If audio quality means anything to you, then you should definitely look into the Fiio E3. The Fiio E3 is a tiny headphone amplifier which runs off of one AAA battery. It has two 3.5mm jacks for input/output, one power LED, and a lanyard hole.
At less than $7 for the device, I wasn’t too sure about the quality. However, after reading numerous positive reviews from well reputed sources like head-fi.org, I decided to make the plunge. The Fiio E3 can be found at Deal Xtreme for $6.72 at the time of this writing. After placing my order, it wasn’t until about three weeks later that I received the device. Not blistering fast delivery speed (ships from China), but not too shabby for free shipping.
Now, onto the review. Upon connecting the Fiio to my laptop and Sennheiser HD 280 Pro’s, I noticed a faint hissing noise, similar to the hiss you’ll hear when connecting to an onboard soundcard. The hiss is not present when the head phones are directly connected to the laptop, however.
The Fiio boosts the volume by about 30%, although your mileage may vary because of different headphones as well as different perceptions. For people with Sony media players, the Fiio would definetely be something to add to your list of goodies to get. I know that with all of my previous Sony audio players, the volume was way too low for my liking. The Fiio solves this problem by boosting the volume while producing better audio quality as well!
Bass is noticeably increased, but not excessively. The bass is more pronounced and filling, while the tightness remains the same as far as I can tell. I can now hear lows MUCH better than before. 30-40hz notes and under were always a little too soft, but with the Fiio E3, those notes and basslines are more apparent and fuller in sound.
As a whole, the Fiio made the music brighter, which I greatly welcomed. Highs seem a little crisper, but not by much. Cymbals and hi-hats are not distorted by the amp and sound slightly better than normal.
The best way to describe the sound coming from the Fiio is fuller, brighter, slightly cleaner, and noticeably bass”ier” than the regular audio source. At less than $7, the Fiio E3 is a must buy, especially if you’re looking for a little more bass and cleaner sound.
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