Tag Archives: astell & kern

Best DAP 2020: Hi-Res, Audiophile, Budget, Portable

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Our pick of the 8 Best Digital Audio Players for all budgets and uses:

We know how important it is to find the right player; whether it is for your mp3 collection, hi-res music or streaming apps such as Tidal or Spotify.

Whether you call them DAPs, players, music players, portable players, mp3 players or anything else, this is the post for you. We’ve gathered our picks for the best digital audio players that you can buy!

 

BEST DAP UNDER £100

1. Shanling M0 – £99

shanling m0

Shanling M0

If you fancy getting better sound on the move, but don’t want to add a large device to your setup – the Shanling M0 could be just what you’re looking for. This tiny player delivers top quality Hi-Res audio and can be used in two different ways. The SD card slot allows you to store your own library of tunes, from mp3 to DSD – it can handle it all. The M0 can also act as a Bluetooth amp and DAC for your headphones. So, if you prefer using Spotify or Tidal on your phone, then wirelessly connect to the M0 to boost the audio quality while using an interface you are comfortable with.

READ MORE: Shanling M0 Portable Digital Audio Player Review

 

BEST DAP UNDER £200

2. Shanling M2X – £199.99

Shanling M2X

Shanling’s impressive M2x is our choice for under £200. The impressive build quality and easy to use software makes the M2x an enjoyable experience. Sound quality is well balanced and clean, with superb detail retrieval. Then the addition of Tidal streaming via the app, opens up the listening possibilities.

READ MORE: Shanling M2X Portable Digital Audio Player Review

 

BEST DAP UNDER £500

3. Cowon Plenue D2 – £259

Cowon Plenue D2

The Cowon Plenue D2 may seem simple to look at, this is certainly not the case though. Cowon are very well known and admired for the sound quality of their players. Bringing life and energy to music, as well as impressive customisation with their well developed EQs. The Plenue D2 is solid and very easy to use, with impressive battery life giving up to 30 hours of HD audio playback.

MORE INFO: Cowon Plenue D2 Portable Digital Audio Player

 

4. iBasso DX160 – £349

iBasso DX160

A new addition to the iBasso family, the DX160 sports an updated design to previous models and the addition of a 4.4mm balanced headphone output. The large touch screen is very clear, with vibrant colours and responsive touch control. As for sound, the DX160 provides a well balanced and organic sound with an emotional quality to it.

5. FiiO M11 – £449.99

FiiO M11

FiiO have really upped their game with the release of the M11. The impressively designed and built player houses some impressive technology. Dual AKM DAC chips and their custom made op-amp helps make the most of the aptX HD, LDAC and LHDC compatibility. Then the flexible headphone connectivity brings 2.5, 4.4 and 3.5mm ports to accommodate all popular jack sizes.

MORE INFO: FiiO M11 Portable Digital Audio Player and DAC

 

6. Shanling M6 – £499

Shanling M6

Shanling has long flexed its muscles in the portable audio player scene, and M6, the latest digital audio player offering takes its place at the top of Shanling’s Hi-Res audio player line-up. M6 is the first Shanling audio player to run Android OS and is armed with Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Wireless Audio certification taking your audio to the next level.

MORE INFO: Shanling M6 Digital Audio Player & DAC

 

BEST DAP UNDER £1000

7. iBasso DX220 – £799

iBasso DX220

We feel that the iBasso DX220 hits the ultimate price and performance point in the higher end of the digital audio player market. The DX220 is superbly built, with solid software and an easy to use design. The dual Sabre DAC chips help to achieve a clean and neutral sound, and the replaceable amp modules provide a level of customisation that is not common at this level.

MORE INFO: iBasso DX220 Portable Digital Audio Player and DAC

 

BEST DAP OVER £1000

8. Astell & Kern A&ultima SP1000M – £1999

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP1000M

Astell & Kern were not sure whether it was possible to come up with a product that is different from the SP1000 while delivering the same sound quality, but they decided to take up the challenge so that more people could experience their products’ fidelity. There were many trials and tribulations in making the SP1000, A&K’s best product, smaller. They were determined to not compromise sound quality in the process, and ultimately developed the second A&ultima product, the SP1000M.

