[AndrewNL]

It seems to me like there is a buzz of activity in the portable DAP world, and I am thinking of getting in on the action soon (I am just using my iPhone 5 at the moment). I guess one of the main reasons stopping me pulling the trigger is that I like a good UI.
 
Anyway my question to the forum is what are you all holding out (or saving up) for, in terms of what is already on the market and what is upcoming? Does anyone have any tips? I don't plan on spending big bucks (i.e. the Astell & Kerns) and my budget is around the EUR 500 / USD 700. I know this question has an element of speculation, but let's see what comes out.
 
Andrew

 

[batteraziiz]

I'm waiting for the Fiio X1. I already have enough DAPs, I just wanna hear what it sounds like. At EUR 500 you could buy 5-6 of them.

 

[AndrewNL]

That wasn't on my radar actually! Nice too though as it looks quite promising. Hopefully they will iron out some of the X5's problems I've read about. But at $100... And I'm sure I wouldn't need 5.

 

[Levanter]

At your asking price and your criteria of a good UI comparable to Apple, the only audiophile DAP that matches your description is Sony ZX1 or the younger cheaper sibling F886.
The 2nd closest would be AK100II, but you'll need to top up another $200... but aesthetic and build quality wise... smoking sexy piece of hot stuff! Looks even better than ZX1 IMO.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

I am holding out for the following:
 
 
1. QLS QA360
 
My primary usage for this will be a portable transport for Chord Hugo. I think the price is very reasonable for DSD native DAP when comparing with other DAPs. Unfortunately, the first batch is so in demand in China/Hong Kong that I have to wait until August.
 
2. Lotoo PAW Gold
 
I am hoping this will be a replacement for my HM-901 as a standalone DAP but have to audition beforehand since it is quite expensive.
 
3. Cowon Plenue P1
 
Also have some interest in this if Lotoo turns out to be a mediocre gold brick.. Hopefully, this will not be too digital sounding...
 
Hopefully, i am just gonna buy one of the above...or none at all...

 

[Levanter]

I am holding out for the following:


1. QLS QA360

My primary usage for this will be a portable transport for Chord Hugo. I think the price is very reasonable for DSD native DAP when comparing with other DAPs. Unfortunately, the first batch is so in demand in China/Hong Kong that I have to wait until August.

2. Lotoo PAW Gold

I am hoping this will be a replacement for my HM-901 as a standalone DAP but have to audition beforehand since it is quite expensive.

3. Cowon Plenue P1

Also have some interest in this if Lotoo turns out to be a mediocre gold brick.. Hopefully, this will not be too digital sounding...

Hopefully, i am just gonna buy one of the above...or none at all...

The QLS only supports DSD64 though.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

The QLS only supports DSD64 though.

That's true
 
I am not so crazy about DSD although some SACD exports sound better than the highres PCM files due to different re-mastering. There are some more recent classical recordings that I am interested in but those are usually so well recorded that they sound good even on PCM format.
Also, it is a pain to copy large files to sd cards and let alone the battery it consumes

 

[Levanter]

That's true

I am not so crazy about DSD although some SACD exports sound better than the highres PCM files due to different re-mastering. There are some more recent classical recordings that I am interested in but those are usually so well recorded that they sound good even on PCM format.
Also, it is a pain to copy large files to sd cards and let alone the battery it consumes

lol I'd find it more of a pain to re-rip the DSD to PCM though. I'd rather just copy the DSD files straight if storage is still not an issue.
But if you are interested in native DSD I think aiming for the 128 is a better choice than settling for 64. That way it'll slightly increase your transport's life term value

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

lol I'd find it more of a pain to re-rip the DSD to PCM though. I'd rather just copy the DSD files straight if storage is still not an issue.
But if you are interested in native DSD I think aiming for the 128 is a better choice than settling for 64. That way it'll slightly increase your transport's life term value

I read in the Hugo thread that if you downsample your highres music files like 24/192 > 24/96 using your computer, there is a higher chance that you will hear lower fidelity when playing converted files.

It seems the rule of thumb is to let the dap/dac to process the files in original form and let the hardware to downsample if required. It will most likely do a better job than the computer software.

Btw, that thread is pretty educational.

 

[Levanter]

I read in the Hugo thread that if you downsample your highres music files like 24/192 > 24/96 using your computer, there is a higher chance that you will hear lower fidelity when playing converted files.

It seems the rule of thumb is to let the dap/dac to process the files in original form and let the hardware to downsample if required. It will most likely do a better job than the computer software.

Btw, that thread is pretty educational.

Have you heard the DSD live conversion compared to native? I remember one who commented the difference is very small. Would be interesting to try that.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

Have you heard the DSD live conversion compared to native? I remember one who commented the difference is very small. Would be interesting to try that.

Most definitely interesting to try... Unfortunately. I still have one usb cable, one set of speaker cables and one main cable that I need to AB beforehand... Each comparison takes hours and tiring...
 
i am starting to appreciate fellow hear-fiers who spend time to compare gears for the community.... it is really a tiring job

 

[raulromanjr]

It seems to me like there is a buzz of activity in the portable DAP world, and I am thinking of getting in on the action soon (I am just using my iPhone 5 at the moment). I guess one of the main reasons stopping me pulling the trigger is that I like a good UI.

Anyway my question to the forum is what are you all holding out (or saving up) for, in terms of what is already on the market and what is upcoming? Does anyone have any tips? I don't plan on spending big bucks (i.e. the Astell & Kerns) and my budget is around the EUR 500 / USD 700. I know this question has an element of speculation, but let's see what comes out.

Andrew

iPhone 6 on your radar? Lots of speculation on hi-res music and iPhone 6/IOS 8.

 

[AndrewNL]

iPhone 6 on your radar? Lots of speculation on hi-res music and iPhone 6/IOS 8.

Hi raulromanjr,
 
I think that is a good point actually; the only worry I would have is about being locked into iTunes. That said, let's wait and see.
 
Curious if anyone is keeping an eye on Pono (oh no - the shape!) or the Geek Out player they are working on.

Andrew

 

[Music Alchemist]

I list six (scratch that, seven!) DAPs I want in my long wish list thread! (But only two are below your target budget.)

 

[cel4145]

Now that I recently got the DX50 and have rockboxed it, I'm holding out for an audiophile DAP that has it's own UI and feature set that is as rich and user friendly as their sound quality. It's about time that they catch up with the rest of the mobile world when it comes to designing firmware and interfaces. LOL