[wj18]

No, there has not been any mention of the Standard Edition. It has been the Exclusive Edition that has been made it to the various shows.

Not sure which of the three tunings (low distortion, high definition or harmonic tuning) of the Exclusive Edition that the Standard Edition corresponds to.

From what I understand the 3 tunings are something extra reserved for the Exclusive Edition which also benefits of the L&P tuning, whereas the standard edition will have only the L&P tuning - which is already quite something! However why no card slot in the standard edition?

 

[slumberman]

From what I understand the 3 tunings are something extra reserved for the Exclusive Edition which also benefits of the L&P tuning, whereas the standard edition will have only the L&P tuning - which is already quite something! However why no card slot in the standard edition?

There is a card slot in the standard edition, but it doesn’t come with the “exclusive logo” on it.

 

[wj18]

There is a card slot in the standard edition, but it doesn’t come with the “exclusive logo” on it.

Ah I see, thanks for the clarification.

 

[Kiats]

From what I understand the 3 tunings are something extra reserved for the Exclusive Edition which also benefits of the L&P tuning, whereas the standard edition will have only the L&P tuning - which is already quite something! However why no card slot in the standard edition?

@slumberman has explained with regards to the card slot.

As for the Exclusive Edition vs the Standard Edition, unless the price differential is drastic, I am not sure why the former is not more compelling as a value proposition.

 

[Kiats]

Just thought I would share the following announcement from LP on the latest firmware for the E7. See the links below. By the way, the E7 will ship out with this latest firmware.

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/8aB8mGJFUM7D93ea1WrjgQ

https://weibo.com/5819639917/502881...channel=4&s_trans=5819639917_5028812394599254

Here is a translation done by WeChat:


**Increased Battery Life, Reduced Bugs — E7 "Extended Range Firmware" Released! Revised EA4 and New Matching Cables Debut**

After the E7 series had been on the market for a while, we received feedback from many users. The vast majority are satisfied with the sound quality for the price, but there are two issues with usage: 1. The battery life is not long enough; 2. There are occasional crashes. In response to these issues, we have been working hard to optimize and have introduced corresponding solutions — the "Extended Range Firmware." Let us report the details.

1. **Battery Life Extended Up to 90 Minutes**
Currently, the battery life is insufficient because the E7, to fully utilize the potential of the dual 4497 DACs, does not compromise on power supply. The original firmware sees the E7 consuming up to 2.5W. With the "Extended Range Firmware," the hidden potential of the E7’s high-voltage battery can be further unleashed, increasing the full charge voltage by about 0.1V, and extending the battery life by 30-90 minutes (depending on the volume and whether using single-ended or balanced output), with total battery life exceeding 6 hours when using balanced output.

2. **Significant Mitigation of Freezing Issues**
Previously, some users reported that the E7 would crash during use. The E7 uses a new interface, the "LeOS" pure audio operating system, which aims to maximize usability without compromising on sound quality. Occasionally, the system fails to recognize files and repeatedly attempts to read them, leading to freezing. After updating to the "Extended Range Firmware," this issue can be mitigated, and "LeOS" will continue to evolve and improve. We welcome more feedback and corrections from everyone.

3. **Improved Sound Quality in LD Mode**
Hidden Benefit: For the refined version of E7, we have enabled more FPGA resources in the "Extended Range Firmware," enhancing the sound quality in LD (Low Distortion) mode. Although this increases power consumption, thanks to the battery's "special move," the battery life during balanced output can still reach 5-6 hours.

We highly recommend E7 users update to this firmware version!

Finally, at the Chengdu Headphone Expo, we also exhibited the further refined second version of the EA4 engineering model, with half the background noise of the units shown at the Shanghai Headphone Expo. We also showcased new matching cables (both 3.5mm and 4.4mm), with golden sandalwood shells combined with the Extreme Domain U58 cable, which not only looks good but also sounds better. We welcome all audiophiles to listen more and provide guidance in the future!"

 

[Kiats]

[deleted: duplicate]

 

[wj18]

@slumberman has explained with regards to the card slot.

As for the Exclusive Edition vs the Standard Edition, unless the price differential is drastic, I am not sure why the former is not more compelling as a value proposition.

The price difference in the UK is £450, about 15%, so the Exclusive Edition is definitely a better proposition for the extra benefits that you get, in fact I don't understand why L&P is offering a Standard Edition considering the extra costs involved in producing and marketing two different versions, it might have been better instead to produce only one version, the Exclusive Edition, and with the money saved offer the Exclusive Edition at a slightly lower price.

 

[littlexx26]

the hidden potential of the E7’s high-voltage battery can be further unleashed, increasing the full charge voltage by about 0.1V

that means the lifespan of battery will suffer. it seems they just use the reserved part of the battery.

 

[Bosk]

The price difference in the UK is £450, about 15%, so the Exclusive Edition is definitely a better proposition for the extra benefits that you get, in fact I don't understand why L&P is offering a Standard Edition considering the extra costs involved in producing and marketing two different versions, it might have been better instead to produce only one version, the Exclusive Edition, and with the money saved offer the Exclusive Edition at a slightly lower price.

My interpretation of the promotional material is that in addition to other improvements, the Exclusive Edition ships with an AK4497 DAC card with higher THD specs.

Which could suggest either the AK4497 chips used for the EE versions, or other electrical components on those particular cards have been matched to higher tolerances. L&P may only be able to produce a limited number of boards to these specs due to supply limitations, hence the distinction between EE & non-EE models.

Offering a premium version is also a very effective strategy from a marketing perspective.

 

[Kiats]

that means the lifespan of battery will suffer. it seems they just use the reserved part of the battery.

Matter of conjecture, I suspect, at this stage. Since none of us have any details of the specs.

 

[Kiats]

The price difference in the UK is £450, about 15%, so the Exclusive Edition is definitely a better proposition for the extra benefits that you get, in fact I don't understand why L&P is offering a Standard Edition considering the extra costs involved in producing and marketing two different versions, it might have been better instead to produce only one version, the Exclusive Edition, and with the money saved offer the Exclusive Edition at a slightly lower price.

From what was said at the shows and the Weibo blog, as @Bosk rightly points out, only some of the DAC chips would meet what was required for the Exclusive Edition. In any event, it is a matter of conjecture if there would be any savings.

 

[audionewbi]

The truth is, and that is for all manufactures in this hobby, that in most cases we just have to take their words for it. In our hobby, it is next to impossible to find a well qualified objective third party test which is able to test the product hardware as well as software and somehow related it to sonic quality of the equipment itself.

There is no unified test as such.

 

[Kiats]

At the end of the day, it is really up to your ears, your preferences and your audio chain. Lots of factors...

 

[Kiats]

Not sure if anyone played with this functionality of the E7 during CJ NY or SG. One of the functionalities is the PA Voltage adjustment for DD and Planars. By default, it is set on automatic. However, you can adjust it manually and experiment with it. Something to try in due course when the E7 stock arrives.

 

[audionewbi]

That's one feature that has gotten me interested. For IEM, current is more important than voltage.