Alien+ is Shozy’s newest DAP. The Asian brand focuses on sound quality, therefore the device in focus is powered by AKM AK4495SEQ DAC.
Shozy is known for its ‘displayless’ DAPs. Alien+ is the first unit to break this trend – it has screen and operating system installed. Nowadays there are many multifunctional devices with touchscreens and advanced OSs, while Alien+ offers just a set of basic features. The manufacturer focuses on the sound – Alien+ is said to compete with other flagship DAPs, but it costs merely 439 USD.
Accessories
I received just the device, without any box or accessories.
The looks
Alien+ in a way resembles other Alien-series devices – the casing is angular and quite aggressive in shape. It’s made of matte black aluminum with sloping edges. The workmanship is fine – the device is massive. One can, however, notice that the looks and the built quality were not as important as the sound – the quality of FiiO’s and iBasso’s devices is higher.
Front is occupied by an ordinary screen covered by a mirror. The fonts are displayed in blue and are usually sharp and legible, but not always, due to light reflections. Under the screen placed are 3 enigmatic buttons and the manufacturer’s logo.
That’s not the end of mysteries, though. The left flank is filled with three buttons, two of which protrude, while the last one is flat. The right side is occupied by just a volume wheel and the bottom side by a microUSB socket only. The top side includes another flat button, microSD slot and two 3.5 mm jack outputs.
Ergonomics and handling
For a device with a screen which occupies less than half of the front, Alien+ is quite bulky. The dimensions are: 115 mm (height), 65 mm (width) and 13 mm (depth) whereas the weight equals 168 g. The DAP, nevertheless, still remains handy, especially when compared to other big and heavy flagship music players. It’s a shame, though, that the edges are sharp and prickly.
I value minimalism, but not when it requires big compromises. Therefore I don’t understand why Alien’s buttons don’t have any labels, especially that the layout is not intuitive.
The front is equipped with 3 buttons: previous/next track (and menu scrolling) and play/pause (which also works as ‘OK’ button). It’s a pity that holding the buttons doesn’t speed up scrolling. The middle button is also inactive with the screen off, while left and right buttons can still be used. You also can’t fast-forward or rewind tracks using the same buttons.
Two buttons on the left side handle ‘back’ (lower one) and scrolling menus (one page up). The third button located at the very top would work well as a power button, but instead it’s used as ‘Reset’ or ‘Instant Power Off’.
The microSD reader works fine, but I only tested 32 GB cards. Prospective buyer, however, needs to remember that Alien+ won’t start without a SD card installed. Additionally, connecting the device to a PC won’t let you transfer data to microSD storage.
Two 3.5 mm outputs can be distinguished when the device is on – the left one that’s glowing red is the optical out. The use of analogue volume wheel needs to be appreciated – it moves smooth, without any steps. No hiss or cracks are audible, but channel imbalance can be noticed with low volume. One shouldn’t also power the device with earphones/headphones connected – a loud cracking sound can be observed.
Operating System is primitive, based on simple vertical lists. There aren’t much options available: screen brightness, screen timeout, gain level (min/low/medium/high/0dB) and digital filters (short delay roll-off, short delay sharp roll-off ; slow roll-off filter, sharp roll-off). Music can be played via folders or playlists or shuffled. USB DAC functionality is about to be added soon.
Despite limited features and a non-touch screen, Alien+’s battery lasts for just around 5.5 hours. Battery life is thus worse than in many touch-operated advanced DAPs with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. Well, you can always carry a powerbank with you. Charging process is, however, not signalled by any diode - the only sign is the icon on the screen, but it... doesn’t indicate full battery!
In general, operation is quite simple, but needs getting used to. The OS is maximally simple and the choice of options is limited.
