[Tennessee]

What would be in your opinion an upgrade for x1a + t5p 2 balanced? Be it either DAP (opus #2?) or new cans...

 

[Evilcartman]

What would be in your opinion an upgrade for x1a + t5p 2 balanced? Be it either DAP (opus #2?) or new cans...

You have an obvious tier of headphones to jump on first before I would even consider a player upgrade.

T!, S800, He6 etc... and that is before the 2K tier like Audeze...


That leaves amps and cans. I wouldn't worry about a player upgrade until you're sitting on some Focal Utopias.

I would even consider the Opus 2 a downgrade.

A quick anecdote...


My buddy has an AK380 he payed $3000 for, and no one we know has been able to tell it apart from this Onkyo when their eyes were closed. Even I think it sounds better, but only when I see it, cause blind, I cannot tell them apart. Take that for what it is worth.

There is some serious messed up aural psychology going on here.

My personal feelings, based on my ears and 30 years of being a scientist, is that there is no audible room for DAC improvements. At some point, around a few $100 there are no audible quality differences. ( there are some coloration differences) Do I want a Hugo? yes. Cool, cool cool. Could I pick one out with my ears alone? no. And no one I know has been able to either.

There is an inherent value in having cool expensive gear. It is fun. But I feel like I need to max out my audible first, before I can play in the "because it's just cool" sandbox.

 

[Tennessee]

You have an obvious tier of headphones to jump on first before I would even consider a player upgrade.

T!, S800, He6 etc... and that is before the 2K tier like Audeze...

Well considering HP were 50% more expensive (1200€) than DAP I thought they could be considered "good"...
Every hifiman HP is ugly AF; 2.5k€ audeze is maybe a little too much; would you link me the other two please?

 

[Evilcartman]

Well considering HP were 50% more expensive (1200€) than DAP I thought they could be considered "good"...
Every hifiman HP is ugly AF; 2.5k€ audeze is maybe a little too much; would you link me the other two please?

I made some edits you may want to go back and check out.

Yea, that 66% is just a rough guid. But I really think players have reached a point where you need an industrial am for them to sound better. I have 6 sets of cans all between $300 and $1500, and I am hard pressed to day one sounds better than the other, they sound different. I toy with the idea of selling them all and buy some Utopias, but... I love my guys like my dogs.

I think the Senn HD800 are the benchmark cans to beat. Like them or not, they are wall that separates China from the Mongol hordes.They are the most famous high end head phones.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-new-hd800-impressions-thread.650510/

the T1s are much more divisive IMO
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/beyerdynamic-tesla-t1.11861/

And yea the HiFimans are ugly as sin, but that Planar Magnetic is tough to beat. I listen to mostly rock but with a jazz musician's ear, and planar magnetic technology was made for me. I think I would have a magical stroke if I ever got my hands on some Stax.

 

[notyourtree]

Onkyo Customer Service has stated that the Onkyo Music app is written to use the Dual DAC / Dual Amp H/W of the DP-X1, and that other, 3rd Party apps are not.

I've compared the Onkyo app and UAPP, playing various Hi-Res files (24-Bit, 96-KHz - 192-KHz), and I can't hear any difference with my LZ A4 earphones, when connected to the Balanced output - https://www.head-fi.org/posts/13195157/

Hi David -

I spoke with some Onkyo/Pioneer reps about the dual DAC setup at their booth this past weekend at RMAF. This will probably add more swirl to the conversation, but they told me the dual DAC and amps are always used in balanced mode regardless of the player application. Conversely, only one amp and DAC are in use in single-ended mode.

 

[robotncc]

Try a low power charger 0.5-0.7V

I tried charging by my macbook for a hour but nothing happen when press power button, I afraid this device unable to change anymore

 

[Evilcartman]

Hi David -

I spoke with some Onkyo/Pioneer reps about the dual DAC setup at their booth this past weekend at RMAF. This will probably add more swirl to the conversation, but they told me the dual DAC and amps are always used in balanced mode regardless of the player application. Conversely, only one amp and DAC are in use in single-ended mode.

