volume straight away when using it.

It comes with two 3.5mm male to male cables for connecting to your MP3 player. One is a shorter cable with one of the jacks being right angled and is 22cm (8.5") in length, the other has both jacks straight and is longer at 84cm (just over 2.5ft). The amp itself measures 4cm x 3.5cm and 11mm depth. So, it's not very big then!

There aren't any pictures of the back but it does have a clip like the iPod Shuffle for clipping it onto your belt or pocket etc. The bottom of the amp is where you connect the USB cable that comes with it for charging and the input connection for connecting it to the MP3 player. The top is where the headphone connection is located, along with the volume up and down buttons, the power button and the bass boost slide button.

I've read that you can use this with a line out dock on your iPod for improved sound quality but I haven't been able to test this out yet as I ordered a new Sendstation LOD which has had a delay in delivery but I will edit my review once I have tested this.

I have tried this amp with a few different pairs of headphones and would suggest not using the bass boost button on higher quality headphones as it tends to give the effect of amplifying the sound in the right ear more than the left.

Overall this is a very stylish, compact and good quality product. It does what it's supposed to very well and is a fraction of the price of the more expensive audiophile-aimed devices out there. I would highly recommend this.

EDIT 5/4/2011: Well I have been using this headphone amplifier for quite a few months now and wanted to do a quick update as I have bought a line-out-dock (made by FiiO: FiiO L3 Line Out Cable for iPod). I would encourage any users of an iPod Touch to buy an LOD for use with the E5 as it really does improve the overall sound quality. Instead of using the iPod's amp and then going through the E5 (to boost the volume) via the normal connection method described earlier in my review, you can bypass the iPod's amp entirely and just use the E5 as the primary amplifier to power your headphone's sound.

So for maximum use try both the E5 and the L3 and you'll not regret it.

Its tiny, but it is startlingly good. It boosts volume and with the bass boost option adds drive and dynamics to portable headphones like the Sennheiser PX200s and full sized ones like the Grado SR80 and AKG K702. Connected to an ipod Classic 80gb all three headphones really sing. But, to get the true, full potential of the E5s sound quality get a Line Out Dock (LOD) to connect the ipod via its docking port to the amp. I got a LOD that was £20, so more than the amp itself, but the increase in sound quality is dramatic. The LOD bypasses the ipod's volume control and so E5 takes over. Its tiny volume control is more than up for the job. The overall sound of the E5 is bright and dynamic, particularly with the bass boost on, and I like that. However, the amp is still neutral in that all three headphones retained their individual sound characteristics. For the money everyone who has an ipod should get one.

I got this headphone amp to use with my Creative X-fi2 which has a disappointingly poor output power level, I like my music LOUD, but I also like a pure signal without distortion so read some reviews on the net about this tiny amp and thought it was right for me so placed my order.

I took delivery of the amp yesterday and immediately started charging it via my laptop USB port, The amp has a very small physical size just 45mm x 38mm x 18mm(Inc Clip)and has an black aluminium case with white plastic sides and buttons, the amp also looks fairly well put together.

The amp has 3.5mm input and headphone output sockets, electronic volume control that eliminates noise from the normal potentiometer, on/off button and a bass boost/flat switch. The amp comes with all the leads you need to get up and running, 2 adaptor leads (3.5mm to 3.5mm plug, one lead has a right angled plug and is fairly short, the other straight 3.5mm plugs around a meter long)and a USB lead for charging the amp.

Once charged I plugged in the amp to my X-Fi2 and using my Ultimate Ears Super-Fi Pro 5's set about getting the correct balance of sound, matching volume output of MP3 player to amp, at this stage I must say that right from the beginning I was very impressed by this little amps ability to drive the UE's to their full potential. After I had tweeked the EQ on the X-Fi2 and bass boost/flat switch on the FiiO E5 I started cranking up the volume on the E5, the sound of this amp is amazing, it brings out all the detail that was sadly missing when using the X-Fi2's output, bass is MUCH better, the bass boost on this amp works without overdoing things, rich without being bloated, mids are near perfect with breathtaking vocals and ripping guitar solos and the highs clear with no harshness. Even when cranking the volume on the amp and MP3 player to full there is little distotion, but this amp gets VERY LOUD and would not recommend this as hearing damage will occur, my ears were ringing after testing!! I used Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon to test this amp and other tracks from Metallica and ACDC.

I have tried the FiiO E5 on my phone (Nokia 5530 Xpress Music) and again it really does improve volume output and sound detail and the same applies to my laptop.

This little amp is remarkable, it is very portable and comes complete with a built in clip so you can secure it to a belt of pocket, it has a rechargeable battery that is supposed to last around 20 hours, of course this depends on volume levels and headphones type(Impedance).

The FiiO E5 headphone amp is a tiny powerhouse that adds life to any MP3 player, if your begging for more volume or just a better sound from your device then the FiiO E5 is for you, it is a budget headphone amp with a big heart.

A very highly recommended buy.