The Perfect DAP
Mar 21, 2020 at 6:58 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 20
andani10

andani10

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Dear guys..

i tried a lot of gear so far but couldnt find the one and only DAP for me..

As my search since 2 years doesnt get to an end, i try to ask community, Maybe "herd-experience" can help me :wink:

I will add a list. what i am looking for, and i only write down "must haves", but first of all what i have owned already, All of them have the one or the other issue, i dont want to live with forever..

A&K240 (No Roon, not able to handle 1tb card with 87000 files),
A&K380 (too big and same issues as A&K240),
Cowon Plenue D (Perfect size, Perfect Battery Life but no support for Lager collections)
Fiio X7mkii (Too big, UI to slow)
Ibasso DX160 (very bad WIFI and Bluetooth Module Range), But for sure one of the Best so far..
Cayin n6ii (to Heavy too thick)...

Actually if the DX160 wouldnt have such a bad WIFI and Bluetooth module, i would be happy even the Batterly life is at 8hrs (which is verly low)

But now, the must haves:

1. Size, weight: maximum acceptable size is like DX160 (113x69x15).. the smaller the better... Cayin n6 has same h+w but its remarkable thicker and much more heavy.
2. MicroSD: minimium 1 Slot, must accept 1tb, internal memory minimum 32GB
3. Player: must be able to handle multipel genre Tags divided by ";" must be able to handle 87000 files in an acceptable scanning time + acceptable waiting-time when opening library functions like "Albums", "All Tracks", "Album Artists". Preferebly PowerAmp can be installed, but any other Player having those specs is acceptable too.
4. Battery life: minimum of 16hrs on unbalanced, the loner the better..
5. Wireless: Must have good range when using W-Lan and Bluetooth connection
6. Software: must be able to run: Bandcamp, Roon, Qobuz (im willing to give up on Roon and Bandcamp if player meets all other Requirements)
7. Price: for sure the cheaper the better, but im willing to pay the extra Euro for a DAP which fits all requirements..
8. Sound: I like balanced, uncoloured sound.. reproducing the Track as it is.. TO be honest, ALL DAPs above have really very good sound, for sure different to each other, but none of them i would send back because i would not like the sound..

Maybe one of you know a hidden champion whicih is not in the media so much, would be happy to hear your suggestions..

BTW.: wherever your country is at the moment fighting the virus, stay at home if you can, protect your parents and grandparents.. Stay healthy, my best whishes to all of you and dont believe stupid polititians, telling you "its not a problem"...
 
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Mar 21, 2020 at 8:52 AM Post #2 of 20
"The Perfect DAP"... I doubt that there is such a thing, nor will there ever be.

I just supplanted my HiBy R6 Pro with an iBasso DX220.

While I much prefer the iBasso over the HiBy, it's not "perfect" and there are a couple of elements that I miss from the HiBy.

It's an endless pursuit, this search for perfection.

Rudy
 
Mar 21, 2020 at 8:59 AM Post #3 of 20
CanCan713 said:
I just supplanted my HiBy R6 Pro with an iBasso DX220.
Click to expand...

Hello Rudy,

I was also having an eye for the Ibasso DX220 but stepped back due to low Battery lifetime.. how do you experience this in real Life usage? For Example the low Battery Lifetime of the Fiio X7 forced me to switch the DAP of, everytime after usage because standby time was extremely low.. this is something i cannot stand at a unit costing that money..

Andy
 
Mar 21, 2020 at 9:09 AM Post #4 of 20
Hi, Andy.
You are correct. The battery is definitely a difference that I have noticed between the iBasso and the HiBy but, for me, it's inconsequential (albeit, sad). Sure, I have to charge it up a few extra times but that doesn't diminish the fact that that the iBasso (in my opinion) sounds better (which I find more important). For me, my personal opinion, the battery is a non-"non-starter". We're audiophiles, after all - not endurance-seekers. I LOVE having a longer lasting battery, but it's at the bottom of my priority list.
Rudy
 
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Mar 21, 2020 at 10:46 AM Post #5 of 20
CanCan713 said:
We're audiophiles, after all - not endurance-seekers.
Click to expand...
Well said! Though battery life always conflicts me because I like to keep between 20 and 80 pct, which leaves 60 pct to use. I guess now with usbc I'm not as concerned because I can connect and top back up to 80 pct once or twice a day and not worry about the usb jack holding up.
 
Mar 21, 2020 at 1:29 PM Post #8 of 20
musicday said:
Come back in year 2025, we may have a near to perfect portable music player around that time.
Click to expand...

I dont believe that also.. there will be also new tech which will have their own limitation.. I beleive, being unsatisfied is a big part of the business. so maybe also manufacturer are not really interested to remove all limitations..

At the end of the day i think the perfect DAP is for everyone something different, as we are all different beings..

I was just hoping that someone can suggest a brand or model which can fit my requirements.. As other people know other brands and have experiences i dont have..

to discuss what might be perfect or not was not my intention.. :)
 
Mar 22, 2020 at 5:36 AM Post #9 of 20
Sony wm1a
 
Mar 24, 2020 at 2:10 AM Post #15 of 20
Kenneth Galang said:
Just on battery alone you're limited to the high end Sony daps or the Lotoo PAW 6000. Might be more but its few.
Click to expand...

I'm happy with the 16hrs of the cayin n6ii but it's just a damn heavy piece of a brick :)
 
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