[szore]

Thanks for providing this info. I ordered the Zen yesterday from Music Teck. They were extremely helpful in helping me make that decision, as was everyone on this forum. Actually when I said I hope to find a DAP that would work well with the Zen without breaking the bank, I meant $1,000 or less. I should have been more specific. So I started to research HiBy after your suggestion. Curious if you or any other forum members have tried the HiBy R6 2020 with the Zen. Now that I have established $1,000 or less as my desired budget, is there anything else I should consider? All advice highly appreciated

SR-25

 

[milkdudd]

My only qualifying suggestion on a dap would be a warmish to neutral one. My SA700 due to its pushed up midrange can sometimes get a little hot driving the Zen.

If you want to go through the effort of finding one, my Sony ZX300 with @MrWalkman custom firmware (DMP-300 FE) which he provides to the community on a free basis is a synergistic match for the Zen, in my view.

Thanks but it looks like I would have to buy used if I went with the ZX300. Pretty sure when it comes to a DAP I probably would prefer to buy a new one. If I do happen to see one for sale from a forum member here I definitely will consider it. Don't think I want to buy from a stranger off of eBay or anything like that

 

[milkdudd]

SR-25

Thanks I hadn't even considered that one. A quick search brought up crutchfield and their reviews (taken with a grain of salt of course) show people love it. Now I will try to find out what people here think about it, which I trust far more to be unbiased than I do from the people selling it. After your recommendation, I expect that research to show great results

 

[Scubadevils]

Thanks I hadn't even considered that one. A quick search brought up crutchfield and their reviews (taken with a grain of salt of course) show people love it. Now I will try to find out what people here think about it, which I trust far more to be unbiased than I do from the people selling it. After your recommendation, I expect that research to show great results

ZX507 worthy of consideration too, I'm loving the ZEN with it and my ZX300.

 

[jwbrent]

Thanks but it looks like I would have to buy used if I went with the ZX300. Pretty sure when it comes to a DAP I probably would prefer to buy a new one. If I do happen to see one for sale from a forum member here I definitely will consider it. Don't think I want to buy from a stranger off of eBay or anything like that

Please share your thoughts after you decide on a new dap for the Zen ...

 

[kmmbd]

Thanks for providing this info. I ordered the Zen yesterday from Music Teck. They were extremely helpful in helping me make that decision, as was everyone on this forum. Actually when I said I hope to find a DAP that would work well with the Zen without breaking the bank, I meant $1,000 or less. I should have been more specific. So I started to research HiBy after your suggestion. Curious if you or any other forum members have tried the HiBy R6 2020 with the Zen. Now that I have established $1,000 or less as my desired budget, is there anything else I should consider? All advice highly appreciated

I will highly recommend the Cowon Plenue R2 or the Plenue L (if available ~$600). Doesn't have Android smarts but these Plenue DAPs were made for IEMs like Zen (extremely sensitive to hiss). Pitch-dark background, fantastic separation (Plenue DAPs are class leading in this aspect IMO) and pretty wide staging.

Some Hiby DAPs (R5 and R6 to be exact) exhibited hiss and RF interference for me and the separation was nowhere near the Plenue R2 (BAL out). They do have more modern features so if you need those...

 

[milkdudd]

All of these responses are definitely opening my eyes. I haven't really done any research on DAP's until yesterday so a lot of this is new to me. Does the average person really need something to be Android based? I have had great success with UAPP on my phone using OTG to my Chord mojo. I was planning to stick with that until a couple of days ago a forum member told me he didn't really like the pairing of it to the Zen. And got me thinking a little. A couple of years ago I bought a marantz HD-DAC1 desktop dac and headphone amp. I mainly use it as a dac for my room stereo to accept digital from my OTG phone setup. So I decided to try the marantz with my Sony XBA-A2 Japanese import hybrid IEM's. I also use the hard to find Sony upgrade cable I picked up a few years ago. With the Marantz I was taken to a world of SQ that I have never experienced. Even my 15K room stereo wouldn't give me this resolution. I had forgotten it even had an adjustment for gain but fortunately I was on the mid-setting which proved ideal. Since then I have tried all of my headphones with it and been pleased overall but my AT-3000ANV over the ear closed back headphones sound magnificent when set on high gain. I've even done a little experimenting with EQ, something I almost never do. Will any of these DAP's I'm looking at be able to match the SQ of my desktop amp? Maybe it's unrealistic to ask a 13 oz. DAP to match a 13 lb. desktop amp? How much do you think I would miss UAPP if I go with something non-android? Also one review I read for a DAP it was stated that it needed all of his audio files to be renamed or something like that. I definitely want to use my thousands of flac files as they are. Is that doable with all of these that we are discussing? Sorry for all the rambling but I want to make an informed decision when I buy. Thanks

 

[snapandslide]

