[Tex Irie]

Same boat here and I hope I can answer the question for both if us in about a week from now. I have heard both but with different IEMs and on different occasions, but reading reviews seems to confirm that WM1AM2 sounds a bit more laid back all over the FR and that RS6 has a more bodied but less tight sub bass and more forward upper mids. With my IEMs the Sony seems to be a better match, but I would hate to miss out on the natural and very engaging mids of the Hiby. Can't have it all at that price though. And probably not at any.

The Sony is a bit lighter. The Hiby has its outputs on the bottom. Hiby also has a rather high output impedance or so I have read which could influence the FR if you have an IEM that also has a very high impedance. If that is the case for you then you may want to demo or double-double-check with others who have the same setup.

drftr

Thank you @drftr ! Definitely, looking forward to your feedback on those DAPs.

 

[drftr]

Thank you @drftr ! Definitely, looking forward to your feedback on those DAPs.

I hope to add ZX707, PAW 6000, and R6 III too. And depending on the final price also N7 but then I probably have to postpone a bit. Might be the same for R6 III actually.

drftr

 

[Tex Irie]

I hope to add ZX707, PAW 6000, and R6 III too. And depending on the final price also N7 but then I probably have to postpone a bit. Possibly the same for R6 III actually.

drftr

I noticed there were no mentions of prices in that CanJam preview video. The N7 interests me. I believe more details will be announced in the 23rd.

The ZX707 seems interesting as well I'm not certain what to expect with the amplification. I just remember disliking AVLS on Sony CD Players and Walkmans back in the day. Hopefully the volume cap isn't as bad as that thread makes it seem.

I have limited experience with Lotoo. The S1 dongle was the only product I tried from them. I would certainly give them a chance if they ever released a DAP with open Android.

As for Hiby, it's been a while since I used one of their DAPs. They make nice wares. The R6 III seems to be a reasonably priced offering. I'm sure that will be popular this year.

 

[daijobudes]

Placed an order for my Aur Neon Pro, a little tired of any mainstream names and brands, after last Canjam UM was a totl disappointment.
Was looking at these sick Anima from Lime ears, but still want to have something more BA based and with nice shells. Didn’t quite enjoy any of Aroma audio offerings, and Trailli is a little bit outdated. Taking the price to account I am afraid this is going to be next big thing this year for me. Pairing with PW 1980s or Eros S (which proved to be great bang for the buck) should be sufficient,I’ve read tha DX320 (X) is a good match.
These look sick!
Photo taken from AüR Facebook account (user compared these to Anole Vx)

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Congrats for your ranking and the huge collection you own.
So , understanding that you certainly have a rather large budget , I'm surprised to see that you don't have the SP3K as a Dap , which certainly is a serious lack in that huge collection

I didn't like SP3K.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

He demoed SP3000 in SoCal CanJam but did not buy. IMHO, SP3000 is great, but not particularly stands out among the current TOTL DAPs in term of sound quality. The build quality is top notch though.

I demoed Odyssey on SP3K and I thought it was terrible. Then, I demoed Odyssey on my N8ii and I loved it. It may not be a fair comparison, but A&K wouldn't let me use my own music or my own IEMs, so I left with the overwhelming conclusion that it is not for me and I stick to that position. I have no desire to hear it again.

 

[gLer]

It’s pretty remarkable that 3 years out and Trailii is still heavily mentioned here. That’s some staying power.

*cough* IER-Z1R *cough* 2018 *cough*

 

[emdeevee]

I didn't like SP3K.

