Best DAP for Spotify streaming under $600
Jan 6, 2023 at 5:38 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 18
venky

venky

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I am looking to buy a portable DAP. My main requirement is Spotify streaming. So which is the DAP with best sound quality in that budget and segment?
I will be using it with either AKG K371 or Moondrop Kato.

I live in India so the below two websites are my only options.

https://www.theaudiostore.in/collections/digital-audio-players-daps

https://www.headphonezone.in/collections/high-resolution-digital-audio-players-daps

Budget < 65K

I have shortlisted the below:

Hiby R5 Gen2
New Hiby R6
FIIO M11 plus
FIIO M11S
IBASSO - DX170
 
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Jan 6, 2023 at 5:45 AM Post #2 of 18
Correct me If I'm wrong...I don't think Ibasoo DX170 got system-wide Andriod SRC, only their native music app - So there is no point in using Native Spotify App on that DAP.
 
Jan 6, 2023 at 5:54 AM Post #4 of 18
venky said:
I assumed it has Spotify as it runs on Android 11. I am not sure.
Click to expand...
Yes... You can install Spotify in DX170 but you will not get the benefit of a dedicated DAP (which is Andriod Sound Stack Over sample @ 48Khz limited) bypass which all other listed DAPs do. This is the only reason people buy Andriod DAP and it exists in the market.

It will be similar use any Android Phone.
 
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Jan 6, 2023 at 6:18 AM Post #5 of 18
simple answer: forget Spotify , if you want to stream high quality music try Tidal , you can subscribe for free for a month , Spotify will sound as same with or without dac on any audio unit or phone (unless your audio phone is too bad and them you can buy a dongle ) , dx170 is a great unit , super happy with mine but listen Spotify on dx170 or the s22 ultra is the same , some issues with tidal : you need a good WiFi source to stream music without interruption (best way it's to dowload music to the SD card and listen without WiFi) , forget the mobile data since you can download 1gb in 20-30 min, super heavy files , it's not cheap , after you try it you won't be listen anything else 😉
 
Jan 6, 2023 at 7:42 AM Post #9 of 18
venky said:
Unfortunately, Tidal is not available in India. I only have two options Spotify and Apple music.
Click to expand...

Spotify is good enough. In a blindtest people can't hear a difference anyway. I had Tidal for 5 years but don't bother anymore, Spotify is good enough.

Do what you want and what you believe in :)

Regarding daps choose the one with the best software all of them have good sound quality. I would recommend FiiO M11S!
 
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Jan 6, 2023 at 8:23 AM Post #10 of 18
Stenog have a point but if you keep Spotify there's no need to buy a dedicated device unless you are going to build your losseless music library , a nice dongle will do the trick with your phone , I'm a Deezer user , I listen mostly when I'm out and the dx170 it's to relax at home mostly with downloaded files on the SD card but there's a big true , this hobby lives basically from things no one can hear 🤣
 
Jan 6, 2023 at 9:05 AM Post #11 of 18
venky said:
I am looking to buy a portable DAP. My main requirement is Spotify streaming. So which is the DAP with best sound quality in that budget and segment?
I will be using it with either AKG K371 or Moondrop Kato.

I live in India so the below two websites are my only options.

https://www.theaudiostore.in/collections/digital-audio-players-daps

https://www.headphonezone.in/collections/high-resolution-digital-audio-players-daps

Budget < 65K

I have shortlisted the below:

Hiby R5 Gen2
New Hiby R6
FIIO M11 plus
FIIO M11S
IBASSO - DX170
Click to expand...

Spotify will work just fine on all of these DAPs, remembering that it isn't high-resolution (at least currently). I have owned all of these DAPs except the M11S and, for me, the M11 Plus is the winner here, all around. The only downside is the size and weight. All of these DAPs are good choices, BTW. I also use my DX170 often as it is more pocketable.

If you have an iPhone, Apple Music with a decent dongle (or portable DAC/amp) is probably your best bet for music quality (given your choices). But then, you asked about DAPs....
 
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Jan 6, 2023 at 10:15 AM Post #12 of 18
venky said:
I am looking to buy a portable DAP. My main requirement is Spotify streaming. So which is the DAP with best sound quality in that budget and segment?
I will be using it with either AKG K371 or Moondrop Kato.

I live in India so the below two websites are my only options.

https://www.theaudiostore.in/collections/digital-audio-players-daps

https://www.headphonezone.in/collections/high-resolution-digital-audio-players-daps

Budget < 65K

I have shortlisted the below:

Hiby R5 Gen2
New Hiby R6
FIIO M11 plus
FIIO M11S
IBASSO - DX170
Click to expand...

Hiby R5 Gen2 has the best battery life by far when not used in Class A mode with 35 hours single ended, 28 hours balanced. The problem is that it is running a much older Android version at 8.1, and it has the worst CPU with the Snapdragon 425 and only 2GB of RAM.

New Hiby R6 has average battery life with 10 hours Single ended, 8.5 hours balanced, still has an older Android version at 9, but has a much better CPU with the Snapdragon 660 and 4GB of RAM. According to Hiby's Weibo, they are coming out with the R6 III, which has the slightly upgraded Snapdragon 665, and much newer Android with Android 12, so it might be worth it to wait for that.

FiiO M11 Plus is the largest and heaviest player of this bunch. It has average battery life with 11.5 hours single ended, 10 hours balanced. It has the same Snapdragon CPU 660 and 4GB or RAM as the R6, but with slightly newer Android 10.

FiiO M11S is a great substitution for the M11 Plus, it is cheaper, has better battery life with 14 hours single ended & balanced, the same Snapdragon 660, and only slightly less RAM at 3GB. This is still more RAM than the R5 Gen 2 and the DX170, and the DAP runs better than both of those DAPs.

iBasso DX170 has the newest Android of the bunch with Android 11, making this slightly more future proof. This DAP has a worse CPU than the Hiby R6 and FiiO M11 Plus and M11S, but better CPU than the R5 Gen 2. This is also the thinnest, and lightest and IMO the best DAP of this bunch for on the go. This DAP also has the best screen of the bunch. Battery life is average with 11 hours single ended and about 8 hours balanced.

If you don't mind thickness and heaviness, I would say that the FiiO M11S is the best with a fairly new Android with Android 10, the Snapdragon 660 and 3GB RAM for smooth, lag free use with streaming apps, and a pretty good battery life of 14 hours.

My next choice would be the iBasso DX170 for Android 11, the best portable DAP of the bunch due to its size and weight compared to the others and being the cheapest (tied with the R5 Gen 2), but you'll get a DAP more laggy than the R6, M11 Plus and M11S.
 
Jan 6, 2023 at 10:22 AM Post #13 of 18
I will also recommend the Shanling M3 Ultra https://www.headphonezone.in/products/shanling-m3-ultra

It has great battery life at 20 hours single ended, 14.5 hours balanced. It has a great CPU with the Snapdragon 665, 3GB of RAM, and Android 10. It is about as thick as the M11S, but it is by far the smallest DAP of the bunch making it great for portability.

With great battery life, newer android, great CPU and RAM, and good portability, this should be on your watch list as well.
 
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