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FiiO Audio and SoundMAGIC Earphones
Build Quality
I think FiiO as both a company and a builder has grown by quite a lot. The build
quality of E1 is simply superb, consider this is the same company that makes the
E3 just 2 years ago.
As mentioned above, the dock connector housing is a bit bigger than your average
LOD in order to fit the PCB and most of the chips inside. The cable used is fairly
soft though it is thinker (for the extra wires needed for the remote, I presume).
The length of the cable is a little bit over 2 feet, enough to reach out from the
pocket or backpack but not too long to tangle around. The remote is well made and
all the buttons are responsive. The volume control buttons are individually marked
by a rising bar and a ditching bar so you won't confuse over them and can change
the volume without seeing.
Navigation
There are a total of five buttons on the remote. The center round button is for Play/Pause.
The two silver buttons (square rocker) surround the center buttons are for volume
control. The outer two buttons are for Next / Previous song in a single press and
for Forward/Backward in long press. The only downside about the buttons design is
there is not 'hold' key, so you can accidentally press on the next/previous keys
(as they are the largest and on the side).
Learn from the mistake on early E5 (which either not enough on one step and too loud
on the next), E1 volume incrementation of each step is much smaller. From what I
counted, there are a total of 62 steps with the last step as mute. Once connected,
the volume will automatically set to 15/62. This can be a bit loud (but not very
loud) if you are using very efficient headphone. The volume will reset back upon
disconnect/connect or else it will stay at the last position when your iPod coming
back from sleep. If you find 15/62 too loud, I'll suggest you turn the volume down
first each time you plug the connector in. Note that the volume is digitally controlled
by an independent controller on the amp circuit so the setting on your iPod will
have no effect on E1.
More interesting note on my Nano 4G: assuming you select an album to listen, if you
are on the first or last song of the album but not playing the music, a press of
Previous (first song) or Next (last song) will bring you back to the menu selecting
'cover flow', If you press Play now, it will start the first album in 'cover flow'.
Beside volume which works independently of iPod, the rest of the buttons are useless
unless you are in the music interface. So you will still need to select an album
or a playlist to play first, then use the buttons to Play / Pause / Next / Previous
/ Forward / Backward.
Sound Quality
While James has already stated that E1 has the same performance as E5, I do find
improvement in E1's overall sound. First of, if you are using an easy-to-drive headphone
or something not really resolving, the improvement might not seen to be very drastic,
but it should still be noticeable. I think those of you who own or tried an E5 probably
can associate. For this part of the review, I am comparing E1 to HO (Headphone-Out)
and E5 with LOD (no bass boost) on Nano 4G with my trusty, very resolving RE0.
One thing about RE0 and Nano's HO is the lack of synergy. While RE0 isn't particular
difficultly to drive, it does tend to perform better with amp. However, RE0 sounds
really struggling with Nano. Every note sounds underpowered and sloppy. An E5 + LOD
has a much better synergy with RE0 but does color the sound a bit. After all, E5
has a warm and full mid/bottom and lacks very well defined upper end detail and airiness.
However, it is in between the HO and E5 + LOD that I find E1 to be better.
E1 can handle RE0 with fairly good authority, not as much as T4 nor 3MOVE but still
well controlled. Its mid is not as upfront as HO or E5, which renders a colder and
just slightly recessed vocal. However, it is not thin either. In comparison, E1 has
better extension on both ends. Bass might not have the same quantity as E5 but the
quality is better. It is punchier with much better definition. Treble shows more
sparkle and detail while soundstage is wider. In sum, I'll describe E1 as having
a clean, very neutral and transparent sound.
The lack of additional warmness might seem to be a downside for some, but I really
think E1 is more 'universal' and will be less picky on synergy. Again, I want to
remind everyone that I am using a RE0 for most of the audition and it is highly resolving.
You might not be able tell as much difference on some other gears. So take this with
a grain of salt.
Summary
In all, I am happy with the new E1. While I would really like a Hold key and an easier
access backclip, they are all minor issues. As I expected E1 to sound similar to
E5, I am actually surprised that I find E1 to be better even though it is nothing
ground breaking. Still, a sonic improvement is always a good thing regardless how
small it is. For those who want an all-in-one solution and don't demand high-end
performance, E1 will be a option worthy of your attention.
ClieOS
