[vaibhavp]

   
In the portable world Hugo made a big name for itself due to its sound and options, but the price was always a challenge, especially to people like me, who believe that desktop gear can be obtained, which can sound significantly better than the Hugo at the $2500 (Then) price point. Another factor that proves Hugo is kind of a middle of the road product is the portability factor, no person in the world can enjoy the music while busy holding that beast on the go. 
 
To me QP1R bridged that gap. I've been using it for 3 months now, and I've not manipulated the EQ with any of the headphones/IEMs I have in my inventory, as it sounds that good in default. 
Giving it a considerably small amount of time in daily use (a week at least) one can easily get addicted to the sound signature as it is basically having deeper extension in the bass & highs and a flatter mid range compared to the MoJo. Advantage of space, portability and practicality of carrying one device kept me out of getting into Hugo and later MoJo for that matter. 
 
Now as a DAC I personally feel that the Resonessence Labs Concerto HP/HD does a better job than the Hugo, if you consider Hugo as a home/travel use category gear. 
The sound you are getting when you combine any DAP with an amp is the sound of the amp. 
 
Now about the desktop rig, I agree, my reference dynamic rig Amarra 2.6 /Audirvana PlusPlayer, HiFiMan EF6, Dr DAC DX-2, Sony MDR-CD-3000 and the Piezo Electric Rig Taket H2+, TR2, Yamaha AS-500 and QP1R sounds better than anything I have on the go. But when I want that sound on the go, the Class A amp of the QP1R gets me there very close to the dynamic rig, as except for the sheer power of the EF6, the QP1R has more resolution and depth on its own. 
 
Read this and you may have a better idea of what I'm talking about.

 
looks like I need to audition questyle if i get the chance which will be difficult.
 
to me it appears people are bored of simple desktop amps like $250-300 solid state desktop amp. none of those get any hype these days. to my ears, those sound the best.

 

[xEcuToR]

   
looks like I need to audition questyle if i get the chance which will be difficult.
 
to me it appears people are bored of simple desktop amps like $250-300 solid state desktop amp. none of those get any hype these days. to my ears, those sound the best.

Try to make it at CanJam Singapore 2016, you might get quite a few QP1Rs and may be you're opinion about amps will also change, as amps in the price range you mentioned above are mid-fi products at best, no matter which product you name. Unless you spend some time with a HiFi gear, you won't know the difference. 

 

[vaibhavp]

  Try to make it at CanJam Singapore 2016, you might get quite a few QP1Rs and may be you're opinion about amps will also change, as amps in the price range you mentioned above are mid-fi products at best, no matter which product you name. Unless you spend some time with a HiFi gear, you won't know the difference. 

 
i will try to do that.
 
I said purely about hype. gear in that range does not gets hyped.
 
i consider fiio x7 to be pretty hyped. it got beaten by 120$ portable amp was an eye opener for me. 
 
my desktop amp is even better. i am not saying better gear does not exist. but calling those amps mid fi and gear like fiio x7 hi fi or high end is misleading at best. i think reviewers do a very poor job at explaining where each component stands. 
 
dont get me wrong. i am a big fan of daps. but purely as source. 

 

[xEcuToR]

   
i will try to do that.
 
I said purely about hype. gear in that range does not gets hyped.
 
i consider fiio x7 to be pretty hyped. it got beaten by 120$ portable amp was an eye opener for me. 
 
my desktop amp is even better. i am not saying better gear does not exist. but calling those amps mid fi and gear like fiio x7 hi fi or high end is misleading at best. i think reviewers do a very poor job at explaining where each component stands. 
 
dont get me wrong. i am a big fan of daps. but purely as source. 

FiiO X7 has been marketed as a high-end offering from FiiO, but you gotta remember, FiiO has always been a value for money brand. They offer good products at affordable price points. I never saw it as a end game DAP as it was FiiO. I have expectations from iBasso though. 
 
