[fejnomit]

I know I talked previously about providing some N7 vs RS8 impressions, but I have oddly decided to sell them both. Why you ask? And even if you don't, I believe that my reasons might illuminate my ongoing search, something which some of you may share.

I have always loved the sound of R2R, having previously owned a Holo Audio May DAC, a Terminator, and a killer Rockna Wavedream Signature in my 2-channel. I have also spent a good part of the past 10 years collecting 1TB of DSD albums, as I love the sound of that format as well.

Why?

I don't know if it's my age (coming on 53...) and attendant changes to my hearing, but in the past decade, I have really started really prioritize soundstage, layering, imaging, and, perhaps most important, depth. Depth, for me, means the auditory sensation of musical notes traveling toward my listening position from a point in front of me. This is different, to my ears, from layering, which establishes the distances and placements of various instruments in relation to one another. Depth to me is more of a time-effect. It is that delay between the attack and the decay accompanied by movement toward your listening position. I have come to realize after many years in this hobby that this is the single most important aspect of my audio pleasure. It adds more realism than detail and resolution do, hence I was able to hear R2R and DSD, which are somewhat truncated in those arenas, as more life-like because they both seemed to allow for more depth and time-information to reach my ears. Better PRaT in general.

So here I am, owning two of the best implementations of both technologies in DAP-form and yet something is wanting.

While I still privilege that sense of depth, along with a huge soundstage, great separation and layering/imaging, I have also come to realize that I don't want to miss out on detail and resolution, that I am longing for a bit more crispness, microdynamics, crispness to transients that R2R and DSD, to my ears, do not ultimately provide.

So while I find myself quite satisfied with my Cayin RU7 dongle, which gets me soooo close to what I like about both the RS8 and the N7, at a ridculously lower price-point, I have decided to move on from the RS8 and N7. In the meantime I have also ordered a L&P W4 to see if that sound gets me any closer to what I am looking for.

But I would like to open myself up to the collective experience and wisdom of the group and ask if there is a portable dac/amp combo or DAP that I should try based on my lingering love for an analogue tonality, warm/full mid-range, non-sibilant treble, expansive soundstage/laying/imaging and depth but ALSO crisper detail-retrieval and bite and resolution that I have been missing so far. I mention portable dac/amp combo because, use-wise, i find myself either traveling in car or plane, for which I love my dongle, or sitting at myself, in which case I use HQPlayer and Roon to feed my DAP, this reducing it, essentially, to a USB dac/amp. So there's that, too.

Of course the other question is: should I not be looking at my source to provide what I am looking for? With my love of Ronin, RN6, Z1R, and various and sundry single DDs, have I been bottle-necking myself on the output end? In other words, ould the right IEM help me here instead?

Any feedback would be most welcome. Cheers.

 

[bigbeans]

I know I talked previously about providing some N7 vs RS8 impressions, but I have oddly decided to sell them both. Why you ask? And even if you don't, I believe that my reasons might illuminate my ongoing search, something which some of you may share.

I have always loved the sound of R2R, having previously owned a Holo Audio May DAC, a Terminator, and a killer Rockna Wavedream Signature in my 2-channel. I have also spent a good part of the past 10 years collecting 1TB of DSD albums, as I love the sound of that format as well.

Why?

I don't know if it's my age (coming on 53...) and attendant changes to my hearing, but in the past decade, I have really started really prioritize soundstage, layering, imaging, and, perhaps most important, depth. Depth, for me, means the auditory sensation of musical notes traveling toward my listening position from a point in front of me. This is different, to my ears, from layering, which establishes the distances and placements of various instruments in relation to one another. Depth to me is more of a time-effect. It is that delay between the attack and the decay accompanied by movement toward your listening position. I have come to realize after many years in this hobby that this is the single most important aspect of my audio pleasure. It adds more realism than detail and resolution do, hence I was able to hear R2R and DSD, which are somewhat truncated in those arenas, as more life-like because they both seemed to allow for more depth and time-information to reach my ears. Better PRaT in general.

So here I am, owning two of the best implementations of both technologies in DAP-form and yet something is wanting.

