Finally broken down and bought a DAP a couple years ago. It single-handedly changed my entire perspective and approach as a audiophile. Nothing else has had a great impact on my journey
Yep! Astell and Kern devices for 2K + Dollars that are obsolete by battery and software in only a few years is not the way to go. Who in their right mind would buy this shiii..? I want to get a Hifi Setup for 10K + but that's something that's gonna last for a lifetime basically and if something fails you can repair it.
@@Mr1stcat it wasn’t the iPod itself that was so revolutionary as was the whole iPod iTunes integration. It made the whole process a seamless experience.
@@abdainawiok, fair enough. Any portable device made to be used with ear buds while riding the subway is not going to have superb sound quality. But a modern updated iPod gen 5 with 128 gb of storage can handle a LOT of fairly high bit rate files. For those of whose hearing was impacted by sitting too close to the stacks at Emerson, Lake, and Palmer and Led Zeppelin concerts back in the day an iPod with a fair set of headphones is about as good as it’s going to get!
I was on the lookout for a DAP from FiiO only to find that they stopped manufacturing entry level models. Now, the available DAPs started at the 500€ mark. That sucked
I have both a Sony mp3 b183f player and a zx707 dap. I use zx707 when I spare my time to really enjoy music, sitting on the couch or bed, and not doing anything other than listening to the music. But I use my b183f when I go to the gym or do editor work. just clip it on my shirt, and vibe with beats, because I don't need full-quality music when I doing all these activities, just do not pay attention to the music, but need beats for my working purposes. In this case, using the dap kind of distracts me because I do actually need to take care the big dap player while working, but mp3 just sticks with me wherever I go.
Came across this video recently. I have looked at DAPs and understand the reasoning why you might want a DAP, but my alternative was to use an older Motorola phone with a micro SD slot pairing that with a Moon Drop Dawn DAC dongle, and Moon Drop Aria IEMs with the USB Audio Player Pro Android app as the front end. I feel that's a more cost effective solution for me and the sound is high quality enough for me.
Agreed on so many levels. However I have a few great players that were less than $100. It's all in the specs. Not to mention the technology is improving daily. Keep on preaching the gospel I can't do it all myself. Sam, Glenolden, Pa
Budget and form factor/ergonomics are the 2 major points forgotten into this video. Peoples going at the gym or outdoor jogging don't want to carry the tanks that are high end DAP, specially the ones mentioned here. You could have them broken or stolen if not careful in such situations. Hi resolution output is a big deal for music lovers like myself but there is situations where those DAP aren't suited as you had to carry both the phones and the DAPs on the go. That's where the forgotten cowons like the J3 and D2 came to the rescue , they had sweetspot specs and form factor for everyday carry and they were still expensive relatively speaking, specially if you spend on good iem/headphones. Aspects of the user experience are too often overlooked when you look at Hi End gear (I'm not talking about wireless bc that bring a lot of issues too).
iPods won’t die they made a comeback I just bought 2 iPod 5.5 classics. No MP3’s by the way for me CD quality 16bit 44.1K also no distractions by a phone. The iPod 5.5 sounds better than my 12 MAX PRO.
Greetings. Good video 👍 I like using a DAP as a compliment to my music enjoyment. I have over many many years refined my external sound system but what I love about a good DAP is the intimacy of listening solo of high signal quality and crystal clear clarity of my music.
My iPod touch been acting up for a while. I was mad when I found out Apple stopped producing them. Decided to look up if there were any new MP3 players out and I was surprised (pleasantly) as hell. Just ordered a Sony zx-507 to dive into the audiophile world. Wanted to get something newer but they’re all so big. I bought the Asia version b/c that was the only brand new one I could find…hope I didn’t make a mistake!
