I've been making A/B Dap comparisons for a while but in many different threads. I'm creating this thread to consolidate them all in one place moving forward. For disclosure Main iem: Elysian Annihilator 2021 Main source: FiiO M15S Sound preference: Detail/clarity focus, warm is fine but not...

Ibasso DX160 (2020) vs Sony NW-ZX507 (V1) Comparisons were done with mango mode on the DX160 and direct source mode on the ZX507. Both using 4.4mm output and normalised to the same loudness. Starting off, tonality wise they are both neutral with a hint of warmth. Both have excellent...

Can anyone identify what are the parts on this DAP's PCB scan? Thanks Labelling the parts would be nice

I was wondering if I could convert a 2.5mm balanced output to a 3.5mm se output. If I could, will it give me more driving power? I asked a local audio store and they said it will simply convert the 2.5mm balanced output to a 3.5mm se output without increasing the output.

This is a technical support thread for all types of inquiries for the N5ii. Latest update (3.3 EN) http://en.cayin.cn/download/show?id=13546 Known bugs/issues and fixes 1. Random freezing - solved on V3.3en 2. Blurry album art - clear cache 3. Colour inversion - try switching the display off...

Hi guys its been a while since ive had to get new iems so i havent exactly been updated on new releases.But my CKR-9 has died and now im looking for a replacement pair that can hopefully surpass the CKR-9. I prefer a clean detailed sound and preferably a W-shaped signature. Essentially a...

Gods no, please tell me theres a fix for this, i have lost too many a pair of earphones due to this but those were very cheap ones that i got when i just started listenting to music on my sansa fuze. Now this, my favourite iem , is softer on one side. I kept them carefully coiled in my UE 600...

Quick question: Wouldnt it defeat the purpose of getting as close as possible to the original recording if you use equipment better than what the studio engineer uses?

Hey guys, I was going to get an O2 amp soon but I ran into a problem:There are different branks of O2 amplifiers.   The main one i have seen on head-fi is the JDS Labs model but there are Mayflower and Reverb branded ones too. Are there any differences between these amps?   Thanks

Hey guys, the CD (Redbook) has been the main storage media for song albums, soundtracks and such for a long period of time. Is the CD a dead end for audio storage or is there something that can replace it?   I have read up some related threads and a few plausible answers are the SACD and/or...

Hey guys, I was wondering if it is possible to DIY cable strain reliefs for IEMs . And if it is, how?   THX

Hey guys , I have read a few reviews on the Final audio design Fi-BA-SS that say it is a detail monster. However, how does it compare in terms of detail sieving compared to the ER4? How different are they in terms of sq?

At CES 2015 in Las Vegas,ESS announced the arrival of a new SoC (System On Chip) that integrates an audio DAC and a built-in amp ,it has low power consumption and is specially designed for mobile devices such as smartphones ,tablets and portable music players .   The new Sabre 9018Q2C is a D/A...

Hey guys i need some help differentiating a normal objective 2 and an objective 2 with the ODAC built in. Are there any differences visually?   Im asking this because I was offered $180 on a O2+ODAC combo but im unsure whether its just a regular O2 or a real O2+ODAC combo.   Pictures of...

Hey guys , im looking for an amp for my fiio x1 as it cant drive my dad's new HD 600. Are there any good budget amps under 150 usd that can drive a HD 600 well and also my sensitive 12 ohm IEMS?   Hopefully there will also be a nice bump in SQ. THX

Hey guys , as you all know at head fi , we often say how warm /bright an amp or DAC sounds but how is this warm sound "acquired"? What happened in the process of converting from digital to analogue and/or amping the analogue signal? I hope someone would be able to give a clear-ish answer. THX!!!

Hey guys I just had this random thought while listening to an orchestral piece and I wondered " how the heck does one driver produce the violins , cymbals , piano , trumpets ,etc simultaneously? THX in advance !

Ive been looking around for a bit but cant seem to find a definitive comparison between CD and Vinyl.   for instance:                       CD          Vinyl Capacity(minutes)     :         80            .... Recording format      :         Digital     Analogue   and so on......     NO...

What are the best movie scores you have ever listened to ?   My current top 10 are   01 How to Train Your Dragon 1 (2010) / How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) - John Powell 02 Bolt (2008) - John Powell 03 Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) - John Powell and Hans Zimmer 04 Transformers (2007) - Steve...

Hey guys , which option would give me better SQ ?   Getting a DAC/AMP to be used with my Samsung s4 ( JDS LABS C5D/ OTHER SUGGESTIONS)   OR   Would just an amp (JDS LABS C5/ OTHER SUGGESTIONS) be enough?   OR   Getting a dedicated player just for music (FiiO X3 2nd gen/Ibasso DX 50/...

Hey guys I'm looking for a DAC/amp for my Samsung s4 . I want to get the best SQ for the price. Which DAC/amp would you guys recommend? A short comparison between any of these would be nice. Thx in advance!!!!

I currently own the Bravo Audio Ocean Hybrid amp and i find its design to be sub-par. It gets extremely hot after just 20 minutes of use. It also leaks current, probably because of its ungrounded power supply.   The leaked current travels to my Both my FiiO X1 and my CKR-9s. This causes a...

Post any mods you have made to your FiiO products here. Example: http://www.head-fi.org/t/669830/fiio-x3-mod-ad8397-to-ad8620

Im going to get myself a FiiO X3 2nd gen for new year.   But before i buy it i would like to ask if it is the absolute best for the price or is there another product with better value? Example : Same features but lower price or more features/ better sound for slightly more

Im now using a CKR-9 with my FiiO X1.   Due to the 2ohm output impedance of the X1 and the low impedance + high-ish sensitivity of the CKR-9s im hearing hiss on all my tracks which was not present before i got the CKR-9s.   I looked into a number of treads but couldnt get a direct answer...