Mimouille, i have no experience with amping RWAK yet because DAP itself has good amp and i do not have an amp which could benefit RWAK... but i ordered T1 after reading rave reviews from its users including those who have AK100 or RWAK. just check AK100 thread i am sure you will find plenty of mention about good amps. some users reported great results with ALO RX3 or International.
my decision for T1 was simple, i need best sounding amp, no dac and i do not want to overspend on amp. seems like T1 fits this bill perfectly offering great sound for 229$ but is amp only.
for dac i wait may be till some high-end makers will step in with some non-USB portable solutions. i trust big boys epxertise much better than just portable gear makers. i also find no compelling reason to DAC RWAK ))
Well with the international or intruder you will just be using them amp, as they do not have optical inputs right!
So you will want to be looking at the likes of the Fiio E17 (though do not see it as an upgrade at all), MyST 1866 PortaDAC (sounds absolutely top end but then so is the price!) and the xDuuo XD-01 and there is also the Matrix Mini Portable. I have only heard the first two of the list and if you want great sound then the MySt will do it and the E17 will not!
Aka: thegardener & ScooterBilly Undeclared Member of the Trade: Inearspace writing positive reviews of products he was reselling.
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oh yes i forgot about the UHA6s! Thats meant to be quite nice actually! Buts its not all about what cheaper but also what performs! You know the Fiio E17 has a optical input but i would not reccomend it for a Ak100 user. Not saying the UHA is rubbish by any means, in fact it gets great reviews!
The UHA6 MKII is an awesome amp. I was just not very impressed by the DAC section although it is better than an ipod for what its worth. The amp section is gold for me . If not for the DX100 and T1 combo (at the time) I'd still have the UHA6. It did work really well on my desktop. Although I haven't been using any portable amps as of late since my DAPs don't really require them. Getting spoiled with portability .
I am getting positive results with ER4S, ACS T15, CK100PRO with AK 100. The problem is if it was not for this thread most AK100 would not be that bothered with the 22 Ohm issue. I think the problem we have is mostly the psychological aspect of knowing about the 22 ohm than the sound.
I'll need to read this further but I don't think so. It used to be that they'll take 5 orders a month then take 2 weeks to make, at least that's what it was 4 months ago when I ordered (but subsequently cancelled the next day). If that hasn't changed then this is just still pre-orders for the month. I'm guessing they don't want to be stuck with high impedance F111's in stock.
My RDB+ v1 should have been shipped today but unfortunately I'm out of the country. Like you I'd be pairing it with my RWAK100 which seems to have been my default portable amp. My DX100 has remained at home charging ever since I got the RWAK100. I do take my CLAS -db/Rx Mk3 out occasionally though.
You won't like the price of this but it's a great short optical cable (USD$138) :-
http://www.e-earphone.jp/shop/shopdetail.html?brandcode=003082000016&search=venturecraft&sort=brandname
I have been following this thread for a while but I am still confused...so I will ask one simple question, or more try to get a confirmation:
If I use the player as a standalone WITH IEMS, there is a clear benefit in having a RWAK100 vs AK100, and the RWAK100 has a performance with IEMs close to that of DX100
If I used an external DAC/AMP (ALO International seems perfect), having the RWAK100 is useless, because I will just be using the AK100 as a transport
I'd probably like to ask why would you choose to use the AK100 as a transport as opposed to some other device? Also to use the the AK100 specifically as a transport for the ALO International would employ a horrible non-portable optical to USB converter. However having said that, if you did find an external USB DAC/Amp that takes optical in (like the xDuoo DAC/Amps), at least one head-fi member seems to believe the AK100 has a decent optical out - you may want to ask rudi0504 more about this.
Personally for me, the (RW)AK100 optical out seems to be as good as the DX100. The only device where optical sounded dull was the old VentureCraft Go-DAP 4.0, but I think it was the maker's choice of hard-fixing 16/48 regardless of original soft-track sampling that was the cause rather than the optical interface itself.
I am getting positive results with ER4S, ACS T15, CK100PRO with AK 100. The problem is if it was not for this thread most AK100 would not be that bothered with the 22 Ohm issue. I think the problem we have is mostly the psychological aspect of knowing about the 22 ohm than the sound.
Well Viscerious doesn't seem to think so and he owns both units and compared them extensively. At least from what he said the RWA AK100 is a clear upgrade....
Well Viscerious doesn't seem to think so and he owns both units and compared them extensively. At least from what he said the RWA AK100 is a clear upgrade....
I've had both too for a short while (std AK100 borrowed from a friend for a week). They do sound different. Let's just say personally for me, the AK100 probably wouldn't even make it in my top 5 list of DAPs or DAC/Amp portables whilst the RWAK100 is the default portable now. Having said that, I'm using low impedance IEMs mostly, and the Signature DJ (also low-ish impedance headphones). I will admit that I once tried the Sennheiser HD700 (150 ohm) between the two and in that case, I'd agree the difference was a lot less between the two DAPs.
Well Viscerious doesn't seem to think so and he owns both units and compared them extensively. At least from what he said the RWA AK100 is a clear upgrade....
I get what you mean though. If you get A gear and don't compare it to B gear, there's a good chance A gear will suite you just fine . I've been pretty vocal about impedance from having bad experiences with gear and my Sensitive IEMs/Cans. So in that I'm more skeptical although I'm still open to the idea of enjoying gear that doesn't necessarily measure well or have low impedance. It just really depends on the scenario (synergy is a big part of that as well).
If you get A gear and don't compare it to B gear, there's a good chance A gear will suite you just fine
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yes, not mention my wallet would feel much better now if i would use this approach
edit:
Anak, very much in agreement about RWAK. i had no chance to compare DX100 or AK100 but since receiving my RWAK100 i feel this is perfect all-in-one solution, at least for me, and adding T1 to it will be just a small icing on the cake
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