I'm more surprised that luxury and precision isn't in the collection, but you don't have to defend that

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I'm more surprised that luxury and precision isn't in the collection, but you don't have to defend that

The only reason it isn’t is because it does not stream. I am on the wait list for LP7. I will most likely buy that one. I love the LP6 and all of its variants. Almost bought an LP6 several times.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

I hope to add ZX707, PAW 6000, and R6 III too. And depending on the final price also N7 but then I probably have to postpone a bit. Might be the same for R6 III actually.

drftr

N7 will be in higher price class as R6 gen. III in a cheaper class, Hiby would release R6 Pro II too that would cost around ZX707 price tag

 

[gLer]

N7 will be in higher price class as R6 gen. III in a cheaper class, Hiby would release R6 Pro II too that would cost around ZX707 price tag

I expect N7 will be some type of R2R, and R6 Pro II will be more like M6U with the new AK4499 flagship delta Sigma DACs.

 

[emdeevee]

The only reason it isn’t is because it does not stream. I am on the wait list for LP7. I will most likely buy that one. I love the LP6 and all of its variants. Almost bought an LP6 several times.

We're all on that list, just afraid of that price. High hopes for LP7!

 

[drftr]

N7 will be in higher price class

If it's around 1.5k then I consider myself interested. I'm afraid it will hit around 2.2k though.

drftr

 

[Xinlisupreme]

If it's around 1.5k then I consider myself interested. I'm afraid it will hit around 2.2k though.

drftr

N7 is considered a N8ii sub flagship, i think wouldn't cost less than 2000$, maybe around 2200/2400$

 

[Natesdailies]

Today marks my 1 year anniversary on Headfi and as an audiophile. It was a memorable year discovering new gear and making friends along the way.

Where it started:

Monarch MK2 / Fiio M11/M17

This IEM was my gateway into Hifi IEMs. After a Google search, I compared ranking lists. I am a value oriented buyer. This stood out in terms of its price point. "$1000 vs others that cost $3300 in the same tier, easy choice...Right? . I found it to be a big step up over the consumer iem I was using at the time. Its conservative, neutral tuning made it a great all rounder but it lacked engagement for me when I compared it to the Odin.

Odin / SP2KT

Odin took things up a level from the Monarch MK2 with technicalities with its ethereal clarity and hifi bass performance. Ultimately, I decided to sell it because I was sensitive to its upper mids (2-3K region).

Traillii (Pictured with Magnus 4 cabls)

A month after Monarch 2 and Odin I found Trailliis thread on Headfi. I remember reading endless pages of nothing but praise for it. My curiosity grew but I had some doubts. This is a $6600 IEM (used motorcycle) we are talking about. How much better does it get? By chancs, a local Headfi member Sbranson was looking to sell his so I took a ferry over to buy it. That ended up being worthwhile. This was the IEM that made be realize what IEMs were capable of. It blew me away with it's super wide staging, rich mids, incredible tonality and speed. Traillii for me is one of the few IEMs that married musicality with technicalities.

Not long after, I attended a local meet up with Jeff, Jim, Daniel and Stuart which introduced me to XE6.

XE6 / Ode To Laura, Aeneid / N8ii

This just sounded different. XE6 is still my EDM king. It's bombastic, highly musical but not lacking highs. I bought it back recently to compare with the new prototype. Excited for it to arrive.

Supermoon / Ifi Go Bar

This was my introduction to single drivers. I bought a custom based off the hype it was getting on black friday. Overall, a highly resolving and fun set for its price. I had a persisting problem with its treble edginess but I found an answer to that recently which I'll post about in a few days.

Serratus / RS8

This earbud does a few things well for me. It has a speaker like staging and gorgeous timbre. Despite being priced a lot lower than my other sets this is my first pick for acoustics when I am home.

Ragnar / N8ii

Ragnar is possibly the most resolving set I've heard next to Mentor. It has this uncanny ability to extract the tiniest nuance from a track. But because it was treble emphasized, it was fatiguing for bright music. Since it became a specialist for classical, I sold it to fund other iems.

Elysian X

This is a set I recently let go of and the only one I still miss. X has class leading stage and treble.

Mentor / SP3K / PW Orpheus

Where I am now. Mentor ticks all the right boxes. It replaced Trailliis role as my daily all rounder. This is also the closest I've been able to walk away from this hobby.

A big thanks to people on this thread for pushing me in the right direction.