[kane vienna]

Hi, what I have understood, is that the Hifiman, talking just about
sound quality (means WAV to WAV listening comparison) is better. Somehow people wrote that the
Hifiman AMP section is better.
But the MOD 2 of QA350 is the new mod version of QA350.
It upgraded the headphone amp chip MAX9722A to AD8397 chip. Manufacturer says:
It has the capability to drive any headphones available in the high-end with ease.
 
Has anybody compared this two units?
Hi, what I have understood, is that the Hifiman, talking just about
sound quality (means WAV to WAV listening comparison) is better. Somehow people wrote that the
Hifiman AMP section is better.
But the MOD 2 of QA350 is the new mod version of QA350.
It upgraded the headphone amp chip MAX9722A to AD8397 chip. Manufacturer says:
It has the capability to drive any headphones available in the high-end with ease.
 
Has anybody compared this two units, I mean the MOD V2 version of the QA350?

 

[estreeter]

The QA350, regardless of version, has been held back here by the fact that you are restricted to WAV files - 32GB of WAV just isnt going to cut it for most on HF.
 
AFAIK, this is the only time anyone has attempted to put several of the topline portable players, including the QA-350, in the same room:
 
http://www.headfonia.com/hifi-dap-comparison-hm-801-hm-602-qa350-boomslang/
 
Technicalities wise, the HM-801 remains the King, and quite by a significant margin. Soundstage presentation is more real on the HM-801, low level detail, refinement level, frequency extension, the HM-801 is quite a step up, similar to how the HD800 is to the HD650. You also have to remember that the QLS have been modded to have better capacitors than cheap stock ones, and yet the difference is still not subtle. The HM-801 sounds far more richer, especially on the low level details and treble extension.
 
FWIW, Mike had many of the same things to say when comparing the HM-801 to the Colorfly C4 - I don't know if he has shares in Head-Direct, but it lines up with his preference for darker, bassier RSA amps over virtually everything else he reviewed prior to the ALO Continental. Your guess is as good as mine. 

 

[kane vienna]

Hi, thx for the information. I know this review already. Somehow this is the only review on Internet and it's a review of a "modded" version of the QA350. Please do not miss understand me, but I do not give much on a single review. I would like to hear if some end user is having experience comparing this two models and of course the new, mod 2 of QA350. In europe you have to pay for the Hifiman 801 700€, about 950$. For the QA350 you have to pay about 200€ incl. TAX as you have to order direct from China or Hong Kong.
Main reason is, why I am asking for comparison is, even if I have to consider to buy an external portable AMP (btw i have the ibasso D10 Cobra) paired with the QA350 and it is let's say very close or even with the HM-801, then I would go for a QA350 definitely. Of course the display is a no go, but I think the display takes less battery. And not supporting FLAC is a no go. I have stored a lot in FLAC but ok this means I have to invest some time for converting.
 
I would like to know if there is a different in sould quality between QA350 and HM-801 using e.g. shure SE530 or. Sennheiser HD650...? Means if the QA350 is preferable better with Shure or with 300Ω Sennheiser. and of course the QA350 Mod 2 has more output power:
 
QA350 MOD V2 has a very large output power:
QA350 Output Power:                   70mW/16Ω;     130mW/32Ω;    26mW/150Ω;    13mW/300Ω;
QA350 MOD V2 Output Power:   500mW/16Ω;   250mW/32Ω;    97mW/150Ω;    49mW/300Ω;
 
Main problem I have, I even can not have a try with one of them cause there are not available in europe - I have to order via internet.

 

[Mellonhead3013]

I read the Headphonia review, and the comparison was made only using the headphone output of the QA-350, which is arguably its weakest performing part. I think it performs better used as a transport, using the line output from the unit's DAC, but then it's not portable chained to an amp (I use mine as part of a desktop system, so portability is not an issue).

Sorry, I can't compare it to the HM-801, but for what it's worth, it does sound significantly better than my Clip+.

