I have to agree completely with everything you have written here. I'm listening to the Divine as I type. The next model should make use of a 45mm driver, maybe even a 50mm driver, but that is pushing it. A little more power would be nice, but for modern recordings the power level is solid. I have my DP-X1 on full and the Divine on full. I use boost 1 with about -5db.

Sorry, I still could not fix the problem with not receiving notifications for comments on my reviews.
I saw your detailed posts on the thread, yes, the Divine can be quite engaging!

Giogio, 
 
Do you HAVE to use the Android DSP app in order to enable DSP on these headphones? I mean, if I used say the Poweramp app, can I still enable DSP on the XTZ Divine?
 
Thanks.

Oh, I have received the notification! Hopefully it's fixed now.
Yes Rockstar. Due to the intrinsic limits of Android, a phone should have to be rooted to allow an app to apply effects to the audio played by another app.
I remember I was shocked and angry when this change was introduced. I had an Xperia at that time, which had a very nice EQ with Room effect. I could use Neutron with Crossfeed and at same time apply Room with that Xperia effect. Since this change, the Xperia effects were not working if not with the Sony Walkman app. Thanks Google. Sometimes these big companies are so stubborn and bully.
So, XTZ had to make the App as a player. They did not want to force people to root the phone.
I personally think they should have given people the chance to decide, by making an app which can either work in not rooted phones (in that case you should use it's integrated player) or on rooted phones (in that case it would only apply DSP whatever player you use).
We'll see if they do that in the future Dirac for Android.
You may write them to ask for this too. More requests = easier to get it done.
 
Anyway imo Neutron is better than Poweramp

Giogio, 
 
Ok so you have to be rooted in order to use Poweramp + DSP. But you don't have to be rooted to use the XTZ Android app + DSP. Got it. Thanks! 
 
Yeah I have the Sony Xperia Z3 and back when I listening directly from my phone (I now use the Oppo HA-2 amp/DAC), I would use those effects. But with the HA-2, they downgrade the sound so I turn them all off now. Same thing with my former A17 Walkman. Those extra effects just made the sound worse, so I turned them all off, and the sound quality was better than anything my (or any) phone could do, regardless of effects used. 
 
I think I tried Neutron but for whatever reason I didn't like it as much. I'll try it again this week and see. 

No, sorry, I must have expressed myself ambiguously. I meant that I suggested them to give people the choice to root or not root.
In this moment unfortunately there would be no difference (AFAIK) if you root or not. It will always be needed that you use the XTZ player to have the DSP enabled. Once again, all feature requests should be sent to XTZ. The more, the better!
 
Neutron is not super intuitive to use but if you give yourself the time to go through the settings, and if you choose 64 bit and audiophile mode you will notice that with same perceived loudness Nautron sounds fuller and richer, more engaging.
Its EQ is also much more powerful, full parametric.
And there is more.

Giogio, 
 
I don't want to root anyway. I just wanted to know if someone could use Poweramp or Neutron and STILL activate DSP? Can they without having to root? Or do they have to use the Android app to enable DSP? Sorry I'm not clear yet on this. 
 
That's cool. Poweramp has a lot of settings too, but I've mastered them, and it lets you save your settings as a file so when you get a new phone you can just import that file into Poweramp and it's all set! Does Neutron have that option? 
 
I don't use EQ anymore as I find it causes more problems. I know the "pros" say you should EQ, but it will vary by headphone and for as much as I know, it sounds extremely technical to do it right, and I find that with EQ off (on my AKG K553 Pro) that everything just sound more natural and better, and no clips or clicking occurs either. 
 
Thanks!!

If you like that kind of headphones I can understand you do not like EQ. People do not buy those headphones to EQ them.
I like to EQ. It's much easier and much less mystical than people think. But it's also not a must, if one is satisfied without. There is nothing you "should". There is only what you like.
I think you can do something similar with Neutron, yes, you should ask Dmitry though, its creator. I think you have to copy the folder of Neutron in the new phone, easy like that.
About XTZ, let's see if this time we understand each other: you ALWAYS need the XTZ App to have the DSP enabled and the DSP would only work when you use the player of the XTZ App to listen to music. If you use Poweramp or Neutron or whatever else, you will NOT have DSP. No matter if your phone is rooted or not.
This, at least, in this moment.
And, no, they cannot change this because nobody can, only Google can. It is a limit imposed by Android, and the only way to bypass it is by rooting the phone. So, IF in the future XTZ will make an App which can work as mere DSP on a rooted phone, at least people with rooted phone will be able to do what you are asking. But till then, nobody can, root or not
Google likes to make things complicated to people.
Like the fact that suddenly they changed the permissions which an App can have to access/modify data on the SD Card. Now for example the super legendary ES Explorer, best File Manager on Android, can't even create a new folder on the SD card!

Giogio, 
 
That's cool. I used to EQ all the time, and got pretty good at it. But it never seemed to be perfect, especially when I started getting more premium headphones and players or amp/DACs like the Oppo HA-2. 
 
Ok got it about DSP + Android app! lol
 
Yeah Google does that sometimes. lol I do agree there. 
 
Thanks so much! 
 
P.S.: I just e-mailed XTZ on Kickstarter about producing an over-ear version. 

Giogio, 
 
How loud does the XTZ get when in bluetooth mode, Android app, DSP on, Reference filter? Does it get LOUD enough? I have a lot of Hi-Res content, which is typically mastered at a lower volume, so I'd need to know it can "bring it" with the extra volume if called upon. I just wonder because the impedance is 59 ohms, which isn't that high, but higher than K553's (32 ohms; 114 dB sensitivity). What's the sensitivity too please?
 
Also, how would you say the Devine sounds (in mode above) vs. like the AKG K550 or K553? Does it have that same great spacious soundstage? Is the bass well-isolated and more on the neutral side? Are the mids and especially highs "bright" with full detail? 
 
Thanks!!

I have never heard any BT headphone with more detailed highs. And the detail is even better on the Dirac DAP for Desktop.
You may have not noticed the request to discuss of the Divine in the discussion thread
It is a place where more people can read, learn, answer.
Would you mind posting your question there?

Giogio, 
 
No, where is the link for that thread? lol
 
That's amazing. Damn, I wish the mobile one was EQUAL to the desktop one. Oh well. lol
 
I don't have anymore questions anyway. Thanks so much!