I would like to start by saying thank you to Penon Audio for letting me check out the SHOZY Lancea. The Lacea was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion of it.
The SHOZY Lancea is available from Penon Audio:
http://penonaudio.com/SHOZY-Lances-DAC-AMP
I’m not in any way affiliated with SHOZY or Penon Audio
Introduction:
The SHOZY Lancea is a combined DAC and amplifier designed to work with I-devices (with lightening connection), Android devices and computers.
I personally am not a big fan of using my phone as a music player without helping it out a bit. In my household we have (and had) a lot of phones (HTC One M7, Samsung S2,S4, S5, Sony Xperia Z3c, Iphone 5 to mention those available to me at this moment). I don’t find any of them to come close to even a basic DAP as the FiiO X3 (1’st gen.) in sound quality. Lately a lot of devices that takes the music digitally from the phone and processes it externally (often) resulting in a much better result has started to pop up. In my experience there’s still a hit and miss which DAC that work or doesn’t work with what phone or tablet.
For more information regarding compatibility between Android devices and DAC’s I’s strongly recommend consulting this excellent thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/7125#post_11868440
While the DAC’s said to work with I-devices seem to do so most of the time there’s not too many of them and often they need the addition of an Ipod Camera Connection Kit (CCK) to work properly. This of course makes for a quite bulky solution that not many people would like to carry around.
The SHOZY Lancea is yet another of those devices aimed to make the sound from our phone, tablet and/or computer better. It is said to work with I-devices (using lightening cable), Android devices (using micro USB cable) and computers (using USB cable). Cables for all these connections are included in the package.
About me:
I’m a 43 year old music and sound lover that changed my focus from speakers to headphones and IEM’s about five years ago. At that time I realized that it wasn’t realistic for me to have all the different setups that I wanted and still house a family of four children and a wife so my interest turned first to full sized headphones and later also IEM’s.
My preferences are towards full sized open headphones and I believe that also says something about what kind of sound signature I prefer (large soundstage in all directions, balanced and organic sound).
My music preferences are pretty much all over the place (only excluding classical music, jazz and really heavy metal). My all-time favorite band is Depeche Mode although I also listen to a lot of grunge/indie, singer/songwriter/acoustical stuff as well as the typical top 40 music.
I do not use EQ, ever.
I’m a sucker for value for money on most things in life, Head-Fi related stuff is no exception.
The specs:
· Headphone impedance range: 16-100Ohms
· Output Power:30mW at 32Ω
· Power input: 1.8V-3.3V+-10%
· Output gain level step: 3dB/step;16 steps
· THD:≤0.1%,1KHz
· SNR: 98dB at 3.3V power supply
· Resolution: 20Bit/48KHz sampling
· System power current:10mA-95mA max
· Supported connectors: Lightning connector, micro usb-micro usb, micro usb-usb
Built and Accessories
The Lancea is a gorgeous piece of work in my opinion. When unpacking the Lancea it both looks and feels premium. The chassis is made from CNC-milled metal and the color is what I think is called “Champagne”.
The Lancea is very slick and even the Audioquest Dragonfly feels clumsy in comparison. It measures only 50 x 19 x 7 mm and is the smallest amp/DAC I’ve ever seen.
The overall design is also minimalistic having only a micro USB input and a 3.5 mm output. There’s no buttons or lights whatsoever on the device so everything is controlled from the device that the Lancea is connected to.
There really isn’t much accessories included in the package since not many is needed to make it work. You’ll find three different cables (micro USB, lightning and USB) and a manual, that’s it.
Compatibility:
I’ve been using it for about two weeks now and these are my findings so far:
The Lancea is Plug n’ Play so there’s no need to install any drivers.
As metioned in the beginning of this review external DAC’s with Android devices is still a hit and miss and I also got some mixed result with the Lancea.
