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Best high resolution players to buy in 2016 – Expert Reviews

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Best DAPs to buy in 2016

We have looked at the best high resolution players from brands like Astell&Kern, Acoustic Research and Lotoo as well as new entries into the market like Questyle and Pioneer and great value offerings from FiiO.

DAPs are audiophile quality digital audio players that support 24 bit formats such as FLAC, OGG and WAV as well as compressed formats such as MP3.  These high end audio players are often capable of driving the best full size and on ear headphones.

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fiio m3

FIIO M3

The FiiO M3 can’t be beaten in terms of value for money. The player will support lossless formats such as flac and wav up to 96khz/24bit and thanks to the 8gb of on board storage as well as a microSD card slot for up to 64gb you have plenty of space for your music. And to top it all off you get a free pair of earphones in the box!

FIIO X3-II

FiiO really dominate the low priced DAP market and the X3-II is our most popular model. It’s the perfect entry level player for those wanting to upgrade from their phone as it handles all popular lossless formats as well as DSD. The amplifier is powerful enough to drive most headphones and currently the microSD card slot can accept up to 128gb for storage. The player can also act as a USB DAC for your PC or Mac.

LOTOO PAW 5000

You could think that Lotoo have taken a risk with the PAW 5000’s retro design – opting for a small non-touch screen and a small wheel/button combo. But doing this has allowed the engineers to focus on speed and responsiveness as well as power and a microSD card slot that will take cards up to 2tb once available to store as much lossless audio as you like.

ASTELL&KERN AK JR

Astell&Kern are known for their truly audiophile sound and no corners were cut with the AK Jr. It’s one of the thinnest players around with a large touch screen making it very attractive. The player has 64gb of internal storage and can take up to 64gb via the microSD card slot giving 128gb in total. It also supports lossless and DSD formats and can double as an external USB DAC when connected to your PC or Mac.

THE BIT – OPUS #1

New kids on the block The Bit have released the Opus #1. This player runs on a stripped down version of android – this means that it won’t support apps such as Spotify and Tidal but will make the player more efficient and concentrate more on sound quality. The Opus #1 has 32gb of on board storage and the 2 microSD card slots allowing a total of 400gb for all of your high quality files. There is also an optical output allowing the player to connect to an external DAC.

PIONEER XDP-100R

Pioneer’s addition to the digital player market comes with a catchy name – the XDP-100R is a superb player! Running on android the player can host popular apps such as Spotify, Tidal and Google Play. The player has on-board Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, can support the most popular lossless formats as well as MQA audio, has a built in speaker and with 32gb of on board storage as well as 2 microSD card slots that can handle up to 200gb each – you get a lot for the money!

QUESTYLE QP1R

The sleek and stylish QP1R doesn’t just look pretty, it can handle all popular formats and has plenty of power to keep all portable headphones sounding their best, and a lot of full-size cans too! Questyle have gone with buttons as opposed to the more modern touchscreen approach, but many people prefer buttons for their tactile feedback. It’s good to know when a button’s been pressed. The QP1R has lots of storage space, with 32gb onboard and two 128gb microSD slots which makes.. plenty of room!

ACOUSTIC RESEARCH AR-M2

The AR-M2 is a full android-powered device and since it can connect to local Wi-Fi networks, it can download your favourite android apps as well as connect to music streaming services like Spotify and Tidal. It has as much power as any portable DAP and sounds superb with almost any headphone you’d care to throw at it. Careful though, as it’s so well put together that your headphones might sustain damage during any such collision.

ASTELL&KERN AK320

Another Astell&Kern player, the AK320 promises to take us most of the way towards the giddy audio quality and functionality offered by the likes of the AK380, but for half the price. Still, the AK320 does nothing else by halves as it can handle all popular formats up to 24bit/192kHz, has 128gb storage built in, and has a slot for the same again making a whopping 256gb for all your favourite music!

LOTOO PAW GOLD

Lotoo’s current flagship DAP, the PAW Gold, has exceptional sound quality and a huge amount of power. Unusually for portable players these days, the PAW Gold accepts SD cards. Of course, microSD users can make use of an adaptor to get their collection working, or they might take advantage of the greater capacities available on this format, currently at 512gb. Lotoo say that SD cards sporting capacities as high as 2tb are compatible with the PAW Gold – if they were to exist yet!

