[HeyManslowdown97]

My Ziku HD X9 has a noticeable subbass roll off too, though I don't have objective graphs/measurements to compare it with the X10. I'm a basshead so I was a bit annoyed with that at first, but I now use super bassy IEMs with the HD X9 to even out this roll off. I think it's more obvious for bass forward music like EDM. Maybe not so if u are not a basshead or listen to more neutral genres like classical.

I think the battery life is supposedly longer in the X9 than the X10, but I would think in other areas the X10 should be improvements over the X9 (such as op amp etc).

You’re 100% correct about counteracting the roll off with super bassy iems. You can also do this by changing the op amps. Not to mention really good digital filters that can also get those roll offs. Ideally, the roll off should be lifted a bit at 100 hz but I’ve never seen it flatlined without any lpf or hpf. I have heard they make them as well as iems that are flat.

I have found that AD8066 has the best bass nuances in all areas of bass in your music if you’re into op amp roll and can so on your dap. In my opinion, the entire line of Analog Devices of op amps are really good for bass and those amps sound alive (Imho).

Personally find too much bass muddies the mids and is fatiguing for long listening sess.

My motto has always been: the bass should always be felt not heard

However, the past I’d say 20-30 years bass has really become such intricate part of musical expression in nuances inside the sound of those frequencies (accent markings, grooves and melodically) in genres like Electronic, dance and hip hop music so I get it!

When the music calls for It like say a Kendrick Lamar track or a drum and bass track and I wanna hear all the bass nuances I’ll pop in my bass rig that suits those music styles (iems, op amps, etc) in my daps but that’s only certain occasions and moods.

So in my opinion it’s not a either/or and it shouldn’t be a “deal breaking” for bass heads if the dap is steeped and sloped at 100 Hz and you can’t always go by charts alone; there are many variables.

I’m also sure there are daps out there specifically for the bass head niche market or through word-of-mouth in the audiophile community.

 

[citral23]

You’re 100% correct about counteracting the roll off with super bassy iems. You can also do this by changing the op amps. Not to mention really good digital filters that can also get those roll offs. Ideally, the roll off should be lifted a bit at 100 hz but I’ve never seen it flatlined without any lpf or hpf. I have heard they make them as well as iems that are flat.

I have found that AD8066 has the best bass nuances in all areas of bass in your music if you’re into op amp roll and can so on your dap. In my opinion, the entire line of Analog Devices of op amps are really good for bass and those amps sound alive (Imho).

Personally find too much bass muddies the mids and is fatiguing for long listening sess.

My motto has always been: the bass should always be felt not heard

However, the past I’d say 20-30 years bass has really become such intricate part of musical expression in nuances inside the sound of those frequencies (accent markings, grooves and melodically) in genres like Electronic, dance and hip hop music so I get it!

When the music calls for It like say a Kendrick Lamar track or a drum and bass track and I wanna hear all the bass nuances I’ll pop in my bass rig that suits those music styles (iems, op amps, etc) in my daps but that’s only certain occasions and moods.

So in my opinion it’s not a either/or and it shouldn’t be a “deal breaking” for bass heads if the dap is steeped and sloped at 100 Hz and you can’t always go by charts alone; there are many variables.

I’m also sure there are daps out there specifically for the bass head niche market or through word-of-mouth in the audiophile community.

Keep it secret, but iBASSo is made specifically for bass heads, trebleheads will have to swap ldos and lpfs to get an acceptable sound, and that doesn't even work below 24/192

 

[oneula]

I took four DAPs with me on a business trip this week. 10 flight to the destination and 10 hour flight back for a one day meeting.
they were the Shanling M0. the Zishan Z3, The Ziku XD09 and the Activo CT-10

On the plane they all got their a**es beat in usage and sound by a little waterproofed iPod Shuffle hooked up to a Toatronic TT-EP008 ANC earbud clipped onto my jacket; That was both shocking and unexpected

The Ziku HD-09 was giving it a run for the money with its 20 hour battery life, when it started doing all kinds of frustrating stuff like skipping sounds and jumping to other albums I wasn't intended in listening to which was very frustrating. Like listening to relaxing music when BAM some super loud rock music starts playing,

With the shuffle if I wanted to jump songs or scoot the volume up and down, I just instantly did it by pressing a button. With everything else, I had to activate or wake the damn device first look at it and then I could make what ever adjustment I needed and that was an absolute PIA (the M0 with its none button design was the worst) when you're trying to rest with you eyes closed on a plane listening to tunes to drown out all the craziness around you. That's something none of the DAP makers seems to have considered in their designs or I'm just too ignorant to have figured it out. Sometimes simple and effective outweighs the sound and looks of something

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

Keep it secret, but iBASSo is made specifically for bass heads, trebleheads will have to swap ldos and lpfs to get an acceptable sound, and that doesn't even work below 24/192

I wouldn’t call myself a “tremble head” I like balanced, natural, dark, laid back with a wide bandwidth but intimate soundstage.

