NawiLlih
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 6, 2014
- Posts
- 217
- Likes
- 16
Hi Head-Fi,
I've been using a DAP + IEMs as my audio setup for as long as I've been interested in good sound, but recently I've hit a bit of an impasse. I love the sound of my Fiio X5, but the UI is starting to get to me, with time-consuming scrolling, no cue feature and the distinct lack of streaming or Bluetooth. To this end, I've found myself using my smartphone for audio whenever I need to use net radio or the like, and I've found that using the Poweramp interface with my Bluetooth speakers is worlds better than the FiiO interface. Unfortunately, the sound form the phone is, in turn, not a patch on the X5, though I do prefer the more fun, bass-heavier signature (I am using a Sony Xperia M4 Aqua).
To try to get the best of both worlds, I've decided to look for a DAC/AMP that will:
1) Work with a Sony-Android smartphone,
2) Be forgiving to lower-quality streams while still sounding good with FLAC,
3) Sound at least as good in terms of detail as a Fiio X5,
4) Have decent bass weight or a bass boost switch (this is more important than a gain switch for me)
5) Be slim enough to fit in a pocket with the phone in question, and finally
6) Shouldn't cost more than £300.
Do you guys think this a decent set of expectations, and do you think it's a reasonable idea to use an amp instead of a dac to benefit from the interface? Or is there another solution I don;t know about that will be better?
I have looked at the Oppo HA-2 and the Creative SoundBlatser Z5(?) so far, and both seem appealing choices.
For reference, my current (and probably eternal) IEMs are Earsonics SM64s, and my music taste is primarily Trance and classic dance/rave tunes.
P.S: I won't be totally abandoning the X5, as I plan to use it as a high-quality dac for my powered PC speakers if i replace it.
I've been using a DAP + IEMs as my audio setup for as long as I've been interested in good sound, but recently I've hit a bit of an impasse. I love the sound of my Fiio X5, but the UI is starting to get to me, with time-consuming scrolling, no cue feature and the distinct lack of streaming or Bluetooth. To this end, I've found myself using my smartphone for audio whenever I need to use net radio or the like, and I've found that using the Poweramp interface with my Bluetooth speakers is worlds better than the FiiO interface. Unfortunately, the sound form the phone is, in turn, not a patch on the X5, though I do prefer the more fun, bass-heavier signature (I am using a Sony Xperia M4 Aqua).
To try to get the best of both worlds, I've decided to look for a DAC/AMP that will:
1) Work with a Sony-Android smartphone,
2) Be forgiving to lower-quality streams while still sounding good with FLAC,
3) Sound at least as good in terms of detail as a Fiio X5,
4) Have decent bass weight or a bass boost switch (this is more important than a gain switch for me)
5) Be slim enough to fit in a pocket with the phone in question, and finally
6) Shouldn't cost more than £300.
Do you guys think this a decent set of expectations, and do you think it's a reasonable idea to use an amp instead of a dac to benefit from the interface? Or is there another solution I don;t know about that will be better?
I have looked at the Oppo HA-2 and the Creative SoundBlatser Z5(?) so far, and both seem appealing choices.
For reference, my current (and probably eternal) IEMs are Earsonics SM64s, and my music taste is primarily Trance and classic dance/rave tunes.
P.S: I won't be totally abandoning the X5, as I plan to use it as a high-quality dac for my powered PC speakers if i replace it.
