[fofocho]

I swear I am listening now at 105dB and I find it right. Maybe I should use a decibelmeter instead of trusting what the app says

Edit: I confirm that dB volume in the app is not reliable. Connected to PC (USB) and iphone (Bluetooth), the app says 105db for both sources when I switch from one to the other and however the PC is WAY louder

 

[Tano]

I swear I am listening now at 105dB and I find it right. Maybe I should use a decibelmeter instead of trusting what the app says

The app measurements are an estimate and depends of the recording. You shoud use a Db meter to ge a more accurate result.

 

[04gto]

I swear I am listening now at 105dB and I find it right. Maybe I should use a decibelmeter instead of trusting what the app says

Edit: I confirm that dB volume in the app is not reliable. Connected to PC (USB) and iphone (Bluetooth), the app says 105db for both sources when I switch from one to the other and however the PC is WAY louder

I thought that was common knowledge by now. Yes the db meter in the app has never been even kinda of close to accurate on any headphone I have tried it with. I checked it on my MiniDSP EARS and it would always be off by at least 10db, sometimes 20+db. I kind of forgot it was in the app because it might as well not be. Don't trust it at all.

 

[khtd]

I wonder how it is possible to measure volume levels correctly - without having to spend hundreds of dollars for special equipment? I also listen to music (according to the app) at 100db-105dB levels - lower levels are not loud enough, especially in music with a wide dynamic range (like concerts & symphonies).

 

[WilcoRoger]

I thought that was common knowledge by now. Yes the db meter in the app has never been even kinda of close to accurate on any headphone I have tried it with. I checked it on my MiniDSP EARS and it would always be off by at least 10db, sometimes 20+db. I kind of forgot it was in the app because it might as well not be. Don't trust it at all.

Let's remember, that it's a logarithmic scale, so a difference of 20dB is 100x more (or less, depending) soundpressure

 

[04gto]

Let's remember, that it's a logarithmic scale, so a difference of 20dB is 100x more (or less, depending) soundpressure

Right and thats why that reading in the app sucks and cannot be trusted at all.

 

[fofocho]

Would the veteran Earstudio ES100 mk2 a good alternative to the Qudelix? It has AKM dac, that I have always preferred to Sabre dacs (I switch from Yamaha to Marantz for this reason in my home theater) as I find AKM more musical

I still find the Qudelix harsh and dry, compared to BTR5 (2019), which is even an analytical dac/amp

 

[Safeinthemountains]

I have owned both the BTR5 and the Qudelix and they sound the same to me.
The Qudelix 5k has a totally flat frequency response just like most of the delta sigma dac/amps nowadays (The BTR5 has a flat FR too)
So I wouldn't call the 5K dry at all.

Im afraid you aren't comparing them with the right methodology and correctly matched volumes, cause Im almost certain than both should sound identical in most cases.

If you prefer some extra warmth or bass, you rather EQ.

This is something I noticed... The "application note" of ESS would leave very little freedom in the desing of the output circuitery on such integrated DAC+AMP, so all ES9218/9219-based dongles or DAPs should sound the same, except for those with additionnal headphone out amplifier (like Shanling's M3Ultra with Ricore OPAmp, or Hiby's R5Gen2 with discrete class-A stage.

In fact I recently bought (mostly 2nd hand) The M3U, the R5Gen2, the R3Pro Saber 2022, and I use the 5K of course...

But I find the Qdelix "dryer" than the R3Pro Saber, and the R5 in "standard" mode with just the ES9219P output... stange isn't it ?
Maybe this is all really subjective, and depends more on my state of mind than on the implementation of the DACs.

In the end I think a lot of the perceptible differences in "high end audio" are just subjective; if there was a totally blind ABX comparison, most of us wouldn't be able to tell wich sound signatude corresponds to which DAC/DAP/transport...

Also to me, dry=flat=analitycal=sterile feeling, as opposed to warm=musical, with a little emphasis on some frequency bands, usually lows and mids... But does everyone think the same ?

 

[Safeinthemountains]

Would the veteran Earstudio ES100 mk2 a good alternative to the Qudelix? It has AKM dac, that I have always preferred to Sabre dacs (I switch from Yamaha to Marantz for this reason in my home theater) as I find AKM more musical

I still find the Qudelix harsh and dry, compared to BTR5 (2019), which is even an analytical dac/amp

I had two ES100 (mk1 & mk2) and they both died more or less after one year, of the same disease... They start to stutter, then stop by themselves, then become completely unusable
The ES100 sound was not that different to me from the 5K, while having totally different dacs, but the useability of the buttons/interface on the ES100 was far better...

