The Audio Lounge
- Thread starter OldDude04
- Start date
Yeah, my wife's going to stab me while I'm sleeping.... My M23 is coming today.
My M23 was delivered. I've been listening for the last three hours. I'm having to get used to the AKM sound signature. It's a lot different than ESS DACs. I'm listening with the IMR Elysium IEMs and the Dunu Hulk cable into 4.4mm balanced.
A few initial thoughts:
1. The shear amount of features is mind boggling on the M23.
2. Love the volume touch bar! Such a cool and innovative feature. There aren't buttons to wear out. The volume change is as fast or as slow as you want with the slide of your finger.
3. I was worried that I was going to hate the THX amp. The Benchmark HPA-4 was terrible IMO. The amp in the M23 is much much better. No soft sounding whispiness like the HPA-4. Just pure HiFi bliss. It thumps to.
4. First negative - the screen seems a bit blah and pixelated. I have a Pixel 8 Pro phone and the M23 is many generations behind in screen tech and the resolution is ehhhh.
5. The music only mode is very cool and makes the audio better.
6. The case that comes with it is terrible.
7. Love love love the hold slider and the volume touch bar auto-lock. Makes it impossible to accidently change the volume or switch songs.
8. Burn-in is a must on this DAP. It sounded pretty bad when I first turned it on. After three hours it sounded smooth and powerful.
A few comparisons to Hiby DAPs, particularly the RS6.....
1. The interface on the M23 is snappy and smooth. The Hiby is too, but the interface is really cut down and lacking. Fiio really shines with their interface; they have added all sorts of customization that add a lot to the experience. Fiio beats Hiby handily in this area.
2. Fit and finish goes to Hiby. The Hiby just has a much more fine piece of audio gear aesthetic to it. Not that the fit and finish of the Fiio is bad, it's actually just as good but the Fiio feels like a bit of a scifi gimmick with the hexagonal honeycomb buttons and carbon fiber.
3. Astonishingly these sound similar. Really surprised me because the RS6 has a discreet R2R ladder DAC. The AKM is a switched resistor DAC on a chip. I think I like the AKM better though. It seems to be more resolving with that smooth silky tonality.
A big issue with the Cayin DAPs and small comparison to the M23. ....
1. I'm glad I didn't get the Cayin N3 Ultra. Here's why.....I remember having a constant low level hum that drove me crazy. So no black background. The Fiio is 100 percent quiet. The Cayin N3 may be fixed, but I've heard that in other forums with all Cayin DAPs.
A few initial thoughts:
1. The shear amount of features is mind boggling on the M23.
2. Love the volume touch bar! Such a cool and innovative feature. There aren't buttons to wear out. The volume change is as fast or as slow as you want with the slide of your finger.
3. I was worried that I was going to hate the THX amp. The Benchmark HPA-4 was terrible IMO. The amp in the M23 is much much better. No soft sounding whispiness like the HPA-4. Just pure HiFi bliss. It thumps to.
4. First negative - the screen seems a bit blah and pixelated. I have a Pixel 8 Pro phone and the M23 is many generations behind in screen tech and the resolution is ehhhh.
5. The music only mode is very cool and makes the audio better.
6. The case that comes with it is terrible.
7. Love love love the hold slider and the volume touch bar auto-lock. Makes it impossible to accidently change the volume or switch songs.
8. Burn-in is a must on this DAP. It sounded pretty bad when I first turned it on. After three hours it sounded smooth and powerful.
A few comparisons to Hiby DAPs, particularly the RS6.....
1. The interface on the M23 is snappy and smooth. The Hiby is too, but the interface is really cut down and lacking. Fiio really shines with their interface; they have added all sorts of customization that add a lot to the experience. Fiio beats Hiby handily in this area.
2. Fit and finish goes to Hiby. The Hiby just has a much more fine piece of audio gear aesthetic to it. Not that the fit and finish of the Fiio is bad, it's actually just as good but the Fiio feels like a bit of a scifi gimmick with the hexagonal honeycomb buttons and carbon fiber.
