[scott5526]

Hey guys,

I picked up a Kaiser 10 during the Black Friday sales and was contemplating what DAP to pick up for them.

I was considerig the Sony ZX2 based on some good things I've heard about the pairing.

I was also considering splurging on a Astell&Kern AK240 based on the general reviews I've heard about this DAP and the balanced outputs which really interest me. At the price the balanced output would need a WOW factor though, since I would also need to pick up a balanced cable which isn't cheap.

So what are your guys' thoughts on these DAPs? Are there any others I should be considering? Is balanced worth it?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[scott5526]

bump

 

[swannie007]

Scott, I have a Cayin N5 dap that has balanced out, and to be fair, I can tell very little difference in sound quality between this and the single ended output playing the same song with the same headphones at approximately the same volume. The one advantage the balanced outputs have is more volume output but if you have sufficient amplification this is a moot point.
Would I buy a balanced output amp/dap again? Given the minuscule (if any) improvement in sound quality compared to the increased cost....NO.
This is just my 2c worth and your mileage may vary and all that. 
Hope this is helpful. Cheers from Oz.

 

[scott5526]

Scott, I have a Cayin N5 dap that has balanced out, and to be fair, I can tell very little difference in sound quality between this and the single ended output playing the same song with the same headphones at approximately the same volume. The one advantage the balanced outputs have is more volume output but if you have sufficient amplification this is a moot point.
Would I buy a balanced output amp/dap again? Given the minuscule (if any) improvement in sound quality compared to the increased cost....NO.
This is just my 2c worth and your mileage may vary and all that. 
Hope this is helpful. Cheers from Oz.

Thank you for your input.

The reason I'm interested in balanced cables is based off past experience using a LCD-3 with and without balanced where I was impressed by the balanced setup.

Portable balanced and desktop balanced are 2 different things though, I'm aware the comparison is uneven. Just using it as a reference point.

 

[warrior1975]

I think it will be largely contingent upon the source. I've never heard much difference between balanced and SE on any of the AK devices. If you read some of the limited reviews for the new Onkyo Dp-x1, balanced seems to make much more of an impact.