Audiophilepure

“If you’re looking for a sonic upgrade over your phone, the Sony will offer it across the board. It has a next-level maturity when it comes to delivering clarity, cleanliness and weight, and its well-timed sprightliness and more than a hint of dynamics save it from mimicking the often flat presentation you get from a phone’s output.

The NW-A55L confidently bops along to the grooves that underpin D’Angelo and The Vanguard’s Ain’t That Easy, driving the bassline with impetus while giving the rest of the track its fair share in the spotlight. We play Lubomyr Melnyk’s Pockets Of Light, and it diligently unravels the dynamics to ensure the long passage of piano playing sounds rightfully captivating rather than repetitive.”

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“As with all the AP80 variants, the AP80 Pro is no different in tonality presentation with EQ deactivated. The experience is a bit dry and lacking. It isn’t until the MSEB or EQ is activated and used properly that the experience is a blessing for portable consumers in this hobby.

The AP80 Pro fidelity factor is still very good for the price, but again, this is a can-do all or most things well DAP. So, that doesn’t shock me in the slightest.

Due to the extra power of this model, the entire bass experience feels more solid and dense. A noticeably different low-end texture and presentation, although I feel the fidelity to be the same as the previous model.

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“Despite its analog design, the OS can tap into the status and you do get a battery icon on the top-right drop-down bar that drips down by percentage which is very useful. You get a similar separate percentage-based battery icon on the left for the digital side.

Combined the DX220 MAX actually delivers a healthy 14-hour life cycle which, given the size and output ratings this is very competitive. You will experience a drop in that when you start going heavy on the WiFi and Bluetooth as these tests are normally 50% volume with the screen off on lossy files. ”

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‘It even sounds better than the SP1000M. Comparing the two, we find the SE200 prevails over the decent SP1000M in almost all sonic aspects – clarity, dynamics, rhythmic fluidity and insight. It’s bolder-sounding and more tonally neutral than some of its siblings, with Astell & Kern trading some of its typical richness for a faster, more articulate listen.

Whether we play Elvis Costello or Ludovico Einaudi, Mac Miller or Andrew Bird, the SE200 delivers the music faithfully. It captures its fine details and dynamic fluctuations and conveys it all on a crystal clear canvas that is as engaging as it is informative.

The ESS DAC-fed output offers a fuller, warmer listen – preferable for lush, orchestral music perhaps – but it sacrifices the spaciousness, clarity and those last couple of layers of subtlety in comparison. In fact, it’s closer to the SP1000M in character and calibre – it’s good, but just not as good as the AKM.”