[x RELIC x]

................
@Brooko
  I had a question about the battery life in general of the Fiio DAPs, does using LO to an external amp have a beneficial effect on the DAP battery life? My cellphone battery is terrible and am thinking of picking up a DAP and I will be using it with an external amp mostly. 

I can answer that. Typically the battery will last twice as long (20 hours) when using line out to an external amp. It lasts three times as long (30 hours) when using coaxial out on the X5 and X5ii.

 

[Hisoundfi]

@Hisoundfi
  Are you allowed to post pics of the Atlas prototype? Would be awesome to see what it looks like

Do they look ridiculously amazeballs or what?

 

[RedJohn456]

I can answer that. Typically the battery will last twice as long (20 hours) when using line out to an external amp. It lasts three times as long (30 hours) when using coaxial out on the X5 and X5ii.

Wow, that is quite the difference between the three different outputs! Do a lot of the portable amps support coaxial input? Thanks for the info

 

[RedJohn456]

Do they look ridiculously amazeballs or what?

 
Wow that looks pretty sexy. Looks to be made of metal? How does it feel in your ears? Looks amazeballs indeed! I know you just got them but looking forward to your impressions on how they sound once you get enough time with them.

 

[x RELIC x]

Wow, that is quite the difference between the three different outputs! Do a lot of the portable amps support coaxial input? Thanks for the info

Not many. I use coaxial to my desktop DACs.

 

[Brooko]

OK - Fiio X5ii > fixed Line-Out > RA > Duke
 
First approx 3-5mm on the pot is channel imbalance which measured at up to 3 dB.
 
At about 7mm on the pot with the Duke, the ave volume is already around 75 dB with peaks hitting beyond 80 dB
 
If I go to 9 o'clock on the pot (not even quarter of the way), the ave is 90 dB with peaks around 95 dB
 
This is low gain
 
BTW - diff between low and high gain appears to be approx 3.8-4.0 dB (using the meter)

 

[Brooko]

 
@Brooko  I had a question about the battery life in general of the Fiio DAPs, does using LO to an external amp have a beneficial effect on the DAP battery life? My cellphone battery is terrible and am thinking of picking up a DAP and I will be using it with an external amp mostly. 

 
Yep - takes the 10 hours out to 16-18 hours at least, maybe more.

 

[twister6]

Got RA today as well.  Just did a quick test: N6 (HO) -> Dukes vs N6 (LO)-> RA (LG) -> Dukes, and difference is very subtle, hardly even noticeable.  Perhaps I need to burn in RA more, or N6 amplifier stage (similar to C5) is just that good.  Too bad RA doesn't have a bass boost, just for my personal taste Dukes surely can benefit from a warmer low end

 

[RedTwilight]

Dude that's the funniest thing I've heard all day.

Welcome back btw

 
Feels great to be around more often. =)
 

  [SNIP]
@Brooko  I had a question about the battery life in general of the Fiio DAPs, does using LO to an external amp have a beneficial effect on the DAP battery life? My cellphone battery is terrible and am thinking of picking up a DAP and I will be using it with an external amp mostly. 

 

I can answer that. Typically the battery will last twice as long (20 hours) when using line out to an external amp. It lasts three times as long (30 hours) when using coaxial out on the X5 and X5ii.

 
I'm getting about double battery life out of my X3C as well when running LO into the E12. Didn't realise coax consumes even lesser power.
 

 
Wow, that is quite the difference between the three different outputs! Do a lot of the portable amps support coaxial input? Thanks for the info

 
Hmm ifi iDSD immediately comes to mind. 

 It's a giant silver brick admittedly. A brick that sounds pretty good.

 

[x RELIC x]

.............

I'm getting about double battery life out of my X3C as well when running HO into the E12. Didn't realise coax consumes even lesser power.


.............

Good DAC implementations need good power, so if not using the DAC there's a big power savings. :wink_face:

 

[Brooko]

I agree with you Alex.  I just compared with the Fiio E17K.  Comparable volume is ~ 20/60 (by ear - I'd put the meter away), and the Fiio (to me anyway) sounds better.  Sorry - but I'm simply not impressed by the Runabout so far.
 
Duke - impressive
Zen - very, very impressive
Monk - very impressive for the cost
 
Runabout - "meh"
 
I'm going to measure the Duke + RA vs Dke + E17K with Veritas when i get some free time tonight.  The more I listen, the more I suspect there might be channel imbalance at higher levels with this unit as well.  Need to measure - can't trust my ears 

 

[nmatheis]

Since Vince has oh so much free time on his hands - maybe both of you could test for channel imbalance and see if your RA's match. Maybe I'll do the same.

Are you just going to test at 1kHz, Paul?

 

[Brooko]

I can with an SPL meter - but then I have to swap the earpieces, and there no guarantees I can repeat the results.  I have to think about how I can do it repeatedly and accurately. I was thinking about using Veritas as that would also show an imbalance, and I can tend to get more accuracy.
 
I'll think some more and come up with something later tonight

 

[nmatheis]

I'll try with my calibrated mic when I get a chance. Measure in triplicate with each earpiece at a few points low level listening range and report back. Perhaps I'm just not catching it, and the dB meter will... 

 

[nmatheis]

Just posted my review for the Calyx PaT: LINK.
 
Thanks to @Hisoundfi for tipping me off to it. It's a nice little device despite a few quirks.