[DarginMahkum]

2. Control buttons are too sensitive and can be pressed accidentally very easily and this has happened many times - it is annoying, actually.

That could be an issue, or not an issue. The problem here is the lack of a case and we are not able to test a real use case scenario, which is with the case.

For example, that was one of the things I hated with SP1000 and especially SP1000M. Those little buttons close to each other can be accessed and works well if there is no case. But if the player is in the case, because the buttons are so small and so close to each other, and if the player is in you pocket, it was for me just a matter of luck to find the right button and press it. It was sometimes even a problem when I am holding it in my hand! I would sometimes press two buttons at a time or press the wrong one. For KANN Cube inside a case, it anyway didn't fit my pockets but only an extra bag which I usually carry with me, so I needed to take it out and look at that I am pressing the right button. It anyway has bigger buttons, but still not the most comfortable layout inside a case.

Because we don't have a case with M15, we cannot see how the buttons work inside a case. Maybe someone with the case can comment here.

The best buttons I have seen on a player are on WM1Z.

 

[AudioBomb]

Haha

When postie delivers the M15...






After pressing play...

Because the 28th capacitor was not still burned-in.

 

[AudioBomb]

That could be an issue, or not an issue. The problem here is the lack of a case and we are not able to test a real use case scenario, which is with the case.

For example, that was one of the things I hated with SP1000 and especially SP1000M. Those little buttons close to each other can be accessed and works well if there is no case. But if the player is in the case, because the buttons are so small and so close to each other, and if the player is in you pocket, it was for me just a matter of luck to find the right button and press it. It was sometimes even a problem when I am holding it in my hand! I would most of the time press two buttons at a time or press the wrong one. For KANN Cube inside a case, it anyway didn't fit my pockets but only an extra bag which I usually carry with me, so I needed to take it out and look at that I am pressing the right button.

Because we don't have a case with M15, we cannot see how the buttons work inside a case. Maybe someone with the case can comment here.

The best buttons I have seen on a player are WM1Z.

Yes, that could be a solution. A shame that the only case available sucks.

 

[DarginMahkum]

Because the 28th capacitor was not still burned-im.

Yeah, mine is back to burn in since yesterday. As said before, Sony says WM1Z needs 200 hours for the sound to settle. Hearing how much it changed since the beginning, I decided to give it some more time. I frankly don't care much, as it is I am satisfied with the sound but just to fulfill the protocol.

I also asked Paul for his comparision video, to compare the line out's of SP2000 and M15 (where I actually don't expect much difference) using a good quality portable amp. Let's see what he will find out.

 

[AudioBomb]

Yeah, mine is back to burn in since yesterday. As said before, Sony says WM1Z needs 200 hours for the sound to settle. Hearing how much it changed since the beginning, I decided to give it some more time. I frankly don't care much, as it is I am satisfied with the sound but just to fulfill the protocol.

I also asked Paul for his comparision video, to compare the line out's of SP2000 and M15 (where I actually don't expect much difference) using a good quality portable amp. Let's see what he will find out.

I'm doing the same although I'm extremely happy with the sound at 100 hours burn-in.

I have a feeling that the 28th capacitor, the second custom NDK femtosecond crystal and the 4th OPA1612 will just break-in at 200 hours

 

[DarginMahkum]

Z-Reviews says that M15 sounds like a real desktop amp in over-ear mode:

 

[AudioBomb]

I always use High Gain and over-ear-mode with the LCD-i4. I always prefered the dynamics given by High Gain, even on low impedance IEMs. Whoever didn't try this, is missing the show.

 

[DarginMahkum]

I always use High Gain and over-ear-mode with the LCD-i4. I always prefered the dynamics given by High Gain, even on low impedance IEMs.

I wish I could keep the i4, but the fit was too uncomfortable for me.

 

[edwardsean]

I always use High Gain and over-ear-mode with the LCD-i4. I always prefered the dynamics given by High Gain, even on low impedance IEMs. Whoever didn't try this, is missing the show.

So interesting, I do the exact opposite. I usually like feeding the i4s a good dose of power, but with the M15, it raised the noise floor and with the impedance the sound got muffled and uncontrolled. I always find myself struggling for more clarity with the M15 so that meant low gain and disengaging the over-ear headphone mode. I find the M15 has plenty of power so that even that setting proved to have good drive and dynamics.

I guess different horses and courses is all part of the fun.