Lastly, they can be found cheap. I found mine used on Ebay... 120USD + 40 shipping, so i said, "What the heck..."

Oh, and 32gb sd cards are $45 now (and tiger direct accidentally sent me an extra one! Bonus!)

 

[kane vienna]

Hi, I have a problem with spending 700€ for the Hifiman. This is too much from my point of view. In case I would go up over 500€, I would take the Forster hp-p1. Because, I do believe as an external DAC/AMP I am on the secure side, let’s say This seams for me more future proofed. And by the way I have an Ipod classic with rockbox. So I have a source supporting all formats with 60 GB. What I also found on
 
http://www.headfonia.com/the-fostex-hp-p1/
 
especially this part I do not like: The sound quality of the HP-P1 is simply mind blowing. The sound of the AKM AK4480 equipped HP-P1 is simply smooth and colorless. Taking a different stance from the heavily colored but analog sounding Hifiman HM-602 and HM-801 players, the HP-P1 gives me an impression of a very refined digital source. Heavily Colored, from my perspective and understanding is not good. E.g. as soon you have a record, and there are many of them, which is already somehow colored in one direction, this could produce some bad sound quality aspects. Then of course colored means also that you do not have an authentic sound, which somehow can change the emotion of an song. (once again this is my personal setting) Please do not misunderstand me, I believe that the Hifiman HM-801 is the best all in one unit on the market (as it is) at the moment. But I think also, for that money the Hifiman could first of all look better and as mentioned the sound is heavily colored (I personally did not have a session with this unit, this is just what I found out reading other reviews) I guess I will go for the QLS QA350 MOD 2.

 

[estreeter]

kane vienna,

1. 700 Euros ? I havent checked the exchange rate lately, but Greece must have really sunk the Euro if its approaching parity with the USD .... a quick check on xe.com puts 790 USD at less than 600 Euros - not cheap, but not '700 Euros' ...

2. Many people, including some very respected longtime members of Head-Fi, prefer the warm, analog sound of the HM-801 to players with a more neutral sound signature - ultimately, its horses for courses. You will find a similar split between Cowon owners and those with players like the Sony X1060 - as someone who invested in the latter, I enjoyed the 'coloration'. We arent talking 3K hi-fi components, where ruler-flat neutrality might be high on the list - we are talking a player that you can plug a pair of IEMs into and enjoy. I have read reviews of the HP-P1 where the reviewer wasn't impressed with the DAC, so I guess it comes down to personal preference.

If all you want to do is extract a digital signal straight from an iDevice, the Pure i20 will do it for a fraction of the cost of the Fostex, albeit in a less user-friendly package. You wont enjoy the full benefits of any of these toys in a noisy portable environment, and the bulk of the HP-P1 would have most of us using it in a bedroom/office/hotel anyway - again, horses for courses.

 

[kane vienna]

hi,
 
thank you for your comment! HM-801 700€ is the price in amazon.de - which is let's say the european price. Of course you are right, It's always a personal opinion/preference. What I was expecting to hear, or not to hear as I started the thread  - is "no you can absolutely not compare a HM-801 with a QA350 - sound quality vise (wave to wave dac to dac, without amp). So as this didn't come I will go for the QA350 Mod 2. Pure i20 would be cool as an "portable device".
thank's a lot
 
 
 

 

[estreeter]

But you can order the HM-801 direct from HiFiMan ? Or do they slap import duty on it when it gets to Europe ?

 

[kane vienna]

yes import fee & tax - and this is something about 35% - tax is 20 % and the import fee depends. This is somehow always a surprise
 

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

yes import fee & tax - and this is something about 35% - tax is 20 % and the import fee depends. This is somehow always a surprise
 

Whoa ! I would seriously consider getting on a plane with a few thousand Euros in my pocket if we were faced with that kind of highway robbery ! There is a HUGE debate in Oz atm over whether or not overseas merchants should be adding 10% GST to any purchase made from Australia - if that figure was 35%, I suspect that our pollies would need 24-hr protection .....