DAP discussion thread

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by zerodeefex, Oct 8, 2015.

  1. mickeyvortex

    mickeyvortex Friend

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    Any idea how good/bad the Echobox DAP is? It runs Android.
     
  2. velvetx

    velvetx Gear Master West/Vendor Spotlight Moderator

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    I listened to this for quite a bit at RMAF. Wasn't really impressed. For the price though I dunno supposedly around $450 (explorer 1). For that price I would rather have the AK Jr. and I didn't think it sounded close to this. Then again the model I listened to was still a prototype (no micro sd card slot). It does look nice though.
     
  3. mickeyvortex

    mickeyvortex Friend

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    Thanks velvetx. I remember reading on HF that Fiio is meant to be launching an Android based DAP sometime in the future. Is that true?
     
  4. velvetx

    velvetx Gear Master West/Vendor Spotlight Moderator

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    Fiio is launching an android based DAP (x7) I believe it's a modified version of KitKat. Keep in mind this is a not like the Pioneer player which runs full Android. So don't expect all the full android features ie app store etc.
     
  5. zeissiez

    zeissiez Turn that Schiit down - acquaintance

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    Last edited: Oct 16, 2015
  6. STFUDonny

    STFUDonny New

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    Unfortunately, the Geek Wave won't be joining the 2015 list. Latest update says February, which probably means July. The L&P looks mighty good...does anybody have the Cowon P1 and care to comment on it?
     
  7. velvetx

    velvetx Gear Master West/Vendor Spotlight Moderator

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    Thank you for posting someone elses review but can we hear your own thoughts on the why this player sounded better than both the QP1R, AK120II, and was almost on par with the AK380? Just a few things that would really help everyone out in this post:

    - Sound thoughts on the L5Pro
    - Compare sound thoughts with thoughts of the players you claim L5 Pro trumps
    - Types of music you primarily listen to

    For others in this post or anyone that would like to contribute I feel that these are just the basic things as this isn't like other audio forums you are apart of the community and we want to hear what you personally have to say and the types of things you listen for in music. Provided you don't have to if you don't want to but this really helps in threads such as this as people may be basing buying decisions or are on the fence and well written comments or if someone asks you a question directly you can answer.

    Not that I don't believe what you have to say but this to me as it is right now is just a link to someone elses review and very little about what you personally thought about the player. I would just like a little more expansion on your thoughts so that myself and others can understand where you are coming from.
     
  8. MisterRogers

    MisterRogers Ethernet Nervosa

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    I own the Cowon P1; I find it a very good match with the UERM. UI is pretty good, and the playing handles PCM / DSD (DOP) very well. I haven't done any real comparisons with other DAPs, so I can comment on whether it's better or worse than anything else.
     
  9. burnspbesq

    burnspbesq Friend

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  10. Eric_C

    Eric_C Friend

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    Came to view this thread because of that very update.
    Hoping to find the cheapest, slimmest step up from Clip+ that just needs to handle 16/44
     
  11. audiofrk

    audiofrk Guest

    interesting, to be honest I liked the QPI more than the qp1r and the ak380. The ak380 was really spacious and smooth but I felt that the qp1 had similar stage and better dynamics, the qp1r had a smaller stage and was hmm warmer. What IEMs did you use? The UERMs impeadance does down to 10ohms I think so it maybe didn't play well with the qp1r as that one is made for bigger headphones.

    hows the battery life on it? I read that there have been battery problems with the player.


    yes unfortunately getting redbook right is not a major priority for hifi companies.
     
  12. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    On the L5p HF thread, someone liked the QP1r more, saying that the L5p was warmer and less detailed, while he found the QP1r more detailed and very slightly warm.

    I haven't heard either, but if we are echo-chambering new gear, there it is.
     
  13. zeissiez

    zeissiez Turn that Schiit down - acquaintance

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    I use 3 IEMs, the Oriolus, 846 and Merlin. The QP1R was extraordinary with my HD800 on high gain. With my IEMs, to my ears, it was very good, but I don't find them stella. At the level, I take the AK120 II level as reference, most of the DAPs are sound in technicalities: extensions, neutrality, layering, imaging, background blackness. The extraordinary ones offers naturalness and musicality while keeping the technicalities in check. The L5 pro takes the QP1R, add bigger soundstage, what also goes deeper and more layered, and swap for a more delicate and non-fatiguing treble. The treble of the L5 pro is one of the best I heard in any DAP, very nimble and detailed but never harsh and over-clinical. I am sensitive to harsh treble. The treble quality and the big, deep and layered soundstage help the L5 pro in offering a natural and flowing sound. The AK120 II could sound a little clinical, with the L5 pro, the music just flow. The AK380 is the best DAP I heard, while having an iron grip on the technicalities, it has that naturalness and flow. The difference between the AK380 and L5 pro is the AK380 has better weight in the images. With the very deep soundstage, the centre stage is shifted a little backwards, the L5 pro can sound too laid back with some IEMs like the Merlin, but with the Oriolus, the sound opens up while musical engagement remains intact, so matching is important here. The Ak380 does a better job here in the sense that the weight and solidity in imaging can be a match for more IEMs.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2015
  14. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    How long did you have with the QP1r? Did you find the treble on the QP1r to be fatiguing and on which iems? Thanks!
     
  15. zeissiez

    zeissiez Turn that Schiit down - acquaintance

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    I have a friend who owns a headphone store here, whenever I'm free I just hang around and try out the gears. I have heard most DAPs, the Koreans and the Chinese DAPs, and the QP1R several times. But everyone has different headphones/IEMs, different taste, listen to different music, and have different appreciation of sonic attributes. I like spacious, layered, natural, transparent, open, non-fatiguing kind of sound. Make no mistake, the QPR1 is a fine DAP. There's nothing that it does wrongly with IEMs, and in fact stella with the HD800. The treble is fine, but the treble of L5 pro is special to my ears.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2015
  16. Altrunox

    Altrunox Friend

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    Anyone already tried the Fiio X7? Just curious, not enough cash for it :(

    I'll probably want the Fiio M3 though, looks nice, pretty decent size.
     
  17. zeissiez

    zeissiez Turn that Schiit down - acquaintance

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    Both are on the neutral side, they are not warm, and they are both not lacking in details. For me, I'd pick the L5 pro without hesitation, better SQ (for my IEMs and my taste), better UI, better look, cheaper. The negatives about the L5 pro are: the volume knob finishing is a bit rough, and as of now, the tracks don't sort in alphabetical order when new tracks are added, and there's no custom EQ, and it doesn't work as a USB DAC.
     
  18. kapanak

    kapanak Canucklehead - Friend

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    Is the X7 even out? Last I checked on Head-Fi, it was still going through its "crowd-designed" phase, which always seems to set off my sirens.
     
  19. Altrunox

    Altrunox Friend

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    Some dudes in China already have it
     
  20. velvetx

    velvetx Gear Master West/Vendor Spotlight Moderator

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    Unless for whatever reason people get it in 2015 I will be able to listen to it at CES 2016.
     

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