I disagree with the premise of the video. Here's why? 1. Cost:: Mp3 players are cheap. Phones can play pretty much any format if you use the right audio player, therefore one can pretty much count this as zero cost since pretty much everybody carries a phone around with them. Then you have to consider the files the person is playing, as well as what they are using to listen to the music. If a person listens to all of their music on their phone with cheap bluetooth earbuds from spotify, I can't imagine they would see much if any benefit from a high end DAP. IMO, most would see far more benefit from upgrading their headphones over their music player. That's the best bang for buck upgrade imo. 2. Versatility. Phones can be used for more than just listening to music, so it makes way more sense to not have to bring another phone size (or larger device to listen to music). 3. expandability or headphone jack isn't really that much of a selling point imo. I know some phones lack them, but it's still more than possible to have a phone that has both a micro sd card slot and a headphone jack. The one I use isn't even that high end and it has both. The sound quality on it is fine imo. 4. Sound quality is very subjective. Most people cannot tell the difference between a lossless file like flac and a high bitrate music file. Many can't even tell the difference between 320k mp3 and lower bitrates either. Most who can tell between the high and lossless files often struggle to determine which is which in an abx double blind test. 5. If a person is not satisfied with the quality of their listening experience I think they will come to their own conclusion on what they would need to change to improve it. If you need to put out a video to convince somebody to not be satisfied, it makes me question why.
Newcomer here with a question. Is it advisable to pair a DAP with a DAC such as the Mojo 2 for an enhanced audio experience? I've been enjoying the Mojo 2 in tandem with my iPhone for a while now, and I'm impressed with its sound quality. However, I haven't come across a DAP that matches its sound signature. Can someone provide some insights on this?
You certainly can pair the two together! It works very well as most DAPs have excellent digital processing and a USB digital output. It is very much an enhanced audio experience! To get Mojo 2 level performance out of a DAP by itself you would need to look towards the nicer/flagship DAPs.
@mothirajendran1491 That is correct, the higher end DAPs have such impressive DACs themselves that many would find no need to use the Mojo 2 with them. Audio is subjective, but DAPs like the SP2000, SP3000, and the Sony WM1Z-M2 would definitely be considered to surpass the Mojo 2.
@@moon-audio Wow, thanks a bunch for getting back to me! 🎉 Not many RUclips channels take the time to reply to their viewers, so I really appreciate it. I've learned a ton from your videos about music listening over the years. Your content is not only super informative but also super fun to watch! Keep up the incredible work and keep sharing your knowledge with the world. 🙌 Can't wait to see what you come up with next! Thanks again, Mothi
Yes, just add a Mini to RCA cable to any DAP to connect it to your home stereo. Take a look at the Blue Dragon Portable Mini Cable here: www.moon-audio.com/blue-dragon-portable-mini-cable-v3.html 🙂
What's a good DAP and IEM combo to get started on a hi-res journey? Let's say my budget is... maybe around $1,000-$1,200 for the two. Any good recommendations?
A great place to start would be the a306 www.moon-audio.com/sony-nw-a306-walkman-music-player.html with the Empire Ears Bravado www.moon-audio.com/empire-ears-bravado-iems.html. This is an incredible sounding setup for the price!
I'm too dumb to be an audiophile because I have a very low I.Q. but in the last year or so have been introduced to this world, I'm 41 and have very bad OCD for all my life and have been wanting to get a better portable listening experience for my daily exercise walks and have purchased a couple of midrange DAPS and Dac/amps and headphones such as the Focal Celestee, Elegia, Clear, Sennheiser HD 660s, HD 599 and many others, but I'm never satisfied as when listening to music on my PC which has an SB Audigy sound card which sounds rich, dynamic and punchy and more detailed even with cheap wired neckband headphones compared to my higher end headphones which I use with my DAPS portably for my daily walks, this subject has frustrated me for last year or so because I'm not rich but want the best listening experience possible portably, should I just accept what I have and not spend anymore money, because it feels like I'm chasing something which I can never do which is taking my desktop PC outside portably because it's so big.
