[Hawaiibadboy]

  What I'm personally more interested in is if the software, especially interface is any good. That will set it apart from what's on the market. And if it will ship with anything better than a primitive drag-and-drop upload system so we don't have to kludge our way with Foobar plugins or Dapper (which is made by one guy) if you want to have playlists. 
 
 
A well done integrated device like this has a different market than those who are satisfied with a netbook or smartphone and rubber-banding on a DAC. You can't expect to beat that financially when you have so much more engineering to do. There's a whole bunch of people who really want a true Hi-Fi iPod replacement, and that doesn't exist. Something that sounds great, has a long lasting battery (Try to play DSD files with USB Player Pro feeding an external DAC on a smartphone. Watch the battery disappear,)  has a good interface, and can sync playlists with computers, Windows and Mac, without having to resort to spotty third party software to do something the manufacturer should have done to begin with. . 
 
We have many DAP options where the hardware is fantastic- Hifiman, Fiio, iBasso, etc. However, the software, especially the interface design, is dreadful. (For example, seriously, Fiio, you put M3U playlists at the bottom of the folder menu of all things, requiring us to scroll with the non-accelerating wheel through dozens or hundreds of folders to get to the playlists, instead of the already existing playlist menu? And you haven't fixed this for years despite all the firmware revisions? And when you choose to view by Genre you just get an alphabetical list of what could be hundreds of songs. It's hopeless. Do you even care about making a good interface after you put so much effort into wonderful hardware engineering?
 
For that matter, I love your hardware, HiFiMan, and if you put 10% of the thought you employed engineering circuitry into having a usable interface and intuitive buttons I'd buy your stuff in a heartbeat. A battery that lasts more than four hours would be nice, too. Or, until the newest Astell&Kern series came out, you had to add songs to playlists one by one within the player if you didn't want to use iRivers absolutely useless Windows-only software. For a kilobuck device. Ridiculous. 
 
If the production interface is anything like Onkyo's Android app, I already have high hopes. They know how to make a good UI, but resorting to syncing with Doubletwist with transcoding disabled, as is the easier way to do things with Android if you want to use their app, is a bit kludgy. If the Onkyo addresses that shortcoming, they could really make a killing with this device.

 
Maybe the best post I have seen in months.
 
No flaming just aiming.
You nailed it.
 
 
 
If ONKYO does this right it's

 
My Note 4 battery drain is manageable but man...c'mon....can anyone get this **** right?

 

[the wizard of oz]

  The DP-X1 looks really interesting. This could be the DAP to replace my DX100.

Thinking the same thing. I was kind of waiting for iBasso's next flagship, but I'm still a bit worried the OS won't be as stable as I'd like it to be.
Onkyo has my confidence, I have quite a bit of gear by them, that still brings me daily satisfaction. Looking forward to reading the first reviews.

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

^ Your worried the OS won't be stable with Android 5.1.1, Snapdragon 801 CPU and 2GB ram?? Trust me you have nothing to worry about at all.

 

[musicday]

Does anyone knows what type the screen is?

 

[eddiewww]

Having just bought an A&K Jr.. i am glad that i can return it to Amazon with no issues and wait for the DP-X1 !!
 
Anybody in the UK looking to get an A&K Jr keep your eye on the  "warehouse deals".. its going back as new in box and still shiny along with case!
 
Until then i'll slum it with my HTC OneM8..

 

[Yubacore]

  What I'm personally more interested in is if the software, especially interface is any good. That will set it apart from what's on the market. And if it will ship with anything better than a primitive drag-and-drop upload system so we don't have to kludge our way with Foobar plugins or Dapper (which is made by one guy) if you want to have playlists. 
 
 
A well done integrated device like this has a different market than those who are satisfied with a netbook or smartphone and rubber-banding on a DAC. You can't expect to beat that financially when you have so much more engineering to do. There's a whole bunch of people who really want a true Hi-Fi iPod replacement, and that doesn't exist. Something that sounds great, has a long lasting battery (Try to play DSD files with USB Player Pro feeding an external DAC on a smartphone. Watch the battery disappear,)  has a good interface, and can sync playlists with computers, Windows and Mac, without having to resort to spotty third party software to do something the manufacturer should have done to begin with. . 
 
We have many DAP options where the hardware is fantastic- Hifiman, Fiio, iBasso, etc. However, the software, especially the interface design, is dreadful. (For example, seriously, Fiio, you put M3U playlists at the bottom of the folder menu of all things, requiring us to scroll with the non-accelerating wheel through dozens or hundreds of folders to get to the playlists, instead of the already existing playlist menu? And you haven't fixed this for years despite all the firmware revisions? And when you choose to view by Genre you just get an alphabetical list of what could be hundreds of songs. It's hopeless. Do you even care about making a good interface after you put so much effort into wonderful hardware engineering?
 
