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I am a broke Undergrad student who loves music and hates the distraction of modern phones. I have bought the most simple flip phone I can get my hands on to reduce screen time, but comprised my ability to listen to my beloved music on the go. However, whilst on this new audiophile-DAP TH-cam rabbit hole I thought I may have found an answer: high-quality portable music without the smartphone distractions. I was so excited to learn about these interesting gadgets. This excitement has now turned into a sad surprise, as my eyes and mouth seem to widen every time the cost is shown on the screen. In addition, I have tried to find lossless music in my preferred genres and couldn't find any. My realisation is to be patient and wait until I am old enough to be able to splash out AU$1200 on something to play music on. Thank you for the video, I thought it was amazing. Just a sad day for me haha
When you actually need a DAP. 1. You have a large lossless library you want locally. 2. You have a pair of Cans or IEM'S that are demanding And you want them to perform at their peak. 3. Relates to 2. You don't want a dongle hanging off your phone. 4. You want to preserve the battery of your phone. 5. You want to have the system wide hi bit audio.
I'd been considering one bc I usually leave my phone out of arm's reach all day. Having no notifications/possibility for distractions seems quite nice. I've only got ~300GB of flac, and it'd also be nice to be able to just get $300 phones instead of paying through the nose for storage. I travel with no internet almost every week. And, CD quality would also be an excuse to buy good IEMs
Even though I'm probably not a beginner anymore, I still watch every one of your beginner videos. They're so well made, and always have me thinking about my setups.
My dad was a total audio head, there's such a large aftermarket of Speakers and radios. Whether it be for portable reason or for having a good sound system in the car he would spend a lot of time at Flea Markets and Swap meets switching parts and speakers. He showed me how to appreciate music and the device that play music . I want to get a solid walkman, no sure whether to go with Japanese companies or American companies. Can anyone recommend American companies ? My dad only ever bought Asian speakers and whatnot. I'm planning on carrying a Boombox in my car just like my dad lol and maybe a Cassette player and I still have my iPods.
Unfortunately there's no such thing as "American companies" anymore. You can't even buy a pair of jeans made in USA. Unbelievable.... I don't know what the situation in Europe is now, but in the US we all live in "everything is made in China" world ...
I’ve been using my iPhone exclusively with Apple Music, download lossless play list prior to going out, dragonfly’s cobalt with a variety of iem. The trick is to put your phone in your pocket upside-down to avoid the fold.
This is probably my favortite portable audio overview to date! I would love to see something similar in regards to car audio. That's just where my attention is at for the moment.
It's mid-2022 and I am still quite happy with my LG G7 Thinq... An awesome Android based Hi-Fi portable audio player that just happens to be a smartphone as well...
What headphones / IEMs are you using with them? Could it power the 6XX stand-alone, or would you need to mount the BTR-5 on the back or whatever for amplification? I have the LG V30 and it alone cannot get the volume loud enough by itself, leaving 20%+ volume desired. I feel the whole smartphone + further BTR-5 setup too clunky and uneesthetically-pleasing. But, idk, I'd rather have one device that includes ample support for both of those feats. Looking into the Shanling Q1, although there are obviously other factors that one must look into. Cost being in the upper quadrant for me, obviously.
I want the AirPod Pros, but simply cannot justify the price because I don't really *need* them and should first consider the gear I already own and taking advantage of that before moving onto something pricier And don't get me started with the hyper-inflation we're experiencing. Doesn't leave room for much, anyhow.
Great videos. I have only just stepped into this world, previously I used twenty quid earbuds via bluetooth, but even to my ears it sounded crap. I've now got decent headphones and a DAC, and am blown away. One thing I've learned is that there is no going back, even one step. My old gear sounds so bad now I wonder how I ever used it.
My setup for lossless audio when I’m out and about is this: any Android smartphone or an iPhone, a good IEM, and Alo Audio Pilot DAC. That's it. Works wonderful and no Bluetooth or dongle DAC involved.
