Which Portable Amp/Dac to get?

[kennyk2228]

Hey, so, while using my pretty new Shure SE-315's on my phone recently, I noticed distortion on the treble end of the sound. I keep my volume set to basically 3/4 volume, so I'm not exactly blasting the sound. I was looking at a couple of portable Amp/Dac combos to get and wanted to some recommendations on which one to get as I have very little experience with this. My budget has a soft cap at ~150, but I would be willing to splurge for noticeable improvements in quality.

 

The Amp/Dac combos I was looking at are:

Fiio Kunlun E18 (https://www.amazon.com/Kunlun-E18-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00GCDJBMM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474071453&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+e18)

JDS Labs C5D (https://www.jdslabs.com/products/84/c5d-amplifier-dac/) this is one of the ones that was noticeably over the budget that I was wondering if it was worth it

Arcam rPAC (https://www.amazon.com/Arcam-rPAC-Personal-Converter-Headphone/dp/B007NXM3K2) another one over the price limit, and, again, wondering how worth it is

AudioQuest Dragonfly Black (https://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-DragonFly-Black-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B01DP5JHHI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1474070666&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=audioquest+dragonfly+black&psc=1&smid=AKR88PAWTQVN2) right now I'm leaning heavily towards this one, but have no idea how good the quality is, there seems to be a lot of good Amazon reviews, but that can also mean jack

 

Thank you for any advice you have to give!

[kennyk2228]

Also, shoutout to @Dackzy for helping me with this a little already!

[SSL]

Uh so you're going to have trouble with using the one you're leaning towards on a phone since it has a full size USB plug.

[kennyk2228]

3 minutes ago, SSL said:

Uh so you're going to have trouble with using the one you're leaning towards on a phone since it has a full size USB plug.

This adapter goes from lightning to USB, my dad has one that he'll give to me, pretty lucky http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD821AM/A/lightning-to-usb-camera-adapter

[SSL]

3 minutes ago, kennyk2228 said:

This adapter goes from lightning to USB, my dad has one that he'll give to me, pretty lucky http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD821AM/A/lightning-to-usb-camera-adapter

 

What attracts you to that particular product, then?

[kennyk2228]

8 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

What attracts you to that particular product, then?

The two main things are the size, especially compared to the e18 which is the next closest in price, and the price

[iLoiter]

I personally use a Soundblaster e5 using Bluetooth when on the move and direct usb connection when not. The sound quality is meh(not impressed), the volume knob is too sensitive(It would randomly increase volume when I sit down sometimes)and it annoyed me to the point that I took it out and now turn the medal top instead. Its pretty warm when in use, and the first one I had the battery died 3 months in but I was under warranty and got a new one(took them 2-3 weeks) and now I had it for about 10 months now without issue. The noise floor/ static noise is noticeable when no music is on when the volume is cranked up high.

 

Even with all of those negative experiences I would still use it over the Fiio e11. It annoyed me when my phone look like a c4 with the Fiio e18 strapped on. Having your phone free from all that clutter of wires and bulkiness was great. The Soundblaster e5 has more customization with the soundblaster app(a lot of it is a gimmick/ still fun though). That Fiio micro USB to micro USB cable freaken breaks all the time costing me 5$ replacing it (to be fair, I work my equipment hard) Also the convenience that I have both my tablet and my phone connected via Bluetooth was a plus. These are my experiences with the portable amp/dac I have. I guess its worth mentioning that I use Senheniser HD 700 and Westone W40.

 

 

[kennyk2228]

19 minutes ago, iLoiter said:

I personally use a Soundblaster e5 using Bluetooth when on the move and direct usb connection when not. The sound quality is meh(not impressed), the volume knob is too sensitive(It would randomly increase volume when I sit down sometimes)and it annoyed me to the point that I took it out and now turn the medal top instead. Its pretty warm when in use, and the first one I had the battery died 3 months in but I was under warranty and got a new one(took them 2-3 weeks) and now I had it for about 10 months now without issue. The noise floor/ static noise is noticeable when no music is on when the volume is cranked up high.

 

Even with all of those negative experiences I would still use it over the Fiio e11. It annoyed me when my phone look like a c4 with the Fiio e18 strapped on. Having your phone free from all that clutter of wires and bulkiness was great. The Soundblaster e5 has more customization with the soundblaster app(a lot of it is a gimmick/ still fun though). That Fiio micro USB to micro USB cable freaken breaks all the time costing me 5$ replacing it (to be fair, I work my equipment hard) Also the convenience that I have both my tablet and my phone connected via Bluetooth was a plus. These are my experiences with the portable amp/dac I have. I guess its worth mentioning that I use Senheniser HD 700 and Westone W40.

 

 

Do you have any knowledge of the e3? Same Bluetooth functionality but 80$ cheaper and without the annoying knob that you mentioned

[iLoiter]

Never used it. I'm pretty sure the soundblaster app would not work with it since it is only a bluetooth amp(doesn't have a dac). It looks easier to lose but has a clip and a back/forward/pause/play buttons so there is definitely trades off here and there. Note that the volume knob on the e5 isn't really a con since you can remove it fairly easily and could also reinsert it back in (forgot if it was glued in there or not).

[Dackzy]

I would just get the E18, it has a lightning to usb cable in the box and it should work with your phone