Do you have a large music library that doesn’t fit on your phone?
I have a hiby R5 that is a fantastic player but I rarely use it since I stream with my phone majority of the time instead of listening to my personal library.
I definitely recommend going amp/dac if you are streaming all the time.
I tend to use streaming apps when I’m driving, as I’m not as focused on the music and more on the road. My library will fit on my phone (though I can’t say 25GB doesn’t take up an insignificant amount of space). I’m running a Galaxy S21 right now, and spaced, forgetting the lack of expandable storage. Beyond that, the move to a phone with no headphone jack is the other complaint I really have with it. On a lunch break, doing grocery shopping, or when I’m doing chores, it would just be nice to forget the nonsense and enjoy my music.
So some recommendations I have and used would be ifi xcan, fiio Q1 mk2, earstudio es100 and for tws fiio utws3. All have their merits, I really enjoy the warm sound of the xCAN and the utws3 for convenience with my iems.
What phone are you rocking?
I’ve been a long-time iPhone user so using a DAP under $800 can be incredibly frustrating. Tried a lot of different options from HiBy and FiiO in the sub-$650 (up to the M11 Pro basically) and found all to be wanting (mostly in processing power and battery life) and ultimately returned them. I do have a ZX507 (that was about $800) that I’m content with.
All that to say, I find you want to spend more to get a DAP - you figure you aren’t just buying a DAC and an amp, you’re buying a lot more, namely a processor and some sort of OS, so your dollar is going to be stretched thinner. The simpler the device, the more bang for your buck potential. I have a collection of dongle-DACs for that reason. $300, or even $400, in the DAC/amp arena can get your pretty far.
There’s the usual offerings from iFi - Hip DAC (or Hip DAC V2 if you want the most recent one). I’m really enjoying my iFi GO Blu, BUT there is quite the hiss out the balanced port on sensitive IEMs. The FiiO Q3 is also great, but I frequently have to deal with interference sounds because of its proximity to my phone. I’ve had my eye on the XDuoo XD-05 for some time. The base model can output 500mW at 32ohms which is pretty great for only $155. If you need bluetooth, you can buy the bluetooth module for another $65. If you spend more, you can get the XD-05 Plus for $290 which can output a full Watt. And… if you want to get the top-tier version, you can get the XD-05 Balanced with (obviously) a balanced port, built-in bluetooth and that same 1000W output at 32ohms. Given your budget (and reviews), if you don’t need a balanced port, I’d go for the XD-05 Plus and add the bluetooth module (if you feel like you need it). It seems to have great reviews and that’s a lot of power output for really not that much money (comparatively).
Personally… I like variety, so I’d probably go from the XD-05 Basic (500mW is still pretty darn good) and with that extra cash in my budget, I’d spring for the GO Blu (if you aren’t trying to drive really sensitive IEMs on the 4.4 Balanced port).
I find smaller devices much easier to lose, and can be much more of a hassle. I’ve already indicated I’m not interested.
I have an xDuoo XD-05 (og), but found I like a warmer sound, like what I get from my Zen DAC v1 and TA-10. Kinda why it’s been relegated as a DAC for my TV. It and my Zen go into my Ol Switcher, which then output to my TA-10 and A100.
I’m not expecting to drive my Dekoni Blue (t50rp), but I do understand things like my 7hz Timeless with it’s Planar driver can benefit from more power.
The headphones I’d be taking portable (that I currently own) would probably consist of 99 Noir, m40x, 4XX, and SR80e. IEMs would be the Timeless of Starfield. I’m not saying I wouldn’t want to take others with me, particularly if I get something that works well with my other headphones, but those would be the most likely.
Love the Hip DAC for 4XX!
I think the v2 would just be out of interest of getting the newest thing.
Ill keep an eye on my GO Blu, I haven’t had any issues with it yet.
If you like warmer sound, then iFi is probably you’re way to go. FiiO Q3 is on the cleaner side.
That’s nice…
Except I’m not on iPhone, and magsafe is an Apple technology, not a Samsung technology.
Are we starting to see a trend, or do I need to break this trend of not paying attention to what seems to exclusively be iPhone users about not paying attention, or going back and reading?
Or could you possibly explain to me how this little tid bit has any possible relevance to me what so ever?
Perhaps Hiby R5 Sabre could fit your bill or Xduoo XD05 Bal
I’ll probably wait and see what comes of the monthly yard sale and if nothing else, see any making my call then.
