Obscure Chinese DAPs
Mar 6, 2018 at 10:45 PM Post #4,547 of 8,123
Can someone help me explain this to me?


So recently, i only hear i minimal difference in sound tonality even after long time of use of my z3 with the new opamp from burson that carlos gave to me, i was a bit dissapointed by that, so i tried using my z3 as a dac for my laptop, still the same, only minor differences that i cant even pinpoint.


now heres the suprise, i used it on my phone as a dac, and...DAMN like literally damn i could now here the vocals come to life i always thought my zenfone's audio reproduction is better than the stock zishan z3, i a/b tested it for many times with 3 certain songs that i knew the key sound difference between them, thats why i concluded z3 are warm and mid shy daps, while my zen is more of clinical type of sound. now with the v5i dual installed on my z3 and used as a dac this would probably be my budget end game right now alongside with my bosshifi b8, (tho the grados would be a more better partner with a stock z3).

I can describe the tonal signature as the mids are well elevated tho not annoyingly/overly elevated, bass response are clean, like SUPER clean im not even exaggerating, i never knew my zens has a bleed in low to mid frequency up untill now lol, and the treble remains the same, i dont hear major difference, also those minute sounds in the background that i dont really notice before in my songs are now well heard, its more like of an improvement of imaging but im not really sure.

now the thing is, when use zishan z3 alone it goes back to sounded "ok" like the magic of the burson is gone. why is that? is it the built-in amps of the z3 are bad? or not well implemented?


now my dilemma is that i dont know how to review the burson v5iD alone, since it doesn't benefit hugely my z3 if used as a standalone dap, i have to use my phone and z3 at the same time to make it work and its a waste of battery life. but for the sound quality it produces, i think its worth.
 
Mar 7, 2018 at 2:47 PM Post #4,549 of 8,123
Can someone help me explain this to me?


So recently, i only hear i minimal difference in sound tonality even after long time of use of my z3 with the new opamp from burson that carlos gave to me, i was a bit dissapointed by that, so i tried using my z3 as a dac for my laptop, still the same, only minor differences that i cant even pinpoint.


now heres the suprise, i used it on my phone as a dac, and...DAMN like literally damn i could now here the vocals come to life i always thought my zenfone's audio reproduction is better than the stock zishan z3, i a/b tested it for many times with 3 certain songs that i knew the key sound difference between them, thats why i concluded z3 are warm and mid shy daps, while my zen is more of clinical type of sound. now with the v5i dual installed on my z3 and used as a dac this would probably be my budget end game right now alongside with my bosshifi b8, (tho the grados would be a more better partner with a stock z3).

I can describe the tonal signature as the mids are well elevated tho not annoyingly/overly elevated, bass response are clean, like SUPER clean im not even exaggerating, i never knew my zens has a bleed in low to mid frequency up untill now lol, and the treble remains the same, i dont hear major difference, also those minute sounds in the background that i dont really notice before in my songs are now well heard, its more like of an improvement of imaging but im not really sure.

now the thing is, when use zishan z3 alone it goes back to sounded "ok" like the magic of the burson is gone. why is that? is it the built-in amps of the z3 are bad? or not well implemented?


now my dilemma is that i dont know how to review the burson v5iD alone, since it doesn't benefit hugely my z3 if used as a standalone dap, i have to use my phone and z3 at the same time to make it work and its a waste of battery life. but for the sound quality it produces, i think its worth.

Have you tried using the Z3 as an amp only and connect to your phone's output bypassing the z3 Dac section and only use the Amp? That would be a good test for whether the difference in what you are hearing is really the Op-Amp or if it is the fact that you are bypassing the internal DAC in the phone and using the DAC in the Z3 and that is what is accounting for the sound change.

To me, op-amp differences are always nuances and never a "Damn!" kind of moment, so the fact that the difference is that dramatic makes me suspect the DAC section of the Z3 is doing the work and not the Amp section.
 
