DAP discussion thread

Hmmm.. quick update on the QP1, my battery was at 40% and within 5 minutes it shot to 9% left.

 

I'm not a dap person but I love my Pono. I was never really interested in the high-rez discussion one way or the other, so managed to avoid some of the online vitriol. I have a Frye's downstairs so a year or so ago when they had the Pono on sale for $250 I grabbed one, not really knowing or expecting much about it. Turns out its presentation and overall "tone" is right up my alley. The imaging in particular is really precise. (I use balanced HD650 with it).

 

I agree, the Pono gets a bad rap because of the stuff Neil Young says in the press. Even if you feel there's no benefit going above 16/44, the Pono is still a very good DAP, especially when run in balanced mode.

 

Pono for $250 is a sick deal. If I were still in possession of some other full-sized cans other than HD650 and HD800, I would have already bought it.

 

Fry's runs that deal a few times a year. Or they have so far at least. I got mine from the Kickstarter for $200, early bird price. For $200, the Pono is an absolute steal. I feel like I got away with something. All of my headphones can currently run balanced, and that's where the Pono shines. I do think the HD600 benefits from more power than the Pono can provide, even in balanced mode, but with the HE-400S it sounds amazing balanced. I'll also be getting a balanced cable for my PM-3 soon which should also be a great combo.

 

Keep us updated on things, please!

 

Is any one still using the HM901 these day, and if so how do you feel it stacks up again'st the other totl daps. Sadly, after a year the3.5mm jack on mine died, so I yanked out the Amp an use it purely as a Dac. As for sound quality I'd have to say it's on par with my Audio GD NFB10ES2,

still given one mechanical failure, I'm concerned about longevity. Though, my best bet might be to send it in for an upgrade to the 901s for $500

has any one had a chance to compare the 901s to other totl daps

 

I was using the Dunu 2000J ( 8 Ohm ) on 901, 650, Fiio X7, Cayin N6, Ibasso DX80, Aune M2 pro, AK Jr.

Test track was maiochiru yuki no youni (Suara), Memoria & ROSES (Aoi Eir) and some else.

I found Fiio X7 to have some kind of buzzing sound (on and off) after I messed with the tracks. I can't confirm it was due to my earphones, the SD card, or what else. The distraction was sufficient enough for me to pass on this unit. Perhaps someone else would like to add on the SQ.

Nothing much on Cayin N6. Bass is big. Nothing much attracts me to listen longer.
Build: Bulky definitely

DX80 is pretty clean. Quite bloomy and a little bit sharp on the treble. A little bit.
Build: Quite pointy on the design
UI: scroll moves too fast. UI a little bit laggy.

Aune M2 Pro: sound inoffensive, a little bit un"engaging". Doesn't leave me wanting more honestly.
UI: Very very simple (or primitive, either way it means simple).

AK Jr: Sound okay. Quite engaging.
Build: Those pointy end leave much to be desired. Unless i'm treating it as the AK240 or similar design where it is beauty on the table but not palm friendly.
UI: Quite simple to maneuver and scrolls better than DX80. JESUS the loading time to rebuild new library after inserting micro SD card!

HM901 I can't (and didn't) use for very long because it hisses with Dunu 2000J. Perhaps the amp card is not suitable with this IEM. I skipped anything which makes me unable to have a quiet background (which includes X7 for the aforementioned matter).

HM650:
Build: Gosh, is this a voice recorder like Sony PCM-D100? Lol. Volume control is not precise because of the gap between volumes.
Sound: This is what I want. Maybe you can describe it as "analogue" with recessed treble? Anyway I really felt this one has a clear distinction with the rest of the DAPs. Sweet, sweet sound especially for slow songs.

 

COWON plenue 1? yay or nay? I am getting one to punish while on the road - looked legit

 

When using the DX80, did you notice any pops or thumps while pausing or stopping tracks?

There seems to be a problem with the dual Cirrus CS4398 chips not properly muting and the large capacitor bank used in the unit.

 

zero had it, ask him.

 

New guy here. I've heard several mid-tier DAPs but am just entering the world of higher-end DAPs. Your mention of analog sound brings to mind Soundaware Esther Analog. Very "boutique" Chinese DAP. In-house FGPA. Sounds very analog. I love the sound but firmware is very quirky to say the least. If they get their act together and clean up the firmware and GUI, it's something I'd recommend looking at. As is, it's a bit of a frustrating user experience.

 

Anyone tried this yet? looks kinda promising. (upsampling on IOS platform)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hibiki/id592396897?mt=8

Here's a freeware version for evaluating:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hibikifree/id887091351?mt=8

 

I never heard of "Soundaware Esther Analog" and so I don't really know about the sound. The "analogue" i described was kinda thickish, yet clean and lack of (for better of worse) sharp highs. Staging is considerably wide (or normal), and main attraction is the smoothness of the sound.
Gotta try more to find your pair of shoes, right?

I am not sure about that. If my memory serves me correctly, the popping happens when turning on/off but not pausing.

 

Yeah, after communicating with moon audio, they wrote an email to Bruce and asked for me to send the QP1 in for inspection. IF they can fix it they will, if not they will replace it.

 

Sounds good!

 

Worth a read:
http://www.androidauthority.com/why-you-dont-want-that-32-bit-dac-667621/

 

32bit dacs are useful for digital volume control, not for playback

 

Just tried the Hibiki free app for the entire day with the iphone6plus as my USB transport link up to my car's Pioneer DEH-80PRS(PCM1792A).

Subjective take on the Hibiki app:
It is definitely less fatiguing to listen to vs the default music app on IOS. Bass has more depth and slam. There's less harshness in the treble, more smoother sounding which makes the Hibiki more enjoyable to listen to.

There's an option in the menu which is called Low service mode. If enabled, it disables certain features like screen updates which has effect on cpu usage(less jitter?). Also this Low service mode can be combine with IOS's airplane mode for better effect.

Worth a try for those using IPhone/ipad as their default portable player

 

In case you guys haven't heard, Massdrop will be putting Luxury & Precision LP3 up for $299 + $10 shipping soon. I think I'll bite.