It’s hard to underestimate the role Fiio has played in the affordable hi-fi market. The release of its devices have become a highly awaited event for thousands of music lovers around the world. The E12, a portable headphone amplifier that went by the code name “Mont Blanc,” is no exception.

The Fiio E12 is a portable headphone amplifier. It doesn’t have a DAC function like the E07 and E17, making it even better in its main function, sound quality. The amplifier is a combination of high-quality LME49710 and LME49600 operational amplifiers from Texas Instruments used to achieve a low distortion sound.

Portable amplifiers are mainly used to increase the volume of headphones. Apart from that, some of them are designed to improve the sound quality and be considered effective. Here, the device adds a lot of warmth to the recording and makes it a pleasure to listen to by providing good dynamics, good musicality, and lively and easy-to-understand music. This headphone amplifier has many qualities, but detail and soundstage are not high on the list; also, if your headphones’ sound signature is warm, combining them with FiiO E12 might spoil your enjoyment of the music.

One of the first products that helped Fiio gain worldwide popularity was the E5, a small headphone amplifier. This small, inexpensive device dramatically improved the sound quality of the devices at the time and allowed you to get more out of your favorite headphones. Several years later, a new successor appeared, the FiiO A1.

The FiiO A1 is a small headphone amplifier, a device enclosed in a slim aluminum case with a built-in battery. The case features a sandblasted finish and a removable transparent clip on the back, which can be used to hang the device on your clothes. Apart from these factors, the biggest selling point of this product is, of course, its low price; the FiiO A1 is a cheap amplifier that costs around $25 to $30, which is comparable to the price of budget headphones.

Prior to the PHA-3, Sony had long focused on the consumer segment. Still, as consumers confidently turned to more advanced audio products, Sony decided to move upmarket, which encouraged the production of a high-end portable headphone amplifier.

The goal of the PHA-3 was to create a reliable amplifier for the MDR-Z7 and meet consumer demand for more professional audio equipment. Of course, $700 headphones are unlikely to work at full volume on a smartphone or standard player, and the PHA-3 is an excellent choice. It’s powerful and versatile and can be connected to virtually any device. Whether it’s a computer, an external digital music source via an optical connection, or an Android or iOS device, the PHA-3 can act as a DAC. There’s also a line input, so the PHA-3 can serve as a DAC/AMP (though it’s not the most powerful).

For advanced users, the PHA-3 is capable of handling high-resolution recordings at 384kHz/32bit (the current maximum) and DSD. Another interesting feature of the PHA-3 is that it can be used with balanced headphones, with two channels connected separately. It is not surprising that such a device is not compact and inexpensive. Its large size and weight are justified by its whopping $1,000 price tag, but is it really worth it?