Introduction
In May 2022, I decided to buy my first pair of IEMS, my budget range was 50-100 dollars. I was looking for a long term solution. I know there are more expensive IEMS but I was planning to use them while I was commuting or traveling. I pulled the trigger with Fiio's FD1. My experience with FD1 has been great overall, the packaging, the accessories and the sound exceeded my expectations and I have not thought of an upgrade to be honest, Fiio had gained my respect. About 18 months later, I wanted to buy a DAP since my digital collection had increased dramatically and I needed a player that supported a wide variety of formats and streaming service support. My personal phone (Samsung S10e) worked decently as a DAP, but the driving power was very limited. I tried to DAPs before the M6 which I will use for comparison:

• LG V30 (Quad DAC): there are not a lot of phones with a dedicated audio section, but LG's V lineup impressed the audiophile community. Their phones worked with the latest ESS Tech SoCs providing new features, improved audio and efficiency. I could say the V30 is one of my favorite audio products, the sound was great and my only real complaint is the low impedance and line-out voltage output.
• Sony Walkman A55: I was really excited to test Sony's new walkman lineup. The A55 main feature was the build quality, although this should have been expected considering the high price tag in comparison to other DAPs with similar features. The sound was also excellent, it's the only time I have understood the concept of analog sounding. For example, paired with the HD560s which is a bright and revealing headphone, the sound was soft but detailed with little to no harshness; I couldn't achieve this with any other device. I have 3 problems with the device: the screen quality, the power output and the price.

The entry level DAP market seems to dominated by Chinese companies nowadays. They have been able to offer a ton of feature like MQA hardware decoding, balanced outputs and higher power outputs for as little as 150 dollars. This means you can get an excellent DAP for a low price. FiiO M6 is about 5 years old, released in 2019, its features are bit outdated and it's difficult to find but I decided to try this because it seem like a great product with the features I needed, a great design and just enough power f. Let's start with the review.

Packaging and accessories

Fiio doesn’t disappoint at all in the packaging. The box is very small, the printing quality is good as always. Inside, we find the M6, a USB C to USB cable, a screen protector, a hard case and some manuals. It’s always welcomed to get this type of accessory included.

Build quality and design

The chosen materials are awesome, the metal chassis feels good and the glass back give the M6 the feel of a high end smartphone. I like that it is just a rounded black box, keep things simple.

Setup

You can start using the M6 in just a few minutes, no account is required at all, you just need a WIFI connection to access updates and third party apps. Installing a MicroSD card was very simple as well and it read all my files with no issues (over 50 gb of music).

Screen quality

This screen resolution is 480 by 800 pixels (3.2 inches), just a bit higher than HD resolutions. In addition, it’s an IPS panel so colors and viewing angles are good as well. Contrast was pretty decent as well, resulting in a very good viewing of the menus and album cover arts. The screen got very bright as well, I never used above 25%.

Features

The M6 uses a 7270 Exynos processor and an ES9018C2M SoC. The processor gets the job done especially when the M6 is just doing tasks such as playing music, if we start downloading, streaming and searching music the performance drops but this is an uncommon scenario.

Battery life.

Battery capacity is 1200 mAh, this might seem huge but the device is very efficient. Using the line-out option, the player can last around 7 hours with a single charge. Using IEMs, you can probably hit 10 hours. Charging time is very short, about 1 hour to get from 20% to 100%. My only complaint here is that some cable I had didn’t work
the M6 so I suggest keeping the included cable.

Power output and driving capabilities

I could find the maximum voltage the M6 can output, I can say around 1.5 to 2.0 volts. This is relevant since the standard line-out voltage is 2 volts and this same voltage is the minimum I needed to power my HD 600 with all my library. I’m not sure it hit 2.0 volts but it’s pretty close. Using sensitive-low impedance IEMS such as the FD1, the experience is excellent, I would say any dynamic driver headphone with medium to high sensitivity will perform great with the M6.

