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Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: Rob D. on December 06, 2018, 04:32:12 PM
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Thinking about getting this or the Astell&Kern SR15 for the same money. If anyone out there has any personal experience with these or any of the Onkyo DAPs, I'd love to hear it.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1361946-REG/fiio_fiio_x7_markii_x7_mark_ii_portable.html/?ap=y&gclid=Cj0KCQiArqPgBRCRARIsAPwlHoWE711iFb-sh1ir5aNVdy_pJuPJV2bfriQ88GMT7bVjlzkOdeuLqtcaAo2KEALw_wcB&lsft=BI%3A514&smp=Y
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If you're considering the SR15: https://tmraudio.com/personal-audio/portable-music-players/astell-kern-a-norma-sr15-portable-music-player-64gb/
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The Pioneer XDP-30R. (Onkyo cousin) has dropped in price significantly. ($160 on Amazon)
Dual-DACs. (Sabre)
Upsampling
Balanced output line-out / standard headphone out (not both at once)
Space for very large capacity SD cards
32/192
DSD256
WAV, FLAC, MP3,...
Tidal
BT /Wi-Fi (no apt-x on BT)
Not too shabby driving a pair of Senn HD-580s kicked back in my chair at the office today
My jogging Fiio is the tiny M3 and it drives a set of earbuds well, but I haven't played with an X7 II.
I've heard that it is stellar.
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I ended up getting the SR15: https://us.astellnkern.com/products/a-norma-sr15?variant=12182530981947
Good grief the learning curve going from iTunes to a Hi-Res DAP is huge! The manual for this device is helpful but at the same time, still lacking a lot. I think the biggest difference I've noticed (unless I'm wrong?) is that most of the control is on the device itself, rather than the PC/MAC sync'ing the device (Fiio X7 doesn't even do that).
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The Pioneer XDP-30R. (Onkyo cousin) has dropped in price significantly. ($160 on Amazon)
Dual-DACs. (Sabre)
Upsampling
Balanced output line-out / standard headphone out (not both at once)
Space for very large capacity SD cards
32/192
DSD256
WAV, FLAC, MP3,...
Tidal
BT /Wi-Fi (no apt-x on BT)
Not too shabby driving a pair of Senn HD-580s kicked back in my chair at the office today
My jogging Fiio is the tiny M3 and it drives a set of earbuds well, but I haven't played with an X7 II.
I've heard that it is stellar.
Just picked up a $179 30r from B&H, checks all the boxes, has really nice specs. We’ll see how she sounds. Medium hopes. The storage is nuts. Two 256 slots plus the 16 onboard.
If this isn’t a leap from my ct10 the SR15 is next, couldn’t resist a try of the Pioneer for that price.
I really do like the ct10 good not great and a good price.
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Dammit now I'm thinking of bailing on the Pioneer purchase and just getting an sr15. Moving from ct10 to xdp30r is a pretty lateral move. Only live once.😈
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If the stock market goes up over 5% in one day I might sell the Pioneer and upgrade. <snarky grin>
...nah, I like the Pioneer a lot.
My ancient ears probably would get only the very least benefit from any upgrade.
The detail, clarity, and relaxed expression leave me truly happy with my choice. I'm listening for hours at a time.
Test Albums as HiRes FLAC:
Nickle Creek : A Dotted Line
Punch Brothers: All Ashore
Yo-Yo Ma: Six Evolutions
String Cheese Incident: 9/15/2018 Kind Festival
All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (estate remaster)
CD Rips, upsampling on player (EAC/ParanoiaMode):
Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
Dark Side of the Mule - Govt Mule
Discipline - King Crimson
And a bunch of assorted, homemade 24/176.4 BWF -> FLAC stuff from local bands and shows that probably wouldn't interest folks on this board much.
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Didn't cancel. :headphones:
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Goddamn BH Photo glitch, Pioneer is out of stock. But the dipshits shipped me the cards I bought to use in it. ??? :facepalm:
It's a sign, I'm grabbing an sr 15.fk it. :headphones:
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BH does that, ships what is available, reorders it to store stock
The Pioneer is likely not stocked, and is going to drop-ship from Onkyo-Pioneer in California or Osaka, unless you cancel.
You will not regret the AK, it is a great product.
