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TEAC HA-P90SD (To be released in Dec, 2014)
Oct 27, 2015 at 6:50 AM Post #242 of 447
Ok I listened to P90 connected to an amp (Aune B1) and there is no problem at all, used P90 on low gain at 50% volume, plenty of headroom on the amp, actually surprisingly using P90 with the amp is more enjoyable than using line out to the same amp from the other daps I tested, Pono and QA360.
 
In all honesty I'm happy with this setup and will use again now that I've found it sounds so nice, just bear in mind this could be one of those times where technically worse = still sounds more enjoyable, it certainly didn't sound technically worse, it just sounded more enjoyable, more airy and three dimensional along with more tangible texture, but in terms of technical performance it may be worse for all I know, but who cares if it sounds good right?
 
I also tested headphone out of QA360 connected to amp, it needed closer to 75% volume, so P90 is more powerful as it needed 50%, but I also found headphone out of QA360 to sound more airy and three dimensional than the line out, same traits that P90 showed, but P90 still sounded better than QA360 in the setup. But we found out it is the double amping itself that is creating the airy three dimensional sound and texture compared to using the line out.
 
So that's it, double amping sounds quite nice and P90 does it well, but it probably isn't technically accurate, because using the line out of a dap sounds flat in comparison to double amping. I will happily double amp now because it sounds rather sweet, but I can't recommend it if your after the purest sound, double amping is essentially melding together the two sound sigs of the two amps, you are doubling up on "coloration", which can sound nice and probably explains the interesting sound characteristics, but coloration isn't what purists want. It becomes a question of whether you want technical performance or don't mind as long as it sounds enjoyable.
 
Oct 30, 2015 at 8:29 PM Post #244 of 447
Hi,
I'm curious about this device, look like it is kind of a swiss army knife (or Leatherman multitool) so a very versatile product.
 
I was just wondering about 2 points :
1 - when connected as DAC to an Android device does the play/pause/previous/next buttons works (like it control the playing of the Android device) ?
2 - do the HA-P90SD has an L/R balance control ?
 
Now my DAP is a Fiio X5II. Should i expect a better sound quality (from a technical standpoint) out of the HA-P90SD or just the same level of quality with a different sound signature?
 
Thx (and sorry for my english writing skills)
 
I forgot to mention the headphone i use :
Headphone : Shure SHR1840 / Oppo PM-3
IEM : Dunu DN-2000J / Custom Art Music One
 
Oct 30, 2015 at 9:32 PM Post #245 of 447
squyzz said:
 
I was just wondering about 2 points :
1 - when connected as DAC to an Android device does the play/pause/previous/next buttons works (like it control the playing of the Android device) ?
2 - do the HA-P90SD has an L/R balance control ?
 
Now my DAP is a Fiio X5II. Should i expect a better quality (from a technical standpoint) out of the HA-P90SD or just the same level of quality with a different sound signature?
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1 - no, controls do not work when the device is connected as a "slave" to an Android.
2 - no, there is no L-R balance control on P90SD.
 
Between P90SD and X5mkII, technical differences are not very significant, DAC and output stages are quite comparable, and even the sound signature will have more similarities than differences, as the DAC chips on both devices are from the same family (PCM!792A vs PCM1795).  P90SD obviously wins on versatility, while X5 is a much better playback device (TEAC's built-in player is more of an afterthought than a real thing).
 
Oct 30, 2015 at 11:42 PM Post #246 of 447
I compared X5ii and P90 and preferred the P90, I feel P90 is more refined and solid, more energy and rhythm in the sound, while X5ii sounds a bit overly thick and lacking dynamics (obviously the traits I'm talking about are not as exaggerated as it sounds). As with all impressions on this forum, they are subjective findings, no one can tell you if one dap is better than another. We also can't base anything purely by looking at the specs or price, manufacturers measure the specs in different ways and more importantly all modern mid to high end dap's have excellent specs which really won't factor in to our subjective impressions of the sound, we can only find a dap that subjectively sounds better to our own ears. Just as an example, there are several people I know that prefer the sound of the X3ii over the X5ii, so you never really know if you are getting an upgrade with a supposed higher end dap, because our enjoyment of sound is completely personal.
 
Oct 31, 2015 at 6:49 AM Post #247 of 447
t.r.a.n.c.e. said:
  I compared X5ii and P90 and preferred the P90, I feel P90 is more refined and solid, more energy and rhythm in the sound, while X5ii sounds a bit overly thick and lacking dynamics (obviously the traits I'm talking about are not as exaggerated as it sounds). As with all impressions on this forum, they are subjective findings, no one can tell you if one dap is better than another. We also can't base anything purely by looking at the specs or price, manufacturers measure the specs in different ways and more importantly all modern mid to high end dap's have excellent specs which really won't factor in to our subjective impressions of the sound, we can only find a dap that subjectively sounds better to our own ears. Just as an example, there are several people I know that prefer the sound of the X3ii over the X5ii, so you never really know if you are getting an upgrade with a supposed higher end dap, because our enjoyment of sound is completely personal.
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Code: 
[left] It is absolutely true . I own both , use and love both ... x5ii is a great player really all-around with a good sound , P90SD is much less all-around with a poor UI and poor battery ... but ... that sound guys !! This DAP is by far the best that I possess ( X1 , X5II , DX90 and P90SD ) .[/left]
 
Oct 31, 2015 at 8:35 AM Post #248 of 447
Thanks for the answers guys but based on your answers i do not think that the HA-P90SD is right for me.
That's a pity because i like a lot both the "multitool skills" and the aesthetic of the device.
 