Lotoo PAW 5000 High Resolution Audio Player – Expert Review

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Lotoo PAW 5000 Review

Earlier this year we were pleased to announce the new Lotoo PAW Gold player, but now there’s a smaller (and a much lower cost) model from Lotoo called the PAW 5000. At half the size, less than half of the weight and less than a quarter of the price of the PAW Gold model, can this upstart bring home the audio bacon?

Design and appearance

The button arrangement on the front is very similar to the earlier model, and the wheel on the 5000 model enables files, folders and options to be selected. The PAW Gold’s frontage was adorned by a little too much of the blingy stuff by all accounts, so the 5000 has been reined in with just a touch of gold on the power button. Very tasteful.

With handheld devices, the trend seems to be towards touchscreens now. This can give greater functionality and versatility, but buttons do offer a more instant tactile feedback. Also the advantages of a button-operated unit present themselves in winter where the PAW 5000 can be used with gloves on, or with gloves off and cold fingers!

Key Features

The PAW 5000 has more connectivity than the PAW Gold, with an optional SPDIF output for attaching to an exterior DAC. There’s a headphone socket of course, and a line-out socket for external amps. Another welcome option is the ability to work with bluetooth headphones via the bluetooth 4.0 standard so you can enjoy your music wirelessly without the possibility of snags.

Durability & build quality

The PAW 5000 is a lot lighter than the PAW Gold, but still feels solid. Buttons feel well made, and the wheel has a free-flowing quality about it while still feeling sturdy. Unlike the PAW Gold model however, a collision with a tiled floor may result in a dented player, rather than a cracked tile. Although the player has no flex or ‘give’ as it’s squeezed in the hand, a tap on the back cover does betray a slight hollowness.

Sound Quality

(Tested with an Audiofly AF180 IEM with EQ off on the player)

We’re used to using earphones such as the Audiofly AF180 with a Chord Hugo (with a Fiio X3 connected via coaxial) and so were expecting a bit of a drop in quality in terms of sound quality. It’s not that easy though.

With EQ disabled, sound is neutral with a nice depth and breadth – soundstage is as good as headphones will portray. The presentation does not have the precise, clinical edge which some high-end players (such as the AK240) have, but that’s no bad thing. Details are not lost; they are there, but just not pushed at the listener so much.

The Lotoo PAW 5000 is a good match for these earphones; the AF180 earphones cost only a little more (at £369.99) and are well served. The PAW 5000 helps to bring out the best in them, and should the listener wish to have a bit more (or less) edge to the sound, the EQ settings should have something to please. These are much the same as the PAW Gold player, featuring both permanent presets and user configurable presets too.

Pros

Digital output (SPDIF)
Balanced output (2.5mm)
Many EQ presets, also user configurable EQ
Bluetooth 4.0

Cons

No internal memory
Supplied SuperSpeed USB cable is quite short

Summary

The Lotoo PAW 5000 does not require deep pockets; in more ways than one. The sound quality and features found on this device rival much higher priced equivalents offered by other makers, and the diminutive size of the PAW 5000 makes it very convenient to keep as a constant companion for those quiet (or noisy!) moments.

Lotoo PAW Gold Player – Expert Review

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Lotoo PAW Gold Player Review – Reference Level Audio Player

Pros

  • Quick response to button pushes
  • Solid, sturdy build
  • Navigation simple and quick
  • Huge card capacity
  • Fast power up
  • Recessed yet accessible volume control
  • Great value for money

Cons

  • Golden volume and navigation controls may be on the blingy side for some
  • No digital outputs
  • Charges via mains adapter/wall wart only – not USB
  • Screen seems small amongst those of other DAPs

Verdict

A very capable and well-built unit, the Lotoo PAW Gold Player looks and feels as good as it sounds. The array of buttons make navigation a breeze and they’re all easy to get to. The unit feels right at home in the palm of the hand, and is easy to operate – even in the pocket once the control layout is familiar. It scored a hit with everyone here who tried it, and together with its future-proof SD card capabilities it looks like it is going to be some tough competition for other high end portables out there.

