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[TheOneInYellow]

Small shoutout to @Sonic Defender; thank you for the kind reputation (blushes)... HUGS! <3

 

[Sonic Defender]

  Small shoutout to @Sonic Defender; thank you for the kind reputation (blushes)... HUGS! <3

 No worries, it is well deserved.You have really helped this thread and I and others appreciate it

 

[Sonic Defender]

 
SD, it's hard to know someone's tone when you don't know them or can't see their face. Please know I was being sincere, and I don't think you were disrespectful or speaking without facts. I just wanted to know your firsthand experience and I appreciate you sharing that, honest. Knowing that, you can trust I won't pursue it with you. (Though, your suggestion of revenge by conducting listening trials is intriguing.)
 
I was sincere about wanting to learn, and as long as the debate is honest and gracious, we gain a lot from those we disagree with. I hope that our countering voices adds to the discussion. I do want to advise people toward going balanced because I firmly believe in its effects. Having your opposing view helps people consider more carefully if the costs are worth it for something they might not personally hear. In the end, it urges others to experiment for themselves: something I'm sure we both believe in. 
 
If I ever see you at an audio meet, I'll buy you a beer and you can try to convince me. If you buy me a Guinness in turn, I'll believe anything you say. 

Thank you, and glad to know I didn't offend you. Yes, respectful discussions are in my opinion very important and frankly interesting. If all anybody did was agree with everybody else we wouldn't learn much and it would be darn boring. As I said, I could be wrong so yes by all means do some listening tests, it is kind of nerdy fun and can be very eye opening. I would happily drink with you, rye or bourbon for me mate. Cheers.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

 No worries, it is well deserved.You have really helped this thread and I and others appreciate it

Awwwww.....(swoons)

I know I sometimes dissappear for stretches of time (I apologise for that), but I do try to post when I can.
Recently, I seem to be in overdrive mode on here and both the DHC and Meze 99 Classics threads too

My attitude when posting is go big or go home.
Make each post detailed but easy to understand (as best as I am capable of).

I also stopped getting irate on posts, take a step back, and post a true positive instead.

I just hope that I have helped, and I'll continue to do so.

There are other members who deserve this praise too.

I am humbled, so thank you ^^

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Thank you, and glad to know I didn't offend you. Yes, respectful discussions are in my opinion very important and frankly interesting. If all anybody did was agree with everybody else we wouldn't learn much and it would be darn boring. As I said, I could be wrong so yes by all means do some listening tests, it is kind of nerdy fun and can be very eye opening. I would happily drink with you, rye or bourbon for me mate. Cheers.

Either lots of amaretto and coke, or Rekorderlig cider, or light blonde beer (like Leffe) for me!

 

[Sonic Defender]

There are other members who deserve this praise too.
 

Yes, we are spoiled here on head-fi with plenty of great members. It isn't about volume of posts, or even detail in posts. For me it can also be about quality of information and respectful dialogue with others, most importantly when we sometimes disagree or have differing perceptions. Cheers.

 

[edwardsean]

Nothing makes me happier on a forum to be free of pettiness and ego and have generous and thoughtful discourse.
 
Which is why, I'm sorry to have to break into all this cordiality with some strong negative disagreement aimed at TOIY, but I have to. 
 
Amaretto and Coke, yes. Ciders, oh yeah.
 
But... blonde beer... is... not... beer. ? . ? .

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Nothing makes me happier on a forum to be free of pettiness and ego and have generous and thoughtful discourse.

Which is why, I'm sorry to have to break into all this cordiality with some strong negative disagreement aimed at TOIY, but I have to. 

Amaretto and Coke, yes. Ciders, oh yeah.

But... blonde beer... is... not... beer. ? . ? .

Er, I was referring to this brand...Leffe, or lighter pale ales...so screw you, mwha x

But yeah, amaretto and coke...drools...

(Topic is totally audio related; alcohol makes music sound better TRUTH).

 

[chowmein83]

   
Yes, I just summarised your post for him, getting to the gist of what you tried to say. I was also being careful not to use the word better, respecting your original post.
I also agree regarding the AM-3, but by this point with added costs, the DP-X1, QP1R or AK300 would be better choices.
 
I personally think FiiO X7 with stock amp is no longer a viable option for new buyers, but I think it has its place as the only other DAP that competes against Astell & Kern's AK300 with accessories at far lower price range.
 
Even then, if one cannot afford the DP-X1, QP1R, or AK300, but has a budget for FiiO X7, I would personally consider and/or recommend the XDP-100R or AK70.
 
A DAP is subjective to one's want's, needs and tastes anyway.

 
Ok, I'm just going to quote this post because I don't want to quote too much in one go.
 
