tonyc2468
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2012
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Just thought i would post a few very quick initial impressions of this new "Brick" coming out of China
The new Chinese DAP the Flang V5 has started appearing on a few forums and for sale on various web sites
What makes this one a little bit different was that it also comes with the option of a docking station that promises balance line out capability from the player and a remote for controlling basic functions
main specs
Support Format：DSD/APE/FLAC/ALAC/WMA/WAV/MP3
Output power: 125 mW (RL=32Ω/THD+N=1%)
Frequency response: 20 hz - 20 KHZ
Distortion: 0.0035% (1 KHZ)
Signal to Noise Ratio: ≥95dB
Channel Separating Degree: 79 db (1 KHZ)
Display: OLED
Battery capacity: 2000 mah
Battery life: ≥ 12 hours
Size:120*72*25(mm)
Weight: about 249g
This unit I received a few days ago and have done extensive listening direct from the player and through the line out modes of the dock.
First of all the positives
The packaging was good
The weight and feel of the dock and player itself felt solid
All functions worked - basic firmware and all dock and remote functions had no problems
The balanced line out and remote function is the primary feature of this player if connecting to a dedicated HiFi system or headphone amplifer and has functioned well
having a 6.3mm headphone Jack is a nice inclusion for easy of trying different headphones without an adaptor
SPDIF digital out from player was good
Looks very nice in the dock
However
To purchase the unit with the dock is $299 US and $199 without dock and the player unfortunately does not sound like a $300 DAP if you take in the cost of the dock into consideration
From my impressions and comparisons the sound of this DAP sits between players like the fiio X1 and fiio x3
There is nothing wrong with the sound but in my opinion the line out quality is significantly better than the player by itself
The unit is heavy and bulky which means it is not something you would probably slip and carry in your pocket - this DAP is the same foot print as the shanling M3 but build quality is not in same league
The build quality is average and while it is heavy and solid - almost industrial- the details are not of a high standard for this price range. You can see from the photo the centre dial button logo is not central and some of the buttons feel a bit loose - long term reliability is a question mark for me
When trying various headphones i had slight distortion coming through at higher volumes on most of them and while I could get a reasonable volume off a pair of HD600 it was not a satisfying experience
When loading music the transfer rate is painfully slow and so it is easier just to use the micro SD card in an adapter to load music
When searching for music be prepared for a basic folder search and scroll through list as you have only a basic functionality in this area
This is probably not the sort of player you would buy for the quality of sound and build as there are many other players in the same price range -but it does have some very good external features if you take the dock and balanced out put and remote function into consideration. It has a number of options for connecting to other pieces of equipment that are very useful if you want a very flexible player
In comparison to other DAPS on hand the level of detail in the Flang does not come through as well as any of these , and as well as not having the detail you would expect from the DAC chip used I felt there was a slight lower end emphasis which sounded muddy at times
The differences were less obvious when using line out or balanced out put from the dock which I think is the key strength of this player - I could not see me reaching for this unit for portable use but i can see myself using it with the dock and remote on a full hifi speaker system or with a desk top set up
This is only impressions after 2 days - I am not sure if there is or will be any break in changes or if I have not given it enough time yet to fully evaluate
For $300 US however my money goes to the Aune M2 which I also obtained recently - this has build and sound quality that i think is the new standard to get at this price and while does not have the features of the other DAPS in photo above -is my favorite at the moment and may also be clouding my view of this player.
