[audiofan]

Recently picked up the Fiio E5 for use with my MP3 and CD player. I like
the quality of the sound, but I don't like the fact that the rechargeable
battery can't be replaced. When I received the unit, the battery was
uncharged and I plugged it into the USB port on the PC for charging where
the unit also seemed to function as intended when I plugged in the MP3 &
headphones. Question: It would be easy to use a cigarette lighter to USB
adapter in the car where I would be using the unit the most often so....
does anyone know whether or not the battery matters when using the unit off
USB power? I guess to make it more clear, if the battery were to die or
become unchargeable, would it still be possible to power the E5 from the
USB?

[Mike Rivers]

On 12/24/2010 5:58 AM, audiofan wrote:
Recently picked up the Fiio E5 for use with my MP3 and CD
player. I like the quality of the sound, but I don't like
the fact that the rechargeable battery can't be replaced.

There's a lot of stuff like that today. I have an MP3 player
and a GPS like that. Unless you drop it into the toilet or
step on it, essentially the life of the device is the life
of the battery.

It would be easy to use a
cigarette lighter to USB adapter in the car where I would be
using the unit the most often so.... does anyone know
whether or not the battery matters when using the unit off
USB power?

It depends. Some do, some don't. For what it's worth, when I
connect my MP3 player to a USB on a computer, port, it goes
into it's "removable disk drive" mode as well as charging
the internal battery. I can copy files between it and the
computer, and play the files that are on it using a media
player program on the computer (or when plugged into a car
radio that has a USB "player" port).

However, I can't access the MP3 player's normal operating
controls when it's plugged into a computer's USB port, so I
can't play it through headphones. I don't know what it does
with a "power only" USB jack since I haven't tried it. I can
operate my GPS when it's plugged into a power adapter in the
car, but that's sort of a "normal" operating mode for a GPS,
though not necessarily for a portable MP3 player or, in your
case, headphone amplifier.

You have the unit so why not try it? Run the battery down,
plug it into a USB port, and see if it works like that.
Simple. By the way, you aren't using headphones while you're
driving, are you? If you are, you might die before the
battery does.


--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com - useful and
interesting audio stuff

[Arny Krueger]

"audiofan" wrote in message

Recently picked up the Fiio E5 for use with my MP3 and CD
player. I like the quality of the sound, but I don't
like the fact that the rechargeable battery can't be
replaced. When I received the unit, the battery was
uncharged and I plugged it into the USB port on the PC
for charging where the unit also seemed to function as
intended when I plugged in the MP3 & headphones. Question: It would be
easy to use a cigarette lighter to
USB adapter in the car where I would be using the unit
the most often so.... does anyone know whether or not the
battery matters when using the unit off USB power? I
guess to make it more clear, if the battery were to die
or become unchargeable, would it still be possible to
power the E5 from the USB?

Yes. I use my E5 with a PC. It is just permanently plugged into a USB port.

[Scott Dorsey]

audiofan wrote:
Recently picked up the Fiio E5 for use with my MP3 and CD player. I like
the quality of the sound, but I don't like the fact that the rechargeable
battery can't be replaced.

Of course it can. Everything can be replaced. Open the case, desolder
the leads, order a replacement battery from digi-key and solder it back.
Have we all forgotten how to repair things today?

When I received the unit, the battery was
uncharged and I plugged it into the USB port on the PC for charging where
the unit also seemed to function as intended when I plugged in the MP3 &
headphones. Question: It would be easy to use a cigarette lighter to USB
adapter in the car where I would be using the unit the most often so....
does anyone know whether or not the battery matters when using the unit off
USB power? I guess to make it more clear, if the battery were to die or
become unchargeable, would it still be possible to power the E5 from the
USB?

You could make a guess if you had some idea what the power consumption on
it was; if it's higher than the 500 mA at 5V allowed by USB, you can guess
that it won't run directly off of USB.

Honestly, this stuff is cheap consumer junk, but just because it's cheap
consumer junk doesn't mean it's not repairable. The days of having a
TV repair shop on every block are gone but there are still plenty of people
out there who will repair electronics for a reasonable fee.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Mike Rivers]

On 12/24/2010 10:35 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:

Everything can be replaced. Open the case, desolder
the leads, order a replacement battery from digi-key and solder it back.

