So, this new Fiio E7 Gizmo...

[ESP2009]

This is one of the reasons I dread opening my WHF magazine each month - so much temptation and reasons to say: "I wonder..."

I have had my iBasso D2 Boa for over a year now and have been happy with the sound I get. I note that WHF 'only' gave it 4 stars, but for the size/portability and price I thought it a satisfactory purchase. Not only that, but I have not really been aware of viable alternatives.

But what about this newcomer? At £100 less, how does it compare? The March 2011 (p12) review is very promising, but how far above its price point does the Fiio punch? I see there is no entry on the website yet or any 'also consider' notes.

Worth chancing £65 just to find out I wonder?

 

[Anonymous]

The Fiio E7 and the IBasso D2 Boa both incorporate the same dac - the Wolfson WM8740 - so you'd be expecting them to be roughly equal, despite the £100 price difference.

 

[Anonymous]

I got the E7 and its brilliant! For very very little money you get an excellent sounding amp/dac

 

[ESP2009]

I must say I am tempted to give it a try. Maybe a bit of comparison against the Boa. I wonder who offers a trial period?

 

[ESP2009]

Yep, I went ahead and bought it.

What I like:

At £65 this product is a bargain.

What I don't like:

The menu system, the dodgy manual, the push button volume controls, the need to use at least Eq=1 on the bass adjustment.

Yes, the FiiO E7 is a really good product for £65 and is close enough to the iBasso D2 Boa in sound to make you wonder why you should pay an extra £100 for the latter. But I would emphasise I have had the Boa for almost 2yrs and it has proven reliable with resilient build quality, whereas the E7 has graced my desk for less than one working day.

OK, so the Boa has the edge in terms of that extra dynamic, bass presence, life and space. But if you don't want to splash the cash, the E7 is really not that far behind.

The menu features are certainly nice to have, although I do prefer the manual volume knob of the Boa. The ability to share the unit with your bestest friend is an interesting extra feature (although I imagine you need to ensure you both have darned good earphone leads unless you're close friends!)

I would also add that for the first time in over a year I went back to the line-out only of the laptop (for a baseline comparison). Immediately I heard that background hiss, but admit it seems to vanish when music starts. As for sound quality, at first I thought that the detail and clarity were really great. However, it quickly became apparent that direct from the line-out the sound was just too cold and clinical: it lacks any real warmth and life. The sound was bright and brittle. This is raw digital output and arguably lacks the slight imperfections that bring life and warmth and emotion. Therefore, a quick switch back to USB->DAC/amp was a definite requirement to take the edge off.

So, I will continue to listen to the E7 for a few days and decide whether the Boa can retain its position as DAC/amp for both laptop and iPod, or whether the young pretender will usurp it. In terms of portability, although the Boa has a solid build quality that inspires confidence, but the E7 has the kinky wet-suit to protect it, and there is a protective film provided for transit plus an extra one to use later if needed. There is nothing to choose between them in terms of weight, but at least the E7 has the natty elastic band to bind your iPod and amp together.

The E7 looks like a modern and trendy piece of kit, whereas the Boa has the sturdy Victorian assurance that Captain Slow (or myself) appreciates. We'll see...

Oh, one last thing: the nice little velvety pouch. Nice idea, but as soon as you put the unit's protective wetsuit on, the closure of the pouch is rendered useless - the E7 and protective housing together are too big. Doh!