[Wyville]

I haven't written my review yet but as a spoiler I can safely say the QP2R will replace my Opus#2 as my reference DAP.

Also, in the about me section of my blog I write a similar tale regarding being tethered to a desk and when I want to refresh my adult beverage I want to continue listening to my high quality tunes, it's all about portable for me. Some of todays TOTL IEMs are beginning to rival over ears but there is still nothing like a good pair of headphones.

Also, IEMs are the best for exercise, I laugh sometimes thinking of the price I have in my ear to exercise.

I gathered from @Jackpot77's impressions on the Audio Primate blog that it is a great reference DAP, so I will keep an eye out for your review as well.

Do you exercise with your high-end gear? I really don't dare do that because of how much I sweat, especially when I am on the bike. I use my SE215 and have been surprised by how well they have held up getting soaked all the time, but I am already keeping an eye out for what might be a suitable option to replace them when they (inevitably) break. I guess stage monitors should be able to deal with sweat, but I produce an awful lot of it.

If 10 hrs is average in your opinion, then yeah, it's definitely average. I think I can make it probably a little longer (11-12 hrs) on the LPG's battery, where I think the AK380 runs about 8-9 hrs at most. The AK certainly drains a lot faster then the LPG when you use the (touch)screen a lot.

You're welcome and I'm looking forward to our mini meet (only a 1 hr drive) by that time.

Thanks! Will be great to meet up. Just need to get a car first. (Too expensive to have one in London, plus all the driving on the wrong side of the road... silly Brits. )

 

[deafdoorknob]

What cable is that?

Oriolus Reference Silver 2 wire

more managable than the dita truth, gives the bravado a more refined presentation, better bass resolution and microdetails, and ambient information.

 

[tim0chan]

Oriolus Reference Silver 2 wire

How can I get it? Im a sucker for 2 wire cables cos of their lower profile xD

 

[deafdoorknob]

How can I get it? Im a sucker for 2 wire cables cos of their lower profile xD

i got it at DMA in hong hong. Supposedly it's a PW Audio for Oriolus Mellianus design.

Perferred it over Eros, Eros+ Thor 2 and Thor 2+ which for me, are too much of a good thing with EE hybrids tho many here might disagree.

 

[tim0chan]

i got it at DMA in hong hong. Supposedly it's a PW Audio for Oriolus Mellianus design

Seems pretty affordable, but don't really like that it uses pvc insulation. Imo PE is the way to go

 

[EagleWings]

Excellent, excellent write-up, man! I tried the WA8 a year or two ago and had a similar experience. Through the HD800S, I loved the organic timbre that vocals and instruments took on, as well as the added low-end. But, a lack of stage openness (especially in width) and a wispy, un-authoritative quality to the midrange (I'd probably be able to describe this better had I had more experience back then) eventually put me off from dropping the cash. Like Mim, though, I very much look forward to what the WA11 has to offer.

Thanks bud.That is reassuring, as I was starting consider the possibility that it was just my unit that has this weird mid-range. Yep, totally agree, it pairs so well with the 800S on so many aspects. If it weren't for this mid-range, it would have been a keeper.

Thanks, WA8 is the device I have been most interested in and am reviewing myself soon. Sounds like it would be exceptional with a monitor thats very midforward like Zeus XIV. Also in Amp only mode it might en exceptional with Hugo2 since Chord products have a typically midforward presentation. I would love to hear what IEMs you used since I dont find Hugo2 harsh at all in fact one of its major criticisms is that its dull and not dynamic.

Yea man, the Hugo 2 unit I tested back in 2017, as part of the review tour wasn't this bright or harsh. In fact, I liked it so much that I went ahead and bought one last month. But the unit I own has been a little bright and harsh. So I am not sure what's going on. I did think about trying the H2 as DAC to feed WA8's amp. But I don't have a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable on me to try that.

As for people calling the H2 dull and not dynamic enough, they are referring to its bass and macro dynamics capability in comparison to desktop gear. For example, even my the $500 Lyr 3 had better bass and macro dynamics than the H2. So for people into desktop audio, H2 could come across as dull or soft. But in the portable realm though, H2 is probably one of the best sources available.

 

[deafdoorknob]

Seems pretty affordable, but don't really like that it uses pvc insulation. Imo PE is the way to go

yup, it's my otg cable, tend to revert to dita truth spc when mobility is not an issue. also liked the orb ultimate clearforce triple C and the brise upg001 ref but the latter has even worse ergonomics than the Dita lol

 

[kubig123]

i got it at DMA in hong hong. Supposedly it's a PW Audio for Oriolus Mellianus design.

Perferred it over Eros, Eros+ Thor 2 and Thor 2+ which for me, are too much of a good thing with EE hybrids tho many here might disagree.

