Disclaimer
I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @RHA Team, thank you very much for including me in this tour
Introduction
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 10 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
I've listened to RHA DL1 for about 4 days. I've used them mainly as a desktop DAC/AMP out of my Linux laptop.
Music preferences
My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.
Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna
Sound signature preference
Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I enjoy Fostex TH-600 very much, It's one of the best headphone I've heard, so that make me a fan of U or V shaped sound signature.
Having said that I also enjoy ZMF Blackwood which have mid-centric sound sig compare to the TH-600, so I guess I am flexible
My typical listening gear is: Asus Xonar STU -> Project Polaris -> ZMF Blackwood
When travelling I usually use MEE P1 straight out of DAP/Phone.
Build Quality and Design
DL1 has an excellent build quality, felt really solid in your hand, have enough weight to feel premium but not too heavy that you can't carry them around as portable device. The dimension is quite similar to Fiio E18, the DL1 is bit thicker and heavier, while E18 is more on the lean side and boxier.
The gain, bass, and treble control have enough firmness and feel pretty solid, they won't accidentally change if you put them in the pocket of your jacket. The volume control (doubling as on/off button) is a bit different, they are quite flashy I suppose. I don't have any problem with them, but personally would prefer button similar to the gain/bass/treble button.
DL1 has 2 USB slot, one is USB-A for USB OTG from Android/Iphone and phone charging, while the other one is micro-usb for charging the DL1 and using the DL1 as a DAC. I would like to point out here that the Fiio E18 has similar feature but manage to do this with 1 micro-usb slot, something that I think DL1 should go with for the sake of simplicity, just my personal opinion of course.
Other features:
- 3 level gain
- Bass and Tone Control (awesome)
- Balanced output
Sound Quality
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? As a DAC/AMP, they have a U shaped sound signature, I notice that sub-bass and treble is elevated a bit, giving them a fun and engaging sound signature.
I mainly used the DL1 as a desktop DAC/AMP, running out of my linux box. Installation on Linux is a breeze, no issue at all. Windows 7 installation is also quite easy, just download the drive and you're good to go. On windows 10 I have to disable the driver signature otherwise the DAC won't function with the driver.
My first trial with the DL1 is using ZMF Blackwood out of the built-in amp, and boy they sounded good! I can't believe a portable DAC/AMP have enough power to drive the Blackwood! I believe ZMF Blackwood have a mid-centric kind of sound, so paired with the DL1, it brings a wonderful balance to the presentation, they sounded sweet and musical, very engaging.
I though I was happy with my Xonar STU + Project Polaris (and some old fashioned EQ) pairing, but DL1 is very much on par if not more engaging due to the different sound sig they bring to the table.
The fun doesn't stop there, when I switch headphone from Fostex-TH600 to ZMF Blackwood, I always thought they are lacking sub-bass (compare to TH-600). Well enter DL1, crank the bass adjustment to +2 and we're back on business! I am really really impressed with these small DL1, they pack a lot of punch for their size.
Ok let's try different things, I put on RHA CL750 through DL1 and it was good, a bit too much treble but that's ok, just lower the treble -1 and everything sounds great!
RHA CL1 is similar story, hook them up with the DL1, even more treble than CL750, but that's ok, lower the treble -2 and it's beautiful!
I can't stress out how the bass/treble control is such an awesome feature, because personally for me there will be time when I wish I had bit more bass/treble/mids, and fiddling with soft EQ is a bit annoying, but hardware tone adjustment like the one on DL1 make a whole different for me, very easy and fast.
Comparison
RHA DL1 vs Fiio E18
Like the DL1, Fiio E18 is a DAC/AMP that also pack a bunch of nifty features such as mobile phone charging and some excellent bass boost, although the E18 doesn't have bass/treble control and balanced output, they are still provide a good value for money in my opinion.
This comparison is using them both for DAC and AMP. Right so let's get straight to sound quality, Fiio E18 sounds pretty decent, they have a good amount of bass quantity, good mids, but not much of treble extension on the upper region. The DL1 in comparison provide a better textured bass, it's more punchy and full, clear mids and better treble extensions and overall details.
Sound and feature wise RHA DL1 is a clear winner here, having said that, Fiio E18 is still a good value if you have tight budget.
RHA DL1 vs Asus Xonar STU + Project Polaris
Now this is more of an equal comparison, I would argue both of them is on par in term of class, they have similar amount of details and quality, what difference is their sound signature. Xonar STU have more of a neutral, balanced and bit laid back sound, while the DL1 offer more forward and sharp sound. Again, bass and treble is a bit elevated on the DL1 compare to Xonar STU. If I have to chose between them i'll take the DL1, just because the sound signature enhance my ZMF Blackwood experience, obviously YMMV with your headphones.
RHA DL1 + Project Polaris
I can't help to try pairing the DAC on DL1 and amped them through Project Polaris. Now, the DL1 amp is pretty good, I mean it's strong enough to drive the Blackwood so it's no slacker, however Project Polaris is even better than DL1 amp. The elevated bass of DL1 sounds more....firm, full, it has better slam and presence, and the treble is more controlled and refined. Using this combination to drive Blackwood is really an awesome experience, they sound spectacular, man...the synergy is so fun and exciting they sounded like a whole different headphones.
Summary
In case you didn't notice, I think DL1 is awesome, I wish I can trade my gear and get the DL1 (maybe I'll keep Project Polaris), they sounds so good with the Blackwood.
For the price you paid, you're getting a lot of good features here, tone control, heaps of power, balanced output, heck even mobile charger.
If you're looking for a 1-box-to-rule-them-all solution in portable package, please, do yourself a favor an give DL1 a try, you're in for a treat.
