I hope you don't mind if I chime in, as a friend in this thread.
First of all, and the most important of all, you are entitle to your opinion and you are welcome to share your opinion anywhere in the forum, including in this thread. This is a given, no one is going to challenge it.
However, how many time we need to repeat the same (or very similar) opinion in the same discussion? I think this is the reason that trigger jmills8's response. He don't mean to disagree with you, or falsify your personal experience or preference, its the repeating pattern that put him off, and I think he probably is not the only one that share this "again and again" feeling regarding your passion to DX200. I hope jmills8 is not serious when he question if there is a conflict of interest involved. I truly believe you are nothing more than over-enthusiastic, which is not a bad thing at all.
On the other hand, I have no idea why you think it is so important to convey the DX200 messages to N8 user group (or target group in the wider perspective) persistently, you doesn't seem to see the same necessity to other DAP user groups? Maybe instead of sharing three to four times how good the DX200 is in N8 thread, you should spread your effort to convey the same DX200 message to SPK, WM1Z, LPGT thread as well, that should maxima your efficient and serve your enthusiastic to DX200 better.
Just a suggestion, you are welcome to stayback. However I am more interested to your impression to N8 then how you feel about other's impression or review of N8, shouldn't we?
Hello Andy, I am glad that you are answering
According to economy 101, competitions make the market stronger. Ofcourse, I am trailing thread of different DAPs, which I owned, and which I don’t, simply because they are viewed as competitions to other products. The N8 is not the only one that I am trailing, and my Audio hobby doesn’t stop by Dx200*. I am still trailing because your N8 is wonderful of many different aspects. However, it will all come down to Sound performances, correct ?
I gathered so many useful informations, and they satisfy my curiosity.
1/ FPGA being used for Digital processing instead of conventional Xmos. Ofcourse, I did ask you before about this FPGA, and you mentioned about it too. There are Pros and Cons in using it. Why not AK4137 ?
2/ I2S upto 368Khz, yes, this is very impressive. The fact that the connectors are mini connector, and you including the cables, that is excellent news. Though, I wonder about clocks specifications.
3/ You are using many components inside including ECHU, and the like, which are expensive, and high quality
4/ I like the idea of heat dissipation toward the chassis by strips, PGS
5/ N8 is the first to utilize a bold move of KORG tubes ! I appreciate it. Once again, competitions are good ! Hence Ibasso is going to release the next Korg tube module soon !
I still seek for more answers, and hope you don’t mind
1/ Printed Flexible circuit * I need more informations, is it a typical Paste construction or is it stripes construction ? Where exactly is it being used ? I am only curious because as a Cables, it affects sound quality also
2/ Clock oscilliators, what are being used ? I don’t mind keeping the brands secrets, I want some parameters such as Floor noises, and PPM, at the least.
3/ You mentioned the FPGA being the core processor for DSP handling to make sure that there is no Oversampling, and AK4497EQ is used for Conversions only ? If so, This is all in the software control ? FPGA is very flexible, but it gotta be implemented in specific ways to enable different features. So it is worth it to ask, Is it capable of Upsampling, or Live processing of 44.1 into DSD256 ? *the highest N8 can process*
4/ What Precision tolerances of resistors are being used ?
Finally, SP1K, WM1Z, N8, LPGT are in the same competition end of the market, according to the pricing. Now, the WM1Z was priced worth it, because of the Special chassis of Pure OFC copper block and Micro-Porous Gold plating, using Sony S-Master patented architectures, and many Film-Capacitors, F-resistors, which are all high quality, expensive components, which makes it unique one of a kind on the market.
Before owning Dx200, I did participate in it own thread, and after carefully observations, I decided to grab it and my WM1Z was sold afterward. I am entitled to my own opinion, just like many others, and people who agreed or share my opinions are the same. So IMO, and experiences, the Dx200 by Sound quality alone, is competitive toward these expensive products very well, and hence I am trailing them all. Ofcourse DX200 is not perfect, it weakness is the timbres, and it hisses with sensitive in ears. However, using full-size headphones and lineout into desktop, the performances are wonderful.
Ibasso, tried it (copper-gold chassis), and ended up with only 25 Specially made unit of Copper-Goldplated Dx200, but the pricing had to be kept around $3,000. It was all because of the chassis.
After all, as a strong products, and being very competitive. I appreciate Cayin for making the N8. As a customer, I am grateful to see competitions, the more, the merrier
However I am more interested to your impression to N8 then how you feel about other's impression or review of N8, shouldn't we?
This is very kind of you, but unfortunately, my money don’t grow like grass, so I am a bit sensible. For now,
@twister6 and
@PinkyPowers reviews are inline, and I can not appreciate enough
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