The trick is opening the case. I'm still whittling away at
that HD-414 driver and haven't broken it loose from the
housing yet.

Honestly, this stuff is cheap consumer junk, but just because it's cheap
consumer junk doesn't mean it's not repairable. The days of having a
TV repair shop on every block are gone but there are still plenty of people
out there who will repair electronics for a reasonable fee.

All too often, the "reasonable fee" is greater than the cost
of replacement. That's why we have so much electronic junk
in our landfills.

--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com - useful and
interesting audio stuff

[Arny Krueger]

"Scott Dorsey" wrote in message

audiofan wrote:

Recently picked up the Fiio E5 for use with my MP3 and
CD player. I like the quality of the sound, but I don't
like the fact that the rechargeable battery can't be
replaced.

Of course it can. Everything can be replaced. Open the
case, desolder the leads, order a replacement battery
from digi-key and solder it back. Have we all forgotten
how to repair things today?

There are now products like the Sansa Clip that are so small and tightly
packaged and have such a low replacement cost that they are unlikely to ever
be repaired by a professional. I did replace the lithium cell in my
Microtrack, but the Microtrack cost about 10 times more and is easily 10 or
more times larger.

The E5 has a replacement value of about $15 and the Clip+ is about $30. The
earlier Sansa players were held together with screws, but the Clip+ case
seems to be fused together.

I think that the E5 may be held together by some plastic pins that it may be
possible to push out of the way. Both devices can be operated from a
readibly availble separate power source once their batteries lose
effectiveness.

[Bill Graham]

Arny Krueger wrote:
"Scott Dorsey" wrote in message

audiofan wrote:

Recently picked up the Fiio E5 for use with my MP3 and
CD player. I like the quality of the sound, but I don't
like the fact that the rechargeable battery can't be
replaced.

Of course it can. Everything can be replaced. Open the
case, desolder the leads, order a replacement battery
from digi-key and solder it back. Have we all forgotten
how to repair things today?

There are now products like the Sansa Clip that are so small and
tightly packaged and have such a low replacement cost that they are
unlikely to ever be repaired by a professional. I did replace the
lithium cell in my Microtrack, but the Microtrack cost about 10 times
more and is easily 10 or more times larger.

The E5 has a replacement value of about $15 and the Clip+ is about
$30. The earlier Sansa players were held together with screws, but
the Clip+ case seems to be fused together.

I think that the E5 may be held together by some plastic pins that it
may be possible to push out of the way. Both devices can be operated
from a readibly availble separate power source once their batteries
lose effectiveness.

We are at the point now where the major component (weight and size wise) in
these devices is the battery. Pretty soon, they will be built into one of
the terminals by the battery factory, and when the battery dies, we will
just throw them away.

[audiofan]

Just wanted to add that I really like the amp! It arrived a few days ago
and I have been operating it in-line between my MP3 player and cassette
adapter. It does well enough with bass and highs that I won't need to
bother trying to wire it directly. I know the cassette adapter has some
loss, but the E5 helps make up for a lot of it. Very impressive for the
price and I am using a cigarette lighter with USB for power. Works great.

"Bill Graham" wrote in message
...
Arny Krueger wrote:
"Scott Dorsey" wrote in message

audiofan wrote:

Recently picked up the Fiio E5 for use with my MP3 and
CD player. I like the quality of the sound, but I don't
like the fact that the rechargeable battery can't be
replaced.

Of course it can. Everything can be replaced. Open the
case, desolder the leads, order a replacement battery
from digi-key and solder it back. Have we all forgotten
how to repair things today?

There are now products like the Sansa Clip that are so small and
tightly packaged and have such a low replacement cost that they are
unlikely to ever be repaired by a professional. I did replace the
lithium cell in my Microtrack, but the Microtrack cost about 10 times
more and is easily 10 or more times larger.

The E5 has a replacement value of about $15 and the Clip+ is about
$30. The earlier Sansa players were held together with screws, but
the Clip+ case seems to be fused together.

I think that the E5 may be held together by some plastic pins that it
may be possible to push out of the way. Both devices can be operated
from a readibly availble separate power source once their batteries
lose effectiveness.

We are at the point now where the major component (weight and size wise)
in these devices is the battery. Pretty soon, they will be built into one
of the terminals by the battery factory, and when the battery dies, we
will just throw them away.