[aaf evo]

The M15 sounded WhyFi? to me.
Why make a more expensive dap not sound as good as the model below it. I did a lot of A/B with an M11Pro SS exact same Neutron config etc, same tracks. I preferred the sound quality of the M11pro whatever the gain etc of the M15. In turn same tests and shanling m6 just wins over the M11pro, go figure. I got an AR-M2 the same time as the M15, it was instantly more enjoyable to listen to. And my last surprise, I bought a dx150 again just to test ibasso amp mods on that i have been asked to do. Got it cheap and also saw a cheap AMP9 NuTube at the same time, really nice combo, again much more enjoyable than the M15. The 3 daps, M6, ARM2, DX159 cost me about the same as the M15 and its bellow them in my eyes (sorry ears) so its definitely WhyFi

Lol, I prefer my DX160 and M11 Pro over the M15 also. But this to me is purely preference. Both those DAPs are a brighter signature. For me the M15 is a great warm DAP but I find it lacks some treble extension/sparkle and the bass is too boomy for me. Just doesn’t sound refined for a (after tax) $1,400 player.

 

[Nayparm]

...aaaaaand, I still haven't seen your "tried it, it's meeeeh mid-fi DAP" comment. Come on, don't make us wait that long.

I saved him the trouble

 

[bflat]

Lol, I prefer my DX160 and M11 Pro over the M15 also. But this to me is purely preference. Both those DAPs are a brighter signature. For me the M15 is a great warm DAP but I find it lacks some treble extension/sparkle and the bass is too boomy for me. Just doesn’t sound refined for a (after tax) $1,400 player.

Not that it makes a difference for what you experienced, but sounds more like impedance mismatch is the problem. Both of your IEMs in your sig are < 9 ohms and the M15 output is 2-3 ohms, probably closer to 3. Bloated mid bass and rolled off treble are usually the symptoms associated with multi BA IEMs and mismatched impedance. If you have an IEM that is north of 20 ohms you could try that to confirm.

 

[aaf evo]

Not that it makes a difference for what you experienced, but sounds more like impedance mismatch is the problem. Both of your IEMs in your sig are < 9 ohms and the M15 output is 2-3 ohms, probably closer to 3. Bloated mid bass and rolled off treble are usually the symptoms associated with multi BA IEMs and mismatched impedance. If you have an IEM that is north of 20 ohms you could try that to confirm.

Perhaps, but the FiR M5 has that technology in it (similar to the 64 audios LID tech) to where impedance mis matches shouldn’t have an effect on the sound signature. I’ve spoken to quite a few other people who have heard the M15 and their thoughts were quite similar to mine in what I heard.

 

[bflat]

Perhaps, but the FiR M5 has that technology in it (similar to the 64 audios LID tech) to where impedance mis matches shouldn’t have an effect on the sound signature. I’ve spoken to quite a few other people who have heard the M15 and their thoughts were quite similar to mine in what I heard.

Sure LID type technology keeps the impedance curve relatively flat, but you still need to at least 2.5X impedance multiplier with up to 8X being better. But at the end of the day, if the synergy isn't there, it's not there.

 

[Hanachenko]

Interesting, what do you teach? I am in the social sciences, I have recently returned to university to do a Master of Social Work which will be done this July. I suspect most Canadians would think that we have no customs or culture as we are still a very young country. There are some deeper cultural roots here from when Europeans first colonized this land that the Indigenous peoples called Turtle Island. Enjoy your M15. I used to own the Sony Z1R which I suspect would be lovely in combination with the M15 via the 4.4mm input.

My specialization is Sociology,in the social sciences and I teach it in my Univ. Japan has the history over 2000 years but Japan don’t have firm customs or culture yet. A master degree of social work? Great! And Sony Z1R is great,too.

 

[jmills8]

The M15 sounded WhyFi? to me.
Why make a more expensive dap not sound as good as the model below it. I did a lot of A/B with an M11Pro SS exact same Neutron config etc, same tracks. I preferred the sound quality of the M11pro whatever the gain etc of the M15. In turn same tests and shanling m6 just wins over the M11pro, go figure. I got an AR-M2 the same time as the M15, it was instantly more enjoyable to listen to. And my last surprise, I bought a dx150 again just to test ibasso amp mods on that i have been asked to do. Got it cheap and also saw a cheap AMP9 NuTube at the same time, really nice combo, again much more enjoyable than the M15. The 3 daps, M6, ARM2, DX159 cost me about the same as the M15 and its bellow them in my eyes (sorry ears) so its definitely WhyFi to me

P.s. all using neutron, same peq config.

I haven't compared against my Cowon M2 as yet, one of my all time favourite still.

Dont neg the PM2 or else Ill ......

 

[expat852]

Lol, I prefer my DX160 and M11 Pro over the M15 also. But this to me is purely preference. Both those DAPs are a brighter signature. For me the M15 is a great warm DAP but I find it lacks some treble extension/sparkle and the bass is too boomy for me. Just doesn’t sound refined for a (after tax) $1,400 player.

Summarizing one point from early in the thread - we had a discussion about the AK4499's lowpass filters, which the M15 lets you change. We were kind of puzzled that Fiio had chosen as their default setting the Short Delay Sharp Roll-Off, which in AKM's docs is listed as enhancing bass. After a few rounds of experimentation we landed on the Super Slow Roll-off setting, which reins in the bass and seems to confer other benefits as well. After some A/B comparisons, I suspect that the A&K SP2000 (which also uses the AK4499EQ DAC but doesn't allow you to change the filter setting) probably uses the Super Slow Roll-off filter setting.