3. Astonishingly these sound similar. Really surprised me because the RS6 has a discreet R2R ladder DAC. The AKM is a switched resistor DAC on a chip. I think I like the AKM better though. It seems to be more resolving with that smooth silky tonality.
A big issue with the Cayin DAPs and small comparison to the M23. ....
1. I'm glad I didn't get the Cayin N3 Ultra. Here's why.....I remember having a constant low level hum that drove me crazy. So no black background. The Fiio is 100 percent quiet. The Cayin N3 may be fixed, but I've heard that in other forums with all Cayin DAPs.
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Podster
Headphoneus Supremus
Well yeah but the color is all off for the Scarlet Mini'sLooking closer at these. For $10k you would expect to get an incredible cable. The one they show in the pics looks like something oBravo just threw together. Maybe built in the owners basement? That's a travesty for a $10k IEM.
I guess someone spending that type of money on IEMs would just buy a $7300 Beat Audio Orbit Saga....
https://www.beataudiolab.com/collec...es/products/orbit-saga?variant=41166152302782
I'd sure not hesitate for a millisecond to put the NICE HCK Red AG 4N 
I tell ya what @OldDude04 , if you don't just love them we can work something out
I'm that confident in them, congrats
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Podster
Headphoneus Supremus
Not sure if anyone on here is in the market but a buddy got this table @ $1800 and its every bit as nice as a Rega RP-6
Adorned it with a Hana S High Output MC and imho it keeps up with my Well-Tempered Amadeus Hana Green MM
https://www.musicdirect.com/equipment/turntables/mobile-fidelity-ultradeck-turntable/
Adorned it with a Hana S High Output MC and imho it keeps up with my Well-Tempered Amadeus Hana Green MMhttps://www.musicdirect.com/equipment/turntables/mobile-fidelity-ultradeck-turntable/
OldDude04
Headphoneus Supremus
Well yeah but the color is all off for the Scarlet Mini's
I tell ya what @OldDude04 , if you don't just love them we can work something out
Thanks homie. The Scarlets should be here tomorrow, and I'm getting the version with the sexy red cable of course, lol.
Congrats bro! I must have missed you getting the Scarlets somewhere.
OldDude04
Headphoneus Supremus
I'm glad to hear you're having such a positive experience with the M23. That is most likely my next DAP purchase. I'm still loving the M11 using the Hiby app for now, but by the time the M23's start hitting the used market I'll be watching out for one.
OldDude04
Headphoneus Supremus
That was my fault for attempting to be mysterious, lol. I @'ed you and posted a pic from The Scarlet Letter and just said "I may have done a thing" underneath it,
.LOL, I get it now. I was also too wrapped up in my new M23.That was my fault for attempting to be mysterious, lol. I @'ed you and posted a pic from The Scarlet Letter and just said "I may have done a thing" underneath it,
OldDude04
Headphoneus Supremus
I would have done the same if I had the M23 at the house, lol.
Dude I'm dieing to get some Scarlets after you and @Podster greased me up with awesome words on these. I'm buying them today!!!!!
Maybe......
Where did you get them for less on Musicteck?
OldDude04
Headphoneus Supremus
MusicTeck doesn't have a discount over the FatFreq site. I didn't realize that the FatFreq site was listed in Singapore Dollars at first, lol. Once I changed it to USD, the prices are only a few dollars different, lol. My bad
.As for where I got mine, I found a good deal on a used set of the upgraded version and I just could not pass it up. If you want to wait to order yours, my set wlll be in tomorrow and I'll post up an initial take on them tomorrow evening.
Podster
Headphoneus Supremus
I'd give it a couple more days and see what OD thinks of his, he might be mad at me and my Shrek Ears
They are sure not golden by any means but I still feel I know tight bass and good synergy Speaking of new stuff Pods new (1st time) Hiby R3 will be at the house any minute and I'm dying to hear my first Hiby, Woot Woot 
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Yeah, the M23 is a huge jump in form, function and sound from my previous DAPs. Hiby was great but lacks a lot of polish that the Fiio has. I really love the sound signature of the AKM chip and the Fiio together. I'm wanting to sell my EverSolo A6 and get the A8. The AKM is that much better than ESS chips, IMO.
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