Yes, it looks like to be the PWaudio Flash Silver, but it has been phased out.
You can contact Music Sanctuary to see if any of the new PW cables have the same sound signature, or you can check the Plussound X series too, it has a similar design.

 

[ranfan]

A Phantom-like IEM with dynamic bass I'd recommend would be the hybrid Vantage. They both share a similar warm sound character, with the Vantage having a clearer (not necessarily more resolving) mids. I enjoyed listening to vocals more with the Vantage, especially female. It's lovely, and smooth.

Spoiler: Sweet Candy

 

[Deezel177]

I gathered from @Jackpot77's impressions on the Audio Primate blog that it is a great reference DAP, so I will keep an eye out for your review as well.

Do you exercise with your high-end gear? I really don't dare do that because of how much I sweat, especially when I am on the bike. I use my SE215 and have been surprised by how well they have held up getting soaked all the time, but I am already keeping an eye out for what might be a suitable option to replace them when they (inevitably) break. I guess stage monitors should be able to deal with sweat, but I produce an awful lot of it.

Thanks! Will be great to meet up. Just need to get a car first. (Too expensive to have one in London, plus all the driving on the wrong side of the road... silly Brits. )

I tried the QP2R at a Jaben once through my Zeus-XR. Although I enjoyed how laidback-yet-neutral it was compared to the brighter and more energetic QP1R, the hiss was simply unbearable. Even scrolling on the centre wheel delivered static noises onto the IEMs. I'm not sure whether or not the demo unit was faulty, but it was certainly an unappealing experience.

A Phantom-like IEM with dynamic bass I'd recommend would be the hybrid Vantage. They both share a similar warm sound character, with the Vantage having a clearer (not necessarily more resolving) mids. I enjoyed listening to vocals more with the Vantage, especially female. It's lovely, and smooth.

Spoiler: SWEET CANDY

There's a certainly a defining peak somewhere in the Vantage's treble that sets it apart from the Phantom, but I agree; this is - for now - as close as you can get to a hybrid Phantom.

 

[subguy812]

I gathered from @Jackpot77's impressions on the Audio Primate blog that it is a great reference DAP, so I will keep an eye out for your review as well.

Do you exercise with your high-end gear? I really don't dare do that because of how much I sweat, especially when I am on the bike. I use my SE215 and have been surprised by how well they have held up getting soaked all the time, but I am already keeping an eye out for what might be a suitable option to replace them when they (inevitably) break. I guess stage monitors should be able to deal with sweat, but I produce an awful lot of it.

The problem is with most of what I have I try to choose the least expensive to exercise, even at that it is quite a bit of money, I guess it is a real first world problem.

 

[subguy812]

I tried the QP2R at a Jaben once through my Zeus-XR. Although I enjoyed how laidback-yet-neutral it was compared to the brighter and more energetic QP1R, the hiss was simply unbearable. Even scrolling on the centre wheel delivered static noises onto the IEMs. I'm not sure whether or not the demo unit was faulty, but it was certainly an unappealing experience.

I didn't have the XR when I got the QP2R but I haven't had any issues with the IEMs I have in my stable. I have read about hiss so I expected it, maybe I am lucky. I will try the ME with it after I get off the plane.

Maybe Jackpot can chime in

 

[PinkyPowers]

FIBAE ME probably won't hiss.

I'm not sure you have a super sensitive IEM anymore. lol.

For my hiss-tests, I use Spartan. That picks up everything.

 

[subguy812]

FIBAE ME probably won't hiss.

I'm not sure you have a super sensitive IEM anymore. lol.

For my hiss-tests, I use Spartan. That picks up everything.

I think my last sensitive IEM that I still listen to was the XR.

 

[Jackpot77]

I tried the QP2R at a Jaben once through my Zeus-XR. Although I enjoyed how laidback-yet-neutral it was compared to the brighter and more energetic QP1R, the hiss was simply unbearable. Even scrolling on the centre wheel delivered static noises onto the IEMs. I'm not sure whether or not the demo unit was faulty, but it was certainly an unappealing experience.

Questyle and their Current Mode amplification tech don't play nicely with the Zeus-XR. As yoi say, it hisses, plus it also flattens the differences between the two modes (XIV and R) on the Zeus to something that is almost inaudible. I'm guessing something there is playing with the impedance curves of the BAs in the Zeus, but I haven't spent anywhere near enough time in the Sound Science forums to make an educated or uneducated guess as to why. It also happens on the balanced and SE outputs of their CMA400i desktop DAC/amp with the XR.

The iFi IEMatch played quite nicely with the single ended output from the QP2R (don't have the 2.5mm model) to alleviate hiss, but the signature was still a little bit of a hybrid between the two normal XR sigs if memory serves.

The QP2R plays beautifully with the other IEMs I tried it with, though - the Andromeda sounded particularly impressive. It's definitely on my list of high-end sources I'd like to own at some point, and is the reason I picked up the CMA400i for use at home.