For that matter, I love your hardware, HiFiMan, and if you put 10% of the thought you employed engineering circuitry into having a usable interface and intuitive buttons I'd buy your stuff in a heartbeat. A battery that lasts more than four hours would be nice, too. Or, until the newest Astell&Kern series came out, you had to add songs to playlists one by one within the player if you didn't want to use iRivers absolutely useless Windows-only software. For a kilobuck device. Ridiculous. 
 
If the production interface is anything like Onkyo's Android app, I already have high hopes. They know how to make a good UI, but resorting to syncing with Doubletwist with transcoding disabled, as is the easier way to do things with Android if you want to use their app, is a bit kludgy. If the Onkyo addresses that shortcoming, they could really make a killing with this device.

 
Thanks for this post, it really answers some questions I had gnawing in the back of my head.
 
I'm thinking about getting serious about portable audio and trying to identify and weigh the pros and cons of a high quality dedicated player vs smartphone+dac/amp solution. I had been thinking that convenience and UI is a huge plus for the smartphone solution, but not sure to what extent since I have absolutely no experience with DAPs.
 
I'd be very grateful if more people can post their opinions on the subject. I'm looking at DAPs in the +/- $1000 price range, and amp/dacs all the way from E17 to the Chord Hugo, to pair with a pair of quality CIEMs.

 

[Joe-Siow]

I believe it has been mentioned that the successor to DX100 is at least 1 year away from fruition in the DX100 thread. 
 
I've had several DAPs but the ageing DX100 is still a keeper. Let's hope the DP-X1 can relieve part of its load.

 

[the wizard of oz]

 

  The DP-X1 looks really interesting. This could be the DAP to replace my DX100.

Thinking the same thing. I was kind of waiting for iBasso's next flagship, but I'm still a bit worried the OS won't be as stable as I'd like it to be.
Onkyo has my confidence, I have quite a bit of gear by them, that still brings me daily satisfaction. Looking forward to reading the first reviews.

You're worried the OS won't be stable with Android 5.1.1, Snapdragon 801 CPU and 2GB ram?? Trust me you have nothing to worry about at all.

Read again. I was referring being worried about iBasso's next flagship DAP OS, not Onkyo's.
 
 

  I believe it has been mentioned that the successor to DX100 is at least 1 year away from fruition in the DX100 thread. 
 
I've had several DAPs but the ageing DX100 is still a keeper. Let's hope the DP-X1 can relieve part of its load.

A bit underpowered according to these technical precisions in German language: 2x 75mW under 32Ω... More of an IEM DAP?!
I'm shall be keeping my DX100 then...

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

^ Oh no doubt the Onkyo won't be able to compete on power output with the brick which is DX100, but refinement is another story. It's not an iem dap... 75mW is more than enough for the majority of headphones, Calyx M has 70mW output power and does fine. Sure if you are trying to power 300-600 ohm then best to look elsewhere, for everything it will be fine imo.

 

[the wizard of oz]

I have noticed that a lot of power in reserve does help, and gets you closer to a desktop amp experience.

 

[viper2377]

Curiously waiting

 

[Replicant187]

the price and release date can't come soon enough.

 

[Joe-Siow]

My personal philosophy is simple. I use a DAP primarily with my CIEM or TG334. It can occasionally be used to drive cans, but for cans to shine and reach their potential, I play them through desktop amps. 
 
(C)IEMs with DAP, cans with desktop amps. It's that simple for me.

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

  I have noticed that a lot of power in reserve does help, and gets you closer to a desktop amp experience.

 
I know what you mean, but I gave up on that kind of dream from a dap, a decent portable amp would outclass a brick dap like DX100 or HM901, so in my opinion a dap is better of at aiming to be perfection with headphones that are efficient enough, and breaking out the portable amp if you want some heft, this way you get the best sound quality for both types of headphone rather than a compromise.

 

[kawaivpc1]

^ Your worried the OS won't be stable with Android 5.1.1, Snapdragon 801 CPU and 2GB ram?? Trust me you have nothing to worry about at all.

He meant he's worried about OS of iBasso DX100's successor. DX100 was far behind its time when it came out in 2012. Some devices from 2010 still have better OS than DX100's.
I hope they don't commit the same mistake again.

Onkyo's DX1 will feature similar spec to that of Samsung Note 4. I think this will cover till Android 8 upgrade.