Thanks. Always interesting. For me, the iPod touch with Bluetooth iem's or head phones (noise canceling) is more than enough for outside listening (out of the home). There is just to much background noise to worry about CD quality or hi-res in my opinion. As always, to each his own. For me, critical listening is done in my dedicated audio room. Unlike many, I am blessed to have one.
Same here. Once there’s background noise, the benefits of higher end audio quality are just not audible to me. Lossless and a nice sound system is great at home, but a smartphone and Bluetooth noise canceling is just right for the train or when out for a walk. Got to say I agree with John about Plexamp. It’s fabulous. All the benefits of a full lossless music library and the convenience of listening anywhere.
I have tried a lot of portable audio components, for about 5 years I have been looking for a combination that I like. Right now I am using - Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 + Lotto Paw S1 DAC + Android phone. And I'm very happy, I think I'll stop here. At home I listen to music on - Sennheiser HD650 + Dac/Amp Cambridge Audio CXA61 + PC and am also very pleased with the sound.
Glad to see you still rocking the Mojo. I took it out of a draw a couple weeks ago. Charged it up and was reminded how great it is. Powerful, well made. Its been in heavy use since. I do love my A&K sp1000m. Small and crisp. Like you I wish A&K would cave in and use a normal android operating system. Always a treat to see you post a new video. Much appreciated.
Thanks for bringing up the Plex server! That will make things very convenient when internet is available, which is basically most places with a cellular network signal. I used to run an FTP server at home, but it's a clunky solution. For portable music, I use my cellphone - either with the FiiO BTR5 2021 and IEMs or an Apple USB-C to 3.5 mm dongle and IEMs. I also have the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro for when I just want convenience and active noise canceling. I was thinking of using an old iPhone 6 as basically an iPod Touch, but its limited storage capacity and battery life is not going to be great.
Point well taken. I have dropped Tidal et al for the convenience of Apple Music played on my iPhone via AAC Bluetooth. I find the plethora of codecs and toys cumbersome. And they get in the way of the music. As for SD cards, total pain in the ass. My Fiio players were junk and if you lose the cards you can’t go back later to retrieve songs from HDTracks, which sucks. BTW, I grew up in the ‘60s immersed in the sound of an inexpensive portable Magnavox stereo. It made me love music. I later had quad etc but now feel I want the best sound and simplicity. The rabbit hole is deep. I want out
I just use a wired earbuds with 3.5mm adapter to usb c and, a 4.4mm to 3.5mm, to connect to whichever devices I have with me. Or just use both adapters at the same time.
This is the best and most objective summary of the various options I’ve ever seen. The top end AK players sound amazing with suitably wallet-crushing IEMs, which just about keeps us on side, but the rubbish UI and appalling WiFi connectivity let that side down. After Apple finally got their act together with lossless, I dug my Chord Hugo out of the cupboard where it had been languishing unloved, and use it with my iPad for Apple Music and Tidal. Horrendous in terms of cables but sounds amazing with some good over-ear ‘phones. I will be glad when the wireless IEMs can do lossless straight from a phone. And GREAT point about being on a plane - you can have the best IEMs and AK player and won’t enjoy it because of the background noise. Subscribed.
great video! as much as i love my desktop system at home i feel like i barely use it because I never have time when i'm home. portable audio has been a real blessing. 90% of my listening is done with my kann alpha and u12t's. the sound is a so good that i hardly ever use my wf-1000xm4 bt buds. at the gym i'll use my dap with a pair of etymotic er4p. yes it's not nearly as convenient as a pair of wireless earbuds but the sound is so much better. i use a runners fanny pack with the dap and for the most part it stays out of the way and is great. for airplanes i bought a cheap pair of hearing protection earmuffs that i use over my IEMs. not the most elegant solution but it works quite well. like you said portable audio is about compromises and I feel compromises are worth while for the sake of beautiful sound.