Sound

There is not a lot to say about M6’s sound. It’s pretty clean and transparent but I never found bright or thin in any of the 3 scenarios. Don’t think this is a warm sounding source, but you are not not going to have any problem with pairing. There is no harshness or any other audible issue,

Final thoughts

To be honest, I can’t really recommend this DAP. Even though the software experience, the third party app support and Fiio music player are great, the limited features and below average power output reduce my excitement for this player. In addition, finding it brand new is almost impossible so you will have to look in second-hand markets such as Ebay. I would pay only up to 100 dollars for this device in 2024, in you have a bigger budget I could suggest an LG V30 or USB DAC.

Hiby has been getting more and more attention thanks to their awesome DAPs lineup. They have also been releasing other products such as the Hiby FC3. A very portable, high power dongle DAC in addition to their Music App. Originally, it was released for about 70 dollars which is not a bad deal considering his direct competitor, Zorloo Ztella, retails for 100 with same feature (MQA version). Now you can find it during flash sales for 30 dollars. If you don't care about MQA, you can pick up the FC1 which is technically the same with a slighlty different chipset to achieve MQA rendering. So, this review also applies to FC1.

Packaging and Build quality

It comes in a squared black box, inside we get the FC3, a USB C to USB C cable and a USB C to USB A Cable. In addition, Hiby offers a voucher to enable MQA first unfoling on their propietary app, but now it seems kinda pointless. The DAC itself feels extremely light since it's made of plastic. To me, the connectors are not as stiff as they should be, giving the wrong impression.

Software support and compatibilty

Thankfully, this device worked with everything, Tidal (PC and Android), Qobuz, Audirvana, Roon, Hiby Music and USB Audio Player Pro. For DSD you need to make sure DoP it's enabled since the FC3 doesn't support Native DSD. Also, try to enable a fixed volume setting to use FC3?s hardware volume control.


Sound

Very dynamic and detailed, with just a tad of warmth. It's not a bright DAC but treble seems to be have a particular sparkle and shimmer quality. Overall, it's a clear upgrade over bad implemented PC soundcards.

Amplification

This is where the FC3's falls apart. Using high impedance headphones such as the HD 600s or line out compatible equipment such as integrated amplifiers, the performance is awesome. Bass is very deep and controlled. However, when we use anything low impedance or that has a bright sound by itself, the result is horrendous. Treble becomes unbearable, the sound is thin and music is not enyojable at all, posible because of some poor design.

Overall take

Even thougn the FC3 has ESS Tech latest chipset, the implementations is dissapointing. If you don't plan to use IEMS or bright headphones, this might be a good option. Personally, I would spend a little more money to get something like the Zorloo Ztella.

I believe Audioquest was one of the first companies releasing a product like this, a simple and "cheap" on the go HIFI solution for enthusiasts. In 2016, this was probably the best you can get if you wanted a portable solution for headphones and IEMS. Now, we have a ton of USB DAC that are a lot smaller and have more features. I'm not discarding this product, but it feel a bit out of place in 2023.


There is not a lot to complain about the sound here. To my ears, it offers a very elegant and enyojable presentation. Bass is well defined even with hungry headphones, midrange is very musical and treble is present but never bright or harsch. It offers a lot of power, 1 Volt RMS for low impedance headphones and 2 Volts RMS for line out and high impedance headphones. This is more than enough for must users. I truly recommending using third party software such as audirvana, Roon or usb audio player pro since it enables the BIT-PERFECT Volume control and it's way better than Android or Windows volume steps.

As a I said before, 200 dollars can buy another options such as entry level stacks that will provide more features and power. Even in the portable category, there are cheaper options such as Zorloo's Ztella and other chinese options.If you can find it for 100 dollars, it's a good option but DON'T PAY MSRP

This is a very short review of my experience with iFi's Zen Dac V2 (Full MQA Hardware decoding). Box is very simple, not fancy at all. Inside it, we find no power adapter (sold separately), a data and power USB cable for PC and phones, RCA cables and a 6.3 to 3.5 adapter. The design has a retro look, not for all tastes (I don't find it ugly though). On the front, we have 2 output s(4.4 and 6.3 mm), a gain selector (low or high gain) and a bass boster (true bass) botton as well. On the back, we have the USB input and 2 analog outputs (RCA and 4.4 pentacon). We can choose if we want the Zen Dac to work as a preamp or just as a desktop DAC (fixed output voltage). Build quality is top notch.

