[Retrorai]

As much as I enjoy my SG1, it just doesn't have enough juice for my Helios. Wondering if upgrading to the Gold version is worth the $200 or so extra, or if I should get another portable device instead. How would something like a topping G5 compare? Should I look at DAPs instead?

 

[RIGATIO]

As much as I enjoy my SG1, it just doesn't have enough juice for my Helios. Wondering if upgrading to the Gold version is worth the $200 or so extra, or if I should get another portable device instead. How would something like a topping G5 compare? Should I look at DAPs instead?

The Gold will give you a LOT of juice. Im now listening to the Gold with the Sundaras and im getting a very high levels of volume when on high gain and 45%. The Gold has more juice than the Shanling M8 which was rated with 830 mW.
I bet the Gold has around 900mW-1W of power.

 

[terry1109]

As much as I enjoy my SG1, it just doesn't have enough juice for my Helios. Wondering if upgrading to the Gold version is worth the $200 or so extra, or if I should get another portable device instead. How would something like a topping G5 compare? Should I look at DAPs instead?

Trust me, you won't regret the upgrade.
SG1 Gold has the juice to drive the majority of headphone with ease.
As long as you can accept the reduced running hours, which can be compensate with good usage habit.

 

[hungryewok]

How long does it take to charge it to full though? Does it support any sort of fast charge?
3.5-4hr aren't necessarily bad if I can charge it to 80% relatively quickly

 

[terry1109]

How long does it take to charge it to full though? Does it support any sort of fast charge?
3.5-4hr aren't necessarily bad if I can charge it to 80% relatively quickly

Unfortunately no fast charging support

 

[RIGATIO]

How long does it take to charge it to full though? Does it support any sort of fast charge?
3.5-4hr aren't necessarily bad if I can charge it to 80% relatively quickly

The battery isnt huge so in my case, using Samsung s20 charger, it takes around 2.5h to get fully charged.

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

Shameless Plug, Looking to Sell my Regular Unit in Purple, Brand New in Box / Unopen. Ship within US Only. If you're interested Feel Free to PM me. Will post an Ad once I get off of work.

 

[Retrorai]

Now I'm debating whether to get the gold SG1 or a used DAP like the Shanling M6U. Looking at the SG1 price from Audio Essense they seem to go for around the same. Wondering if anyone could compare the gold with the m6u or another similar mid-ranged DAP. Thanks!

 

[Hanesu]

Now I'm debating whether to get the gold SG1 or a used DAP like the Shanling M6U. Looking at the SG1 price from Audio Essense they seem to go for around the same. Wondering if anyone could compare the gold with the m6u or another similar mid-ranged DAP. Thanks!

Well it really depends on how you would like to listen to your music and what compromises you are willing to make. The SG1 is a BT only device. There is no way arround you will have a slight reduction in details due to lossy Bluetooth. This on the other hand is being made up through the nice (warm and musical) tonality and the charming built of the device. If you get a modern mid range DAP, you might get more flexibility, because you can listen wired and via BT (at least with recent models). You might have difficulties to find a similar tonality and similar looks and built though.
The Shanling M1s, for example, uses the same DAC chip as the SG1, but seems to sound more analytical and looks a bit ugly (imo) .
But in the end, differences between sources are never as big as with ear- or headphones. So I would decide with regard to your priorities: Details vs signature vs flexibility vs charm.

 

[Hanesu]

https://www.headphonesty.com/2023/03/review-dethonray-pegasus-sg-1/

This review pretty much resembles my own thoughts on the SG1 (see beneath and compare):
Though, I feel his final conclusion/rating is definitely too negative.
But the review gives a good overview on the pros and cons, who the device is for and who not. It is, as the name of the website states, very „honest“ - what I prefer to those raving, never ever critical reviews.

I am still very much enjoying my SG1 by the way!

