*edit 15/07: Cowon have updated their website to reflect the firmware 1.10 updates - the product info now includes support for DSD, DFF and SACD file formats, and images show the updated black/orange UI theme which is similar to the UI found on the higher end Plenues. Right... let’s just get this out of the way to start with: who the hell would buy this player? 3.5mm audio only, no balanced out, no USB DAC function, no Bluetooth, no wireless, in 2018!? And the look – you’re either going to love it or hate it, but it looks a bit like a spaceship...

I recently picked up an iBasso DX80 and decided to do a bit of a test with the available DAPs/DACs that I have at my disposal. I’m not exactly a collector but have ended up with a few, so this was a way for me to test the DX80 and decide about whether to sell some of the others, and I’d thought I’d post my impressions here in case it’s of use to anyone considering picking up one of these DAPs. So we have: iBasso DX80. Only about 5 hours burn in time (because I’m inpatient like that) Cowon Plenue D Cowon J3 Cowon S9     DAC test: DX80 DAC...

I just got one of these last night. Unfortunately where I live there's no possibility of hearing one of these before buying one (or really any other DAPs apart from mainstream, iPod, etc.). So after a bunch of research and reading reviews online this seemed like it'd be a great player.   I've previously had a few Cowons - iAudioE2, S9 and J3. My J3 is supposedly gapless playback, but it seems like it can't handle gapless with FLAC files, so I've been looking for an upgrade.   The Fiio X3 definitely has a smaller soundstage than my J3 - the music...