ONKYO DP-X1 | Dual Sabre Dacs | Balanced | Sabre BTL Amp | MQA | DSD 256 | Android 5 |

[Magick Man]

Can you give a brief comparison between the two in balanced more? Thanks

The SE difference is greater, the DP-X1A sound floor is noticeably lower and it sounds more open in the lower mids (the DP-X1 is a touch congested, in comparison). Running balanced the two are more similar and you'd need to compare them back-to-back to really tell a difference. However, the same differences that are shown in SE mode are also evident in balanced, They're just less pronounced.

IMO, if you're going to run balanced most of the time, I'd just keep the DP-X1 if you already have one (or get one if you can find one on the cheap, and it doesn't have the port issues), but if SE performance is your primary concern the DP-X1A is a worthy upgrade.

I do think the DP-X1A is the best dual Sabre implementation you can find on a DAP, and if you really like the latest Sabre DACs, like I do, this could very well be your jam. Just make sure to keep an external battery on-hand, as these players don't have the largest internal batteries.

 

[addyg]

Out of curiosity, I drive the campfire Vega (a very difficult to drive IEM) from dpx1 SE vs AK sp1000 copper edition. The result Winner is dpx1.

I have been thinking the reason. The sp1000 beats my dpx1 on 2.5 balanced when using a easy to drive IEM (ath-e40).

I think the close-loop power supply circuitry (the amp got it's own power from battery) did come into advantage when driving a difficult IEM like the Vega.

 

[Trebor1966]

The internal components are identical in both DP-X1A and DP-S1 (Twin SABRE® ES9018 DACs and Twin SABRE 9601K Amplifiers) with exception of
the Nippon Chemi-Con “MELODIO” Series Based Custom Audio Grade Electro-conductive Polymer Capacitors.
Have anyone both DAPs and can compare the sound?.

 

[addyg]

The SE difference is greater, the DP-X1A sound floor is noticeably lower and it sounds more open in the lower mids (the DP-X1 is a touch congested, in comparison). Running balanced the two are more similar and you'd need to compare them back-to-back to really tell a difference. However, the same differences that are shown in SE mode are also evident in balanced, They're just less pronounced.

IMO, if you're going to run balanced most of the time, I'd just keep the DP-X1 if you already have one (or get one if you can find one on the cheap, and it doesn't have the port issues), but if SE performance is your primary concern the DP-X1A is a worthy upgrade.

I do think the DP-X1A is the best dual Sabre implementation you can find on a DAP, and if you really like the latest Sabre DACs, like I do, this could very well be your jam. Just make sure to keep an external battery on-hand, as these players don't have the largest internal batteries.

Agreed.

 

[addyg]

Well, I went to the Sony shop. Luckily they had the 4.4 to 2.5 balanced converter. And there are nobody trying on wm1a wm1z.

For female vocals, I preferred the wm1z, then dpx1, then wm1a.

The wm1z has smooth, a little warmer, natural sound. While wm1a is too cold, too technical when it comes to female vocals. My dpx1 sits in between them. For the price, I am quite satisfied.

The wm1a on SE 3.5 beats my dpx1 SE. But the difference in balanced is not as much even in technical terms. So the dpx1 really improved when changing from SE to balance in a larger degree than wm1a.

 

[OneL0ve]

Has anyone replaced their 2.5mm jack, on the PCB? I have a XDP-300R and have pulled it apart but can't find a suitable jack to replace the broken one.

Did you check mouser.com? Search by part no.

 

[SilverEars]

The SE difference is greater, the DP-X1A sound floor is noticeably lower and it sounds more open in the lower mids (the DP-X1 is a touch congested, in comparison). Running balanced the two are more similar and you'd need to compare them back-to-back to really tell a difference. However, the same differences that are shown in SE mode are also evident in balanced, They're just less pronounced.

IMO, if you're going to run balanced most of the time, I'd just keep the DP-X1 if you already have one (or get one if you can find one on the cheap, and it doesn't have the port issues), but if SE performance is your primary concern the DP-X1A is a worthy upgrade.

