[goodvibes]

  jamato, can you tell me what the 90 lacks from the 100?  

 

[SilverEars]

   
Right now you have a lot of choices depending on how much you want to spend. I am excited to see if the new Calyx M or AK100 II sound significantly better than my DX90 or X5 although it is currently not sounding promising. I personally am not willing to go over $1K as I think that the headphones make a bigger sound quality difference than the DAP and don't want to worry about carrying around and losing or damaging a very expensive DAP. That being said, I believe that the headphones are therefore the biggest limiting factor when listening to a high quality DAP. You just cannot expect to get the full quality of the DAP displayed when listening to a lower-tier or even a mid-tier headphone. My TF10s, Monster Coppers, and even my HD595 hold back the full capabilities of both my DX90 and X5. On the other hand, my CIEMs and my LCD2s really sing with both taking them to their full potential. While these DAPs cannot drive my CIEM or LCD2 to their full potential, these headphones can drive both DAPs to their full potential showing off their capabilities.

This. I can easily decern quality of DAPs with my NT6. With my V3 differences are subtle.  I really don't see that point of going with TOTL DAPs if not using revealing headphones with it.  

 

[tin427]

This. I can easily decern quality of DAPs with my NT6. With my V3 differences are subtle.  I really don't see that point of going with TOTL DAPs if not using revealing headphones with it.  

Okay if you wanna praise how good the nt6pro is, you can go to that particular appreciation thread. Almost all word you said hete are revealing that you got the greatest and the most resolving ciem which is the nt6pro.

 

[Dave74]

This. I can easily decern quality of DAPs with my NT6. With my V3 differences are subtle.  I really don't see that point of going with TOTL DAPs if not using revealing headphones with it.  

Does it really matter that much if one headphone/earphone is more "revealing" than another.? Just because one pair might be more revealing does not necessarily mean it is more enjoyable to listen to. I don't find my FAD Heaven VI to be an "accurate/revealing" earphone, but I sure do find enjoyment when listening to it. To me it sounds heavenly
Many people have different preferences in what they find enjoyable as well. What sounds good to you might not sound good to someone else.

 

[jamato8]

This is fun. Listening to some Keb Mo on DSD, down sampled to 24/88.2. I have some other blues I just got in DSD and the realism is great. Sound is out in front of me and just plain fun. Acoustical delight. :^)
 
Honeyboy Edwards, Shake 'Em on Down, is especially realistic, nicely layered and almost tactile. I love the guitar and the harmonica. Nice sense of space portrayed with dynamic contrasts between the voice and instruments. A lot of soul I play harmonica and listen to live music whenever I can. This sounds like a live feed of the harmonica. 

 

[SilverEars]

Does it really matter that much if one headphone/earphone is more "revealing" than another.? Just because one pair might be more revealing does not necessarily mean it is more enjoyable to listen to. I don't find my FAD Heaven VI to be an "accurate/revealing" earphone, but I sure do find enjoyment when listening to it. To me it sounds heavenly
Many people have different preferences in what they find enjoyable as well. What sounds good to you might not sound good to someone else.

Well, I enjoy revealing headphones.  I like having transparent phones, and let the source and the recordings dictate how the phones outputs the sound.  Saying that one headphone is the most revealing is quite subjective, but some are obviously more revealing that others.  We are all in the this hobby to find the setup that sounds the best to our ears, and I certainly value accuracy, details, clarity, and now dynamics as my NT6 clearly demonstrates that with the right source, it would do dynamic imaging.  So, in the case of my NT6, it's accurate, and very fun headphones as the dynamics really immerse you into the music, I never heard anything quite like it.  
 
I do value having a reference pair as I like to compare gear.  I value a headphone more if it helps me decern the differences between different gear as I look for the most accurate and realistic sounding gear.  To me it's very exciting that I have a headphone that is so revealing I can hear obvious differences between gear.  My NT6, lets the difference sources and recordings push out the different sounds.  DX100 sounds wider, vocals sounding eurphoric, and detailed and accurate.  X5 sounds different from DX100, but it's still very detailed and clear.  I like fun sound like the TG334.  If TG334 wasn't still detailed sound, I wouldn't enjoy it as I value detailed sound the most.  I like clarity, but what I dislike is clarity without details, or smoothed sound, and many others that I've mentioned about the DX90 already.  With the right monitors, it's pretty obvious.  I'm not into just accurate either, as I've owned the HE-6(I drove it pretty well) and it shows the sound can be accurate and sound very realistic, not analytically accurate.
 
