I think it all boils down to personal preference. I value AK240 (stock) spacious presentation a little more than the note weight and better bass impact of HM-901. just like Kiats style, it is worthwhile to own multiple TOTL DAPs
What you say is correct: it may depend on one's preferences. Another factor is the amp card used with the 901: Mike uses the discrete card while George uses the minibox card, iirc. That makes a difference.
What you say is correct: it may depend on one's preferences. Another factor is the amp card used with the 901: Mike uses the discrete card while George uses the minibox card, iirc. That makes a difference.
I am now back to balance card after hifiman sent me back a unit with the phone jack fixed. There is no perfect DAP , each performs better than the other in some way. Depending on our mood and the music in rotation, we choose our poison and compromise. For DAP, these two are in the same tier.
I am now back to balance card after hifiman sent me back a unit with the phone jack fixed. There is no perfect DAP , each performs better than the other in some way. Depending on our mood and the music in rotation, we choose our poison and compromise. For DAP, these two are in the same tier.
Apologies, CHG, as to attributing the wrong amp card. But totally agree: everything is very much relative in the top tier. There's never too much to choose between the candidates: all down to personal preferences and the moment.
My feeling about the HM-901 cards is that the balanced card has something of the character of the OPA627s on it -- a bit warm, which works well with the inbuilt DAC. The discrete card is better, but reveals something of the ES9018 "sound", which I don't like as much.
My feeling about the HM-901 cards is that the balanced card has something of the character of the OPA627s on it -- a bit warm, which works well with the inbuilt DAC. The discrete card is better, but reveals something of the ES9018 "sound", which I don't like as much.
So much for my statement about battery life http://store.sony.com/64-gb-hi-res-walkman-digital-music-player-zid27-NWZA17SLV/cat-27-catid-All-MP3-Players?_t=pfm%3Dcategory
So much for my statement about battery life http://store.sony.com/64-gb-hi-res-walkman-digital-music-player-zid27-NWZA17SLV/cat-27-catid-All-MP3-Players?_t=pfm%3Dcategory
My feeling about the HM-901 cards is that the balanced card has something of the character of the OPA627s on it -- a bit warm, which works well with the inbuilt DAC. The discrete card is better, but reveals something of the ES9018 "sound", which I don't like as much.
What I've observed is that all DACs seem to have something of an individual sound signature, more noticeably when they are less well-implemented than when they are in some uber high-end DAC with gazillion dollar clocking and unmeasurably low noise and distortion. Everything else seems to have some degree or another of failure. (It's a concept based around an idea that how something fails to do what it is meant to that much is revealed about it.) I used to own an ES9018-based Calyx DAC 24/192 which is USB or 5V powered. Depending how it was set up, it either sounded flat and dull, or quite good. The Calyx M seems to be somewhat similar with its USB DAC feature.
The worse an ES9018 is set up, the more "flat" the music sounds, such as the DAC 24/192 using USB from a computer as source and power.
The worse a BB/TI DAC is set up (either the old R2R ones or new SD ones) the more harsh and unpleasant they sound, eg: Luxman DA100 and DA200.
The worse a Wolfson is set up, it just loses resolution (which is why I think they were more popular in portable devices). They fail gracefully.
The worse a Cirrus Logic DAC is set up, the more dull they sound.
AKM DACs seem to have something of a graceful failure too. They seem to sound OK regardless of what they are in from cheap to expensive.
At least one manufacturer described the ES9018 as being like a Ferrari: You have to use the best parts and circuit always.
So to me both the Calyx and Hifiman (with discrete card) sound a tiny bit flat to me mostlyin comparison to the Hugo. The AK240 has a tiny bit of CS4398 softness in comparison. Edit: Changed my mind listening to the Calyx again.
What I've observed is that all DACs seem to have something of an individual sound signature, more noticeably when they are less well-implemented than when they are in some uber high-end DAC with gazillion dollar clocking and unmeasurably low noise and distortion. Everything else seems to have some degree or another of failure. (It's a concept based around an idea that how something fails to do what it is meant to that much is revealed about it.) I used to own an ES9018-based Calyx DAC 24/192 which is USB or 5V powered. Depending how it was set up, it either sounded flat and dull, or quite good. The Calyx M seems to be somewhat similar with its USB DAC feature.