Read the manual, I understand it has many features that aren't on top menus
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Got the Pioneer straightened order straightened out. Looking forward to it.
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Rob how do you like the A&norma?
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Potential case for the Pioneer?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LSTD38
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61rFaWtWM%2BL._SS300_.jpg)
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Potential case for the Pioneer?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LSTD38
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61rFaWtWM%2BL._SS300_.jpg)
I kicked down for the $38 fake leather case. I already have an array of small Lowepro cases.
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Rob how do you like the A&norma?
I'm getting used to it as time permits with the Holidays. Most of my time has been spent ripping about 1000 CDs to FLAC on a USB drive. Once this project is done I'll move the FLAC files to the DAP and play with the device more. One thing I've noticed is the balanced out sounds *much* worse that the un-balanced! I don't know if the quality of the adaptor makes any difference but this is what I ordered/using:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076JC8VNZ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Hey Rob that may not be the right cable, see the thread on 3.5>2.5, it’s gotta be a four pole connector to be able to safely run them at 2.5.
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Thanks Marc! Did I mention the learning curve I'm experiencing going to a hi-res DAP? :-[
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Potential case for the Pioneer?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LSTD38
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61rFaWtWM%2BL._SS300_.jpg)
I kicked down for the $38 fake leather case. I already have an array of small Lowepro cases.
I was unimpressed by the shell, and am waiting on the notebook case to come in from JPN (mmm, leatherette!)
At $5, the zipper 2.5" external HDD case is easy to modify and mangle until the real deal clears Customs and the Panama Canal (or however they get here these days)
More headphones today, since I went out into the shop and grabbed my old Grado SR80e which is very pleasant, and more present than the laidback HD580
dropped in my cheapo Etys and a pair of Panasonic joggers, the Panasonic buds were none improved by the better DAP ... silk purse from sow's ear, not likely
The Etymotics did it serious justice, but my ears get weird with stuff in them, so I only use plugs or IEMs when no other option exists.
Did the player get there yet ?
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Weaiting for it, signature required, and not overridable, thanks B&H.
Edit: was able to reroute to FedEx store. It was weird couldn't do it yesterday but today it let me route for pickup. Sorry B&H.
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Thanks Marc! Did I mention the learning curve I'm experiencing going to a hi-res DAP? :-[
It took me a while to figure out my ct10 and I know the sr15 does way more stuff. It's worth it, hang in there.
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Loving the 30r David. It crushes my Activo ct10 and Fiio x3. Not even burned in. :headphones:
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+T for new toys. :D
Three nights of SCI NYE locked, loaded, and swirling in my headphones.
Sam Bush really finds his way quickly in night one, which doesn't surprise me at all.
Great nods to New Grass Revival-era Country and Eastern Music
Still trying to get Jon O to comment on a balanced transformer load in place of headphones to couple an amp to it.
It would be wild to feed the Pioneer 30r into my n0rh SE-9 into the TQWT full range speakers
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I’ve seen probably 20 sci shows, but none since 2004. It got to electronically for me. Great songs though. Still pining for old bluegrass style.
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The Pioneer is amazing, I'm streaming mqa Let it Bleed and Beggars Banquet back to back and just really happy with it. I agree with the "criticism" that it is laid back. But it's laid back like Jackie Brown. Smooth as fk. :headphones:
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With the Holidays winding down and that rediculous CD ripping project completed, I'm now drilling into the SR15. What Windows interface do you guys use for your DAPs? I'm liking the JRiver Media Center but so far haven't been able to get it recognize my SR15. The JRiver forum says their 32bit Win version should work but nothing definitive.
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I don't use any interface, the PC recognizes it as a drive and I just drag and drop or highlight blocks of shows I want to copy to the dap.
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Ripping with the fast Beta of fre:ac in CD Paranoia Mode - https://www.freac.org/
Tagging FLACS using "MP3tag" (the German one - https://www.mp3tag.de/en/download.html) Which I'm finally getting used to, it is reasonably intuitive, hooks to freedb and despite the name does WAV and FLAC files
The Pioneer has software, but I haven't tried it yet... maybe I should, there's a streaming App & a few Control apps:
https://intl.pioneer-audiovisual.com/support/applications/
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Hey David, can the eurolimiter of 60 be defeated running with earbuds?