You CAN be an audiophile! We understand the "chasing" feeling and would love to help you out on your journey! Drop us a line here, and we'll get in touch: www.moon-audio.com/contact-us 🙂
Damn prices seem pretty steep, I been looking into dedicated audio players like the old ipods but I wouldn't even spend $400 on a phone. Maybe I can Find a demo at a store or something just to see if it's something I'd spend that on
You said in another video that the iPod or MP3 player never really went away but grew up into a DAP... ugh...no it most certainly did not... it went away-what happened was phones became a do it all device and unfortunately not doing any one thing particularly well.. no the DAP is a high resolution music player that is realized due to no more storage or file size limitations. Streaming is another abomination I would rather not get into.
yeah, you don't have to spend $100 bucks to get a good mp3. when you listen to a record, an 8-track tape, tape, am/FM radio in the 80s recorded from its made mixtapes. MP3 is superior enough,. we enjoyed SD TV. so the huge file song can be overdoing it. this doesn't stop me from listening sitting and enjoying anything. ohh do you sell DAP? D, ,
We totally agree, and apologize if it came off that way! We have many customers who prefer to be completely untethered from the smartphone when it comes to music listening. But yes, dongle DACs are a great option for those who don't mind using their smartphone! 🙂
Eh. Nah. Do yourself a favor, go take a hearing test first to see how good your hearing actually is before you spend thousands in "hi res" audio gear and services. If you're over 20 you probably cant hear above 15k hz and if you're under 20 and listen to pop / hip hop the audio is already too compressed at the recording stage to make a difference what gear you listen to it on.
I'm not going to figure out a way to get my thousands of mp3 songs into a format where each song has 500 MB! Where would you even buy that format? A 20-something-year-old might, when the moon is just right, hear a teeny tiny difference in quality between a 5 Mb mp3 and a 50 MB wav file, but it's silly to get hung up on this negligible difference.
What a load of nonsense! My phone can do everything a dap can do. It can play 24bit audio, has a 3.5mm jack, and sd card slot. Selling things by calling them premium (maybe premium dac, but what about premium cpu? snapdragon 665 huh!) when 99.99% can't hear any difference won't make me buy a device that I don't need.
No. Absolutely not! People are using smartphones to listen to music on the go. DAPs are not as convenient for active people. "Sit down and listen," you said? Then you need to use better equipment: better DACs, better amps and SPEAKERS.
We respect your opinion here, but have to disagree. We have many active customers who prefer to have a dedicated device for on-the-go listening. You can still "sit down and listen" with these portable devices! It won't have the same effect as a larger system with speakers, like you say, but still enjoyable we think! 🙂
lol what a stupid comment. try telling that to the aspiring audiophile with a budget of under $1000 bucks. you gotta take baby steps my dude. the dap customer isnt the spend-20-grand-on-a-complete-speaker-system customer.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Finally broken down and bought a DAP a couple years ago.
It single-handedly changed my entire perspective and approach as a audiophile.
Nothing else has had a great impact on my journey
I want a dap without android, because guess what, Google thinks the Android.. is you
Well, I listen to flac audio on my phone and it sounds good enough.
Right, we need to be open minded on what a good player is.
@Extremesam43 I have a usb DAC cable and I use the USB pro player that plays HD lossless audio through the DAC. Which sounds even better.
It would be great if they made a new one with high end components and replaceable rechargeable batteries instead of planned obsolescence
Yep! Astell and Kern devices for 2K + Dollars that are obsolete by battery and software in only a few years is not the way to go. Who in their right mind would buy this shiii..? I want to get a Hifi Setup for 10K + but that's something that's gonna last for a lifetime basically and if something fails you can repair it.
The Walkman predates the ipod and was significantly more revolutionary
Ipod sound quality is totally crap
@@Mr1stcat it wasn’t the iPod itself that was so revolutionary as was the whole iPod iTunes integration. It made the whole process a seamless experience.
@@abdainawiok, fair enough. Any portable device made to be used with ear buds while riding the subway is not going to have superb sound quality. But a modern updated iPod gen 5 with 128 gb of storage can handle a LOT of fairly high bit rate files. For those of whose hearing was impacted by sitting too close to the stacks at Emerson, Lake, and Palmer and Led Zeppelin concerts back in the day an iPod with a fair set of headphones is about as good as it’s going to get!
