[Mimouille]

Right on. This is a good player, and I would agree it is a highly resolving player. My Andro is a different beast out of this one, and shows off how a well matched source does to an iem.

LPG for sure is an engaging sounding player(especially the vocals), I call it hot sauce because of this reason(you apply it to everything that need flavoring), but treble can be hot with certain iems, but the PEQ is quite good and it's just a matter of adjustment(unlike most DAP EQ which are not really that good). LPG stage is not really as wide either as other top level DAPs.

Opus #2 is one of the higher resolving players, and yes, it is higher reolving that LPG. So, LPG is not a perfect player, and not the one for super micro-details, but I like it a lot due to how well it drives iems(bass slams, drives iSine planars like no other) in an engaging nature(this sounds arbitrary, but you'd understand if you experience the sound). No other players can make iSines(and therfore, likely LCDi4 as well) with a bit of a wonky non-Cypher cable tune to sound it's best, and sound like it's driving the best. In general, anything I've tried being outputted by LPG sounds like it's driven well(if that makes any sense).

I bet not much people heard of The Bit(the company), and what the hell Opus is, and would have not expect the #2 to be the best player out of #1,2, and 3. It is a good player, doesn't work well as a pre-amp(for speakers per say, my best JBL powered speaker preamp is the Mojo interestingly). but as a DAP for BAs, I say at least of the best if not at the best level. It's just not known company for most I think. My Andro has the fastest transient response out of the #2, and this really puzzles me.

AK380 was another higher resolving player than LPG as well, but different from Opus or LPG. Opus and LPG has more of a forward treble in comparison, but AK380 has very fine or thin treble that creates a impression of being able to output minor nuances, but it's not a perfect player either(not really better than Opus #2, and value is not 2.5 times as it's priced).

So, my point is that DAPs have a certain threshold of performance, and separate them as either it's hifi sounding or not(for iems I'm speaking of course). Majority out there are not. Not (at least much)better than basic players.

Anyway, sources are important for fidelity of iems.

I have not heard the Opus 2, just the 1, which I found flat, boring, and technically unimpressive. I guess the 2 is much better though.

As for the LPG and micro-details / resolution, I do not share this perspective. I find the LPG to be one of the highest resolving players there is. I have compared it extensively with AK380 and 240, and on first listem, you feel AK is clearer and more transparent, but the reason for that is that the LPG manages to create something almost no other DAP has, which is true depth. Some things appear less clear and transparent, and some details are less forward. I feel that with the AK380, the music is presented on a wide flat canvas, whereas with the LPG you are exploring the music in a slighlty narrow but deeper room. Details are less obvious sometimes but resolution is there.

I also thing the WM1Z has a mix of both, with great layering creating some sense of depth, and a nice width. Overall it is slightly warmer though.

 

[SilverEars]

That's how I describe players that's not what I consider hifi, flat and boring.
Mim, I cannot agree that LPG is highly resolving. This is why I still stick to my opinion regarding that.

 

[Mimouille]

That's how I describe players that's not what I consider hifi, flat and boring.
Mim, I cannot agree that LPG is highly resolving. This is why I still stick to my opinion regarding that.

Well don't need to agree, that's fine.

 

[ranfan]

The Prelude and the Opus sound like they're made for each other (name-wise). Gonna have to try that one (especially #2) as well during next visit. heard only very briefly during last convention, so cannot recall how it sounds, but I remember feeling happy/pleased with the sound. It's a bit dissapointing that its Android isn't very supportive. Anyone has experience with WM-1A, compared with Opus #2? Since they're both similarly priced.

 

[SilverEars]

Yes, I have heard the WM1A, it's quite ordinary. Not much dynamics, a bit smoothed out in output. Out of the two, Opus #2 is the hifi player. #3 was not. Have not heard the #1.

 

[ezekiel77]

Yes, I have heard the WM1A, it's quite ordinary. Not much dynamics, a bit smoothed out in output. Out of the two, Opus #2 is the hifi player. #3 was not. Have not heard the #1.

You nailed the description of the sound.

It's pleasant listening, not as engaging/emotional as 1Z, not as detailed/analytical as the AKs, but somewhere in between.

 

[proedros]

are your wm1a impressions in balanced mode ? or just SE ? and with the player burned in ?

cause balanced (and burned-in) is quite an improvement , imo

now if you heard it in SE and not burned in (less than 300-500 hours) well then you heard a totally different (and inferior) DAP

 

[ranfan]

For warm, or bassy IEMs, does the Opus 2 have a better synergy creating a leaner, and clearer sound?

I cannot disagree with 1Z being an emotional DAP, more specifically for the wallet. I will only try that one thanks @EagleWings, haha. Maybe next (life) time.

 

[SilverEars]

If you already find your iems to be warm or bassy, I don't think Opus 2 will make it lean. Opus 2 does sound clean, and clearer in general. Separation is good for example. The bass impact maybe tighter(but this also depends on capabilities of the drivers in your iems as well). Sound stage is large, so not lean sounding in this respect. For BA it responds well, but for dynamic drivers, I'm not sure if it reacts as well as BA though(sounds quite dynamic with my Andro). Not so definitive for that as I have not played around with many dynamic drivers.

 

[ezekiel77]

are your wm1a impressions in balanced mode ? or just SE ? and with the player burned in ?

cause balanced (and burned-in) is quite an improvement , imo

now if you heard it in SE and not burned in (less than 300-500 hours) well then you heard a totally different (and inferior) DAP

Not sure who you addressed it to bud, but I'll give my two cents.

