[nc8000]

And yes, installing Rockbox in order to get gapless files to work is a chore. And if the simple act of listening to an album as it was intended to be played back takes that much work, I question the utility of the modern ‘audiophile’ player to the discerning music lover.

And yes, if you call yourself a music lover and gaps don’t bother you, it’s time to quit this review. Because I’m all up in your face. Gaps are ruinous to everything from trance to classical to concert tapes to low-riding jeans. If all your hooting and hollering about SQ doesn’t for a moment take into account the gaps that unplug you from your music, you are probably more of a gearhead than you are a music lover. Enjoy your Top 40 singles.

Yes gapless is essential and apart from the gap between the first 2 tracks played after power on it works fine with stock and lurker fw for all my flac albums. And yes I have many that require gapless and I only ever play complete albums end to end

 

[chawya22]

And yes, if you call yourself a music lover and gaps don’t bother you, it’s time to quit this review. Because I’m all up in your face. Gaps are ruinous to everything from trance to classical to concert tapes to low-riding jeans. If all your hooting and hollering about SQ doesn’t for a moment take into account the gaps that unplug you from your music, you are probably more of a gearhead than you are a music lover. Enjoy your Top 40 singles.

So true. Gapless is one of those things that you take for granted until you don't have it or it doesn't work correctly.

 

[uli87]

Yes gapless is essential and apart from the gap between the first 2 tracks played after power on it works fine with stock and lurker fw for all my flac albums. And yes I have many that require gapless and I only ever play complete albums end to end

 
 
I don't know what headphones you are using or at what volumes you are listening at, but using any stock or lurker FW there is an audible click between tracks even with using flac files. It is tiny, but it ruins the whole experience. If you want to listen to an album as one whole piece, with this audible click you know that the song you were listening to has ended, and now the next one is playing and with that, the continuity is broken. Perhaps that tiny click does not bother you enough, but it doesn't mean that it's gapless.
 
mp3 files are not even close to being gapless as there is a considerably long pause between tracks.
 
However,  if the you properly rip your CD then mp3 files and flac files will actually be played with true gapless on Rockbox . I haven't tried other file types.

 

[DJBaila]

  After getting Angie (used to have FAD Heaven VI before), which reveal a lot details from the sound, I started thinking whether upgrading from DX90 makes a sense. Sony ZX2 and AK240 came to my attention and I started reading different comparisions between DX90 and others. What surprised me, I read impressions stating that DX90 holds well against AK240..
 
Those who compared DX90 to AK240 could you share please? DX90 fw should be 2.2.0 for obvious reasons...

I don't have or even heard ZX2 and AK240 but I have the DX90 (2.2.0 Firmware) and AK100/Centrance Globe Audio A1 and the A1 sounds more clear, even more open and more detailed. I love my DX90 and I think is a great DAP for the price and I use it over AK100/Globe A1 when I want something smaller and lighter but definitely DX90 leaves room to upgrade and even go balanced. I just want to give you my Objective opinion owning DX90 and a worthy competitor to compare.
 
What I don't like of Sony ZX2 is that Headphone output is the only option. DX90 is very versatile with its line out (use it to pair with my ALO Rx MkIII B+ amp) and Coaxial Out (use it like transport to my Centrance Mini M8). 

 

[WindowsX]

   
Hey first of all thanks for your contribution to make the DX 90 even better and sharing your firmware with us.
Because I don't understand Thai, as far as I understand there's also hardware modification in your full mod involved, but may I ask about the differences between your full/complete firmware and the one you posted here?

 
Yeah, full mod involves hardware modification. Completed firmware has modified system partition. There's a lot of modification in system partition as you can read some of them from changelog. I shared my boot file to make system partition modification becoming more effective with root.

 

[nc8000]

I don't know what headphones you are using or at what volumes you are listening at, but using any stock or lurker FW there is an audible click between tracks even with using flac files. It is tiny, but it ruins the whole experience. If you want to listen to an album as one whole piece, with this audible click you know that the song you were listening to has ended, and now the next one is playing and with that, the continuity is broken. Perhaps that tiny click does not bother you enough, but it doesn't mean that it's gapless.

mp3 files are not even close to being gapless as there is a considerably long pause between tracks.

However,  if the you properly rip your CD then mp3 files and flac files will actually be played with true gapless on Rockbox . I haven't tried other file types.

I use JH13, Tzar350, Signature Pro or HE-500 with appropriate volume and I hear no click, only a very noticeable gap between the first 2 tracks after power on. All is flac, either cd rips or hi-res

 

[uli87]

I use JH13, Tzar350, Signature Pro or HE-500 with appropriate volume and I hear no click, only a very noticeable gap between the first 2 tracks after power on. All is flac, either cd rips or hi-res

 
 For me and others, there is a noticeable click even on flac. In any case, for those who can hear it, it's good we have an alternative FW that takes care of that problem!

 

[nc8000]

 For me and others, there is a noticeable click even on flac. In any case, for those who can hear it, it's good we have an alternative FW that takes care of that problem!

Yep choice is great

 

[HiFiChris]

 

I use JH13, Tzar350, Signature Pro or HE-500 with appropriate volume and I hear no click, only a very noticeable gap between the first 2 tracks after power on. All is flac, either cd rips or hi-res

 
 For me and others, there is a noticeable click even on flac. In any case, for those who can hear it, it's good we have an alternative FW that takes care of that problem!

 
If there is applause between two tracks, I alwas get perfect gapless playback. If the transition between two tracks is music/sound, I get gapless playback in about 70% of the cases.
 
What needs to be improved drastically is gapless playback with MP3 files (though I have ripped all of my CDs in .flac, there are some right-free tracks and albums which are free to use and download which are only available as .mp3) though it has been improved with the latest update.

 

[ch1n4]

can someone tell me how the eq in the DX90 works? how many db is one step in the eq?

 

[jk47]

  I don't have or even heard ZX2 and AK240 but I have the DX90 (2.2.0 Firmware) and AK100/Centrance Globe Audio A1 and the A1 sounds more clear, even more open and more detailed. I love my DX90 and I think is a great DAP for the price and I use it over AK100/Globe A1 when I want something smaller and lighter but definitely DX90 leaves room to upgrade and even go balanced. I just want to give you my Objective opinion owning DX90 and a worthy competitor to compare.
 
What I don't like of Sony ZX2 is that Headphone output is the only option. DX90 is very versatile with its line out (use it to pair with my ALO Rx MkIII B+ amp) and Coaxial Out (use it like transport to my Centrance Mini M8). 

why are comparing another dap [ak100] WITH  an external amp to the dx90 WITHOUT an external amp?  shouldn't a true comparison be the other dap + amp to the dx90+amp?  or, otoh, the other dap WITHOUT an external amp to the dx90 without an additional amp?

 

[DJBaila]

why are comparing another dap [ak100] WITH  an external amp to the dx90 WITHOUT an external amp?  shouldn't a true comparison be the other dap + amp to the dx90+amp?  or, otoh, the other dap WITHOUT an external amp to the dx90 without an additional amp?

I compared DX90 + ALO Mk3-B+ vs AK100/Globe A1 and still A1 wins. As I said I think DX90 is great for the money but is always something better than anything.

 

[snip3r77]

I compared DX90 + ALO Mk3-B+ vs AK100/Globe A1 and still A1 wins. As I said I think DX90 is great for the money but is always something better than anything.

If you want to isolate which DAP is better, would you keep the A1 amp constant?

 

[knorris908]

I compared DX90 + ALO Mk3-B+ vs AK100/Globe A1 and still A1 wins. As I said I think DX90 is great for the money but is always something better than anything.

+1  I love my DX90.  Though I usually have it DAC'ed & amped via my iFi iDSD Micro.  (Plus my DX90's headphones jack is "tetchy"...) 
 
And as for JK47's question, I guess for the same reason that people say the "~$600 iFi iDSD Micro isn't "AS GOOD" as the ~$2500 Chord Hugo...  Because there is nothing else in the weight class that comes close?  I consider it a compliment that people would even pit the DX90 alone against any dedicated-amp solution.  Good on you DX90! 

 

[jk47]

 
+1  I love my DX90.  Though I usually have it DAC'ed & amped via my iFi iDSD Micro.  (Plus my DX90's headphones jack is "tetchy"...) 
 
And as for JK47's question, I guess for the same reason that people say the "~$600 iFi iDSD Micro isn't "AS GOOD" as the ~$2500 Chord Hugo...  Because there is nothing else in the weight class that comes close?  I consider it a compliment that people would even pit the DX90 alone against any dedicated-amp solution.  Good on you DX90! 

i also have an ifi idsd micro, but i prefer the dx90's dac - after a lot of a/b listening i concluded the dx90's dac was a bit more detailed. otoh the dx90's amp can't compete with the micro's, so i prefer using it line out/in.  but the ifi isn't exactly pocketable, so if i'm on the go i'll stick to the dx90 alone.
 
btw, i don't know when or where you bought your dx90, but my headphone jack also got "tetchy"- i just exchanged it for a brand new unit under the warranty [i bought it 11 mos ago].