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Arkon Slim Grip Ultra setup with FiiO E18

As much as I was excited about E18 portable usb DAC/amp, there was one thing I wish could have been improved. When you are dealing with a portable external DAC or amp, you need a way to attach it to your audio source. If you have a dedicated mp3/audio player using velcro or rubber band is the most logical option. The same idea could be applied when using with a smartphone, especially in a setup with E18 where it's intended to be connected to your smartphone through USB/otg cable. FiiO included two sets of rubber bands for that purpose, and I have read how others use a velcro tape as an alternative attachment option. Using a velcro tape is secure but it will leave a sticky residue if you decide to remove it. It also takes away from brushed metal look of the case when you use it standalone. Plus, assuming you would not stick the other side of velcro on the back of your phone but rather to some temporary case, it's no longer a universal attachment. On the other hand, using rubber band is a clean solution that should work with any case and without a need for any sticky velcro tape, but you will have parts of your smartphone touchscreen covered with a rubber band. It interferes with touch screen control and obstructs the view of the screen if you choose to use your DAC/amp for a premium sound delivery when watching movies/videos. Not too mention rubber band will not work with a tablet if you use E18 as headphone amp. The solution? The almighty Arkon Slim Grip Ultra mount!!!

First of all, out of every car mount I have reviewed in the past (and I have reviewed them all) Slim Grip Ultra has been my favorite go-to car mount that works with any size smartphone as well as 7"/8" tablets. I have reviewed it in the past here: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2174449 and later followed it with Intelligrip version here: http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=44760662&postcount=41 . What's unique about it is that mount grip can easily be removed from the mounting arm leaving only a slim backplate which is 10mm thin with about 60mm in width and 110mm in length expandable to 160mm in length through a spring-loaded mechanism. In addition it comes with 2 sets of removable support legs of different length with a soft inner rubber padding and ability to extend the backplate with end grips to hold your smartphone or tablet. What is very important, those support legs could be shifted anywhere along the edges to accommodate for different port openings on your smartphone or tablet. Therefore you no longer need to attach E18 to the phone but rather use your rubber bands (smaller size pair worked great) to attach E18 to Arkon Slim Grip Ultra as I have demonstrated in the pictures. Once it's attached, you just insert your smartphone or tablet of choice inside of the grip and you're DONE!!!

Now your display will be open for a full touch control. You no longer need to use any sticky velcro. You can prop up your setup as a kickstand to put it up on the table to watch movies or videos or get access to your audio player without any obstructions. It also enhances the grip of the phone to hold it securely in your hand, and doesn't add too much bulk since Slim Grip Ultra is very lightweight and you only increasing thickness of your overall setup by 10mm. If you choose to you can still attach E18 with a velcro tape to Slim Grip Ultra, but in my opinion it's no longer necessary since you get a very sturdy grip, and can still use it later in the car to mount your smartphone or tablet. You can purchase Slim Grip Ultra for about $20 which is a fantastic value considering how many uses you can get out of it. Furthermore, you can choose Intelligrip version of Slim Grip Ultra which has a replaceable NFC tag. If your phone supports NFC, you can program it to trigger any action when phone is inserted into the E18 piggyback grip.

Here are the pictures: