[vaguely]

An excellent match and something that hits way above, way, is the T3-154 ibasso. I am really surprised at how they perform. Big soundstage, excellent bass and layering.

Want to get something 1k+ since everything I have is under right now, but for that price I'll give it a shot next paycheck, ty for rec!

 

[vaguely]

Have a look at Nightjar Singularity or Fir Audio E12,

Almost got the singularity since I wanted a single DD but went with faudio spring since it had the Sig I knew I wanted. Def high on my list and looks like its finally in stock* Was also thinking monarch or the Helios once they make the new shell later this year. Going to look more into the Spartacus, hype, Fir and z1r though. Thank you everyone for the input, stepping up tiers like this is exciting and frightening. I have 1 1k+ choice every few months with my budget so its helpful to know what will pair well.

 

[RIGATIO]

Almost got the singularity since I wanted a single DD but went with faudio spring since it had the Sig I knew I wanted. Def high on my list and looks like its finally in stock* Was also thinking monarch or the Helios once they make the new shell later this year. Going to look more into the Spartacus, hype, Fir and z1r though. Thank you everyone for the input, stepping up tiers like this is exciting and frightening. I have 1 1k+ choice every few months with my budget so its helpful to know what will pair well.

Try Softears Twilight, you will be blown away by the realistic timbre and the soundstage- they are semi-open. Also the overall tuning is great, with some more midbass which is well separated from mids, so the old rock doesnt sound thin thanks to the fact that kick drums and bass guitars have a substantial impact. Ive sold the u12t after 2 intensive weeks of comparisons, even tho i knew from the first listen that the Twilight will win in the end. The Mest 2 didnt stand a chance so i sold them immediately.
Also the Monarch 2 are amazing, especially in mids but they can lack a bit of bass impact, especially when compared to the Twilight.
So if you like single DD like me, there is probably no better iem on the market right now, at least in this category.

 

[VishnuKare]

Try Softears Twilight, you will be blown away by the realistic timbre and the soundstage- they are semi-open. Also the overall tuning is great, with some more midbass which is well separated from mids, so the old rock doesnt sound thin thanks to the fact that kick drums and bass guitars have a substantial impact. Ive sold the u12t after 2 intensive weeks of comparisons, even tho i knew from the first listen that the Twilight will win in the end. The Mest 2 didnt stand a chance so i sold them immediately.
Also the Monarch 2 are amazing, especially in mids but they can lack a bit of bass impact, especially when compared to the Twilight.
So if you like single DD like me, there is probably no better iem on the market right now, at least in this category.

Can you share more feedback on u12t vs twilight please. How is the seperation of twilight compared to u12t? Is there any aspect where u12t is better than twilight?

 

[seanwee]

Ive had the M15s and can confirm that its a great sounding player (replaced by the ak sp1k after 10 min of comparisons tho- no contest). But i would also take the DC Elite over the M15s unless you need more power.

The Sp1k was my first dabble into high end players, its effortless and ethereal presentation is still special today.

 

[RIGATIO]

Can you share more feedback on u12t vs twilight please. How is the seperation of twilight compared to u12t? Is there any aspect where u12t is better than twilight?

The timbre is better on the Twilight- a typical coherent, organic DD. The u12t are also extremely coherent but not as natural, with a very subtle hint of BA timbre. Overall they were close here with the Twilight having a slight advantage.

The microdetail goes to the u12t but not as obviously as someone would expect. There is more air on the very top on the u12t but it also sounds artificially boosted in comparison to the Twilight. The Twilight doesnt lack detail at all but it has way smoother and more natural mid to upper trebles, so you can crank the volume way higher with the Twilight without feeling any fatigue. It also has a very smooth FR in comparison to the u12t which has a couple peaks and dips from 2-12k.

The subbass is more prominent on the u12t but the overall bass doesnt have the same amount of physicality and power and has its limitations due to its BA nature.

