Thanks
@PaganDL . That helps a lot. Also if you can give more details on the sound apart from noise floor, it will help me to take a final call.
I remember Cowon has strong bass but don't remember if it was clean or bloated on S9.
No problem
@aaDee,
Happy to help.
Sound is highly subjective & personal, it really depends what you are after, not to mention the
actual recording quality not just source format quality, head gear choice, how good your hearing, listening level (not just actual volume), etc.
Subjectively & personally, both PD 2 & DX 120 actually have similar sound signatures though some will certainly disagree...
However, I tend to find the PD 2 more engaging (to me), certainly more stable in playing anything I have put on it.
It rarely crashes, if ever, though if that does occur, there is usually something wrong with the encoded file than the DAP's fault.
But if said music has all the right info in the frequency range, the PD 2 will play it very well.
The
stock sound leans towards neutral & balanced but with enough dynamics & impact not to be boring as well as resolution & clarity but the last two depend on recording quality more than anything else but as said, if the info is there, the PD 2 will play it very well.
Stock Bass response is more natural & good, in line with more pro bass sound than consumer heavy hitting.
This can be altered to a certain degree with
Jet effects, their custom DSP system which works like specialised EQ but is more DSP than actual EQ though there is a manual option to play with EQ if you are inclined.
When using PD2 or the orignal PD, I like the
BBE Headphone setting a lot as I find it gives a nice 3 DB lift across the bass frequencies as well as smooths the overall sound for me which I find quite enjoyable.
I also rarely need, if ever, an external amp when using the PD2 unless I want to use one or testing head amps.
Also, as mentioned in my previous post, battery life is my other consideration in a DAP, which is why both PDs are hard to beat.
I don't have to worry about either for at least 3 days before considering recharging.
Aside from sound, so generally anything less than 10 hours I will usually forgo unless it is truly exceptional then said device comes under consideration.
Subjectively & personally, both PDs also sound better than a lot of mid range to high end DAPs I have heard which I find both sad & laughable but that's an entirely different story...
DX 120 is just smooth, which isn't a bad thing, as I like smooth but there is a slight crispiness to the sound which emerges every now & then, which depending on what source material played can be potentially fatiguing, especially with sensitive IEMs due to that high noise floor mentioned. This is most notable since I have a lot of music which can hit the high frequencies pretty hard if not controlled.
As a definite non fan for piercing highs strong enough to make one potentially go deaf in no uncertain terms but potential idiots say is actually great & who will also complain they wonder why they get faitgued easily after a while, go figure...
But I digress...
In closing, if ever possible, I would suggest a demo to see which DAP suits you more but if a demo isn't possible, it is definitely hard to go wrong with the PD 2.
Hope this all makes sense.
Feel free to ask more if you need.
Hope you have a great day !