MORE INFO: Astell & Kern A&ultima SP1000M Digital Audio Player

Have We Missed Anything Out?

Please feel free to leave a comment below and let us know…

Indulgence Show 2017 – London

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Indulgence Show 2017 – London

Hifiheadphones will be at the Indulgence show in London later on this month, so here is some info about the show:

Where?

Hammersmith Novotel London West

When?

29 Sept-1 Oct (10am-6pm on Friday and Saturday, 10am-5pm on Sunday)

Effect Audio

We will be showing off the range of luxury handmade upgrade cables from Effect Audio which are sure to turn some heads.

Starting at £149 and going up to over £1000, there are cables to suit all tastes and headphones. Come by and hear the difference yourself!

Final

Alongside them will be the latest offerings from Final, including a prototype of their D8000 planar magnetic headphone.

Since 1974, Final have been producing hi-fi equipment that reflects a musician’s passion for art, as well as their own passion for engineering. Truly unique, Final’s headphones combine sleek retro styling and ground-breaking technology.

Oriveti

We will also be taking along the superb Oriveti New Primacy triple hybrid in-ear headphones, and their Basic model too.
The New Primacy sets a new standard for sub £300 headphones, offering excellent value for money with a highly resolving and detailed sound.
The Basic is a fun everyday in-ear headphone that is superbly built and costs under £100.

Audio-OPUS #1 High Resolution Portable Audio Player – Review

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Audio-OPUS #1 High Resolution Portable Audio Player – Review

Intro

Korean tech company ‘thebit’ (The Best Internet Technology) has started high in its naming of the OPUS#1 player, making us think of sublime classical compositions and other arty treats; but does the OPUS#1 hit the right notes?

 

Design and appearance

The OPUS#1 has a slightly angular and bevelled look which is reminiscent of Astell&Kern’s recent efforts, but with a slightly softened feel in comparison. It’s a pattern which is reflected in the sound of the player when compared to A&K but more on that later. The touchscreen is very responsive and easy to operate, with a good choice of navigation methods available with the player software. We can navigate by song, album, artist, genre, favorites and also by folder, which should keep everyone happy.

With a firmware update (1.10.15 at this time) the player remembers the track which was last listened to, if the track was paused and the player allowed to enter ‘hibernation mode’. Upon reawakening the player, the music resumes from where it was paused.

The OPUS 1 case is made using enhanced ABS and tempered glass, similar to many of the newer Smartphone’s on the market, the tempered glass covers almost all of the front and back of the player, giving the player OPUS#1 a premium feel, while the ABS shell reduces the overall weight of the player.

 

Key Features

Slots for two MicroSD cards (currently up to a capacity of 200Gb each) together with the on-board storage of 32Gb make the Opus#1 a heavyweight in terms of capacity, and the clear screen and intuitive navigation make it a breeze to find what we wish to listen to.

The sound can be moulded to the tastes of the user by way of the EQ feature in the player; there are three user EQ settings which can be stored, there is a delay of 3 or 4 seconds between selecting EQ settings and hearing any changes come through in the sound, why I am not sure, but in a strange way it gives you a chance to here how the EQ has changed the sound, but it is an unusual delay that may frustrate you for a few seconds.

The Opus#1 can handle all popular formats up to 24bit/192KHz and also DSD so we can take advantage of all that storage capacity with high quality files! Also the optical output can feed audio data to an external DAC for use with a full-size hi-fi system or a dedicated headphone amp, although the Opus#1 does sound pretty spectacular already.

 


Durability & build quality

The case as mentioned made of high quality tough ABS  and the player certainly feels substantial and solid, but without feeling too heavy or bulky. That is partly due to the front and back being tempered glass (the front being the touchscreen, obviously!).

