[gazzington]

Just seems to have a fuller sound for me and of course compared to the upper models they are much warmer but for me I prefer warm to critical as I'm not sitting behind a sound board working sliders Now before the cage rattlers get going remember this is just Pods old ears and hearing for reference but honestly for the price these can't be beat, my apologies to anyone with small ears

Here's an idea. Out of all the lower price iems you've tried, which sound closest to the Solaris?

 

[Devodonaldson]

Fine, fine, let the gods of stacking be appeased

Haha. But it sounds so much better and makes gaming more immersive.

 

[fokta]

Once upon a time...
The Hybrids...

glad there's a fellow who have almost the same...
Solaris
TFZ King.
Polaris V1

Still using it all...

 

[PinkyPowers]

Does the DX160 have a microsd slot?

It does.

 

[Podster]

Here's an idea. Out of all the lower price iems you've tried, which sound closest to the Solaris?

Dang you Gazz, you really are trying to get me flamed hard here! As Sheriff Bart & Waco said "I must, I must", now before I make these statements I have no issue saying yes the CA's (Solaris & Polaris II) do sound better and are built to a higher standing but like all commodities it's in what the buyer is willing to spend on their ROI but as a middle income working stiff (plus what I consider logical) no matter if they are better for my money they are not IMHO worth almost 38 times the KZ ZS10 Pro just like to me the Polaris II is not worth 10 times more than a ZS7. The CA's are more efficient but with just a touch more of VU you get 80/85% of the CA's vs. KZ then of course you have bragging rights. For me anything happening to a $350 iem is devastating so I'd probably lose my mind should anything ever happen to a pair costing $1500 (lost/forgotten, stolen or heaven forbid any kind of product failure) as opposed to the same thing happening to a $50 iem.

This hobby like so many is subjective and based on ones own justification system, 99.9% of the music listening public think we are crazy for spending $50 on an in-ear so when you look at it that way we have a bunch of friggin' crazy, disease riddin' maniac's here but it's OK cause it still beats a multitude of other things one could be doing or spending their time on. After spending over $20K on my main home rig some 20 + years ago and realizing just how much time I even get with it I like to feel I've learned a little when it come to portable and reaching nirvana is just a myth cause from day to day week to week mood to mood music is going to sound/hit everyone differently. For me I'd rather enjoy buying lower with less expectations and being surprised more, stressed less and truthfully probably enjoying myself just as much as if I had owned the most expensive DAP/IEM (more than likely CIEM) one could buy.

Now to really make it real most of the guys (Reviewers) who own all these sweet rigs never paid a dime for the goods they keep just for creating sales for these manufacturers, I'm sure not without fault cause I've surely spent over $5K in portable but with that said I have 13 DAPS, 6 iDevices, 7 portable amps, over 36 pair of iem's and half dozen cans so I can't sling too much mud I just like to bring things into perspective sort of like Anton Ego? Ratatouille is a peasants meal but where that first bite took Anton is where I go with a multitude of my rigs. Now what's a manufacturers favorite two words..........................................HYPE TRAIN" baby

I still have issues with those who say a Hybrid DD/BA combo has so much better bass (I'm for sure no bass-head) than an all BA I've been back in my BA-10's all morning and for me they hold there own against anything I own and for $76 exceed most

I do find this cut perfect for this post too

 

[David Kleinfeld]

Just updated to 3.02 my 1Z, I am not planning to do it on 1A but the result on 1Z is magnificent. This combo 1Z + Titan Ag + IER-Z1R is probably the best synergy I have heard on portable devices.

 

[Podster]

Just updated to 3.02 my 1Z, I am not planning to do it on 1A but the result on 1Z is magnificent. This combo 1Z + Titan Ag + IER-Z1R is probably the best synergy I have heard on portable devices.

It is a beauty David and that ELP Tarkus album should sound excellent on a $7500 plus rig

 

[boblauer]

Fully burned-in and basking in such lavishness.

DX160>plusSound X8 Silver+Gold>JOMO Quatre

The new DX160 is mighty in dynamics and clarity, sounding incredibly high-end. It has a full and complete sound that I'm really digging.

Million dollar question for me, whats the battery life like? Can you get 8 hours balanced, normal screen usage/volume out of it?

 

[Podster]

Million dollar question for me, whats the battery life like? Can you get 8 hours balanced, normal screen usage/volume out of it?

Yo Bobster, I bet Pinky will provide that for you for no less than $999999.99

 

[PinkyPowers]

Million dollar question for me, whats the battery life like? Can you get 8 hours balanced, normal screen usage/volume out of it?

I haven't done a hard battery test yet. But after a few hours of listening today, it's done fairly well. I've certainly seen worse. It's better than the DX200 with AMP8. WAY better. Talking about battery drain, of course.

 

[gazzington]

Dang you Gazz, you really are trying to get me flamed hard here! As Sheriff Bart & Waco said "I must, I must", now before I make these statements I have no issue saying yes the CA's (Solaris & Polaris II) do sound better and are built to a higher standing but like all commodities it's in what the buyer is willing to spend on their ROI but as a middle income working stiff (plus what I consider logical) no matter if they are better for my money they are not IMHO worth almost 38 times the KZ ZS10 Pro just like to me the Polaris II is not worth 10 times more than a ZS7. The CA's are more efficient but with just a touch more of VU you get 80/85% of the CA's vs. KZ then of course you have bragging rights. For me anything happening to a $350 iem is devastating so I'd probably lose my mind should anything ever happen to a pair costing $1500 (lost/forgotten, stolen or heaven forbid any kind of product failure) as opposed to the same thing happening to a $50 iem.

