DAP discussion thread

There's a probably pre-production model to try here in the Sony store in Singapore and it was actually laggier than the ZX2. A bit strange. And no I couldn't immediately tell the difference between the two.

 

No they don't have it on display has to be a blind purchase, though I don't think it'll be hard to resell on hf with the current demand.

 

Maybe I'll regret it but I ditched my Sony 1a order and went back with the qp1r for a great price. Maybe the Sony will come out (some day) and destroy the dap market, doubt it though. Besides a clumsy wheel the qp1r does sonics impressively. From my custom iems to he1k, the qp1r does me right.

 

Damn, on the brink of grabbing an ak100ii but what concerns me is the lack of support from AK going forward.
The zx2 seems tempting but again, lack of support.
Qp1r is on my radar though, hopefully a retailer has it for less than 899 come Black Friday.

 

Hifiman Supermini actually sounded great when I listened a while back. And did sound better than AKJR, but the interface was very clunky. Out off all the Daps my wife heard, she liked that one the for best/size to sound ratio. Currently rocking an old DX90 with a Chord Mojo attached to it. Was about to toss the dx90 till i realized it does 3.5 digital out. Now it's my primary Dap.

 

Very, very early impressions on iBasso DX80. I admit, this is my first ever DAC, I have really nothing to compare it to other than iPod and HTC 10 phone.
10 mins after the package arrived my DX80 scanned 128 GB micro SDXC and I had all the music I needed to go for a long walk. I connected the line out to JDC Labs C5, and put T5p.2 on my head.. and I could not stop listening. The sound was warm, maybe a touch too warm but all the details were present. I got really interested and started listening to some of the choral music that even on my HAP-Z1ES>HDA 1>HD800S combo requires my undivided attention to really hear what's going on, and I was hearing it all although the sound signature of DX80 with T5p.2 was very different. I do not want to get too excited but even after only few hours of listening it was impressive. And iBasso recommends 100+ hour of burn in - they even include a special cable that can be used instead of headphones. Is it going to get even better? I will post some comments after in a couple of weeks.

 

I have been enjoying the Cayin I5 the last week. The interface is really nice and the sound is nice. It sounds much better than yhe Fiio X3ii connected to my Teac Hap50. There are some concerns like trouble updating firmware, lack of usb dac.

 

I really don't understand why more DAPs don't have USB dac modes. It's what has kept me in the A&K fold instead of getting a Sony DAP, the sound of which I love.

 

The usb mode is supposed to be coming in an update and apparently already exists in the Chinese update.

 

Zx2 definitely better than any of the AK devices I've owned. Rwak 120b, ak100ii, ak100ii, and the mighty ak240. Give me the Sony all day over them.

 

Question is sony vs go2a....I habe v2+ infinity and I still think sony is better with iems

 

Will the new totl Sony players push the price of the ZX2 down or up?

 

^^ It all depends on how good the new players turn out to be. The zx2 is a damn good dap regardless.

 

I also have the V2+ Infinity and think the ZX2 is better for IEMs. I've been listening to the ZX2 with IEMs at my desktop lately. I turned off my Jotunheim because I was using it so infrequently.

However, the V2+ can play all the music on my laptop, not just the 256 GB I have on the ZX2. So I still find it useful. I would say my portable search is over for a few years now that I have the ZX2. I had my Pono for several years and I don't feel the urge to upgrade portable sources like I do my other gear.

 

How does the Onkyo DPX1 stack up against the ZX2?

 

Never heard onkyo but i can confidently say zx2 is better in trrs balanced. Many say go v2+ infinity sounds better than onkyo and i think zx2 balanced beats go v2+ balanced comfortably with iems

 

Just listened to the QP1R.....with the Andromedas....I really do not like the QP1R. Will be getting another Sony ZX2

 

Would you mind being a little more specific about what you didn't like, aside from the clunky wheel? I find the sonics and ability to drive just about anything fairly impressive.

 

I will repost what I posted on Hype-fi as rewriting would be a hassle.


