Topic: What's your DAP?

[aaronji]

I started with a cassette Walkman, went through a series of Discmans (Discmen?), and then a bunch of iPods. The battery on my last iPod was dying, rapidly, so I started looking for a replacement. I was astounded by the size/weight, cost, and/or poor design for actual on-the-go usage (a lot of them are not really "pocketable" or have other flaws for someone who is really on the road) for many options. I ended up buying the recently released Activo P1 (an Astell & Kearns spin-off company). It's relatively light; slender; inexpensive; and has a simple, quick interface. I also bought a 1.5 TB microSD and loaded it up. After about 7.5 weeks of use, I must say that I think the sound quality is excellent. Light-years ahead of my iPods. 

What is everybody else using?

[jefflester]

I was using Hidizs AP80 but I dropped it and jammed the shuttle wheel. A Fiio M6 for 3-4 years now. I've only got a 64GB card in there now, just rotate stuff as necessary.

[aaronji]

I crossed off every player with a wheel from my search list. To me, they fall into the category "poor design for actual on-the-go usage". The wheels are easy to inadvertently jostle.

That M6 looks pretty nice, though. No wheel, few buttons, and tiny!

[rocksuitcase]

I had a fiio, then switched to a SONY NW-A50 series.Internal memory is 16 GB, I have a 120 GB card in it. plays up to 96 bit flacs. No wheel
I've had it about 3 years and like it a lot. That said, I am NOT a daily user or ride trains with it, etc.

[Chilly Brioschi]

On the home system, I have a home-rolled fanless "display board" controller mini PC
It runs Clementine on Linux, 1tb SSD and USB 3 out to an Solid State Logic SSL 2 MKII 2 x 2
Interface is a 10" LCD and wireless travel keebpad Rii i4

I cannot hear any noise from the electronics and it mates with my old quad el34s PA well enough

[gankmore]

been using fiios for about a decade.   my earliest two, a x1 and and x1ii are still in rotation and each have well over 100 ski days of use (I use a range of wired helmet "speakers" though recently I just put koss headphones without the clips into the earpads.   

Also had an m7 that made it about 2 years before giving up the ghost (battery I suspect), didn't bother with a repair, probably should have, it was a nice device when it worked.

AP80 Pro-X is tiny, that's a turn off for a lot of folks, but it's perfect for skiing, my wife and kid have one too.    It also was my relatively recent introduction to iems (I thought I couldn't stand having anything in my ears as opposed to on them until a few years go).   The AP80 ProX has 3.5 and 2.2 MM jacks (supports balanced headphones/iems).   At $180 I still think this is a steal.

I bought two Japanese digital walkmans recently, the A306 and the NW-ZX707.   Not sure I needed the japanese versions (higher power output), I don't tend to drive anything all that hard, or maybe I just don't have headphones that are that power hungry

The A306 is nice, but lacks a balanced output (though you can run usb-c headphones off that jack).   Love the size of this thing.  Using the A306 with the Truth Ear Nova and Linsoul Simgot IEMS.   Love the way the A306 and Nova combo sounds.

The 707 was an impulse buy based on my love of the 306.   It's amazing, but expensive and heavy.    It doesn't leave the house.  I use this as a DAC on my work computer along with a Sony MDR-Z7M2.    That's really a joy to use.

[kindms]

i have a fiio but i havent used it in awhile

most of my daily playback is NAS > raspberry pi running volumio >grace usb dac > stereo.

nas is in a closet in my basement, the pi etc is connected directly to the stereo (currently a Marantz SR880 ive had since the late 90s) 8" energy sub and a pair of loaned altec lansing speakers hanging from the ceiling in my "barn" (its really just a large workshop type building) i use for my office

[Thelonius]

I too have a NAS for around the house. For anything within WiFi I use my iPhone or iPad and an app called music steamer that outputs (without down sampling) to a chord mojo (in my backyard) or separate DAC and headphone amp to my headphones. The app also allows me to download tracks from the NAS in app and has a car play app so it works well for daily trips or short walks.

Because Apple makes internal storage an issue, I also have a DAP. I had an astell and kern ak100 many years ago and I thought it was good, but expensive. As a result, I too have switched to fiio products with my current being an M11. I find that the sound is good enough and it is a reasonable balance between cost, size and sound quality. It’s not the best at any of those but it beats the heck out of steaming to my phone on long car rides or listening to the same 5 shows over and over because I can’t store 100 shows on my phone…

[fanofjam]

I have three DAPs...none of them are high-end because I don't want to spend $1000+ on something portable that I might lose or drop.  I don't know how anyone can justify $3500 on one.  But I digress...

Shanling M0 Pro
Sony NW-A50
Ipod 120gb

My main listener is that tiny little Shanling MO pro into my Westone B30 IEMs.  Killer sound!  The M0 Pro was only $100-$125 and sounds way better than the other two.  People bitch about the M0 interface because the device is tiny and I get it, but I don't have any problem accessing whatever I want within seconds.  I have fat fingers, so I don't have much of an issue with the interface at all.  For the price versus the sound quality, I don't think it can be beat.  That said, I've owned several Shanling players and IMO their build quality is not good...I had an M0 (not pro) and the one that costs $450 - $500...both ended up bursting open after a drop and I ended up bricking them somehow or another afterwards.  I'm OK spending $100 on the M0 Pro because of the price vs sound quality, but I'm done buying any of their products that cost more than...say a couple hundred. 

The Sony is hands down the highest build quality DAP I've owned.  Metal case and has operated flawlessly for the 7 or 8 years I've had it.  Sound quality is pretty good, but doesn't hold a candle to the Shanling.  I have a 125gb mini SD card in it and it takes FOR...EVER to catalog and load which happens every time you turn it off.  If you use it alot, it stays on standby for a really long time, so you don't have to suffer the wait time for it to load, but that loading time is a real pain in the ass with a big storage card.

Believe it or not, I have a 120gb ipod that is still going strong (my second one), but the sound quality sucks on it compared to the Sony NW-A50 and REALLY sucks compared to the Shanling M0 pro.  I continue to be surprised every time I use it...which isn't often anymore.  I've had it for probably 12 to 15 years and it still works flawlessly.  That said, it's my second one and I only got 3 or 4 years out of the first one. 

[gormenghast]

Recent DAP is a Cayin N3 Ultra.  Also purchased Moondrop Variations IEM’s. 

I have a Sony A306 and various Shanling—M0Pro, M1s, and an excellent M3X.  I agree they all sound excellent but I would say a Rockbox’d IPod 5.5 sounds pretty nice too. 

The Cayin is much better than the rest IMO, even though it’s considered an entry level dap. 

[audBall]

Rockbox’d IPod 5.5 sounds pretty nice too. 

I still have my original, now swapped with a new battery and mini-SD card storage. Runs for a long time without the moving parts in it.

[gormenghast]

Rockbox’d IPod 5.5 sounds pretty nice too. 

I still have my original, now swapped with a new battery and mini-SD card storage. Runs for a long time without the moving parts in it.

I messed around with rebuilds and as a result had too many iPods so I sold most of them.  I still have my OG 80gb 5.5, a rockbox’d 60gb 5G, and 7th gen 160gb all with original batteries and hard drives.  The 80gb was mainly used for video.  The other two were part of my search for more iPods to rebuild.