Pioneer XDP-300R | Twin DAC ES9018K2M | Balanced Out | Android | MQA | 2x MicroSD | WiFi | AptX
May 24, 2018 at 9:10 AM Post #1,741 of 2,532
What a wasted potential! Soo beautiful, great, spacious and natural sounding DAP with 75 mW output from SE. What??? This must be a joke! It couldnt even drive properly my Bang Olufsen H6 which are 32 Ohm or something like that. Volume level was on max- 160 and it still sounded quieter than my iBasso DX80 on level 110 from 150.
I really wanted to get this beauty, but this power output from SE is a ****ing JOKE! And plz dont tell me that it has balanced with double of this power. I cant get balanced cable for my H6 which were 260e. I really dont get the point of such power limitation. It is one of the stupidest things I've seen on a DAP market. Shame..
Have you ever tried looking at the settings? Even my headphones with 64 ohms has no problems. Try searching for the gain setting it must have been set to low 2, try setting it to low 1 or normal.
 
May 24, 2018 at 9:28 AM Post #1,742 of 2,532
Have you ever tried looking at the settings? Even my headphones with 64 ohms has no problems. Try searching for the gain setting it must have been set to low 2, try setting it to low 1 or normal.
Hi, thanks for an answer. No, i haven't looked at the gain settings, so i swear: if it was on low gain, and after the change the sound clearly increases, I will apologize! I will go to the shop and try this today.
 
May 24, 2018 at 9:32 AM Post #1,743 of 2,532
Hi, thanks for an answer. No, i haven't looked at the gain settings, so i swear: if it was on low gain, and after the change the sound clearly increases, I will apologize! I will go to the shop and try this today.
In addition, turn variable line out option on if it is there. This gets rides of the volume lock which is required by European regulation.
 
May 24, 2018 at 9:35 AM Post #1,744 of 2,532
Hi, thanks for an answer. No, i haven't looked at the gain settings, so i swear: if it was on low gain, and after the change the sound clearly increases, I will apologize! I will go to the shop and try this today.
No problem, I was just a bit dumbfounded my your remark, cuz even with my cheapest pair of headphones (dtx710) scaled very well with this particular dap. A feat my past daps (ak100mk 2, x5 2nd gen, Sony a25&a35) weren't even able to do.
 
May 24, 2018 at 9:54 AM Post #1,746 of 2,532
No problem, I was just a bit dumbfounded my your remark, cuz even with my cheapest pair of headphones (dtx710) scaled very well with this particular dap. A feat my past daps (ak100mk 2, x5 2nd gen, Sony a25&a35) weren't even able to do.
Man, if u're right, this can make my day! I really loved the sound signature with ellegant tuning. Maybe it lacks a bit of dynamics and excitement like iBasso DX80, but in this case i prefer more bigger soundstage and these brilliant trebles.
I live in Germany and there is an option to get this brand new player in Saturn for 300e! But only when u buy it in store (on Saturn online is for over 600e).
 
May 24, 2018 at 9:59 AM Post #1,747 of 2,532
Man, if u're right, this can make my day! I really loved the sound signature with ellegant tuning. Maybe it lacks a bit of dynamics and excitement like iBasso DX80, but in this case i prefer more bigger soundstage and these brilliant trebles.
I live in Germany and there is an option to get this brand new player in Saturn for 300e! But only when u buy it in store (on Saturn online is for over 600e).
Its a beautiful player sure but if my experience with it serves any basis soundstage isn't really its best feature. My phone (stock lg g5) has a larger soundstage than this. In fact I have yet to find a player that can surpass the staging capabilities of my phone
 
May 24, 2018 at 10:11 AM Post #1,748 of 2,532
Its a beautiful player sure but if my experience with it serves any basis soundstage isn't really its best feature. My phone (stock lg g5) has a larger soundstage than this. In fact I have yet to find a player that can surpass the staging capabilities of my phone
Oh I have to agree with u at this point, because I purchased LG V30 one month ago. And actually the soundstage is the widest from what I've heard from mobile devices so far. The funny thing is that LG V30 is really close to the XDP-300r when it comes to sq. But the mids and heights on the Pioneer are really beautifull for me, not only clean like on LG.
 
May 25, 2018 at 6:48 AM Post #1,749 of 2,532
Hi, thanx for an advise! I have only one doubt: doesnt the V-line out distort and worsen the sound quality?
If you consider line out as bypassing analog volume control, every step of volume from this player is V-line out, as this player (as well as most other players) uses digital volume control.
Just consider this V-line out as a law avoiding trick. If you are using external amplifier, use fixed line out.

Oh I have to agree with u at this point, because I purchased LG V30 one month ago. And actually the soundstage is the widest from what I've heard from mobile devices so far. The funny thing is that LG V30 is really close to the XDP-300r when it comes to sq. But the mids and heights on the Pioneer are really beautifull for me, not only clean like on LG.
For sound stage you might take a try with lock range adjust changed to wide.

