ShreyasMax
500+ Head-Fier
Auditions done! I just hope no one releases an new DAP for the rest of the year, except the good old people at AK who undoubtedly will.
I own the Mojo currently and have had quite a few portable sources in recent times (in my profile if anyone cares). The Mojo sounds brilliant but my quest for a new DAP is more to do with ergonomics more than any other single factor. I'm looking for something that's comfortable to operate and carry around.
This weekend was the first free one I've had in three weeks, and I put it to good use! Managed to auditioned the Opus1, the QP1R and the Looto PAW Gold. I used my Heir Audio 8a CIEMs with the Linum Music cable. Once again I'm not a big believer in cables, I've owned a few different ones and stuck with the Linum since its oh so comfortable to use!
thebit Opus#1
Didn't spend much time with this DAP, I had heard the LPG first and I'm fairly familiar with the Mojo and the Opus didn't to me match either. I was using the single ended output owing to the lack of a 2.5 mm cable, so I might not have done the Opus1 complete justice.
@toxicdrift did mentioned that he's heard claims of the Opus' innards being almost identical to those in the AK240. I'd say this up there with the AK120II if my memory serves. Do note, I'm also one of the few who can't tell the difference between the AK120II and the AK240 so the Opus1 might sound better than both to other people.
I found the bass a bit lean for my liking. No complaints with the midrange it was as good as any DAP out there, "neutralish" and resolving. Treble seemed smooth but not very exciting.
Its a very good DAP for the price, the UI is responsive and while it doesn't feel as nicely built as the other 3 products in question, I can't real fault it for anything. The screen is nice and large and the buttons are all well placed and accessible. For USD 600 it's worth every penny. the price point is similar to the Mojo and its about SGD 450-500 less than the QP1R and half that of the AK120II. That for me is a significant enough difference to say it punches well above its price point, especially when you consider the need to pair the Mojo as second device to have it up and running.
Lotto PAW Gold
Bass: Accurate, good extension and faster than any DAP I tried or have owned in the past.
Midrange: The mid range is not pushed forward or recessed, the LPG has some of the best transition from the upper end of the lower frequencies to the midrange, It was seemingless, with no hint bass bleeding into the lower mids. It sounded clean, detailed and did a great job with more complex/congested recordings.
Treble: It's most definitely not rolled off, but I've grow a bit accustomed to a lot of recent gear which unnaturally extended treble that creates a false illusion of it being some kind of detail retrieval monster. Thankfully this is not the case with the LPG, it doesn't overdo the treble but at the same time I did prefer the way treble is presented with the QP1R.
Other thoughts:
- Above average build quality
- Only one card slot but it does except SDHC and SDXC
- The UI is very similar to my old LP5000, basic but functional. However, since there's no scroll wheel function you do need to click (or hold down the button) a lot to navigate.
- The price is a real downer though, the "offer" price I got on the LPG as former LP5000 owner was still around SGD 1100 more than the QP1R. To put that in perspective, I could buy the QP1R, the Mojo and have about SGD 200 to spare on micro SD cards for the price of the LPG.
Questyle QP1R
Bass: Gives off a nice mix of punchy yet tight bass. Not as fast as the the LPG, also I don't think it extends as low as the LPG can go and not quite as warm sounding as the Mojo, it lies somewhere between the two. I really like where the bass on the QP1R sits, given that my CIEM of choice is already fairly bassy, the bass on some recordings feels a bit excessive with the Mojo/8a pairing.
Midrange: Some of the best body/weight I've heard from a DAP. I'm not sure how the QP1R does this. I know the QP1R has a very complex amplification design, perhaps this has something to do with it. Do enlighten me if you know! Clear, detailed and easily rivaling the LPG, both of which outdo the Mojo (to my ears) in terms of detail retrieval.
Treble: Treble sounds a bit more agressive than the LPG from my short test and not as "organic" (if that's right term, can't thnik of any other way of putting it) as the LPG or Mojo. I personally don't see this as a flaw and like I mentioned earlier while it might not be the truest representation of lifelike treble, I've grown to accept it and almost treat it as a norm, especially after owning the Oppo HA-1 for a fairly decent amount of time. I can see some people not agreeing with this, which is understandable.
Other thoughts:
- The unit was a demo unit so must have had a fair amount of use and I didn't find the scroll wheel cumbersome at all. The store had a small soft, raised 3M type pad stuck on the scroll wheel. This did make it much nicer, but even without it I don't see a lot to complain about.
- Build quality is excellent it feels like a premium product in your hand. Easily on par with the AK lineup and ahead of most others, sleek but weighty.
- I did try putting all the DAPs in my pocket (a pair of jeans). For me the nicest to carry around would be the QP1R, followed by the Opus1, the LPG and finally the AK100/Mojo stack which just about fits in there, with the optical cable in a rather precarious position. I tend to listen to music by album, from start to finish so changing songs on the fly and adjusting volume is usually not too much of a concern to me.
- UI if I'm fair isn't as good as the LPG or the Opus1.
After trying them all out, I don't see myself selling the Mojo. I'll probably use it around the house and at my desk when I'm on my laptop. I do think I'll buy the QP1R at some stage.
I feel its unmatched at its price point for a DAP. I like the LPG as well and if the QP1R didn't exist I'd say the LPG's pricing was justifiable. The Opus1 just wasn't for me, I think I'll get bored with it very quickly.
I also felt that the QP1R had more power in reserve than the LPG, I read the opoosite though and it left me a bit confused. Maybe playing around with the gain settings would change my opinion, I only used low gain all the DAPs in question.
One of the customers there did agree with some of what I heard, he did however mention that Hifiman's current flagship is one to consider, perhaps even besting these 3 and also the AK 320/380. The store carrying the QP1R does have the Hifiman as well, but I have an aversion to the old Hifiman UI and wasn't really intested in trying it out.
I also noticed my opinions don't seem to match up with some of the reviews I read, perhaps a second audit is in order!
I'm also very interested to hear the vanilla version of the QP1R, the QP1. The store (which is the retail arm of the distributor) doesn't stock the QP1 though. It's USD 300 cheaper and if it doesn't sound too different, its something I'd be very interested in.
Great write up, very clear and precise. Good to hear your impressions.
After using the Mojo for two weeks for review (and deciding on my purchase), I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that there are DAPs that outperform it, albeit at a higher price. At least after using it for two weeks, I feel that expectations wise, the Mojo has come down from the stratosphere towards planet earth, albeit only by a little. And in spite of me having bought the iBasso D14 recently, I would still probably go for the Mojo because the other DAPs you've mentioned are beyond my budget (not to mention hard to get in India!) and also because I look forward to FiiO's upcoming T3 as an upgrade from my Classic X3.
Thanks again for sharing the impressions, cheers.