While I still privilege that sense of depth, along with a huge soundstage, great separation and layering/imaging, I have also come to realize that I don't want to miss out on detail and resolution, that I am longing for a bit more crispness, microdynamics, crispness to transients that R2R and DSD, to my ears, do not ultimately provide.

So while I find myself quite satisfied with my Cayin RU7 dongle, which gets me soooo close to what I like about both the RS8 and the N7, at a ridculously lower price-point, I have decided to move on from the RS8 and N7. In the meantime I have also ordered a L&P W4 to see if that sound gets me any closer to what I am looking for.

But I would like to open myself up to the collective experience and wisdom of the group and ask if there is a portable dac/amp combo or DAP that I should try based on my lingering love for an analogue tonality, warm/full mid-range, non-sibilant treble, expansive soundstage/laying/imaging and depth but ALSO crisper detail-retrieval and bite and resolution that I have been missing so far. I mention portable dac/amp combo because, use-wise, i find myself either traveling in car or plane, for which I love my dongle, or sitting at myself, in which case I use HQPlayer and Roon to feed my DAP, this reducing it, essentially, to a USB dac/amp. So there's that, too.

Of course the other question is: should I not be looking at my source to provide what I am looking for? With my love of Ronin, RN6, Z1R, and various and sundry single DDs, have I been bottle-necking myself on the output end? In other words, ould the right IEM help me here instead?

Any feedback would be most welcome. Cheers.

Luxury Precision LP6 or the elevated variant, LP6 Ti or the ultimate LP6 7AE. I think @Rockwell75 and @Damz87 can corroborate their experiences of LP6 DAPs sharing such qualities you desire.

My review of LP6 https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/luxury-precision-lp6-series.25314/reviews#review-26396

 

[aaf evo]

But I would like to open myself up to the collective experience and wisdom of the group and ask if there is a portable dac/amp combo or DAP that I should try based on my lingering love for an analogue tonality, warm/full mid-range, non-sibilant treble, expansive soundstage/laying/imaging and depth but ALSO crisper detail-retrieval and bite and resolution that I have been missing so far. I mention portable dac/amp combo because, use-wise, i find myself either traveling in car or plane, for which I love my dongle, or sitting at myself, in which case I use HQPlayer and Roon to feed my DAP, this reducing it, essentially, to a USB dac/amp. So there's that, too.

Any feedback would be most welcome. Cheers.

N30 LE? Maybe reach out to MusicTeck and ask to demo their unit. For me it does exactly what you want.

 

[gLer]

I know I talked previously about providing some N7 vs RS8 impressions, but I have oddly decided to sell them both. Why you ask? And even if you don't, I believe that my reasons might illuminate my ongoing search, something which some of you may share.

I have always loved the sound of R2R, having previously owned a Holo Audio May DAC, a Terminator, and a killer Rockna Wavedream Signature in my 2-channel. I have also spent a good part of the past 10 years collecting 1TB of DSD albums, as I love the sound of that format as well.

Why?

I don't know if it's my age (coming on 53...) and attendant changes to my hearing, but in the past decade, I have really started really prioritize soundstage, layering, imaging, and, perhaps most important, depth. Depth, for me, means the auditory sensation of musical notes traveling toward my listening position from a point in front of me. This is different, to my ears, from layering, which establishes the distances and placements of various instruments in relation to one another. Depth to me is more of a time-effect. It is that delay between the attack and the decay accompanied by movement toward your listening position. I have come to realize after many years in this hobby that this is the single most important aspect of my audio pleasure. It adds more realism than detail and resolution do, hence I was able to hear R2R and DSD, which are somewhat truncated in those arenas, as more life-like because they both seemed to allow for more depth and time-information to reach my ears. Better PRaT in general.

So here I am, owning two of the best implementations of both technologies in DAP-form and yet something is wanting.

While I still privilege that sense of depth, along with a huge soundstage, great separation and layering/imaging, I have also come to realize that I don't want to miss out on detail and resolution, that I am longing for a bit more crispness, microdynamics, crispness to transients that R2R and DSD, to my ears, do not ultimately provide.

So while I find myself quite satisfied with my Cayin RU7 dongle, which gets me soooo close to what I like about both the RS8 and the N7, at a ridculously lower price-point, I have decided to move on from the RS8 and N7. In the meantime I have also ordered a L&P W4 to see if that sound gets me any closer to what I am looking for.

