Ugh... as some one who owns a HM801... I'm stuck deciding if I should upgrade to the Hm901 or Grab the DX90
Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org
Kerouac
Hey 00lunar,
Thanks for your great review & beautiful pictures indeed! Wow, testing 10 audiophile DAP's for a living should be one of the greatest jobs ever
I noticed your review was already written about a month ago in Polish:
http://blog.pclab.pl/violator/iBasso.DX90-test.Po.raz.kolejny.taniej.ni%C5%BC.by%C4%87.powinno,402
What I would like to know: how many hours of burn-in time did it have when you wrote the review and did the SQ get better (also compared to the HM-901) after 400 hours (as I read multiple times it should). I'm only on 100 hours now, so don't have a clue...
Thanks for your great review & beautiful pictures indeed! Wow, testing 10 audiophile DAP's for a living should be one of the greatest jobs ever
I noticed your review was already written about a month ago in Polish:
http://blog.pclab.pl/violator/iBasso.DX90-test.Po.raz.kolejny.taniej.ni%C5%BC.by%C4%87.powinno,402
What I would like to know: how many hours of burn-in time did it have when you wrote the review and did the SQ get better (also compared to the HM-901) after 400 hours (as I read multiple times it should). I'm only on 100 hours now, so don't have a clue...
00lunar
@Mshenay
To be honest, PCM1704 based DAC-s are very special snowflakes, nothing sounds like those devices, so no matter what you'll buy, consider yourself stepping rather sideways not up from HM-901. As for HM-901 and DX90, different sound signatures they provide, just as I wrote above. Obvious choice to make would also be DX90, because it's cheaper, and much more user friendly. IF you're not satisfied and you lack attack, punchness and directness in sound, then HM-901 is a good way to go.
@Kerouac
To a point job's not that great these days, it efficiently killed my hobby, so to speak :E But ocassionally it's very rewarding, when you have unique and excellent sounding stuff on hand. This happens rarely, but when it does, well, then I know I'm doing cool things for a living.
Yup, review is mine, and thank you for nice words about the photos. To be honest, I hadn't payed much attention to SQ in the very beginning. OK, I plugged my CIEM-s in, heard lots of punchness for couple minutes, smiled, and started burning the thing in. My DX90 was constantly playing for nearly 200 hours, as I had lots of other things to do at that time. Atter eight days I started testing and never looked back. So I can't help you here, mate. I assume there might be slight difference between 200 and 400 hours played. But my guess is that it's barely audible at this point, if audible at all.
To be honest, PCM1704 based DAC-s are very special snowflakes, nothing sounds like those devices, so no matter what you'll buy, consider yourself stepping rather sideways not up from HM-901. As for HM-901 and DX90, different sound signatures they provide, just as I wrote above. Obvious choice to make would also be DX90, because it's cheaper, and much more user friendly. IF you're not satisfied and you lack attack, punchness and directness in sound, then HM-901 is a good way to go.
@Kerouac
To a point job's not that great these days, it efficiently killed my hobby, so to speak :E But ocassionally it's very rewarding, when you have unique and excellent sounding stuff on hand. This happens rarely, but when it does, well, then I know I'm doing cool things for a living.
Yup, review is mine, and thank you for nice words about the photos. To be honest, I hadn't payed much attention to SQ in the very beginning. OK, I plugged my CIEM-s in, heard lots of punchness for couple minutes, smiled, and started burning the thing in. My DX90 was constantly playing for nearly 200 hours, as I had lots of other things to do at that time. Atter eight days I started testing and never looked back. So I can't help you here, mate. I assume there might be slight difference between 200 and 400 hours played. But my guess is that it's barely audible at this point, if audible at all.
Migou67
Thank you for these beautiful photos and very good review, I did not expect such a difference in sound compared to my other DAP, the DX90 is really another level, a very good surprise for me.
Jensenchua
Thanks very much for the really nice review but I still stuck in X5 and DX90~~
bonitomio
An informative, honest and thoughtful review 00lunar,
very helpful for me on which way to jump.
Best of all my eyeballs are still working fine
Would you consider doing a comparison between the HM-901 and the AK240?
very helpful for me on which way to jump.
Best of all my eyeballs are still working fine
Would you consider doing a comparison between the HM-901 and the AK240?
I'm stunned. This punches so far above it's weight. I wonder what A&K would have charged for it? I had all previous A&K models and the DX90 leaves them all standing other than the AK240.
Buy it !!!