[jmills8]

What? I just A/B tested over 10 TOTL daps including DX208.
Outside of DMP-Z1, the next one that won out on pure SQ was the WM1A followed by SP1000cu. Followed by WM1Z.
All tested with the RHA CL2.

Ha, Ive been doing that test every year for the past 10 yrs and still its my ears, my style for my ears, and my brain. If you use big Audiiphile words they might believe you more.

 

[Kitechaser]

Ha, Ive been doing that test every year for the past 10 yrs and still its my ears, my style for my ears, and my brain. If you use big Audiiphile words they might believe you more.

Believe what?
This is how I hear it.
The DMP-Z1 is out and out the best thing I have ever heard. There is no close second, third, fourth or twentieth.
The WM1A has that laid back Sony sound, with a 3D soundstage, that is deep and wide. It has a very organic, analogue feel to it. Instrument tonality and separation to my ears with the CL2 feels very organic, natural, and not edgy like the other DAPS I tested.
I am not a fanboy of anything, but to my ears the Sony line, even 3 years after release, has the best Sound Quality. Other DAPS may have more power, or streaming, or what not, but their sound to my ears comes across as "off". A bit forced, artificial.
We all hear things differently at the end of the day. We all buy what we like.

 

[rutter]

Thats not very nice :/

Thought I have to admit the back part was hilarious

I'm just trying to facilitate the discussion. The personalities are big here. Whitigir makes you want to buy the greatest value in daps there is by far- iBasso, Kitechaser will make you believe that a wireless $800 planar magnetic iem is the best iem there is as long as you are using it with a good copper cable, and if you listen to jmills8 you either walk off a cliff or find God. Either way it strikes me as an almost spiritual draw. "You - listen - Sony daps are underpowered. Your iems suck. The FW10K is a top tier full-sized headphone. Do not question the iBasso. Just enjoy the music, let go of want."

The DMP-Z1 is out and out the best thing I have ever heard. There is no close second, third, fourth or twentieth.

Incidentally that's the number of people I have to rob to get one. Is it even an actual player or just a big dac+amp?

 

[Kitechaser]

I'm just trying to facilitate the discussion. The personalities are big here. Whitigir makes you want to buy the greatest value in daps there is by far- iBasso, Kitechaser will make you believe that a wireless $800 planar magnetic iem is the best iem there is as long as you are using it with a good copper cable, and if you listen to jmills8 you either walk off a cliff or find God. Either way it strikes me as an almost spiritual draw. "You - listen - Sony daps are underpowered. Your iems suck. The FW10K is a top tier full-sized headphone. Do not question the iBasso. Just enjoy the music, let go of want."



Incidentally that's the number of people I have to rob to get one. Is it even an actual player or just a big dac+amp?

That's pretty much how it is
We are as hard headed as they come, and like what we like, everyone else be damned.

 

[rutter]

So how much softer or more relaxed is the WM1A vs the DX220? That sounds very much like a preference and iem pairing sort of thing.

 

[ropie]

Thanks everyone. This forum has become my favorite morning read!

 

[seanwee]

The WM1A has that laid back Sony sound, with a 3D soundstage, that is deep and wide. It has a very organic, analogue feel to it. Instrument tonality and separation to my ears with the CL2 feels very organic, natural, and not edgy like the other DAPS I tested.
I am not a fanboy of anything, but to my ears the Sony line, even 3 years after release, has the best Sound Quality. Other DAPS may have more power, or streaming, or what not, but their sound to my ears comes across as "off". A bit forced, artificial.
We all hear things differently at the end of the day. We buy what suits us best.

Yeah, that pretty much confirms it. The defining aspects that you like about the Sonys are just not my cup of tea.

Oh well, I just like crisper and more "edgy" sounding gear I guess. Ever since I got into audio, "organic" sounding has been one of the key terms that turn me away from a product.

 

[Kitechaser]

I'm just trying to facilitate the discussion. The personalities are big here. Whitigir makes you want to buy the greatest value in daps there is by far- iBasso, Kitechaser will make you believe that a wireless $800 planar magnetic iem is the best iem there is as long as you are using it with a good copper cable, and if you listen to jmills8 you either walk off a cliff or find God. Either way it strikes me as an almost spiritual draw. "You - listen - Sony daps are underpowered. Your iems suck. The FW10K is a top tier full-sized headphone. Do not question the iBasso. Just enjoy the music, let go of want."



Incidentally that's the number of people I have to rob to get one. Is it even an actual player or just a big dac+amp?

It's an actual player. You can carry it around if you want, battery lasts about 10 hours. I never thought I would say this about an 8000 dollar player, but it's worth every stinking penny. When I was listening to it, I seriously thought I was on LSD.
The sound had a weight and body to it that was fascinating.
Once I get my PW 1960s cable, I am going to go in for another audition. It's extremely impressive tech.

 

[liquidrats]

Thanks everyone. This forum has become my favorite morning read!

hhahah it's my toilet break read.

 

[seanwee]

So how much softer or more relaxed is the WM1A vs the DX220? That sounds very much like a preference and iem pairing sort of thing.

I'd say its a preference kinda thing.

Sonical preference is an acquired taste after all.

Thats why it makes no sense to get the highest end gear from the get go. The journey up will shape and reshape your sonic preference time and time again until you settle on your true preferred sound.

 

[Kitechaser]

Yeah, that pretty much confirms it. The defining aspects that you like about the Sonys are just not my cup of tea.

Oh well, I just like crisper and more "edgy" sounding gear I guess. Ever since I got into audio, "organic" sounding has been one of the key terms that turn me away from a product.

With my Sony combo, I get lost in my music. Everything sounds the way it should, that's organic to me.
I like listening to music, not gear.

 

[CobraMan]

Wow - I step away from the forums for a few hours come back to a veritable sh**storm! Man, there is some passion on display for sure.

So my take, for what little it is worth - I think the words typed + $3 will get you a coffee in some places, on the amp mods is - more power to those that want to experiment and if they think they have improved things then great. However, I would like to believe that the original design done by iBasso (or other brands) selected components based on engineering analysis and to achieve the desired/advertised specifications stated and sound quality. Switching out components for higher quality, tighter tolerances, or other beneficial parameters couldn't hurt but changing values of capacitors, resistors, inductors, etc without understanding the impact on the circuit response (ie - performing engineering analysis) is dicey at best. Again, for those that find solace in that - great.

I hope most are finding the DX220 to be a great device and at least a small step up from whatever you were using previously, if not a big step. For me - small step in sound quality and big step in UI. Yes - there are improvements and fixes needed but iBasso has a strong track record of delivering on those fronts.

Enjoy,
Tim

 

[seanwee]

With my Sony combo, I get lost in my music. Everything sounds the way it should, that's organic to me.
I like listening to music, not gear.

I prefer a type of sound that brings out all the tiny nuances in the music as much as possible without sounding too unnatural. The Tia Fourte and JVC HA FW 10000 would be considered too unnatural for example whereas the Jomo Flamenco is just right.

 

[rutter]

Does sound ever improve through firmware updates?

 

[CobraMan]

Does sound ever improve through firmware updates?

It can - depending on whether any of the audio codecs, etc are revised/changed. I recall back on my DX90 that there were times when FW updates resulted in changes to the sound - usually tied to what I mentioned.

Cheers,
Tim