[vtkc]

http://www.head-fi.org/products/shozy-alien
 
I too just got my hands on a beta-testing unit Alien+. Here are some of my 1st impression of it after 24 hours of burning in:
 
First Impression:
Pros:
1) The resolution is much better than the Alien Gold Edition.
2) The background hiss is very low unlike the original Alien Gold.
3) It has a very good sound stage width and breath, much better than Alien Gold.
4) It is quite neutral and flat sounding.
5) It is very analogue and natural sounding, especially so when paired with the Shozy Zero and Cozoy Hera.
6) It is very powerful and uses manual volume pot for volume adjustment. 
 
Cons:
1) The edges are quite sharp like how it is with the Alien Gold.
2) The UI is quite primitive, however, I believe it will be change with some firmware upgrade.
3) It runs quite warm like a mild hand warmer.
4) There is channel imbalance at low volume due to the pure analogue volume control design.
 
 
I will post more after I have spend 200 hours of burning in of the Alien+.
 
 
 
 
PS: I believe that the Amp section is Class A, but I may be wrong.

 

[Kangeki]

Thank you for your input ! I'd have a question if you don't mind : how does the hiss level would compare with Alien Gold's ? I have some very sensitive headphones (Cosmic Ears CE6P and Final Audio Pandora Hope VI) and I can hear though it is bearable, it would be better if I could erase what I hear on calm track's part.

 

[vtkc]

The volume on the Alien+ is quite high to achieve no channel imbalance, hence, I was not able to hear if there is any background hiss. The Firmware is not firmed yet so there will be some adjustment to the volume level by the time it is officially released.

 

[Kangeki]

Ok thank you ! Looking forward this information

 

[ExpatinJapan]

Shozy Alien+ Dap. I had a quick listen today. A very clear and resolving sound, lots of detail, layering and separation, fast response, simple but effective UI, solid build, high power and low noise.

 

[musicday]

Very interesting.Is the screen OLED or different type?

 

[BruceBanner]

I actually hate this. The design, the 2001 screen display and UI, it's like Shozy are playing catchup... it's pretty pathetic, and all with a top dollar price tag...

 

[Layman1]

  I actually hate this. The design, the 2001 screen display and UI, it's like Shozy are playing catchup... it's pretty pathetic, and all with a top dollar price tag...

I have mixed feelings about it.
Funnily enough, I was actually thinking to buy an Alien Gold.
I've got a pair of Noble Katana and Trinity Audio PM6 on the way, and not enough money to buy (e.g.) an Onkyo DP-X1A or Fiio X5iii or similar mid/upper-mid tier DAPs.
 
I currently have an xDuoo X3 (Rockboxed), but it keeps freezing and crashing. So I was hoping to find something with mid-fi level sound at a bargain price, and the Alien Gold had all these glowing reviews (regarding the sound at least).
Also, I loved the unique appearence of the Alien Gold, and was actually quite comfortable with the screenless design, since my general modus operandi is to walk around with the DAP in my pocket and change tracks etc using the physical buttons. I figure I can just buy some cheap 2 or 4GB micro-SD cards and put individual playlists or artist discographies on each.
 
However, whilst reading up on the Alien Gold on Head-Fi, I came across this thread (via someone's review of the Alien+).
 
So it was quite frustrating to read that it seemed to offer significantly improved sound quality over the Alien Gold, especially as I was pretty much ready to pull the trigger on that lol.
Also, one thing I didn't like about the Alien Gold was that it didn't offer MP3 support, and this does!
I try to use FLAC exclusively, but some tracks are only available to me in MP3. So it would mean going into each of my existing playlists and folders and removing all MP3 tracks (and losing songs that I love).
 
But then, Alien+ has the higher price. At $300 (US Dollars), which I heard mentioned on here, it's just about within range, although still a bit too high ($200 better for me right now).
But then I checked the price in China using a currency converter and it's looking more like $400, so I'm really not sure what the final price of this is supposed to be?
For the record, I'm actually in the UK, so I'd be using British pounds anyway lol

 
I agree that the styling of this thing is a big step backwards.
The Alien lacked a screen, but otherwise looked pretty sleek, unique and advanced. Nearly all DAPs these days seem based around the same oblong shape (with optional bits added onto the sides or top to make it look slightly different).
One thing I'd have hoped is that Shozy could have brought out something like the Alien that looked markedly different from the rest of the field, since this seems to be a strength of theirs.
I know there are budget and manufacturing constraints, but you know..
 