My desktop system is directly wired into my PC and is generally the only thing I connect the headphones to so I happily get to use it regularly, if only from intentional lack options. And for portable I just use a Fiio M9 and a selection of IEMs so I get to pick and choose what I feel like on the go without going to overboard with stuff like portable amps and ect. Options are only good until they start making it too much effort to use any of them, IMO
I agree that LDAC does not blow anything out of the water. I suppose it ticks the 'lossless' box if you have the equipment and the ear to discern it. I'm currently trialling an MMCX LDAC module from Hiby and must admit I struggle to tell the difference between cabled and wireless with my RHA T20is. Probably a good match.
after i started getting sick of my 10 adapters and dacs for my iphone so i decided to rip my cds with exact audio copy and put it on my ipod classic... sounds amazing and it's kind of enough for "on the go terms" in my case
I’ve been doing similar with my CDs for a while (ripping to ALAC). Last year I modded the iPod to put in a 1TB drive and have been able to keep my whole library on there. It was a fun project.
I have an inexpensive Sony NW-A55L and a pair of AKG headphones. I have inserted a 1TB into the Sony and all my CDs in .wav format are on it. It does me. Thousands of euros for portable audio? My friends can't believe I've spent almost two-thousand pounds for my home Wi-Fi set-up. A different world.
I enjoy your videos because you do a great job of explaining what is possible, not necessarily what is best. I don't have the budget for a lot of the gear that you review, but everyone has their own budget and opinion of what "sounds good". On the topic of portable gear, I am excited to see what the future holds for Aptx adaptive equipped phones and earphones.
Just put the phone with cables & dac amps in a small shoulder bag and control everything with an apple watch. Obviously the phone needs to be an iPhone for this to work but this works sooo great.
My fave video of yours for a while. Enjoyed that a lot. I saw Eat Static live years ago when they played the club where I was working. They were amazing. Senser supported.
Frankly speaking when you’re out and about in the city walking there will be so much background noise you won’t be enjoying the higher fidelity sound and you won’t be focusing on it as well as your focus is elsewhere. This is when convenience counts. I think earbuds such as XM4 does the job very well. At home where i lay back and with a good coffee in hand and enjoy music with my lcd-x and D90/A90 as it should be as there is no distractions
Thanks again John for an informative, watchable and fun video. Even though I'll never be in the market for most of these products, I do like your style
Thank you for another great video. I love coming back to your channel and binging all the videos I have missed. You do a great service to the community.
I very much enjoy the in depth analysis and reasoning on benefits and drawbacks of these portable audio systems. While the high end devices will never be an option for me the comparisons between such unaffordable systems is very educational and helps me in my lower end purchases when deciding what to buy. Car enthusiasts read reviews on Maserati cars never intending to purchase one but it is a thrill to see them in action.
As windchill is a factor here in CZ, I'm currently using RealMe X2 Pro, iBasso DC03 and the Austrian Audio Hi-X55's (ear muffs). Source is USB Audio Play or Plexamp.
Great to see you using the ifi go blue John, I think it's a great solution for using wired IEM's. The chase for ever better sound is never ending, if we just learn to enjoy the music we will all be happier - 3TB music collection......Jesus!! lol
I swap back and forth between my nicer sounding IEMs and true wireless buds depending on if I want the transparency mode mostly, oddities of bluetooth and tiny battery powered devices can still bug me, and having a nice quality digital audio player wired to some IEMs is still reliable and high enough quality to be my preference when I just want music and nothing else
Another great educational post! I like this kind of post and being an IEM nerd, totally agree with your analysis of the various options out there. I too will choose the most convenient options for short outings and the less convenient (and more expensive) options for longer outings. Keep up the good work.
Great video. Headphones are tools… there are different tools for different jobs. As an enthusiast who still flies a lot, I leave my expensive planar headphones and dac/amp at home and grab my AirPods Pro or Sony XM4s. Bluetooth and ANC is fantastic.
Dongle DACs are honestly a giant annoyance to use. I recently bought a pair of 7hz timeless and a Radsone ES100MK2 and that's probably all I need for now., BT DAC/AMP doesn't get in the way. It almost feels liberating, since your phone isn't wired to anything anymore. 7hz timeless is amazing.
Yeah plus if you're going to buy a dragonfly or a THX onyx you're already at the price point to get the BTR5 or the ifi go Blu or qudelix 5k. Might as well add the Bluetooth functionality for the same price.