My WM1A is at the 800-hour mark, with most of the hours coming from balanced out. SE is er... like everyone and their grandma says, meh.

Context is important. For a year plus I've been listening to QP1R. It's been my reference DAP for good reason, mainly bcos it sounds so damn good for the price. I hesitate to recommend the player to anyone (horrible UI, defective battery indicator, and the less mentioned about the clickwheel the better), but for pure SQ, it's da bomb. I'd say it's reference-level detailed, with an airy and open stage, and it's dynamic as hell. It segues from soft to loud to soft again in a heartbeat, and is effortless in doing so. These qualities make listening to music a very involving experience. I head bop and air guitar to it. Even air piano. It might not be the last word in timbre, tonal accuracy and vocal euphony, but it went for a neutral and very detailed signature, and pretty much accomplished that. I've not heard many DAPs (regrettably, not even Opus #2 or DX200), but only SP1000 surpasses the QP1R in quality, if we're staying in the same signature.

So any impressions I have about WM1A, which I've owned since March, is done in comparison to QP1R. I should have explained that earlier. WM1A lacks dynamics compared to QP1R. But then again we're talking about QP1R's greatest strength so there's no shame in that. WM1A aims for a smooth-neutral sound that's easy to please and excellent for long listening sessions. Which is great because the battery life is excellent. Even via WM1A's balanced out, I feel QP1R has more apparent detail, and an airier, more expansive stage. WM1A has the note richness, more emotion in its vocal reproduction, and an overall fuller and smoother sound. It's also no slouch in soundstage either. Definitely not as fun as QP1R, but as a total package including UI, battery life, storage, and some kickass balanced cables I have made, 8 times out of 10 I pick WM1A when going out and about. QP1R is mostly grounded because of the dumb battery indicator (40% one minute and 0% the next), really a killjoy.

 

[Kerouac]

Although this is essentially an iem thread, I was very interested by all the recent (too many to quote over here) dap posts. Because, let's face it, it's all about synergy in the end. You can have a great sounding iem, but it will always sound better / worse from different sources. And the final result isn't always defined by the total amount of the pricetags involved.

Just some (maybe not so humble) opinions from over here:

Pono: loved that dap and yes, especially in balanced mode. Ayre inside gave it a warm, tube like signature. Picked up the Sony XBA-Z5 (iem) and Sony MDR-Z7 (hp) during those days, as they both came with 2x 3,5mm balanced cables, which could be used directly from the Pono. Both scaled up noticeable in balance mode. The MDR-Z7 even turned from a mediocre sounding hp (SE) into a great sounding hp (bal)

Opus #1: imo this is a very nice (not bad at all) performing dap. It ain't as good as the LPG of course, but just look at the pricetags and it's obvious / logic that there should be a difference regarding sq. But for it's low pricetag it's definitely an overperforming dap imo. Matches well with many iems to my ears. Also an advantage that it has 32gb inside + 2 micro sd slots. Already loved the Prelude out of that dap, so if the Opus #2 even sounds a lot better, I might seriously consider that dap for the future

DX200: I've had DX50, DX80, DX90 and DX100 in the past, but when I discovered that the new DX200 came with only 64gb inside and only one slot I was very disappointed. As carrying a large music library on my daps is important to me, I decided to not pull the trigger on that one. TOTL dap manufacturers should understand that DSD and 24bit flac files take a lot of data, right? But, that's just my point of view on the matter and maybe most people out there don't find it important at all and prefer streaming their music.

Btw, for my Zeus XR I still consider my Plenue 1 to be the best synergy match. Besides great (also warm) sq it has a black background and the differences between the R and XIV signatures are simply huge

 

[subguy812]

There are so many positives surrounding the SQ of the Opus #2. To be fair, if there is a negative, or a wishlist, I wish it had a little more power. I always find myself bumping up the volume. The UI is very nice and positively rounds out the experience.

 

[Ike1985]

All you guys an your portable setups, I'm much more interested in WA8 and Hugo2, transportable setups so to speak. Hugo2 actually fits perfectly in the back pocket in a pair of jeans. Still have yet to hear WA8, trying to get a review unit atm.

My listening is at my desk at work and a desktop setup is just too much for that so the highest sound quality I can get will be in the transportable category. There was one dude I saw who had the Hugo 2 + WA8 (amp mode)..sick..just sick bro. Still though at that much coin I'd be likely to splurge for a proper desktop tube setup for home and just listen to my phone at work, suffer at work, heaven at home.

 

[EagleWings]

All you guys an your portable setups, I'm much more interested in WA8 and Hugo2, transportable setups so to speak. Hugo2 actually fits perfectly in the back pocket in a pair of jeans. Still have yet to hear WA8, trying to get a review unit atm.

My listening is at my desk at work and a desktop setup is just too much for that so the highest sound quality I can get will be in the transportable category. There was one dude I saw who had the Hugo 2 + WA8 (amp mode)..sick..just sick bro. Still though at that much coin I'd be likely to splurge for a proper desktop tube setup for home and just listen to my phone at work, suffer at work, heaven at home.

Man, I hate this hobby. I pulled the trigger on a wm1z couple of weeks back and got it yesterday. Between the time I purchased it and it's arrival, I started getting this crazy idea of getting into desktop gear. Particularly getting either a Hugo 2 or WA8 and a full size HP.

But now that I have the 1Z and it sounds good I am thinking, may be I should stick to a DAP as it is convenient to carry it anywhere. But I know it's only a matter of time before my mind starts covering a desktop gear again. I hate this hobby.

 

[proedros]

inception has already begun , except the inevitable