[Malevolent]

Personally I hope there's always at least one manufacturer willing to keep it simple and focus on music alone. I don't need a huge bright screen, lots of apps and another brick to carry around-- focus on sound quality, good EQ, battery life and portability instead.

For me, I went the other way (sorta). I initially wanted a standalone music player, without any extra fluff. However, over the years, I've grown to amass a sizeable Spotify song catalog. I now require a DAP that allows full access to Spotify, along with a myriad other apps. (for future proofing?) Hence, I jumped on the R6 bandwagon, and I'm happily enjoying a Pro version now, with the DX220 in my sights.

I don't know... The audio quality is important, no doubt, but I also want a DAP that is fully featured as opposed to one that is bare-boned in utility.

 

[davidcotton]

As I mentioned before, don't underestimate the power of a single BA IEM Just published Erik's (@Wyville) review of @piotrus-g CustomArt FIBAE Black here. Soon, on Head-fi as well.

Nice review, but it doesn't make the wait for the return of my refit unit any easier

 

[Wyville]

Nice review, but it doesn't make the wait for the return of my refit unit any easier

Thanks! I can completely understand that sending them back has left a Black hole in your life...

 

[davidcotton]

Thanks! I can completely understand that sending them back has left a Black hole in your life...

That really isn't helping I keep talking myself into and out of ordering something from the uk. It's only three weeks, I can last (can't I?????)

 

[Ricky64]

Hi all;
Recently I've had upgraditis, and also some well placed interests in getting a new iem to add to my PP8 and final E5000 (though most of my time is spent with the overear D8000).
I've gained a few insights on this recent search.
-I felt a real need to buy something within the category of latest and greatest
-Prices are really, really getting high to obtain the latest and greatest
-I listen to a lot of acoustic music, which places emphasis on the lower midrange and bass. I think I am in the minority of folks here, whose tastes in music put an emphasis on a more forward and pronounced upper midrange
-I like smaller enclosures, as I listen at bedtime. The Meze Penta was very nice here, just didn't care for the signature
-I really prefer the sound of dynamic drivers covering the bass and lower midrange.
-In the end, the 64 Audio Tia Trio won the day. They will be arriving soon from 46 audio. (I wanted new). Interesting, while everyone is coming out with their new hybrid, these guys have been at it for awhile. In a sense, this is their second generation tia hybrid. I have heard it in the past at RMAF and liked it.
-This is not the latest and greatest. And the funny thing is, while I initially thought it was way too expensive, the rest of the market seems to have caught up to it. It's all relative.
-With the hybrid frenzy, I'm curious if other buyers will consider it, as it isn't a new kid on the block. Even though it checks a lot of boxes, it may not win favor unless it is re marketed
-I still may do a custom at some point here. The Elysium and FAudio estat hybrids are of interest. I agree with Vision Ears, dynamic drivers shine in the lower midrange (see their new thread).

It's fun watching these forums with the number of new products and pricing pressures.
One thing I haven't figured out though...do I cancel my months old order for the Sony Z1R?

 

[Wyville]

Hi all;
Recently I've had upgraditis, and also some well placed interests in getting a new iem to add to my PP8 and final E5000 (though most of my time is spent with the overear D8000).
I've gained a few insights on this recent search.
-I felt a real need to buy something within the category of latest and greatest
-Prices are really, really getting high to obtain the latest and greatest
-I listen to a lot of acoustic music, which places emphasis on the lower midrange and bass. I think I am in the minority of folks here, whose tastes in music put an emphasis on a more forward and pronounced upper midrange
-I like smaller enclosures, as I listen at bedtime. The Meze Penta was very nice here, just didn't care for the signature
-I really prefer the sound of dynamic drivers covering the bass and lower midrange.
-In the end, the 64 Audio Tia Trio won the day. They will be arriving soon from 46 audio. (I wanted new). Interesting, while everyone is coming out with their new hybrid, these guys have been at it for awhile. In a sense, this is their second generation tia hybrid. I have heard it in the past at RMAF and liked it.
-This is not the latest and greatest. And the funny thing is, while I initially thought it was way too expensive, the rest of the market seems to have caught up to it. It's all relative.
-With the hybrid frenzy, I'm curious if other buyers will consider it, as it isn't a new kid on the block. Even though it checks a lot of boxes, it may not win favor unless it is re marketed
-I still may do a custom at some point here. The Elysium and FAudio estat hybrids are of interest. I agree with Vision Ears, dynamic drivers shine in the lower midrange (see their new thread).

It's fun watching these forums with the number of new products and pricing pressures.
One thing I haven't figured out though...do I cancel my months old order for the Sony Z1R?

I was listening to the Trio earlier today and they are really nice. Love the Tia treble and the bass is delicious. They are definitely a really good option for those looking for hybrids at the top end.

 

[ayang02]

-I like smaller enclosures, as I listen at bedtime. The Meze Penta was very nice here, just didn't care for the signature

As a PP8 owner, how you feel the Rai Penta compares with the PP8?

 

[Ricky64]

As a PP8 owner, how you feel the Rai Penta compares with the PP8?

The PP8 is a bit larger. Although it fits very well, the ergonomics of the Penta are unbeatable. The differences in BA vs DD bass are apparent. With the bass switch on, both have good bass. I found the lower midranges of both to be similar in timbre...ie a bit light in weight. The upper midrange of the Penta is excellent. Vocals are brought forward and have nice weight. It was excellent for pop and rock. I felt that the PP8 has a deeper and wider soundstage, and can handle complex passages without congestion. I find it better for larger scaled music.

 

[Pepito]

2 cents:

I've always been a proponent of "garbage in = garbage out" My quest for sources have ultimately led me to the Chord Hugo 2, I was previously running a Curious USB cable via/jitterbug out of a macbook pro. Now, I know there are a lot of cable naysayers, but USB cables are a whole 'nother story, I'm not touching this with a 10-foot pole in this thread.

