[SonicFade]

Currently I just use my cell phone and a “dongle dac” Can someone school me on some of the pros and cons to having an all in one unit such as the Fiio m15 or DX300 vs something that receives a Bluetooth signal from, say, a cell phone?

common sense tells me that getting a tidal stream from WiFi, then beaming it over to a Bluetooth receiver amp would not be good sound quality as receiving the signal to the same unit as the dac/amp (m15), but my experience with this tech is like 8 years ago so maybe something has changed since?

spending a bunch of money on the electronics involved for a device that has an operating system and a nice screen, that won’t have the life span as a piece of hardware (receiver, dac, amp) doesn’t sit well with me. I already buy a new cell phone every 3 years..

If this is already a warship up topic, please link me to where this is all covered because I’m still a noob with a lot of this gear BUT I absolutely love listening to music while being able to walk around freely.

 

[arbiter76]

I say start with an ES100, Qudelix 5k or Fiio BTR5. They're all popular and all have their pros and cons but all sound great. For the price of a mid range DAP you can try all 3 and rotate. You'd be surprised at the liberation once you figure out how to attach excess cord wherever. Heck on beyerdynamic COPs I have Velcro on es100 and Q5K and a 6in 3.5x2 and earcup. Instant wireless headphones. Or you could get the Q5K (or whatever you think you'd like) and something like a Topping NX4 or iFi hip DAC. Boom! Wireless DAC line out to amp and your phone is still liberated. $300-$500 can buy a lot these days if you're clever and thrifty. Expensive DAPs just buy you more battery and luxury features. The Q5S type c went out of stock at the right time and I'm glad because I think the money I spent elsewhere gave me more options and gear. I am a wannabe audiophile and don't accumulate (rather hoard) stuff. Just set a budget and do your research.

 

[SonicFade]

Thanks for replying! That qudelix seems absolutely perfect considering how many options the app gives you.

I guess the next question is.. what are the drawbacks going Bluetooth? Is it the same audio quality as streaming on your phone via WiFi? Or is there some degradation there? Is there cumulative degradation streaming on WiFi and using Bluetooth at the same time?

Xduoo XD05 was another option I was thinking but I’m liking the Q5K being able to just plug and play into different amps