1. Build, design and colors are really wonderful! If you generally like the concept of a BT DAC Amp (that connects with any of your digital devices and lets you enjoy great sound with their interfaces, while leaving the amp in your pocket ) and you also love the feeling of holding a really solid, well-designed high quality audio device that has a bit of heft to it - this is absolutely for you (and there are not many alternatives for this combination)! Obviously this is not for you, if you want something to clip on your shirt for a run. Size is pocketable, but you will definitely feel it more in your pocket than something like the BTR7 and might want to put it back into your backpack after using it. And corners are a bit too sharp for that purpose imo, while visually they look cool. The feel and handling of the volume knob is fantastic (but you have to update the firmware to debug it first!)… and I like its position on top of the device for using it blindly (much better than the volume rockers of the BTR7)!
2. BT connection is very stable and the signal strength and reach is great! No complaints here. Just like most BT devices multi source pairing is…meh. Once you get it connected to more than one device it often gets confused, sometimes plays no sound at all etc. I don’t know why this seems so difficult for most makers to implement, but the only ones from my experience that get that right are the BTR7 and Qudelix. BTR7 is almost like an Apple device - it stays connected with two devices and automatically detects which one is playing. SG1 can’t do that. With the SG1 it is easy to quickly reset the existing connection and replace it with another one though (by pressing the middle button for 3 seconds).
3. Amplification and hiss: So far I have exclusively used the SG 1 with earphones. Only with a few models I detect a very slight hiss, but to my ears it is far from being distracting (far less than something like the Go Blu, for example, that hisses way too much to my ears). What surprised me a bit though, is, that the maximum volume of the SG1 is comparably low compared to Go Blu or BTR7. Well, I am a loud listener, and it still satisfies me - but I can crank it up all way…which I never do with my Go Blu or BTR7. Makes me wonder about the driving power with demanding headphones... but I leave that field to others, since I am an IEM fan. By the way, I have realized that loudness and also sound signature with some of my earphones can slightly vary depending on whether I use the 3,5 or 4,4 output…though they are supposed to be the same. This lets me suspect there are some slight impedance differences going on….
4. Battery life is fine. Other than with the BTR7 there is not such a big difference in battery life using the 3,5 mm or 4,4mm port. I get around 6 (sometimes 7) hours playing time out of both outputs.
5. Sound: Several reviewers have described the SG1 as (one of) the best sounding BT device/s (though the description of its sound signature seems to differ depending on the reviewer)… but others have even stated that its measurements are bad. So, who is right? Well, maybe they are all right in their own way - let me give you my personal take on this. First, what I can tell for sure is, that this device clearly sounds different to any other BT device I have tried so far…and I have tried quite a few of them. For example, Qudelix, BTR5, BTR7, XDSD, GoBlu (without Xbass/Xspace) - all sound very similar in my book….only slight nuances. With the SG1 the differences are bigger, it’s very easy to distinguish its sound from the rest. I am not a measurement guy by any means, but this could already be a hint that there really is a type of coloration/distortion going on (since most companies strive to reach neutral output measurements - in other words: this is why their devices sound similar). Then, on the other hand, what people like is another very subjective story. To me, the SG1 has noticeably elevated mid bass , elevated mids and also a slightly softened treble - but done in a very tasteful manner that… well… let the device in deed sound really „pleasant“! It very much reminds me of typical R2R sound, like from the Hifiman R2R2000 Red, that I have owned a while ago. But before I got the SG1, I was also listening a lot with my BTR7 - and my first thoughts about the SG1 in direct comparison were: „Where has the treble energy of some songs gone to?“ But at the same time: „Wow, it sounds so much fuller and more dynamic than the Fiio (that sounds almost tinny besides the SG1).“ If you own both devices and really compare them side by side (volume matched), you must be deaf to not immediately realise those differences. The question is, whether you categorise them as „better“ or „worse“ or just as „different“. Some reviewers wrote the SG1 is „several classes above the BTR 7 and even DAP level“ in terms of SQ. I honestly don`t think so but would rather say that really depends on how you define the term „sound quality“. From a pure technical standpoint, me, I don’t hear anything that the SG1 does technically better than the BTR7. To me, „technical“ means for example, higher resolution that lets me hear details that I don’t hear with other devices. I don’t think that this is the case here. They are both fine! And „BT device that sounds better than wired (eg. DAP)“? Well, in case of the BTR7, I think I can hear a very slight difference in details when using it in USB mode in comparison to the BT mode. But it is so small that I mostly use it in BT mode, just for convenience. So does the SG1 in BT mode (it can only do that) sound better than the BTR7 in wired mode? Technically, I don`t think so - I think BTR7 connected via USB extends slightly better than the SG1. But….the key word is tonality. When you love the way how the SG1 sounds (warm, full and dynamic), you would still perceive it as „better“, even though the BTR7 shows slightly better details. Also, what we perceive as „better“ has to do a lot with getting used to something. As written above, listening to the SG1 for the very first time let me think that treble was a bit recessed. But now, after listening to it for about a month, I perceive the BTR7 treble as almost too sharp and the SG1 just right. Welcome to the world of brain burn in!