Whilst of course I'd love a full sized touchscreen, I do appreciate the design ethos of Shozy here, which is that sound performance is the goal, and (within budget restraints), shiny tech can cannibalise that, and also create more things to go wrong.
 
I just feel that perhaps this player has neglected one of their strengths (cool and unique design), perhaps tried to compromise to much in terms of bells and whistles, and hence ended up at a price that is not an ideal fit for such a stripped-down DAP experience.
On the other hand, if they've improved the sound even more, that's hugely commendable. I'd be interested to hear comparisons between the Alien Gold, Alien+, and other mid-fi DAPs, especially the ones I mentioned in this post

 

[NLNH]

I actually hate this. The design, the 2001 screen display and UI, it's like Shozy are playing catchup... it's pretty pathetic, and all with a top dollar price tag...

So are most high end machine that got no good UI? It is not an excuse for us to input less on UI and keep yelling it is a highend direction. If you know how much it will be worsen, you will feel like it is more pathetic... test it and see if it is a wanna-be or a real deal

 

[pr0b3r]

So are most high end machine that got no good UI? It is not an excuse for us to input less on UI and keep yelling it is a highend direction. If you know how much it will be worsen, you will feel like it is more pathetic... test it and see if it is a wanna-be or a real deal

 
BOMB! 

 
Waiting for a review from @ExpatinJapan or from any other reviewers out there. 

 

[fleasbaby]

So are most high end machine that got no good UI? It is not an excuse for us to input less on UI and keep yelling it is a highend direction. If you know how much it will be worsen, you will feel like it is more pathetic... test it and see if it is a wanna-be or a real deal

Do you have a US release date yet?

 

[Raketen]

I currently have an xDuoo X3 (Rockboxed), but it keeps freezing and crashing. So I was hoping to find something with mid-fi level sound at a bargain price, and the Alien Gold had all these glowing reviews (regarding the sound at least).

I'd be interested to hear comparisons between the Alien Gold, Alien+, and other mid-fi DAPs, especially the ones I mentioned in this post

If you are really fixated on that Onkyo dap, I should point out that the Pioneer version (which has just single end output) has been on sale for $300 usd recently. They also just annonceed a new non-Android "entry level" lineup with similar Onkyo/Pioneer model division, the Onkyo I think will be ~400usd so would expect the Pioneer to be around your price point? www.head-fi.org/t/839364/upcoming-dap-onkyo-dp-s1-rubato-pioneer-xdp-30r-private

 

[Layman1]

If you are really fixated on that Onkyo dap, I should point out that the Pioneer version (which has just single end output) has been on sale for $300 usd recently. They also just annonceed a new non-Android "entry level" lineup with similar Onkyo/Pioneer model division, the Onkyo I think will be ~400usd so would expect the Pioneer to be around your price point? www.head-fi.org/t/839364/upcoming-dap-onkyo-dp-s1-rubato-pioneer-xdp-30r-private

Thanks for the advice
I think I heard about the DP-X1A and it seemed to tick most of my boxes, rather than being fixated on it.
It's also one where I've read the whole thread and so I'm familiar with it's specifications, functions and sound signature and use it as a benchmark when reading about other DAP's.
I'd say that's a DAP for when I have more money, probably the end of this year.
Mind you (as the Alien+ and others show), the DAP world is moving fast these days. I'd be surprised if at least 3 superior products haven't been released by then

 

[musicday]

I am very disappointed with Alien+ so far and let me explain why:
I was a big fan of Alien Gold Edition and i recently ordered another new one as i found a great deal.I like everything about it, less the battery life but that's a different story.
When i went on Shozy website to read more about the Alien+ ,well there is not much to read about,no full specifications like any other similar music player.
And another thing is that they mention about DSD playback and USB DAC and those are not supposed but they ( might ) come in the future.
Why someone want to buy a half baked music player.They better make their mind up.The market is saturated with similar products and i am sure that all the customers want DSD playback and USB DAC.
They need to remove the sentence from the website and release the player when everything is ready rather than assuming.
P.S. i really like the Gold Alien and the sound really suits my taste.

 

[Stuff Jones]

  I actually hate this. The design, the 2001 screen display and UI, it's like Shozy are playing catchup... it's pretty pathetic, and all with a top dollar price tag...

 
Do you even know the price? How on earth would you hate something you haven't used?