I do think the DP-X1A is the best dual Sabre implementation you can find on a DAP, and if you really like the latest Sabre DACs, like I do, this could very well be your jam. Just make sure to keep an external battery on-hand, as these players don't have the largest internal batteries.

I can't agree with this. It's a relatively mid priced player with the best UI and features, but as far as sound performance, no. There should be others that perform more or less on the same level at lower price-points. I wouldn't call the sound performance really worthy of it over smartphone with decent headphone output.

 

[OneL0ve]

So I tried the Pioneer player on my OnKyo DP-X1A that was recommended, to possibly overcome a major shortcoming I was experiencing on the included player that it wasn't remembering where I left off on my playlist when powering back up.

This is still my biggest issue with my DPX1A which keeps me looking at other DAPs. The music player never resumes or remembers the last song or playlist after power down!

 

[OneL0ve]

Anyone got pioneer music player 1.7.2 apk (latest)?

 

[howdy]

This is still my biggest issue with my DPX1A which keeps me looking at other DAPs. The music player never resumes or remembers the last song or playlist after power down!

That's odd, mine picks up from where it left off regardless of it being on standby or if I shut it down.

 

[cj3209]

I wouldn't call the sound performance really worthy of it over smartphone with decent headphone output.

Dude, you're kidding, right? You're saying the DP-X1a is on par with a smartphone? I use an LG V20 which I consider to be one of the best sounding smartphones and it is NOT on par with the DP-X1a.

For versatility of using Spotify, balanced out, dual micro SD ports, and a sub $600 price, I don't think it can be beat for overall sound quality. The top DAPs such as AK380, DX200, and Opus #2 either don't have these features or cost at least 3-4X the price of a DP-X1a.

 

[SilverEars]

If they take your word and actually try it out and compare the ones on your list, I will guarantee they will be disappointed. Want to make a bet? I heard them all extensively.

Would I say it's even a value for the price to have a sole player based on it's performance? No. It's a fairly plain sounding player.

 

[Bengkia369]

The SE difference is greater, the DP-X1A sound floor is noticeably lower and it sounds more open in the lower mids (the DP-X1 is a touch congested, in comparison). Running balanced the two are more similar and you'd need to compare them back-to-back to really tell a difference. However, the same differences that are shown in SE mode are also evident in balanced, They're just less pronounced.

IMO, if you're going to run balanced most of the time, I'd just keep the DP-X1 if you already have one (or get one if you can find one on the cheap, and it doesn't have the port issues), but if SE performance is your primary concern the DP-X1A is a worthy upgrade.

I do think the DP-X1A is the best dual Sabre implementation you can find on a DAP, and if you really like the latest Sabre DACs, like I do, this could very well be your jam. Just make sure to keep an external battery on-hand, as these players don't have the largest internal batteries.

Onkyo DP1X best Sabre implementation lol... Wait till u try Opus #2 and Ibasso DX200.
I bet you haven't try those yet right?!

 

[cj3209]

If they take your word and actually try it out and compare the ones on your list, I will guarantee they will be disappointed. Want to make a bet? I heard them all extensively.

Would I say it's even a value for the price to have a sole player based on it's performance? No. It's a fairly plain sounding player.

Ok, so you're saying that the DP-X1a isn't even worth the price because there are better sounding DAPs that cost the same or less? LOL, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

To tell you the truth, I would like to try an DX200 or Opus #2 for comparison. I've owned an ALO CDM and MoJo but never compared them directly.

 

[SilverEars]

For the price point, I'd skip DX200(and the Sony 1A as well) and recommend the Opus #2, quite underrated here, but performance value of gear doesn't correlate to thread popularity around here perhaps due to the name being not well known and the confusing numbering scheme of their DAPs. I do wish there was a player within the Mid-fi price point to be worth actually carry around for greater fedelity, but unfortunately the market is not that competitive yet, but it's getting there.

I wouldn't even waste time with lower end AKs like AK70 or the jr. X00 series are decent, but why would you shell out that much for these?

I consider Mojo to be worthy of the performance at the pricepoint.