I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @RHA Team, thank you very much for including me in this tour
Introduction
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 10 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
I've listened to RHA DL1 for about 4 days. I've used them mainly as a desktop DAC/AMP out of my Linux laptop.
Music preferences
My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.
Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna
Sound signature preference
Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I enjoy Fostex TH-600 very much, It's one of the best headphone I've heard, so that make me a fan of U or V shaped sound signature.
Having said that I also enjoy ZMF Blackwood which have mid-centric sound sig compare to the TH-600, so I guess I am flexible
My typical listening gear is: Asus Xonar STU -> Project Polaris -> ZMF Blackwood
When travelling I usually use MEE P1 straight out of DAP/Phone.
Build Quality and Design
DL1 has an excellent build quality, felt really solid in your hand, have enough weight to feel premium but not too heavy that you can't carry them around as portable device. The dimension is quite similar to Fiio E18, the DL1 is bit thicker and heavier, while E18 is more on the lean side and boxier.
The gain, bass, and treble control have enough firmness and feel pretty solid, they won't accidentally change if you put them in the pocket of your jacket. The volume control (doubling as on/off button) is a bit different, they are quite flashy I suppose. I don't have any problem with them, but personally would prefer button similar to the gain/bass/treble button.
DL1 has 2 USB slot, one is USB-A for USB OTG from Android/Iphone and phone charging, while the other one is micro-usb for charging the DL1 and using the DL1 as a DAC. I would like to point out here that the Fiio E18 has similar feature but manage to do this with 1 micro-usb slot, something that I think DL1 should go with for the sake of simplicity, just my personal opinion of course.
Other features:
- 3 level gain
- Bass and Tone Control (awesome)
- Balanced output
Sound Quality
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? As a DAC/AMP, they have a U shaped sound signature, I notice that sub-bass and treble is elevated a bit, giving them a fun and engaging sound signature.
I mainly used the DL1 as a desktop DAC/AMP, running out of my linux box. Installation on Linux is a breeze, no issue at all. Windows 7 installation is also quite easy, just download the drive and you're good to go. On windows 10 I have to disable the driver signature otherwise the DAC won't function with the driver.
My first trial with the DL1 is using ZMF Blackwood out of the built-in amp, and boy they sounded good! I can't believe a portable DAC/AMP have enough power to drive the Blackwood! I believe ZMF Blackwood have a mid-centric kind of sound, so paired with the DL1, it brings a wonderful balance to the presentation, they sounded sweet and musical, very engaging.
I though I was happy with my Xonar STU + Project Polaris (and some old fashioned EQ) pairing, but DL1 is very much on par if not more engaging due to the different sound sig they bring to the table.
The fun doesn't stop there, when I switch headphone from Fostex-TH600 to ZMF Blackwood, I always thought they are lacking sub-bass (compare to TH-600). Well enter DL1, crank the bass adjustment to +2 and we're back on business! I am really really impressed with these small DL1, they pack a lot of punch for their size.
Ok let's try different things, I put on RHA CL750 through DL1 and it was good, a bit too much treble but that's ok, just lower the treble -1 and everything sounds great!
RHA CL1 is similar story, hook them up with the DL1, even more treble than CL750, but that's ok, lower the treble -2 and it's beautiful!
I can't stress out how the bass/treble control is such an awesome feature, because personally for me there will be time when I wish I had bit more bass/treble/mids, and fiddling with soft EQ is a bit annoying, but hardware tone adjustment like the one on DL1 make a whole different for me, very easy and fast.
Comparison
RHA DL1 vs Fiio E18
Like the DL1, Fiio E18 is a DAC/AMP that also pack a bunch of nifty features such as mobile phone charging and some excellent bass boost, although the E18 doesn't have bass/treble control and balanced output, they are still provide a good value for money in my opinion.
This comparison is using them both for DAC and AMP. Right so let's get straight to sound quality, Fiio E18 sounds pretty decent, they have a good amount of bass quantity, good mids, but not much of treble extension on the upper region. The DL1 in comparison provide a better textured bass, it's more punchy and full, clear mids and better treble extensions and overall details.
Sound and feature wise RHA DL1 is a clear winner here, having said that, Fiio E18 is still a good value if you have tight budget.
RHA DL1 vs Asus Xonar STU + Project Polaris
Now this is more of an equal comparison, I would argue both of them is on par in term of class, they have similar amount of details and quality, what difference is their sound signature. Xonar STU have more of a neutral, balanced and bit laid back sound, while the DL1 offer more forward and sharp sound. Again, bass and treble is a bit elevated on the DL1 compare to Xonar STU. If I have to chose between them i'll take the DL1, just because the sound signature enhance my ZMF Blackwood experience, obviously YMMV with your headphones.
RHA DL1 + Project Polaris
I can't help to try pairing the DAC on DL1 and amped them through Project Polaris. Now, the DL1 amp is pretty good, I mean it's strong enough to drive the Blackwood so it's no slacker, however Project Polaris is even better than DL1 amp. The elevated bass of DL1 sounds more....firm, full, it has better slam and presence, and the treble is more controlled and refined. Using this combination to drive Blackwood is really an awesome experience, they sound spectacular, man...the synergy is so fun and exciting they sounded like a whole different headphones.
Summary
In case you didn't notice, I think DL1 is awesome, I wish I can trade my gear and get the DL1 (maybe I'll keep Project Polaris), they sounds so good with the Blackwood.
For the price you paid, you're getting a lot of good features here, tone control, heaps of power, balanced output, heck even mobile charger.
If you're looking for a 1-box-to-rule-them-all solution in portable package, please, do yourself a favor an give DL1 a try, you're in for a treat.