[Licht]

Hello!

Can somebody report on how AP80 Pro performs as a digital transport? Are there any differences in sound/audio related performance compared to a smartphone in this use case? I have found out that active background processes (running apps and system services) on my phone have an impact (subjectively negative, i.e. "darker" sound, lesser perceived channel separation) on sound when I'm using it as a transport with BTR5 in both wired (via UAPP, Neutron MP) and wireless modes, even with 16/44,1 files without any additional resampling and DSP. Same goes for my PC. This leads me to believe that processing power available matters in handling of audio files/digital signal. With this point in mind, I'm concerned about M3 Pro's apparent hardware limitations.
I need a dedicated mobile digital transport device, but my budget is very limited, so the only viable options for me are budget low-performance DAPs like the ShanLing Q1, Fiio M3 Pro or this one, or a budget smartphone like, say, Redmi Note 8 Pro. I'd like to go with the latter to be sure, but in my current financial situation I'll have to save up for it for a few months at least.

Sadly, this issue seems to be pretty obscure to say the least, and it's very hard to find any information on this topic.

Every digital transport makes difference in sound. It depends on gear.
In my opinion, digital out of AP80 Pro Copper using audioquest Dragontail is not bad but my 8 years old MacBook Pro retina sounds way better to me as a digital transport. A&K SA700 sounds better than AP80ProCP as well both using Dragontail. iPhone + CCK is acceptable but not good.

One more thing you have to keep in mind is that AP80Pro shares volume for both analog out and digital out.
This is really meh for me. I want to use digital out in 100% volume. But if I turn up 100% as a transport and forgot to turn down before listening directly with IEM,,,, Oooouch! it blasts your ear.

 

[bsoplinger]

it seems like i have to raise the eq way up to +9 or so (3 notches down from the top) in order for the volume to stay the same when i flick the eq switch on and off

this seems stupid

volume should be the same when its at 0 not +9

so first i have to raise it all up to +9 then i can use the eq and move things up or down

but it only goes up to +12, so that only gives me 3 notches to move things up

because of this annoyance the MSEB is maybe better

The short answer is to keep the output power the same.

Quick and dirty sorta scientific explanation… A general rule of thumb is that every 3db increase doubles the amount of power required. Actually the power needed is a function of frequency where the lower the frequency being boosted the more power necessary. So the designers just assume that you are going to increase bass which is what needs the most power. And when Bel suggested a logarithmic scale for measuring apparent sound volume and got the honor of having his name attached to the scale he created a sound level scale where every bel (10 decibel) represents a doubling of apparent volume. So if you boost the bass, for example, by 9db you will use twice the power 3 times ( 3db, 3 times = 8x more power) compared to the non boosted setting. To keep the amount of power provided by the amplifier close to the same requires reducing the output volume by 10 db, apparently half as loud.

 

[OmniscientNihilist]

there is two abc buttons in the playlist naming

one to type abc leters

and one to switch from letters to numbers

 

[OmniscientNihilist]

The short answer is to keep the output power the same.

Quick and dirty sorta scientific explanation… A general rule of thumb is that every 3db increase doubles the amount of power required. Actually the power needed is a function of frequency where the lower the frequency being boosted the more power necessary. So the designers just assume that you are going to increase bass which is what needs the most power. And when Bel suggested a logarithmic scale for measuring apparent sound volume and got the honor of having his name attached to the scale he created a sound level scale where every bel (10 decibel) represents a doubling of apparent volume. So if you boost the bass, for example, by 9db you will use twice the power 3 times ( 3db, 3 times = 8x more power) compared to the non boosted setting. To keep the amount of power provided by the amplifier close to the same requires reducing the output volume by 10 db, apparently half as loud.

doesnt explain why the ap80 eq has to be turned up to +9 to match the regular volume level

the eq on my pc is not like that.

and MSEB seems to be nothing but a sideways eq

 

[nc8000]

doesnt explain why the ap80 eq has to be turned up to +9 to match the regular volume level

the eq on my pc is not like that.

and MSEB seems to be nothing but a sideways eq

I would guess that to ensure enough headroom for eq without clipping the volume is lowered when eq is enabled so that max eq volume is equivalent to no eq enaled volume

 

[OmniscientNihilist]

the one .ogg file i have, which i ripped directly from youtube server, does not display properly in ap80 pro (and probably ap80 also)

ap80 pro is showing 0kbps and it says VOROIS and it wont display the album art

3 errors

i was gonna convert it to flac but it goes from 18.5MB to 112MB. wow. too much of a size increase just to fix those 3 display errors

 

[JimJim]

just updated my AP80 Pro 1.5 version.
Can't afford to get the DH80/DH80S. Zorlo cable just work fine. Now just using vol power at 10 sound like 50

 

[tcdv]

I’m after a nice DAP and this looks good to me. Can anybody answer a couple of questions?
The reviews showed the cover art loads very slowly when scrolling. It’s this better on the latest firmware.
And what’s standby battery life like? Is it easy to power off? I had a Walkman but if I didn’t listen to it snd charge it one week, the next week it would be dead. I still use an iPod classic because I can leave that a month and come back and it will have battery

 

[OmniscientNihilist]

I’m after a nice DAP and this looks good to me. Can anybody answer a couple of questions?
The reviews showed the cover art loads very slowly when scrolling. It’s this better on the latest firmware.
And what’s standby battery life like? Is it easy to power off? I had a Walkman but if I didn’t listen to it snd charge it one week, the next week it would be dead. I still use an iPod classic because I can leave that a month and come back and it will have battery

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ap8...es-music-player.878141/page-221#post-15250661

i found album art loaded a touch faster on the ap80 compared to pro

 

[tcdv]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ap8...es-music-player.878141/page-221#post-15250661

i found album art loaded a touch faster on the ap80 compared to pro

Thank you.

 

[momodig]

Is this app 80 pro forums? I'm having issues more then I like. When transferring a song to the unit I'm getting error 9 alot. It's not the song because after two or three tries ... Of transferring the song eventually plays. Why am I getting error 9?

 

[OmniscientNihilist]

Is this app 80 pro forums? I'm having issues more then I like. When transferring a song to the unit I'm getting error 9 alot. It's not the song because after two or three tries ... Of transferring the song eventually plays. Why am I getting error 9?

i never had that error

make sure to check my tips here

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ap8...es-music-player.878141/page-221#post-15250661

maybe reformat your sd card to exfat

 

[momodig]

i never had that error

make sure to check my tips here

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ap8...es-music-player.878141/page-221#post-15250661

maybe reformat your sd card to exfat

Perfect I will try some of you recommendations. I don't understand #6

 

[OmniscientNihilist]

Perfect I will try some of you recommendations. I don't understand #6

if you have any problems with your metadata tags in your songs

you can copy all your music into tagscanner program and highlight all and hit save

it will repair them

or you can organize your music like i do

GENRE > SUBGENRE > ARTIST > YEAR / ALBUM > TRACK NUMBER / TRACK NAME

in folders like that

then you dont even need metadata tags

 

[momodig]

if you have any problems with your metadata tags in your songs

you can copy all your music into tagscanner program and highlight all and hit save

it will repair them

or you can organize your music like i do

GENRE > SUBGENRE > ARTIST > YEAR / ALBUM > TRACK NUMBER / TRACK NAME

in folders like that

then you dont even need metadata tags

I found my issue. I went to best buy buy... Bought three microsd cards. It likes lexar best out the selection I bought