[r31ya]

Any suggest for a good budget dac? I want a good budget bluetooth dac/amp with no colouration (neutral sound). I already have sone options in mind:
- Tempotec E44 + Kz az 09 pro
- Jcally JM10 JM20 JM40 + KZ AZ 09 pro.
- Fiio btr5 2021 - btr3k
- Qudelix 5k
- Shanling UP4
Have PEQ built in is a huge plus, also i tend to like a dial volume control if possible.
Edit: or should i buy TRN bt20s pro ?

The concensus seems to be, if you could get Qudelix 5K, get Qudelix 5K. apparently it have slightly better hardware and its the one with build in hardware PEQ if i recall it right.

BTR5 is a good option too, i have used mine for what a year? Its super awesome sounding and convenient as i no longer have dac dangling on my phone.
Shanling UP5 seems to be a good alternative but for some reason its not as popular as Q5K or BTR5.

Haven't tried or research much on the recent wired dongle after getting BTR5.
I am thinking on replacing my DragonFly red thats now doing its duty to power my HE400i 2020 with something more recent and balanced out like FIIO KA3 or Sonata S9 Pro or Xduoo Link Balanced.

AZ09 Pro and its friend is useful if you want to get rid of cable altogether but so far i'm pretty satiffied with BTR5 convenience so yeah.

 

[johnjazz]

So, which one sounds laid back and which one has better clarity and distinct imaging?

Thanks in advance.

-Clear

The ZEX Pro sounds laid back.
Here's a pic. Can you spot any difference

 

[moisespr123]

Some impressions on some of the budget KZ models from the past year:

• KZ DQ6 Unboxing and First Impressions
• KZ ZEX Unboxing and Sound Impressions
• KZ ZEX Pro Unboxing and initial sound impressions

EDIT: My bad, links fixed

 

[redguardsoldier]

Some impressions on some of the budget KZ models from the past year:

• KZ DQ6 Unboxing and First Impressions
• KZ ZEX Unboxing and Sound Impressions
• KZ ZEX Pro Unboxing and initial sound impressions

Your links are "edit" links so they require credentials

 

[unifutomaki]

1 good dongle if possible

I’ll be that guy and say: Apple dongle.

 

[seanwee]

I’ll be that guy and say: Apple dongle.

Solid baseline for sure. But I'd reccomend the JCALLY JM20 for its better build quality and clearer and more detailed sound for less than $20

Also for those in the EU where the Apple dongle is capped to 50%

 

[NeonHD]

Wooow!

I got such a huge discount on the ZEX Pro (aka CRN) due to being a Diamond member on Aliexpress! Regular sale price is around CAD $41.

I was planning on buying them anyways but now there's no reason I won't. Tuning is exactly what I wanted. Can't wait to hear it.

 

[Tzennn]

I’ll be that guy and say: Apple dongle.

Well sound quality doesn't match build quality tho. I can't count how many of these fall apart after 1 WEEK HEAVY USE. I'M SORRY

Solid baseline for sure. But I'd reccomend the JCALLY JM20 for its better build quality and clearer and more detailed sound for less than $20

Also for those in the EU where the Apple dongle is capped to 50%

Actually consider both JM20 and JM10 but i'm lowkey interested in some balance/ more powerful dac. Don't know if more powerful = better sound or not

 

[unifutomaki]

Don't know if more powerful = better sound or not

I don’t want to know what you’ve been doing with them Apple dongles XD /jk

Power doesn’t necessarily translate to better sound quality. More power will give more headroom for higher impedance gear, but also translate to higher battery drain (from the host device) and possibly more heat.

 

[Tzennn]

I don’t want to know what you’ve been doing with them Apple dongles XD

Due to my CAREFULLY pull and push my dongle to charge my iphone, 2 hours charge, 3 hours use... Thank apple for removing 3.5 jack, so i can stop using your STIPID DEVICE.

Power doesn’t necessarily translate to better sound quality. More power will give more headroom for higher impedance gear, but also translate to higher battery drain (from the host device) and possibly more heat.

Thanks for clarify that

 

[nraymond]

I can't count how many of these fall apart after 1 WEEK HEAVY USE. I'M SORRY

Really tempted to make a dongle joke here, but I will refrain.

