FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black)

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Product Specifications

Volume potentiometer with barrier-free design for easy operation
Switchable built-in 3dB bass boosting circuit; superior to software EQ effect
USB digital audio convert to coaxial digital audio output
Fixed volume full-scale line level output for maximum signal quality
Automatic support by modern OS without drivers. Maximum audio format: 96Khz/24Bit

Product Description

FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black)

Product Reviews

Behringer UCA202 user no more!

I was researching a desktop DAC/Amp combo for weeks, after getting frustrated with my cheap Behringer UCA202. It’s a fine device for what it is, but it has two main limitations: lack of power in the amp, and an annoying click in the audio every time it kicks on after a period of silence. It also does not have the best noise floor, with a faint but audible hiss in the background when listening on headphones at high volumes. But I did like the inputs and outputs and the tiny form factor. So I began my hunt for its replacement using the criteria of it being under $200, having improved sound characteristics, and with the same general layout. I narrowed it down to the FiiO E10K, Yulong U-100, Audinst HUD-MX1, and Aune T1. While all have their unique features and advantages, in the end the modest price of the E10K was too good to pass up.Now that I finally have this thing in my hands and have listened extensively to it, all I can say is I can’t believe this thing is only $75. The headphone output is considerably stronger than the UCA202’s, with absolutely no noise. Everything is clean, flat, and accurate sounding on my Ultrasone Pro 550s. The build quality is great, everything is metal except the two toggle switches. It comes with four little rubber feet you can attach to the bottom so it doesn’t move around on your desk. Two more great features are the bass and gain switches. The bass boost is tasteful - not boomy but definitely present. It really fills out certain music or games if your headphones aren’t naturally bassy. I find myself using it more than I thought I would. And the gain switch is great, allowing for a much wider range on the amp. I only have lower impedance headphones at the moment so it’s set to Low, but I bet the High setting will come in handy whenever I get something like HD650s.When you consider most other quality DAC/Amp desktop combos are in the $150 and up range, you realize what a value this little guy is. But don’t let its diminutive size fool you - this thing packs a punch and will make a big improvement over generic computer audio or entry level stuff like the UCA202. A great purchase and highly recommended.

Don’t look any further…Just buy this already!

I’ve been researching DAC/Amp combos for a while now, and I wanted something that wouldn’t destroy my wallet yet sounded good. The original FiiO E10 seemed like the best option, however it was unavailable for purchase for a very long time.When I found out the E10K was available, I immediately bought it, and I have no regrets.It goes miles ahead of my on-board DAC from my motherboard, which had RealTek ALC898 chipset, which is regarded as one of the better on-board motherboard DAC’s. Sound is A LOT more crisp, you can finally distinguish the mids and all the different instruments playing, and the bass is slightly accentuated with the +3 db bass boost switch (I use it, and I prefer it over no bass-boost). It brings my ATH-M50’s back to life!I would agree with other reviewers here that the E10K that the sound is warm overall, yet crisp.It comes in a very small package, and it is rather light weight. However the build quality on this little thing is amazing! It feels super sturdy, and the volume knob has the right amount of resistance to it, and feels solid.One slight problem that I have with it is that the included micro-usb cable is too short for my use (desktop PC), so I have to buy a longer micro-usb for decent cable management. But it still doesn’t take away from the fact that this is the best bang-for-your-buck DAC/Amp combo.

Excellent value, incredibly portable 24-bit/96Khz DAC for compact/mid-size cans (<150 Ω), bass boost feature is almost useless.

PROS- Sound quality is significantly better than your laptop’s DAC, specifically my mid 2012 Retina Macbook Pro (rMBP). FLAC & Tidal 1,411 kbps streaming both sound wonderful with wider atmosphere, roomier stage, and noticeably improved detail.- Brushed black metal looks great. Happy that Chinese companies are finally throwing down good design, as FiiO products have a clean, distinct look.- Inexpensive.- Compact. It’s about 1.5x larger than a Zippo lighter.- Volume knob is satisfying to turn and provides a good amount of resistance.- Bus powered.- Coax and line out are nice additions.CONS- Bass boost feature is poorly executed and essentially useless. The Hz range boosted, which I believe is around 100–300 Hz, is too high which creates a significantly “muddy” effect. They should have limited it to 10–100 Hz or made it configurable. I can understand why at this price-point, FiiO cannot afford to provide complex firmware editing software, though. At the end of the day though, most buyers purchase this product with the intent of listening to lossless audio, such as FLAC/Tidal, I have no idea why they would add a bass boost feature besides to appeal to the youngsters or to help drive headphones with >150 Ω impedance and not sound too bright / tinny.- 3.5mm jack is either convenient or a burden, depending on who you talk to.- Recommended headphone impedance 60–150 Ω, thus it can ONLY PROPERLY DRIVE SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED CANS. I have a pair of Sennheiser HD 650’s which have an impedance of 300 Ω and not only is this DAC/AMP underpowered, it also requires a 1/4“ adapter. If you have a pair of quality compact to mid-size headphones, though… you’re all good. The sound quality is fantastic on my Bose QC 15’s.

I just love it.

This is a fantastic addition to your computer no matter what you use it for: gaming, music, movies… everything will sound better than before. It is so small that is not intrusive at all, and the bass switch will add that extra punch if you love your boom boom. I added some pictures with it on a dvd so you can see how small it is.If you decide to buy it, make sure you have a good pair of headphones to go with it so you can enjoy it at its fullest.

Amazed!

I have the Sennheiser HD 598 CS and I wasn’t sure about the headphones until I got this, holy crap this makes my headphones sound amazing, the bass boost is great, it brought…

Good DAC/amp for price, much better options out there for slightly more money.

The included USB cable is pretty short and feels quite cheap so I swapped the cable for another. The device itself is really light so if there is any force on either of the…

Makes my AKGs sound amazing! I loved my AKGs but felt they lacked …

Makes my AKGs sound amazing! I loved my AKGs but felt they lacked a bit on the bass but with this, it sounds full and punchy

Sounds great until it doesn’t

This little USB amp sound great until it starts to overload. I’m not sure what the issue is exactly but if the amp is plugged in for more than about an hour or so, it begins to…

not a great buy at this price

It’d be alright for a portable amp if it was cheaper, not a great buy at this price. One of my PC’s onboard audio chipset puts out better quality audio than this.

Five Stars

¹⁰⁄₁₀ best DAC out there.

Great with a few reservations

This can really be an awesome upgrade especially if you have an older computer with an older DAC you will really notice the improvement over the standard output.

Nice entry-level DAC/AMP that keeps producing great audio quality after 2+ years!

I’ve had this product for two years now and I’m pretty satisfied with it. Bought it as my first DAC/AMP to use with my Audio-Technica ATH-WS55 headphones; it has enough power to…

An FPS Gamer’s Point-of-View

I bought this to use specifically with my new gaming desktop. The difference is night and day. After moving my Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 OHM headset from my motherboard to the…