[Hanesu]

hey, i already read your reviews when i started my headphone journey almost 20 yrs ago, you were kind of an influencer to me in the days of iriver ipod and what not devices

i am searching for the bt dac/amp with the deepest and tallest soundstage with excellent layering atm.
Already owning these which i put in order of soundstage depth (better to worse): Shanling UP4, BTR15, Topping G5, .... Qudelix 5k. The Shanling and Fiio have almost the same depth but overall soundstage on the Shanling is less "3 blobs" than the Fiio. Sadly the Topping has the overall best soundquality to me but sounds somewhat boxy/closed in.

I read many posts and reviews that claim the go blue would be the best in layering and depth regarding bt-dac/amps.
Would you agree with that or which bt device comes to your mind when a deep, well layered and tall soundstage is the only requirement? Price up to 800 EUR/$ would be ok. it shouldnt be as large and heavy as the Xduoo XD05 pro tho.
Sorry for the wall of text!

Using the X-space function , the GoBlu can sound quite wide, but I would not recommend it due to quality control issues and excessive hiss with some earphones (I have owned two units). Maybe the Aroma Air is something you should have an eye on?

 

[sofastreamer]

Using the X-space function , the GoBlu can sound quite wide, but I would not recommend it due to quality control issues and excessive hiss with some earphones (I have owned two units). Maybe the Aroma Air is something you should have an eye on?

Thank you for the aroma tipp, much appreciated!
@ClieOS thank you also for your fast reply and the informations!

 

[Hanesu]

Sad product/company. Instead of working on phantom upgrade package, should've made sure 2.5mm output on M4 is not wired in reverse.

Have heard those rumors, too, but just purchased a unit and the 2,5 sounds fine (same as 4,4)!

 

[ClieOS]

BTE-8 is here. Really a no-brainer consider the cost.

 

[sofastreamer]

BTE-8 is here. Really a no-brainer consider the cost.

nice collection! will you have the time to write some impressions?

 

[ClieOS]

nice collection! will you have the time to write some impressions?

I'll see what I can do.

 

[waynes world]

BTE-8 is here. Really a no-brainer consider the cost.

You recommended the Fiio BTR3K a while back (great recommendation, sad to lose it). Also have the 5K, which has been serving me very well for a long time now (surprised by it's longevity to be honest!). Anyway, looking forward to hearing more about the BTE-8 (and figuring out where it can be purchased, apart from taobao).

hey, i already read your reviews when i started my headphone journey almost 20 yrs ago, you were kind of an influencer to me in the days of iriver ipod and what not devices

Wow - 20 years! Only 12 years of ClieOS brain washing, er, influencing for me lol!

 

[wipeyourbuttocks]

TimeEar BTE-8
QCC5125 + Dual CS43131 + 3.5mm SE + 4.4mm BL + LDAC + LHDC

Priced at only $50, kinda a steal if actual performance meets its spec.

They are amazing. Not my kind of sound but for the price I can't really complain.

Spoiler: My impressions

First of all, this has to be the nicest feeling dongle in the hand, regardless of price point. It has a smooth anodised aluminium casing WITH rounded edges. Its finishing is buttery smooth and nice to the touch but it's more susceptible to scratches. It makes the DC04pro feel cheaper in hand cuz of its rough anodised surface and jagged edges. I'm pretty sure you could tell just by looking at the pic that it's well built.

Sound wise, it is more resolving than DC04pro but it looses out big time in tone and timbre: lower mids is lean and the treble is not the most natural. Soundstage is also noticeably wider than DC04pro but vocals and instruments at the center sound further away - kinda like RU7. I disliked how the RU7 sound so it's the same with this.

The only problem I have with this bluetooth dongle has is how it handles incoming source from multiple devices. It doesn't know what to do when there's audio coming from more one device so it'll just jump between both devices, making a weird jitter noise until either one stops playing. This could be fixed with a software update but I don't think it will ever be.