[headwhacker]

  ^ yea, I can definitely hear the dx90 amp turn on through my iems, like a very soft pop followed by the low hissing of the amp, that is completely normal. You also should be able to hear two clicks from the player when turned on, the clicks are not heard through your iems, but from the dap itself, so leave your iems out of your ears, and listen for the clicks from the dx90 on turn on. The clicks are normal, they are the relays stopping really loud pops from going through your earphones. If you are not hearing the clicks from the dx90, then the relays are not working and there will be a very loud pop through your earphones. Make sure your dx90 is actually broken, not just operating normally like I've outlined.

 
I don't hear any pop or clicks even through an iem. The clicks from the relay is there but it's coming from DX90 not through the HO.

 

[musicheaven]

I always turn the player on first before putting my headphones on or just plugging it in. But I do hear a faint click when I do put them on before turning it on or off. I remember now that Justin from HeadAmp refused to put an anti popping relay in the amp because it would affect the output and then every time I plug my headphones before turning it on I'd get a pop sound, hence you gotta plug your phones after it's turned on.

To make a story short, if you hear a loud pop, the relay does not work but that does not mean the player can't function. If you consider a defective relay an issue then return the dap else enjoy the music.

 

[headwhacker]

I always turn the player on first before putting my headphones on or just plugging it in. But I do hear a faint click when I do put them on before turning it on or off. I remember now that Justin from HeadAmp refused to put an anti popping relay in the amp because it would affect the output and then every time I plug my headphones before turning it on I'd get a pop sound, hence you gotta plug your phones after it's turned on.

To make a story short, if you hear a loud pop, the relay does not work but that does not mean the player can't function. If you consider a defective relay an issue then return the dap else enjoy the music.

 
How does a relay or by how much does it affect the output?

 

[musicheaven]

How does a relay or by how much does it affect the output?

That's the question you should ask Justin, he is an amp maker, I am not but he seems to think it affects it, might be size wise or the fact that now you introduce contacts which are not full hard wires but might act slightly as a capacitance, I am just theorizing here.

 

[jamato8]

Most of the good relays have an inert gas in them so there is no deterioration of the contacts. Some will use them some will not. You could use them so they are not directly in the signal path. I get a very, very slight pop but nothing like a pop that would be of any bother. 

 

[mojor]

Hi guys, I've just joined to your thread(just registered). And I want to share my opinion with you about compare DX90 via DX100. But, I don't English very well and needed your help. 

 

[musicheaven]

Hi guys, I've just joined to your thread(just registered). And I want to share my opinion with you about compare DX90 via DX100. But, I don't English very well and needed your help. 

No problems none of us do

Just shoot and let the chips fall

Most of the good relays have an inert gas in them so there is no deterioration of the contacts. Some will use them some will not. You could use them so they are not directly in the signal path. I get a very, very slight pop but nothing like a pop that would be of any bother. 

No offense John but those are not relays designed by NASA.

 

[msp]

   
Oh, I don't think there's any need to 'school' you, so I 'shoal' just overlook it.
 
 
 
Just out of curiosity, has anyone here hooked-up their DX90 to a fullsize hi-fi yet? I'd be interested to know how it performs when heard through fullsize loudspeakers.

Yes, I connected it to my Plinius SA-103 power amp
 

 
 
It can't compete with my PS audio perfect wave mk2, but to be honest the cables between my DAC and AMP also cost twice as much as the DX90, and the DX where connected with an old cable from a Discman, I believe you can buy them on ebay for a buck...

 
But if for some reason the PS audio DAC broke I will gladly use the DX 90 until I found a replacement...
 
Kind regards Morten

 

[Sweetmeat]

Before I returned the DX90, I verified that the "pop" sound came from my TH600s as well as my TG334s. The pop was surprisingly loud even in the large cans. Also, there were no relay clicks coming from the DX90 itself when turning on/off.
 
Probably any amp would sound better without relay contacts in the signal path. Neither of my HiFiMan HM-801 or HM-601 uses relays. But since the DX90 has relay contacts in the signal path already, I would want them to be operational.

 

[bbfoto]

  Yes, I connected it to my Plinius SA-103 power amp
 
It can't compete with my PS audio perfect wave mk2, but to be honest the cables between my DAC and AMP also cost twice as much as the DX90, and the DX where connected with an old cable from a Discman, I believe you can buy them on ebay for a buck...

 
But if for some reason the PS audio DAC broke I will gladly use the DX 90 until I found a replacement...
 
Kind regards Morten

Thanks Morten. Nice amp.  But what do you have connected to the Plinius to create audible sound?  

 
And in what specific areas does the Perfect Wave Mk2 excel as compared to the DX90?

 

[tantian999]

yes, dx90 is a good dac, its better even than zx1,but, for almost the same price,.qa360 is much better! and it even plays iso format dsd music, the only portable gear in the whole world that can do that! it looks just good but just a little chunkier

 

[Mython]

yes, dx90 is a good dac, its better even than zx1,but, for almost the same price,.qa360 is much better! and it even plays iso format dsd music, the only portable gear in the whole world that can do that! it looks just good but just a little chunkier

 
 
QLS QA360 is a big brick - that's fine for people who don't use their DAP in their trouser pocket, but for those of us that do, it's not in the same category of use as a DX50/90.
 
Remember the DX100? Well that sounds amazing, but it's not for some people who need a DAP to fit comfortably in their pocket.
 
dsd? Who cares.   QA360 does nothing significant that the DX100 / HDP-R10 / HM-901 does not already do, although I acknowledge the cheaper price-point.
 
Horses for courses...

 

[tantian999]

right, 360 is bigger,.and in terms sonic performance, apart from the fact that dx90 has a lower output, i think its just as good as their flagship model dx100, so if u care about the size, go for it, its definetely worth iy

 

[msp]

  Thanks Morten. Nice amp.  But what do you have connected to the Plinius to create audible sound?  

 
And in what specific areas does the Perfect Wave Mk2 excel as compared to the DX90?

Hello, my speakers are Neeper Acoustics Perfection One
 
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/neeper/perfectionone.html
 
With the PS audio DAC the sound is more detailed and the sound image is wider, when I switch the amp to Class A it is in my humble opinion audio nirvana, listing to well recorded live music you will get the feeling that the speakers “diapers” and the music is just there. With the DX 90 connected it doesn’t happen.

 

The funny thing is, listing to my IEM's I prefer the DX 90 over the PS audio DAC connected to a Meier Audio Corda Classic--must be something with synergy...

 
Kind regards Morten

 

[bbfoto]

^ Appreciate the reply and information.  Hopefully "diapers" was meant to be "disappears".  

  Autocorrect drives me nuts, too!
 
Are you running the DX90 with v2.0.0 Firmware or the newer v2.0.5?