kukkurovaca
1000+ Head-Fier
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Then I saw that there's a Es100 Mk2 available on Amazon now and it got me thinking about it again. I know many ppl in this forum have recommended it, and it seems there's some mild design improvements over the original es100 ,but is otherwise basically the same as the original.
Yeah, the changes are minor physical improvements. Seem good but not game-changing.
I checked out the app to control the device today. Looks pretty nice, I like it. But I still have some reservations about it. Not really interested in listening to music via bluetooth. I prefer a wired connection. But I like that the ES100 has the option of both wired and wireless. Just wondering if there's any other good suggestions out there?
Fiio and Shanling have adapters that are in the same market segment, but I don't know offhand if they do wired. Fiio Q5 sereis does for sure but is over budget. The big question mark is the upcoming Qudelix 5K from the ES100's designer -- if your budget is limited and you have some patience, I would wait to see how that reviews before deciding between that, the ES100, or something else. (Personally, the biggest advantge of the ES100 and potentially the 5K is a good EQ that can even be controlled wirelessly from a phone even while it's being used wired to a PC.)
One question to bear in mind re: the dongles generally, is: do you want something for use wired, while it's in your pocket? And if so, will the device and your phone's connection be able to hold up to the stresses that may be placed on them during pocket use, and also, will the phone+dongle combination be comfortable to carry in a pocket.
Im thinking going with something that has a USB C connection would be better for future proofing. Also the media players i use on my phone support usb DACs, so overall its probably the best choice.
Im wondering how big a difference there would be between the ES100 mk2 that supports 24/192 and other similarly priced DACs that offer a 32/384 option.
How music do you listen to in higher bitrates, and do you believe theres an audible difference? This would be the main determining factor.