Feel similarly about my Fiio M9 since it's a DAP that can also do Bluetooth receiving if I want, which is a handy 2-for-1 on my more limited budget, it's actually making me want to collect a few more Budget-ish range IEMs just for the variaty and fun of it.
I gave in to convenience a long time ago, using a S10+ running PowerAmp (which has some excellent tone controls) and a pair of Sennheiser Momentum TW2. Not for one moment have I ever paused and thought to myself that it didn't sound good eough. YMMW of course.
I love this video so much. Thank you for giving that overview of all thing portable in HiFi. Everything I absolutely DO NOT WANT. Live you I have some rules for my portable audio: 1) NO WIRES 2) NO DONGLES 3)Must have microphones for phone calls. So yeah…when I’m on the go I’m all about convenience and portability and I will not fuss with wires, dongles or especially SD cards. I do want the best audio I can get with these rules…so for me it’s no question…AirPods Pro. These have literally become a product I will not go without. The are in my ears at all times and I have 2 pair so that one can always be charging while the others are in my ears. The sound great…maybe not the best but great. The noise cancelling and transparency modes are game changers…especially transparency mode. So that’s for me…but I still loved this video. Thanks
So, I like this video because it is a good reminder that, as with all things audio(phile), you have to be ready to ask--when is good enough, good enough? John's comment about compromise rings true, and the good news is that part of the fun is identifying different solutions for different use cases. I really like the convenience of my airpod pros, but if i have the time and room to carry stuff, the mojo and Beyer T5's are a great solution. It's nice to be able to choose.
I wonder why audiophiles never talk about custom fitting their IEMs. Reshelling or just customizing the fit with your very own ear impressions makes the IEMs truly individual and it does have loads of advantages outside the pro world where these solutions are used mostly. I use my custom fit Blessing 2 Dusk both for my music and for monitoring at work.
I love my Sony Bluetooth in ear headphones when I don't want a complicated setup, something easy to use. Otherwise portability I love my trusty BTR5 and IEM combo. On the desk I prefer a tube amplifier to make any headphones sound warm and pleasant to listen to for longer hours.
So I think I’m in the right place to ask this question, ¿which streaming service have the best quality for music? I’m currently using Apple Music but no one in this video mention that streaming service so I am a little bit concerned
Hey John. Great video... as always. I really love the ending when you talk about when you use which setup for a walk. I do that just like you. Very cold... AirPods pro. Weather good and warm... DAP and better or best earphones. Thank you for your work! Best wishes from Bavaria ;)
Thanks John. My favorite IEMs from Campfire is also the Ara. For when I want much more bass I use the Dorado 2020. The two of them fill out every conceivable musical genre I listen to. I also use the Fiio M11 Plus LTD (with the AKM DAC chips) DAP and I absolutely love the setup. Recently I have tried to use a pair of Audeze LCD-XC with the Fiio DAP while at the office but I have not quite figured that one out, mainly regarding transporting but also EQing.
This was an absolutely great overview across the different options that really helped me understand why I have always been settling for Bluetooth IEMs on the go. Recently bought the Sennheiser Momentum TW 3 and love them even more than my TW 2. Would love to hear your opinion on them vs the Sony. It’s a German company, after all, and me being from Cologne takes at least a bit of pride in this one „tech“ company we have that’s doing high quality stuff.
Thank you, John! One more great episode! If I can wish one more thing, related to this theme: Some of the equipment you showed us had 2,5mm BALANCED connections. I have a Pioneer XDP-300R DAP, supporting this 4-pin (TRRS-jack) connection and Shure SE535 (there is a couple of even more expensive IEM's, from Shure, as well....) - absolutely worth testing. With an appropriate cable (wich I have not found), the listening could have been done in "balanced mode" - witch in this scenario means using 4-conductor cable from the 2,5mm jack to the in-ear elements. Just like cabling loudspeakers. Have you tested this way to connect the in-ears? Does this make any difference vs. use of the standard 3-pole 3,5mm jack?
