[virgopunk]

Just thought I'd add that I've been using the 'M' as a DAC from my laptop over the weekend and I'm impressed! 100% simple to use, the SQ is, as you'd expect, considerable better than my Realtek HD soundcard. The only slight issue is when using with video due to the slight delay. That's easily fixable with VLC's track-sync function but not so easy with any web streamed stuff.
 
It's funny that the problems that vexed the DX90 so much (DAC function, gapless playback, not-great UI) works straight out of the box with the Cowon. To my mind that's the difference between a quality product and not-quite product. I wonder if the DX80 will resolve those problems?
 
So, it's been a couple of weeks with the 'M' now and I'm still really impressed.

 

[BruceBanner]

  Just thought I'd add that I've been using the 'M' as a DAC from my laptop over the weekend and I'm impressed! 100% simple to use, the SQ is, as you'd expect, considerable better than my Realtek HD soundcard. The only slight issue is when using with video due to the slight delay. That's easily fixable with VLC's track-sync function but not so easy with any web streamed stuff.
 
It's funny that the problems that vexed the DX90 so much (DAC function, gapless playback, not-great UI) works straight out of the box with the Cowon. To my mind that's the difference between a quality product and not-quite product. I wonder if the DX80 will resolve those problems?
 
So, it's been a couple of weeks with the 'M' now and I'm still really impressed.

 
Nice to hear yer a happy camper. Mind u... the M is quite a bit more expensive over this way in oz. $999 vs $699 or so, so yer paying $300 more for those 'fixes'.

Also I'm a little miffed at the delay function of the DAC of the M. I use a Fiio E7+E9 USB DAC with my PC, zero lag on video or audio etc, works as u'd expect (and of course again far superior to mb on board sound.
I wonder why you get a delay at all!? tbh I think that's pretty crappy for a $999 device.

 

[jmills8]

I am thinking of getting the M. I demoed it and it sounded better than the DX90 and 120II.

 

[virgopunk]

   
Nice to hear yer a happy camper. Mind u... the M is quite a bit more expensive over this way in oz. $999 vs $699 or so, so yer paying $300 more for those 'fixes'.

Also I'm a little miffed at the delay function of the DAC of the M. I use a Fiio E7+E9 USB DAC with my PC, zero lag on video or audio etc, works as u'd expect (and of course again far superior to mb on board sound.
I wonder why you get a delay at all!? tbh I think that's pretty crappy for a $999 device.

The DX90 has the same lag problem, assuming you can actually get the driver to work with Win 8 let alone Win 10. From what I've read a lot of DACs exhibit a slight delay when used with video (BTW, how can you tell when there's any lag on just audio playback?)
 
To be fair though, the extra $300 doesn't just buy you fixes for the DX90 problems. You get a quantifiable step up the SQ ladder. There's so much more separation of instruments with the 'M'.

 

[virgopunk]

I am thinking of getting the M. I demoed it and it sounded better than the DX90 and 120II.

To me the 'M' is about the most affordable step up from the DX90 if you're looking for a marked improvement in sound quality. The additional features the 'M' gives you also helps to put it head and shoulders above the DX90

 

[BruceBanner]

  The DX90 has the same lag problem, assuming you can actually get the driver to work with Win 8 let alone Win 10. From what I've read a lot of DACs exhibit a slight delay when used with video (BTW, how can you tell when there's any lag on just audio playback?)
 
To be fair though, the extra $300 doesn't just buy you fixes for the DX90 problems. You get a quantifiable step up the SQ ladder. There's so much more separation of instruments with the 'M'.

 
I'll maybe have to play with the DAC features of my Hidizs AP100 (but as stated I haven't need to try as I use the Fiio E7+E9 combo).
Curiously I don't recall needing any drivers to get that working, is it possibly that not all DACs are created equally? Some are plug n play and don't require drivers, some do?
 
 

  To me the 'M' is about the most affordable step up from the DX90 if you're looking for a marked improvement in sound quality. The additional features the 'M' gives you also helps to put it head and shoulders above the DX90

 
 
I don't doubt it, I'm a long term Cowon fan and would love the M I'm sure, but it's significantly out of my price range. Spending $330AUD on the Hidizs AP100 was the highest I have ever spent on a DAP.
I'm hoping Cowon throw out another DAP soon, a more affordable one which carries the same firmware upgrades that the M has...

 

[jmills8]

I demoed the P1 and the M and both sounded very good but also were similar. So what are the differences between the P1 and M?

 

[BruceBanner]

I demoed the P1 and the M and both sounded very good but also were similar. So what are the differences between the P1 and M?

Price

 

[jmills8]

Price

Yeah obvious price and size. It was hard to tell the difference sound wise. Ooo yes and the M has 64 gigs while the P has 128 gigs.

 

[virgopunk]

The P1 has the better specced Burr Brown DAC chip, but as you say the difference is probably quite small. That's why I opted for the M. With a microSD to SD adaptor you can use a 256GB SD card which makes it perfect for my needs.

 

[muscular]

I believe the M sacrifices some audio quality for a smaller built, and im talking about specs that most seemed to ignore. Granted both DACs are very similar but sound quality is not dependent on DAC alone. How the circuit is designed or any differences between the two remains a mystery unless someone crack it open.

 

[jmills8]

Cowon M

 

[BruceBanner]

<wipes drool>

 

[jmills8]

 

[SoulSyde]

 
Great choice in music.