With my Sony Xperia Z3compact it worked with all the players, USB Audio Player Pro (UAPP), stock Sony player, BubbleUPnP and Spotify, I tried it with while with my old HTC One M7 it only worked with third party apps designed to activate USB audio out (UAPP, Hiby Music Player and Onkyo HF Player). An small LED light indicating whether the Lancea is detected or not by the Android device would have been welcome addition.
It also worked with the Apple music player on my daughter’s Ipod Touch 5 gen. just by connecting it with the supplied cable (no need for any CCK) and from my lap top (running Windows 7).
When used it with Android devices it was occasionally not detected when connected so I more than one time needed to unplug and re-plug it to have it detected and work as intended. Once up and running it worked very well (except from some issues with the software volume when using UAPP).
The Lancea is limited to support 20Bit/48KHz sampling rate. This is not a problem for me personally and especially not for mobile use but it might be a concern for others.
The power output of the Lancea is rated to 30Mw at 32Ohms and I found it to be sufficient to drive all the IEM’s that I tried with it as well as most headphones. The AKG Q701’s got a good enough listening volume at maximum volume from the Lancea but the sound was thinner (but still enjoyable) than when paired with a more powerful amplifier. There were some slight background hiss when paired with easy to drive IEM’s but this was not a problem with music playing. When the master volume on your source device is set to maximum the Lancea’s 3.5 mm output will act as a line out for connecting to a separate amplifier.
I’m not able to notice any increase in heat on the surface on the Lancea when in use compared when not in use. This is indeed impressive given my experience with other similar products.
I’ve used it the most with my Z3compact and HTC One M7 and although the Lancea does increase the battery drain when connected to a phone I wouldn’t say it’s extreme in any way. The M7 I use as music player only and when pairing it with the Lancea I get about 8 hours play time on one charge.
Sound:
The Lancea has a very fluent and smooth sound without losing much detail. The overall presentation is slightly lean and laid back. This makes for a very relaxed listening experience that worked well with all the headphones and IEM’s I tried it with. It’s that kind of sound that makes you forget to listen for possible technical weakness and just enjoy the music.
Instead of trying to describe more how the Lancea sounds I’d rather compare it with some well known and well regarded similar products.
To do this comparison I used a spilt box with four inputs and four outputs. I used a pair of full size headphones and a sound pressure level app to volume matching the compared devices.
Audioquest Dragonfly (original version) vs SHOZY Lancea:
Compared to the Lancea the Dragonfly has a slightly thinner sound with a sharper top end. The bass is also less well defined. The Lancea has more timbre to the notes, better separation, smoother sound and overall feels more refined. The Dragonfly actually feels slightly ruff occasionally in comparison. The Dragonfly also has a bit less sub-bass impact.
Although the Dragonfly is a really small device it’s still more than double the size of the Lancea and it’s also less compatible with Android and I-devices.
The power output of the Dragonfly is higher than on the Lancea. It also gets warmer while used.
GeekOut720 vs SHOZY Lancea:
Compared to the Lancea the GO720 sounds slightly darker with the bass extending deeper. The GO720 also has less air between instruments and overall less clarity. The Lancea sounds smoother and more fluent.
The GO720is much larger than the Lancea and (due to its power requirements) is more limited to be used with computers or devices with an external power source.
The power output of the GO720 is significantly higher than on the Lancea. It also gets a lot warmer when used.
Although I wouldn’t call the differences between these devices huge they’re definitely there. Personal preference and kind of device it will be used with will play a big part in which device is “better” for each person though.
Conclusion:
The SHOZY Lancea is a minimal design device with a very small footprint and excellent sound quality combined with great compatibility and a less than average battery drain. These things combined makes it an excellent choice for use with a phone (be it Android or Apple) for a much more enjoyable music experience.
Its fluid and smooth sound signature is very addictive and works great with pretty much every IEM and headphone intended for portable use out there.
To sum it up: Anyone looking for an upgrade from their phone sound and don't want to carry around a brick should seriously consider the SHOZY Lancea.
