Lotoo looks awesome af. But I need streaming apps to work. I listen to a fair bit of songs from my home district which is in a corner I india, so YT music is a must.
So the cayin in the better option? Is the Sony ZX500 good?
Now that weâve established around 1000$ for the dap. Do you have any other end game suggestions? Power is not much of an issue and Iâm primarily an IEM user.
If you need youtube music, then the cayin is a good pick here since the sony wm1a will not support that either unfortunately. Unfortunately I havenât tried the ZX500 yet, so I canât comment on that. Also with the cayin, regarding the modules, I would recommend the e02 module for the most impressive match with the z1r imo. I also like the t01 module for a bit more forward and fun sound. The a01 module was not that impressive to me personally
There are other things I would mention but they might end up being more expensive (and I would have to omit some other options since you want to make sure you get one which can support youtube music). The hiby r8 is impressive although somewhat expensive for what it is, but it would suit your needs well, although while I have tried this dap briefly it was not with z1r so I can only estimate the quality of the pairing. Other options I like in this range tend to not have android or not work with youtube music, so personally the cayin n6ii is my favorite pick in this situation
I donât personally own the Sony, but have multiple similarly-tiered IEMs. I agree that your source will play a very large role in your chain.
I personally own the N6ii with both E01 and E02 boards if you have any specific questions.
I have demoâed others and invested in an even higher-tiered DAP and they continue to scale. Rest assured that your money will be not be wasted in better electronics.
Thank you dude, ill take you up on it.
Is there a clear sonic difference between e01 & e02?
Because with just the e01 module, I can get a better deal. But it has lower output than e02, but its class a/ab. As you can see I canât get my head around any difference there could be.
Also, tell me what itemâs youâre using them with. For me it was toss up between u12t and z1r, I chose the z1r because it came with the balanced cables in box whereas 64 audio balanced cables are 125$ smh (and z1r is a bit cheaper).
So if Iâm going for e01, I wouldnât mind the u12t. I wouldnât need to purchase balanced cables in this case.
It is certainly noticeable. The E02 with balanced output is fuller, more dynamic, and a blacker background. It almost sounds like you had a slight amp upgrade. There is more punch to everything and is more engaging than the E01. There is a little bit of subjectivity here because I know some people prefer the relaxed E01, but I personally think E02 is the better of the two. Ultimately if you can, I suggest going balanced for all of your IEMs. Itâs a pretty big upgrade.
My lineup right now is Hyla Sarda, 64a tia Trio, and Jomo Trinity Brass. Youâll have a fun time with u12t if you go down that path.
I wouldnât get the 64a cable. Itâs trash.
Anyone here try the A&K Kann Alpha? Also is there a really solid option that supports Tidal, but it is a bit thinner and lighter? Most of these DAPs look heavy and chunky so not sure how that is when carrying it around in your pocket and dancing around. Maybe the daps mentioned are fine though in pocket, just not sure.
Not yet but it seems like a very good option as well, although it doesnât look small either lol. Generally there are some smaller options like a questyle qpm or something like that which sound great but donât have as many features as the other daps
How does portable DAC/AMPS such as the monolith thx portable or ifi xDSD/ xCAN pair with high end IEMâs ? Will it be as good as the flagshipâs DAPs?
Definitely not small lol, but was curious on it
Unfortunately the Questyle qpm doesnât have Tidal support. Do you know of any good ones that have Tidal/Android support and are on the thinner side/good to carry around in a pocket?
Personally those are good but not on the same level as the higher end portables, something like an ifi idsd micro black label or signature would be a closer comparison, or perhaps a hugo 2, or some other similar portables in that range imo
@mon I bought a used Sony wm1a in really good condition.
But but
I bought a u12t too! Went way overboard! I canât feel my legs. It was on sale for 400$ off. Do you have a budget friendly 4.4 cable recommendation for them??
Still canât feel okay, I feel weird after buying the u12t! 
Perhaps, you should check out Satin Cable. They do some pretty solid builds for much cheaper than the competitors. I would say that the quality of the material is one of the most important things, but I own an Athena and can confirm that they do very good work. I think you can buy an 8-wire build for a great value.
Thank you dude, let me look them up
I know someone who uses one of these on his Z1Râs⊠https://www.amazon.com/Linsoul-Tripowin-Silver-Earphone-0-78-3-5mm/dp/B07ZQD2Z5H/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=linsoul%2Btripowin%2Bzonie%2B16%2Bcore%2Bcable&qid=1604017220&sprefix=linsoul%2BTr&sr=8-3&th=1&psc=1
I have an apology to make to SonyâŠIâve been pretty happy with the Spin CP145âs with this set as they are my go to tips, I use a L which seemed to equate side by side to a Sony XLâŠa bit of research and dropped to a Sony L and even more wow, getting an awesome seal with an ever deeper insertionâŠthis set is truly mental 
Still canât believe no ones posted Crinâs classic Z1R reviewâŠ
Out of interest any of you good folks use an RME ADI2 DAC FS with your Z1Râs Iâd be grateful for any feed back 
I unfortunately had the Z1R and RME and 2 separate times, but in general, the RME is a solid neutral amp/dac combo. Doesnât really emphasize any frequency like how the iDSD Micro BL does. It has a black background and works well with the Andromeda, but there is slightly reduced staged.
Not gonna lie though for my tastes, kind of boring, but I think any straight neutral amp is boring (although I havenât tried really high end amps extensively so that opinion could change). I really enjoy a warm neutral source like the iBasso DX300. The RME was an upgrade from the JDS Labs Element II that I had and slightly different than the Micro BL. Micro BL was warmer and I preferred the way the bass boost switch sounded. If you go from Micro BL to RME, itâll sound more neutral, but not cold neutral or bright.