Going in to the sound department, the Zen V2 has a very distinguished sound signature, a tad dark with a great level of warmth in all frequencies. Bass is just slightly accentuated but not in a bad way, it makes a more musical experience. Midrange is lush and treble is very soft. This results in a very enjoyable experience with headphones such as the HD 560s, that has a bright profile and its treble is a bit to hot for my taste. With iFi's Zen Dac V2, I can enjoy all my albums without worrying a piercing treble response. In addition, it preserves a very good technical level, so you don't loose any detail or relevant information, it's just presented in a different way.


In terms of power, this stays somewhere in the middle, has more power than almost any Dongle Dac in the market but it's not close to any entry level dedicated headphone amplifier such as Schiit's Magni 3 or JDS Atom Amp. For example, using HD 560s, low gain at 11 o'clock was perfect for me. My main criticism is that the balanced ouput hast just more power to it. I think entry level products such as this sould focus on developing the best SE output they can instead of offering a balanced output. Still the performance is good even my IEMS using low gain.

Final take

The truth is there is not a lot to complain here, it's a very solid product with some weird decisions regarding the design. The problem is that for a little more money, you can get a desktop DAC with multiple inputs and a headphone amplifier with more power for hungrier headphones. I think if you can get for around a 100 dollars it's pretty good but I wouldn't pay full price for it.

Introduction

The most popular headphone since 2020, has been reviewed a lot and has sold a a ton of units. Sennheiser released an amazing product but most people don't seem to understand to real purpose of these headphones. Still, is an amazing performer and possibly the best value around 200 dollars.

Packaging and accesories

• Is just a regular box, Sennheiser has been reducing packaging quality in the last couple of years including the HD 600 family.
• It includes a 3 meter 2.5 to 6.3 mm cable, good for studios
• 6.3 to 3.5 adapter for regular users

Comfort

• Traditional HD 500 line comfort (almost perfect)
• Great earpads, but they may need a replacement after 2-3 years though.
• Clamping force is a bit stronger than other HD 500 line headphones, but not as big as HD 600 family

Bass

• Very well extended, subass is present but has a noticeable roll off after 60 hertz
• A little dry to my taste, not very warm
• Control, speed and detail is amazing for the price
• Slam is pretty decent

Midrange

• Great detail
• High midrange is more prominent than HD 600s, can be to hot for some
• Transparency is top notch

Treble

• Low treble is accentuated to a point it becomes piercing with bad amplification/DAC performance
• Extension is awesome
• Low quality recording can sound terrible, possibly making you hate your music

Soundstage and imaging

• Better than HD 600 family
• Just perfect for the price, no complaints here

Final take
It's just the best headphone in the HD 500 line, outperforming every headphone in almost any categorie. Comfort is great, but pads may look weird after a few weeks. Matching is a bit difficult to have a decent experience with low quality recordings (iFi products are a perfect match). Technical performance is perfect for gaming. In the end, this are headphones for profesionals. My main concern is that the HD 560s doesn't provide a good experience with all my albums, so It's not a headphone for me in particular.

Sennheiser HD 500 line has become more and more popular with the arrive of the younger sibling, the HD 560s. A headphone that has an spectacular technical performance for the price. The older models seem to have lost momentum if we also take in mind drop's HD 58X as well as other competitors on the 100-200 dollars range. HD 599 is a very popular headphone in Mexico because of some very favorable reviews on YouTube and it's sells for just 100 dollars on Amazon with free returns so it's safe bet for most people.