The mids/vocals are more correct on the Twilight. They have a proper bite and energy, being exciting and lively but never aggressive. They pop out from the mix and are immediately enjoyable. Vocals on the u12t are more laid back so you need to turn the volume up to make them sing. And here come the problems- the u12t scale worse than the Twilight.
You make it louder to make the voices sing, the bass stops hitting deeper because its a BA and the trebles start piercing. They become bit harsh and unnaturaly boosted.
Also the Twilight has a more correct pinna gain at around 2,8k, which is the highest peak in the entire frequency. The u12t have pinna at around 2k which is bit too early, then 3k dip and peaks again.

Layering goes to the u12t- they are insane and probably still one of the top dogs in this regard. You can almost see the layers of instruments one behind another.
The Twilight have great layering and there is nothing lacking. I was actually shocked by how a single DD is able to show layers so precisely and immersively. There is a definite and clear insight in how the depth of the stage is presented. But the u12t does it all bit more precise, even exaggerating to make you WOW.

The stage width goes to the Twilight even tho the u12t have great staging but favorites the layering more. The Twilight have a very open and natural stage, beying realistically open, thanks to their semi-open design. Sundaras for example sound like a closed back headphones in a direct comparison.

The u12t are amazing, very technical and precise but they dont have this realistic energy, impact, naturallness and realism the Twilight have. The u12t sound more like a producer tool, the Twilight transfer you into a live event almost.

 

[seanwee]

Used to think it was crazy talk until I used the beloved Micron industrial magnetically shielded cards, especially the newest version. There's an obvious change in sound for the better. You can easily hear the changes with highly resolving IEMs like Monarch, Anole VX, etc. Worth the money 100% but you won't believe it until you try it. Buy the cheapest latest model 64GB or 128GB on mouser Part# MTSD128ANC8MS-1WT and you will hear the difference vs regular consumer cards.

The music on these cards sounds better (detail, depth, height, extension, etc) vs the same music on the built-in memory on the DAPs I tested.

Last time I dabbled in storage medium black magic the Sandisk Extreme Pro was considered the best aside from using an external SSD. I was using a sandisk ultra then (considered pretty bad).

After getting the extreme pro, formatting with sd association official formatting tool, rewriting all the bits and then copying over the songs, then doing the same with the sandisk ultra i sat down for an abx session with my most familiar and discerning songs.

Huzzah, I couldn't reliably tell a difference. Tried the external SSD, same thing XD

That said, I am in the market for getting another sd card now and I do want to err on the side of "better"

Would this be the card to get? https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/micron-technology-inc/MTSD1T0ANC8MS-1WT/16983773

I ran my comparison between the dx260 and the M15s again after 200+ hours of burn in on the dx260. Allowing for the vagaries of amateur A/B-ing between two very similar DAPs, my conclusions were, I think, interesting. Reflecting back on my earlier experience at 75 hours, the sibilance on the 260 is tamed, the mids have settled back, losing any sense of jangle or over-brightness. As such, after an hour and a half of back and forth between the two, I would say the dx260 slightly edges it. The Ibasso has a touch more resolution throughout, the base is tighter and more realistic; the timbre is still bright, but this just adds to the detail rather than being sparkly - it makes the Fiio sound a bit dull by comparison. That said, the M15s does have one advantage SQ-wise: it's more resolving and that makes it more forgiving when the music gets very complex (e.g., big symphonic pieces) or isn't brilliantly well recorded (e.g., some vintage material). Further burn in on the 260 may even the score here. Obviously, the M15s has way more power, especially in desktop mode, and has a lot more funky options (e.g., all to DSD - which I didn't use). One disadvantage for the iBasso is its very sensitive buttons and volume wheel, which make putting into or taking it out of a pocket very likely to shift the track. The M15s has a switch on the side which locks the buttons and the touch screen.

There is very little in it, and could easily see someone taking a very different view. But it would be down to taste (and pocket size - the FiiO is big!) rather than technical competency.

Both DAPs were set to 'slow roll off'; the Fiio had the 'second harmonic regulation' set to level 1. The FIR on the dx260 was off.

Edit - after more sustained listening than simple a/b-ing, I began to find the brightness of the dx260 fatiguing and the lack of resolution disengaging and have happily gone back to the M15s - while the dx260 has gone back to the shop.