-
Killer setup in both looks and sound: SHOZY Lancea - Cayin C5 - VE Duke
The SHOZY Lancea is available from Penon Audio:
http://penonaudio.com/SHOZY-Lances-DAC-AMP
I’m not in any way affiliated with SHOZY or Penon Audio
Introduction:
The SHOZY Lancea is a combined DAC and amplifier designed to work with I-devices (with lightening connection), Android devices and computers.
I personally am not a big fan of using my phone as a music player without helping it out a bit. In my household we have (and had) a lot of phones (HTC One M7, Samsung S2,S4, S5, Sony Xperia Z3c, Iphone 5 to mention those available to me at this moment). I don’t find any of them to come close to even a basic DAP as the FiiO X3 (1’st gen.) in sound quality. Lately a lot of devices that takes the music digitally from the phone and processes it externally (often) resulting in a much better result has started to pop up. In my experience there’s still a hit and miss which DAC that work or doesn’t work with what phone or tablet.
For more information regarding compatibility between Android devices and DAC’s I’s strongly recommend consulting this excellent thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/7125#post_11868440
While the DAC’s said to work with I-devices seem to do so most of the time there’s not too many of them and often they need the addition of an Ipod Camera Connection Kit (CCK) to work properly. This of course makes for a quite bulky solution that not many people would like to carry around.
The SHOZY Lancea is yet another of those devices aimed to make the sound from our phone, tablet and/or computer better. It is said to work with I-devices (using lightening cable), Android devices (using micro USB cable) and computers (using USB cable). Cables for all these connections are included in the package.
About me:
I’m a 43 year old music and sound lover that changed my focus from speakers to headphones and IEM’s about five years ago. At that time I realized that it wasn’t realistic for me to have all the different setups that I wanted and still house a family of four children and a wife so my interest turned first to full sized headphones and later also IEM’s.
My preferences are towards full sized open headphones and I believe that also says something about what kind of sound signature I prefer (large soundstage in all directions, balanced and organic sound).
My music preferences are pretty much all over the place (only excluding classical music, jazz and really heavy metal). My all-time favorite band is Depeche Mode although I also listen to a lot of grunge/indie, singer/songwriter/acoustical stuff as well as the typical top 40 music.
I do not use EQ, ever.
I’m a sucker for value for money on most things in life, Head-Fi related stuff is no exception.
The specs:
· Headphone impedance range: 16-100Ohms
· Output Power:30mW at 32Ω
· Power input: 1.8V-3.3V+-10%
· Output gain level step: 3dB/step;16 steps
· THD:≤0.1%,1KHz
· SNR: 98dB at 3.3V power supply
· Resolution: 20Bit/48KHz sampling
· System power current:10mA-95mA max
· Supported connectors: Lightning connector, micro usb-micro usb, micro usb-usb
Built and Accessories
The Lancea is a gorgeous piece of work in my opinion. When unpacking the Lancea it both looks and feels premium. The chassis is made from CNC-milled metal and the color is what I think is called “Champagne”.
The Lancea is very slick and even the Audioquest Dragonfly feels clumsy in comparison. It measures only 50 x 19 x 7 mm and is the smallest amp/DAC I’ve ever seen.
The overall design is also minimalistic having only a micro USB input and a 3.5 mm output. There’s no buttons or lights whatsoever on the device so everything is controlled from the device that the Lancea is connected to.
There really isn’t much accessories included in the package since not many is needed to make it work. You’ll find three different cables (micro USB, lightning and USB) and a manual, that’s it.
Compatibility:
I’ve been using it for about two weeks now and these are my findings so far:
The Lancea is Plug n’ Play so there’s no need to install any drivers.
As metioned in the beginning of this review external DAC’s with Android devices is still a hit and miss and I also got some mixed result with the Lancea.
With my Sony Xperia Z3compact it worked with all the players, USB Audio Player Pro (UAPP), stock Sony player, BubbleUPnP and Spotify, I tried it with while with my old HTC One M7 it only worked with third party apps designed to activate USB audio out (UAPP, Hiby Music Player and Onkyo HF Player). An small LED light indicating whether the Lancea is detected or not by the Android device would have been welcome addition.
