[inexactscience]

It is, yes, but needs to run for some time to reach sonic performance peak just as every other similar device.

How much time is that, again?

 

[technobear]

How much time is that, again?

200 hours is a good rule of thumb.

 

[lwells]

200 hours is a good rule of thumb.

That's good to hear [pun intended]

I left it running over night and am noticing it starting to 'open up'. It was SUPER congested out of the box.

Break in? Isn't it solid-state?

I am also a guy that believes a cable can make a difference even if it isn't measurable Make of that what you will.

 

[Skullar]

Anyone can compare it to Fiio e10k?

 

[keithmarsh]

That's odd. I suspect weak connections, but I'd appreciate if you could let our support staff know here: https://support.ifi-audio.com

Thanks!

I can conform too that I have had the same issues with 4.4 cables/adapters on both the Zen and Hip Dac.

It’s definitely an issue with the variants of 4.4 plug length. Placing a thin spacer (like the ones you get with the iBasso 4.4 to 2.5 adapter) solves this issue but isn’t ideal!

 

[inexactscience]

It’s definitely an issue with the variants of 4.4 plug length. Placing a thin spacer (like the ones you get with the iBasso 4.4 to 2.5 adapter) solves this issue but isn’t ideal!

That's actually a great solution! Not for every situation, mind, but it's a simple, low-tech and should be quite effective in many cases. I wish I'd thought of that. I wonder what keywords I'd need to find that on Amazon...

 

[iFi audio]

Not quite, but I can't put the Bimby/Asgard2 in my pocket

No, you can't

So I played around with the different settings and head phones I had on hand. I was completely floored by how good it makes my old Sony WH-1000XM2 sound. With the power leveling and XBass on they sound frigging great. And that's both with NC on and off. Once I get my replacement Hip DAC, they'll be the main headphones since I fly weekly for work.

The little hipdac had no problem driving my Senn HD600, HD6xx or the Beyer 880 pro's. The XBass fills in the Senn's nicelly without becoming unrealistic. But the biggest improvement was with the Sony's.

Super, thank you very much for this feedback!

 

[iFi audio]

I left it running over night and am noticing it starting to 'open up'. It was SUPER congested out of the box.

Brand new audio stuff rarely sounds good out of the box. Rest assured you're not alone in this!

I am also a guy that believes a cable can make a difference even if it isn't measurable

That's a good thing to be open about, cables can make a difference indeed.

 

[inexactscience]

Brand new audio stuff rarely sounds good out of the box.

What does this mean? Or are you dumping on the competition?

 

[inexactscience]

Test 1: iPod Touch (Max USB output, low Hip-DAC volume) complete, < 7 hours continuous playback
Test 2: Pixel 4 (low USB volume output, high Hip-DAC volume) (Pending ~02/25/2020)
Test 3: Pixel 4 (Max USB volume output, low Hip-DAC volume) (Pending ~02/26/2020)
Test 4: Pixel 4 (UAPP max volume output, low Hip-DAC volume) (Pending ~02/27/2020)

I was able to do Test 2 on Sunday, and got about 6.5 hours with no load.
Monday, I ran into an issue and couldn't complete the test.
I then realized that, when I updated the firmware to try out the GTO filter, I didn't switch back. So, Test 3, which lasted just under 6 hours, isn't a fair comparison. So, I'm going to switch back to firmware 5.3 and then try out the other two use cases. If I can get UAPP to output min USB volume out, then I'll run that separately.

 

[captblaze]

I was able to do Test 2 on Sunday, and got about 6.5 hours with no load.
Monday, I ran into an issue and couldn't complete the test.
I then realized that, when I updated the firmware to try out the GTO filter, I didn't switch back. So, Test 3, which lasted just under 6 hours, isn't a fair comparison. So, I'm going to switch back to firmware 5.3 and then try out the other two use cases. If I can get UAPP to output min USB volume out, then I'll run that separately.

Kinda mirrors my findings

 

[technobear]

Brand new audio stuff rarely sounds good out of the box.

What does this mean?

Seems like a simple enough sentence to me (and absolutely true). Which part do you not understand?

Not only does the vast majority of kit sound better after a period of use, it aslo nearly all sounds better after a period of warm-up.

 

[inexactscience]

Seems like a simple enough sentence to me (and absolutely true). Which part do you not understand?

Not only does the vast majority of kit sound better after a period of use, it aslo nearly all sounds better after a period of warm-up.

It does seem like a simple sentence, doesn't it? But how simple is it, really? Let's ask a few questions to see if it really is as simple as you say - who knows, depending on the answers, maybe I'll learn something along the way!

Here's the initial quote for reference:

Brand new audio stuff rarely sounds good out of the box.

The first thing I have to ask is this: what "audio stuff" are we talking about? Does this include the Hip-DAC? I see you interpreted this to mean "kit", but is that what @iFi audio meant? How do you know, and how could I know based on the answer?

The second thing that I have to ask is this: when they wrote "rarely sounds good", in what way or ways is this meant? Is it meant as a function of the equipment or the ear-brain connection or something else? Are they applying this to the Hip-DAC as well?

The third, and last for this comment, thing I have to ask is this: when they wrote "out of the box", what time frame is meant? Is it that 200 hours you mentioned above? If so, why aren't manufacturers putting that time in before shipping to customers knowing that the product isn't ready? Is there a different meaning to that "out of the box" section, and if so, what is that meaning? Does this also apply to the Hip-DAC, and if so, what are the answers if we apply the previous questions to it, specifically?

So, now that I've asked the questions of the parts that I don't understand, is the sentence as simple as it seems? Or would you agree that there are elements that do raise questions, even if the answer is relatively simple? For instance, if you're correct, and iFi was talking about "kit" as you put it, how would one know that if they haven't been exposed to a "kit" before?

 

[Narayan23]

What does this mean? Or are you dumping on the competition?

Jesus Christ, is your reading comprehension that bad so as to make those disrespectful alegations? iFI was replying to a post (which they quoted) made by lwells stating the Hip Dac was starting to open up, your other post (133) makes Machiavelli look like Mickey Mouse, maybe you should put that imagination to a more fruitful use.

 

[technobear]

<drivel snipped>

I call troll!

Thank goodness this forum has an ignore facility (you're the second one this month).