[CoryGillmore]

I'm really digging the sound on this CT10! When I first started it up and started playing music I was less than impressed with the bass. I don't know if this thing burned in or if I just finally got a got seal on my Miles Davis Trumpets, but I find the bass to be perfect now. Right now I'm pumping Fleetwood Mac's Rumors album through it via Tidal Master and wow! This album is always my go to for evaluating new gear and this little DAP doesn't disappoint. It's almost criminal that this device doesn't support downloading with Tidal though. That's my only major complaint with the device. The device also is not capable of gapless playback with Tidal MQA tracks, but honestly, most devices struggle with this on Tidal MQA tracks. I suppose Tidal MQA tracks are working this things processor to it's limit. It does get quite warm when streaming Tidal MQA tracks.

 

[masterstroke]

I'm really digging the sound on this CT10! When I first started it up and started playing music I was less than impressed with the bass. I don't know if this thing burned in or if I just finally got a got seal on my Miles Davis Trumpets, but I find the bass to be perfect now. Right now I'm pumping Fleetwood Mac's Rumors album through it via Tidal Master and wow! This album is always my go to for evaluating new gear and this little DAP doesn't disappoint. It's almost criminal that this device doesn't support downloading with Tidal though. That's my only major complaint with the device. The device also is not capable of gapless playback with Tidal MQA tracks, but honestly, most devices struggle with this on Tidal MQA tracks. I suppose Tidal MQA tracks are working this things processor to it's limit. It does get quite warm when streaming Tidal MQA tracks.

Hi, Thanks, great review. Are you listening to Tidal MQA via wired or bluetooth. Reason I ask is because I understand that some players can't do MQA/Bluetooth, only wired.
Cheers.

 

[skingg]

Has anyone had a chance to compare this to iBasso DX120?

 

[cleg]

Has anyone had a chance to compare this to iBasso DX120?

Well, it's not quire fair competition… DX120 is much more powerful and has quite different signature, it's brighter, and more neutral and detailed, with more focus on microcontrast.

It's like comparing Volvo truck and Smart

 

[CoryGillmore]

I'm actually a bit tired of wrestling with my MD Trumpets at work. It's a full-time job to ensure the seal is good. Can anyone recommend a good closed back can that would be efficient enough to be powered by the CT10?

Hi, Thanks, great review. Are you listening to Tidal MQA via wired or bluetooth. Reason I ask is because I understand that some players can't do MQA/Bluetooth, only wired.
Cheers.

Hey brotha I'm using it via wired mode. I've yet to own a bluetooth set of headphones haha. Although I'm thinking of picking some up maybe, I don't know.

 

[CoryGillmore]

Is anyone using full size cans with this thing? I'm looking it get some cans to use for work as they're easier to take on and off when someone needs to speak to me. Any recommendations to go with the CT10?

 

[skingg]

Well, it's not quire fair competition… DX120 is much more powerful and has quite different signature, it's brighter, and more neutral and detailed, with more focus on microcontrast.

It's like comparing Volvo truck and Smart

Notwithstanding the specs (I haven't really compared the both of them ) I thought they were in the same class due to the range in their pricing over at e-earphone:

groovers japan ACTIVO CT 10 Cool White [ACTIVO - CT 10 - WHT]
35,973 yen (tax included)


iBasso Audio DX 120 Sky Blue
37,800 yen (tax included)

 

[cleg]

I don't think price is always in direct correlation with "class"

 

[CoryGillmore]

So I picked up a Sony MDR-1AM2 I think it's called, 16ohm over ear headphone and pairs wonderfully with the CT10. Absolutely loving the pairing.

 

[CoryGillmore]

I've gone a bit craxzy with portables in the last two weeks and bought a Pioneer XDP-300R and a Sony NW-ZX300. And the little CT10 is still the only one that can stream Tidal MQA tracks. For low impedance headphones, the CT10 is a damn winner.

 

[JasonNYC]

New firmware update available today (version 1.10) that adds Open App system to the ACTIVO CT10 which allows additional music streaming services to be loaded on the ACTIVO CT10. Current music services supported include Amazon Music, Pandora, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio and myRadio.