Specs
● DAC: AKM AK4495SEQ
● supported formats: 24-bit/192 kHz (WAV)
● SNR: 121 dB
● compatible with FLAC, WAV, APE, MP3 files
● Muses & Texas Instruments OPAMPs
● CNCed aluminum shell
● microSD reader, optical out
● battery life: 5-6 hours
The sound
Headphones and IEMs: MrSpeakers Ether 1.1 (Forza AudioWorks Noir HPC mk2, DUM), Audeze LCD-2 (Double Helix Fusion Complement4), Meze 99 Neo, Final Sonorus III, AKG K551, Focal Spirit Professional, AKG K612 Pro, Campfire Audio Andromeda, Etymotic ER-4PT, Noble Audio 4, Noble Audio Savant, Brainwavz B200, RHA CL750, FiiO F5
DAC/AMPs and AMPs: Burson Conductor Virtuoso (Sabre), RHA DACAMP L1, AIM SC808, ODAC i O2, Leckerton UHA-760, Zorloo ZuperDAC
DAPs: iBasso DX200, FiiO X5 III, iBasso DX90, Cayin N3
Interconnects: Forza AudioWorks Copper Series, Klotz
Music: various genres and formats including 24-bit and binaural tracks
The device was tested with July 2017 firmware.
The sound does not disappoint – the Shozy guys really worked on it. Nonetheless, Alien+ didn’t make my drop my jaw, at least not from the beginning. The ‘WOW’ effect is not present due to Alien’s manner of sound: analytical, technical, detailed and direct. Resolution is extremely high and so are dynamics and holographics. If one is seeking for such a tuning, they might have found their Saint Graal. The sound is not colored or very musical, but this also depends on one’s preferences and connected gear. The choice of digital filter is also important – in case of Alien+ the sound alters significantly. I prefer short-delay filters that sound clear and make the DAP in focus sound neutral, perhaps a tad bright. Slow roll-off and sharp roll-off filters soften high tones too much, make the sound warmer and darker – I don’t enjoy such tuning, so I tested Alien+ with short-delay filters.
If somebody prefers fun sound signature, then Alien+ might be too bass-shy for them. If one enjoys analytical sound, low tones are hard to find fault with. Bass is linear and not pumped – its quantity depends on the used earphones/headphones. The tuning is more analytical than musical – details and coherence are of the utmost importance. Instruments’ texture is clearly diversified and bass is perfectly-controlled, but not limited.
Midrange is neutral, balanced, very forward and of high resolution. It sounds fresh and clear, without any distance. The sound is very precise and not coloured. Upper midrange isn’t raw or grainy. Despite transparent tuning, the sound is non-aggressive and non-fatiguing. On the contrary – it makes you want to dig into music, divide it into smaller bits, listen intently to details. Alien+ is a great choice for those who enjoy analysing music, but people who seek more fun signature with exaggerated lows, warm and soft tuning might take Alien+ as too technical, too raw, cold and energyless.
At first I found treble a bit disappointing. In some pairings high tones seem sharp and a bit artificial. I got used to it after a while, but I still rate this frequency range as a bit digital and a tad bright, which should not be considered as a vice. For me trebles are just unnatural. The sound is extremely analytical and the resolution is pushed up, which makes trebles sound crystal-clear. For my taste, the quantity of the highs might have been lowered, but their character fits the analytical tuning. Again, the sound won’t please those enjoying analogue, tube-like signature. The slow-roll of and sharp-roll off filters are better for that.
Soundstage is also impressive, which applies to both its size and holographics. Depth is also fine, but stereophony is of more importance. The sound is also airy, separation is strong and instruments are distanced from one another. At the same time, everything stays close to the listener.
Shozy Alien+ vs headphones/earphones
First pairing and first blooper. Campfire Audio Andromeda are not a good partner – their bass has been reduced while trebles have become sharper. Hiss was audible, even with the minimum gain.
Next, I connected Etymotic ER-4PT, first with the S version adapter and then without it. The results were totally different – the sound was stunning! The IEMs were at the peak of their capabilities – resolution was cosmic, the sound totally direct and precise.
Then I moved to Noble Audio Savant and this combination also turned out fine. Savants are smooth and balanced, their bass is not very deep, but they are detailed and precise and so they were with the Alien+. Effects were worse in case of Noble Audio 4, whose trebles are harsh. When connected to Alien+, the highs have become too strong and the bass too weak.
RHA CL750, also a bright pair of IEMs, appeared to work fine with foam tips – the sound was of top quality, clear, precise, spacious. Cheap FiiO’s in-ears - F5, gained clarity, resolution and space. Brainwavz B200 also became more transparent, with clearer midrange.