Thanks so much for your review and instruction. Two questions: 1. Why don't you ever mention Deezer as a high-quality streaming service? I subscribed 3-4 years ago as part of a B&W free promotion and have loved it. Just wondering. 2. You don't seem to ever mention Klipsch products in IEMs or earbuds. You do mention Apple but Klipsch seems to be a real player. Are they that poor compared to all the other IEMs you review? Thanks again!
Yes. The affordable and completely entry level (for beginners) combo of 2k DAP and 1.2k IEMs.. Dude. This is beyond silly. No person wanting to get into hi-fi audio would be able to put that kind of money on the table from the get go.
Yeah...no regular Joe like me and you got that kind of money to drop I cop Chinese iem headphones from Ali Express and the k13 Jade audio dongle that just arrived in the mail
one idea that kinda tempts me is the hiby R3's hiby link.. so that when im not offline i can just listen to my offline tracks or use it as a bluetooth dac like that ifi. but also hiby link allows to use my phone to control the hiby using for tidal and my own music.. so its a bluetooth dac but can also have the full lossless experience
I think it's worth bringing up the Apple Lightning and USB-C dongle DACs, if only for their sheer value (USB-C will work with USB-C Android and Windows devices). Now, one can obviously make the argument that Apple's charging $9 for something that should never have gone away in the first place (although IMO these DACs sound better than my old iPhone 6S' onboard audio), but if you've resigned yourself to our dystopian dongle present/future and don't have a ton of cash kicking around, you could spend a lot more and do a lot worse. They test fantastically well, and pairing them with some relatively inexpensive wired headphones like Tin Audio or Sennheiser is a big step up in sound quality vs bluetooth. At $9 they're a no-brainer, even if they are a bit flimsy (I wrapped mine in shrink tubing). The USB-C model isn't a bad way to inexpensively get digital audio out of a PC/notebook if all you need is 3.5mm either.
I use a fiio setup most of the time F9 iem paired with the BTR 5 but recently with the colder weather I've been using the koss kp40 utility with the utility cable directly to my phone very good sound quality especially for the cash output.
Just watching this months later. The wireless stuff isn’t my thing on the go, but I have Sennheiser MW2 wireless buds when I want to move freely. When I’m outside the house I still use my Fiio Mont Blanc and Etymotics ER-4P. Absolutely no issue with any form of lossless music out of an android phone, whether playing via direct memory or streaming.
what you said "so if you're the kind of person that gets angry about high-end audio pricing you should just stop watching now..." what i would have said "so if you're the kind of person that gets angry about high-end audio pricing keep in mind that you don't need thousand dollar equipment to get great sound." this is (supposedly) for beginners, right?
Great video! I find myself more and more turning to my iPad- dragonfly cobalt at home with Tidal rather than going to the main HiFi now for the convenience
Your pocket issue is completely solved by the Sony NW-a100tps - I got it specifically because of my Walkman nostalgia - having a lanyard holder. I plug mine in, hang it ‘round my neck, probably under my jumper if going out in public, and I’m all good. I had an early MP3 player like that in the 00s where the headphone cable formed the lanyard. Works well. Could also divide the cool from the Uber nerds. I have no shame.
My first portable audio was a yellow Sony Walkman in 1982 - the sound quality has no doubt improved but the Walkman had more personality, long gone sadly.
I love my Fiio BTR5 (2020 non-MQA) but I use it as a dongle dac with the Fiio usb-c otg or lightning to usb-c cables, paired with a wired headset. I love that it gives me access to lossless at a low price.
I’m using a Astell & Kern A futura SE100 and a pair of JH Audio Roxanne II with 12 BA Drivers a side. It uses the same AMP Section as the a ultima Series but only a single ESS9038pro.
I would have liked to seen the Fiio M17 on here as it’s the newest DAP and faster than the two you mentioned. Also everyone always forgets about how good DAP’s are for music in your vehicle.
Honestly a Fiio M9 is enough for me, it's small, plays everything I have well, and didn't murder my bank account while still also including balanced out
You almost got me with the silent trains in Geramny. I was thinking about ICEs, those can be quite, but then I realized you were talking about the U/S Bahn. They are sooo loud, I would always pick a device with ANC and a headphone like the B&W PX7 or the Sony XM3 over any fancy IEM/Headphone.