Mar 7, 2018 at 9:38 PM Post #4,550 of 8,123
Have you tried using the Z3 as an amp only and connect to your phone's output bypassing the z3 Dac section and only use the Amp? That would be a good test for whether the difference in what you are hearing is really the Op-Amp or if it is the fact that you are bypassing the internal DAC in the phone and using the DAC in the Z3 and that is what is accounting for the sound change.

To me, op-amp differences are always nuances and never a "Damn!" kind of moment, so the fact that the difference is that dramatic makes me suspect the DAC section of the Z3 is doing the work and not the Amp section.



idk if the z3 have an amp only option, but its a default used as a dac when plugged in to any phone or laptop, but strange thing i discovered is that if u just normally plug it in, the blue LED would turned on, like its on charging mode. this is the time i only hear mininal sonic diffrrence, but when i experimented and pre-connected the z3 to my phone while turned off, and then turn it on while pressing the left button (its reset mode) the LED is turned off (the z3 is not charging and not using my phones battery), thats the time i could notice significant change. idk whats the explanation in this tho.
 
Mar 8, 2018 at 7:03 AM Post #4,551 of 8,123
Sounds like you found a difference outside of the op-amp to explain what is going on though which is what I had thought. Op-amp differences are usually very subtle even when working with customs like the Burson or Audio GD discrete models.
 
Mar 8, 2018 at 2:25 PM Post #4,553 of 8,123
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Mar 9, 2018 at 8:50 AM Post #4,554 of 8,123
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I am tempted by this, about 170$. Aigo Moonlight Z6pro, somewhere else is branded "Heaven audio Z6" but without line out.
Seems nice specs, usb dac, dual core cpu NXP, DAC Cirrus Logic, ESS headphone amp 16~600ohm (can't find output power)
But cannot find a review that solves two doubts: gapless play and, expecially, that hateful behaviour of some DAPs to cut intro/outro of songs. Anyone has idea about this DAP? Gapless is fine but for me if lacks it's not a big trouble (unless the gap is several seconds...) cutting sound is unacceptable!
 
Mar 9, 2018 at 12:04 PM Post #4,555 of 8,123
I am tempted by this, about 170$. Aigo Moonlight Z6pro, somewhere else is branded "Heaven audio Z6" but without line out.
Seems nice specs, usb dac, dual core cpu NXP, DAC Cirrus Logic, ESS headphone amp 16~600ohm (can't find output power)
But cannot find a review that solves two doubts: gapless play and, expecially, that hateful behaviour of some DAPs to cut intro/outro of songs. Anyone has idea about this DAP? Gapless is fine but for me if lacks it's not a big trouble (unless the gap is several seconds...) cutting sound is unacceptable!
Just found it on jd.com, all in Chinese but Chrome can translate.

https://item.jd.com/5279072.html
https://item.jd.com/16927869790.html
 
Mar 10, 2018 at 3:19 AM Post #4,557 of 8,123
My Z3 player does noet play WMA format, even though that is announced in the product description.
I tried different bitrates from 192 to 320; none of them works.

Did any of you manage to play WMA files?

Thanks, Herman


future software would fix that i think, but right now it cant even play m4a format that well, i cant forward the song and sometimes it stops.
 
Mar 10, 2018 at 5:40 AM Post #4,558 of 8,123
Did any of you manage to play WMA files?
From update log:
Relative 0.2 version, version 0.3 supports 8-channel wav files

0.3 update log:

1 support 8 channel wav file
2. Increase CUE compatibility
3. Fix some flac file ID3 without CODEC_TYPE problem


Still need to do:
1. Add more formats, such as wma
and many more
 
Mar 10, 2018 at 2:14 PM Post #4,559 of 8,123
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Mar 10, 2018 at 2:24 PM Post #4,560 of 8,123
Does the A1 is still discontinued? I asked because it has been listed in quite a few places (AliExpress, Taobao) and everybody seems to singing praises of its sound quality. I'm intrigued and much interested in buying it.

Probably new old stock they are looking to shift, hence the positive noises.
 

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