 

[jmills8]

So interesting, I do the exact opposite. I usually like feeding the i4s a good dose of power, but with the M15, it raised the noise floor and with the impedance the sound got muffled and uncontrolled. I always find myself struggling for more clarity with the M15 so that meant low gain and disengaging the over-ear headphone mode. I find the M15 has plenty of power so that even that setting proved to have good drive and dynamics.

I guess different horses and courses is all part of the fun.

Or one is a horse and the other a Jack @ss.

 

[AudioBomb]

So interesting, I do the exact opposite. I usually like feeding the i4s a good dose of power, but with the M15, it raised the noise floor and with the impedance the sound got muffled and uncontrolled. I always find myself struggling for more clarity with the M15 so that meant low gain and disengaging the over-ear headphone mode. I find the M15 has plenty of power so that even that setting proved to have good drive and dynamics.

I guess different horses and courses is all part of the fun.

Quite the opposite for me. But I'm using a 2.5mm Effect Audio Leonidas cable, I don't have such thing as "muffled" not even without power.

 

[DarginMahkum]

So interesting, I do the exact opposite. I usually like feeding the i4s a good dose of power, but with the M15, it raised the noise floor and with the impedance the sound got muffled and uncontrolled. I always find myself struggling for more clarity with the M15 so that meant low gain and disengaging the over-ear headphone mode. I find the M15 has plenty of power so that even that setting proved to have good drive and dynamics.

I guess different horses and courses is all part of the fun.

I don't think impedance would have any effect here, as i4 is, as per measurements, 26.7 ohms constant across the frequency band. A constant impedance means the signal will not be modified by the impedance of the IEM, there will only be a small signal drop. Anyway, the impedance of the M15 output is still low compared to the impedance of the i4. But still there could be other reasons for the unclear sound. Did you let it to burn in, like 100+ hours?

i4 measurement:
https://www.stereophile.com/content/audeze-lcdi4-ear-headphones-measurements

This one from @Pictograms:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fii...4-gb-rom-1299-99.920276/page-46#post-15439785

Summary of the reason why it will not affect the sound:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ia-technologies.826606/page-586#post-15442436

 

[edwardsean]

Quite the opposite for me. But I'm using a 2.5mm Effect Audio Leonidas cable, I don't have such thing as "muffled" not even without power.

I'm using an EA Horus, which is clearer than the Leo, and there is a "muffled" sound.

I don't think impedance would have any effect here, as i4 is, as per measurements, 26.7 ohms constant across the frequency band. A constant impedance means the signal will not be modified by the impedance of the IEM, there will only be a small signal drop. Anyway, the impedance of the M15 output is still low compared to the impedance of the i4. But still there could be other reasons for the unclear sound. Did you let it to burn in, like 100+ hours?

i4 measurement:
https://www.stereophile.com/content/audeze-lcdi4-ear-headphones-measurements

This one from @Pictograms:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fii...4-gb-rom-1299-99.920276/page-46#post-15439785

Summary of the reason why it will not affect the sound:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ia-technologies.826606/page-586#post-15442436

I think I may be throwing you off with the word "muffled." The M15 + LCDi4 has a good amount of clarity. Quite nice really. However, compared to the AK SP2000 and the iBasso 220EX + amp8EX it falls behind in transparency. It improved over a couple hundred hours of burn in, but there was a veil over the frequency range and a muddiness in the low mids that never quite cleared up. The lower gain settings helped.

I think Fiio did a stellar job with the M15, and it offers so much! It seems like they were aiming for a more euphoric and fun tuning over reference transparency. Many find the AK and iBasso overly analytical. So again, tastes come into play here.

 

[McCol]

I like the M15, best sound I've heard from a DAP, to my ears not as warm as the DX220 but more detailed and textured than the DX220 and Sony WM1a. Just my own wee opinion.

For the price it's a stunning player but I'd also agree in dropping the fancy box and including a basic case.

 

[DarginMahkum]

I think Fiio did a stellar job with the M15, and it offers so much! It seems like they were aiming for a more euphoric and fun tuning over reference transparency. Many find the AK and iBasso overly analytical. So again, tastes come into play here.

I like the M15, best sound I've heard from a DAP, to my ears not as warm as the DX220 but more detailed and textured than the DX220 and Sony WM1a. Just my own wee opinion.

Again different likes, different music and recordings, different headphones, different ear canals, different number of cells for different frequencies, different head and bone structures....just different people. Except the wooden box and the lack of a case, it is a perfect package for me. I don't know how good the SP2000 is but having had the SP1000, I don't see the price difference justifiable (even the contrary, I like the M15 more than SP1000) , and would rather invest the difference in good IEMs / HPs.