P.D. I tried both the OG HD 599 (Brown/ivory) and the HD 599 SE (Amazon). They seem to have the exact same sound with just a different color scheme

Design and comfort

Sennheiser classic HD 500 is present here as well, I don't have any complain regarding the form of the HD 599. My main criticism is the Ivory/Brown color scheme, looks quite good on photos but in real life it's a bit ugly. Fortunately, the HD 599 SE black color scheme is way better IMO. Sennheiser doesn't disappoint at all providing us perfect comfort for long periods of uses thanks to their traditional Velour earpads. They are very soft and great even if you live in a warm environment. However, you may need to replace them after 2-3 years.

Amplification and DAC

At only 50 ohms and 106 db/ 1 V RMS, the HD 599 se doesn't seem hard to power at first glance. Unfortunately, they requiere you to have a good-great headphone output, connecting it to a cheap laptop or phone 3.5 port is a mediocre experience. Any dongle Dac would be just fine, DON'T BUY A HEADPHONE AMP. What seems to change for the most part is detail and bass control.

Bass

Probably, the most dissapoint aspect of the headphones. Extension is pretty good for a dynamic driver open back but there is on major problem than concatenates with more. High bass and midbass have some coloration that seems to mess up with control, speed and detail. If this is your first audiophile headphone, it's way better than any Sony/Beats bass, but nothing really special.


Midrange

I don't know what Sennheiser was trying to achieve here. Low midrange is accentuated making male vocals and guitars louder, while high midrange is recessed. This is pretty evident with good records where the voice is not mastered very loud. Detail is just average.

Treble

It's actually a bit accentuated, this is not the problem though. Treble lacks warmth so it's a bit sharp and annoying with modern recordings. Details level is good.


Technical performance

The most relevant feature of the HD 599 is the technical performance. First off, imaging is very precise and you can notice different layers and air among instruments. On the other hand, soundstage is both wide and deep, better than HD 600 family. This makes the HD 599 a great option to consider for gaming, it's a shame that connecting a mic is not that easy.


Final take

Honestly, I don't recommend paying more than 120 dollars for this headphone regardless of where you live. In addition, the weird OG color scheme makes it even less atractive. It is a good headphone for new people joining this hobby, since it work good for music, movies, TV Shows and games. It doesn't need expensive gear but it also doesn't scale much.

I had this headphone in the past twice, so It feels right to make a review now. If you want technical specs, visit Drop.com or ebay for third party resellers.

Summary

Very easy, this is just an amazing recommendation for anyone wanting to get their first pair of audiophile headphones for under 200 dollars. There a few minors flaws but considering the price, it's okay

Build quality comfort

• Mostly plastic but it's pretty durable
• Cable feels very generic but is very realiable
• Out of the box, clamping force is very strong so use them for a couple days before returning them (they feel a lot better after a week or so)

Amplification and DAC requirements

• You can power them with a phone with pretty good results
• Any dongle dac is fine
• Using an amplifier seems to open up soundstage just a bit (may be a placebo)

Bass

• Very well extended, good for pop, EDM, disco etc.
• Speed and control are good for the price point
• Detail level is a bit weak (only when comparing it with an HD 600/HD 6XX)

Midrange

• Natural and enyojable
• Enough details
• Great energy (for rock)

Treble

• Forgiving to bad recordings
• Very dynamic
• Not a lot of air

Imaging and soundstage

• Pretty accurate instrument placement
• Not a lot of air between instruments
• 3 blob effect
• Lacks depth, width is average

I've been a Sennheiser user for a a while. My first headphones were the HD450BT, terrible comfort but sounded good to my ears. Then I changed to the Sony's WH-1000XM3 for travelling, they are not that comfortable and sound was overwhelming. Then I bought the HD560s, pretty good but treble was harsh to me, then HD599. Too much bass and not a lot of detail. I wanted something neutral but engaging at the same time. The HD600 are amazing headphones for the money, you can enjoy them for hours without fatigue. They are not for everyone (bassheads), but I think many people will like their neutrality.