Plexamp is wonderful. I've yet to try a phone that sounds really good, I find myself fiddling with the equaliser to compensate but never seem to get quite the sound I'm after. Probably just me.
For my portable music needs I went with the Sony MX1000M4 because when I'm I'm out and about listening to music it's normally while working out or doing yard work so it needs to be sweat resistant and comfortable and not get in the way or weigh me down
🤣 When I used to keep music on my older Android phones, I’d juggle playlist after playlist. I wanted my entire library available offline. I definitely agree with your thoughts on microSD cards.
Would love some digging and analysis of Amazon HD. In that market UHD quality streaming, then make it almost impossible to listen at that quality via the design of the amazon hd app.
I'm just about to make decision which music stream platform to choose, do you have a thoughts on Deezer? And the next question is, does it matter at all when listening to music on a PC and a phone? Thanks for the perfect content you making Sir.
I would say that the choice of streaming service is very much a question of your very own personal use case. SOUND: It is hard to judge the services on basis of their sound quality. I am a subscriber to Spotify, Qobuz and Tidal and have some experiences with Apple and TH-cam. When I hear differences, it is practically always due to the specific recording that they chose for the digitization. I have a decent stereo system that you would certainly call high end, but I am not able to say that I need high resolution to make me happy - CD quality is always enough for me. Heck, most of the time I am totally happy with Spotify's current premium resolution and wonder if I could really make out a difference to CD-quality streaming in a blind test. PRICING: Pricing might play a role for you or it might not. But you might get CD quality for less money on other services than Deezer if you are already an Apple subscriber or an Amazon Prime user oder a TH-cam premium payer. Should you have children, a family subscription might make sense (and your kids will most likely try to make you choose Spotify, because that is what their friends will be using). USER EXPERIENCE: All the apps look a little bit the same in the beginning, but the devil can be in the details. UX is the most important point why I would suggest that you use the trail periods of the different services and gather your own experience. Do you appreciate recommendations? Like music videos? Fancy podcasts, some of them exclusive? It is user experience that has always brought me back to Spotify (see also the next point). Ahh, and one important thing: It is possible to move playlists between streaming services or even keep them in sync while you are using several of them. I am personally using soundiiz.com for that matter and while it's not 100 percent perfect, it still keeps everything nice and tidy on all my streaming fronts. INTEGRATION: Now, that might not play a big role for you, as long as you just want to use streaming on your smartphone or PC. But once you are trying to move that experience over to some hifi hardware, differences are starting to become huge. Like, huuuuuge. Should you own a Sonos system, Deezer might be for you as they offer a Deezer integration. When you are in the high end domain, systems will most likely have integrations for Tidal and Qobuz. That is the fact with Roon and InnuOS sense. However, integration needs some explanation: It mainly means, that you can access these streaming services using the graphical user interface (GUI) of the hifi system. But: That is read only! Let me give you an example: when you use Roon on your device, you can start a Qobuz playlist. But you can not add a song to that Qobuz playlist using Roon (you can add it to a Roon playlist, however). Reason is that the services will prohibit third parties from accessing their databases with a write command. Therefore the best solution is finding a service that lets you use the existing app of the streaming service on your phone (for example Spotify) to control the music that is played on the stereo system. So far, to my knowledge that only works for Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect and only works with a number of specific hifi hardware. Sometimes, workarounds exist. Sometimes the whole thing just sucks. Confused? Well, we all are. ;-) In the end, here is my recommendation: Try Deezer if you want to. Build your first playlists. Then try Spotify. If you are a bit of a hifi nerd, then try Tidal and/or Qobuz. Move your playlists with Soundiiz.com everytime you switch, so you build up your experience and see which GUI suits your needs best. Or just use Deezer, get used to it and be happy. 🙂
I really enjoyed deezer. Easy to navigate, good selection of artists and sounded good with bluetooth. Unfortunately I'm on Android so when I connect my dragonfly red, it defaults to a set sampling rate and is not bit perfect. Deezer isn't available on USBPP, which adjusts sampling rate. Quobuz is therefore my service of choice (available on USBPP, sounds great but also fairer artist royalties). But I was very fond of Deezer for bluetooth and direct-to-phone set ups.