Yeah, put in my bid for a few items. We’ll see what comes of it
1 Like
You didn’t state in your OP what you were planning on using with this, but mentioned you wanted “a little more power” than a Fiio M5 which does 24mW into 32Ω.
So I suggest to you a device that does 10 times the power, 240mW into 32Ω.
Qudelix 5K is really more than enough for any IEM, including the 7Hz Timeless, I have that and use it with the Qudelix (and a BTR5, which is basically the same in terms of sound output). I have the Starfield as well, it also works great with that. You probably have literally thousands of times headroom in terms of power for something like the Starfield.
The Timeless is harder to drive, but it’s still an IEM. It’s not THAT hard to drive and I’m still way down in low gain on the low power mode with it. It’s an IEM.
I also use overears with it including the Hifiman Ananda (relatively easy to drive) but also the Audio Technica R70x, Hifiman Edition XS and HE400SE, which are harder to drive. I think it sounds good (and certainly loud enough) even on the hard to drive stuff. I’m running all of this balanced, which has substantially more power (3-4x) than the single ended.
If it was going to be my only amp, for hard to drive overear planars, I’d want more than the Qudelix. And I have. But for something portable as supplementary to my 1.5W desktop amp that’s going to primarily be used for IEMs, it’s perfect. For IEMs, I wouldn’t pick something else up to $400, no.
It’s a very flexible device.
Okay, here you go.
Now, that’s not to say I wouldn’t take any of my other headphones. 5XX, K550, or Dekoni Blue(if it can be properly powered) would be among them.
The only one of those that is really hard to drive is the HE4XX. Qudelix actually have a chart for that headphone specifically in their “Power Budget” section:
The limit with the planars is not voltage but current saturation. With the HE4XX balanced at the max 240mW you will be at 2.9V / 83mA and 117dB SPL. Above that I think you would get clipping. But that’s pretty loud, and that’s the worst case, all the other stuff you are talking about is much easier to drive. My HE400SE is a bit harder to drive, and listening to that on the Qudelix, even that is fine. Loud, no distortion, clean bass, and 1V (which is more than 2x below the current saturation) is already too loud for me for sustained listening.
I mostly use these overears with a desktop Fiio K5 Pro which does 1.5W. But I occasionally plug them into the Qudelix, either for portability or to mess with the excellent PEQ it has built in.
If your primary usage for this is IEMs, the Quedelix is more than enough. Even the 7Hz Timeless. It’s a planar, but it’s still an IEM with a 14.2mm driver. You don’t need to wire it to a speaker amp.
It seems to me like you already know quite well what you don’t want so by process of elimination, you should be more than capable of finding what it is you want.
1 Like
Doesn’t mean everything has been reviewed, or things like Amazon reviews can be completely trusted. If people are simply going to ignore everything that’s been said and just keep recommending what’s already been turned down, then yes, I’m going to call them out and start pointing out everything they seem to have blatantly ignored. Beyond that, numbers don’t tell a full story, nor are they always accurate. Thusly, we reach out to those who may have more experience, or have experienced certain products I’ve never had a chance for hands-on time with, for their recommendations or what to steer clear of.
Now, if you are going to suggest that I should disregard this idea because I understand which types of products might fit me better and which features might be desirable, then please, come out and say so. Maybe I might believe that reviews and reviewers have no place by that logic, just like YouTube believed there was no place for the dislike button.
You are being exceedingly abrasive to people you are asking for advice, you know that? Good luck with your search.
3 Likes
When I’m repeatedly having to go back and quote and requote because people clearly are not paying attention, trying to give me a lesson, just basically say, “sorry for giving you a lesson, that wasn’t my intention, so I’m gonna do it again”, or recommend products that won’t work for me due to incompatibility because they weren’t paying attention, and so on… Do you really see no reason for the abrasive treatment, or do you need me to stroke your ego?
Paying attention? Perhaps you should have laid out what you actually wanted in your OP, where you say you want “a little more power” than something that does only 24mW, “bluetooth would be nice” and “balanced would be a big plus”. We’re not mindreaders, and I’m not particularly inclined to pick through a thread where you have scattergun quotes all over the place and are being deliberately and needlessly rude to anyone trying to help you.
If you want good advice and people not “wasting your time” with stuff you’ve already mentally discounted, lay all this out in your first post as to exactly what you want, rather than just come back at people as to how they should have understood what you didn’t say and they haven’t picked through a lengthy thread of you being rude, which could have been avoided if you only said what you wanted in the first post. Anyway, good luck with it.
3 Likes
If you’re so personally wounded by the abrasiveness, then why do you keep coming back?