But I would like to open myself up to the collective experience and wisdom of the group and ask if there is a portable dac/amp combo or DAP that I should try based on my lingering love for an analogue tonality, warm/full mid-range, non-sibilant treble, expansive soundstage/laying/imaging and depth but ALSO crisper detail-retrieval and bite and resolution that I have been missing so far. I mention portable dac/amp combo because, use-wise, i find myself either traveling in car or plane, for which I love my dongle, or sitting at myself, in which case I use HQPlayer and Roon to feed my DAP, this reducing it, essentially, to a USB dac/amp. So there's that, too.

Of course the other question is: should I not be looking at my source to provide what I am looking for? With my love of Ronin, RN6, Z1R, and various and sundry single DDs, have I been bottle-necking myself on the output end? In other words, ould the right IEM help me here instead?

Any feedback would be most welcome. Cheers.

I suspect if you're not hearing enough depth from the likes of Z1R and RS8, you're in for a significant outlay for incremental improvement, with no guarantee it'll meet your expectations. Just my 0.02.

 

[fejnomit]

I suspect if you're not hearing enough depth from the likes of Z1R and RS8, you're in for a significant outlay for incremental improvement, with no guarantee it'll meet your expectations. Just my 0.02.

Sorry I'm not sure I was being clear. I do hear that. I love that combo. I was wondering if I can still have that but add a bit more resolution, if I had to boil it down...

 

[Alexzander]

I know I talked previously about providing some N7 vs RS8 impressions, but I have oddly decided to sell them both. Why you ask? And even if you don't, I believe that my reasons might illuminate my ongoing search, something which some of you may share.

I have always loved the sound of R2R, having previously owned a Holo Audio May DAC, a Terminator, and a killer Rockna Wavedream Signature in my 2-channel. I have also spent a good part of the past 10 years collecting 1TB of DSD albums, as I love the sound of that format as well.

Why?

I don't know if it's my age (coming on 53...) and attendant changes to my hearing, but in the past decade, I have really started really prioritize soundstage, layering, imaging, and, perhaps most important, depth. Depth, for me, means the auditory sensation of musical notes traveling toward my listening position from a point in front of me. This is different, to my ears, from layering, which establishes the distances and placements of various instruments in relation to one another. Depth to me is more of a time-effect. It is that delay between the attack and the decay accompanied by movement toward your listening position. I have come to realize after many years in this hobby that this is the single most important aspect of my audio pleasure. It adds more realism than detail and resolution do, hence I was able to hear R2R and DSD, which are somewhat truncated in those arenas, as more life-like because they both seemed to allow for more depth and time-information to reach my ears. Better PRaT in general.

So here I am, owning two of the best implementations of both technologies in DAP-form and yet something is wanting.

While I still privilege that sense of depth, along with a huge soundstage, great separation and layering/imaging, I have also come to realize that I don't want to miss out on detail and resolution, that I am longing for a bit more crispness, microdynamics, crispness to transients that R2R and DSD, to my ears, do not ultimately provide.

So while I find myself quite satisfied with my Cayin RU7 dongle, which gets me soooo close to what I like about both the RS8 and the N7, at a ridculously lower price-point, I have decided to move on from the RS8 and N7. In the meantime I have also ordered a L&P W4 to see if that sound gets me any closer to what I am looking for.

But I would like to open myself up to the collective experience and wisdom of the group and ask if there is a portable dac/amp combo or DAP that I should try based on my lingering love for an analogue tonality, warm/full mid-range, non-sibilant treble, expansive soundstage/laying/imaging and depth but ALSO crisper detail-retrieval and bite and resolution that I have been missing so far. I mention portable dac/amp combo because, use-wise, i find myself either traveling in car or plane, for which I love my dongle, or sitting at myself, in which case I use HQPlayer and Roon to feed my DAP, this reducing it, essentially, to a USB dac/amp. So there's that, too.

Of course the other question is: should I not be looking at my source to provide what I am looking for? With my love of Ronin, RN6, Z1R, and various and sundry single DDs, have I been bottle-necking myself on the output end? In other words, ould the right IEM help me here instead?