I was on the lookout for a DAP from FiiO only to find that they stopped manufacturing entry level models. Now, the available DAPs started at the 500€ mark. That sucked
I have both a Sony mp3 b183f player and a zx707 dap. I use zx707 when I spare my time to really enjoy music, sitting on the couch or bed, and not doing anything other than listening to the music. But I use my b183f when I go to the gym or do editor work. just clip it on my shirt, and vibe with beats, because I don't need full-quality music when I doing all these activities, just do not pay attention to the music, but need beats for my working purposes. In this case, using the dap kind of distracts me because I do actually need to take care the big dap player while working, but mp3 just sticks with me wherever I go.
Came across this video recently. I have looked at DAPs and understand the reasoning why you might want a DAP, but my alternative was to use an older Motorola phone with a micro SD slot pairing that with a Moon Drop Dawn DAC dongle, and Moon Drop Aria IEMs with the USB Audio Player Pro Android app as the front end. I feel that's a more cost effective solution for me and the sound is high quality enough for me.
Agreed on so many levels. However I have a few great players that were less than $100. It's all in the specs. Not to mention the technology is improving daily. Keep on preaching the gospel I can't do it all myself. Sam, Glenolden, Pa
Budget and form factor/ergonomics are the 2 major points forgotten into this video.
Peoples going at the gym or outdoor jogging don't want to carry the tanks that are high end DAP, specially the ones mentioned here.
You could have them broken or stolen if not careful in such situations.
Hi resolution output is a big deal for music lovers like myself but there is situations where those DAP aren't suited as you had to carry both the phones and the DAPs on the go.
That's where the forgotten cowons like the J3 and D2 came to the rescue , they had sweetspot specs and form factor for everyday carry and they were still expensive relatively speaking, specially if you spend on good iem/headphones.
Aspects of the user experience are too often overlooked when you look at Hi End gear (I'm not talking about wireless bc that bring a lot of issues too).
iPods won’t die they made a comeback I just bought 2 iPod 5.5 classics. No MP3’s by the way for me CD quality 16bit 44.1K also no distractions by a phone. The iPod 5.5 sounds better than my 12 MAX PRO.
Metoo, I bought ipod Video 5.5 and Walkman NW-HD5 although I have Walkman WM1AM2. Cheers!
Nostalgia will always be in fashion, some way or another. And we get it! Hope you both are enjoying your new and retro devices. 🙂
Well, old iPods can play lossless files natively with AAC and a Hacked one can play Flac files
Greetings. Good video 👍 I like using a DAP as a compliment to my music enjoyment. I have over many many years refined my external sound system but what I love about a good DAP is the intimacy of listening solo of high signal quality and crystal clear clarity of my music.
My iPod touch been acting up for a while. I was mad when I found out Apple stopped producing them. Decided to look up if there were any new MP3 players out and I was surprised (pleasantly) as hell. Just ordered a Sony zx-507 to dive into the audiophile world. Wanted to get something newer but they’re all so big. I bought the Asia version b/c that was the only brand new one I could find…hope I didn’t make a mistake!
We love the ZX-507's form factor and performance, even as a last-gen product. We think you made a great choice! 🙂
I agree with you. I used my Walkman as my DAP - my goto is NW-A106 or NW-A45 (with 256 microsd). sometimes I use an amp to enhance the experience.
Thank you, that's the first explanation/argument 'for getting' a DAP that explains everything I need to convince me Why I should get a DAP.
Glad it was helpful!
Can we get a video on the best way to listen to music in your car? like Aux vs apple carplay/android auto vs bluetooth?
How did you know?? We happen to be conceptualizing a video on that topic right now. Stay tuned! 😁
That is what I have been looking into, not much on youtube on daps and car audio.
I disagree with the premise of the video. Here's why?
1. Cost:: Mp3 players are cheap. Phones can play pretty much any format if you use the right audio player, therefore one can pretty much count this as zero cost since pretty much everybody carries a phone around with them. Then you have to consider the files the person is playing, as well as what they are using to listen to the music. If a person listens to all of their music on their phone with cheap bluetooth earbuds from spotify, I can't imagine they would see much if any benefit from a high end DAP. IMO, most would see far more benefit from upgrading their headphones over their music player. That's the best bang for buck upgrade imo.
