For when we have GEt headphones!!!
Hey, check this out. I love music "to go", for my exercise.
More on that in following posts perhaps, IF the Moderator Dude allows this way off the track post.
Woo Audio now has a TOOB portable headphone amp with built in DAC (sorry, you have to bring your own music in a separate DAP or other) with 3 tubes!!!!
wooaudio.com/products/wa8eclipse.html

It ain't cheap and it ain't light, not very portable in my mind, but it does have the benefit of probably making sweet music. Not sure, just love the idee!!!
Any thoughts?
God Bless,
Wayne

TOOBS and GEt headphones.... sweet!! Someday....

Rick

OK, for real this time.
I have been struggling with my iBasso DX90 DAP.
I figured the sound was fine, though I have not been getting the sound I want from my custom in ear monitors. I bought an expensive cable for them, but that did not help at all. Sent it back.
But I cannot see the screen when I am out walking. I cannot select the songs, album I want at all outside the house. It has times when it plays what it wants to play, and sometimes even goes random on me.
Soooo, I bought and just got a Cowon Plenue M2 DAP. Got it today. I have not had time to break it in, am only trying to load on music now. But that is another thing in its favor, it has 128 GB internal memory, compared to 8 for my DX90. AND can take an additional 200 GB mini SD card. So it is taking me forever to load on music, I can put LOTS on this baby.
So, I just turned it on and plugged in my ciems and listened for a few minutes to the 4 songs or so that come loaded in it.
WOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! BASSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

This is just preliminary and I must listen to songs that I know well. But I am totally impressed, love at first listen.
The DX90 was fine on bass, I thought it was my ciems, but now I am not so sure.
More on this when I have time to listen.
God Bless,
Wayne

Got to take the Cowon Plenue M2 on my walk today.
It already sounds fantastic and I doubt it is broken in yet. I am putting playing hours on it as fast as I can.
What I wanted to see today was how well the screen worked, how easy or hard it is to select music in full sunlight. I can see/read the font without my reading glasses on, with just my walking around glasses. And can see the album covers without any glasses. In other words, it works great for a portable DAP on the go.
And the sound is RICH, ROUNDED, warm I guess but no, it is just balanced, I always consider bass the bottom, fundamental part of the music and when it is missing a LOT of the correct sound is missing.
This baby has BASS!!!! And I can carry with me MOST of my two channel music collection, not all but most, all the good stuff.
More later.
God bless,
Wayne

I am still breaking in my new Cowon Plenue M2 DAP. But loving it!!!!
The sound is so full and rich and natural, so analog like, if I may call it that?
It has bass where there is supposed to be bass, a foundation for all the rest of the music to build upon, that makes a HUGE difference to me, makes all the music more real and fun.
I had struggled with music on the go, my ciems were not really doing it for me, the bass was just lacking. And now, WOW!!!!!
A can of worms, do I want to open it????? Not sure.
Nearly all my listening the last few years has been via the ESS (ES9018 SABRE32) DACs. Those in my Oppo for nearly all my playback, or in my iBasso DX90 (ES9018K2M) for music on the go. And many people praise the Sabre DACs as the world standard, but some don't, some say they are a bit harsh, aggressive and just edgy, on the edge of being analytical.
So, when looking for a new DAP to replace my DX90, I was kinda wanting to try a different DAC. The P M2 has the Burr Brown PCM1795 chip. This is a relative of the Burr Brown chip in my XMC-1 and I have to say that to me it sounds a bit more musical, natural. I cannot honestly say the SABRE chip is a bad one, it is not. Not apples and oranges, to my ears, just that the BB may be a touch more smooth, delicious sounding. That is the word, DELICIOUS!!!! The sound is just a bit more musical and refined, smoother and perhaps a shade warmer. More enjoyable.
Ideas, opinions?? Most reviewers say that this level of chips do not really matter as much as the implementation of the chip; they will sound great or poor depending on the rest of the circuitry and how well they are incorporated into the overall design. What do you guys think?
I got Neeme Jarvi conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra on the wonderful Saint-Saens Chandos SACD. It is playing now, not on my Triton Ones but on my ciems through the P M2, that is how great I think this sounds!!! Power, delicacy, moving music, lovely, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. And at the moment, I am only listening to the 2 channel reduced quality sound from the normal CD layer. Will go back and play this in surround to get the full deal.
God Bless,
Wayne

OK, I will open another can of worms, and I hope I don't get hate mail over this because I know we "audiophiles" took a sworn oath never to use any equalization or sound processing, only the pure will survive and go to audiophile heaven!

Well guys, I am putting more hours in on the P M2 to break it in, but honestly not hearing any noteworthy change. I have listened totally on NORMAL (no EQ) for the first 150+ hours, just to see what she does as a base line.
And am WELL IMPRESSED!!!!! When a song is recorded well and has bass (you know I am a basshead) then it comes through in spades, sounds awesome!!!!
But let's face it, some songs are not recorded well, or just need some help.
So I finally turned on and tried the EQ, my Cowon comes with what is called JetEffect 7 and BBE+ with 66 presets. HOLY MOLY!!!!
On a track that has bass already and is well recorded they do not help. BUT on the vast majority of music that is not so well recorded, especially older music/recordings, the improvement is amazing!!!!
You can find a setting that will make the music totally delightful and impactful, rich and wonderful sounding.
Music without bass (but should have) just does not have the fundamental foundation to support the music, IMHO. But that can be brought out.
I am finding the effects TOTALLY ADDICTIVE!!!!
Once added and you hear how well it works, with no noticeable distortion, there is no going back.
So this player just increased in value to me X 10!!!!
Very happy with this baby over here in Thailand!!!!!

OK, say your worst, I am ready for it!!!! But only you without sin can cast the first stone!!
God Bless,
Wayne