Now I use the 5K because better having a poor ergonomics than a device that does not work at all

To me on such "mobile" device, the SQ comes after useability, battery life and reliablilty, so the 5K is far ahead Shanling's UP4/5 and Fiio's BTR5/7.

 

[Ferdinando1968]

I had two ES100 (mk1 & mk2) and they both died more or less after one year, of the same disease... They start to stutter, then stop by themselves, then become completely unusable

Could it be the internal battery that caused the malfunction?
I ask because I have had an MK2 for more than a year;
I don't use it often, but it still works.

 

[Tano]

This is something I noticed... The "application note" of ESS would leave very little freedom in the desing of the output circuitery on such integrated DAC+AMP, so all ES9218/9219-based dongles or DAPs should sound the same, except for those with additionnal headphone out amplifier (like Shanling's M3Ultra with Ricore OPAmp, or Hiby's R5Gen2 with discrete class-A stage.

In fact I recently bought (mostly 2nd hand) The M3U, the R5Gen2, the R3Pro Saber 2022, and I use the 5K of course...

But I find the Qdelix "dryer" than the R3Pro Saber, and the R5 in "standard" mode with just the ES9219P output... stange isn't it ?
Maybe this is all really subjective, and depends more on my state of mind than on the implementation of the DACs.

In the end I think a lot of the perceptible differences in "high end audio" are just subjective; if there was a totally blind ABX comparison, most of us wouldn't be able to tell wich sound signatude corresponds to which DAC/DAP/transport...

Also to me, dry=flat=analitycal=sterile feeling, as opposed to warm=musical, with a little emphasis on some frequency bands, usually lows and mids... But does everyone think the same ?

For me it's all subjective when it comes to most delta sigma and SS amps. I've made blind tests and I could not differentiate consistently a 100€ dongle from a 3k DAC/AMP setup.

Some filters and features can make a difference tho, but still I really don't care about gear as long as they are transparent and got enough power for my headphones.

 

[Safeinthemountains]

For me it's all subjective when it comes to most delta sigma and SS amps. I've made blind tests and I could not differentiate consistently a 100€ dongle from a 3k DAC/AMP setup.

Some filters and features can make a difference tho, but still I really don't care about gear as long as they are transparent and got enough power for my headphones.

Hi, thanks for you reply/input...

In theory the gear should be as transparent and neutral as possible, then the choice would concern only speakers/headphones...
In practice I thought I could not make any difference between DACs, even of very different manufacturers, but I start to think it is not the case; I can feel when a device sounds "dry" or sterile, and when there is a "sound signature", and usually I prefer the later.
But still I cannot say for sure it is a real difference; the brain can play some tricks to you, and let you think this player sounds good because in the end it "looks" or "feel" good in your hands.

For the R5 GII (ES9219P) when I first tried it, It was a deception compared to the first R5 that I was finding "too analytical" (but still a little warm). This one was really dry, if not "harsh" to me.
After a week or two of using it, it suddenly felt really musical and warmer, and I don't know why...
And I was reluctant to buy the R5G2 at first, because of its all-black, angled desing, bulkier than the previous R5, and the fact the SOC/memory had not been upgraded since first Gen... not appealing at all except the ES9219P and the long battery life.

In the end the device seems snappy (with oldish interface, but this is not that important) and the sound is nice to my ears...

 

[Safeinthemountains]

Could it be the internal battery that caused the malfunction?
I ask because I have had an MK2 for more than a year;
I don't use it often, but it still works.

Some people here didn't have any of the above mentionned problems with ES100, and I guess they are still happily using it nowadays
In my case the battery looked fine, but I didn't make extensive testing on this particular point.

 

[fofocho]

The 5k is growing on me. I have been testing the DAC filters today. If it helps (it is kind of cheat sheet for me) this is what I feel:

1. Linear Phase Fast Roll-Off: powerful
2. Linear Phase Slow Roll-Off: dry/harsh
3. Linear Phase Super Slow Roll-Off: echo
4. Minimum Phase Fast Roll-Off: full
5. Minimum Phase Slow Roll-Off: smooth
6. Minimum Phase Super Slow Roll-Off: soundstage
7. Hybrid Fast Roll-Off: aggressive

So far I am using 6 and 1 the most. As I use BT, I do not use 8 (NOS)

 

[numon]

i read that there is peq chip inside what is advantage over e.g power equilizer on android?