Echobox Audio Explorer impressions and discussion thread

[glassmonkey]

Soon all the backers from the Echobox Explorer IndieGoGo campaign will be receiving their beautiful wooden audio treasure boxes. I thought we should have a place to talk about them. So I've started this thread up.
 
Here's a pic with stats that will also take you to the Echobox Audio Explorer website! More to come!
 

 
 

DAP curves​	DAP guts​

 
 

Maple and black walnut​	​  Mahogany and ebony​

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Pictures of the Echobox Explorer in the wild at the E-Earphone show in Tokyo borrowed from Headpie, the blog of @ExpatinJapan​

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[glassmonkey]

It's here! Initial impressions, little rough right out the box, starts to settle fairly quickly. I'm going to pour salt all over my impressions at this point. It's doing well on the HD600 right now. It struggled a little with the Noble K10E, which needed the UE buffer jack to do well. The sound is clean and and powerful with good balance. Not warmed up, just straight-up clarity. Plenty of power. Dead sexy looks:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[glassmonkey]

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that there is a tour being organised by @EchoboxAudio in another thread click the pic for a link:
 

 

[silverstare11]

Might be time to post updated pics/specs, as we may finally see this thing show up in our mailboxes soon...

 

[glassmonkey]

  Might be time to post updated pics/specs, as we may finally see this thing show up in our mailboxes soon...

Whoah! They finally updated it! I've been poking @makethemusic and others for months. I'll fix that above. Soon the flow of impressions will come. Soon.
 

 

 

 

[glassmonkey]

  Might be time to post updated pics/specs, as we may finally see this thing show up in our mailboxes soon...

Bloody 'ell. The updated info is wrong. There is Rockchip 3128 in this thing, now, not 3188. The need to switch over to that chip is much of why we've had all the delays. I think we get a better (though less speedy processor) DAP for it though. Android 6.0 is good stuff and will be supported for donkey's years.
 
In other news, Black Walnut will end up being the rarest wood, as only Kickstarter backers will have it. Zebrawood has replaced it in the line-up. Personally, I like the Zebrawood better. Good move .@EchoboxAudio. The pics in the post above from Canjam London are with me holding the Black Walnut Ebony Explorer.
 

 

[makethemusic]

Bloody 'ell. The updated info is wrong. There is Rockchip 3128 in this thing, now, not 3188. The need to switch over to that chip is much of why we've had all the delays. I think we get a better (though less speedy processor) DAP for it though. Android 6.0 is good stuff and will be supported for donkey's years.

In other news, Black Walnut will end up being the rarest wood, as only Kickstarter backers will have it. Zebrawood has replaced it in the line-up. Personally, I like the Zebrawood better. Good move .@EchoboxAudio
. The pics in the post above from Canjam London are with me holding the Black Walnut Explorer.

Glad you like the updates! We have been working very hard to implement as much feedback as possible so hopefully when the Explorer finally gets delivered it will be far superior to the one you originally backed

Fyi, the explorer in your photo from CamJam is the Ebony, not black walnut

 

[glassmonkey]

 

Bloody 'ell. The updated info is wrong. There is Rockchip 3128 in this thing, now, not 3188. The need to switch over to that chip is much of why we've had all the delays. I think we get a better (though less speedy processor) DAP for it though. Android 6.0 is good stuff and will be supported for donkey's years.

In other news, Black Walnut will end up being the rarest wood, as only Kickstarter backers will have it. Zebrawood has replaced it in the line-up. Personally, I like the Zebrawood better. Good move .@EchoboxAudio
. The pics in the post above from Canjam London are with me holding the Black Walnut Explorer.

Glad you like the updates! We have been working very hard to implement as much feedback as possible so hopefully when the Explorer finally gets delivered it will be far superior to the one you originally backed

Fyi, the explorer in your photo from CamJam is the Ebony, not black walnut

You'd know, you were there. Also, I spotted another error, if I'm remembering your CES video right. So corrections to be made, @makethemusic:
 

1. Processor: Rockchip RK3128 Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A7, up to 1.3GHz
2. Outputs: 3.5mm, mini Toslink (optical) (this was said in the CES video, methinks)

 

[cheeseeater]

Does it EQ? Is the output coaxial or optical? I see both referred to, so I'm confused. And where is the micro SD slot?

 

[makethemusic]

Does it EQ? Is the output coaxial or optical? I see both referred to, so I'm confused. And where is the micro SD slot?

The output is a toslink optical There is also a standard headphone jack as well, so you should be well covered

 

[makethemusic]

Also, yes it does EQ. The playback software we use is USB Audio Player Pro, which features a 10 band EQ

 

[glassmonkey]

Does it EQ? Is the output coaxial or optical? I see both referred to, so I'm confused. And where is the micro SD slot?

 
The microSD slot is on the bottom, if I'm remembering right.
 
So much soon!
 

 
Hurry up @makethemusic

 

[makethemusic]

Hey everyone, it's time to start thinking about the official review tour for the Explorer! Head over to the new thread I just made and check out the details: 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/838519/offical-echobox-explorer-review-tour-thread

 

[ElMariachi]

It's here! Initial impressions, little rough right out the box, starts to settle fairly quickly. I'm going to pour salt all over my impressions at this point. It's doing well on the HD600 right now. It struggled a little with the Noble K10E, which needed the UE buffer jack to do well. The sound is clean and and powerful with good balance. Not warmed up, just straight-up clarity. Plenty of power. Dead sexy looks:

got mine today too! I noticed big improvements when using the software volume in UAPP over the knob. I wonder if there is a way to make the knob control the volume in uapp

 

[vrapan]

Clean detailed but not at all clinical, there is a good solid foundation in the bass and smooth mids that are neither in your face nor lost on the back. A Cowon P1 with a bit more detail and air, better battery life and streaming! Borderline my ideal DAP. Really sings with CE6P, I will try the Edition S and hopefully I will find something a bit more exotic to pair it with during headroom.