I'm not sure why, in your earlier post, you said that both the XDP-100R and the AK70 "beat" the X7. For one, it's debatable whether the XDP-100R is any better in sound quality - I would say that at most it ties the X7 in SQ (and yes, I have heard both with the same headphone and with volume-matching by ear), but it sure doesn't beat it. Also, while the XDP-100R on paper looks like a SE only version of the DP-X1, I can tell you after having listened to both that this is not entirely true - the XDP-100R does sound different.
 
Secondly, the AK70 isn't even out, so nobody can really conclude at this point how good it sounds.
 
I will admit that the XDP-100R and the AK70 probably have better battery life than the X7. And the XDP-100R for sure has a much nicer screen along with dual micro SD support (same as DP-X1), and the AK70 has 64 GB of built-in storage (X7 only has 32 GB).
 
Basically, the X7, XDP-100R, and the AK70 have their own strengths and weaknesses. I know you said that at the end of your other post, but I'd just like to weight in with my own thoughts.
 
I cannot comment on Lotoo Paw Gold, AK300, and AK320 as I haven't really listened to them. However, I have listened to the Questyle QP1R and the AK380. (And Chord Mojo.)
 
QP1R is good for people who want a DAP which can drive even very power-hungry headphones well. It also has really nice build quality, and that volume knob is nice. However, people who want touchscreens and rely on streaming services need to look somewhere else.
 
As for AK380, well, the less I say about it the better. I'll just say that it's not worth anywhere near its asking price in my opinion, especially with stuff like the Fiio X7, Onkyo DP-X1, and even the Chord Mojo (for those who don't mind stacking on the go) now out there with their much lower prices.
 
IMO, out of what I have listened to so far, for anybody looking for a DAP in the $500 to $1000 range, I would personally recommend the X7 or the DP-X1, as to me they really nail the combination of having good build quality, decent user interface, and good sound quality. Between the two, with the DP-X1 you get a nicer screen, two micro SD slots, and probably better battery life; with the X7 you get a slightly cheaper price (buy the X7 that doesn't come with an amp, and say get the AM3 balanced) and the potential to drive more power-hungry headphones than the DP-X1 if you get the right amp (though at the cost of worse battery life).
 
For people that really want ultimate sound quality, go for something like the Questyle QP1R. While it doesn't have a touchscreen, it does have one of the better working non-touchscreen interfaces. And most importantly, it sounds really, really good - this is something that sounds good even with the likes of the HE1000.
 
Another option for people who want really, really good sound quality if they don't mind stacking when on the go is the Chord Mojo - it's pretty amazing what you get for $600 with that.
 
Hope this isn't too off-topic from the rest of the thread and I threw in enough references to the DP-X1 there.

 

[edwardsean]

Originally Posted by TheOneInYellow /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Er, I was referring to this brand...Leffe, or lighter pale ales...so screw you, mwha x

But yeah, amaretto and coke...drools...

(Topic is totally audio related; alcohol makes music sound better TRUTH).

 
Taking every ounce of maturity I can muster to not respond.
 
But for the sake of getting back on topic. I'll... resist... ahhh... I'm losing... "pale ales?" your practically drinking white wine or a chardonnay. You want beer to have the consistency of soup or motor oil and be black as night and made in Dublin. 
 
But I do agree, alcohol does make music sound better, and Woo Audio WA234 Monoblocks + DHC Spore4 (balanced or not) = iPod nano + Guinness. 
 
You can respond. I'll stop here and get back to the DPX1. Promise. 

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Taking every ounce of maturity I can muster to not respond.

But for the sake of getting back on topic. I'll... resist... ahhh... I'm losing... "pale ales?" your practically drinking white wine or a chardonnay. You want beer to have the consistency of soup or motor oil and be black as night and made in Dublin. 

But I do agree, alcohol does make music sound better, and Woo Audio WA234 Monoblocks + DHC Spore4 (balanced or not) = iPod nano + Guinness. 

You can respond. I'll stop here and get back to the DPX1. Promise. 

Quiet simply, yes.

I used to drink strong dark ales in my youth at university (UK uni is the correct way of understanding uni in the hierarchy of education, suck it up). I used to drink and be part of the Archery and ale societies!
However, I can no longer drink dark and/or heavy alcohol, my body reacts negatively, and that's unfortunate.
(I'm not referring to alcohol concentration btw).

So I prefer sweeter, lighter alcohols.

Also, I'm correct so

Also also, where do you live, because I'm thinking of stalking you so I can oogle at WA234 and DHC Spore4...
What headphones do you run into such a beast?

^^

(P.S. LOL on Guinness and iPod Nano ha ha ha! ).

 

[edwardsean]

I'll get back to audio, but: "archery and ale societies"! Who thought that was a good idea? Actually, oddly enough, in my youth I also was into archery and thought I was so good that my friend and I played chicken across a field with compound bows and arrows. No joke, I accidentally shot him in the knee cap and I didn't have a drink in me. (sigh, youth)
 
As for audio, sorry, I was speaking hypothetically about the Woo mono blocks, just because they're so imposing. My dream amp is actually the one right next to me: the Moon Neo 430HA. I'm also a big fan of Peter's cables and at present I'm using one of his molecule elites. I might go up to the Complement4 but everything sounds so good right now. 
 