Any feedback would be most welcome. Cheers.

I would recommend trying to audition DX320?MAX TI but only in its Ultimate mode where all 4 DACs are working.
It will provide your desired depth levels along with resolution, dynamics and etc.

 

[aaf evo]

Just arrived and fresh out of the box. You know, I'm really going to miss that kidney.

Soooo does this mean you want your kidney back in exchange for the IEMs or....?

 

[bmichels]

Just arrived and fresh out of the box. You know, I'm really going to miss that kidney.

congrats for your purchase. I am sure you will enjoy it.

We are looking forward reading your listening impressions and comparaison with your other IEMs.

 

[endless402]

That's my exit plan from the hobby (the Z1, not the headphone).

all roads lead to flagship!

 

[Tex Irie]

I've died and gone to audio heaven!

Stealth or Organic?

 

[Auricon]

I know I talked previously about providing some N7 vs RS8 impressions, but I have oddly decided to sell them both. Why you ask? And even if you don't, I believe that my reasons might illuminate my ongoing search, something which some of you may share.

I have always loved the sound of R2R, having previously owned a Holo Audio May DAC, a Terminator, and a killer Rockna Wavedream Signature in my 2-channel. I have also spent a good part of the past 10 years collecting 1TB of DSD albums, as I love the sound of that format as well.

Why?

I don't know if it's my age (coming on 53...) and attendant changes to my hearing, but in the past decade, I have really started really prioritize soundstage, layering, imaging, and, perhaps most important, depth. Depth, for me, means the auditory sensation of musical notes traveling toward my listening position from a point in front of me. This is different, to my ears, from layering, which establishes the distances and placements of various instruments in relation to one another. Depth to me is more of a time-effect. It is that delay between the attack and the decay accompanied by movement toward your listening position. I have come to realize after many years in this hobby that this is the single most important aspect of my audio pleasure. It adds more realism than detail and resolution do, hence I was able to hear R2R and DSD, which are somewhat truncated in those arenas, as more life-like because they both seemed to allow for more depth and time-information to reach my ears. Better PRaT in general.

So here I am, owning two of the best implementations of both technologies in DAP-form and yet something is wanting.

While I still privilege that sense of depth, along with a huge soundstage, great separation and layering/imaging, I have also come to realize that I don't want to miss out on detail and resolution, that I am longing for a bit more crispness, microdynamics, crispness to transients that R2R and DSD, to my ears, do not ultimately provide.

So while I find myself quite satisfied with my Cayin RU7 dongle, which gets me soooo close to what I like about both the RS8 and the N7, at a ridculously lower price-point, I have decided to move on from the RS8 and N7. In the meantime I have also ordered a L&P W4 to see if that sound gets me any closer to what I am looking for.

But I would like to open myself up to the collective experience and wisdom of the group and ask if there is a portable dac/amp combo or DAP that I should try based on my lingering love for an analogue tonality, warm/full mid-range, non-sibilant treble, expansive soundstage/laying/imaging and depth but ALSO crisper detail-retrieval and bite and resolution that I have been missing so far. I mention portable dac/amp combo because, use-wise, i find myself either traveling in car or plane, for which I love my dongle, or sitting at myself, in which case I use HQPlayer and Roon to feed my DAP, this reducing it, essentially, to a USB dac/amp. So there's that, too.

Of course the other question is: should I not be looking at my source to provide what I am looking for? With my love of Ronin, RN6, Z1R, and various and sundry single DDs, have I been bottle-necking myself on the output end? In other words, ould the right IEM help me here instead?

Any feedback would be most welcome. Cheers.

I was in your mindset a while back with RS8 and N7 before N30LE was announced.

N30 LE? Maybe reach out to MusicTeck and ask to demo their unit. For me it does exactly what you want.

+1 on N30LE – 320MAX like technicalities w/o reference-like signature.

I think you'd enjoy N30LE's Tube Classic mode for analog tonality, warm/full mids, non-sibilant treble, crisper detail retrieval while switching to Tube Modern or SS for when you want the details and resolution.

 

[Tex Irie]

My one little concern is whether anyone can service mine if it ever needed repair? Do you have any idea?