But to be fair, sound stage is never the strength of 300R.
Even with balanced output, 300R doesn't not match iBasso DX150, Sony's WM1A or even ZX300, in terms of the richness of the sound further away
300R provides fine details and tender sound, minimal noise on offline playback, etc
 
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May 25, 2018 at 6:54 AM Post #1,750 of 2,532
If you consider line out as bypassing analog volume control, every step of volume from this player is V-line out, as this player (as well as most other players) uses digital volume control.
Just consider this V-line out as a law avoiding trick. If you are using external amplifier, use fixed line out.


For sound stage you might take a try with lock range adjust changed to wide.

But to be fair, sound stage is never the strength of 300R.
Even with balanced output, 300R doesn't not match iBasso DX150, Sony's WM1A or even ZX300, in terms of the richness of the sound further away
300R provides fine details and tender sound, minimal noise on offline playback, etc
If only my phone didn't produce such a high noise when I'm plugging my more sensitive iems (CA nova and polaris and noble savanna) I would have just been fine with it lol, oh well 300r is none the less a spectacular device especially for the price I got it (500 USD and it includes the case). I think I might buy the ifi iematch for my phonr .
 
May 25, 2018 at 7:34 AM Post #1,751 of 2,532
Soo, as I wrote, went to Saturn for making the final decision. Only one device left, still for 299e (but only in the store, online is for over 600e). Asked the guy why is like this, he said with a smile that its like it is, lol. So i made the last comparison against my lg v30 (still keeping in head sound of my ibasso dx80). Didnt play with the sd card, so checked only listening the same songs on yt. Mainly soundtrack from witcher 3 to check how the instrument separation is presenting, pat metheny, the cure, basics. I wasnt wowed at the first seconds. Lg stood really close. But didnt have to wait much longer to finally notice the difference: instrument separation and the clarity of mids and especially mid bass on the pioneer is a different world. Lg has some muddiness, when pioneer is elegant and crystal clear. So to all folks that they are curious about the difference between audiophie smartphone and xdp-300r- there is a definite difference. Lg v30 sounds on almost the same level as iBasso dx80, but xdp-300 is definitely a higher level. Maybe it isnt a night and day difference, but for someone who already tried some good source, this is an upgrade.
So playing with gains, significant increase in power came after changing to V-line mode. The sound quality didnt change, so I could drive bang olufsens h6 with a very satisfactory loudness on 115-120. So I bought it.
 
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May 25, 2018 at 7:48 AM Post #1,752 of 2,532
If you consider line out as bypassing analog volume control, every step of volume from this player is V-line out, as this player (as well as most other players) uses digital volume control.
Just consider this V-line out as a law avoiding trick. If you are using external amplifier, use fixed line out.


For sound stage you might take a try with lock range adjust changed to wide.

But to be fair, sound stage is never the strength of 300R.
Even with balanced output, 300R doesn't not match iBasso DX150, Sony's WM1A or even ZX300, in terms of the richness of the sound further away
300R provides fine details and tender sound, minimal noise on offline playback, etc
Thanks for the reply. I had a chance to try iBasoo dx200 (dont remeber which AMP) and have to say that the soundstage on the xdp300 is quite close. So i wouldnt expect dx150 to be clearly ahead, but maybe dx150 has exeptionally wide ss, havent tried yet. Havent tried sonnys as well so I cant refer to this. But i would agree about the weight of the sound.
 
May 25, 2018 at 8:14 AM Post #1,753 of 2,532
Thanks for the reply. I had a chance to try iBasoo dx200 (dont remeber which AMP) and have to say that the soundstage on the xdp300 is quite close. So i wouldnt expect dx150 to be clearly ahead, but maybe dx150 has exeptionally wide ss, havent tried yet. Havent tried sonnys as well so I cant refer to this. But i would agree about the weight of the sound.
From my experience with Sony their offerings are very good but a tad bit over priced imo. Soundstage on Sony (with the right eq settings and synergy between IEM and player) is very respectable not as wide as my lg g5 but its up there :)
 
May 25, 2018 at 8:19 AM Post #1,754 of 2,532
From my experience with Sony their offerings are very good but a tad bit over priced imo. Soundstage on Sony (with the right eq settings and synergy between IEM and player) is very respectable not as wide as my lg g5 but its up there :)
Heh just listened to the "Adeline" from Alt-J in good quality flac. Sorry but the soundstage is huge:)
 
May 25, 2018 at 8:20 AM Post #1,755 of 2,532
Heh just listened to the "Adeline" from Alt-J in good quality flac. Sorry but the soundstage is huge:)
Lol what gear(s) are you using with it?
 

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