Having connected over-ear MrSpeakers Ether 1.1 earphones, I needed to set high gain, but the DAP worked great with these planars. The headphones didn’t lack dynamics, holographics or bass and the resolution was high. Alien+ also pairs well with Audeze LCD-2, which received stronger treble response, but still offered great lows, mids and imaging. Analytical-sounding AKG K612, that require high power, also work fine. The same is true about AKG K551 and Meze 99 Neo, Final Sonorus III and Focal Spirit Professional.
Shozy Alien+ vs other DAPs
Despite the low price, Alien+ sounds similar to much more expensive DAPs. When it comes to technical, detailed and hi-res sounding, Shozy’s device really shines. If, however, someone prefers more musical tuning, the choice is not as obvious.
iBasso DX200 costs a lot more and is much more feature-packed. The sound is also different, with emphasized lows, while Alien+ favours high tones. Thus, DX200 is darker, with deeper bass and softer trebles. Soundstage is wider in Shozy’s device and dynamics and speed are on par. Alien+ is analytical while DX200 is musical.
FiiO X5 III is inferior in terms of soundstage, holographics, resolution, dynamics and speed. It sounds much softer and less spacious. iBasso DX90 seems to offer more bass and the soundstage is also of comparable width but lower depth. DX90 is also not as detailed. Astell&Kern AK70 and AK300 provide different signature. The first one exaggerates lows and sounds ‘fun’, but is not very spacious. AK300 offers lush mids, well-controlled bass, more analogue sound. Alien+ is brighter, flatter, with more emphasis on resolution and holographics.
Verdict
In terms of SQ/price ratio, Alien+ performs extremely well, provided that someone enjoys analytical, bright-neutral tuning or warm and laid back with other set of digital filters. Resolution is outstanding and the sound is clear, detailed, precise and spacious. For me, Alien+ sounds neutral with a pinch of brightness. If someone prefers deep bass, forward mids and tube-like highs it’s better to choose slow or sharp roll-off filters.
Focusing on sound quality only, it’s easy to forgive other flaws. People looking for a DAP that is more balanced in every aspect can be, however, irritated. Handling is not complicated, but awkward. Battery life is poor and number of features is low.
maciux – Maciej Sas
Shozy is known for its ‘displayless’ DAPs. Alien+ is the first unit to break this trend – it has screen and operating system installed. Nowadays there are many multifunctional devices with touchscreens and advanced OSs, while Alien+ offers just a set of basic features. The manufacturer focuses on the sound – Alien+ is said to compete with other flagship DAPs, but it costs merely 439 USD.
Accessories
I received just the device, without any box or accessories.
The looks
Alien+ in a way resembles other Alien-series devices – the casing is angular and quite aggressive in shape. It’s made of matte black aluminum with sloping edges. The workmanship is fine – the device is massive. One can, however, notice that the looks and the built quality were not as important as the sound – the quality of FiiO’s and iBasso’s devices is higher.
Front is occupied by an ordinary screen covered by a mirror. The fonts are displayed in blue and are usually sharp and legible, but not always, due to light reflections. Under the screen placed are 3 enigmatic buttons and the manufacturer’s logo.
That’s not the end of mysteries, though. The left flank is filled with three buttons, two of which protrude, while the last one is flat. The right side is occupied by just a volume wheel and the bottom side by a microUSB socket only. The top side includes another flat button, microSD slot and two 3.5 mm jack outputs.
Ergonomics and handling
For a device with a screen which occupies less than half of the front, Alien+ is quite bulky. The dimensions are: 115 mm (height), 65 mm (width) and 13 mm (depth) whereas the weight equals 168 g. The DAP, nevertheless, still remains handy, especially when compared to other big and heavy flagship music players. It’s a shame, though, that the edges are sharp and prickly.
I value minimalism, but not when it requires big compromises. Therefore I don’t understand why Alien’s buttons don’t have any labels, especially that the layout is not intuitive.
The front is equipped with 3 buttons: previous/next track (and menu scrolling) and play/pause (which also works as ‘OK’ button). It’s a pity that holding the buttons doesn’t speed up scrolling. The middle button is also inactive with the screen off, while left and right buttons can still be used. You also can’t fast-forward or rewind tracks using the same buttons.
