COWON PLENUE J REVIEW
April 6, 2018 § Leave a comment
“Aside from a higher amount of hiss compared to the Plenue D and Onkyo’s DP-S1, there is very little bad to say about the J. It’s loaded with Cowon’s typical bevy of sound enhancements, including BBE Mach3Bass, which currently is giving my head a Russian massage. Not counting user settings, are dozens and dozens of sound enhancements possible, my favourite of which is called BBE Headphone. It presses the sound stage wider and rounder, enlarging lateral stage enough to give you a double take around the room. As much as I appreciate what Sony have done with the ZX300, Cowon’s sound enhancements are better, or at least better able to get do crazy things to music without forcing buzz and other errors. And again, there are so many to choose from. Unfortunately, user settings are pains in the arse to fix. This is because, from EQ to BBE+, to SE reverb models, settings are stored in tiny cards that you have to tip up or down, and must be adjusted individually. Because the UI is laggy, it is frustrating.”
Opus#1S $399 Review
April 3, 2018 § Leave a comment
“Looking back over the review, I’ve said some pretty nice things about this player. That’s interesting, since I was not blown away by it. Nothing about this device screams “THE BEST” or “MOST AWESOME”, yet somehow it worms its way into your heart, insinuating itself with moments of serenity. I suspect much of it is thanks to how artfully Opus sculpts its relaxed, yet dramatically musical signature. It’s hard to find fault when the sound is both smooth as satin and clear as church bells. Both rich and articulate. Take also into account the immense output power, and you have one hell of a portable solution for anything you care to drive.”
XDUOO NANO D3 $79 REVIEW
March 31, 2018 § Leave a comment
“Dynamic slam effect is low to moderate and I really enjoy that presentation, even on tracks I know are very slamming. With great smoothness factor usually can come lacking engaging qualities and sometimes I do feel that to be the case. Sometimes, I want more bite and that is what EQ can give me now and then.”
QUESTYLE QP2R REVIEW
March 20, 2018 § Leave a comment
“The QP2R still sports the slightly dated navigational wheel which is said to be an improvement over the original, how I’m not exactly sure but it works. To each corner of the scrolling wheel are 4 additional touch screen buttons that function as a home, return and left & right key. The design hasn’t changed from Questyle’s first venture so remains stylish and luxurious to both the eyes and touch.”
CAYIN N5II REVIEW
March 15, 2018 § Leave a comment
“You get a fairly relaxed midrange that makes great use of the quiet background that this has, really giving an individual spotlight to each component and instrument that ends up sitting in the midrange. The lack of restriction is even more obvious in balanced but in single ended you still won’t be disappointed. Paired with a buttery smoothness I find the midrange to be quite stunning and am so happy to report that there is no upper midrange spike that can cause fatigue like so many Sabre’s before it. In fact I can say the same about the treble, which somehow stays smooth and doesn’t even lose to much of that impressive midrange body. Like the midrange and its use of space to improve imaging, the treble has great extension to provide air which aids the soundstage. These end up being some of the best initial factors you may notice with the Cayin, how big and accurate the soundscape is. ”
Top 10 Best Portable Music Players For Audiophiles – 2018 Edition
March 14, 2018 § Leave a comment
“There you have it guys; this is currently my list of the best portable music players available on the market that is geared towards the enthusiasts and audiophiles. Remember, all of these portable music players have fantastic sound quality. You may or may not hear any difference or differentiate the sound signature from one DAP to another using the same set of headphones or earphones. This all comes down to personal preference. Audio is a subjective topic, and what’s good for you may not be good for me. Just one thing, do yourself a favor, if ever you are going to buy one of these DAPs, be sure to load them with high resolution lossless audio files. Please don’t load them with a lossy and sometimes poorly encoded MP3 files. Otherwise it would defeat the purpose of getting one and you’re better off using your smartphone instead. Good luck!”
SONY ZX300 REVIEW
March 8, 2018 § Leave a comment
“At the ear, the ZX300 is a meaty sounding DAP. In particular, it floats across every earphone I’ve heard an incredibly wide and deep stereo scape across the entire low frequency range. Perhaps because of this, texture detail, let alone yawning, powerful bass, are at the top of what I’ve heard at length from any manufacturer, at any price. It’s the sort of texture that brings digital music a good, and grippy analogue feel. I have no idea what that means except that it pricks right near my heart. It’s not liquid-sounding like the AK240, or as precisely detailed as the AK380, but it’s got this stage that wraps you deep within, and most of that on the deep end. If you’re all about highs, I think you’ll get along with the ZX300, but its high-frequency stage isn’t as shockingly detailed as either the DP-S1’s or the AK380’s. Its mids are as good as either one, but its detailed lows are really what this player is all about. And, the longer I own the ZX300, the more I’m about. Wow.”
