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HamishtheDog
71
May 7, 2019
What (other than balanced out) is the benefit of buying this over an LG V30 as a dedicated music player? Does this have better single ended sound? Considering I can get a decent (maybe slightly used) V30 for a quarter of the price, I’m not sure where the value is (again, other than balanced output) even though I typically have had good experiences with Sony products.
kevinhb
171
May 7, 2019
HamishtheDogSounds like not much, especially judging by ajaxender12's 2 cents about its SE performance. I've had the V30+ (only difference from V30 being internal storage size) for about a year and a half, and can speak to its quality over any other phone audio I've heard. Take my opinion with a grain of salt as I really don't have any experience with DAPs outside of using my phones as such, but it can drive some of my hungrier headphones without sounding too strained. If you add together 4x internal storage (or 8x for the V30+), same options for storage expansion, the ability to stream music, and, well... doing all the other smartphone things too... I would say if you aren't planning to use the balanced out then definitely don't get this.
(Edited)
kevinhbI have the reverse experience: I have a ZX300A, which I am very fond of, but I haven’t heard an LG V30 (or other LG smartphone). So, it’s difficult for either of us to compare/contrast. What I will say, though, is I am loving my ZX300A. I’ve had it for two and a half weeks, and despite it’s long battery life and size more compact than my FiiO X7 I also have, it powers my HD 800 just fine and has amazing sound quality. The very low distortion of this model means it may sound more dry than other players I’ve tried, but also it has a very layered soundstage, clean note separation, and overall a very crisp detailed presentation. Other selling points is 26-30 hours of music playback (really really long standby time, this is a great vacation device); EXTREMELY supreme build quality and ergonomics (not everyone will care, but there’s something special about this device that has nicer fit&finish than the iPods of old); distinct buttons for blind operation; faster, simpler, and better optimized for music OS than Android. Best thing an LG V30 would have over this would be offline storage of music from streaming services. However, if you bought an LG as a secondary device because you prefer the other features of another phone better, it’s easier to stream the Walkman on the go (because the function is built-in) than to find an app to stream from your primary phone to the V30. Though the V-series smartphone’s are well-regarded for their sound quality, they’re not regarded as otherwise great smartphones (screen quality, camera, speed, battery life, etc), so I wouldn’t want it as my only device. I’m also skeptical about the over the moon appraisals of the LG’s sound quality... sure it has a bunch of DAC chips in it, but implementation is very important when it comes to final audio quality, and I can’t help wondering what % of the build cost went to sound quality and what % went to everything else required to make a do-all smartphone. Add to that, several reviewers (such as Vlad from The Verge, who is a fan of the LG) point out that the audio quality of the LG can be beat by an AudioQuest Dragonfly Red, which to me says the LG sounds a bit better than good enough but not excellent. Since I have high quality IEMs and full-sized headphones which benefit from the best gear you can feed it, I personally want excellent gear, not “good enough.” So far, the ZX300A has been excellent, competing well with the best DAPs available on the market.
AmnesiacSix
2
May 8, 2019
HamishtheDogI had a V20 before getting this last December. At first I was disappointed off the bat because the sound from the Sony was dry and anemic, akin to the V20 because I compared both to an Oppo HA-2. I let the Sony play overnight for a few nights so it could hit the 200hrs required to burn in and I bought a balanced cable for my Isine 10s. The more hours the Sony played the better it began to sound and its not a mental placebo. Tested it with some Arctic Monkeys songs off TBH+C and the guitar in She Looks Like Fun had more body vs the V20 even though at first listen it sounded the same, maybe colder. With the balanced end, Jesus! It sounds much better. My isines feel like new headphones. So I sold the V20 pretty quickly after the balanced end was burned it. Battery power is divine. The V20 would last 8hrs and the Sony gets me 18hrs to 22hrs. The sound just opens up, it's warm, the soundstage compared to the V20 is much better. Separation is outstanding and the details it brings out really brings a smile to my face. I gotta say, even mp3 sounds better without the feature it has built in specifically for mp3 turned on. With it on I can't tell a difference really but they sound better with it off regardless. It's worth it. It's small too and the UI is good. Not as good as USB Audio Player Pro but it's fine. I can answer questions about it.
MountainPass
223
May 8, 2019
HamishtheDogOne thing I always look for in a DAP is tactile volume and playback control because I typically don't want to need to look at my player during playback. I usually keep it in a pocket or similar, or use it while driving, so I won't buy a player that doesn't have physical buttons for basic controls. This Sony player has buttons, and they've been specifically designed so that you can feel which button is which without looking.
AmnesiacSixI’m noticing the bass becoming bigger and more bombastic too, as I’m putting time on it. No overnight burn in for me so far though, just listening ;) I’m hoping the mids follow suit soon, with higher Ω headphones the mids sound a bit anemic and compressed. Still kicking @$$ right now with some Infected Mushroom 🍄 😎👍 @MountainPass Yes! I love that one set of buttons is matte texture and curved with the shape of the enclosure, while the ⏮⏯⏭ buttons are brushed aluminum and flat surfaced (so they stick out from the curved enclosure). It’s a really smart design. Do you know why they’re placed somewhat towards the back of the device?
(Edited)
bigshel
263
May 8, 2019
HamishtheDogSize and battery life are two. I have a couple other DAPs and an older v30. The v30 with Poweramp (love that player) is my more universal go-to as it's faster, more flexible when I want to listen to things other than music (podcasts, audiobooks, YouTube, etc). I use the Fiio m6 when I just want something small and manageable for music. while the DAPs look really nice, I've found it hard to give up my v30.
HamishtheDog
71
May 8, 2019
bigshelThank you all for the input. I’ve been headed towards some sort of dedicated player for a while now. I have an iPhone and even though it is a great device for most things, audio is not it’s strong suit. Hence looking at this Sony and the V30. I really appreciate all the different viewpoints and have some deciding to do now.
HamishtheDogDefinitely fair to decide for yourself! I would say, if you’re not switching from iPhone to LG V-something as your phone and music player, then there’s an even stronger reason to prefer a DAP (like this Sony), because our iPhones don’t have microSD storage or headphone jacks of their own, and yet they are the devices that will have the cellular data when on the road away from WiFi. To that end, a device that can stream any of your phone’s audio (like this Sony, Acoustic Research’s players, HiBy, Shanling, to name a few) is more versatile than just having WiFi to stream music while you’re at home/coffee shop. Also, while I really like the ability to store music “offline” from Spotify/TIDAL on my phone, for a secondary device without its own Cellular Data plan you still have to do it before a trip or something... if you still buy music and/or have a large collection already (because you don’t want to pay every month to hear your favorites), then you’ll be able to load up your player with music anyway. My 64 GB phone has finite storage and can’t hold my whole collection of “owned” music, but it can store a few new albums I want to discover and think about buying.
MountainPass
223
May 10, 2019
EvshrugRegarding the rearward placement of the buttons, I could guess that they may have been placed that way for the ergonomics of a certain "typical" hand size. Or perhaps it was easier to mount them that way due to the placement of other components internally, such as the screen or PCB. I'm just speculating, though, and I've never seen one of these players in person.
MountainPassYeah, I thought that initially too... though it's no problem for my thumb or fingers to hit anywhere on the side of it. Eh, still visually interesting to me :)
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