Two buttons on the left side handle ‘back’ (lower one) and scrolling menus (one page up). The third button located at the very top would work well as a power button, but instead it’s used as ‘Reset’ or ‘Instant Power Off’.
The microSD reader works fine, but I only tested 32 GB cards. Prospective buyer, however, needs to remember that Alien+ won’t start without a SD card installed. Additionally, connecting the device to a PC won’t let you transfer data to microSD storage.
Two 3.5 mm outputs can be distinguished when the device is on – the left one that’s glowing red is the optical out. The use of analogue volume wheel needs to be appreciated – it moves smooth, without any steps. No hiss or cracks are audible, but channel imbalance can be noticed with low volume. One shouldn’t also power the device with earphones/headphones connected – a loud cracking sound can be observed.
Operating System is primitive, based on simple vertical lists. There aren’t much options available: screen brightness, screen timeout, gain level (min/low/medium/high/0dB) and digital filters (short delay roll-off, short delay sharp roll-off ; slow roll-off filter, sharp roll-off). Music can be played via folders or playlists or shuffled. USB DAC functionality is about to be added soon.
Despite limited features and a non-touch screen, Alien+’s battery lasts for just around 5.5 hours. Battery life is thus worse than in many touch-operated advanced DAPs with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. Well, you can always carry a powerbank with you. Charging process is, however, not signalled by any diode - the only sign is the icon on the screen, but it... doesn’t indicate full battery!
In general, operation is quite simple, but needs getting used to. The OS is maximally simple and the choice of options is limited.
Specs
● DAC: AKM AK4495SEQ
● supported formats: 24-bit/192 kHz (WAV)
● SNR: 121 dB
● compatible with FLAC, WAV, APE, MP3 files
● Muses & Texas Instruments OPAMPs
● CNCed aluminum shell
● microSD reader, optical out
● battery life: 5-6 hours
The sound
Headphones and IEMs: MrSpeakers Ether 1.1 (Forza AudioWorks Noir HPC mk2, DUM), Audeze LCD-2 (Double Helix Fusion Complement4), Meze 99 Neo, Final Sonorus III, AKG K551, Focal Spirit Professional, AKG K612 Pro, Campfire Audio Andromeda, Etymotic ER-4PT, Noble Audio 4, Noble Audio Savant, Brainwavz B200, RHA CL750, FiiO F5
DAC/AMPs and AMPs: Burson Conductor Virtuoso (Sabre), RHA DACAMP L1, AIM SC808, ODAC i O2, Leckerton UHA-760, Zorloo ZuperDAC
DAPs: iBasso DX200, FiiO X5 III, iBasso DX90, Cayin N3
Interconnects: Forza AudioWorks Copper Series, Klotz
Music: various genres and formats including 24-bit and binaural tracks
The device was tested with July 2017 firmware.
The sound does not disappoint – the Shozy guys really worked on it. Nonetheless, Alien+ didn’t make my drop my jaw, at least not from the beginning. The ‘WOW’ effect is not present due to Alien’s manner of sound: analytical, technical, detailed and direct. Resolution is extremely high and so are dynamics and holographics. If one is seeking for such a tuning, they might have found their Saint Graal. The sound is not colored or very musical, but this also depends on one’s preferences and connected gear. The choice of digital filter is also important – in case of Alien+ the sound alters significantly. I prefer short-delay filters that sound clear and make the DAP in focus sound neutral, perhaps a tad bright. Slow roll-off and sharp roll-off filters soften high tones too much, make the sound warmer and darker – I don’t enjoy such tuning, so I tested Alien+ with short-delay filters.
If somebody prefers fun sound signature, then Alien+ might be too bass-shy for them. If one enjoys analytical sound, low tones are hard to find fault with. Bass is linear and not pumped – its quantity depends on the used earphones/headphones. The tuning is more analytical than musical – details and coherence are of the utmost importance. Instruments’ texture is clearly diversified and bass is perfectly-controlled, but not limited.