As for the Fiio X7 vs. DPX1, I'm writing up a shootout right now. It is–long–and totally opinionated so it may or may not be worth reading, but I thought I'd share my experience as I have them both now. I'm sorry SD, its going to be about the balanced (grin). 

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Spoiler: chowmein83

Quote:

  
Ok, I'm just going to quote this post because I don't want to quote too much in one go.
 
I'm not sure why, in your earlier post, you said that both the XDP-100R and the AK70 "beat" the X7. For one, it's debatable whether the XDP-100R is any better in sound quality - I would say that at most it ties the X7 in SQ (and yes, I have heard both with the same headphone and with volume-matching by ear), but it sure doesn't beat it. Also, while the XDP-100R on paper looks like a SE only version of the DP-X1, I can tell you after having listened to both that this is not entirely true - the XDP-100R does sound different.
 
Secondly, the AK70 isn't even out, so nobody can really conclude at this point how good it sounds.
 
I will admit that the XDP-100R and the AK70 probably have better battery life than the X7. And the XDP-100R for sure has a much nicer screen along with dual micro SD support (same as DP-X1), and the AK70 has 64 GB of built-in storage (X7 only has 32 GB).
 
Basically, the X7, XDP-100R, and the AK70 have their own strengths and weaknesses. I know you said that at the end of your other post, but I'd just like to weight in with my own thoughts.
 
I cannot comment on Lotoo Paw Gold, AK300, and AK320 as I haven't really listened to them. However, I have listened to the Questyle QP1R and the AK380. (And Chord Mojo.)
 
QP1R is good for people who want a DAP which can drive even very power-hungry headphones well. It also has really nice build quality, and that volume knob is nice. However, people who want touchscreens and rely on streaming services need to look somewhere else.
 
As for AK380, well, the less I say about it the better. I'll just say that it's not worth anywhere near its asking price in my opinion, especially with stuff like the Fiio X7, Onkyo DP-X1, and even the Chord Mojo (for those who don't mind stacking on the go) now out there with their much lower prices.
 
IMO, out of what I have listened to so far, for anybody looking for a DAP in the $500 to $1000 range, I would personally recommend the X7 or the DP-X1, as to me they really nail the combination of having good build quality, decent user interface, and good sound quality. Between the two, with the DP-X1 you get a nicer screen, two micro SD slots, and probably better battery life; with the X7 you get a slightly cheaper price (buy the X7 that doesn't come with an amp, and say get the AM3 balanced) and the potential to drive more power-hungry headphones than the DP-X1 if you get the right amp (though at the cost of worse battery life).
 
For people that really want ultimate sound quality, go for something like the Questyle QP1R. While it doesn't have a touchscreen, it does have one of the better working non-touchscreen interfaces. And most importantly, it sounds really, really good - this is something that sounds good even with the likes of the HE1000.
 
Another option for people who want really, really good sound quality if they don't mind stacking when on the go is the Chord Mojo - it's pretty amazing what you get for $600 with that.
 
Hope this isn't too off-topic from the rest of the thread and I threw in enough references to the DP-X1 there.

 

 
Bear in mind, the post you quoted is a follow-up quote to something I wrote earlier.
 
When I say that XDP-100R beats X7 (with stock amp module), that is in terms of everything considered, from OS, streaming, features, etc.
The AK70 beating FiiO X7 was based on specs only. If you notice, in neither of my earlier posts did I comment on the AK70 sound quality, which for obvious reasons I cannot do anyway.
 
I am very well aware that the AK70 is not out yet; I was the first person to post in this thread the announcement...
 
I stand by with what I said, the X7 stock is, for the price, not as competitive as other DAP's on the market now, but it is competitive if you purchase the other amp modules.
 
Regarding sound quality, I was very careful with how I wrote what I felt was the best DAP in SQ only, but I did not mention interface or ergonomics. The reason behind that was to get the reader to research my points and see if the DAP suits their needs.
The QP1R, to me, is the best sounding DAP, but it may not be the best featured DAP for certain users, including myself.
Ditto the AK380, I mentioned it only in terms of sound quality, but not in terms of price/performance/value. Again, let the reader decide after their own research.
 
You nailed the X7 and DP-X1 descriptions, except that I think with the introduction of AK70 (and impressions forthcoming on SQ), feature-wise the AK70 could beat X7.
I have not heard X7 and have not once mentioned it's SQ, only focused on features in previous posts.
 
Chord Mojo is insane, but that needs to be used in a stack format, so I didn't mention it.
 