Now if you ask me, I don't believe that the high-end AK players AK-380,320,240 & 120 ii are worth the asking price, but that's just my opinion. There is a market for the above mentioned players, as there are people out there who can afford to pay a premium price for a product. 
 
Looking at the wrist watch industry one can say that the AK 380 is like a Rolex watch, people who can pay any price can afford it, but QP1R is like the Omega, which costs significantly less but has the equal level of performance. (Correct me if I'm wrong I believe the above that was a quote from Sterophile Review of QP1R) 
 
Similarly the Pono Player was a lot hyped, lot of people liked it as well, although there was a lot of difference in opinion among enthusiasts. 
The Geek Wave was also creating (And it will create once it is released) a lot of buzz until the revisions, forced perks and constant updates pushed the release date even further. 
 
But if you look at players like the HiFiMan HM/901/901S, LoToo Paw Gold and Questyle QP1R, you'll see, that they were not marketed that much before release, but they made a reputation for themselves by introducing their products in various shows and now more and more people are getting to know about them when the they are also reviewed by credible people (Unlike reviewers who only say everything they hear is just dandy and fantastic) and given a thumbs up. 
 
The only player I can think of in the AK line which sounds great at a commendable price is the old AK120 with the Vinnie Rossi Mod. 

 

[vaibhavp]

  FiiO X7 has been marketed as a high-end offering from FiiO, but you gotta remember, FiiO has always been a value for money brand. They offer good products at affordable price points. I never saw it as a end game DAP as it was FiiO. I have expectations from iBasso though. 
 
Now if you ask me, I don't believe that the high-end AK players AK-380,320,240 & 120 ii are worth the asking price, but that's just my opinion. There is a market for the above mentioned players, as there are people out there who can afford to pay a premium price for a product. 
 
Looking at the wrist watch industry one can say that the AK 380 is like a Rolex watch, people who can pay any price can afford it, but QP1R is like the Omega, which costs significantly less but has the equal level of performance. (Correct me if I'm wrong I believe the above that was a quote from Sterophile Review of QP1R) 
 
Similarly the Pono Player was a lot hyped, lot of people liked it as well, although there was a lot of difference in opinion among enthusiasts. 
The Geek Wave was also creating (And it will create once it is released) a lot of buzz until the revisions, forced perks and constant updates pushed the release date even further. 
 
But if you look at players like the HiFiMan HM/901/901S, LoToo Paw Gold and Questyle QP1R, you'll see, that they were not marketed that much before release, but they made a reputation for themselves by introducing their products in various shows and now more and more people are getting to know about them when the they are also reviewed by credible people (Unlike reviewers who only say everything they hear is just dandy and fantastic) and given a thumbs up. 
 
The only player I can think of in the AK line which sounds great at a commendable price is the old AK120 with the Vinnie Rossi Mod. 

 
i am not talking about ak players only but headfi in general.
 
i was going to buy one very hyped gear ifi idsd. but then i read people were using ifi ican $250 amp to improve its sound.
 
it made me stop in tracks. why so much hype for $500 gear when you have to use simple analog amps to upgrade their sound?
 
at this point, i will mainly invest in analog amps since i have settled on a preferable dac (fiio x5).  

 

[xEcuToR]

   
i am not talking about ak players only but headfi in general.
 
i was going to buy one very hyped gear ifi idsd. but then i read people were using ifi ican $250 amp to improve its sound.
 
it made me stop in tracks. why so much hype for $500 gear when you have to use simple analog amps to upgrade their sound?
 
at this point, i will mainly invest in analog amps since i have settled on a preferable dac (fiio x5).  

 
Good for you dude. Sound preference is a subjective matter as I mentioned earlier. 
 
BTW, I have a Portaphile 627X, which I don't use much these days. If you are interested do let me know. They were considered the best portable amp (Analog) before the Vozuge Pure II+ came along. 