Personally, don’t listen to PCM files often so it’s not something I wouldn’t even be interested in getting like the ibasso you described but sadly every dap comes with its own set of issues/problems/headaches (let me know if you have or heard of a holy grail of all daps. Now, that would be a secret I wouldn’t share )

Certainly LDOs and lpf are important to the soundstage and can be switched for better quality but they would only deal with frequency response in the overall sound spectrum. Lpf that are often charted on these threads shows a slope it’s not a steep drop off so depending on music style and genre I don’t think you would notice really a drop off since it is gradual and doesn’t attenuate much also an op amp can pull up the those frequencies and so can super bassy headphones. Sub tones are only attenuated roughly from -6 to -12dbs at 60hz which is audible.

Moreover, Lower frequency like bass heads want requires more VREF (especially on delta sigma daps) to power then the mids. As far as the audio signature and where the instrumentation is placed that’s down to what op amps you use and what headphone/earphones you play them on if the dap circuitry is done correctly proper power supply and firmware the world is your oyster. If you know how to mod and are willing to experiment you can get it to sound anyway you like regardless of how it sounds in stock!

however, If you have core issues that can’t be solved then it’s a piece of ****!

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

So there you go....i begin to review chifi DAP on Youtube.

My first review is super uber GRUMPY and its about ZISHAN T1 Disaster.

Second one is more positive, its about my beloved TEMPOTEC V1A.

Third one will be soon and about ZIKU X9.

All No BS, i'm not into promoting or brainless praise...even if my bad english speaking make me look dumb by melting my french brain.

Give a look. And a Likes. Its very BETA for now, will try to improve if I get encouraged and not the contrary.

(I feel VIDEO review is the way to go with DAP, and quite vain for all other audio stuffs.)

Anybody try the ZIKU X10?? Look more promising than X9!

 

[ponyhead]

Where has the acmee firmware page moved to? I've clicked on just about everything in their newly organized site and can't find it.

Given the dates of their previous firmware releases, their next one may come soon and I hope it fixes the folder problem.

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

So there you go....i begin to review chifi DAP on Youtube.

Anybody try the ZIKU X10?? Look more promising than X9!

Isn't it about time you review it? It beats all low priced Zishans and Walnuts. It probably even beats the expensive models of those in portability.

Who really needs a $1,000 DAP unless your ears need the sparkle of diamonds and gold to enjoy music.

 

[citral23]

Isn't it about time you review it? It beats all low priced Zishans and Walnuts. It probably even beats the expensive models of those in portability.

Who really needs a $1,000 DAP unless your ears need the sparkle of diamonds and gold to enjoy music.

I might be wrong, but I very, very much doubt the X10 has the same power output as the zishans and walnuts. It has a very ugly bass roill-off, too.

So if one needs a cheap DAP for low Z, easy to drive gear, the Qngee X2 looks like a much, much better candidate.

 

[virgopunk]

So there you go....i begin to review chifi DAP on Youtube.

My first review is super uber GRUMPY and its about ZISHAN T1 Disaster.

Second one is more positive, its about my beloved TEMPOTEC V1A.

Do you happen to know if the Tempotec accepts SD cards larger than 256gb?
Many thanks.

 

[flamesofarctica]

I might be wrong, but I very, very much doubt the X10 has the same power output as the zishans and walnuts. It has a very ugly bass roill-off, too.

So if one needs a cheap DAP for low Z, easy to drive gear, the Qngee X2 looks like a much, much better candidate.

I just don't hear the major bass issues with the X10. Maybe it's my ears / music, or my it doesn't preferences, but it doesn't sound especially short on bass to me.

 

[zato23]

Do you happen to know if the Tempotec accepts SD cards larger than 256gb?
Many thanks.

I tried two 512gb Lexar and two 400gb Sandisk and it recognize them.
I didn't put any music in cards yet

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

All No BS, i'm not into promoting or brainless praise...even if my bad english speaking make me look dumb by melting my french brain.

It’s comments like this that make my day and makes this thread better! (Nearly, spit my morning coffee read this in laughter but love the audiophile enthusiasm of this! Haha)

FYI: I have “bad English” and I’m a native speaker. The “....melting French brain” - what a line!

 

[oneula]

the folks at WAZE are doing some crazy things with their Zishan and Walnut DAPs.
this one put in a Burson v5i-D buffer, Sparkos as main opamp and new shell
The extra height on the green blue DSD acrylic case allows for the use of the Burson V6i op amps
Not as elegant as the wood case but very fitting for this group of enthusiasts

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

It’s comments like this that make my day and makes this thread better! (Nearly, spit my morning coffee read this in laughter but love the audiophile enthusiasm of this! Haha)

FYI: I have “bad English” and I’m a native speaker. The “....melting French brain” - what a line!

Ahah thanks bro, sometime im afraid i offend people with mo honnesty. I feel T1 is to be avoid, so I ring the alarm.

And about ''french melting brain'', its more when I speak, its strange but my toughs are in french so when i search a specific words i can get into inhibition...long ackward silence happen....and i look retard but I only speak english for video review...i strangely being grumpy makes me more fluent in english speaking, like a dragon fulfill by fuel will spit more fire.

If you want to spit your coffee every morning, you can enter the NBBA facebook group....im into MEME right now Lol (all about audio)

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Do you happen to know if the Tempotec accepts SD cards larger than 256gb?
Many thanks.

I'm not sure but it would not surprise me....you can try contact Tempotec they surely know...everything i throw in there work. But highest i try is 128g.