[ZerkMeister]

I've been a lurker of these forms and have decided to take a step in the audiophile world.
I've done a bit of research but can't get to seem the "right" answer for what I want.
My requirements for a DAP is: 
1. microSD card support.
2. Decent battery life.
3. Playlist support (If possible)
4. Under $300.
 
I keep seeing sansa clips, and cowons being mentioned but are there any other options?
 
Thank You!

 

[DrSheep]

iBasso DX50, FiiO X1 or X3, Sony A17, HiFiMAN HM700, and I am sure there are more.

 

[ZerkMeister]

Thanks, right now I'm gearing towards the IBasso Products - the new DX80 is beyond my budget but it looks so sexy.
I'm liking the DX50 especially.
The HifiM AN HM700 says there is so microSD card support, other than that all these players look gorgeous.
 
Thank you for the reply!

 

[DrSheep]

I had the DX90, which is the dual DAC version of the DX50, so I am sure the 50 won't be too far off SQ wise.  the HM700 does NOT have a slot, but the very basic package (16 Gb, no IEM) is only around $120.

 

[Raketen]

I've been doing a lot of reading to replace my dying Clip over the past few weeks... The only ones of these I've used are A17 walkman and Clip+ and Clip Zip. I've briefly handled the old Cowon M2 as well (plenue D is pretty similar, though much nicer looking).
 
An oversimplified breakdown based on reading I've been doing the past few weeks:

1. pricy, small, for ease-of-use, product finish/build quality, battery life, not the best specs: probably A10/20 Walkmen, Cowon M2 or Plenue D.
2. pricy  bigger, better specs, good functionality, but step down in battery life and UI: iBasso DX series, Fiio Xii series, maybe Shanling M2
3. cheap, but good specs, mixed bag everything else: AP100, xduoo x3
4. cheap, tiny, good-enough specs for a lot of headphones: Sansa Clip/Zip, Fiio M3
5. rockbox!: iBasso(???) & Clip/Zip

 
I have an A17 Walkman and quite like it- it will read playlists but you cannot create them, except to 'bookmark' songs (it has five bookmark banks, each allows 100 songs), which is my biggest gripe... not the greatest specs either. I've been following the Plenue D thread and the few people with it seem pretty happy (and it just got a firmware update to fix some interface lag issues).

The best thing about the Clips, other than being tiny,cheap, having that awesome clip, and good enough for most portable headphones, is you can add Rockbox, which has playlist creation and a TON of other functionality... there's a bit of a learning curve but it's great. I belive the iBasso players have unstable builds of rockbox as well.

Another note about the clips (and older players in general, oddly sometimes newer players too) is they don't always support large capacity microSD cards... you can often get the 64 gig cards to work with them using a special formatting tool, though.
 

 

[PinkyPowers]

To me, the absolute best thing you can buy in your price range is the FiiO X5 Classic. Now that the 2nd Generation is out, the first Gen can be had for around $240. It's WELL worth that.

 

[Raketen]

To me, the absolute best thing you can buy in your price range is the FiiO X5 Classic. Now that the 2nd Generation is out, the first Gen can be had for around $240. It's WELL worth that.

Yeah.. I guess if you're looking for an actual "Audiophile" in terms of optimal specs and something that can drive the widest variety of headphones the FiiOs or the iBassos would be the best bet (though the reviews i've read of the shanling and the xduoo and hidiz give them good marks in audio dept as well).

The Walkmen and the Cowons, clips/m3 are more on the 'convenient, portable, i don't want to drain my phones battery playing music all day' side. Though if you're using portable headphones they ought to be totally adequate.

 

[Raketen]

totally forgot about those HiFiMan players lol.. so many DAPs already, and I keep seeing kickstarters and teasers for new ones

 

[ZerkMeister]

Wow thanks for the input everyone. A few daps mentioned I havent even heard of, will look into those. Another reason I was going towards the dx 50 or dx 90 because im those "everything needs a replaceable battery" kind of guy.I wonder if the few more that were mentioned have that.

 

[EagleWings]

Wow thanks for the input everyone. A few daps mentioned I havent even heard of, will look into those. Another reason I was going towards the dx 50 or dx 90 because im those "everything needs a replaceable battery" kind of guy.I wonder if the few more that were mentioned have that.

