[STR-1]

  How would you compare M2 to AK240 in SQ? does M2 produce comparable sound?

I can't answer your question with any great confidence.  I will have to listen to the M2 again as it was over a month ago when I was able to compare it to the AK240 for about twenty minutes and I'm left with only vague impressions of what I thought at the time.  I was listening to Apple lossless files from my iPhone 6 through my Shure SE530 iems and I think I recall the M2 putting out more weight and more kick with bass notes, having more power in reserve and just generally being a more enjoyable listen with pop,rock and classical than the 240, which I felt by comparison was just a little too controlled (although still clearly much better than the iPhone).  Then of course there was the big price difference which weighed heavily in the M2's favour.  The only downside for me at the time was that the user interface wasn't as good as the 240's, with text appearing really where it shouldn't.  I hadn't really given any thought to the folder issue as it wasn't something I explored during that brief demo.

 

[Barolo]

I would like to say the Arm2 is a very good player but is dependent on iems,it sounds alive with my 8s on all good recorded music if you can get over its noise faults with ba iems I'm torn between selling the 8s which I love and the Arm2 even though my Heirs are advertised

 

[STR-1]

I would like to say the Arm2 is a very good player but is dependent on iems,it sounds alive with my 8s on all good recorded music if you can get over its noise faults with ba iems I'm torn between selling the 8s which I love and the Arm2 even though my Heirs are advertised

I don't recall there being a noise problem listening to the M2 with my Shure SE530s, which are a balanced armature design.  What is the noise problem? 

 

[Barolo]

If you can't hear the ticking noise on quite passages and in between tracks then you are in for a treat as this is the only problem I have with the Arm2 there sq is great with my favoured music especially with there slightly forward mids, I did listen to some cans and I'm undiceded what to do I auditioned the Noghthawks

 

[zappazappazappa]

 
I don't recall there being a noise problem listening to the M2 with my Shure SE530s, which are a balanced armature design.  What is the noise problem? 

There are definitely noise problems with the AR-M2. With my Cardas IEM's I can hear a zzz noise in between tracks and also sometimes the same noise in quiet passages of music. The zzz noise between tracks, I assume is the player recognising a gap between tracks, but it is most irritating when you hear it during quiet spaces in a piece of music. Noise does not seem to be a problem with full size phones  - I can't hear it if I hook up the player to my Oppo PM-1's which makes me wonder if it was designed using fairly insensitive headphones.
 This noise along with some user interface problems has definitely put a damper on this player for me. At £900 (UK pricing) I expect a product to be pretty much perfect. I know  A & K  make much more expensive products, but to me Acoustic Research should do a bit more work on this player so no headphone user should experience any noise problems.

 

[Barolo]

I make you Wright there are quite a few with the same view as ours

 

[STR-1]

 
There are definitely noise problems with the AR-M2. With my Cardas IEM's I can hear a zzz noise in between tracks and also sometimes the same noise in quiet passages of music. The zzz noise between tracks, I assume is the player recognising a gap between tracks, but it is most irritating when you hear it during quiet spaces in a piece of music. Noise does not seem to be a problem with full size phones  - I can't hear it if I hook up the player to my Oppo PM-1's which makes me wonder if it was designed using fairly insensitive headphones.
 This noise along with some user interface problems has definitely put a damper on this player for me. At £900 (UK pricing) I expect a product to be pretty much perfect. I know  A & K  make much more expensive products, but to me Acoustic Research should do a bit more work on this player so no headphone user should experience any noise problems.

Thanks.  Makes clear the importance of me having a proper demo next time.  I'll try to get another listen within the next couple of weeks.  Does it drive your Oppo PM-1s easily enough?  I would want whatever DAP I chose to be usable with a range of high-end headphones (e.g. the Sennheiser HD800, Audezes, HiFiMAN HE 1000 etc - all of which are harder to drive than the Oppo).  As I can't use the M2 with my Hugo its got to be able to drive those headphones on its own.

 

[zappazappazappa]

 
Thanks.  Makes clear the importance of me having a proper demo next time.  I'll try to get another listen within the next couple of weeks.  Does it drive your Oppo PM-1s easily enough?  I would want whatever DAP I chose to be usable with a range of high-end headphones (e.g. the Sennheiser HD800, Audezes, HiFiMAN HE 1000 etc - all of which are harder to drive than the Oppo).  As I can't use the M2 with my Hugo its got to be able to drive those headphones on its own.

Hi, yes it does drive the Oppo's easily enough and it will also drive Sennheiser HD800's. With regard to the Hifiman and Audeze, although I've not tried them I'd be more cautious as these are much less sensitive than the models I've mentioned.  I suspect that unless you like listening at low levels there might not be enough power for you. Of the two full size phones I've tried I'd say the Oppo's are the best synergistic match, though the HD800's sound very good too. Level wise the Oppo's play louder than the Senn's.
This brings me on to the topic of using full size top end phones with DAPS. If you want to hear the full performance of a top end full size phone the way to do it is with a full size headphone amp. At the end of the day you are not going to be able to get the same level of control  and 'grunt' or power from the amp section of a DAP  as you are from a full size headphone amp. Just put the AR-M2 alongside say the Sennheiser HDVD 600 amp and its obvious that fantastic as the amp sections of some DAP'S are ( including this one - noise excepted!) you simply can't squeeze in the electronic capability of a full size amp into a DAP.  I'd say you're getting about 75% of the performance capability you've paid for - on the basis of the two I've mentioned.
Anyway different strokes for different folks etc. Some people want to use DAP's for home use only. I use mine for commuting and I certainly wouldn't want to get caught in the rain with a Sennheiser HD800 or OPPO PM-1 on!  Or mugged either!  Which is why I favour in ear phones and why I hope that Acoustic Research will address the noise issues that affect some of us who use sensitive IEM's.