Personal conclusion: I think there are two different types of audiophiles: The ones that search for a highly technical uncolored sound and the ones that look for emotions, both in terms of sound and also product design. The SG1 definitely appeals to the second type of people - including myself - and it is a very consequent and great product in this regard! It adds some tasty salt and pepper to your music enjoyment - quite literally and in several ways! And that`s rare with BT devices! For me it is a keeper and I enjoy listening and using it very much!

 

[Retrorai]

If you get a modern mid range DAP, you might get more flexibility, because you can listen wired and via BT (at least with recent models).

At the end of the day I just want to listen to music without needing to take my phone out of my pocket.

How I see it is, the SG1 and a DAP are performing the same function, the differences being that a DAP has a screen and is an actual source instead of a bluetooth output device.

The question is whether paying ~$575 for an SG1 Gold is worth it when great DAPs are available at that price range. Mostly looking at it from a sound quality perspective.

Appreciate the insight so far though, it's helped me understand a lot of things.

 

[RIGATIO]

At the end of the day I just want to listen to music without needing to take my phone out of my pocket.

How I see it is, the SG1 and a DAP are performing the same function, the differences being that a DAP has a screen and is an actual source instead of a bluetooth output device.

The question is whether paying ~$575 for an SG1 Gold is worth it when great DAPs are available at that price range. Mostly looking at it from a sound quality perspective.

Appreciate the insight so far though, it's helped me understand a lot of things.

IMHO the Gold will have a better sound quality. It may sound controversial but ive found the SG1 Gold being not far behind the Shanling M8 (which i sold after receiving the Gold).
Even warmish sounding M8 was slightly too analytical for me compared to the Pegasus which is smoother on top and even more liquid sounding. Also the bass impact is better on the SG1 Gold.
Considering the fact that the M8 is definitely beyond the M6U in SQ, my conclusion is that the Gold will sound deeper and more organic (which is in my personal book a better sound as i really dont like analytical sources, especially when most higher end iems are analytical in their nature).
The Gold is also more powerful than the M8, so if you have harder to drive iems, it will give you more dynamic and harder hitting sound.
For me, the Gold is closer to the big Class A speaker amplifier than daps.
The Gold has a very layered, vivid and natural (organic) soundstage. Most daps sounded bit mechanical to me in this department.
The sound signature is quite addictive, with a very natural and analog transients between the notes.
There is only one con you need to take under the consideration- the battery life, which on the Gold version rates around 3,5-4h using LDAC.
Somehow, im able to squeeze even around 5h at times.

 

[Retrorai]

IMHO the Gold will have a better sound quality. It may sound controversial but ive found the SG1 Gold being not far behind the Shanling M8 (which i sold after receiving the Gold).
Even warmish sounding M8 was slightly too analytical for me compared to the Pegasus which is smoother on top and even more liquid sounding. Also the bass impact is better on the SG1 Gold.
Considering the fact that the M8 is definitely beyond the M6U in SQ, my conclusion is that the Gold will sound deeper and more organic (which is in my personal book a better sound as i really dont like analytical sources, especially when most higher end iems are analytical in their nature).

This is exactly what I needed to hear! The main iem I'm listening to at the moment is the Helios which are really tough to drive, and I am planning on picking up the Helios SE soon, which shouldn't be any less stubborn.

I really liked listening to the IE600s through the SG1, it had a very lush and warm sound compared to my Qudelix 5K. Considering the Helios has a similar sound profile to the IE600s, it sounds like the Gold SG1 would pair up nicely. Going to bump that up to the top of my search list, thanks everyone!

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

Depends on your situation and priorities. I'm in the similar dilemma, SG1 or a DAP. I've come to conclusion that a DAP is better suited for me. I don't want to carry around different devices and because of work, I don't want anything tethered to my Phone other than it being a Hotspot.

 

[Hanesu]

Depends on your situation and priorities. I'm in the similar dilemma, SG1 or a DAP. I've come to conclusion that a DAP is better suited for me. I don't want to carry around different devices and because of work, I don't want anything tethered to my Phone other than it being a Hotspot. I'm willing to sacrifice some sound quality for an All In One Device On the Go.

Why do you think you would sacrifice sound quality with a DAP?