oh man..i am not so tempted by most of daps nowaday like i did 2 years ago..however the LPG sure got its Goldness in it thus fond to this unit based on your review.. not sure going to own it at the current price though..but i saw you are/were having iBasso d14 bushmaster..am really keen on to know how it compares to each other..sure the bushmaster is for fractions of price of LPG but still am looking forward to know your take on that..

An extremely fair and balance review, but ultimately this is the best sounding DAP I've encountered and I don't really regard it as a portable due to the heft and price tag.  It does seem to weigh about as much as that golden statue Indiana Jones lifted off a pedestal that set off the rolling boulder.

@acap13 Comparing the D14 to the LPG is similar to the idea I briefly mentioned about portable devices. The D14 has more of a bass bump to it but the LPG still has the better extension. The D14 is also quite a bit smoother sounding overall and it obviously cannot keep up with the resolution that the LPG is capable of. Switching between the two, I wouldn't say the D14 sounds muddy or anything like that, but you'll instantly notice how much more texture the LPG has.
 
A bit more difficult of a comparison as the LPG is just obviously better. Feel free to let me know if there's something specific you're looking for though in comparing the two!

My hdp r10 has the same problem on line out, such a shame as i love the sound so much...

@van nguyen I definitely feel ya! I'm glad that the LPG at least gives you control of the line out. I'm still curious as to whether this is an issue with my unit or with all units. hmm...

ugh I'm not happy to hear about the Line Out... I've heard good things about the LPG with regards to the HM901 I have now
 
how ever to hear about issues with the Line out... well that's disappointing hopefully it's a fluke 

Awesome review man!! Nice work... I recently picked up a Questyle QP1R. Would you like to meet up to compare the sound signatures? 

The line out issue I found is certainly unusual to say the least... The good news is that you can change the volume without much degredation. Purists may disagree though.

You know im always ready to meet up! Ive been interested in the QP1R

Just a note that hiss with sensitive IEMs is real easy to fix, use an in-line attenuator.

Is this better than AK380?

I wiah i knew how the AK380 sounds. I can only say there are a few headfiers chose the LPG over the 380. However, there are sure to be people that seing the other way.

@Cotnijoe  thanks for the reply..though i have to say once i auditioned d14 sometimes ago,it is enough gave me goosebumped by the sound quality..its that great..however,ive never listened to LPG because lacking of place i could audition for..i do believe its dac section could surpass one from the d14 as the given price of LPG..aside from these two,have you ever auditioned the new player from iBasso ,dx80?i would like to hear your impression(if u had experience with dx80) about the player against the two we discussed earlier..

That is one ugly looking brick !!

$1600 to $2400????? Why are we seeing so many ridiculously expensive players?
Why do these players get such short battery life? Only 12 or 13 hours with such a massive battery(Using this massive battery, a Sandisk Clip Sport could play around 680 hours) Who is buying these? 280 grams(over 6 ounces)???? 6000 mah battery? What percentage of the player weight is the battery? 
 
Am I the only one here who thinks it is absurd to pay over $1,000(or even over $500) for a portable music player? How about making some  good players that retail for under $100 which  are light weight and have decent battery life? 

Great review Cotnijoe! Keep up the good work and posted on new samples you lay our hands on.

Irrelevant opinion: That thing is so ugly that I want a signed apology letter from the developers just for having looked at it.

@JK1 These are some very valid points. You know what else I don't understand, is why people would go to fancy restaurants when they can get 10 happy meals for the same price. And you know what, you don't even get a toy with those expensive meals! Who is eating all this gourmet food???? Am I the only one that thinks it is absurd to pay more than $5 for a meal that does NOT include a toy??
 
@Djinnenjous Opinions may differ, but LOL!

10 happy meals could potentially kill you ! Talking of "free toys"....this DAP, has the look of one !