 

[SpaceOperaVillain]

Been pressed for time working on my ZEX Pro review. Mostly I just drink while listening to stuff like this.



Scotch burns on its way down, seeping into the pains of one's soul, as a good single malt should. At first there's a hint of resistance, and then total acceptance. Small waves of heat, extinguished by the chills of forlorn experiences and all those beautiful mids out of these ZEX Pro. The macro detail, the micro detail, it's all there. So lush. Lush velvety blankets of sound.



And then, keep sinking deeper and deeper with the most effortless vibrato in contemporary jazz - Sinne Eeg. I'm lost in the world she's painted. Rising and falling on the dynamics, even from this lousy 480p recording, utterly captivated by that beautiful voice of hers. Just a perfect amount of decay from the voice amps from this performance, resonating into the theater. The band's well back in the mix where it belongs in a supporting role until the keys inject some life back into us before being crushed again by the next verse.

It's dark out and I really want a cigarette. the world is like an apple, whirling silently in space. like the circles that you find - in the windmills of your mind. Has your lover ever desperately held on to you but couldn't explain why they were lost for words? Windmills.

* ice and pouring noises *



Chet Baker up next, off a balanced SPC cable on the E1DA set to "Compressor vinyl like" preset, but tweaked with a pull back of that 10k trough in the PEQ. There's a very special sound on brass instruments when played pianissimo - you can hear the air escaping the instrument almost as loud as the instrument's tone, one of Chet's trademarks and very difficult to play as consistently as he did. Track two when he starts to sing on you go to my head - that quiet baritone voice is the same voice as his instrument and you realize the magic of Chet's music. It doesn't matter if he's singing or playing a horn - these are melodies coming from the same soul.

See y'all next week. I'm boxing everything up for a while and happy to make these my daily drivers for awhile. Hopefully I avoid rehab.

 

[moisespr123]

Your links are "edit" links so they require credentials

Oops, links fixed.

 

[dharmasteve]

Been pressed for time working on my ZEX Pro review. Mostly I just drink while listening to stuff like this.



Scotch burns on its way down, seeping into the pains of one's soul, as a good single malt should. At first there's a hint of resistance, and then total acceptance. Small waves of heat, extinguished by the chills of forlorn experiences and all those beautiful mids out of these ZEX Pro. The macro detail, the micro detail, it's all there. So lush. Lush velvety blankets of sound.



And then, keep sinking deeper and deeper with the most effortless vibrato in contemporary jazz - Sinne Eeg. I'm lost in the world she's painted. Rising and falling on the dynamics, even from this lousy 480p recording, utterly captivated by that beautiful voice of hers. Just a perfect amount of decay from the voice amps from this performance, resonating into the theater. The band's well back in the mix where it belongs in a supporting role until the keys inject some life back into us before being crushed again by the next verse.

It's dark out and I really want a cigarette. the world is like an apple, whirling silently in space. like the circles that you find - in the windmills of your mind. Has your lover ever desperately held on to you but couldn't explain why they were lost for words? Windmills.

* ice and pouring noises *



Chet Baker up next, off a balanced SPC cable on the E1DA set to "Compressor vinyl like" preset, but tweaked with a pull back of that 10k trough in the PEQ. There's a very special sound on brass instruments when played pianissimo - you can hear the air escaping the instrument almost as loud as the instrument's tone, one of Chet's trademarks and very difficult to play as consistently as he did. Track two when he starts to sing on you go to my head - that quiet baritone voice is the same voice as his instrument and you realize the magic of Chet's music. It doesn't matter if he's singing or playing a horn - these are melodies coming from the same soul.

See y'all next week. I'm boxing everything up for a while and happy to make these my daily drivers for awhile. Hopefully I avoid rehab.

Appreciate your way with words and passing on your mood. We are complex beings and I tasted your scotch in my being. Sh%$e I wish I had some.

 

[johnjazz]

The ZEX Pro sounds laid back.
Here's a pic. Can you spot any difference

After some lengthy listening and comparison with some of my IEMs, I would categorized the ZEX Pro as having a sound signature closer to the Moondrop Kato while the CRN is to the 7Hz Timeless!