Buttons are present on the sides and are easy to operate with a good feel; they also function when the screen is inactive but shouldn’t cause any trouble with the player being used whilst in a pocket or bag. Use of the leather case reduces any chance of unwanted button presses, but it is rather tight,and once on, hard to get off again!

Sound Quality

Some players have an ultra-accurate sound with which there is a danger of getting too cold and clinical, and others give an overly warm sound which can be further accentuated by choice of headphones. The Opus#1 does very well at occupying the middle ground, giving a very clear presentation which is also very musical. Most headphones an earphones will likely respond well to this, making the Opus#1 a good choice for those who already own decent quality headphones and seek to get the best from them.


Pros:

Good solid build,
Sound quality clear and well balanced,
Good amount of power for portable headphones,
Full navigation options,
Leather case is a nice extra but hard to remove

Cons:

EQ effect is delayed

Summary

For a first attempt, the Opus#1 is an amazing effort and promises to be very competitive amongst offerings of much more established companies like Astell and Kern. There’s more to come from makers ‘thebit’ and we are looking forward to future products too!

 

OPUS#1 specifications.

24bit / 192kHz High Resolution Sound

32bit processor core

Cirrus Logic CS4398 x 2EA Dual DAC

ARM Cortex-A9 1.4GHz, Quad-Core CPU DDR3 1GB

SNR 115dB, THD+N 0.0007%, Crosstalk – 130dB, Output 2Vmrs

Low-clock-jitter sensitivity: 50ps(Typ)

4inch TFT Wide Touch Display (480 x 800)

WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, DSD, WMA,

MP3, OGG, APE(Normal, High, Fast)

Internal Memory 32GB

External Micro SD Card Memory 200GB x 2EA

Enhanced ABS Solid Body and Tempered Glass

Audio Performance

DAC
CS4398 * 2EA(Dual DAC)

Decoding
Support up to 24bit / 192KHz Bit to Bit Decoding

Frequency Response
±0.02dB(Condition: 20Hz~20KHz) Unbalanced & Balanced
±0.3dB(Condition: 10Hz~70KHz) Unbalanced & Balanced

Signal to Noise Ratio
114dB @ 1KHz, Unbalanced
115dB @ 1KHz, Balanced

Crosstalk
130dB @ 1KHz,Unbalanced / 135dB @ 1KHz, Balanced

THD+N
0.0007% @ 1KHz

Output Impedance
Balanced out 2.5mm(1ohm) / PHONES 3.5mm(2ohm)

Ouput Level
Unbalanced 2.1Vrms / Balanced 2.3Vrms(Condition No Load)

 

Acoustic Research M2 High Resolution Audio Player – Expert Review

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Acoustic Research M2 Review – Android on Steroids

Acoustic Research is one of those old names which has been connected with the world of hi-fi for some 63 years now, although it has changed hands a few times since. Responsible for quite a few innovations over the years, can this brand offer anything new to music fans in 2015? Fully equipped with Wi-Fi capability, the AR-M2 can work with streaming services such as Spotify; so now we’re not limited to the tracks we have stored on our players.

Design and appearance

The M2 is a relatively large and weighty player, with the front side almost completely composed of glass; a fair amount of which is the touchscreen (62mm x 110mm to be exact). The back of the player is bevelled and it settles in the hand well. Its angular form and dark glass screen is reminiscent of a 1980s coffee table, but only a little one.

Key Features

Given the M2 is an android-based player, there’s a fair amount of customisation possible – there’s no bloatware or anything to get in the way, but users can always add items they wish to use. Spotify was installed without a problem, for instance.

Other than the touchscreen, there are 4 buttons on the side for track control and power on/off and a volume wheel on the top. Outputs are limited to headphones and line-level output. There’s a little sliding door for micro SD cards if the internal 64Gb isn’t enough for your music collection, and of course a slot at the bottom for connecting to a computer via USB.

The player can be ‘locked’ for when it’s playing whilst in a pocket or bag; however the buttons on the side still function so there may be some issues there. The volume control wheel on the top is still sensitive when the M2 is locked so again, care is needed.

