Slater
Headphoneus Supremus
Looking forward to comparison with xduoo X3...
Does F.audio FA1 have BT or HiBy Link? Gapless playback? Pops between tracks?
Obscure Chinese DAPs
- Thread starter pekingduck
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Looking forward to comparison with xduoo X3...
Does F.audio FA1 have BT or HiBy Link? Gapless playback? Pops between tracks?
govie
New Head-Fier
Scrambler said in a pm that the F.audio S1 has minor interface/software issues (like alot of other DAP's) but the sound and power it generates is better then even the Shanling M1 which is his favorite DAP (and costs twice as much). XDuoo Nano D3, HiFiMan MegaMini can certainly not touch the soundquality and power this budget DAP produces, so it is probably (one of) the best DAP soundwise till atleast €130+ and costs only €46,--. I am probably gonna choose between the F.Audio S1 or the Xuelin 780. F.Audio apparantly has very high quality sound&power with 35h playtime but the Xuelin 780 @15h playtime looks much more fabulous and has covers and is allready recieving software updates. It is a difficult choice when you do not exactly know what you are deciding on, so I am gonna sleep on it. Do I go for the looks or character.... (1 more extra day does not matter anyway).
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hqssui
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Out of the players you have listed, I have only listened Megamini and if the SQ is above Megamini, I would say S1 is a total bargain for EUR 46. I hope @B9Scrambler will review it soon. Initially I thought S1 is a rebranded (old) Hisoundaudio Roccoo player with added bluetooth functionality.
NymPHONOmaniac
Headphoneus Supremus
F.Audio FA1 is a very strange beast, i'm not quite use to it right now and will need more listen, I say this in a positive way, as it make me the same thing with Ibasso DX90 wich was my first serius DAP. So, this time I will try to NOT be hysterical even if i'm VERY happy with FA1!
SOundsignature as said is unique, it effortlessly give lot of details that I never heard in music....even if I have heard more than 10 good chifi DAP....its like the AK chip can dig and show you details that wasn't able to be read with other DAP, cause its not IN YOUR FACE and this is why perhaps I read on russian forum that it do not give WOW effect,wich for me is the opposite, I listen laid back music that now have lot of layers mix togheter but all discernable quite easily, without sounding harsh at all to a point that perhaps this DAP make you listen music louder in fact. How say...this sound really in between digital and analogue, like if it was mix togheter, cause too digital can sound cold or clinical and it not the case, especially when music have bass in it cause bass rpesentation is very thick and go deep, really deep (like AK4490 but with a little more texture). Imaging is very revealing too, but I do not feel its extra deep, more panoramic like presentation, you wanna turn your head to see the sound source. Sound is slightly V shaped I would say, cause bass is quite lively and spot on comparatively to rest of sound spectrum, but not in a clumsy boomy way, more like if the bass sparkle more than the highs wich are ultra detailed but never harsh or very dynamic, the mids and vocal are textured, clean and another time very enjoyable but not enveloping and fowards, listening right now to Vulnicura by Bjork, vocal is in the middle, very ''HD'' sounding but not expensive, it stay in the middle of all the focked up sound and bass of the tracks, all is ultra detailed, fast and smooth sounding at the same time....just incredible the numbers of sounds and instruments I can pick up!!!!!!!!!!!
About UI, hum, not test enough, but the good thing is that I do not have any bug issue (even with a chinese firmware update!), it is about average in term of reading tracks, playing one from microsd is slower than from the 32G(!!) internal memory. It isnt particularly user friendly and would prefer that volume have buton at its side and not from front wheel (non scrolling) buton. The weight is exactly 191.14G (hehe, got a balance for.....euh). I did not charge battery yet so can't really tell, but it make about 5H I listen to it at high volume (60-80). Amping is quite powerfull because i'm the kind to push it very high and I never go above 80 out of 100 even with 64ohm Headphones.
Construction is like a brick, and an heavy one with its 200 gram. It feel nice in hand, but it do not include screen protector so I hope it will no scratch easily.
I will share more impressions once I compare it with other DAP: X3, X10 and DX90....just cannot stop listening to it right now. Sorry, not sorry!
For more impressions (using google translator) there a lot in this russian forum:
http://player.ru/showthread.php?t=198262
CHEERS!!!!!!!!!!!
SOundsignature as said is unique, it effortlessly give lot of details that I never heard in music....even if I have heard more than 10 good chifi DAP....its like the AK chip can dig and show you details that wasn't able to be read with other DAP, cause its not IN YOUR FACE and this is why perhaps I read on russian forum that it do not give WOW effect,wich for me is the opposite, I listen laid back music that now have lot of layers mix togheter but all discernable quite easily, without sounding harsh at all to a point that perhaps this DAP make you listen music louder in fact. How say...this sound really in between digital and analogue, like if it was mix togheter, cause too digital can sound cold or clinical and it not the case, especially when music have bass in it cause bass rpesentation is very thick and go deep, really deep (like AK4490 but with a little more texture). Imaging is very revealing too, but I do not feel its extra deep, more panoramic like presentation, you wanna turn your head to see the sound source. Sound is slightly V shaped I would say, cause bass is quite lively and spot on comparatively to rest of sound spectrum, but not in a clumsy boomy way, more like if the bass sparkle more than the highs wich are ultra detailed but never harsh or very dynamic, the mids and vocal are textured, clean and another time very enjoyable but not enveloping and fowards, listening right now to Vulnicura by Bjork, vocal is in the middle, very ''HD'' sounding but not expensive, it stay in the middle of all the focked up sound and bass of the tracks, all is ultra detailed, fast and smooth sounding at the same time....just incredible the numbers of sounds and instruments I can pick up!!!!!!!!!!!