Been a very long day of listening, I will post some thoughts on the qp1r. I will go against the grain and say I really don't enjoy the sound coming from this dap. Listening was done with Campfire andromeda, he1000, LCD-4. I don't really know what it is, but to me it sounds sterile and boring. Others may call this neutral/uncolored and transparent, but this for me is the weak point of this dap. This does allow the sound to put out a sense of extra clarity but for me, inner detailing was lacking. It seems detailed, but its akin to hearing the piano notes strike the notes with great clarity. The strike is fast and strong(so you think you hear the detail clearly) but the spaces in between the notes and decay always sound the same. This makes it sound not so great at microdynamics and shadings. Also makes the bass also sounds a bit flabby and a bit one note. This becomes a bit of a problem for me because it makes the sound feel very empty(not that I like warm and lush) and for me it really feels empty because the already thin noted sound the player makes. It became especially very problematic for with string instrument music(I play one for gods sake), and piano music. The timbre just does not sound right. To me the player plays the sounds, but doesn't create musicality/feeling of ambience. I don't mean environmental cues or space, but like the ambience you feel when you hear a performer play live music in front of you(musicality). I'm not a fan of the soundstaging/imaging as well. It must do with the thinness of the notes, as i don't get very good perceived depth, much like the hugo, and it does not sound very cohesive. Again the note thinness makes things sound shouty when dynamics go up instead of overwhelming you with emotion(Dark Knight Rises, Why do we fall is an example).

For all people say about the build quality of this player, I found it very disappointing. The metal finish on top looks like plastic. The player is actually thicker than I anticipated and looks more like a brick with a volume knob on top. Despite being so big, it feels very light which I don't like(Lighter than AK320 or ZX2). The volume knob is lose and fiddly, but I can clearly feel the clicks, and it does its job. I know its been mentioned a thousand times, but really I cannot recommend this player to anyone because the wheel. It really is terrible and I missed my selection so much, I resorted to using the touch key and center button to make selections. The screen is very small and also the ui does not look polished. I do give it a plus for booting up very quickly and scanning sd cards very quickly.

I also took it to the New York Audio Show today and listened to many high end setups. I tried the new Mytek Manhattan II, Mytek Brooklyn, Holo Spring Kitsune Level 3....etc....with high end headphones and my andros. None of these Hi-end Dacs shared the tonality and presentation of the QP1R. I really came impressed from the Holo Spring Kitsune Level 3(really that r2r sound....and that's how I like my cymbals to sound.....). Definitely sounded better than the mytek dacs right next to it(for me YMMV). I think this will be my future dac after I save up. The tonality for these dacs sound closer to that of the Sony ZX2(only in balanced trrs), though its even silly to compare a dap to a full high end desktop setup as they completely obliderate the DAPS.

They even had an AK320 there and I prefered it over the QP1R. Why did I prefer it? Even though it was a bit thicker and midcentric with slightly less detail, I enjoyed the sound more. The details are there to enhance the feeling of music, not become the highlight. Also I think its a better pairing with the Andromeda with its Z-output. The UI functions much easier, and aesthetically, I'm sorry to say but the QP1r is seriously behind and looks like a brick. Also less hiss than the QP1R. The QP1R hissed so audibly, I was distracted by it.

For me Strictly for IEMS, i would put it as ZX2(trrs balanced)>Geekout V2+(Balanced)>Mojo>AK320>QP1R

(I was also with a friend and he had Customart H8.2 and he liked the AK320 much better)(He's a fantastic pianist, and we will record some stuff and share it with you maybe mid Nov).

I will try to listen more and see if I change my mind, but I don't think my mind will change. To sum up the qp1r tried to give a sharp, lively, detailed, euphonic sound but to me it felt flat(not neutral but boring), unengaging, and thin(really sounds like paper...especialy with instruments I know and play). I really wanted to like this dap because it could have been my all in one because of its amplification/usb/dac functionality, but I cannot as I do not like its sound. Everything else I can deal with, but if the sound isn't what I like, I shouldn't think twice.

I will be happy to sell it on Head-fi to someone who would be happy with its unique presentation of sound.

For anyone going to the New York Audio Show, The AVM and PMC Fact.12 in Room 701....was the most impressive, and nothing else I heard came close to it.

People may question which tracks I listened to so I listed some tracks/albums I listened from

Adele 21(16/44.1), Adele 25(16/44.1), Kate Perry Prism(24/44.1), Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life, Justin Bieber Purpose

Star Wars The Force Awakens(24/96), Batman Vs Superman(24/96), The Dark Knight Rises(24/192)

Norah Jones Come Away with me(DSD), Norah Jones, Keith Jarrett(Melodies at Night with you), Super Nova (The Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio)

Rostropovich Dutilleux Cello Concerto, Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone, David Geringas(Mutiple Tracks from Different albums), Chopin Piano Concertos Martha Argerich, Krystian Zimerman Lizst Piano Sonata in B minor.

AS ALWAYS this is my opinion and YMMV.......so if you enjoy your QP1R, please by all means enjoy it.