This hobby like so many is subjective and based on ones own justification system, 99.9% of the music listening public think we are crazy for spending $50 on an in-ear so when you look at it that way we have a bunch of friggin' crazy, disease riddin' maniac's here but it's OK cause it still beats a multitude of other things one could be doing or spending their time on. After spending over $20K on my main home rig some 20 + years ago and realizing just how much time I even get with it I like to feel I've learned a little when it come to portable and reaching nirvana is just a myth cause from day to day week to week mood to mood music is going to sound/hit everyone differently. For me I'd rather enjoy buying lower with less expectations and being surprised more, stressed less and truthfully probably enjoying myself just as much as if I had owned the most expensive DAP/IEM (more than likely CIEM) one could buy.

Now to really make it real most of the guys (Reviewers) who own all these sweet rigs never paid a dime for the goods they keep just for creating sales for these manufacturers, I'm sure not without fault cause I've surely spent over $5K in portable but with that said I have 13 DAPS, 6 iDevices, 7 portable amps, over 36 pair of iem's and half dozen cans so I can't sling too much mud I just like to bring things into perspective sort of like Anton Ego? Ratatouille is a peasants meal but where that first bite took Anton is where I go with a multitude of my rigs. Now what's a manufacturers favorite two words..........................................HYPE TRAIN" baby

I still have issues with those who say a Hybrid DD/BA combo has so much better bass (I'm for sure no bass-head) than an all BA I've been back in my BA-10's all morning and for me they hold there own against anything I own and for $76 exceed most

I do find this cut perfect for this post too

This is a great post. I realised something a few weeks ago when I spent £250 on those Sony Bluetooth headphones xm3. I was thinking these will do for cheap day to day headphones. I then suddenly thought what the heck happened to me, these are not cheap headphones. Weirdly they sound great too. But that's besides the point. I used to think for a long time before buying a fiio X5. Now I have a sp1000, lpgt, n8, wm1a and n6ii. It's absolutely silly. I've become addicted to trying out new daps. I need to go back to basics which is still audio to a higher level than most music lovers

 

[boblauer]

I haven't done a hard battery test yet. But after a few hours of listening today, it's done fairly well. I've certainly seen worse. It's better than the DX200 with AMP8. WAY better. Talking about battery drain, of course.

That is my concern, sound wise everyone seems to concur on that but I don't want 6 hours of life with the volume at 50% and the screen in use no matter how it sounds. I only use a DAP at work or when out and about. Would love to hear about some real world battery life amounts.

 

[Podster]

This is a great post. I realised something a few weeks ago when I spent £250 on those Sony Bluetooth headphones xm3. I was thinking these will do for cheap day to day headphones. I then suddenly thought what the heck happened to me, these are not cheap headphones. Weirdly they sound great too. But that's besides the point. I used to think for a long time before buying a fiio X5. Now I have a sp1000, lpgt, n8, wm1a and n6ii. It's absolutely silly. I've become addicted to trying out new daps. I need to go back to basics which is still audio to a higher level than most music lovers

Well just realize even music lovers don't make up 1/3 of the planets population so once again you are way (what was that DAP count again) way way ahead of most for sure. Like my Man Cave rig I also over spent in relation to time (life do get in the way) spent enjoying the benefits of it all but like all the rest of us we can boast we have/own it all LOL Once again truth be told I'll be working away at my desk and just enjoying the dog out of this rig that's less than a nice dinner for two This time the Pod's in the ears and not the Apple device but these Hungry Panda specials deliver all one needs to enjoy ones favorite tunes, crazy for $36 I can also load up and play dozen's of movies too

 

[gazzington]

Well just realize even music lovers don't make up 1/3 of the planets population so once again you are way (what was that DAP count again) way way ahead of most for sure. Like my Man Cave rig I also over spent in relation to time (life do get in the way) spent enjoying the benefits of it all but like all the rest of us we can boast we have/own it all LOL Once again truth be told I'll be working away at my desk and just enjoying the dog out of this rig that's less than a nice dinner for two This time the Pod's in the ears and not the Apple device but these Hungry Panda specials deliver all one needs to enjoy ones favorite tunes, crazy for $36 I can also load up and play dozen's of movies too

Yeah I spent way too much on daps but do not require any more for a good long while, unless they are very cheap. Iem wise I've never spent huge. My favourite are zeniths, oBravo Cupid's and fearless s8f but have had a lot of fun with blon 03

 

[Podster]

Yeah I spent way too much on daps but do not require any more for a good long while, unless they are very cheap. Iem wise I've never spent huge. My favourite are zeniths, oBravo Cupid's and fearless s8f but have had a lot of fun with blon 03

I think the Zenith's on Drop right now for $275 is one of the best bargains in Universals period, easily hang if not best many a $500 to $800 (maybe even $1299 but not mentioning any particular manufacturer) IMHO