Everybody has a different goal in mind in what they look for in their gear.

 

[cn11]

I am officially off the Sony Walkman bandwagon after something like 7 years straight (having sold the ZX1), and am now a DX90 owner. Trying to get used to this little beastie... right out of the box it sounds pretty damn fantastic, wish I could have afforded to keep the ZX1 for a bit to directly compare but that was not feasible for me right now. I do think I hear a bigger difference over my iPhone 5 than I did with the Sony though. And the sound is decided less digital than either of those. Of course the UI is very rough coming from the slick and responsive Android Walkman, but oh well. I'm in it for the best possible sound. 
 
One weird thing so far... I turned it on and it wouldn't read the micro SD card, this after a whole afternoon of perfectly fine listening. So I had to do a factory reset, and then it was able to again. I'm going to have to get used to something with a bit more bugs than the ZX1 I suppose. 
 
So far I've only used the Dita Answer with it, but in a little bit tonight will get out the Pandora Hope VI. It'll be hyserical driving a full sized can on the low gain setting! 

 

[arashi]

SilverEars sounds like those sort of people that goes "You can have an opinion, so long as it agrees with my opinion."
 
Why can you just not accept that not all ears are the same? I think JHAudio's CIEMs, be it Roxanne etc is subpar, but you don't see me trolling the crap out of the JH thread, because y'know, OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN OPINIONS.
 
There was once a man who tried to force his opinion on the world. He wrote a book called Mein Kampf.

 

[vkalia]

  Agree!
The problem is: what else?

 
I'll suggest perhaps an AK100?  I have one and it is avery clean, well-designd unit.    I'm hesitant to recommend the UI Disaster that is the X5, but that could also be something to consider.

 

[arashi]

The AK series are so smooth, I'd think it'd fare even worse for his criterion.

 

[Dave74]

  Well, I enjoy revealing headphones.  I like having transparent phones, and let the source and the recordings dictate how the phones outputs the sound.  Saying that one headphone is the most revealing is quite subjective, but some are obviously more revealing that others.  We are all in the this hobby to find the setup that sounds the best to our ears, value accuracy, details, clarity, and now dynamics as my NT6 clearly demonstrates that with the right source, it would do dynamic imaging.  So, in the case of my NT6, it's accurate, and very fun headphones as the dynamics really immerse you into the music, I never heard anything quite like it.  
 
I do value having a reference pair as I like to compare gear.  I value a headphone more if it helps me decern the differences between different gear as I look for the most accurate and realistic sounding gear.  To me it's very exciting that I have a headphone that is so revealing I can hear obvious differences between gear.  My NT6, lets the difference sources and recordings push out the different sounds.  DX100 sounds wider, vocals sounding eurphoric, and detailed and accurate.  X5 sounds different from DX100, but it's still very detailed and clear.  I like fun sound like the TG334.  If TG334 wasn't still detailed sound, I wouldn't enjoy it as I value detailed sound the most.  I like clarity, but what I dislike is clarity without details, or smoothed sound, and many others that I've mentioned about the DX90 already.  With the right monitors, it's pretty obvious.  I'm not into just accurate either, as I've owned the HE-6(I drove it pretty well) and it shows the sound can be accurate and sound very realistic, not analytically accurate.
 
Everybody has a different goal in mind in what they look for in their gear.

I totally agree, we all want to find what sounds best to ourselves, to me I find the Dita Answer pair very well with the DX90 LO>Pico Power, it provides great bass extension, not overpowering either, and very good detail retrieval.  It is a very natural sound IMO. Right now it is my favourite portable setup.
I haven't heard the TG334 or the NT-6.  Maybe I'll try the NT6 someday,  I can't now though as I have spent too much on head-fi these past 2-3 weeks; Dita Answers, Heaven VI, JVC FX-850, Vorzuge Pure ii, DX90, and X5 about 2 weeks before the DX90

.   I have to stop sometime... Or start selling some of the things I no longer use.  
And you're right, everyone has a different goal in mind for their gear, mine even changes depending on the mood I'm in or if I'm feeling fatigued. 