It also worked with the Apple music player on my daughter’s Ipod Touch 5 gen. just by connecting it with the supplied cable (no need for any CCK) and from my lap top (running Windows 7).
When used it with Android devices it was occasionally not detected when connected so I more than one time needed to unplug and re-plug it to have it detected and work as intended. Once up and running it worked very well (except from some issues with the software volume when using UAPP).
The Lancea is limited to support 20Bit/48KHz sampling rate. This is not a problem for me personally and especially not for mobile use but it might be a concern for others.
The power output of the Lancea is rated to 30Mw at 32Ohms and I found it to be sufficient to drive all the IEM’s that I tried with it as well as most headphones. The AKG Q701’s got a good enough listening volume at maximum volume from the Lancea but the sound was thinner (but still enjoyable) than when paired with a more powerful amplifier. There were some slight background hiss when paired with easy to drive IEM’s but this was not a problem with music playing. When the master volume on your source device is set to maximum the Lancea’s 3.5 mm output will act as a line out for connecting to a separate amplifier.
I’m not able to notice any increase in heat on the surface on the Lancea when in use compared when not in use. This is indeed impressive given my experience with other similar products.
I’ve used it the most with my Z3compact and HTC One M7 and although the Lancea does increase the battery drain when connected to a phone I wouldn’t say it’s extreme in any way. The M7 I use as music player only and when pairing it with the Lancea I get about 8 hours play time on one charge.
Sound:
The Lancea has a very fluent and smooth sound without losing much detail. The overall presentation is slightly lean and laid back. This makes for a very relaxed listening experience that worked well with all the headphones and IEM’s I tried it with. It’s that kind of sound that makes you forget to listen for possible technical weakness and just enjoy the music.
Instead of trying to describe more how the Lancea sounds I’d rather compare it with some well known and well regarded similar products.
To do this comparison I used a spilt box with four inputs and four outputs. I used a pair of full size headphones and a sound pressure level app to volume matching the compared devices.
Audioquest Dragonfly (original version) vs SHOZY Lancea:
Compared to the Lancea the Dragonfly has a slightly thinner sound with a sharper top end. The bass is also less well defined. The Lancea has more timbre to the notes, better separation, smoother sound and overall feels more refined. The Dragonfly actually feels slightly ruff occasionally in comparison. The Dragonfly also has a bit less sub-bass impact.
Although the Dragonfly is a really small device it’s still more than double the size of the Lancea and it’s also less compatible with Android and I-devices.
The power output of the Dragonfly is higher than on the Lancea. It also gets warmer while used.
GeekOut720 vs SHOZY Lancea:
Compared to the Lancea the GO720 sounds slightly darker with the bass extending deeper. The GO720 also has less air between instruments and overall less clarity. The Lancea sounds smoother and more fluent.
The GO720is much larger than the Lancea and (due to its power requirements) is more limited to be used with computers or devices with an external power source.
The power output of the GO720 is significantly higher than on the Lancea. It also gets a lot warmer when used.
Although I wouldn’t call the differences between these devices huge they’re definitely there. Personal preference and kind of device it will be used with will play a big part in which device is “better” for each person though.
Conclusion:
The SHOZY Lancea is a minimal design device with a very small footprint and excellent sound quality combined with great compatibility and a less than average battery drain. These things combined makes it an excellent choice for use with a phone (be it Android or Apple) for a much more enjoyable music experience.
Its fluid and smooth sound signature is very addictive and works great with pretty much every IEM and headphone intended for portable use out there.
To sum it up: Anyone looking for an upgrade from their phone sound and don't want to carry around a brick should seriously consider the SHOZY Lancea.
-
Killer setup in both looks and sound: SHOZY Lancea - Cayin C5 - VE Duke
I stiull think both these units has their strengths and weaknesses and are performing on a similar level, just different.
You can also use the Lancea's 3,5 mm output as a LO by maximum the volume on your device. I prefer to use it this way hooked up to an amp when using it at home.