[darkarth]

Hello community,

My Question is: Are there DAP Brands that are known for a good, warm, smooth, analogue-like sound design and having a lesser focus on being cold and analytical? Like the Acoustic Research M2 or Calyx M or so.

I mean of course I like details but my priority is more on a warm sound and I would like to have a an idea at which brand I probably will find - independently from the price class - what I'm looking for.

Thanks for answers.

 

[baskingshark]

Hello community,

My Question is: Are there DAP Brands that are known for a good, warm, smooth, analogue-like sound design and having a lesser focus on being cold and analytical? Like the Acoustic Research M2 or Calyx M or so.

I mean of course I like details but my priority is more on a warm sound and I would like to have a an idea at which brand I probably will find - independently from the price class - what I'm looking for.

Thanks for answers.

The Sony house sound is generally buttery smooth and warmish.

 

[darkarth]

Sony never was an option for me because of the low maximum volume, poor battery life, poor software and and lack of informations about the hardware. Maybe I should try the NW-ZX507 but I don't think that they will be kinda safeplay for me. Also there are not much reviews with comparisons to other players unfortuneatly.

 

[baskingshark]

Sony never was an option for me because of the low maximum volume, poor battery life, poor software and and lack of informations about the hardware. Maybe I should try the NW-ZX507 but I don't think that they will be kinda safeplay for me. Also there are not much reviews with comparisons to other players unfortuneatly.

I have the Sony NW-A55, and I get north of 24 hours battery with it. Granted, it isn't the most powerful, it can drive most IEMs, but probably not planar types or power hungry gear.

Mr Walkman has created some firmware mods that make it sound superb compared to the stock tuning. And there's some mods to unlock the region to Japan region where there is no EU volume cap.

 

[darkarth]

The eu volume cap is not the problem. You can avoid it by choosing another region. The hardware is just to weak. I'm using over ears only.

 

[bvega18]

I've recently tried the Fiio M9, which I sold to fund my current, M11 and I would say that the Fiio house sound leans towards the warmer side. I've had a Hiby R6 and R6 pro in the past and would say those are more analytical. Hope that helps on your journey, even if a little.

 

[hireshead]

you could try Cayin N3pro, with tube taste. It could make the sound signature more tender and warm

 

[darkarth]

you could try Cayin N3pro, with tube taste. It could make the sound signature more tender and warm

I guess the cayins could be something. N3Pro has a good dimension. But the N6 II has a TI dac in one motherboard. And they are supporting replaygain but with enough output power. That could be the jackpot I'm searching for. Thanks.

 

[Mhog55]

It's more about the dac chips and how they and the amp section is implemented. I've found that daps with Cirrus Logic chips tend to be the warmest sounding. Daps such as the Hiby R2 and R3, Ibasso DX160, and the Opus#1s. AKM chips also provide a somewhat warm signature, but more extended, better detailed, and an overall velvety presentation. I wouldn't recommend ES chips. My experience has been bright, analytical, and sometimes harsh. The Shanling M6 and M6 Pro are good options. Some Cowen daps would also fit the bill.

 

[darkarth]

I know that this is a big part of it. I normally prefer Texas Instruments and american sounddesign in general. But all the players with the same chips sounding different as well. So if I go like that I will never come to an end. So I thought a good Idea would be to orientate myself on the sound-philosophy of a brand. At best a brand that does certain efforts to recreate an analogue-like sound. I always appreciated Acoustic Research for that. But since they doesn't develop new players anymore and their old players are way to big for my conditions, I needed a good alternative.

After reading all I could find about the Cayin brand and player (N3Pro in this case), I feel like this is what I'm searching for.

 

[castleofargh]

Several of the so called warm DAPs are not and only feel so compared to another DAP with some IEMs because of impedance differences. Impedance relations which are effectively acting as analogue EQ.
Nothing that wouldn't be more accurately set to your liking by a nice digital EQ.
You may find some reconstruction filters that noticeably roll off your treble(set by default on a few DAPs or as an option for the DAC), but that is also an EQ.

The only thing that will not be some form of EQ will be the level of distortions you get. But that is usually determined by your headphone. If your DAP causes louder distos than the headphone, it's probably not made for the headphone/IEM used and is unlikely to give the enjoyable type of distos. So I can't recommend looking for that.
Tube on portable rigs isn't a great idea IMO. You won't find many such solutions, beside someone who decided it was a great idea because nobody else was doing it. Without wondering why the others didn't(again, my opinion).

Because it can be difficult to get a good EQ on a DAP, I have spent almost 2 decades reencoding my files on a computer with the EQ I wanted for a particular IEM and then sending that to my DAP. Usually with some crossfeed of sort as it typically takes the edge off of headphone playback(as opposed to speakers and room).
I’m guessing that when asking for ”analogue like ” sound, you weren't looking for even more digital EQ and DSP. But IMO this is likely to be the best answer.

 

[darkarth]

I wouldn't disagree that this could also work but I never figured out how the changes really effecting the sound. This is like explain my parents how linux works while they even don't understand anything about install something into windows. It's just completely out of my ability of abstraction.

Of course I could read and practice for years but I just want listen to music with a sound that I enjoy at most and I'm not ready to get into this for years, when I could have that on a easier way. Even if it's more expensive.

 

[Levanter]

Check out Shanling M8, it’s warm, smooth yet dynamic and punchy without lacking the micro details and clarity.

 

[RONJA MESCO]

Sony never was an option for me because of the low maximum volume, poor battery life, poor software and and lack of informations about the hardware. Maybe I should try the NW-ZX507 but I don't think that they will be kinda safeplay for me. Also there are not much reviews with comparisons to other players unfortuneatly.

I think your info on Sony daps is a bit off...the battery life on most of them are top notch and over 15-20 hours easily. On my WM1A I get this consistently-...plus there are programs to uncap the European versions of Sony players on the forums, if youre having issue with low max volume (from what I hear, its not a Sony problem, but more of a EU regulations problem as to why Sony caps them so low). And the software is actually better and more feature rich than most. I have had daps with worse and more rudimentary UI's and wonkier softwares than Sonys

 

[Rockwell75]

Check out Shanling M8, it’s warm, smooth yet dynamic and punchy without lacking the micro details and clarity.

+1

If you want a warm-ish analogue sound M8 is where it's at.