[RockStar2005]

Shanling M5 is like her bigger sister.
It cost 449 compared to 250. But no doubt Shanling m5 is great

Ahh ok. That's what I thought you were gonna say but still wanted to make sure. lol

So you would still say it's the best amongst ALL the other DAPs you've tried out?

 

[JaeYoon]

Ahh ok. That's what I thought you were gonna say but still wanted to make sure. lol

So you would still say it's the best amongst ALL the other DAPs you've tried out?

I can't say best sound cause there's a lot of things involved. People who like the HTC 10 sound signature might find Shanling in Smooth warm to neutral kinda thing. Might like it a lot as well. It depends on IEMs too.

But I would say M5 was my favorite dap sound so far. I have not heard questyle qp1r etc anything beyond onkyos price

 

[RockStar2005]

I can't say best sound cause there's a lot of things involved. People who like the HTC 10 sound signature might find Shanling in Smooth warm to neutral kinda thing. Might like it a lot as well. It depends on IEMs too.

But I would say M5 was my favorite dap sound so far. I have not heard questyle qp1r etc anything beyond onkyos price

Ahh ok. Well I just meant M5 vs. other DAPs. lol

But black background = MONEY!! lol

Yeah QP1R etc are all like $800+. lol But if you're getting that kind of quality for $400-$450, that's awesome!!

 

[JaeYoon]

Ahh ok. Well I just meant M5 vs. other DAPs. lol

But black background = MONEY!! lol

Yeah QP1R etc are all like $800+. lol But if you're getting that kind of quality for $400-$450, that's awesome!!

Yes. I would definitely give either Cayin I5 or Shanling M5 if looking for a great player that can compete below $700

 

[RockStar2005]

Yes. I would definitely give either Cayin I5 or Shanling M5 if looking for a great player that can compete below $700

Ok. So in your opinion, which of those two is the victor? lol Which one has the BLACKEST background??

 

[aertus]

who makes the best DAP?

 

[stenog]

who makes the best DAP?

I do

 

[JaeYoon]

Ok. So in your opinion, which of those two is the victor? lol Which one has the BLACKEST background??

M5 has blackest BG. Cayin I5 can definitely have noticeable hiss with sensitive iem and possibly headphones. N3 has less hiss ironically for a lower price item.

@aertus
Best dap. That is a very difficult question to answer lol.

Mainly cause people like all sorts of sound signatures. People like different genres or even all arounders. Even the A&K 380 and expensive setups can lose to other setups depending on genre. Hard to say really.

Lots of headphone synergy comes to play too.

 

[RockStar2005]

I do

LOL!

And I'M his satisfied customer!

 

[RockStar2005]

M5 has blackest BG. Cayin I5 can definitely have noticeable hiss with sensitive iem and possibly headphones. N3 has less hiss ironically for a lower price item.

@aertus
Best dap. That is a very difficult question to answer lol.

Mainly cause people like all sorts of sound signatures. People like different genres or even all arounders. Even the A&K 380 and expensive setups can lose to other setups depending on genre. Hard to say really.

Lots of headphone synergy comes to play too.

Awesome! Good to know.

Thanks again!

 

[tbritton]

I've had the HTC-10 for a week now, and am truly loving it for the sound, now that I've "tamed" it a bit.
I bought it so I could have a phone and a camera, video camera, and hi-res audio recorder built into my DAP!

I'm using Neutron to stream my dance music (HBR1 and Philosomatika Premium) and for the better browser when using WAVs. Just put in Poweramp Alpha 703, so getting used to that. Have owned Neutron and Poweramp Full for about a year now.

At first, I was experiencing some squashed (compressed due to overload distortion) tom-tom drums and some types of bass, but pulled back the preamp level on my players and that fixed it.

The "hearing test" setup for the headphones and in-ears did not work well for me, as it was too upper-bass heavy and boomy. Also, the mids were a bit too recessed for my tastes. So, after getting the basic setup working, I just added or subtracted from the "test" settings a notch at a time for both ears till it sounded "perfect" for me, testing with a wide range of musical content, dance to classical. So, I guess I am using it as a built-in EQ profile for each headphone, but that is working for me! Nice that you can have as many profiles as you want.

Thanks for the stellar review - it was very informative! I was curious about the end of it, though, where you did not like it feeding from the USB into your external DAC/Amp - that was a bit surprising! I suppose the optimizations performed by HTC may have been compensations in a sense, but the output of the headphone jack is certainly working for me!

I am enjoying the HTC-10 every bit as much as I do my MOTU Ultralite mk3 hybrid professional studio DAC into a Fiio E12a amp in the studio. And it is definitely competition for my Shozy Alien Gold, but that thing will always have its charm.