  I am officially off the Sony Walkman bandwagon after something like 7 years straight (having sold the ZX1), and am now a DX90 owner. Trying to get used to this little beastie... right out of the box it sounds pretty damn fantastic, wish I could have afforded to keep the ZX1 for a bit to directly compare but that was not feasible for me right now. I do think I hear a bigger difference over my iPhone 5 than I did with the Sony though. Of course the UI is very rough coming from the slick and responsive Android Walkman, but oh well. I'm in it for the best possible sound. 
 
One weird thing so far... I turned it on and it wouldn't read the micro SD card, this after a whole afternoon of perfectly fine listening. So I had to do a factory reset, and then it was able to again. I'm going to have to get used to something with a bit more bugs than the ZX1 I suppose. 
 
So far I've only used the Dita Answer with it, but in a little bit tonight will get out the Pandora Hope VI. It'll be hyserical driving a full sized can on the low gain setting! 

I love the Answer with the DX90, they are an awesome pairing. I've been using the LO>Pico Power> Answer (non Truth).   I find the Answers pair better with the DX90 than they do with the Concero HP, as with the HP the bass seems a little over powering sometimes and it seems like there is a slight mid bass hump.

 

[Dave74]

   
I'll suggest perhaps an AK100?  I have one and it is avery clean, well-designd unit.    I'm hesitant to recommend the UI Disaster that is the X5, but that could also be something to consider.

What don't you like about the UI of the X5?  I rarely use the wheel and I only listen to music from artists folders and select songs from there.   I actually prefer it to the DX90 as a lot of the time the touch screen on the DX90 doesn't function the way it should... Sometimes when I try to select a song or artist I have to push it 2-3 times... Sometime when I am scrolling it will select a song or artist when I don't want it to, it is more frustrating when it selects a different song when one is already playing.  Other than that I love the SQ of the DX90

 

[SilverEars]

I personally don't like the wheel of the X5, it doesn't seem as easy to navigate as the DX90 touch interface, which I know isn't like my smartphone, but for simple navigation, it does it's job.  I like the size, the feel, back cover, the touch and buttons, and the responsiveness(compared to DX100), but not the sound. X5 feels solid with it's heavy metal frame like the AK240, but Dat wheel....
 
X5's ui looks cleaner, and has faster input response.  Just the input choice was poor.

 

[Dave74]

  I personally don't like the wheel of the X5, it doesn't seem as easy to navigate as the DX90 touch interface, which I know isn't like my smartphone, but for simple navigation, it does it's job.  I like the size, the feel, back cover, the touch and buttons, and the responsiveness(compared to DX100), but not the sound. X5 feels solid with it's heavy metal frame like the AK240, but Dat wheel....
 
X5's ui looks cleaner, and has faster input response.  Just the input choice was poor.

I don't like the wheel either... I alway use the X buttons instead to scroll up or down.  I think it's the bottom two x buttons scroll up or down just like the wheel does.

 

[vkalia]

  What don't you like about the UI of the X5?  I rarely use the wheel and I only listen to music from artists folders and select songs from there.   I actually prefer it to the DX90 as a lot of the time the touch screen on the DX90 doesn't function the way it should... Sometimes when I try to select a song or artist I have to push it 2-3 times... Sometime when I am scrolling it will select a song or artist when I don't want it to, it is more frustrating when it selects a different song when one is already playing.  Other than that I love the SQ of the DX90

 
I guess it depends on usage.
 
All my albums are tagged as "Composer - Work", and i depend on that and the album cover art to find my music.   For example, one particular album may also have another filler piece, and I rely on the album cover art to find it (I typically know that it will be, say, in one of the Tchaikovsky albums but need to see the cover to decide which one).   So for me, album tagging is of paramount importance and the X5's current limit of 5800 songs isnt sufficient.  
 
Second, I have several DAPs - a couple of iPod/iPod Touches, a DX50, a DX90 and an AK100.   Given that I keep switching, i find the X5's interface, with the unlabelled buttons, very counter-intuitive.  It is possible that I could have learned to deal with it - and were it not for the 5800 song limitation above, I probably would have made the effort.    But as it stands, it wasnt worth it to me.
 
I am also in the minority in Head-fi but I really think that the differences between various DACs/DAPs is quite minor, bordering on insignificant.    When I am traveling, I want to listen to music, not struggle with my player.   So I pay far more attention to an intuitive UI than most people here.  YMMV, of course.