 
Skip the DX50 and get the DX90. Most people who have tried both concur that DX90 is superior to DX50 in terms of SQ. The only weakness of DX90 is the battery life that runs around 8hrs for IEMs. Otherwise you would hardly find people complaining about it. You may see complaints about its UI. But that was many months ago. UI has improved vastly over the past firmware releases. If you still dont like the stock firmware, there are third party Firmwares that you can choose. It has enough power to drive some demanding headphones while it has no background hiss with sensitive IEMs. Its like the holy grail of mid-fi daps. Except for the battery of course. But then you have the option of user removable batteries and you can carry 1 or more spare with you.
 
I almost bought the DX90 once. The reason I did not buy was because of the battery. And also I was waiting for the DX80. Now that the DX80 is out, it does look pretty neat and the battery life is good. But the size is a little big for my needs. And also its UI is slightly buggy as the FW development is in the early stages. Should get better in few months.
 
I own a Fiio X3 2nd Gen and have tested the X5 2nd Gen too. With the recent firware updates, these devices feel complete. The biggest complaints that people had about the Fiios were that those had a bad UI and an inconsistent scroll wheel. With the most recent firmware these issues have been fixed.
 
But my vote is for DX90 as long as you don't mind carrying a couple of batteries with you or if you don't do long listening sessions. If size is not a matter of concern, DX80 will be my next recommendation.
 
Then comes Fiio X3ii and X5ii based on your budget. Or even the Fiio X5 1st gen. I would keep the DX50 as my last option though. Also, if you do like buttons, Xduoo X3 is a nice economical option. I heard the sound quality is close to/on par with Fiio X3ii.

 

[bavinck]

Check out hidizs ap100. I love mine and it seems to have everything you want at the right price point. I got mine through ctc audio, Jeremy over there was very helpful to work with. Highly recommend him and the dap!

 

[bavinck]

Check it:
http://www.amazon.com/Hidizs-AP100-Portable-Audio-Player/dp/B00N0DZ8F6

 

[JK1]

  I've been a lurker of these forms and have decided to take a step in the audiophile world.
I've done a bit of research but can't get to seem the "right" answer for what I want.
My requirements for a DAP is: 
1. microSD card support.
2. Decent battery life.
3. Playlist support (If possible)
4. Under $300.
 
I keep seeing sansa clips, and cowons being mentioned but are there any other options?
 
Thank You!

What do you call decent battery life?????? For me it means 20+ hours, with 40+ hours greatly preferred. For others, 10 hours is enough. I have the Fiio X1, Fiio M3, and Sandisk Clip+ Rockboxed, Clip Zip Rockboxed, and Clip Sport. The X1 stays home, as it is heavy and bulky for a shirt pocket. Rockbox on the Clip Zip is great, although the player does have a weak power output when compared to the Fiio X1, m3, or other Fiio players. Although the buttons on the Fiio m3 are not so great, the sound quality, power output, and battery life of the m3 is much greater than the Sandisk Clip+ and Clip Zip. 
 
The Fiio x3ii is 4.8 ounces, which is quite heavy for a shirt pocket. The Fiio x1 is 3.7 ounces.The Ibasso DX50 is 5.2 ounces. The DX80 is 6.3 ounces. The DX90 is 4.9 ounces. I wouldn't want to carry any of these in a shirt pocket. In contrast, the Sandisk Clip players are under an ounce. The Fiio m3 is 1.4 ounces. So if you want the best sound and high power output, not only is the price much higher, the players are much heavier and bulkier, and have much less battery life. The Fiio m3 tries to bridge the gap between the heavy Fiio X1, and the very light but low power output and shorter battery life Sandisk Clip+ and Clip Zip.

 

[PinkyPowers]

High quality DAPs have a good amp section. This is one of the major reasons they sound so nice. Unfortunately this eats up battery life. You will not find even 15 hours if you're looking for truly splendid sound.

 

[ZerkMeister]

@vishnusiddharth - Yea I suppose I dont mind the 8 hour limit with the dx 90. Im avoiding the Fiio brand completely because Im not a fan of the whole scroll wheel. What's the idle time on these devices?

@bavinck - Hidizs Ap 100 looks tempting as well, considering the price and the style of the device.

@PinkyPowers - Actually yea Im gearing towards finding that musical bliss sound that it makes me melt. I want to hear music in its highest possible taste that it makes me cry. I dont even know what im saying anymore but perhaps
you understand what I am trying to say.

Overall it looks like im in between the dx 90 and the hidizs. dx 90 a tiny bit more. Do we have any news of more incoming daps in the year 2016? I am in no rush to buy a dap yet. Should I hold out?