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The only way 🎉🎉
“portable audio for beginners”
*pulls out 7000$ setup*
I am a broke Undergrad student who loves music and hates the distraction of modern phones. I have bought the most simple flip phone I can get my hands on to reduce screen time, but comprised my ability to listen to my beloved music on the go. However, whilst on this new audiophile-DAP TH-cam rabbit hole I thought I may have found an answer: high-quality portable music without the smartphone distractions. I was so excited to learn about these interesting gadgets. This excitement has now turned into a sad surprise, as my eyes and mouth seem to widen every time the cost is shown on the screen. In addition, I have tried to find lossless music in my preferred genres and couldn't find any. My realisation is to be patient and wait until I am old enough to be able to splash out AU$1200 on something to play music on.
Thank you for the video, I thought it was amazing. Just a sad day for me haha
Look for a second Fiio X3 II, X5 II or X3 III. Way less than $1200 and excellent audio quality with flac files.
When you actually need a DAP.
1. You have a large lossless library you want locally.
2. You have a pair of Cans or IEM'S that are demanding
And you want them to perform at their peak.
3. Relates to 2. You don't want a dongle hanging off your phone.
4. You want to preserve the battery of your phone.
5. You want to have the system wide hi bit audio.
I'd been considering one bc I usually leave my phone out of arm's reach all day.
Having no notifications/possibility for distractions seems quite nice.
I've only got ~300GB of flac, and it'd also be nice to be able to just get $300 phones instead of paying through the nose for storage. I travel with no internet almost every week. And, CD quality would also be an excuse to buy good IEMs
@@evank8459 buy a used lgv20/v30 + 256 gb sd card
It is rare to see a balanced opinion that is still somewhat realistic in the Audio space :) Keep it up!
At the end of the day, all it boils down to is which set up makes computer love sound the best ❤
The audiophile community is UNHINGED. Glad to know that no matter what audio setup I use, I always have an opportunity to upgrade.
Audiophile is old vinyl. Anything else is 🤢
@@thelastofthemonitos6994 Old vinyl is as far as you can get to lossless quality lmao. How is that AudioPhile?
It's all diminishing returns, you only need to spend a little bit to get most of the way there.
Even though I'm probably not a beginner anymore, I still watch every one of your beginner videos. They're so well made, and always have me thinking about my setups.
My dad was a total audio head, there's such a large aftermarket of Speakers and radios. Whether it be for portable reason or for having a good sound system in the car he would spend a lot of time at Flea Markets and Swap meets switching parts and speakers. He showed me how to appreciate music and the device that play music .
I want to get a solid walkman, no sure whether to go with Japanese companies or American companies. Can anyone recommend American companies ? My dad only ever bought Asian speakers and whatnot. I'm planning on carrying a Boombox in my car just like my dad lol and maybe a Cassette player and I still have my iPods.
Unfortunately there's no such thing as "American companies" anymore. You can't even buy a pair of jeans made in USA. Unbelievable.... I don't know what the situation in Europe is now, but in the US we all live in "everything is made in China" world ...
"What we gain in breath, we lose in depth" wow, simple words to describe the true meaning of a trade-off.
I’ve been using my iPhone exclusively with Apple Music, download lossless play list prior to going out, dragonfly’s cobalt with a variety of iem. The trick is to put your phone in your pocket upside-down to avoid the fold.
Well that's one way to overcomplicate poppin in Ur earphones and listening to music.
Man I just want to sit and experience music with Darko 🙌🏾
This is probably my favortite portable audio overview to date! I would love to see something similar in regards to car audio. That's just where my attention is at for the moment.
It's mid-2022 and I am still quite happy with my LG G7 Thinq... An awesome Android based Hi-Fi portable audio player that just happens to be a smartphone as well...
