[legokangpalla]

Quote:

  I've been enjoying the K10 for a couple of days now, mostly through my Cowon P1. The K10s are lovely and warm, but I'm wondering if they might sound a little better with a more open, 'brighter' sounding DAP. The AK240 is the obvious choice but I don't want to pay that much at the moment, especially after having bad experiences with the AK120. 
 
Any suggestions for DAPs that play well with the K10 please? 
 
Also, the K10s sound to me like they have quieter treble than even the Roxanne, which I was not expecting. Does the treble reveal itself more over time?
 
Thanks

I don't have a specialized DAP, but I use my Android phone with C5D DAC+Amp(via provided OTG cable). C5D IMO is one of the best DAC + amp for IEMs and K10 is no exception. The sound is just fantastic.
 
Compared to P1 which is quite warm IMO, more neutral sounding C5D will sound a bit brighter, and I prefer C5D for the sound quality.
 
The reason I use this setup is that even with SD card slot, my music collection goes well beyond 500GB and only mobile rig that can handle that amount of storage is a phone with a wireless HDD, CIFS mount makes this even more convenient. Also, I had three dedicated DAPs and I sold them all within months. They are bulkier than smartphones, about same size with phone + C5D, you are locked-in to the built in DAC-although most DAPs nowadays have digital out, and phones have incomparable streaming options.
 
Also, if I had money to burn, I would just get the recent Core M tablet and run my music through stereo tools/DSP plugins and USB DAC/Amp. 

 

[Wilderbeast]

Thanks for the reply Legokangpalla. I was looking at that kind of setup a while ago but have a Chord Hugo as my DAC/Amp option, which is fantastic. What I'm after is a DAP to use when traveling - an all-in-one solution.

 

[Sorensiim]

 
Thanks for the reply Legokangpalla. I was looking at that kind of setup a while ago but have a Chord Hugo as my DAC/Amp option, which is fantastic. What I'm after is a DAP to use when traveling - an all-in-one solution.

The AK120 II is utterly phenomenal with the K10...

 
A bit pricey though, but less so than the AK240 and it has the exact same DAC & amp section and UI, but in a better (IMHO) form factor. 

 

[Wilderbeast]

I now have the AK120II, which sounds better than I'd expected with the K10. I was not expecting so much detail from such a little DAP. However, it does have a little too much treble for my liking; it's a touch harsh on the ears.
 
Would a balanced cable tame the treble a bit? If so, can someone suggest a reasonably-priced balanced cable for the K10?
 
I'll pen a proper review at some point, but for now I can say these are the best IEMs I've had to date. They're the first customs I've owned where I've enjoyed the music instead of listening out for how the earphones present the music. Wonderful. I cannot recommend the Chord Hugo > K10 setup enough.

 

[Sorensiim]

  I now have the AK120II, which sounds better than I'd expected with the K10. I was not expecting so much detail from such a little DAP. However, it does have a little too much treble for my liking; it's a touch harsh on the ears.
 
Would a balanced cable tame the treble a bit? If so, can someone suggest a reasonably-priced balanced cable for the K10?
 
I'll pen a proper review at some point, but for now I can say these are the best IEMs I've had to date. They're the first customs I've owned where I've enjoyed the music instead of listening out for how the earphones present the music. Wonderful. I cannot recommend the Chord Hugo > K10 setup enough.

I have (and love!) the exact same combo and I definitely wouldn't call it harsh. At the risk of opening the can of worms known as the Burn-in debate, how much time have you given them?

 

[Wilderbeast]

  I have (and love!) the exact same combo and I definitely wouldn't call it harsh. At the risk of opening the can of worms known as the Burn-in debate, how much time have you given them?

 
Not long admittedly. And I'm coming from a warmer DAP, which probably skews my perception.

 

[goodvibes]

I found the AK240 a bit smoother overall even though it's topology is about the same as the ak120II. Who knows, maybe it was just the FW difference but I preferred it. With things like the K10, subtleties become more apparent, even with it's friendly sig. You could also try different FWs on the ak120II as long as they have the feature set you need. The old AKs changed sig a bit with FW revisions. Honestly, I prefer one FW over the other by which cable I use to connect my JH13fps to an older AK. Silly hobby

.

 

[Wilderbeast]

A silly, and at times infuriating, hobby.
 
I've been bouncing between the Cowon P1 (too warm/fuzzy) and AK120ii (too cold/analytical) for a little while now in a vain attempt to find a DAP I like with my K10. You know what? The iPhone isn't too bad...
 
What I'm really after is a mobile phone-sized Chord Hugo (I know, I know).

 

[Dexter Morgan]

  A silly, and at times infuriating, hobby.
 
I've been bouncing between the Cowon P1 (too warm/fuzzy) and AK120ii (too cold/analytical) for a little while now in a vain attempt to find a DAP I like with my K10. You know what? The iPhone isn't too bad...
 
What I'm really after is a mobile phone-sized Chord Hugo (I know, I know).

You know what? I have to agree with you about the iPhone. At the moment, I'm using an iPhone 6 > Lightning-to-20pin adaptor > UHA-6S.MKII, and it sounds damn good. I actually prefer this to the DAC inside the UHA, which shocked the heck outta me, so I'm just using the amp portion. Strangely enough, when I go from the iPhone's headphone out directly to the amp, it doesn't sound as good. There seems to be something about the DAC inside the adapter that just does it for me with this combination. I might be crazy.
 
Edit: I'm hoping the Hifi-Skyn might be the mobile phone-sized (sort of) solution that you're talking about... fingers crossed. Of course synergy is another issue.

 

[Kunlun]

Interesting discussion, guys. Keep sharing what you've found to be a good synergy with the K10, thanks.

 

[Dexter Morgan]

Please take what I'm saying with a giant lump of salt. I've got very little experience... for instance I've never tried the AK players or DX players. The only other amp I've tried is the Fiio E12. But to me, this combo sounds really good. I'd be curious to know if anyone else has tried this combo with the K10s, just to see where my "really good" sits on the true audiophile quality spectrum

 

[Tropic]

Love the color and style of your K10. Do you think it'd be possible to get a reprint in the same style?

 

[FullCircle]

Love the color and style of your K10. Do you think it'd be possible to get a reprint in the same style?

Who, what what

 

[fattycheesebeef]

Will you guys have special sales on your upcoming birthday?

 

[majkel]

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/noble/1.html
Looks like we should read more soon...