Terry

 

[aertus]

M5 has blackest BG. Cayin I5 can definitely have noticeable hiss with sensitive iem and possibly headphones. N3 has less hiss ironically for a lower price item.

@aertus
Best dap. That is a very difficult question to answer lol.

Mainly cause people like all sorts of sound signatures. People like different genres or even all arounders. Even the A&K 380 and expensive setups can lose to other setups depending on genre. Hard to say really.

Lots of headphone synergy comes to play too.

i hate this answer because this implies there is no objectivity. If there is no objectivity than something crappy could sound good to someone which I dont like that idea. there has to be an objective good.

FOr me i listen to a wide range of music in the underground scene. Lots of music that uses synthesizers, effect pedals, and effects etc. so for me how am i supposed to pick something

 

[JaeYoon]

i hate this answer because this implies there is no objectivity. If there is no objectivity than something ****ty could sound good to someone which I dont like that idea. there has to be an objective good.

FOr me i listen to a wide range of music in the underground scene. Lots of music that uses synthesizers, effect pedals, and effects etc. so for me how am i supposed to pick something

You will be more upset when you spend something that is recommended and you find out you don't like it.

Objective good is hard to come by here.

I will tell you why. Someone here tells you there is a better DAP than HtC10 that is fantastic for underground. You buy it and think this is the best you can get.

2 weeks later that person sells this dap and then tells you he found the better dap with better sub bass and extensions.
You buy that and think it's best.

You read a review later where someone says your dap is nowhere near as good another dap. You regret your purchase and get that dap. Cycle repeats.

 

[stenog]

i hate this answer because this implies there is no objectivity. If there is no objectivity than something ****ty could sound good to someone which I dont like that idea. there has to be an objective good.

FOr me i listen to a wide range of music in the underground scene. Lots of music that uses synthesizers, effect pedals, and effects etc. so for me how am i supposed to pick something

There is no objectivity. Ask 1000 persons and you will get 500 different answers.

What do you need ? Do you need streaming ? Do you need big storage ? What kind of headphones/iems will you be using? Etc. Etc.

A more expensive dap is not necessarily a better dap and most important don't expect night and day difference between daps. Headphones/iems are much more important.

 

[Whitigir]

There is no best DAP, there is only preferences. The funny thing in this world of audiophile is that every one is trying to achieve the utmost details that was originally representing the real live presentations, and together with the utmost accuracy of the dynamic range and it recording equipments.

So, in order to achieve the more details and accuracy, the more you have to get it into flatter and more neutral sound signatures, because only with the flatter respond, then you can observe and hear the accuracy of what being recorded. The funny thing is that to achieve the tonal timbres and the analog presentation of a recording, the power supply gotta be powerful and linear on demand at any given millisecond. For this much complex, the gears will have to be bulky and large with a lot of heat generated whether you are using solid state mosfet or tubes design.

So then we bumped into the so called "sizes do matter", that means to properly put out a powerful output while retaining a good powersupply unit that can satisfy the specification of your DAC and system, you have to be Bulky and large. Even though with new technology, components can get smaller, but heat dissipation remaining the same. So all kind of problem set you back as the "limitations of Portable devices"

Since the portable devices has such limitations, they can only do so much in tuning while trying to achieve the best form, functions, features, appearances, designs, and proper power....but again, being powerful is one of the limitations. Hence most DAP are only able to drive In ear monitors. But still, it will bump into Dynamic range limitations and hence forth reduce the fidelity of the reproduced sound quality.

Then manufacturers turn around into tuning the sound signature toward different altered sounds, more bass, more trebles ? More mid ? Less extensions ? Etc....etc.....and that is why we will never have the so called "the best dap". The best DAP, is the best you can afford and that can satisfy the best of your needs and desires. You want slimmer ? Lighter ? More compact ? More memory ? Wifi streaming ?......etc...Balanced connection ? Once you checked all that, you proceed into buying the sound signature that you want. More than often manufacturers can update firmware and altered the sound signatures with DPS in their players, so whatever float your boat.

The same goes for DAC and many other things.

Now, if you want something trully is better, you need to go for desktop setup, and again, sides do matter. Hence you will see all kind of different designs , pricing, and so on for your setup. You then again need to consider yourself in howmuch compromising you can in order to get the best that you can. So far, the highest regard setup nowadays are Stax ? And Orpheous, or both are Electrostatic systems. Ofcourse there are also high-end Dynamic systems as well, but they get much more expensive and complicated to put together. Then it all comes down to technology and it own principles, ES headphones are proven to be a superior technology, and with different manufacturers you will have different tuning....

So it is your call, in the end, there is never "the best". Because the best represent "absolute", and in this world, there is no "absolute". Because "absolute" is a none existent, and so as long as anything continue to exist, there is no "absolute"