Anyways, I was at first extremely skeptical of any of these jitter reducing devices, they truly seemed like snake oil to me at first. After doing a bit of reading on head-fi, and thus emptying my wallet more because what the heck an Audioquest Jitterbug is a relatively low-cost upgrade in our hobby. I instantly noticed a difference when I first plugged it into my chain (then was a Chord Mojo,) but I don't know if I liked it, it made the already warm Mojo sound extra aggressive (I also had Vega's at the time, talk about bass overload). I did some more reading on the interwebs and Rob Watts himself states that he hears differences with the Jitterbug when plugged into his chain (not a Mojo, Hugo 2 me thinks). Like I said, there are a lot of naysayers out there, but I can hear a difference and I'll let your ears be the judge of your own gear.

More audiophile rabbit-holing led me to the Uptone ISO REGEN and Uptone UltraCap LPS 1.2. I'm not gonna go over the specs in detail here but essentially it reduces noise and jitter from the crap that my Macbook produces. It's powered, unlike the AQ Jitterbug, and it's also 10x as expensive (including the LPS 1.2) Do I hear 10x the improvement? Hell naw, we are well into the law of diminishing returns at this level of headfilia, but screw that we are here for the soundssss.

My old chain: MBP > AQ Jitterbug+Curious USB cable > Chord Hugo 2.
My current chain: MBP > Uptone Iso Regen/LPS1.2 + micro-USBCP > Chord Hugo 2.

With the new upgrades, I instantaneously noticed a difference, and my first impressions were: goosebumps. The background became a lot darker. Separation/soundstage/imaging all improved. The highs were probably the first thing I noticed that sounded quite a bit better. The attack and decay on cymbals is unlike anything I have ever heard. Everything was just so much "tighter", the attack, sustain, decay, release, ugh. I then shifted my attention to the mids, same thing, the prrrrrrrat makes me go ughhhhhh moreeee. The individual snare hits, cymbals and ohhhh the sustain of the synth in Pendulum's - "9000 Miles," a track I've listened to thousands of times, but I think the synth touched me for the first time.

I've got a pair of EE Legend X's, and the bass actually tightened up quite a bit. I was getting quite a bit of fatigue when listening to techno and house via a PW Audio 1960's cable, but I've just finished listening to Fabric 77: Marcel Dettmann, and I'm about to throw on some more Fabric mixes The bass is probably the least improved upon area after initial listening, relatively.

I'm still waiting on a Curious cable to replace the stock Uptone one, as well as a Sonore DC cable, aaaaaand a set of PW Audio 1950's. Will update with more once everything is nice and burned-in.

 

[ayang02]

The PP8 is a bit larger. Although it fits very well, the ergonomics of the Penta are unbeatable. The differences in BA vs DD bass are apparent. With the bass switch on, both have good bass. I found the lower midranges of both to be similar in timbre...ie a bit light in weight. The upper midrange of the Penta is excellent. Vocals are brought forward and have nice weight. It was excellent for pop and rock. I felt that the PP8 has a deeper and wider soundstage, and can handle complex passages without congestion. I find it better for larger scaled music.

Thanks! This is a very good comparison. I hear the DD bass from the Rai Penta but it lacks the punch from typical DD drivers, might need to do more tip & cable rolling on my end. Vocals in general sound very nice on the Rai Penta. Rai Penta's soundstage definitely isn't wide or deep.

With the right cable and tips, it feels like the Rai Penta could just disappear since it's so comfortable to wear.

 

[chungjun]

Hey guys, a question about the iBasso DX200. How is the reliability of the device in general? As in, does it start having bugs, hang-ups or lags after a few months of use?

I have DX200 since early 2017. Looking back when iBasso rolled it out, there are kinks reported in the software to iron out. I share impression of many others that iBasso is responsive and roll out updates and take on feedback positively. I would add that if one is comfortable to tinker around with IT stuff or are generally technologically savvy it would add to a more positive experience as the constant update can test your patience and also be a chore to some. Streaming services like Spotify / Tidal are a must for me and DX200 plays well with them (either loading via APK or with @Lurker0 's update / add-on applied for Google compatibility). I play around mostly in Android mode and enjoyed the convenience of offline listening with Spotify / Tidal. Thus far, no major usability issues.

Hardware side of things - I've replaced battery for my DX200 early this year (DIY with support of iBasso). I've also had to have my AMP8 casing replaced (as it doesn't fit / align well with my DX200). With advancement in smartphones, I would not be surprised some would say that comparatively the touch screen response is not-as-snappy on the DX200. Some also reported 'ghost swipe' issue with early units but I have no such issue with mine.

Overall no issue with customer support - quick and responsive.

I don’t want to ask this question in the DX200 thread, as I know the kind of answers I’d get.

Yeah, the way the threads are organize, often it can be a little of a hunting expedition to flesh out impartial feedback. Lurking around threads of other DAP help keeps a perspective of what other manufacturers are offering.

 

[491326]

Cayin N6ii price is 1200usd and in their Facebook post, everyone was complaining about how expensive it is, and I'm like pffftttt

 

[491326]

the greatest ambient music ever written

 

[Ike1985]

The Regen looks to be exactly what I was looking for. I need something to totally remove the EMI/RF interference and other crap interference from both my S8 phone and my laptop. I don't really get to listen from my laptop much these days but I believe the regen would help. If I could bring galvonic Isolation to a phone -> Hugo2 setup I would be in heaven because almost all my listening is from the phone now. Would someone please try to hook it up to a phone with usb-c please and let me know how it goes and what cords were required.

 

[KuroKitsu]

SE100 listed for sale if anyone is interested.