2. Versatility. Phones can be used for more than just listening to music, so it makes way more sense to not have to bring another phone size (or larger device to listen to music).
3. expandability or headphone jack isn't really that much of a selling point imo. I know some phones lack them, but it's still more than possible to have a phone that has both a micro sd card slot and a headphone jack. The one I use isn't even that high end and it has both. The sound quality on it is fine imo.
4. Sound quality is very subjective. Most people cannot tell the difference between a lossless file like flac and a high bitrate music file. Many can't even tell the difference between 320k mp3 and lower bitrates either. Most who can tell between the high and lossless files often struggle to determine which is which in an abx double blind test.
5. If a person is not satisfied with the quality of their listening experience I think they will come to their own conclusion on what they would need to change to improve it. If you need to put out a video to convince somebody to not be satisfied, it makes me question why.
Paid by DAP brands to say so, I am sure 😂
I'm curious what the companies have new coming in the next 6 months. I would like to buy an endgame DAP at some point.
We're curious too. 😏 Stay tuned!
Only audiophiles can really tell the difference between MP3 and hi-res audio.
exactly!!🙂
Newcomer here with a question. Is it advisable to pair a DAP with a DAC such as the Mojo 2 for an enhanced audio experience? I've been enjoying the Mojo 2 in tandem with my iPhone for a while now, and I'm impressed with its sound quality. However, I haven't come across a DAP that matches its sound signature. Can someone provide some insights on this?
You certainly can pair the two together! It works very well as most DAPs have excellent digital processing and a USB digital output. It is very much an enhanced audio experience!
To get Mojo 2 level performance out of a DAP by itself you would need to look towards the nicer/flagship DAPs.
@@moon-audio this is super helpful. Thank you so much. Would you say AK SP 2000 would produce similar or surpass the Mojo 2?
@mothirajendran1491 That is correct, the higher end DAPs have such impressive DACs themselves that many would find no need to use the Mojo 2 with them. Audio is subjective, but DAPs like the SP2000, SP3000, and the Sony WM1Z-M2 would definitely be considered to surpass the Mojo 2.
@@moon-audio Wow, thanks a bunch for getting back to me! 🎉 Not many RUclips channels take the time to reply to their viewers, so I really appreciate it.
I've learned a ton from your videos about music listening over the years. Your content is not only super informative but also super fun to watch!
Keep up the incredible work and keep sharing your knowledge with the world. 🙌 Can't wait to see what you come up with next!
Thanks again,
Mothi
Can you play the dap through a home stereo receiver? (either via bluetooth and / or hard wired in? Never owned a dap. I just use my phone.
Yes, just add a Mini to RCA cable to any DAP to connect it to your home stereo. Take a look at the Blue Dragon Portable Mini Cable here: www.moon-audio.com/blue-dragon-portable-mini-cable-v3.html 🙂
Am loving my Astell & Kern Sp2000t. However eventually might consider also getting a Kann Max for more power hungry headphones. 😀
Both great choices! 🙂💪
What's a good DAP and IEM combo to get started on a hi-res journey? Let's say my budget is... maybe around $1,000-$1,200 for the two. Any good recommendations?
A great place to start would be the a306 www.moon-audio.com/sony-nw-a306-walkman-music-player.html with the Empire Ears Bravado www.moon-audio.com/empire-ears-bravado-iems.html. This is an incredible sounding setup for the price!
I'm too dumb to be an audiophile because I have a very low I.Q. but in the last year or so have been introduced to this world, I'm 41 and have very bad OCD for all my life and have been wanting to get a better portable listening experience for my daily exercise walks and have purchased a couple of midrange DAPS and Dac/amps and headphones such as the Focal Celestee, Elegia, Clear, Sennheiser HD 660s, HD 599 and many others, but I'm never satisfied as when listening to music on my PC which has an SB Audigy sound card which sounds rich, dynamic and punchy and more detailed even with cheap wired neckband headphones compared to my higher end headphones which I use with my DAPS portably for my daily walks, this subject has frustrated me for last year or so because I'm not rich but want the best listening experience possible portably, should I just accept what I have and not spend anymore money, because it feels like I'm chasing something which I can never do which is taking my desktop PC outside portably because it's so big.