I tend to use fatiguing IEMs and headphones that are on the brighter side, primarily the ananda nano and Annihilator nowadays so I went with the FiiO M15s as well. That and its dynamics were in a class of its own making everything sound grander, if a bit exaggerated. But hey, i like it.

Soundstage is also a blend of Cayin N8 (Huge) and SP1k (3d, holographic) which lends it great separation between the instruments thats the best in its price class imo.

Will be trying the DX260 when I can, definitely sounds like the reference dap to get at 1k.

 

[Edon]

Noble Spartacus is a great pairing with the DX260, could be worth considering. It is an amazing IEM.

How about midrange in this pairing? Isn't it too lean? I like good, emotional female vocals - will I get it with Spartacus + DX260?

 

[RIGATIO]

The Sp1k was my first dabble into high end players, its effortless and ethereal presentation is still special today.

It still sounds amazing indeed but i pair it with the AK pa10 and the overall sound performance jumps even higher. It easily beats the sp2000, Fiio m17, and most portable and desktop devices ive heard. It sounds like a fully established desktop setup for 3-5k bucks.

 

[seanwee]

Will be trying the DX260 when I can, definitely sounds like the reference dap to get at 1k.

Well, seems like I got my chance sooner than expected.


So far my impressions are similar to the dx240 but with refined treble and improved dynamics.

Dynamics still loses to the M15s but it's an improvement over the DX240. Treble is refined with a less harsh edge.

Now for the head to head.

Note weight is thinner on the dx260 vs M15s. M15s hits harder but with the same speed. Only part where it's note weight somewhat hinders it is in really bassy tracks with small detail (some of my j-pop) where the bass could be slightly tighter.

Soundstage is similar to dx240 vs M15s. Clearer but smaller soundstage on the DX260 and larger overall on the M15s.

Microdetail seems to be slightly worse where the DX240 and M15s were comparable... but I can't say for sure without a direct side by side with the DX240. It's perceived as a subtle lack of bite on violin string pulls, like its being smoothed slightly. Both are still pretty close though, I couldn't hear the difference on an Ananda Nano, only on the Annihilator.

 

[purk]

How many hours do you have on yours now?

 

[seanwee]

How many hours do you have on yours now?

The unit at the store has been burned it for 100 hours before it was displayed, and has been on display for a month for people to try so its somewhat matured I'd reckon.

 

[goodvibes]

What filer? What gain? Android or Mango OS, file type etc etc. Not doubting your results for your preferences but there's a lot to consider when testing as opposed to owning for a bit. When my ducks are in a row on any better player I've had or tested, I can here the buffers for things as mundane as gapless.

 

[seanwee]

What filer? What gain? Android or Mango OS, file type etc etc. Not doubting your results for your preferences but there's a lot to consider when testing as opposed to owning for a bit. When my ducks are in a row on any better player I've had or tested, I can here the buffers for things as mundane as gapless.

Tried all, prefered short delay slow, same as on my DX160.

Medium gain on M15s, High gain on DX260.

Mix of 44.1/48/96khz Flac, no DSD or SACD iso.

Android mode mango player, tried mango OS mode briefly but prefered the ever so slightly clearer presentation of Android mode vs the smoother mango OS.

And yes I definitely get what you mean, owning the device for a longer period of time can definitely change your impressions. But unfortunately for me, I've only found flaws as I listen to a piece of gear longer.

 

[goodvibes]

Tried all, prefered short delay slow, same as on my DX160.

Medium gain on M15s, High gain on DX260.

Mix of 44.1/48/96khz Flac, no DSD or SACD iso.

Android mode mango player, tried mango OS mode briefly but prefered the ever so slightly clearer presentation of Android mode vs the smoother mango OS.

And yes I definitely get what you mean, owning the device for a longer period of time can definitely change your impressions. But unfortunately for me, I've only found flaws as I listen to a piece of gear longer.

I can respect that but suspect your preferences are different than someone like me that finds almost every DAP optimized for med gain and always preferred apodizing filter on the 240 but I see they've chosen to not make that one available here. The chip has 7 available of which they've opted for 4 plus NOS. I'm actually a little disappointed by that.