All of these responses are definitely opening my eyes. I haven't really done any research on DAP's until yesterday so a lot of this is new to me. Does the average person really need something to be Android based? I have had great success with UAPP on my phone using OTG to my Chord mojo. I was planning to stick with that until a couple of days ago a forum member told me he didn't really like the pairing of it to the Zen. And got me thinking a little. A couple of years ago I bought a marantz HD-DAC1 desktop dac and headphone amp. I mainly use it as a dac for my room stereo to accept digital from my OTG phone setup. So I decided to try the marantz with my Sony XBA-A2 Japanese import hybrid IEM's. I also use the hard to find Sony upgrade cable I picked up a few years ago. With the Marantz I was taken to a world of SQ that I have never experienced. Even my 15K room stereo wouldn't give me this resolution. I had forgotten it even had an adjustment for gain but fortunately I was on the mid-setting which proved ideal. Since then I have tried all of my headphones with it and been pleased overall but my AT-3000ANV over the ear closed back headphones sound magnificent when set on high gain. I've even done a little experimenting with EQ, something I almost never do. Will any of these DAP's I'm looking at be able to match the SQ of my desktop amp? Maybe it's unrealistic to ask a 13 oz. DAP to match a 13 lb. desktop amp? How much do you think I would miss UAPP if I go with something non-android? Also one review I read for a DAP it was stated that it needed all of his audio files to be renamed or something like that. I definitely want to use my thousands of flac files as they are. Is that doable with all of these that we are discussing? Sorry for all the rambling but I want to make an informed decision when I buy. Thanks

For IEMs, DAPs are absolutely fine. The mid range Android based DAPs from the likes of Hiby, Fiio etc are excellent. And frankly I like the portable nature instead of being confined to one place listening. We also cannot ignore streaming in today's world. I too have a decent selection of my own music, but I must be able to stream Tidal.

I have a sibling of the A2, the XBA-Z5, I run that balanced on a Fiio M11 and no issues at all driving it and these Sony hybrids craves power. I rekon the Zen's would also be good match and doubt there would be a driving issue (though you do have a higher budget to get something even better). Is it comparable with your marantz? I reckon the DAP is going to get mighty damn close.

 

[milkdudd]

One of the great things about going with the Zen is the included cable connectors. Headphones I've had up till now require buying an expensive cable to try the balanced setup. Having the different connectors and the ability to A-B single-ended and balanced free of charge is great. What are those of you who have the Zen finding to sound better? Some mention hiss issues when going balanced. Maybe that's only with certain IEM's and certain DAP's?

 

[feverfive]

^^^ IMHO, it's ridiculous that very few makers of $500+ IEMs include modular cables stock in this day and age.

 

[Dsnuts]

One of the great things about going with the Zen is the included cable connectors. Headphones I've had up till now require buying an expensive cable to try the balanced setup. Having the different connectors and the ability to A-B single-ended and balanced free of charge is great. What are those of you who have the Zen finding to sound better? Some mention hiss issues when going balanced. Maybe that's only with certain IEM's and certain DAP's?

I use the 4.4mm adapter on my Fiio M15 and Shanling M6 pro. It does expand the sound with greater dynamics and a better sense of sound stage vs using the Zen in single ended. Zens takes to amps like a champ and scales really well to nicer sounding gears. If you dont have a way of using them in balanced. Not a big deal to be honest. It sounds great on just about everything.

 

[milkdudd]

^^^ IMHO, it's ridiculous that very few makers of $500+ IEMs include modular cables stock in this day and age.

I agree. You'd think it would be almost automatic. Unless companies have to pay patent royalties to whoever came up with the idea. I don't think that's the case here. I do know at least in the past Japan had what seemed to be ridiculous patent laws. I know for 10 years or so all motocross bikes except Honda had to route their front brake hydraulic line down under the axle and then back up the other side to the caliper because Honda had a patent on the common sense method of routing it directly to the caliper

 

[Scubadevils]

I've just been 4.4mm on my Sony DAPs, yet to try on 3.5mm - still experimenting with tips, actually getting the best results now from the Final E tip - the stock white tip was hurting my right ear after a while for some reason. I've ordered the CP-145 from Ali Express also so will be interesting to try that too, thanks for the 'tip' @corgifall

I must be hitting about 70 hours or so now of play and really loving them.

 

[Dsnuts]

Gotta applaud Dunu for throwing in an excellent cable.

For folks that don't know I do a lot of cable reviews and own my share of cables. DUW-03 the cable that comes with the Zen is really not a common cable you usually get with earphones. Even higher end earphones that I own come with some gimpy cables that I have no use for.

I tried a lot of my cables on the Zen and in the end the DUW-03 matches up perfectly with the Zen to the point where it is the one earphone you don't need to search for a cable upgrade and if you do plan on upgrading the cable. Be prepared to spend a decent amount for an actual upgrade.

This is the one set your better off spending that money on a decent source or a nice amp to go with the Zens imo.

 

[Queen6]

SR-25

Another for SR25, great balance of sonic performance, power & battery life for the price. ZX300 & ZX500 may limit headgear choice down the road as the power output is somewhat limited by 2021 standards.

FWIW owning WM1A & ZX300

Q-6