The player was taken outside on one of the brightest days we have in the UK (we do get bright days) and with the settings adjusted for maximum screen brightness, the screen was clearly legible. The only problem is the fingerprints on the vast expanse of screen which are also clear to see.

The Dac within, a Burr-Brown PCM1794A offers up to 24-bit/192kHz playback and supported formats include DSD, WAV, AIFF, FLAC and ALAC.

Being Android-based, streaming services such as Spotify can be installed on the AR-M2 for use over local wifi networks, making this player more useful still.

Durability & build quality

As alluded to above, the M2 is solidly built and gives the impression of something which will last for a good few years. The back does have a hollow ring to it when tapped with a fingernail, but it doesn’t feel hollow or flex with pressure.

The M2 will be fine in a trouser pocket, but tight trousers might not react too well. Bend over and you might gore yourself – the design is strong and unyielding! The M2 comes with a velvety pouch for protection – ostensibly for the player itself, but it might help avoid the odd nick or scratch elsewhere too.

The buttons on the side of the unit for play controls can be operated even when the unit has gone into standby/hold mode, so fishing the AR-M2 out of a pocket may cause an unintended change of track. Also, the volume control can be operated while in this state. Although it’s firm, it’s loose enough to be operated by material brushing against it in the tight confines of a pocket or bag.

Sound Quality

There’s no question about the power available within the AR-M2; with a HiFiMAN HE-6 attached, volume gets up to a respectable level – even a little too loud for sustained listening, depending on the genre. Likewise with the Audeze LCD-3.

With IEMs such as the Dita Answer (Truth Edition), the AR-M2 is in its element with well controlled bass, excellent space and detail in the midrange, and a rich airiness which brings the best out of both the music and the earphones.

Within the supplied AR player app, EQ settings are possible with many genre-based presets but there’s a limit to the control possible with the rudimentary 5 band on there. This can always change with future updates, however the unadulterated sound of the AR-M2 is perfect.


Pros:

Fast, responsive touchscreen
Large internal memory
Can run apps such as Spotify

Cons:

Side buttons can be pressed while unit is on ‘hold’
Volume control can be accidentally operated

Summary

The Acoustic Research M2 (or AR-M2) is a fantastic sounding player which is well worthy of a position at its price point. Holding it gives the impression that it’s a serious bit of kit, despite all the fun it gives. It has enough power to drive all commonly used headphones well; even 600 ohm cans with sensitivity below 90dB. The large internal memory and the adaptability offered by the Android-based operating system make this a very nice pocketful, although a large one. It’s definitely one for a jacket pocket or bag.

Please take a look at our video review below for more details.

 

 

DUNU DN-900 Earphone Review

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Verdict

The DUNU DN-900 is a well built, hybrid in-ear headphone. The bass is punchy without overcrowding, with spacious mids and smooth highs – these earphones perfectly combine power and detail.

Pros

  • Frequency response can be fine tuned
  • Generous range of extras/accessories
  • Very clear bass and mid-range

Cons

  • High-frequency roll-off (if you like a brighter sound)
  • Case oversized for everyday use
  • Tuning rings easily lost if not careful
  • Cable can get tangled

As with all segments of the headphone market, the £100 – £200 bracket is hotly contested with innovation pushing sales as well as gimmicks. The hybrid drivers within the DUNU DN-900 are becoming commonplace among IEMs, but the tuning rings which are supplied with the DN-900 are not so commonly found. Given that we all have our pet sound signatures and preferred frequency responses, have DUNU released a self-adjustable gem?

Key Features

Perhaps most unusual about the DN-900 is the inclusion of the tuning rings; it’s always nice to have a bit of tweakability and it’s fun to experiment. However, be sure that you are changing the eartips and rings while sat at a table, or similar. The rings can jump off the nozzles and roll out of your life for ever if you aren’t careful. It would have been better to have a more ‘trouser clip’ style ring which stays on the nozzle.

