greed said:

 
Yea, its amp stage just doesn't pack enough power for many full-sized headphones. It will do fine with lower impedance phones in regards to volume/gain, but the high output impedance will alter your sound. This was the #1 flaw of the device, and is why many people won't consider it without getting it modded by RWA, MS, etc. It just really isn't a good AIO unit for most headphones/earphones. 

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brunk said:

All the more reason to go with the HifiMan HM-901 for various amp cards alone. $200-300 per amp card is much cheaper than buying a separate portable amp of similar quality, not to mention the space savings and additional cost of cables.

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greed said:

 
The HM-901 has its own problems. All the TOTL daps all have some compromise, nothing has yet to come out yet that meets the demands of the members here on Head-Fi. I've got the AK120, and it seems to be a large improvement in the SQ section of its predecessor the AK100. Still struggles with demanding headphones like the LCD-2/3, HE-500, etc. but for my needs it is as good as its going to get. If I need extra power, I'll strap the Pico Power on and I have desktop quality sound in a portable/transportable solution. 

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brunk said:

Sure, they all have quirks, but the versatility of the HM-901 makes it a winner in terms of high end amplification, IMO.

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greed said:

 
The DX100 is a better buy for full-sized headphones. You can pick one up readily for $600, half the cost of the stock HM-901. Add on another 200-300 for the balanced amp card, you are talking 1500 for a device that is not bug-free, or even close to being. SQ wise - the HM-901 is really hard to beat, but with regards to a portable device - it has major problems. 

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brunk said:

I was comparing AK120 vs. HM-901, but yes that DX100 in this situation is tough to beat. As far as problems go, its likewise with the AK120, too bad Apple can't come up with something for us LOL. 

 But i digress, back to the topic!

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greed said:

 
Yes, I'm sure it would be a big hit. Sorry for the off-topic discussion boys. 

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greed said:

 
Hmm... value depends on the individual. There aren't many DAPs that measure as well as the AK100 as far as what matter in a transport. It is small, good battery life, fluid GUI, and plays Hi-Res with multiple formats. There are quite a few people that use the AK100 as a transport alone. There isn't many DAPs that come close to its feature set. Also the price, has dropped significantly since the release, you can readily find them used in mint condition for 400-500. 

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reddragon said:

 
isnt there any cheaper solution since you are only using it as transport? 400-500 sounds better than the retail price though, thats for sure. ipods may be better choices but they cant play hi-res

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greed said:

Personally, I was very excited about the X3 until more users started to post impressions. I've since lost interest in it, and now am waiting for the DX50 to release. 

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greed said:

 
You know, I wish there was. The best you are going to do is the new FiiO X3. It seems like that is the cheapest DAP that has the capabilities to serve as a transport, but again not without compromise. It seems like the product will go through some typical growing pains just like all the other options. Personally, I was very excited about the X3 until more users started to post impressions. I've since lost interest in it, and now am waiting for the DX50 to release. Personally, if you are on a budget the X3 is still a good option despite some issues. Other than that maybe a used Studio V Annie or a HM-601/2. 

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wyd4 said:

My kingdom for the audeze cups

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girls generation said:

I really do hope the finished product will be lighter if they were meant to be somewhat more portable as a closed back.

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