If you haven't tried changing the lowpass filter settings on the M15, give it a try. With extended listening, this one change significantly refines the sound signature.

 

[aaf evo]

Summarizing one point from early in the thread - we had a discussion about the AK4499's lowpass filters, which the M15 lets you change. We were kind of puzzled that Fiio had chosen as their default setting the Short Delay Sharp Roll-Off, which in AKM's docs is listed as enhancing bass. After a few rounds of experimentation we landed on the Super Slow Roll-off setting, which reins in the bass and seems to confer other benefits as well. After some A/B comparisons, I suspect that the A&K SP2000 (which also uses the AK4499EQ DAC but doesn't allow you to change the filter setting) probably uses the Super Slow Roll-off filter setting.

If you haven't tried changing the lowpass filter settings on the M15, give it a try. With extended listening, this one change significantly refines the sound signature.

Appreciate the help but didn't make much of a difference if any at all, spent extensive time going through the filters a couple of days back.

 

[expat852]

Appreciate the help but didn't make much of a difference if any at all, spent extensive time going through the filters a couple of days back.

Fair enough. It's a subjective hobby, and there's no one sound signature suitable to all. For me though, the filter settings made quite a difference on the M15.

I have learned a lot from comparing notes on these forums and will look forward to trying out the DAPs that you have recommended the next chance I get.

 

[aaf evo]

Fair enough. It's a subjective hobby, and there's no one sound signature suitable to all. For me though, the filter settings made quite a difference on the M15.

I have learned a lot from comparing notes on these forums and will look forward to trying out the DAPs that you have recommended the next chance I get.

Oh 100% subjective, for me the synergy with my main IEM (FiR M5) just wasn't quite there. The DAP is great though, anyone looking for a wamer tuned DAP with all the bells and whistles will love it.

 

[Ultrainferno]

It's M15 time! Today we fully review the flagship DAP:

https://www.headfonia.com/fiio-m15-review/

fyi, this full review is by a different writer than the preview article

 

[DarginMahkum]

First, about some experiment I did yesterday. In order to test both my hearing and the frequency range (especially the treble extension) of M15, I tried to listen to some frequency sweeps from 20 hz to 20 kHz. When I play it directly from the YouTube using NewPipe, it cuts at 15 kHz. But if I use the M15 is DAC mode and play over the PC, I can hear until about 16 kHz. Can someone else with hearing past 15 kHz also give it a try?

_But_ just in case, be careful not to increase the volume if you are not able to hear a frequency and just keep it at the same level as audible region.

I saved him the trouble

Ah, man, you just killed the whole excitement. It was like waiting for the next episode of Breaking Bad, and you come out and tell us the ending.

Perhaps, but the FiR M5 has that technology in it (similar to the 64 audios LID tech) to where impedance mis matches shouldn’t have an effect on the sound signature. I’ve spoken to quite a few other people who have heard the M15 and their thoughts were quite similar to mine in what I heard.

Yeah, it is all about likes. Somebody's warm could be hot for someone else. We all hear differently, thanks to having all different ear canals, possibly different amounts of cells for hearing different frequencies, which means our auditory system has its own frequency response (equaliser). I think M15 is a great product and it improved considerably after letting it run for a while. I still sometimes prefer using an external amp (which I think sounds better than any A&K DAP I have had - SP1000, SP1000M and KANN Cube ) for more treble extension and a little faster bass. But it is again for the HPs I have. For some recordings, I like it with the amp, for some I like it with M15 alone. When I am doing my tests, I most of the time try to get a second opinion especially from my wife. Sometimes, although we like the same recording she likes it from a different HP than I do. Sometimes "good" may not mean "fun" and fun may not be the preference for that music.

Good luck with your next DAP!

Not that it makes a difference for what you experienced, but sounds more like impedance mismatch is the problem. Both of your IEMs in your sig are < 9 ohms and the M15 output is 2-3 ohms, probably closer to 3. Bloated mid bass and rolled off treble are usually the symptoms associated with multi BA IEMs and mismatched impedance. If you have an IEM that is north of 20 ohms you could try that to confirm.

I guess it depends. Andromeda, for example, has higher impedance for the higher frequencies especially for 5kHz to 10 kHz there is a huge jump, which would make it sound like lacking bass and brighter with high impedance output amplifiers.

 

[DarginMahkum]

It's M15 time! Today we fully review the flagship DAP:

https://www.headfonia.com/fiio-m15-review/

fyi, this full review is by a different writer than the preview article

Ha, he found it too bright.

Highs : super crisp, but a tad too bright. The FiiO M15 sounds more like the M11 than the M11 pro, grandiose but a bit to hard on the highs. The soundstage is super wide, thanks to that, but sibilant headphones may pierce your eardrum, with no proper equalization. Still, if you like bright, explosive highs, you should definitely try this DAP.

...and here we were discussing how warm it is.

 

[jmills8]

Ha, he found it too bright.

Highs : super crisp, but a tad too bright. The FiiO M15 sounds more like the M11 than the M11 pro, grandiose but a bit to hard on the highs. The soundstage is super wide, thanks to that, but sibilant headphones may pierce your eardrum, with no proper equalization. Still, if you like bright, explosive highs, you should definitely try this DAP.

...and here we were discussing how warm it is.

Maybe your hearing is broken from old age and over use.