[payj]

Good point.....

$800-$1200

 

[payj]

I checked out the cayin n6ii. It looks nice, albeit a bit big. Not totally out of the question though. As long as its a device that has a newer version of Android, can smoothly operate Tidal right from the play store and has good WiFi connectivity.

 

[mashuto]

I checked out the cayin n6ii. It looks nice, albeit a bit big. Not totally out of the question though. As long as its a device that has a newer version of Android, can smoothly operate Tidal right from the play store and has good WiFi connectivity.

It runs a customized version of Oreo. So it's a little outdated, but still new enough to run the latest releases of apps and get them right from the playstore. But I likely wouldn't expect anything past android 8 or 9 on any daps right now.

However if tidal is your focus you may possibly want to look elsewhere. Because of the multiple motherboards, I don't think the device is certified by tidal (or whatever it is they do), which means there are some limitations. I think maybe you don't get the full hardware unfolding for the highest sample rate or something. Others will definitely have more info.

I think ibasso and hiby also have android daps in the same general price range. Fiio also has some around there too, but I am not sure you can use the playstore right out of the box on those.

 

[novastar]

The Valkyrie is really nothing like either the Vega or the atlas so it's hard to make a direct comparison. Technically it's probably a bit better, but I would imagine not by a huge margin. I don't have the Valkyrie anymore to compare, but the Valkyrie was really more of a hard v shaped signature while both the atlas and vega are much more bass focused.

So don't think I would recommend it as a direct upgrade path from the Vega.

I have both Atlas and Valkyrie now. I was thoroughly reading reviews, and the 'bombastic and thunderous bass' described on the Valkyrie made it sound a lot like the Atlas. But after further reviewing (not many reviews tbh), I found someone who did described Vaklyrie more in the Solaris space (which I was also looking at). I wanted to give Empire Ears a shot and didn't want to go all the way to Legend X before trying the brand out.

Context: I wear SpinFit CP500 tips since they absolutely perfectly seal my ear in order to get the proper (I hope) bass response that was anticipated.

Atlas is like a subwoofer canon in your brain. It has a very deep rumble that resonates with your whole head and really pulls you in. I find I can get really absorbed in music. They are super heavy and not that comfortable, but small and well built. I also have problems with them cutting out entirely on airplanes with my SpinFit tips. Soundstage wise, you can don't lose that much detail and placement despite the bass, but the bass noticeably stands out whenever it gets the chance and makes the soundstage somewhat less relevant. It sits more lower in my head.

Valkyrie has a more controlled bass. It really gives you some rumble, but you can still pull out more detail/texture in the bass, and it complements the overall sound better instead of drawing all the attention like the Atlas does. Soundstage wise, I don't have the best words, but it sits higher in my head and a little more space between intruments than the Atlas.

I'm not a professional reviewer, but Atlas: I love how it pulls me into songs and engages me, helps me focus while working, for example. Valkyrie gives me barely enough sub-bass to not miss the Atlas entirely, but when those deep notes hit, I can still notice the rest of the music and it feels more balanced.

All that said, long term down the road of more and more expensive IEMs, I think I might go with Legend X eventually as a step up instead of Campfire's higher end lines. Probably hold out for a few revs on the electrostatic lines (e.g. Odin) when they are smaller and more comfortable. Legend X looks a little large.

 

[Tristy]

I have both Atlas and Valkyrie now. I was thoroughly reading reviews, and the 'bombastic and thunderous bass' described on the Valkyrie made it sound a lot like the Atlas. But after further reviewing (not many reviews tbh), I found someone who did described Vaklyrie more in the Solaris space (which I was also looking at). I wanted to give Empire Ears a shot and didn't want to go all the way to Legend X before trying the brand out.

Context: I wear SpinFit CP500 tips since they absolutely perfectly seal my ear in order to get the proper (I hope) bass response that was anticipated.

Atlas is like a subwoofer canon in your brain. It has a very deep rumble that resonates with your whole head and really pulls you in. I find I can get really absorbed in music. They are super heavy and not that comfortable, but small and well built. I also have problems with them cutting out entirely on airplanes with my SpinFit tips. Soundstage wise, you can don't lose that much detail and placement despite the bass, but the bass noticeably stands out whenever it gets the chance and makes the soundstage somewhat less relevant. It sits more lower in my head.

Valkyrie has a more controlled bass. It really gives you some rumble, but you can still pull out more detail/texture in the bass, and it complements the overall sound better instead of drawing all the attention like the Atlas does. Soundstage wise, I don't have the best words, but it sits higher in my head and a little more space between intruments than the Atlas.

I'm not a professional reviewer, but Atlas: I love how it pulls me into songs and engages me, helps me focus while working, for example. Valkyrie gives me barely enough sub-bass to not miss the Atlas entirely, but when those deep notes hit, I can still notice the rest of the music and it feels more balanced.

All that said, long term down the road of more and more expensive IEMs, I think I might go with Legend X eventually as a step up instead of Campfire's higher end lines. Probably hold out for a few revs on the electrostatic lines (e.g. Odin) when they are smaller and more comfortable. Legend X looks a little large.

So you prefer the Atlas to the Valkyrie overall?

 

[novastar]

So you prefer the Atlas to the Valkyrie overall?

Valkyrie right now, comfort is a huge factor when wearing them all day while working from home. I feel like I can throw anything at them and they give something clear and interesting (no comment on the "mids canyon" people note, like I just don't have a sophisticated enough palette to hear a noticeable impact on music the way Atlas' overwhelming bass does).

I can't say which is better, but just agree they are completely different, in case anyone else reads this later on after thinking they would be similar based on the language in reviews. If I had to keep just one, I would keep the Valkyries.

 

[mashuto]

Valkyrie right now, comfort is a huge factor when wearing them all day while working from home.

I can't say which is better, but just agree they are completely different, in case anyone else reads this later on after thinking they would be similar based on the language in reviews. If I had to keep just one, I would keep the Valkyries.

Yea, as I said earlier, they are definitely not similar, and if reviews make it sound that way, then that's likely misleading, though I'm sure not on purpose.

Comfort is an interesting topic. The Valkyrie were not comfortable for me. Their shape just doesn't play well with my ears, while the atlas doesn't give me too much trouble outside of the fact that they are heavy and don't have anything else supporting them when worn down.

As for your other earlier comment about the Valkyrie being more in the "Solaris space", I would say only in terms of price range. From my limited time with the Valkyrie, I think the Solaris would likely best it in certain technical areas, though I'm sure the Valkyrie pulls ahead in some areas too. But they also are completely different sound signatures too. They are only really in the same space insofar as they are pretty close in price and other than that I likely wouldn't put them together in the same comparison. It's just hard to compare purely on technicalities and intangibles like soundstage, especially when they present sound so much different.

Unrelated to the Valkyrie, I'm still completely taken by the 64 nio which in some ways feels more like a direct upgrade from the atlas even though it's not nearly as much of a bass cannon.