[HiFiWar]

I'm also curious about the best DAP for the buck ? Most of the ones listed are very expensive. Several thousand $. Of course they'll sound great.
I'd love to see a list of great DAP's under $1,000. For me the FIIO M11Plus along with the Shanling M6 Ultra.

Currently? The Fiio M15S is my favorite under $1k. Best bang for the buck.

 

[SweetCans928]

Hiby R6 Pro II

I keep getting so close to getting this. It seems almost perfect for me, and I'm a little tired of my Fiio M15. But it is new-ish since Fiio replaced my previous M15 thanks to its swollen battery/displaced display issue. I guess I'll just wait for a bit and see what's coming out down the line. Maybe I can demo some daps at Canjam NYC.

 

[KOM66]

Currently? The Fiio M15S is my favorite under $1k. Best bang for the buck.

Currently? The Fiio M15S is my favorite under $1k. Best bang for the buck.

I keep getting so close to getting this. It seems almost perfect for me, and I'm a little tired of my Fiio M15. But it is new-ish since Fiio replaced my previous M15 thanks to its swollen battery/displaced display issue. I guess I'll just wait for a bit and see what's coming out down the line. Maybe I can demo some daps at Canjam NYC.

I bought the Hiby R6 back in March and quickly returned it. Didn't like the UI.Just heard there's a new R8 that came out for $2k.

 

[HiFiWar]

I bought the Hiby R6 back in March and quickly returned it. Didn't like the UI.Just heard there's a new R8 that came out for $2k.

The m15 and m15s are VERY different. I haven't heard the original, so I can't really comment on how the AKM sound different from the ESS. I've had a lot of issues with HiBy - every single DAP I've owned of these has had weird software bugs requiring hard resets of the entire system or a return. They do give you a nice Android 12 OS with some excellent displays and good sound for the most part, but the unusability of the software has made me walk away from them for the foreseeable future. iBasso has given me a somewhat similar experience. I am very fond of Cayin, Shanling, and Fiio at the moment.

 

[truongmusic]

My Top 10
1. SP3000
2. P6 Pro Ti99
3. LP6 Ti
4. SP2000 Gold
5. Sony Wm1zm2
6. P6 pro Silver
7. Cayin N8ii
8. Hiby Rs8
9. Lotoo Paw gold touch Ti
10. Wm1z

 

[Quadfather]

1) Fiio M17
2) Lotoo Gold Paw Touch
3) Ibasso DX300Max (non ti) (basically sold it the moment m17 came in)
4) Cayin N6ii (w/E02) (sold it after getting the gold paw)
5) Fiio M11+
6) Ibasso DX312 (Trades blows with Fiio m11+ but i preferred fiio's)
7) Shanling M8 (sold it, pretty disappointing even after "burning in")

How close are LPGT and Fiio M17?

 

[cliffjnr]

ive got a few "lower end" daps. sony nw306, ibasso dx170, cowon plenue d2 and an aune m1p

the aune m1p i think sounds the best. but theyre all good enough. but i'll keep the sony as it fits my use case better than the others.

cheers

 

[chaoslight]

My Top 10
1. SP3000
2. P6 Pro Ti99
3. LP6 Ti
4. SP2000 Gold
5. Sony Wm1zm2
6. P6 pro Silver
7. Cayin N8ii
8. Hiby Rs8
9. Lotoo Paw gold touch Ti
10. Wm1z

Amazing, you’ve heard so many rare daps! What dap do you think has the best sound?

 

[chaoslight]

IBasso DX320Max
Luxury & Precision LP6ti7AE
Luxury & Precision P6Pro
Cayin N30LE and original N8

Hi, may I know why you put DX320 Max above LP6 Ti? Does DX320 Max deliver the super wide and vivid sound stage as the LP6 Ti does? I have heard LP6 Ti and it sounds amazing.

 

[chaoslight]

LPGT is boring ...
LPG is much better
even my SP1000SS , WM1Z beats all LPGs

If you turn on the Headphone PMEQ in LPGT, it will sound a bit similar to LPG imo.

 

[nocturne19]

How close are LPGT and Fiio M17?

M17 trumps LPGT in technicals, but LPGT sounds more 'natural' by presenting notes delicately. That said, M17 sounds more neutral than 'digital' compared to its (flagship) predecessors, which I believe Fiio did a great job.

 

[nocturne19]

If you turn on the Headphone PMEQ in LPGT, it will sound a bit similar to LPG imo.

Had a short demo on LPG, it actually reminded me of a bright-sounding PAW6000. Big YMMV though.

 

[truongmusic]

Amazing, you’ve heard so many rare daps! What dap do you think has the best sound?

SP3000 and P6P ti99 are the two best Daps in the list of Music player I have ever owned. SP3000 is slightly better.

 

[Quadfather]

Wm1z
Cayin n8
Sp2000 cc
Lpgt
Zx507
Cayin n6ii t01

My NW-WM1Z with my Shure SRH1540 headphones balanced is my favorite combination. My Lotoo Paw Gold Touch is a close second with Meze 109 Pro headphones and Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7B headphones balanced.

 

[JSBachFan]

Rankings are silly, but I love them ...

1. Sony WM1Z K-mod Ultimate
2. Sony WM1Z
3. Sony WM1A NPAudio mod
4. AK SP3000
5. Hiby RS6
6. Sony WM1A
7. Shanling M9
8. P6 Pro
9. iBasso DX300 MAX
10. Shanling M8
11. iBasso DX220 MAX
12. FiiO M15