Review on FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier - Superior Black Audio Enhancement by Adisorn Soon ᠌

Name: FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier - Superior Black Audio Enhancement
Item: FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier - Superior Black Audio Enhancement
Rating: 5

December 12, 2022

Satisfied with the purchase one hundred percent, I recommend the product for everyone.

I listened to this model about a year ago, and then I already realized that good cards are rare in the budget segment. Fiio is one of the few companies with decent stuffing that doesn't charge exorbitant prices for decent sound quality. I compared it with Sony PHA-1A, XDuoo XD-05 and even tried a couple of models for 20-30k, and I didn’t hear any cardinal differences. From which I concluded that harvesters from trapous with a USB connection (and not with separate power and two separate devices) are approximately similar to each other.

As a result, I took the Fiio Q1 Mark 2 and sold it six months later - for some reason the internal battery got warm and the surface of the card was on the verge of tolerable, far from the most convenient ergonomics of the spinner and noticeably elongated dimensions left it no chance. Then I took Fiio K3, which I use at home to this day. A good card and very advanced features for a card of this level, only I had to tinker with it specifically: put firewood, then open a special department with the Stream Always On mode (without this, the card clicked every 10-15 seconds, turning off automatically without sound and turning on when it was given - the click was wildly infuriating), and without firewood it will still bother, so firewood is necessary. Now at work it was necessary to mix the sound, and .

The choice fell on this simple card: it has a low level of background noise, a minimum of inputs, just plug it in and use it. Yes, the settings are not as wide as those of the K3, but it DOES NOT need anything. In Windows 10, the firewood pulled itself up, turned on the ears, plays. A lovely little box with no extra options and with the buildup of most headphones. An ideal replacement for the built-in sound on absolutely any, even the most gaming and fancy motherboard. In general, for my money I warmly recommend. Comfortable, compact, hassle-free and good sounding. Entrance ticket to normal sound, where you don't have to go into the audiophile jungle.

Pros

- Very small and light outer gear - Excellent design both outside and inside - Pleasant tactilely and visually - I really like to hold it in my hands and like how it lies on the table - A minimum of unnecessary details: front 3.5 mm jack + ANALOGUE knob for volume control (not tied to Windows!) - No battery (this is a plus for me, since there are no extra components) - Does not heat up from the word at all - the metal surface of the card has room temperature - Completely turns off and on with a noticeable click; smooth adjustment wheel that is easy to turn with one hand without lifting the card from the table - Good circuitry, full-fledged DAC and VCL; when adjusting the volume with the wheel, there is NO noise AT ALL (which only confirms the normal components inside) - Plug-n-Play on Windows 10 - just plugged in and plugged in the ears, no firewood and dancing with a tambourine (even on Fiio K3 there were problems with this - see comments) - Versatility: suitable for both headphones (with 3 pins) and gaming headsets with 4 pins on a 3.5 mm jack - tested on both ears and headsets, everything works as it should - Probably the best value for money in terms of features

Cons

Rather trifles, but still I want to mention in order to get a general idea of \u200b\u200bthe ZK: - Not very stable on the table even when all 6 legs are glued (too light), you can either stick it on double-sided tape, or stick a full-fledged rubber pad on the bottom of the entire area of the bottom (both the weight will increase slightly, and overall stability) - A pierced blue LED when the card is turned on (you either have to turn it to the left, or you can solder it to something more gentle), at night it shines be healthy - Unnecessary, as for me, bass boosts and gains Low > High, IMHO, just extra details in the circuitry, although you can just leave them alone - Micro-USB - I understand that the card was made a long time ago, but still it was possible to make a small upgrade, because I have Type-C almost everywhere, and I could just throw a cable from another device that does not charge into the ZK this time (keyboard, ear charger, another ZK), and micro-usb just needed a separate wire, and this creates a little confusion on the table - The kit is stubby: ZK, cable, rubber feet, pieces of paper. Everything is packed neatly and the box is small, but still I want a case (because some people take it in the calculation to use it with a laptop)