About UI, hum, not test enough, but the good thing is that I do not have any bug issue (even with a chinese firmware update!), it is about average in term of reading tracks, playing one from microsd is slower than from the 32G(!!) internal memory. It isnt particularly user friendly and would prefer that volume have buton at its side and not from front wheel (non scrolling) buton. The weight is exactly 191.14G (hehe, got a balance for.....euh). I did not charge battery yet so can't really tell, but it make about 5H I listen to it at high volume (60-80). Amping is quite powerfull because i'm the kind to push it very high and I never go above 80 out of 100 even with 64ohm Headphones.
Construction is like a brick, and an heavy one with its 200 gram. It feel nice in hand, but it do not include screen protector so I hope it will no scratch easily.
I will share more impressions once I compare it with other DAP: X3, X10 and DX90....just cannot stop listening to it right now. Sorry, not sorry!
For more impressions (using google translator) there a lot in this russian forum:
http://player.ru/showthread.php?t=198262
CHEERS!!!!!!!!!!!
B9Scrambler
Headphoneus Supremus
I'll be getting my review out soon-ish. Still way behind on other reviews. It'll be very positive though. The S1 ticks all the right boxes for me and the things I consider issues are all quite minor, mostly dependent on what you want to use the player for. For example, as I mentioned to Govie I would look at something else if planning to use it for running or exercise as the front and back are acrylic, a material not really known for great scratch and drop resistance. In terms of raw sound quality, it's a beast. It's excellent low end extension is immediately noticeable when swapping between it and my other players.
NymPHONOmaniac
Headphoneus Supremus
Xuelin780 look very promising in term of sound with its WM8740 DAC....barely buy it lot of time, especially when I find it for 69USD on ALI....still in my buying card hehe B9SCRAMBLER need it, yeah, lets call a chinese guy so he send one to him! NOW! aha, no but, seriously, i'm still post-trauma about having sell the Xuelin IHIFI 812V2 (talk way too much about this) it was a big brick with not a big battery life and look like a DIY student project....but sound engineer was a genius, WM8740 never sound so good and make me search for equivalent that never happen=deception after deception that begin with first gen of Fiio X3 using same DAC, so, my hope its that the 780 can sound between the 812 and X(ugh)3. 15H isnt bad at all....and the Xduoo D3 I have claim to have 20H but with my high volume listening its more a 10-14H. So, hum. Hard decision for you! Good luck!
NymPHONOmaniac
Headphoneus Supremus
Can't tell for sure (cannot test!)....but russian guys say Balanced Out sound extremely good with FA1. I'm kinda confuse about it being 3.5....damn, other audiophile stuffs to buy! Have no choice...cause I just have a 2.5 MMCX cable and wanna use my iem trough balanced out.
PS: By the way, anybody know where to find a cheap (less than 30$) balanced 3.5mm balanced mmcx cable??? Did it exist anyway??
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hqssui
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Thanks. I totally understand about the acrylic material used. I got second hand HSA Rocco P and BA off the classifieds here and both suffer scratches and other cosmetic damages. I assume S1 has very similar build. Cant wait for your review on this one.
bsoplinger
1000+ Head-Fier
Can't wait for @B9Scrambler to get around to doing his review of the much cheaper S1 from F.AUDIO but he's nice enough to reply to questions about his impressions via pm. Of course with at least a few people asking him I can't help but wonder if we're keeping him from actually getting that review done.
hqssui
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From what I gathered from the 780 thread, it has a very dark sound signature. May be it’s close to Fiio X3 first gen.
I'd have serious concerns about that claim. With only 1000 mAh battery (stated in the specs), if it runs for 30 hours that leaves you with 33mA per hour to power the device itself and the output. I would expect the device to require at least 15mA in order to read a TF card alone, if it uses another 7mA to power the screen (about average) that leaves roughly 11 mA available for output. At 3.7V charged and 2.8V as it approaches discharged from a Li-ion, that is not a ton of current for an op-amp to work with to create an output stage.
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NymPHONOmaniac
Headphoneus Supremus
Hey man...I try fastly to compare both but just with one pair of earbud (FAAEL 64ohm upgrade cable)....and difference was so intense: FA1 from another league in term of sound ''decoding'' (new term about DAC chip capability!), X3 was painfully struglling with a Bjork complex track....FA1 was sublime.
taz23
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@Nymphonomaniac, if your IEM is terminated with 2.5mm plug (AK-style), then you can use a direct 3.5mm male to 2.5mm female TRRS adaptor. This is because the FA1 is 3.5mm TRRS AK-style (and not Hifiman-style); it is not the usual way. But with this adaptor, you will be able to use the industry-standard AK-style 2.5mm plugs. Do note that the adaptors are made with rather wide tolerances; I noticed that some of them are too large. So I would advise buying a few (like 5) at one go. (I bought 4 and only one was good to be used with the FA1.)
An example is https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4pc...2eab6bd&transAbTest=ae803_4&priceBeautifyAB=0.
I hope this helps.
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minnyB
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Can the users of Xunsound XS-01 give me more info on it? Or even start a dedicated thread on Xunsound XS-01? I'm considering buying Xunsound XS-01 & Zishan Z3.
Thanks!
Thanks!
hqssui
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What kind of info are you looking for? I have shared my impression here.
https://head-fi.org/threads/obscure-chinese-daps.720512/page-194#post-13541948
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