[kawaivpc1]

This unit came out about a month ago.
In terms of specification, it has everything that we need from an Android supported portable DAC.
It supports 24bit 192khz, DSD, all formats, etc. Its design looks great and battery life is long enough.
I'm very interested in this unit but I can't find many reviews on its sound quality.
What do you guys think? Does it sound good? Does it have a big sound stage?
What other DACs would you guys compare to this unit?
It uses Cirrus Logic DAC chip. I wonder if this one is comparable to new AK100 series.

 

[TonySunshine]

Im curious to see if there are any impressions or comparisons as well. The A1 is supposed to just be the android version of the ADL X1 but it uses a completely different dac and opamp chip

 

[kawaivpc1]

Yeah. A1 has nearly everything a portable DAC should have. It's small , supports 24/192, DSD, good design, battery life, etc.
It's perfect for my android phone and tablets!
I'm suprised to not be able to find a single review from its users. There are three magazine reviews but I don't trust them. They'll not going to write a negative review anyways.

 

[kawaivpc1]

Bump

 

[tomscy2000]

You can get better performing/sounding stuff for the same or less money these days. The ADL A1 isn't worth it. I was underwhelmed by the X1 and continue to be underwhelmed with the A1.

 

[kawaivpc1]

You can get better performing/sounding stuff for the same or less money these days. The ADL A1 isn't worth it. I was underwhelmed by the X1 and continue to be underwhelmed with the A1.

So, have you listened to A1??

How does it sound?
What other gear would you compare to this unit?
It's a very mysterious unit now as no one has written a review yet.

 

[tomscy2000]

  So, have you listened to A1?? How does it sound? What other gear would you compare to this unit? It's a very mysterious unit now as no one has written a review yet.

 
I tried the A1 briefly, but not seriously. It sounded the same as the X1. ADL has a very dry house sound that I don't particularly care for.
 
Performance-wise, it's bottlenecked by its amp section. It uses an integrated headamp chip that really isn't a top notch part. You're getting a maximum of 16.5 bits of resolution out of that unit, even if the DAC section itself performs better.
 
Honestly, I think this product is way overpriced. You can get a TEAC HA-P50B for half the price. Audio-Technica has a new DAC/amp with similar features. So is the Pioneer XPA700. Or wait for the Calyx F to come out after CES, which is basically the Calyx M but without the whole DAP thing. Or even the Sony PHA-3. Or the Celsus Sound Companion One, which has wi-fi 24/192 streaming in addition to wired all-in-one features.
 
Any of these units will be a better value than the ADL A1. Seriously.
 
I don't have anything against Furutech/ADL --- their cables are quite nice, but their DAC products are all poor values.
 
Review-wise, there's one here: http://audio-head.com/the-adl-a1-portable-headphone-amplifier-review/

 

[kawaivpc1]

Pioneer's XPA-700 looks interesting... where can I find its review in English??

 

[YocYoc]

I think we need to update this post, as the A1 can be found at an affordable price of 369 Euros in Europe and a bit more than 450$ in US. I wanted a dac to listen to my music my way :
- from my MacBook Pro with my open and very comfortable Shure SRH1840
- from my Android Sony Xperia E3 to listen from any audio app and specially Qobuz player (for lossless streaming) with my recently acquired IE 800
- be prepared to Lollipop, by buying a well supported device (= not a cheap or diy one)
And I'm not disappointed !
I don't have any DAC right now to compare to, but what I can say is that my IE 800 are not the same headphones without and with the A1, Macbook Pro or Android speaking. It's night and day, with much more details and larger soundstage. And the low frequency are very impressive, the way it should be with the IE 800. I didn't have time to try with my Shure but I will update this post if there is something bad to say about it, but I really doubt.
The only real DAC I can compare to is the O2+ODAC I've just sell a few month back, and the A1 sounds really much better. I've been able to try briefly a few other DAC recently (Sabre, Wolfson based...) but no one has impressed me the way this A1 did.
The only one I remember which did give me great emotions was the AK 120 II (anothe Cirus Logic one...). But I wish I had the money for it...
 
This DAC is perhaps not the most impressive on the specifications, but it's really well packed and sounds really good.
I think you should give it a chance and come back here to give your thoughts.

 

[gixxerwimp]

Even though the ADL website lists both my Note 3 and Galaxy S3 as supported devices, neither of them would connect via USB OTG to the demo unit when I went to the store today. The sales guy said he'd only been successful connecting to a PC, and that maybe that particular unit was faulty.

 

[kawaivpc1]

Nonetheless, I'm still interested in A1. If A1 was about $300 like X1, I would buy it.
For $445, I would wait for Calyx F which will definitely sound much better. 
ADL guys should drop A1's price. Its $500 price tag doesn't make any sense at all.
 
By the way, if you have a used A1 and want to sell it for $300, please message me.

 

[kawaivpc1]

  Even though the ADL website lists both my Note 3 and Galaxy S3 as supported devices, neither of them would connect via USB OTG to the demo unit when I went to the store today. The sales guy said he'd only been successful connecting to a PC, and that maybe that particular unit was faulty.

How did A1 sound to you? did you like its sound quality?

 

[gixxerwimp]

How did A1 sound to you? did you like its sound quality?

Neither my Note3 nor S3 could connect to it by USB, so I didn't listen to it. Also couldn't connect to the TEAC HA-P50. I tried a FiiO E18 and it sounded too warm. Only other DAC they had that I was able to connect to was the HiFi-M8. Sounded clean, colorless w/ all settings flat, and lots of power. Chunky and expensive, though.

 

[kawaivpc1]

Neither my Note3 nor S3 could connect to it by USB, so I didn't listen to it. Also couldn't connect to the TEAC HA-P50. I tried a FiiO E18 and it sounded too warm. Only other DAC they had that I was able to connect to was the HiFi-M8. Sounded clean, colorless w/ all settings flat, and lots of power. Chunky and expensive, though.

It's very hard to find reviews about A1. No one will throw in $450 for this type of device.
Let's wait and see if ADL guys decide to reduce its price by the end of this year.

 

[gixxerwimp]

It's very hard to find reviews about A1. No one will throw in $450 for this type of device.
Let's wait and see if ADL guys decide to reduce its price by the end of this year.

Happened to drop by a different branch of my favourite headphone store here in Taipei. Guy said the A1 needs a proprietary cable to connect to Android devices, one that's not supplied with the amp. How dumb is that?

Also tried the AK10 which connected OK with my Note3. It feels so tiny and insubstantial though, like an empty box of Chiclets. Didn't have time for a proper listen.

[Edit: I'll drop by the main store some time and try the A1 again with that cable. Will let you know how it sounds.]