[normie610]

Is it possible a) my ears are shot or b) the adapter is doing something to help eliminate it.

Maybe the slightest bit, but again my tinnitus can sound like hiss, I don't know. What I do know is I am not going to search for something that isn't bothering me and consider it a blessing.

Which adapter are you using?

 

[subguy812]

My DAP progression

FiiO M9 - Sold
Hiby R6 Pro - Retired to the old gadget box - I loved the "heavy old brick"
Sony 507 - in daily use now

I download & stream Amazon Music HD

I wonder what could make me ditch the Sony for the R8?

Battery life is poor but it's so light and small it can sit in a shirt pocket with no problem. Keyboard is a tad small for my old eyes and clumsy fingers but I manage..

Sell me on the R8!

Battery life appears good so far...need more time. Your shirt pocket would have to be steel reinforced for the R8 to sit in it. Bigger screen equates to bigger keyboard.

 

[subguy812]

Which adapter are you using?

DD ddhifi DJ44A 2.5mm to 4.4mm adapter

 

[normie610]

DD ddhifi DJ44A 2.5mm to 4.4mm adapter

Ok I’ll be using that one too when R8 and Erlky arrive. It’s possible that the adapter plays a role on hiss.

 

[aaf evo]

DD ddhifi DJ44A 2.5mm to 4.4mm adapter

Using the same one with my erlkonig also.

 

[normie610]

Using the same one with my erlkonig also.

Then perhaps Subguy’s tinnitus does have an effect on how he hears the hiss

 

[Nayparm]

My DAP progression

FiiO M9 - Sold
Hiby R6 Pro - Retired to the old gadget box - I loved the "heavy old brick"
Sony 507 - in daily use now

I download & stream Amazon Music HD

I wonder what could make me ditch the Sony for the R8?

Battery life is poor but it's so light and small it can sit in a shirt pocket with no problem. Keyboard is a tad small for my old eyes and clumsy fingers but I manage..

Sell me on the R8!

Get some of these and it will sit in the pocket no problem

 

[subguy812]

Using the same one with my erlkonig also.

Hmm...guess my ears are shot. Which in this case is a good thing. I have mentioned in DAP reviews that I am not the best at picking up hiss.

 

[kdphan]

@DarginMahkum , So i am deciding between Diana V2 or Noble Sultan to pair with R8.

Do you think R8 can drive the Diana to it's potential?

DAP doesn't have enough power to drive the Diana V2 to its full potential. Even my desktop amp that outputs about 1watt @ 60ohms didn't drive it well enough.

 

[subguy812]

DAP doesn't have enough power to drive the Diana V2 to its full potential. Even my desktop amp that outputs about 1watt @ 60ohms didn't drive it well enough.

Sultan it is

 

[twister6]

Well, as we say on Head-fi (besides feeling sorry about one's wallet), everybody has a different hearing level, different preference of music, uses different headphones/earphones for pair up, etc, thus we shouldn't expect every impression to be the same. I guess everybody can agree this is a super fast DAP. Regarding hissing, it will depend on your hearing level and the type of music you are listening too. That is why it's important to read as many different impressions and reviews before pulling a trigger to purchase this DAP, and for the people who are sharing impressions/reviews to be more specific what music they are listening to and what IEMs/headphones they are using so others can relate to that. Some people use only headphones, and for them hissing relative to a few selected sensitive multi-BA/hybrid IEMs doesn't matter. Others use very demanding headphones, and maybe they find the power with Turbo-on not enough. That is a beauty of us having civilized discussion and sharing about what works and what doesn't, so others don't have to waste their money

 

[Facta]

Oh, maybe I have the normal case with mine. Mine has the stainless steel design on the back, which I thought was the design on the Dignis case. It is a tan colour. I must admit it doesn’t smell like real leather. But so often things are described as leather these days when they aren’t.

True. I once sneaked into a PG-13 film screening as a kid. Absolutely nothing. No skin show at all.

