sanakimpro
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2014
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Hi! This is the first thread I'm starting, so pardon me if I made some faux paus.
I've been using iBasso DX50 and DX 90 as sources for almost 2 years now, and I decided to try to go back to my Samsung Note 8.0's onboard headphone output.
While testing with Orion (Through the Never album), by Metallica (320kbps) on both, and using a pair of RHA 750i, I at first thought the Note 8.0's output was great! It had the bass, the treble, and made the intro to the song sound good!
But as the track got congested, I instantly recognized that there was something off about the sound. Instrumental separation started to blur, and it seemed that the instruments (drum hits, guitars, cymbals) were too up close to me.
I thought it was just expectation bias, so I tried to test them side by side, pausing after 30 seconds and switching sources over at least 5 intervals, but I kept hearing the same 'veil' on the Samsung Note 8.0. I even made sure to match the volumes.
My question is, what would cause the DX 90's output to have a better sense of instrumental separation, deeper bass, wider sound stage and 'airiness', etc?
Would the noise floor of the Samsung Note 8.0 be the cause? Or the power? (16 Ohms on the 750i), and I was using Low Output on DX90 at 200/255 and volume 9/15 on the Samsung Note 8.0. Sounded pretty same in terms of perceived overall loudness.
Or THD specs?
Thank you for your input! Just a curious enthusiast.
Best, Shu.
P.S. of course, even going back to a DT 770 / 80 on my O2/ODAC made things so much better again, anyway.
I've been using iBasso DX50 and DX 90 as sources for almost 2 years now, and I decided to try to go back to my Samsung Note 8.0's onboard headphone output.
While testing with Orion (Through the Never album), by Metallica (320kbps) on both, and using a pair of RHA 750i, I at first thought the Note 8.0's output was great! It had the bass, the treble, and made the intro to the song sound good!
But as the track got congested, I instantly recognized that there was something off about the sound. Instrumental separation started to blur, and it seemed that the instruments (drum hits, guitars, cymbals) were too up close to me.
I thought it was just expectation bias, so I tried to test them side by side, pausing after 30 seconds and switching sources over at least 5 intervals, but I kept hearing the same 'veil' on the Samsung Note 8.0. I even made sure to match the volumes.
My question is, what would cause the DX 90's output to have a better sense of instrumental separation, deeper bass, wider sound stage and 'airiness', etc?
Would the noise floor of the Samsung Note 8.0 be the cause? Or the power? (16 Ohms on the 750i), and I was using Low Output on DX90 at 200/255 and volume 9/15 on the Samsung Note 8.0. Sounded pretty same in terms of perceived overall loudness.
Or THD specs?
Thank you for your input! Just a curious enthusiast.
Best, Shu.
P.S. of course, even going back to a DT 770 / 80 on my O2/ODAC made things so much better again, anyway.