 

[ShreyasMax]

i will try to do that.

I said purely about hype. gear in that range does not gets hyped.

i consider fiio x7 to be pretty hyped. it got beaten by 120$ portable amp was an eye opener for me. 

my desktop amp is even better. i am not saying better gear does not exist. but calling those amps mid fi and gear like fiio x7 hi fi or high end is misleading at best. i think reviewers do a very poor job at explaining where each component stands. 

dont get me wrong. i am a big fan of daps. but purely as source. 

Hey Vaibhav,

I guess that we have enough DAPs in the <400 USD price range that offer 90% of the sound quality offered by TOTL players, but I guess we're having to pay a premium price for the usability and features offered by high end DAPs nowadays, at least that's what online literature tells us, as I'm yet to listen to a high end AK or any other reputed player to make my own assessment.

As far as desktop rigs and their price to performance ratio is concerned, I guess the growth as seen by brands is more in the portable category nowadays; the last couple of years having seen attempts by various brands to integrate smartphone-like functionality into a good sounding DAP.

Now whether one chooses to buy such a top end DAP or pair their smartphone with an external DAC/Amp is up to the users themselves, in my opinion. The fact that there is a choice, is itself an indication of the advancement in technology and popularity of the portable device, be it a phone or DAP.

And finally, the so called law of diminishing returns seems to apply in climbing up the price ladder. Thus the choice of whether to go for a low to mid tier DAP to act as a transport, or to get a high end DAP as a one device solution (assuming price is a factor of course ), is to be made considering the convenience of portability versus the value to performance ratio offered by a portable stack.

Anyway, lets discuss further during our meet up, eh?

 

[xEcuToR]

As far as desktop rigs and their price to performance ratio is concerned, I guess the growth as seen by brands is more in the portable category nowadays; the last couple of years having seen attempts by various brands to integrate smartphone-like functionality into a good sounding DAP.
 

From a different perspective, I am hopeful about Project Ara, as when it is a finished marketable product all the DAP manufacturers will have a hard time competing. 

 

[vaibhavp]

   
Good for you dude. Sound preference is a subjective matter as I mentioned earlier. 
 
BTW, I have a Portaphile 627X, which I don't use much these days. If you are interested do let me know. They were considered the best portable amp (Analog) before the Vozuge Pure II+ came along. 

 
tempting. thanks for the offer.
 
am not in condition to buy anything right now.
 
though i would like a big powerful ss amp next. i am looking for huge dynamics and detail. y'know, sound big ss amps are famous for. 
 
@ShreyasMax
 
higher end daps offer an upgrade. x7 is clear upgrade over x5 hp out . but once you bring in amp in equation like humble e12 with x5 vs x7 alone, x7 looses. then i read comments like e12 is budget amp while x7 is high end player. i have no idea how that happens.

 

[xEcuToR]

   
tempting. thanks for the offer.
 
am not in condition to buy anything right now.
 
though i would like a big powerful ss amp next. i am looking for huge dynamics and detail. y'know, sound big ss amps are famous for. 
 
@ShreyasMax
 
higher end daps offer an upgrade. x7 is clear upgrade over x5 hp out . but once you bring in amp in equation like humble e12 with x5 vs x7 alone, x7 looses. then i read comments like e12 is budget amp while x7 is high end player. i have no idea how that happens.

Well, my EF-6 is also available for sale , if you ever think about it let me know. I travel a lot, so am not getting time with my desktop rig these days. 

 

[vaibhavp]

  Well, my EF-6 is also available for sale , if you ever think about it let me know. I travel a lot, so am not getting time with my desktop rig these days. 

heh heh, i dont budget that much for hifi gear.
 
i am looking at one of meier amps considering they include shipping and are reasonably priced as well. but currently still paying credit card bill for last purchase so it will be quiet some time.