 

[Liberatus]

Incredibly early/amateur impressions so take it for a grain of salt:

R8 is tuned pretty neutral to me, definitely a bit hissy with the Erlkonig (this is a deal breaker for me tbh), it’s only noticeable on quiet passages but for the tracks I listen to that do have some quiet bits, it’s annoying. No hiss with the A18s at all. Haven’t gotten around to using the M5 yet.

Bass is neutral, I find the Max to have more thump and body in the lower end, Mids are revealing. if I had to choose between the presentation of the mids on the R8 or the Max, I prefer the Max as they have more body to them to my ears but I have no complaints about the R8. Treble is nice and extended. Overall just a neutral sounding DAP to me without much added color or body for that matter. I think it sounds great, but I think the Max is still another beast all together especially where staging is concerned. I haven’t heard anything come close to the Max staging (from android daps). So far from a pure SQ standpoint I think the Max is on another level still, but I’ll update that within the next few days.

I’ll keep listening over the next few days and post any changes I hear with burn in over time.

The speed of the DAP is seriously insane, I haven’t seen track scrolling on Spotify like this on anything except for my iPhone.

Compared to something like the M15, the R8 is not as warm, and I’d argue the R8 actually makes the M15 feel a bit sluggish even though that DAP is considered quite quick for Android DAP standards.

Hope those random impressions help.

edit: listening done on high gain with turbo mode, turning to low gain/turning off turbo mode did reduce the hiss a small amount, nothing crazy though.

Wellp, if you decide the R8 doesn't suit your tastes or prefer to stick to Max, make sure to let me know first! I'll likely take it off your hands quick if I haven't already gotten one myself haha

 

[Doctortre2481]

Incredibly early/amateur impressions so take it for a grain of salt:

R8 is tuned pretty neutral to me, definitely a bit hissy with the Erlkonig (this is a deal breaker for me tbh), it’s only noticeable on quiet passages but for the tracks I listen to that do have some quiet bits, it’s annoying. No hiss with the A18s at all. Haven’t gotten around to using the M5 yet.

Bass is neutral, I find the Max to have more thump and body in the lower end, Mids are revealing. if I had to choose between the presentation of the mids on the R8 or the Max, I prefer the Max as they have more body to them to my ears but I have no complaints about the R8. Treble is nice and extended. Overall just a neutral sounding DAP to me without much added color or body for that matter. I think it sounds great, but I think the Max is still another beast all together especially where staging is concerned. I haven’t heard anything come close to the Max staging (from android daps). So far from a pure SQ standpoint I think the Max is on another level still, but I’ll update that within the next few days.

I’ll keep listening over the next few days and post any changes I hear with burn in over time.

The speed of the DAP is seriously insane, I haven’t seen track scrolling on Spotify like this on anything except for my iPhone.

Compared to something like the M15, the R8 is not as warm, and I’d argue the R8 actually makes the M15 feel a bit sluggish even though that DAP is considered quite quick for Android DAP standards.

Hope those random impressions help.

edit: listening done on high gain with turbo mode, turning to low gain/turning off turbo mode did reduce the hiss a small amount, nothing crazy though.

Any feelings on sq compare to other portable dap on the market like m15 or cayiin n6ii or se200 ? ( I understand max sound better than all daps but its more like a desktop replacement)

 

[subguy812]

So far I think R8 is a solid option in the mid tier range, considering SP2000, Lotoo, LP P6 as upper tier. Max, R8, Fiio M15, SA700, SE200 are in this mid tier price range. There are others, I know.

You are always going to have things you like and don't like about DAPs. I spent so much time obtaining DAPs that were "featureless" and sq focused and now I am looking at the whole package and features. The sq of all of these is great, I am sure. Some are neutral, some are warmer and some are brighter. Some have hiss, some don't. We have so many options, but it will take me some time to see if the R8 will be my backup to the SP2000. Hiby has a great UI, great android execution. The sound has been good thus far.

Fiio was always the budget option then they put out a decent mid tier option in the M15, but it isn't quite there. I have never liked iBasso and their buggy, laggy UI that never gets fixed. I had the Kann Cube which is the largest, size wise, I want to go, so the Max has a couple of strikes against it, size and iBasso UI.

The new Kann Alpha appears to be nice, but time will tell. I love the AK house sound, but it won't appeal to everyone.