They have a service center in NY State.

 

[gLer]

Sorry I'm not sure I was being clear. I do hear that. I love that combo. I was wondering if I can still have that but add a bit more resolution, if I had to boil it down...

Oh I see, probably yes, but again, how much - and how much of a difference you'll hear - is debatable imo. Z1R isn't a 'detail monster' like some BA flagships, but still ticks the resolution box for me even compared to some more solving IEMs (probably also because I feel too much resolution is not always a good thing). As for sources, I'm sure you can get more detail than RS8, but it'll cost you, and might compromise elsewhere. Or maybe...ignore me because I'm just jaded about the constant search for 'more' when we're already at the point of 'more than enough'.

 

[Tristy]

I know I talked previously about providing some N7 vs RS8 impressions, but I have oddly decided to sell them both. Why you ask? And even if you don't, I believe that my reasons might illuminate my ongoing search, something which some of you may share.

I have always loved the sound of R2R, having previously owned a Holo Audio May DAC, a Terminator, and a killer Rockna Wavedream Signature in my 2-channel. I have also spent a good part of the past 10 years collecting 1TB of DSD albums, as I love the sound of that format as well.

Why?

I don't know if it's my age (coming on 53...) and attendant changes to my hearing, but in the past decade, I have really started really prioritize soundstage, layering, imaging, and, perhaps most important, depth. Depth, for me, means the auditory sensation of musical notes traveling toward my listening position from a point in front of me. This is different, to my ears, from layering, which establishes the distances and placements of various instruments in relation to one another. Depth to me is more of a time-effect. It is that delay between the attack and the decay accompanied by movement toward your listening position. I have come to realize after many years in this hobby that this is the single most important aspect of my audio pleasure. It adds more realism than detail and resolution do, hence I was able to hear R2R and DSD, which are somewhat truncated in those arenas, as more life-like because they both seemed to allow for more depth and time-information to reach my ears. Better PRaT in general.

So here I am, owning two of the best implementations of both technologies in DAP-form and yet something is wanting.

While I still privilege that sense of depth, along with a huge soundstage, great separation and layering/imaging, I have also come to realize that I don't want to miss out on detail and resolution, that I am longing for a bit more crispness, microdynamics, crispness to transients that R2R and DSD, to my ears, do not ultimately provide.

So while I find myself quite satisfied with my Cayin RU7 dongle, which gets me soooo close to what I like about both the RS8 and the N7, at a ridculously lower price-point, I have decided to move on from the RS8 and N7. In the meantime I have also ordered a L&P W4 to see if that sound gets me any closer to what I am looking for.

But I would like to open myself up to the collective experience and wisdom of the group and ask if there is a portable dac/amp combo or DAP that I should try based on my lingering love for an analogue tonality, warm/full mid-range, non-sibilant treble, expansive soundstage/laying/imaging and depth but ALSO crisper detail-retrieval and bite and resolution that I have been missing so far. I mention portable dac/amp combo because, use-wise, i find myself either traveling in car or plane, for which I love my dongle, or sitting at myself, in which case I use HQPlayer and Roon to feed my DAP, this reducing it, essentially, to a USB dac/amp. So there's that, too.

Of course the other question is: should I not be looking at my source to provide what I am looking for? With my love of Ronin, RN6, Z1R, and various and sundry single DDs, have I been bottle-necking myself on the output end? In other words, ould the right IEM help me here instead?

Any feedback would be most welcome. Cheers.

With all of the aspects you mentioned I would highly recommend giving EE Raven an audition, it’s extremely good in aspects of sound-staging including depth. Significantly better than RN6 which I felt was lacking in that regard.

 

[Imusicman]

It is not placebo to me. I recently got Apple Music but prefer Tidal over it specifically because of resolution. It is more than noticeable of FLAC and MQA tracks.

Qobuz also sounds better than Apple to me.

I conducted blind listening tests (same tracks etc) and like me my wife preferred Qobuz over Tidal on the majority of tracks. This was done IEM, headphone and Speakers YMMV. Also tried Apple when it was free for 3 months and it was fine but again I much preferred. I also had Amazon for a couple of years. That was also pretty good and very good in terms of value.