A Headphone Amp That’s Fulla Schiit!

As an AV Enthusiast, I can admit that I have fallen down my share of rabbit holes over the years. So many in fact, that I am even hesitant to invest in new gear, lest the Audiophiles under my bed get me! I’ve recently dipped my toes into headphones, and have been wondering if I am missing something by not using a dedicated amp. Well, I was able to get my hands on a Schiit Fulla E and see if the hype was real. At $109, it’s marketed as a gaming amp. Finally, a headphone amp that’s not Fulla Schiit! Let’s discuss.

Schiit Fulla E Specs

In The Box/Inputs

The Schiit Fulla E came neatly packaged with the unit, a USB cable, and a set of instructions. No muss, no fuss. I enjoyed the simplicity.

Speaking of simplicity, the front of the Schiit Fulla E features a 3.5mm microphone input and a 6.3mm or 1/4″ headphone jack. The rear of the unit has a pair of USB ports. The first allows for a USB-C connection to your PC/Mac, iOS/Android device, or PS4/5 and Nintendo Switch. The second is for power (if needed). There is also an optical input and a 3.5mm pre-amp output to hook up your powered speakers.

For a $109 amp, I am impressed by the number of inputs crammed into this thing. I expected there to be a USB input and a pre-amp output so that it could be integrated into your gaming setup, but the optical input was a nice surprise and made it a bit more versatile with my gear!

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the Schiit Fulla E has a Sabre Reference 32 ESS DAC and a Texas Instrument OPA1654 filter onboard. In non-nerd, that’s a very audiophile-loved pairing. Those chips are often included in amps that cost far more than the Fulla.

Build Quality Of The Schiit Fulla E

The build quality of the Schiit Fulla E is excellent. The entire case is made from metal, as is the knob that sits atop the unit. While the unit is small (it fits in the palm of your hand), it feels substantial. If you want simple, the Fulla E is the amp for you. There is no RGB or DSP/Surround sound on this unit.

All of the connections feel solid. The 1/4″ jack from my Audeze MM-100s snapped in satisfyingly. As did the USB and optical connections. I’ve used devices that cost far more than the Fulla E, yet didn’t come close to the quality.

Connecting The Schiit Fulla

As stated in the specs, the Fulla E doesn’t require any drivers for your PC/Mac. I plugged the Fulla E into my MacBook Air, found the Fulla E (labeled I’m Fulla Schiit) under the audio device, and selected it. That’s it. All sounds were being diverted to the Fulla E and my headphones. It was the same with my PC. Plug it in, find the Fulla E, and select. In both cases, I used a USB C to USB C connection because a) my MacBook only supports USB C, and b) the USB C port on the front of my PC was easiest to get to. The unit didn’t need a separate power connection, it drew enough from the USB C connection.

Luckily both my iPad and iPhone (I know, I’m an Apple fanboy) are USB C, so I only need one cable to go between all my devices. Like my Mac/PC, I didn’t need to add an external power brick. This kept the setup very portable. My iPad/iPhone did ask me if the Fulla E was a headphone, and then connected. No other input on my end was needed to get the Fulla E working.

I don’t have a 3.5mm microphone, so I couldn’t test that functionality or voice quality. However, I did plug my powered monitors into the Schiit Fulla and it worked fabulously. If the headphone jack is not being used, the Fulla defaults to the pre-amp-out jack on the back.

I get the gamer appeal of the Schiit Fulla E. All of the connections make sense, with the headphone and microphone jacks up front and the USB, optical, and pre-out on the back. It’s almost as if they had gamers test this thing and get their opinions! Wow!

How Does The Schiit Fulla E Sound?

Sorry to disappoint the Audiophiles out there, but the Schiit Fulla E was not some transcendent experience. It didn’t make my music warmer, brighter, or any other audiophile BS. And I am glad! The Fulla E did exactly what a good amp should do, amplify the signal and not add any coloration or bias. Schiit, by design, wanted the Fulla E to be linear, and they succeeded.

The Fulla E was silent when the music wasn’t playing and the volume was higher. I can’t say the same for my Onkyo TX-NR7100 which gave me a faint, but audible hiss when idle at higher volumes. The Schiit Fulla E can drive my Audeze MM-100s uncomfortably loud. Even at higher volumes treble was great and bass was punchy. I know that this is largely due to the quality of the MM-100s. However, the incredibly low distortion of the Fulla plays a big part.

As far as sources go, I gave the Schiit Fulla E a helluva test. I connected my MacBook/PC and iPhone/iPad via USB C. Plus, I connected my Minidisc player and the Monoprice 43243 Bluetooth 5 transmitter via the optical connection. No matter what source I used, the Fulla sounded amazing. It did, however, need external power with my Minidisc and Monoprice Bluetooth transmitter. I love the versatility of this amp. I know that 99% of people probably don’t need optical outputs, but I love them and will continue to use them!

Who Should Buy The Schiit Fulla E?

The most obvious answer is gamers. The design and power output is perfect for gaming headphones. With the inclusion of a 3.5mm mic input and a pre-out for desktop speakers, it’s perfect for that use.

However, there are a lot of folks like me that spend most of their work day in front of a computer. My work laptop is very similar to many streaming setups. I used this at work and found it very convinient to have my setup controlled by a singular volume knob. The only problem I ran into is the fact that most office headphones don’t come with 1/4″ jacks. That “problem” is a $6 adaptor away from a fix.

The last use case is someone like me. I have a easy to drive set of headphones that work well with all my devices. However, I just want a tad bit more volume and I don’t want to spend a ton on an headphone amp. The Schiit Fulla E is perfect for my use case. I can connect it directly to my Mac/iPad/iPhone without an extra power brick. And it’s small. I can use it wherever I am.

As long as you don’t have crazy low impedence or effeciency headphones, the Schiit Fulla E is enough for 99% of the folks out there.

Shop Schiit Fulla E on Amazon

Our Take

Finally, a headphone amp that’s not Fulla Schiit! I said that and I mean it! The Schiit Fulla E is a cost effective, and high-performing headphone amp. At $109, I think you would be hard pressed to find a headphone amp with a audiophile grade DAC integrated that can best it. The Fulla E adds enough amplification for amost any headphone you will look at. Plus, it’s aimed at the gamer. You now have an AIO solution for your desktop set up.

Our Vedict: Get It!