I have no doubt that's what they said but I'm more inclined to trust the developer of Poweramp. Both he and his app state that under regular circumstances the digital analog conversion is being done by the standard android API and not the hardware DAC. In my experience engineers are better informed us in sales reps. And knowing how computers work in general, it would surprise me how non-standard android hardware would be mysteriously backward-compatible with apps written to conform to standard Android API. I see the both of the amps would have to be used but not the DACs. The analog amps are stuff are post Android processing.
( not to mention that "balanced mode" has nothing to do with processing.it's an analog only thing ) If third-party apps can't even output via OTG they certainly aren't going to send to the DAC without being specifically written to do so.

Jumpin everyone, the pot is warm.

 

[addyg]

I have no doubt that's what they said but I'm more inclined to trust the developer of Poweramp. Both he and his app state that under regular circumstances the digital analog conversion is being done by the standard android API and not the hardware DAC. In my experience engineers are better informed us in sales reps. And knowing how computers work in general, it would surprise me how non-standard android hardware would be mysteriously backward-compatible with apps written to conform to standard Android API. I see the both of the amps would have to be used but not the DACs. The analog amps are stuff are post Android processing.
( not to mention that "balanced mode" has nothing to do with processing.it's an analog only thing ) If third-party apps can't even output via OTG they certainly aren't going to send to the DAC without being specifically written to do so.

Jumpin everyone, the pot is warm.

D to A is the process of converting a 1010 signal to electricity. That is the basic.

 

[addyg]

Hi David -

I spoke with some Onkyo/Pioneer reps about the dual DAC setup at their booth this past weekend at RMAF. This will probably add more swirl to the conversation, but they told me the dual DAC and amps are always used in balanced mode regardless of the player application. Conversely, only one amp and DAC are in use in single-ended mode.

Thanks for the asking and answers!

 

[Tennessee]

People using Poweramp and Co. instead of stock app are hilarious, they could go with a smartphone with same results, just less amping...

 

[addyg]

People using Poweramp and Co. instead of stock app are hilarious, they could go with a smartphone with same results, just less amping...

Poweramp is known to perform better on mobile phone than our DAP. The reason is mainly it tunes the sound digitally before it reaches the real DAC (our ESS Sabre 9018).

But our DAC is so good that this (digital tuning) actually hurts the music.

 

[DecentLevi]

Agreed. here was my recent post about it, slightly revised:

...My main reason for going with this app (PlayerPro from Blaston with the add-on DSP pack) was because of sound quality. Extensive testing I had done using the same loop of a well mastered lossless song on both good headphones and earphones with this DAP had shown me that the SQ of PlayerPro is at least 95 if not 99% as good as the included player. I also compared these to the Poweramp player which actually is compatible with the DP X1A, however multiple A/B tests have shown me that the sound quality Poweramp puts out is sounds inferior to both the PlayerPro and the internal players (don't recall the precise differences but it was something on the order of less detailed, less dynamic, etc.). I also tried the Winamp app but don't recommend it due to extremely minimal functions....

However just yesterday I confirmed that, at least with lossy files, the PlayerPro also has a tendency to add hiss occasionally on semi-quite passages

 

[creavasst]

My DP-X1A was unable to turn on right now and nothing show on screen when connect charger. I tried to turn on this evening but I saw empty battery message on screen and I plugged to wall charger and wait for 5 minute, after that I press and hold power button but nothing happen. I tried hold combine key: power + next, power + pre but nothing happen. The device look like not charging

Hi robotncc,
Something similar might have happened to me, but mine was X1.
I was listening and realize the battery was at 30%, so I shut it down and charged it. It showed the charging indicator on screen so i left it. When I tried to turn it on again, I faces similar case with you. I already tried charging with several charger but nothing worked. Luckily the warranty was still active, so I sent mine to Japan for repair.
I hope yours will be back to work again.

 

[addyg]

I tried charging by my macbook for a hour but nothing happen when press power button, I afraid this device unable to change anymore

If still cannot charge, look up FB for Romi Audio which is a mod shop for dpx1 (series) also doing battery upgrade.

 

[addyg]

If still cannot charge, look up FB for Romi Audio which is a mod shop for dpx1 (series) also doing battery upgrade.