Why do folks attach a portable DAC to DAP?

[willowhayne]

Hi,

I have now decided to invest in good quality audio 'on the go' as I spend most of my day at work or commuting to work. I am fed up with waiting for Apple to start doing hi-res audio in iTunes store and now that Tidal is doing it, it's about time to invest in a dedicated player as my iPhone 7 "is just not cutting it for me" plus I cannot be asked to wait for iPhone 8 to see if that will play hi-res audio.

Simple question: I'm interested in purchasing a A&K AK70 because of great sound quality and all that.. ...but why when I look in all of the portable hi-fi stuff on-line, folks add say a Chord Mojo to it!!! Does this 'beat the object' of an already sweet sounding player? As won't the DAC in the Mojo 'cancel out' the one in the AK70 or is the 'Mojo' better sounding?

I'm comfused :-( Any help or Youtube videos anyone can point me to would be a great help.

Allan

 

[muljao]

Because the chord mojo is supposedly the best on the market in its price range people who want the very best will use it as an add on. How much better it is can be debated, and chances are the differences are not as much as the interwebz try to have customers believe,but some just want the best

 

[Al ears]

Hi,

I have now decided to invest in good quality audio 'on the go' as I spend most of my day at work or commuting to work. I am fed up with waiting for Apple to start doing hi-res audio in iTunes store and now that Tidal is doing it, it's about time to invest in a dedicated player as my iPhone 7 "is just not cutting it for me" plus I cannot be asked to wait for iPhone 8 to see if that will play hi-res audio.

Simple question: I'm interested in purchasing a A&K AK70 because of great sound quality and all that.. ...but why when I look in all of the portable hi-fi stuff on-line, folks add say a Chord Mojo to it!!! Does this 'beat the object' of an already sweet sounding player? As won't the DAC in the Mojo 'cancel out' the one in the AK70 or is the 'Mojo' better sounding?

I'm comfused :-( Any help or Youtube videos anyone can point me to would be a great help.

Allan

Confused? So am I.

I can understand using the Mojo with mobile phone or a laptop but adding it to a DAP, unless it's one with a really sad DAC, seems a bit pointless. You are unlikely to be using headphones that are too inefficient for the DAP to drive so that's not the reason either.

Best way, in my opinion, is to save the money spent on Mojo and just buy a more expensive DAP, something like the Questyle QP1R, for example.

 

[jjbomber]

Hi,

I have now decided to invest in good quality audio 'on the go' as I spend most of my day at work or commuting to work. I am fed up with waiting for Apple to start doing hi-res audio in iTunes store and now that Tidal is doing it, it's about time to invest in a dedicated player as my iPhone 7 "is just not cutting it for me" .

Allan

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium Smartphone. It is Hi-Res audio certified. It also has DSEE HX technology which can upscale low-res and compressed audio files to hi-res. It also has ClearAudio+ for perfect stereo output. That smartphone ''will be cutting it for you''. Add in 4K and 24MP camera and the world's your oyster.

Sell the iphone 7 and use the cash you were going to use on the DAP. You'll be quids in.

 

[Gazzip]

Hi,

I have now decided to invest in good quality audio 'on the go' as I spend most of my day at work or commuting to work. I am fed up with waiting for Apple to start doing hi-res audio in iTunes store and now that Tidal is doing it, it's about time to invest in a dedicated player as my iPhone 7 "is just not cutting it for me" .

Allan

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium Smartphone. It is Hi-Res audio certified. It also has DSEE HX technology which can upscale low-res and compressed audio files to hi-res. It also has ClearAudio+ for perfect stereo output. That smartphone ''will be cutting it for you''. Add in 4K and 24MP camera and the world's your oyster.

Sell the iphone 7 and use the cash you were going to use on the DAP. You'll be quids in.

No it can't. Lossy is lossy, simple as that really, and no amount of upsampling or DSP is going to change that. It sounds like a new take on a loudness button to me.

 

[Gazzip]

Hi,

I have now decided to invest in good quality audio 'on the go' as I spend most of my day at work or commuting to work. I am fed up with waiting for Apple to start doing hi-res audio in iTunes store and now that Tidal is doing it, it's about time to invest in a dedicated player as my iPhone 7 "is just not cutting it for me" .

Allan

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium Smartphone. It is Hi-Res audio certified. It also has DSEE HX technology which can upscale low-res and compressed audio files to hi-res. It also has ClearAudio+ for perfect stereo output. That smartphone ''will be cutting it for you''. Add in 4K and 24MP camera and the world's your oyster.

Sell the iphone 7 and use the cash you were going to use on the DAP. You'll be quids in.

No it can't. Lossy is lossy, simple as that really, and no amount of upsampling or DSP is going to change that. It sounds like a new take on a loudness button to me.

Also if you look at the image of the guy using said device on their website you will see he has it plugged in to an external DAC/amp anyway! A £700 Sony PHA-3AC I believe.

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/play-music-library-near-hi-res-audio-sound-quality

Also read the How does DSEE HX work? section on that webpage. A very technical description. So let me get this straight Sony: You are saying that your upscaling technology does what it does by upscaling. Thanks for the clarification there. *stop*

Hey, although it may sound great! *biggrin*

 

[audiventory]

Simple question: I'm interested in purchasing a A&K AK70 because of great sound quality and all that.. ...but why when I look in all of the portable hi-fi stuff on-line, folks add say a Chord Mojo to it!!! Does this 'beat the object' of an already sweet sounding player? As won't the DAC in the Mojo 'cancel out' the one in the AK70 or is the 'Mojo' better sounding?

"Better sounding" is personal perception only.

"Sound qua;ity" have 2 meanings:

1. Fidelity - distortion/noise level

2. Nice subjective sound perception, despite point #1.

An external DAC (I don't mean certain model) may as increase as decrease distortion/noise level of analog signal.

So use or do not external DAC is may be only your personal choise.

 

[willowhayne]

Thanks all for the replies! It has given me lots of food for thought. I think the best route is to go for a high quality DAP and have better quality of sound than carry 'the bulk' around of a DAP and DAC/Amp. With Tidal now offering Hi-Fi quality music now is the time to go for it. Can anyone recommend any decent sounding DAPs that can drive my current B&W P7s? I'm no worried about it being Android based or not I just want good sound.

 

[insider9]

If I was in a market for one Onkyo DP-X1 would be on my demo list.

 

[Al ears]

Thanks all for the replies! It has given me lots of food for thought. I think the best route is to go for a high quality DAP and have better quality of sound than carry 'the bulk' around of a DAP and DAC/Amp. With Tidal now offering Hi-Fi quality music now is the time to go for it. Can anyone recommend any decent sounding DAPs that can drive my current B&W P7s? I'm no worried about it being Android based or not I just want good sound.

You mention Tidal so do you need it to stream as well, as many decent ones do not, or just play files from a microSD card?

I use P7s as well as in ear monitors, they are not hard to drive. What's your budget going to be as there's a vast range available.

I have used and auditioned many devices over the years and still own three. It's pretty much going to depend on whether you want the best for reasonable money or the best from a healthy budget.

 

[willowhayne]

Hi Al ears!

I'm looking at a budget of £500 - £800.

Thanks

 

[Al ears]

Hi Al ears!

I'm looking at a budget of £500 - £800.

Thanks

Right. If you simply want the best possible sound from a file on a microSD card then there's only really one to go for and that's the Questyle QP1R.

It's on my shopping list for when funds become available. It is, however, towards the top end of your budget.