You can find out more information about how to sideload streaming apps here - https://us.activostyle.com/blogs/news/open-app-feature-explained

 

[trellus]

New firmware update available today (version 1.10) that adds Open App system to the ACTIVO CT10 which allows additional music streaming services to be loaded on the ACTIVO CT10. Current music services supported include Amazon Music, Pandora, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio and myRadio.

You can find out more information about how to sideload streaming apps here - https://us.activostyle.com/blogs/news/open-app-feature-explained

Oh my! This is making the CT10 all the more compelling, although the big asterisk is Tidal's limitation of offline storage to internal memory, given the CT10's extremely limited internal storage of 16GB -- and how much of that 16GB is actually user-accessible / available, I wonder?

Big question: Does Spotify on the CT10 allow offline storage to external card? Or same story as Tidal?

 

[JasonNYC]

Oh my! This is making the CT10 all the more compelling, although the big asterisk is Tidal's limitation of offline storage to internal memory, given the CT10's extremely limited internal storage of 16GB -- and how much of that 16GB is actually user-accessible / available, I wonder?

Big question: Does Spotify on the CT10 allow offline storage to external card? Or same story as Tidal?

The embedded Tidal app does not do offline mode, but if you install the full Tidal Android app via the Open App system, you can do Tidal offline and you can select to save offline content to the microSD card. In the settings for the full Tidal Android app, you can select the storage location as either internal or external memory. Same with any other app that allows offline content, such as Spotify or Amazon Music.

The Tidal app installed via Open App does not support MQA and Tidal Masters, as it is an LG exclusive on Android until early 2019. Once the exclusive period ends, the app will support MQA.

The embedded app does support MQA and Tidal Masters, but no offline content.

 

[trellus]

The embedded Tidal app does not do offline mode, but if you install the full Tidal Android app via the Open App system, you can do Tidal offline and you can select to save offline content to the microSD card. In the settings for the full Tidal Android app, you can select the storage location as either internal or external memory. Same with any other app that allows offline content, such as Spotify or Amazon Music.

The Tidal app installed via Open App does not support MQA and Tidal Masters, as it is an LG exclusive on Android until early 2019. Once the exclusive period ends, the app will support MQA.

The embedded app does support MQA and Tidal Masters, but no offline content.

• Oh, interesting, I swear that reading the link you just provided, it presented Tidal Android app from Open App system as limiting the offline storage to internal storage. Maybe that content in the link needs to be updated?
• In any case, that's great news if the Tidal Android app actually works on the CT10 and is able to actually save files to external storage. Has this been, in fact, tested and verified to work on the CT10? On the Hidizs AP200, for example, it just doesn't work, even though the Tidal and Spotify Android app generically support external storage for offline files, but it fails in reality on the AP200.
• For me, it's not big deal that there is no offline support for MQA or Tidal Master on CT10 using Open App system and Tidal Android app as long as lossless 16-bit files can be saved offline on external storage -- that's enough for me.

The CT10 amp does seem to be pretty weak, though. 35 mW for 16 Ohm? . That seems to limit the CT10 to very sensitive IEM's, no?

 

[JasonNYC]

QUOTE="trellus, post: 14638072, member: 440410"]

• Oh, interesting, I swear that reading the link you just provided, it presented Tidal Android app from Open App system as limiting the offline storage to internal storage. Maybe that content in the link needs to be updated?
• In any case, that's great news if the Tidal Android app actually works on the CT10 and is able to actually save files to external storage. Has this been, in fact, tested and verified to work on the CT10? On the Hidizs AP200, for example, it just doesn't work, even though the Tidal and Spotify Android app generically support external storage for offline files, but it fails in reality on the AP200.
• For me, it's not big deal that there is no offline support for MQA or Tidal Master on CT10 using Open App system and Tidal Android app as long as lossless 16-bit files can be saved offline on external storage -- that's enough for me.

The CT10 amp does seem to be pretty weak, though. 35 mW for 16 Ohm? . That seems to limit the CT10 to very sensitive IEM's, no?[/QUOTE]
That is incorrect on the website. You can save to external memory.

I have been testing the new firmware for almost a month and store Tidal, Qobuz and Amazon Music content to the external microSD card.

Sorry for the poor pics: