How's the synergy of Zeus R with the Plenue S? A little more detailed pls.. Thank you
Synergy is fantastic. I haven't tried any other DAPs recently besides the X7, but I have yet to find a DAP that has impressed me as much as the Plenue series in terms of noise floor and SQ. The Plenues all have a warm, psuedo-analog sound.
Great bottom end with lots of punch and definition. I find the Empire Ears lineup (and the old Earwerkz models) are very unique in that the bass is very true to the source material. Songs with a prominent bassline will have tons of thump and kick and get your toes tapping, but an acoustic track light on bass won't sound unnaturally accentuated in the low-end. The Zeus-R are particularly chameleon-like in that sense, and the Plenue S does a great job matching the natural qualities of the recording.
Mids with the S and the Z-R are lush and emotive. The S does a great job of accentuating everything great about the intimate mids of the IEM, so the timbre with acoustic instruments sounds very lifelike and natural. Despite being a warmer DAP, the S doesn't make everything overly warm, it just sounds true to the instruments and recording.
The treble on the S is a bit laid back compared to the mids and the bass, but that's how I prefer it. It offers more treble sparkle than the P1, which is a bit darker than the S. I don't like brighter DAPs as they sound unnatural to me. IMO, the perception of detail you get with a Sabre-based or Astell&Kern DAP is much too in-your-face, creating a false sense how much detail you're actually getting. The S has a much more natural sound signature with zero treble glare or stridency, and you can listen for hours with the Zeus-R. I find the Z-R has a tiny bit of sibilance that's noticeable only on poorly recorded tracks, I.E. with a lot of music recorded in the 90s like Smashing Pumpkins or Hole, and I can't imagine wanting to accentuate that with a brighter DAP.
The Plenue S has a smaller soundstage compared to other DAPs I've heard, but it more than makes up for it with stellar separation, instrument placement and layering. Using the balanced output kicks this up a notch versus the single-ended jack, too. With the Zeus' well-known capability for layering and imaging, listening to a well-recorded track with lots of stereo imaging is engrossing. Pink Floyd and Daft Punk have never sounded more engrossing and enveloping out of a set of headphones.
TL;DR: the S pairs beautifully with the entire Empire Ears lineup, and now that Cowon has lowered the price here in the States, I think it actually offers a decent price/performance ratio when compared to how insanely overpriced much of the DAP market is. Feature-wise, it offers almost everything the A&K players do except wifi/bluetooth connectivity (which I'd never use) with a better amplification stage. It also measures with the best of the best. IMO there's really not much downside except for the fact that it's still quite expensive.
As for the Zeus-R, it remains the best IEM I've ever heard, and I think the S is a TOTL DAP fit for the king.
Btw, in case you're wondering, I compared the X7 to the P1 and S here which will give you an idea of my thoughts surrounding the S: http://www.head-fi.org/t/709051/cowon-plenue-p1/2085#post_12461443