 

[raghavsomani]

Since its only the second iteration of Headphone Connect, almost half of the attendees would be first timers at the event, and I've met a few individuals during these two events in the past six months who have mid to high end desktop rigs at home, and have come to visit just to try out new stuff, most of which is portable, more or less.

So I'm pretty sure there are quite a few audiophiles out there in our country with top end desktop rigs; just that they might find it difficult to carry them around for such events.

Another thought I have is that a majority of people getting into good quality audio in India seem to be the younger crowd, many of whom use their smartphones as portable music players. These folks when they discover the quality on offer from a good desktop setup would surely climb up the audiophile ladder in my opinion. But for that I guess we need more time for now.

 
Actually, i was very surprised to see that there are an equal number of rather middle aged attendees, (mid 40s - mid 50s) who join us at Headphone Connect. Many of them have interacted with us while buying some piece of gear in recent times. Almost all of them coming with some background and expierience in High-End Speakers and Home Theatre setups at home who have recently rediscovered the joys of High-End Headphones and High-Res Players. Mr. Sohrab Cama, Aniel Grover, Mr. Anjan Mukherjee were just some of them who come to mind you Im sure many of you may have interacted with at the events. But ofcourse, there is an equal number (or probably a slightly higher number) of younger guys from their mid 20s - mid 30s, who we see at the events. For me the big take away is actually seeing a few women join us at both Headphone Connect Delhi and Headphone Connect Mumbai. We're going to try and work on having more women exposed to the community.

 

[ShreyasMax]

tempting. thanks for the offer.

am not in condition to buy anything right now.

though i would like a big powerful ss amp next. i am looking for huge dynamics and detail. y'know, sound big ss amps are famous for. 

@ShreyasMax


higher end daps offer an upgrade. x7 is clear upgrade over x5 hp out . but once you bring in amp in equation like humble e12 with x5 vs x7 alone, x7 looses. then i read comments like e12 is budget amp while x7 is high end player. i have no idea how that happens.

I agree with your point of view that pairing an amp like the E12A to a budget player like the FiiO X1 should put out sound pretty close to an X7, like I found out during my brief comparison of my current stack versus the X7 (I might be wrong though). But if in case one prefers to keep one portable device, and has the option of a better interface and connectivity to boot, along with the slight increase in overall sonic technicalities, one might just opt for such a device.

And comparing an amp to a DAP isn't fair in my opinion, and sometimes pairing an amp might even be a deterrent to the overall sound quality, as opposed to being beneficial. Depends on the headphones being used though.

 

[vaibhavp]

I agree with your point of view that pairing an amp like the E12A to a budget player like the FiiO X1 should put out sound pretty close to an X7, like I found out during my brief comparison of my current stack versus the X7 (I might be wrong though). But if in case one prefers to keep one portable device, and has the option of a better interface and connectivity to boot, along with the slight increase in overall sonic technicalities, one might just opt for such a device.

And comparing an amp to a DAP isn't fair in my opinion, and sometimes pairing an amp might even be a deterrent to the overall sound quality, as opposed to being beneficial. Depends on the headphones being used though.

 
thats my point. if amp sounds better, its still called budget while dap, a step below (to my ears) is called high end for some reason.
 
thus i have concluded best setup for me is simple but well designed analogue amps coupled with dac of my choice (fiio x5 in my case as it matches with my hps. it gives great clarity while taking off edge in treble).

 

[ShreyasMax]

thats my point. if amp sounds better, its still called budget while dap, a step below (to my ears) is called high end for some reason.

thus i have concluded best setup for me is simple but well designed analogue amps coupled with dac of my choice (fiio x5 in my case as it matches with my hps. it gives great clarity while taking off edge in treble).

That seems a good way to go.

On the other hand, we also have high end portable amps from the likes of Vorzuge, Portaphile, Cypherlabs, ALO audio etc that are reportedly a step above the likes of the FiiO and other budget to mid tier amps, which we should listen to form a judgement of our own, IMO.