[yaps66]

I would be curious if anyone has heard/has the Supermoon and has the Hook-X.

I will have both. My SM Universal should be in my hands tomorrow. Unfortunately I am travelling and will only be able to a/b both sometime next week. However from anecdotal accounts of the SM, it is tuned very differently from the Hook-X. Also going by CA's track record, you would not expect a reference tuning from the SM. My understanding of what to expect of the SM is that it is aggressive and places you amongst the band as opposed to being an observer. It is a detail monster and does not appeal to many OOTB. It also has some of the best slam especially in the bass. It is very tip, cable and source dependent and some have had to dial it in before they begin to understand the SM. It apparently pairs the best with POP and soul music more so than orchestral and jazz.

I am super excited to hear the SM for myself!

 

[samandhi]

I will have both. My SM Universal should be in my hands tomorrow. Unfortunately I am travelling and will only be able to a/b both sometime next week. However from anecdotal accounts of the SM, it is tuned very differently from the Hook-X. Also going by CA's track record, you would not expect a reference tuning from the SM. My understanding of what to expect of the SM is that it is aggressive and places you amongst the band as opposed to being an observer. It is a detail monster and does not appeal to many OOTB. It also has some of the best slam especially in the bass. It is very tip, cable and source dependent and some have had to dial it in before they begin to understand the SM. It apparently pairs the best with POP and soul music more so than orchestral and jazz.

I am super excited to hear the SM for myself!

Thanks for sharing that, and it is all good, I will (eagerly) await your A/B whenever you get to it...

I am also wondering of CA used the same 14.xx driver that everyone seems to be using nowadays with the tag of "custom"... LOL

Oh, and in case I don't talk to you by then, congrats on your new shiny!

 

[DutchKarma]

@DutchKarma received my BTR7 today. Will share how it pairs with the Hook-X soon. It's a Pre-Owned unit so burn-in isn't needed.

Cool! Very curious about your findings!

 

[samandhi]

Cool! Very curious about your findings!

+1

 

[yaps66]

Thanks for sharing that, and it is all good, I will (eagerly) await your A/B whenever you get to it...

I am also wondering of CA used the same 14.xx driver that everyone seems to be using nowadays with the tag of "custom"... LOL

Oh, and in case I don't talk to you by then, congrats on your new shiny!

Thanks! Love my new shiny! OOTB. I love the BASS. It slams at an unreal level and is TOTL! In my view the SM is at a different level from Hook-X. But I am getting ahead of myself. Will need to A/B.

I am led to understand that the driver of the SM is an upgraded driver of the Timeless and therefore different from what the rest are using.

The bass on the SM is insane.

 

[samandhi]

Thanks! Love my new shiny! OOTB. I love the BASS. It slams at an unreal level and is TOTL! In my view the SM is at a different level from Hook-X. But I am getting ahead of myself. Will need to A/B.

I am led to understand that the driver of the SM is an upgraded driver of the Timeless and therefore different from what the rest are using.

The bass on the SM is insane.

Sounds great bro! I can't wait to hear your impressions/comparisons of the two..

 

[Johnfg465vd]

Alright so I've been using Hook-X with BTR7 for the past 3 days and really like the pairing. I don't know if it's because of that THX Amp but that slight grain/distortion in the treble is completely gone. It's got more than enough power to drive the Hook-X and has an uncoloured sound that lets Hook-X do its own thing.

I've mostly used the BTR7 in Wired Mode and from its Balanced Output so can't comment on it's Parametric EQ or Single-Ended performance yet.

If I was to rank how my other portable DAC/Amps paired with Hook-X specifically, it would be

Gryphon (GTO Firmware)>BTR7>RU6>LG V60 (Medium Gain)>BTR5...

 

[DutchKarma]

@Johnfg465vd Thanks for the feedback!
Looks like it scales nicely with more power, which is in line with my own experiences. Guess I need to check out the btr7

 

[samandhi]

@Johnfg465vd Thanks for the feedback!
Looks like it scales nicely with more power, which is in line with my own experiences. Guess I need to check out the btr7

This agrees with my findings as well.