I have mixed feelings at the end of the day - if it sounded as good my other mid priced DAPs I would recommend this player, but the true benefit is the dock which takes the price to $299 US - if the $199 player price included the Dock and remote I would view this unit in a completely different way as I can not think of a reason after getting it ,that I would be happy if I had just got the player itself at $199
I think the concept of the player is very good and if the same product had the same functionality, and interface and sound as the fiio x5 or shanling M2 along with the Dock and remote in a smaller player foot print i think they would be onto a winner - as it is I think the price is too high for what you get
again I should note this is only impressions after a couple of days and I may not have fully given it the time it needs - however first impressions do often count
The new Chinese DAP the Flang V5 has started appearing on a few forums and for sale on various web sites
What makes this one a little bit different was that it also comes with the option of a docking station that promises balance line out capability from the player and a remote for controlling basic functions
main specs
Support Format：DSD/APE/FLAC/ALAC/WMA/WAV/MP3
Output power: 125 mW (RL=32Ω/THD+N=1%)
Frequency response: 20 hz - 20 KHZ
Distortion: 0.0035% (1 KHZ)
Signal to Noise Ratio: ≥95dB
Channel Separating Degree: 79 db (1 KHZ)
Display: OLED
Battery capacity: 2000 mah
Battery life: ≥ 12 hours
Size:120*72*25(mm)
Weight: about 249g
This unit I received a few days ago and have done extensive listening direct from the player and through the line out modes of the dock.
First of all the positives
The packaging was good
The weight and feel of the dock and player itself felt solid
All functions worked - basic firmware and all dock and remote functions had no problems
The balanced line out and remote function is the primary feature of this player if connecting to a dedicated HiFi system or headphone amplifer and has functioned well
having a 6.3mm headphone Jack is a nice inclusion for easy of trying different headphones without an adaptor
SPDIF digital out from player was good
Looks very nice in the dock
However
To purchase the unit with the dock is $299 US and $199 without dock and the player unfortunately does not sound like a $300 DAP if you take in the cost of the dock into consideration
From my impressions and comparisons the sound of this DAP sits between players like the fiio X1 and fiio x3
There is nothing wrong with the sound but in my opinion the line out quality is significantly better than the player by itself
The unit is heavy and bulky which means it is not something you would probably slip and carry in your pocket - this DAP is the same foot print as the shanling M3 but build quality is not in same league
The build quality is average and while it is heavy and solid - almost industrial- the details are not of a high standard for this price range. You can see from the photo the centre dial button logo is not central and some of the buttons feel a bit loose - long term reliability is a question mark for me
When trying various headphones i had slight distortion coming through at higher volumes on most of them and while I could get a reasonable volume off a pair of HD600 it was not a satisfying experience
When loading music the transfer rate is painfully slow and so it is easier just to use the micro SD card in an adapter to load music
When searching for music be prepared for a basic folder search and scroll through list as you have only a basic functionality in this area
This is probably not the sort of player you would buy for the quality of sound and build as there are many other players in the same price range -but it does have some very good external features if you take the dock and balanced out put and remote function into consideration. It has a number of options for connecting to other pieces of equipment that are very useful if you want a very flexible player
In comparison to other DAPS on hand the level of detail in the Flang does not come through as well as any of these , and as well as not having the detail you would expect from the DAC chip used I felt there was a slight lower end emphasis which sounded muddy at times
The differences were less obvious when using line out or balanced out put from the dock which I think is the key strength of this player - I could not see me reaching for this unit for portable use but i can see myself using it with the dock and remote on a full hifi speaker system or with a desk top set up
This is only impressions after 2 days - I am not sure if there is or will be any break in changes or if I have not given it enough time yet to fully evaluate
For $300 US however my money goes to the Aune M2 which I also obtained recently - this has build and sound quality that i think is the new standard to get at this price and while does not have the features of the other DAPS in photo above -is my favorite at the moment and may also be clouding my view of this player.
I have mixed feelings at the end of the day - if it sounded as good my other mid priced DAPs I would recommend this player, but the true benefit is the dock which takes the price to $299 US - if the $199 player price included the Dock and remote I would view this unit in a completely different way as I can not think of a reason after getting it ,that I would be happy if I had just got the player itself at $199
I think the concept of the player is very good and if the same product had the same functionality, and interface and sound as the fiio x5 or shanling M2 along with the Dock and remote in a smaller player foot print i think they would be onto a winner - as it is I think the price is too high for what you get
again I should note this is only impressions after a couple of days and I may not have fully given it the time it needs - however first impressions do often count