First Impressions

Naturally enough, once out of the packaging, the first thing I noticed was the professional quality Pelican-style case. It’s a lovely item if bright yellow is your thing but it won’t fit in a pocket, nor is having your IEMs packed away in a bag or case the most practical place to have them. I would be utilising another case or pouch from somewhere else, while this case might lie unused in a drawer.

Sound Quality

The sound seems very mid-centric at first, with strong yet well shaped bass response. The most noticeable thing is the higher-frequency roll-off but this takes only a minute to get used to. I tried the rings in turn..

Silver gives a good bass grunt with midrange clear and even, and the higher frequencies rolled off. Blue appears bassier in the mid-bass area with a more pronouced and open midrange, while red is bassier again with some more low-bass creeping in and mellower mids. High frequencies are not affected by any of the rings but the blue’s effect on the midrange sits next to the highs better for me.

After trying the DN-900 with the Astell&Kern K120, I was very happy with the sound. Driving bass underpinned some very fluid and involving mids, with higher frequencies just managing to show their faces enough to keep the party atmosphere going.

The following impressions were gained using the blue rings and the AK120:

Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Two Tribes (Blank and Jones reconstruction)

The bass has good texture and impact going into the sub-bass slightly, mid range works well with male vocals and backing. Soundstage is good and wide with a great sense of space. Imaging is also good. The rolled-off highs did not give any problems.

Dub Syndicate – Mafia

Bass is very full and impactful with good slam. It is quite boomy on this track but dub calls for it! Midrange is still clear and separate – the piano parts are very distinct. Highs lend a touch to harmonics but otherwise linger in the background. Soundstage is as wide as the music requires, delay is headshaking.

Summary

The DUNU DN-900 is perfect for the tracks that were tried with them. They will satisfy any basshead but will not add bass which is not there and cloud things – midrange is spacious and lively. Again, the higher frequencies may be a problem for fans of this part of the frequency spectrum; but if like some you’re a little sensitive to it, the DN-900 should fit like a glove.

Score – 9/10

FiiO X5 Portable High Resolution Digital Audio Player – Announcement

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The Hifiheadphones team is pleased to announce the new Digital Audio Player & DAC from FiiO, the X5 is now available to be purchased on our website.

This is not your ordinary music player. With impressive processing power the portable FiiO X5 digital audio player supports DSD, APE, FLAC, ALAC, WMA and WAV lossless music formats up to 192kHz/24-bit. This is the most complete set of supported formats to date among Hi-Fi DAPs. With the X5, music lovers need not worry about lack of format support or format conversion.

As well as being a high resolution portable music player, FiiO X5 also doubles up as a dedicated digital-to-analogue converter with line or digital output from PC or MAC. The asynchronous USB DAC also supports 192kHz/24bit. Users can adjust the X5’s equalizer according to their preferences, tailoring the X5’s sound output to different headphones and music genres to produce their ideal sound.

Inside the casing the X5 is packing a lot of punch with four Texas Instruments opamps and Burr Brown DAC as well as dual TI Flagship DAC Chip for headphone output. The X5 comes with three output ports: headphone out, line out and coaxial digital output. Apart from connecting directly to headphones, you can also connect it to other DACs and amps. Dual TF card slots offer a storage capacity up to 128GB, with future firmware upgrades supporting up to 1024GB.

TI Flagship DAC Chip
High resolution music playback
WAV, APE, AAC, WMA, ALAC, FLAC lossless music format supported
DSD playback (DSD playback function will be added and optimised in pending firmware upgrade)
USB OTG support (OTG support will be added and optimised in pending firmware upgrade)
Dual TF card slots (up to 1024GB storage capacity with future firmware upgrades)
Asynchronous DAC
Aviation aluminium CNC unibody technology
Headphone out, Line out, coaxial output socket
Japan original imported high resolution IPS screen
3700mAh lithium polymer battery with 12 hours playtime

To purchase the unit, please visit our website:

Buy FiiO X5 Portable High Resolution Digital Audio Player