[sstyle]

Yesterday I bought a FiiO HS2 - a source switcher. And now I can not hear a difference between FiiO X7, iPhone 6. So what is the best way to compare? Run simultaneously on each one. Or one of them with 1-3-5sec delay from other? Or set 1 track to 3-5 times repeat and then switch to another source?
 
Maybe you can advice me a good track for my goal
 
p.s. Sure volume is on the same level (by SPL meter) on all devices. I tried to listen a same flac files on all devices and from TIDAL too. All devices connect via HS2 to external desktop high-quality A-class amp with Sennheiser HD650.
 
or may be an iphone sounds so good?!

 

[krismusic]

Yesterday I bought a FiiO HS2 - a source switcher. And now I can not hear a difference between FiiO X7, iPhone 6. So what is the best way to compare? Run simultaneously on each one. Or one of them with 1-3-5sec delay from other? Or set 1 track to 3-5 times repeat and then switch to another source?

Maybe you can advice me a good track for my goal

p.s. Sure volume is on the same level (by SPL meter) on all devices. I tried to listen a same flac files on all devices and from TIDAL too. All devices connect via HS2 to external desktop high-quality A-class amp with Sennheiser HD650.

or may be an iphone sounds so good?!

I can't help thinking that if more consumers were as rigorous in their testing as you have been, then a lot of DAP manufacturers may well be out of business.

 

[elfary]

  Yesterday I bought a FiiO HS2 - a source switcher. And now I can not hear a difference between FiiO X7, iPhone 6. So what is the best way to compare? Run simultaneously on each one. Or one of them with 1-3-5sec delay from other? Or set 1 track to 3-5 times repeat and then switch to another source?
 
Maybe you can advice me a good track for my goal
 
p.s. Sure volume is on the same level (by SPL meter) on all devices. I tried to listen a same flac files on all devices and from TIDAL too. All devices connect via HS2 to external desktop high-quality A-class amp with Sennheiser HD650.
 
or may be an iphone sounds so good?!

 
i had no switcher but when i compared my iPhone 6 with a fiio X5 and an iBasso DX100 it was quite obvious that for iems iPhone was as good, far less bulky and with better looking UI.
 
If you look here you'll see than driving real earphones iPhone 6 is a heck of a source:
 
https://www.seeko.co.kr/zboard4/zboard.php?id=m_device&page=2&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=off&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=9
 
And an iBasso DX80:
 
https://www.seeko.co.kr/zboard4/zboard.php?id=m_device&page=1&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=off&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=64
 
Except for output impedance i can't tell any difference. And 2.3 is low enough for 99% of earphones. (Bats out there: i know you can pick a 1 decibel FR skew but as a human i know that i can't)

 

[ld100]

   
 
Buy the AudioQuest DragonFly Black or Red DAC/HPA. Its a tiny DAC, same size as a USB stick and sounds very very good, not too far behind the chord Mojo but much smaller. It also gives you much more volume. This was the main reason I bought this DAC, it gives much more headroom, also added detail. The Black retails for around £80, the Red has better internals and sells for £169.99. Both sound better than the iPhone and have much more power. Note you need to buy the apple camera connection kit (Apple CCK).  

 
 
After reading pages and pages I am just confused. So will Dragonfly make a difference with iPhone? This post contradicts the rest of the post here? Can someone elaborate? Personal experience with Dragonfly? Will Black version work with most headphones?

 

[brent75]

   
 
After reading pages and pages I am just confused. So will Dragonfly make a difference with iPhone? This post contradicts the rest of the post here? Can someone elaborate? Personal experience with Dragonfly? Will Black version work with most headphones?

Dragonfly (and amps in general) will OBJECTIVELY make your iPhone play LOUDER than it can on its own.
 
Dragonfly (and DACs in general) will SUBJECTIVELY make your iPhone sound BETTER than it does on its own.
 
 
That's what it comes down to. Some people hear an enormous difference...some a subtle difference...and some no real difference at all.

 

[shotgunshane]

I'll add that many dacs and amps sound slightly different. Different isn't always better. The Dragonfly's are interesting to me as an ultra portable way to get output impedance under 1 ohm.

 

[krismusic]

I don't know if I am up a gumtree here. I always thought that the iPhone sounded excellent and was all I need.
Until curiosity got the better of me and I bought a DAC/amp. The Onkyo HA200.
It seems to me (and this is backed up by reviews that I have read) to improve the detail of the bass and sweetens the treble. However, there is a trade off in that the treble is rolled off.
By comparison the top end of the iPhone sounds "scratchy" to me and the bass rather "one dimensional".
The Onkyo is also a PITA to carry around.
I was hopeful that the Dragonfly might be a good solution in that it might improve the sound of the iPhone and be easy to keep in my pocket.
Am I chasing unicorns here?
Does anyone agree with my assessment of the iPhone?
I have the 6S BTW and can tell no difference from the 5S, which I still also have.
Any thoughts much appreciated.

 

[ld100]

I have Audeze Sine that have an option to run from iPhone with just straight wire or through built in DAC. DAC is an a wire and uses lightning to connect to iPhone. Sound quality difference is HUGE. It sounds like vinyl records sound vs cd sound. HUGE difference.
 
Would Dragonfly make a similar difference or do you think this is something special to Audeze processing? I would love to achieve similar sound improvement with other headphones on iPhone and on my Mac's... Is the secret in the DAC or something else do you think?

 

[shotgunshane]

The Audeze dac is using DSP to tailor the sound for iOS use. That is going to be the wave of the future for headphones.

 

[krismusic]

The Audeze dac is using DSP to tailor the sound for iOS use. That is going to be the wave of the future for headphones.

I presume the Audeze cable cannot be used with other headphones.

 

[ld100]

The Audeze dac is using DSP to tailor the sound for iOS use. That is going to be the wave of the future for headphones.

 
Can you explain what it is or point me to where I can read about it? 
 
Dragonfly would not do such processing?

 

[ld100]

I presume the Audeze cable cannot be used with other headphones.

 
No. Weird Audeze only connection...

 

[shotgunshane]

I presume the Audeze cable cannot be used with other headphones.

The Sine uses dual 2.5mm connectors at the cups. Not sure what other Audeze cans uses. In theory you could put new connectors on it but the DSP is going to be tailored for the Sine's use with iOS devices, however subtle or strong the implementation is.

The cool thing is, you can download the Audeze app and configure EQ settings. The cable will memorize those settings and use them across all your iOS devices you plug it into. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what we'll see in the coming years.

 

[shotgunshane]

Can you explain what it is or point me to where I can read about it? 

Dragonfly would not do such processing?

Dragonfly is just a dac. No other digital sound processing manipulation. I have no idea how involved the Audeze implementation is but in theory you could tweak everything about a drivers performance regardless of driver type, enclosure, mechanical dampening, etc. Tyll of Innerfidelity has written/spoken some interesting thoughts on the future of DSP and usage with Apple's lightning connector. Intel is pushing for similar USB C usage on non-apple devices.

 

[ld100]

Dragonfly is just a dac. No other digital sound processing manipulation. I have no idea how involved the Audeze implementation is but in theory you could tweak everything about a drivers performance regardless of driver type, enclosure, mechanical dampening, etc. Tyll of Innerfidelity has written/spoken some interesting thoughts on the future of DSP and usage with Apple's lightning connector. Intel is pushing for similar USB C usage on non-apple devices.

 
Interesting. I am not impressed with Sines as they perform wonderfully with iOS and not as lovely with my Mac or other sources. I thought it was the DAC and now it seems that there is more to it. So basically getting Dragonfly would not do wonders for my other headphones...