SQ wise, DP-X1, QP1R, AK300/AK320/AK380 are great (I'll add X7 based on your feedback, and others have mentioned similar as well).
Feature wise, only DP-X1, XDP-100R close behind.
Feature and SQ? Demo or research, because everyone has different wants on both fronts.

 

[Gerryhatrick]

My Dignis case is stuck in customs dammit! And UK Parcelforce sends a LETTER to demand payment? What is this, 1840?? Anyhow a craft beer (San Francisco Steam) is helping my mood....

Quick question - does anyone know an app that will wake up the screen with a double tap or swipe? Screen off and lock turns off and on on my phone but only turns screen off on my dp-X1. I ask this as I would like to avoid turning on with a button covered by the Dignis case.

 

[bettyn]

  Hi @bettyn, did you see my post regarding multiple aftermarket headphone cables?
 
Just to reiterate, if you have the budget and want the best cables, go for Double Helix Cables.
If you don't want to pay that much but still want amazing cables, PETERK and Moon Audio Dragon Series will be great.
If you want a cable at a budget, Forza AudioWorks.
 
Head-Fi'ers have made other suggestions too, so do research them all, lots of choice!
 
Two things I would like to say:

1. Do NOT opt for gold and copper or gold and silver cables. Gold is a poor electrical conductor, worse than copper and really, really worse in comparison to silver.
   This is really basic, school science, never mind advanced academia.
   Those who like their gold infused cables may do so because of different tones in terms of sound, previous unknown knowledge of gold's electrical properties, placebo, or buyer's remorse.
    
2. Having silver in a cable, whether as a combination between copper and silver, or pure silver alone, does NOT mean music will be cold, analytical, harsh, sibilant, etc. It is thought these ideas are borne from the way humans observe certain colour cues, because warmer colours like copper and gold give the impression of warmth, whereas silver, titanium and aluminium give of a colder impression and feel.
   Silver cables, especially pure silver, if done well, allow music to be effortless, organic, holographic.

 
 
Lastly, I personally don't think cables themselves have specific sound signatures. The whole point of getting audiophile cables is to have better electrical conductivity, lower noise floor, and reduction of noise itself from EMI, RFI, etc.
By reducing noise, the amplifier you use will not need to unnecessarily work and amplify any noise coming from the cable, and the transducer (speakers or headphones/earphones) won't need to playback that noise.
You cannot get rid of noise completely, but the more that noise is diminished in cables, and the more noise floor is lowered, then the amplifier has more power and reserve power to amplify music rather than noise, as does the transducers to playback music rather than noise.
Noise also affects DAC's and phono amp's but I hope you get the general gist.
Increasing electrical conductivity is also key; this means electrical signals from source to amp to transducer can be quicker, thus reproduction of music more accurate (whether that is neutral or musical depends on your equipment and tastes of course; music should be fun to you). The fastest known speed of source to ear of audio is real life music, and that cannot be replicated, but using advanced equipment and better cables, we can try to be just as fast.
So, for me, when some says this cable sounds this or that, I translate that as the cable having reduced certain noise but not others (own noise, or allowed some other noise to get through), as well as how good of an electrical conductor that cable is. We can only make opinions on how a cable sounds compared directly to another cable.
The big thing to understand is that noise is audible, and can be from the entire gamut of the sound frequency (whether audible or not). Noise is not specific to a set of frequencies. I hope this highlights how difficult for manufacturer's, in many industries including audio, find it difficult to reduce noise, but we are much better at this than ever before. 
 
In my case, my Double Helix Cables Elite Molecule 22 OCC Silver Litz (22AWG) 4-Wire balanced cable does indeed sound different to my previous DHC Molecule Elite Fusion (copper and silver litz) 4-Wire balanced cable that I use with my Audeze EL-8 Titanium headphones.
The differences are similar to what I spoke about pure silver cables; my new DHC Molecule Elite 22 Silver cable is breathtakingly effortless, supremely holographic, almost no grain when I listen to music, and much wider and taller soundstage.
My previous DHC Molecule Elite Fusion was amazing over the stock El-8 cable but it now sounds a bit congested, grainy. and a tad slower, than my new silver cable.
I don't attribute this solely as 'sound signature' for each, but that one cable is better at lowering noise and has better electrical conductivity over the other. I could have only made these impressions by directly relating one cable to another. For example, if I described the sound difference of my older DHC Molecule Elite Fusion over the the stock EL-8 cable (and I had never heard the silver one), the comments I made about the my Silver cable would describe the Fusion cable vs stock.
 
It is difficult to wrap anyone's head regarding cables and benefits, but the above is my take on this.
As long as you research well, and continue to get the support of this community, you'll be fine.
 
Good luck on whichever cable manufacturer you choose by the way, and let us know who you choose and what cable you went for ^^

Thanks for the info. Just started researching these cables. Really appreciate your help.