Review on FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier - Superior Black Audio Enhancement by Nick Reddy

This is a good product. Works as advertised and very easy to use. However, I am a bit disappointed with the sound quality. I've spent a lot of time listening to various devices with the HD580. (I used to be able to hear 19-20kHz, but now I think I'm around 18-19kHz). iphone6 -> HD580 ---------------------- --- sounds flat and weak as expected. MacBook Pro Retina 15" Late 2013 -> HD580 ----------- --------------------- -- ---- - Surprisingly, it sounds pretty good. Clarity at high frequencies is very good. Bass, as expected, isn't very impressive. I can crank the volume up to a point where my ears can't handle it without clipping or distortion. When I'm playing complex sounds, each instrument sounds clear which makes for good stereo separation. Maybe a Macbook Pro 15" is pretty capable? MacBook Pro Retina 15 " Late 2013 USB -> FiiO E10k -> HD580 (high gain mode) --------------------- ----- ----------------------------------------------- -- ---------- ---------------------- The lower level is probably superior 3.5mm jack on MBP. However 3.5mm MBP -Jack gains clarity Macbook Pro Retina 15 " Late 2013 -> Headphone Jack -> CMOY -> HD580 --------------------- ------------------ ------------------------------ --- ----------------- - ----------------------------- ---- Low and mid frequencies are quite powerful but lack clarity. Much better than iPhone but not as good as FiiO E11KAMAHA S90 Synthesizer/Keyboard -> HD580------------------------------- ------- - ---------------------- The clarity is amazing from low to high frequencies. Bass is strong too. I tried chasing this sound for my desktop. Disclaimer: Not entirely fair as I'm not comparing the same music source. jack from macbook pro. In fact, I might even prefer the MacBook Pro's built-in DAC/headphone amp. Maybe it's time to move on to something more fashion forward.