The worse an ES9018 is set up, the more "flat" the music sounds, such as the DAC 24/192 using USB from a computer as source and power.
The worse a BB/TI DAC is set up (either the old R2R ones or new SD ones) the more harsh and unpleasant they sound, eg: Luxman DA100 and DA200.
The worse a Wolfson is set up, it just loses resolution (which is why I think they were more popular in portable devices). They fail gracefully.
The worse a Cirrus Logic DAC is set up, the more dull they sound.
AKM DACs seem to have something of a graceful failure too. They seem to sound OK regardless of what they are in from cheap to expensive.
At least one manufacturer described the ES9018 as being like a Ferrari: You have to use the best parts and circuit always.
So to me both the Calyx and Hifiman (with discrete card) sound a tiny bit flat to me mostlyin comparison to the Hugo. The AK240 has a tiny bit of CS4398 softness in comparison. Edit: Changed my mind listening to the Calyx again.
@flymetothemoon It's kind-of scary. I was lent a vintage DAC once, knowing nothing about it. On first listen I thought "It sounds like it has tubes or OPA627s in it." and on the latter guess I was right!
A bit of an aside: I have contemplated the argument that the differences between a lot of these DAPs and DACs is really too small to matter. I've found those small differences to add up over many hours of listening. My air conditioner uses only half a cent more for each degree I turn it down during summer, but during the hot, humid summers here that adds up to a lot when you have it switched on all day and night almost the whole time!
Back to the Calyx (since I'm listening now) and I like it again. It's a bit clinical sounding (relatively) but not in a bad way. Someone who'd never heard anything more expensive sure as heck wouldn't notice and would be very impressed. In the absence of any experience with the new AK players it is on my recommended list, if one can tolerate how slowly it scans media. An almost full 128 GB micro-SD card takes quite a while to scan. I'm just going to leave it switched on and plug it into USB to charge when I'm not using it. I need to work out if I can get playlists onto it too.
Back to the Calyx (since I'm listening now) and I like it again. It's a bit clinical sounding (relatively) but not in a bad way. Someone who'd never heard anything more expensive sure as heck wouldn't notice and would be very impressed. In the absence of any experience with the new AK players it is on my recommended list, if one can tolerate how slowly it scans media. An almost full 128 GB micro-SD card takes quite a while to scan. I'm just going to leave it switched on and plug it into USB to charge when I'm not using it. I need to work out if I can get playlists onto it too.
I had this issue at one point and it turned out that the tags on some Foo Fighter files of mine were bunging things up. Once I retagged those the issue went away. I have an almost full 128 GB SD card installed on a permanent basis and it scans on start-up for changes in about a minute, two max. If you put in a new card of music, then it will take longer as it reads it all.
If there is a way to transfer Playlists on or off the M, I have not found it.
Back to the Calyx (since I'm listening now) and I like it again. It's a bit clinical sounding (relatively) but not in a bad way. Someone who'd never heard anything more expensive sure as heck wouldn't notice and would be very impressed. In the absence of any experience with the new AK players it is on my recommended list, if one can tolerate how slowly it scans media. An almost full 128 GB micro-SD card takes quite a while to scan. I'm just going to leave it switched on and plug it into USB to charge when I'm not using it. I need to work out if I can get playlists onto it too.
I had this issue at one point and it turned out that the tags on some Foo Fighter files of mine were bunging things up. Once I retagged those the issue went away. I have an almost full 128 GB SD card installed on a permanent basis and it scans on start-up for changes in about a minute, two max. If you put in a new card of music, then it will take longer as it reads it all.
If there is a way to transfer Playlists on or off the M, I have not found it.
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![20170811_140014_001[1].jpg](https://cdn.head-fi.org/a/9985967.jpg)
just like Kiats style, it is worthwhile to own multiple TOTL DAPs
