After recieving the Dacmini CX on friday. I do consider it an upgrade above my Dacport LX. I've been using the Dacmini CX along with my Hifiman HE-500 and 400 Headphones and they sound awesome. One thing for sure is that the Dacmini CX surprisingly is on par with my DX100.
I thought the CX would've blown away my IBasso DX100 but they're both on par with each other in terms of sound quality. Some people complained about the overly bright sound signature with the HE-500 on the CX but i haven't experienced that at all with the CX.
The bass in the CX is ridiculously good. It sounds a bit better on the CX in terms of bass quality for the HE-500/HE-400, i just can't believe how clean and detail the bass sounds in this unit. The Soundstage is pretty much the same on both. Both of the Mids and highs are clean on both of the Units but the DX100 highs feels a bit more extended. The CX seems more natural, but less airiness than the DX100. The DX100 definatetly has better treble extension , more detail/seperation, and sounds more refined/Reference is what i would describe it. This test was with firmware 1.2.7 of the DX100. The Clarity is a tab bright and clear on 1.2.7. Which gives off a bit more microdetail. I've always been a fan of the ESS 9018 Sabre. The CX and DX100 both give off this sense of euphorica. If i could describe the color of the sound of the DX100 it would be Sunny Orange. The CX sound color would seem to be the color of Sky Blue.
But all that doesn't amaze me as much as the CX and it's musicality and naturality. The Music feels like Natural elements. It definately gives my He-500 and He-400 a better imaging , tone, and the music felt a bit real compared to the DX100, it feels alive. I think that is part of the reason of why i want to get the Hifiman 901 music player. The CX sounds so lovely and musical to my ears, while still giving off great detail and Transparency. The Sonic Sound signature of the CX sounds so beautiful and quick. It definately gives my headphones that sonic pairing i've always wanted. and OMG the bass just rocks my socks off !
The CX soundstage is wide, and has the best bass quality i've ever heard from a source. It sounds alot like the Dacpot LX that i've recently owned but better. Im at the point where I may just sell my Dx100 and use the CX as my music source since my dad already has a DX100 of his own and barely uses it. Im at a tough decision because if the Hifi M8 is better than the CX, I will for sure buy the M8. Centrance continues to impress me each time I buy a product from them. The Dacport LX was a great starting source for me, although i had to use a USB hub recommended from Lee, because at first i wasn't getting enough power from the unit. and it made the sound really veil. The CX and DX100 both have an Amazing Internal amp section and both is clearly a step above The Dacport LX.
If the M8 is better than the CX then i have no reason to jump to another DAP ( HM901). The CX and DX100 seems to both be on par with each other in terms of Overall Sound Quality, and they both give off a different sound signature that makes me enjoy music in a different way. It was very hard for me to describe how they compete with each other because they both sound remarkable!. The CX is still definately an impressive piece of Audio, I may just sell my DX100 and get the M8.
Next week on my day off ill be able to test the CX with the HE-6, ill report back to you guys soon
. Excellent Job Centrance, You've made me a big fan of your audio these past 2 days. Keep up the good work
, You have an excellent company Michael