Intro

Joining the ranks of companies entering the portable audio fray with a high-end audio player is a company called Lotoo (pronounced low-to) with the PAW Gold. With audio quality that matches the Astell&Kern AK240 player and a price which is a whole lot lower, you may not need to win the lotto to enjoy this player!

Key Features

The most striking thing about the PAW Gold other than the large golden Mayan-style control on the front is the obvious button-focused control method which is a contrast to the AK240’s touchscreen. And it’s horses for courses; many people love gadgets with touchscreen operation and many people prefer buttons, these offer instant feedback as the user knows that a button has been pushed, and instant access to menus such as the player’s start screen or EQ settings is certainly a bonus.

Lotoo have gone for simplicity in terms of outputs and connectivity; the PAW Gold offers both a headphone output and a 3.5mm line-out. Sound quality is described below, but it’s unlikely that any external DAC is required to be used with the PAW Gold, also this DAP packs a real punch in terms of power so external amping is unlikely to be needed if the user is on the move. Line-out is a nice extra though if connecting to full-size amp and loudspeaker system.

The PAW Gold can accept some giant capacity cards – it’s designed to work with SD cards, but can of course be used with Micro SD cards by means of an adapter. So up-to-date is the Lotoo PAW Gold, the maximum capacity card does not yet exist! This may be a window into the future as the maker has seen fit to add compatibility for 2TB (2 Terabyte) SD cards. The largest sized SD Card available as of this time is 512Gb, so there’s a clue!

The volume control is accessible but nicely recessed at the same time. No need to be nervous when donning sensitive IEMs for example. It has a nice feel to it, neither too stiff nor too loose.

 

First Impressions

The size of the PAW Gold is noticeable when we’re used to ultra-skinny items such as modern phones and media players, but it feels like a solid piece of kit, much like something from the realm of professional audio. Not surprising, as the maker is well known for manufacturing innards for other brands’ high quality audio gadgets.

It feels great in the hand (left or right) and all buttons are easy to reach with the thumb. The screen is comparatively small but this is designed to be listened to after all. On-screen information consists of file audio quality details and track/artist details, with a large stereo level meter.

A moment of confusion was when the ‘key lock’ switch had been operated; this was not immediately obvious to me when I tried to operate the unit. The display showed the ‘power down’ screen leading me to think the battery was low, but a colleague pointed out that the key lock feature had been enabled. Perhaps a future firmware update might address this.

Sound Quality

As may be expected for a player at this price point, sound quality is top notch and can only be compared to similar bits of kit to give any meaningful impression, such as the Astell&Kern AK240. The PAW Gold resolves very well, perhaps a tiny bit better than the AK240, but the AK240 gives a better sense of atmosphere. Much like the difference between valve and solid state amps, although much more subtle.

The audio was tried with the in-ear Audiofly AF180, as well as with full-size headphones such as the Beyerdynamic T1. The PAW Gold gave a vibrant and immersive presentation, and with genres such as classical music, a wonderful richness. Timbre/harmonics are brought out and separation is very realistic with an excellent soundstage.

The amp was certainly put to the test; as well as the Audiofly AF180 IEMs which were used for the critical listening tests, a pair of power-hungry Beyerdynamic T1s were plugged in. The PAW Gold has 2 levels of gain and on the louder setting the T1 was powered very nicely. Only during the quieter parts of dynamically uncompressed classical tracks was any extra headroom called for; it’s safe to say that for any headphones under 600 ohms and with sensitivity equal to or greater than the T1’s 102dB this will not be an issue.

Summary

With portable players, many factors come in to play as the unit is picked up, put down and carried around many times per day; the sound is as important as what the unit is to live with and operate on a day-to-day basis. The PAW Gold certainly passes both tests as, despite its solid chunkiness, it becomes like an old friend very quickly. Once the button layout becomes familiar, the unit can be operated (such as track skip) in the pocket without needing to take it out, and the unit just feels good in the hand.
Score 9.5

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