 

[Johnfg465vd]

@Johnfg465vd Thanks for the feedback!
Looks like it scales nicely with more power, which is in line with my own experiences. Guess I need to check out the btr7

For something like Hook-X, definitely something worth checking out. I'd probably stay away from the BTR7 if you have very bright IEMs though, iFi or Shanling are better options there.

I am pretty surprised with the BTR7 performence so far, I wasn't expecting it to sound so good. I mostly purchased it to use with my Tab S6 (no Headphone Out, gifted BTR5 to brother) but ended up using it for music listening. I've seen many claim THX sounds sterile but to my ears (atleast with the BTR7) it sounds pretty good with zero noticeable noise.

 

[samandhi]

iFi or Shanling are better options there.

Yeah, Shanling "house" tuning is very musical, which pairs well with a lot of things. iBasso is a good choice also, but the stock amp module in the higher end DAPs is not as musical as Shanling. I have not heard much iFi stuff, so I can't comment (but I am always reading good stuff about them).

 

[DutchKarma]

For something like Hook-X, definitely something worth checking out. I'd probably stay away from the BTR7 if you have very bright IEMs though, iFi or Shanling are better options there.

I dont have any bright IEMs (more the opposite) , i use the Hook-X , a JVC-FX850 , Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS and my AKG K712. But as a source i prefer a more neutral one.
I am very much divided between a small bluetooth dac/amp like the BTR7 or a "full" dap like the ibasso dx240 (with amp8), shanling m6 ultra / m7. (for some reason i dont like the fiio m11)
I looked at the Gryphon too but because of the size then i might as well go for a dx240.

 

[Johnfg465vd]

I dont have any bright IEMs (more the opposite) , i use the Hook-X , a JVC-FX850 , Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS and my AKG K712. But as a source i prefer a more neutral one.
I am very much divided between a small bluetooth dac/amp like the BTR7 or a "full" dap like the ibasso dx240 (with amp8), shanling m6 ultra / m7. (for some reason i dont like the fiio m11)
I looked at the Gryphon too but because of the size then i might as well go for a dx240.

If it's just IEMs, personally I'd stick with devices like the BTR7, RU6... much more portable and with enough power to drive them well. I don't have much experience with DAPs but have used more premium portable DAC/Amps like Gryphon, micro Sig, Mojo... and for IEM's while there is some difference, it will not be huge. Headphones on the other hand will definitely benefit from higher power and refinement of those DACs. My Edition XS gets loud from BTR7, RU6... but sounds flat compared to my Desktop setup EF400 or something transportable like iDSD Sig.

AKG K712 is Single-Ended only so I can't comment on how it performs with BTR7.

I bought a XINHS 8 Core Cable which should arrive soon, can't wait to try that out. Any one here tried XELASTEC tips with Hook-X?

 

[Nick24JJ]

Sorry for the off-topic but do you think that the BTR7 would make any sense for me? I already have the Qudelix-5K and the IEMs + headphones shown in my sig. I am also waiting for the IMR Na-Le in December. How is the BT connectivity range on the BTR7?

 

[Johnfg465vd]

Sorry for the off-topic but do you think that the BTR7 would make any sense for me? I already have the Qudelix-5K and the IEMs + headphones shown in my sig. I am also waiting for the IMR Na-Le in December. How is the BT connectivity range on the BTR7?

With Qudelix 5k & Mojo 2 in your inventory, BTR7 isn't necessary. I remember reading somewhere that range is better on Qudelix 5k compared to BTR7.

In my testing BTR7 has better connectivity and less disconnects compared to BTR5 but I've not used the Qudelix.

If you feel like trying a different source, I'd recommend RU6. It won't be as resolving as BTR7 but it does some thing to the music that is very pleasent and enjoying.