 

[STR-1]

 
Hi, yes it does drive the Oppo's easily enough and it will also drive Sennheiser HD800's. With regard to the Hifiman and Audeze, although I've not tried them I'd be more cautious as these are much less sensitive than the models I've mentioned.  I suspect that unless you like listening at low levels there might not be enough power for you. Of the two full size phones I've tried I'd say the Oppo's are the best synergistic match, though the HD800's sound very good too. Level wise the Oppo's play louder than the Senn's.
This brings me on to the topic of using full size top end phones with DAPS. If you want to hear the full performance of a top end full size phone the way to do it is with a full size headphone amp. At the end of the day you are not going to be able to get the same level of control  and 'grunt' or power from the amp section of a DAP  as you are from a full size headphone amp. Just put the AR-M2 alongside say the Sennheiser HDVD 600 amp and its obvious that fantastic as the amp sections of some DAP'S are ( including this one - noise excepted!) you simply can't squeeze in the electronic capability of a full size amp into a DAP.  I'd say you're getting about 75% of the performance capability you've paid for - on the basis of the two I've mentioned.
Anyway different strokes for different folks etc. Some people want to use DAP's for home use only. I use mine for commuting and I certainly wouldn't want to get caught in the rain with a Sennheiser HD800 or OPPO PM-1 on!  Or mugged either!  Which is why I favour in ear phones and why I hope that Acoustic Research will address the noise issues that affect some of us who use sensitive IEM's.

Sorry, just realised that I had not thanked you for that reply.

 

[zappazappazappa]

I'm thinking of using the AR-M2 as a source to play my downloads through my headphone amp's to see if it sounds better than my laptop connected by usb.  The cables I was thinking of using are Russ Andrews GQ-24, Cardas iLink, or Oyaide minijack to RCA. Anybody tried any of these cables with the player? Anybody got any other cable recommendations to hook up player to amp? Anybody got any opinions about whether the AR-M2  sounds better or worse than a laptop/pc used as asource to play downloads through headphone amp?

 

[dnun8086]

  I'm thinking of using the AR-M2 as a source to play my downloads through my headphone amp's to see if it sounds better than my laptop connected by usb.  The cables I was thinking of using are Russ Andrews GQ-24, Cardas iLink, or Oyaide minijack to RCA. Anybody tried any of these cables with the player? Anybody got any other cable recommendations to hook up player to amp? Anybody got any opinions about whether the AR-M2  sounds better or worse than a laptop/pc used as asource to play downloads through headphone amp?

Simple answer yes it does it just does! Sorry I had to go out and buy a cheap RCA cable as a family member pinched my quality one and I needed it for a review anyway life issues aside. 
 
The line out on the AR-M2 is super clean, I'd highly recommend the Atratus III RCA Interconnect. Best part is you have 14 days in which to return it if you don't like it. It won't break the bank too much either and I am doubtful if you'll find anything much better. 
 
Also if you plan on using downloads every now and again if you can try and get a higher bit rate or rip a CD just my 2 cents but can sometimes have a really positive effect. 
 
Hope that helps! 

 

[zappazappazappa]

Thanks, yes it does. My downloads are mostly from Qobuz, though I've also used HD Tracks which are  rather expensive, so they're all CD quality or higher

 

[dnun8086]

  Thanks, yes it does. My downloads are mostly from Qobuz, though I've also used HD Tracks which are  rather expensive, so they're all CD quality or higher

Should have no problems. Honestly if you can afford it try it out there's nothing to lose and I guarantee you should hear the difference. I know I shouldn't throw statements like that around but at the end of the day I am happy to eat my words because if you don't like it send it back.
 
Keep us posted, hope you go for it I look forward to your impressions. 

 

[Loquah]

I'm thinking of using the AR-M2 as a source to play my downloads through my headphone amp's to see if it sounds better than my laptop connected by usb.  The cables I was thinking of using are Russ Andrews GQ-24, Cardas iLink, or Oyaide minijack to RCA. Anybody tried any of these cables with the player? Anybody got any other cable recommendations to hook up player to amp? Anybody got any opinions about whether the AR-M2  sounds better or worse than a laptop/pc used as asource to play downloads through headphone amp?

What DAC were you using with your laptop?

 

[STR-1]

What DAC were you using with your laptop?

I still have some residual interest in this thread as the M2 was the first DAP I liked the sound of when demoing but disappointing that there is still no progress with the firmware update. Afraid I gave up on the M2 and took the plunge with the A&K AK380. Yes, three times the price but a properly developed product and with a growing list of peripherals. I'm happy with it. Wake up, AR, this was a half-hearted entry into the market.