You CAN be an audiophile! We understand the "chasing" feeling and would love to help you out on your journey! Drop us a line here, and we'll get in touch: www.moon-audio.com/contact-us 🙂
dude you sound like an audiophile to me.
@@anthonydiviolla1944 I wish I was, they're really smart. I just love my music which is mostly 80's/ early 90's heavy metal/hard rock so much.
@@moon-audio Oh thank you, will do, I really appreciate it.
Damn prices seem pretty steep, I been looking into dedicated audio players like the old ipods but I wouldn't even spend $400 on a phone. Maybe I can Find a demo at a store or something just to see if it's something I'd spend that on
Just install rockbox on your iPod. Don’t overpay for new stuff.
Why don't apple make one. Could call it the apple dapple.
Lol, I have Walkman WM1AM2 and Mojo2+Poly but I just bought an iPod Video and Walkman NW-HD5 for nostalgia experience 😂.
We totally get it for the nostalgia! 2000's making a comeback. 😂
You said in another video that the iPod or MP3 player never really went away but grew up into a DAP... ugh...no it most certainly did not... it went away-what happened was phones became a do it all device and unfortunately not doing any one thing particularly well.. no the DAP is a high resolution music player that is realized due to no more storage or file size limitations. Streaming is another abomination I would rather not get into.
yeah, you don't have to spend $100 bucks to get a good mp3. when you listen to a record, an 8-track tape, tape, am/FM radio in the 80s recorded from its made mixtapes. MP3 is superior enough,. we enjoyed SD TV. so the huge file song can be overdoing it. this doesn't stop me from listening sitting and enjoying anything. ohh do you sell DAP?
D, ,
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the future see you guys in 2026 ❤ moon audio thanks 😮
We are We are still insisting on DAP. and make something new, like watch player, E-ink screen DAP, and portable DAP with an high quality speaker
The problem is the price
$3000?? A fool and his money are soon parted.
Dongles are very beneficial for people that don't want to buy DAPs and even as effective. So, that talk about dongles not being good is nonsense.
We totally agree, and apologize if it came off that way! We have many customers who prefer to be completely untethered from the smartphone when it comes to music listening. But yes, dongle DACs are a great option for those who don't mind using their smartphone! 🙂
Eh. Nah. Do yourself a favor, go take a hearing test first to see how good your hearing actually is before you spend thousands in "hi res" audio gear and services. If you're over 20 you probably cant hear above 15k hz and if you're under 20 and listen to pop / hip hop the audio is already too compressed at the recording stage to make a difference what gear you listen to it on.
Apple is a shadow of its former self. No innovation.
I'm not going to figure out a way to get my thousands of mp3 songs into a format where each song has 500 MB! Where would you even buy that format?
A 20-something-year-old might, when the moon is just right, hear a teeny tiny difference in quality between a 5 Mb mp3 and a 50 MB wav file, but it's silly to get hung up on this negligible difference.
What a load of nonsense! My phone can do everything a dap can do. It can play 24bit audio, has a 3.5mm jack, and sd card slot. Selling things by calling them premium (maybe premium dac, but what about premium cpu? snapdragon 665 huh!) when 99.99% can't hear any difference won't make me buy a device that I don't need.
Shouldn't call mp3 crap on and on again what sort of music lover are you!!
No. Absolutely not! People are using smartphones to listen to music on the go. DAPs are not as convenient for active people. "Sit down and listen," you said? Then you need to use better equipment: better DACs, better amps and SPEAKERS.
Facts
We respect your opinion here, but have to disagree. We have many active customers who prefer to have a dedicated device for on-the-go listening. You can still "sit down and listen" with these portable devices! It won't have the same effect as a larger system with speakers, like you say, but still enjoyable we think! 🙂
lol what a stupid comment. try telling that to the aspiring audiophile with a budget of under $1000 bucks. you gotta take baby steps my dude. the dap customer isnt the spend-20-grand-on-a-complete-speaker-system customer.