Maybe the Fiio X7 worth the upgrade, but that's a story for another topic.
 
Nov 5, 2015 at 6:28 PM Post #249 of 447
t.r.a.n.c.e. said:
 




 
But as expected P90 does not charge from usb when on, only when you turn P90 off then it starts to charge though usb from phone battery.
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Connected by the DC 5V/1A plug to an external battery (like this http://www.amazon.de/RAVPower®-15000mAh-Externer-Multi-Volt-Smartphones/dp/B00JGEYXFE) it plays and charges at the same time with no problems.
 
Nov 11, 2015 at 10:49 AM Post #250 of 447
I am doing the P90 since a couple of days and cant be nothing but amazed by its SQ. I was not a believer in formats like DSD until I tried P90. I directly compared FLAC and mp3@320 vs. others desktop DAC DacMagic Plus, Peachtree dacIT, iDAC2 and found P90 slighty lagging behind. But when it comes to DSD (vs. the iDAC2) it sounds like next dimension. Totally fluid, totally high resolution, totally different in a way I cant describe. It sounds more than pari passue to any other desktop DAC I have tried. Nothing to complain.


 
Just out of curiosity if someone of you guys owning P90 would check DSD on P90 vs. other DAC please?


 
Well, as everyone here said, the UI is just desperating ...... you need to get arranged with, and SQ fully compensating by far.
 
Nov 11, 2015 at 11:30 AM Post #251 of 447
It does not play ALAC from the microSD but it works perfectly with my older iPod Classic 120GB (manual only mentions newer iPods, those with the lightning cable) and it plays with no problems ALAC from the iPod. It does not control the iPod, you control the iPod back and forwrd.

I did not purchase with the intention of operating the USB but this one sounds even clearer and better than fed by coax or sdCard. It is just fantastic.
 
Nov 11, 2015 at 9:06 PM Post #252 of 447
Glad your enjoying P90! Its probably the most underrated dap on headfi, and my favorite dap at any price atm.

In my experiance the sound continues to improve with use, I would even say 200 or so hours is needed to fully break it in. Once broken in the narrowness of the image and sound stage will go away (most apparent with pcm), it will become tightly focused but evenly spread dimensionally with 3D image.

The refinement and general sq improves with use as well, everything falls into equilibrium, your in for a treat.

Note: These aren't drastic changes, some are fairly subtle, others more noticeable, but overall as a whole together take P90 to the next level Imo, many won't even notice these changes, but they will probably notice they are liking P90 more and more :)
 
Nov 12, 2015 at 12:14 AM Post #253 of 447
t.r.a.n.c.e. said:
Glad your enjoying P90! Its probably the most underrated dap on headfi, and my favorite dap at any price atm.

In my experiance the sound continues to improve with use, I would even say 200 or so hours is needed to fully break it in. Once broken in the narrowness of the image and sound stage will go away (most apparent with pcm), it will become tightly focused but evenly spread dimensionally with 3D image.

The refinement and general sq improves with use as well, everything falls into equilibrium, your in for a treat.

Note: These aren't drastic changes, some are fairly subtle, others more noticeable, but overall as a whole together take P90 to the next level Imo, many won't even notice these changes, but they will probably notice they are liking P90 more and more
smily_headphones1.gif
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Do you think P90SD sounds better than Pono??
 
Nov 12, 2015 at 12:49 AM Post #254 of 447
^ Yes, Pono is my second favorite dap to P90. Pono has quirks such as 3.25 ohm output impedance and slight treble roll off with 16/44khz due to Ayres minimum phase filter, so P90 is more versatile to begin with. With Pono you need to use hp's with higher impedance and 24/88khz files or higher, or if you are using 16/44khz then you need to use brighter hp's to balance out the treble roll off, for example Pono sounds great with brighter hp's like most AKG and Beyerdynamic hp's like AKG K7XX/K712 etc and Beyer DT770/880/T70/T90 etc. While P90 sounds great with everything! But if you wait for Fry's sales you can find the Pono for $249, which is ridiculously good value, imo the best value dap on the market at that price. While P90 is still the best dap I've heard, it's ui is a bit of an afterthought, but it sounds so good that I just leave it on random play and I'm happy!
 
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