Midrange is neutral, balanced, very forward and of high resolution. It sounds fresh and clear, without any distance. The sound is very precise and not coloured. Upper midrange isn’t raw or grainy. Despite transparent tuning, the sound is non-aggressive and non-fatiguing. On the contrary – it makes you want to dig into music, divide it into smaller bits, listen intently to details. Alien+ is a great choice for those who enjoy analysing music, but people who seek more fun signature with exaggerated lows, warm and soft tuning might take Alien+ as too technical, too raw, cold and energyless.
At first I found treble a bit disappointing. In some pairings high tones seem sharp and a bit artificial. I got used to it after a while, but I still rate this frequency range as a bit digital and a tad bright, which should not be considered as a vice. For me trebles are just unnatural. The sound is extremely analytical and the resolution is pushed up, which makes trebles sound crystal-clear. For my taste, the quantity of the highs might have been lowered, but their character fits the analytical tuning. Again, the sound won’t please those enjoying analogue, tube-like signature. The slow-roll of and sharp-roll off filters are better for that.
Soundstage is also impressive, which applies to both its size and holographics. Depth is also fine, but stereophony is of more importance. The sound is also airy, separation is strong and instruments are distanced from one another. At the same time, everything stays close to the listener.
Shozy Alien+ vs headphones/earphones
First pairing and first blooper. Campfire Audio Andromeda are not a good partner – their bass has been reduced while trebles have become sharper. Hiss was audible, even with the minimum gain.
Next, I connected Etymotic ER-4PT, first with the S version adapter and then without it. The results were totally different – the sound was stunning! The IEMs were at the peak of their capabilities – resolution was cosmic, the sound totally direct and precise.
Then I moved to Noble Audio Savant and this combination also turned out fine. Savants are smooth and balanced, their bass is not very deep, but they are detailed and precise and so they were with the Alien+. Effects were worse in case of Noble Audio 4, whose trebles are harsh. When connected to Alien+, the highs have become too strong and the bass too weak.
RHA CL750, also a bright pair of IEMs, appeared to work fine with foam tips – the sound was of top quality, clear, precise, spacious. Cheap FiiO’s in-ears - F5, gained clarity, resolution and space. Brainwavz B200 also became more transparent, with clearer midrange.
Having connected over-ear MrSpeakers Ether 1.1 earphones, I needed to set high gain, but the DAP worked great with these planars. The headphones didn’t lack dynamics, holographics or bass and the resolution was high. Alien+ also pairs well with Audeze LCD-2, which received stronger treble response, but still offered great lows, mids and imaging. Analytical-sounding AKG K612, that require high power, also work fine. The same is true about AKG K551 and Meze 99 Neo, Final Sonorus III and Focal Spirit Professional.
Shozy Alien+ vs other DAPs
Despite the low price, Alien+ sounds similar to much more expensive DAPs. When it comes to technical, detailed and hi-res sounding, Shozy’s device really shines. If, however, someone prefers more musical tuning, the choice is not as obvious.
iBasso DX200 costs a lot more and is much more feature-packed. The sound is also different, with emphasized lows, while Alien+ favours high tones. Thus, DX200 is darker, with deeper bass and softer trebles. Soundstage is wider in Shozy’s device and dynamics and speed are on par. Alien+ is analytical while DX200 is musical.
FiiO X5 III is inferior in terms of soundstage, holographics, resolution, dynamics and speed. It sounds much softer and less spacious. iBasso DX90 seems to offer more bass and the soundstage is also of comparable width but lower depth. DX90 is also not as detailed. Astell&Kern AK70 and AK300 provide different signature. The first one exaggerates lows and sounds ‘fun’, but is not very spacious. AK300 offers lush mids, well-controlled bass, more analogue sound. Alien+ is brighter, flatter, with more emphasis on resolution and holographics.
Verdict
In terms of SQ/price ratio, Alien+ performs extremely well, provided that someone enjoys analytical, bright-neutral tuning or warm and laid back with other set of digital filters. Resolution is outstanding and the sound is clear, detailed, precise and spacious. For me, Alien+ sounds neutral with a pinch of brightness. If someone prefers deep bass, forward mids and tube-like highs it’s better to choose slow or sharp roll-off filters.
Focusing on sound quality only, it’s easy to forgive other flaws. People looking for a DAP that is more balanced in every aspect can be, however, irritated. Handling is not complicated, but awkward. Battery life is poor and number of features is low.
maciux – Maciej Sas