What headphones / IEMs are you using with them? Could it power the 6XX stand-alone, or would you need to mount the BTR-5 on the back or whatever for amplification? I have the LG V30 and it alone cannot get the volume loud enough by itself, leaving 20%+ volume desired. I feel the whole smartphone + further BTR-5 setup too clunky and uneesthetically-pleasing. But, idk, I'd rather have one device that includes ample support for both of those feats. Looking into the Shanling Q1, although there are obviously other factors that one must look into. Cost being in the upper quadrant for me, obviously.
I want the AirPod Pros, but simply cannot justify the price because I don't really *need* them and should first consider the gear I already own and taking advantage of that before moving onto something pricier And don't get me started with the hyper-inflation we're experiencing. Doesn't leave room for much, anyhow.
Same, it is very convenient.
@@rustyyoung7980Open Back Headphones like the 6xx are meant to be used with DAC/Amp Stack
Great videos. I have only just stepped into this world, previously I used twenty quid earbuds via bluetooth, but even to my ears it sounded crap. I've now got decent headphones and a DAC, and am blown away. One thing I've learned is that there is no going back, even one step. My old gear sounds so bad now I wonder how I ever used it.
Love how you covered every range of listening. I never new the “summit” of portable listening. I could see me using those $4,000 decks in my truck
It would be best if my smartphone can have a high quality DAC build in. Don't have to worry about different dongles.
LG smartphone have decent dac and amp built in them, but it's pretty much none right now, since they basically quit making smartphone
This video is too rich for me to watch fully
My setup for lossless audio when I’m out and about is this: any Android smartphone or an iPhone, a good IEM, and Alo Audio Pilot DAC. That's it. Works wonderful and no Bluetooth or dongle DAC involved.
Thanks. Always interesting. For me, the iPod touch with Bluetooth iem's or head phones (noise canceling) is more than enough for outside listening (out of the home). There is just to much background noise to worry about CD quality or hi-res in my opinion. As always, to each his own. For me, critical listening is done in my dedicated audio room. Unlike many, I am blessed to have one.
Same here. Once there’s background noise, the benefits of higher end audio quality are just not audible to me.
Lossless and a nice sound system is great at home, but a smartphone and Bluetooth noise canceling is just right for the train or when out for a walk.
Got to say I agree with John about Plexamp. It’s fabulous. All the benefits of a full lossless music library and the convenience of listening anywhere.
I realized I can listen anything that you explain and you have far more the best reviews on youtube. oh i also would love to have your playlists…
I have tried a lot of portable audio components, for about 5 years I have been looking for a combination that I like. Right now I am using - Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 + Lotto Paw S1 DAC + Android phone. And I'm very happy, I think I'll stop here. At home I listen to music on - Sennheiser HD650 + Dac/Amp Cambridge Audio CXA61 + PC and am also very pleased with the sound.
Glad to see you still rocking the Mojo. I took it out of a draw a couple weeks ago. Charged it up and was reminded how great it is. Powerful, well made. Its been in heavy use since. I do love my A&K sp1000m. Small and crisp. Like you I wish A&K would cave in and use a normal android operating system. Always a treat to see you post a new video. Much appreciated.
Great video. Can you mention in the future how much each dongle DAC impact the phone battery life?
Thanks for bringing up the Plex server! That will make things very convenient when internet is available, which is basically most places with a cellular network signal. I used to run an FTP server at home, but it's a clunky solution.
For portable music, I use my cellphone - either with the FiiO BTR5 2021 and IEMs or an Apple USB-C to 3.5 mm dongle and IEMs. I also have the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro for when I just want convenience and active noise canceling. I was thinking of using an old iPhone 6 as basically an iPod Touch, but its limited storage capacity and battery life is not going to be great.
The only 2 phones who actually cared about Hi Fi audio where LG and HTC and they both gone now
Point well taken. I have dropped Tidal et al for the convenience of Apple Music played on my iPhone via AAC Bluetooth. I find the plethora of codecs and toys cumbersome. And they get in the way of the music. As for SD cards, total pain in the ass. My Fiio players were junk and if you lose the cards you can’t go back later to retrieve songs from HDTracks, which sucks. BTW, I grew up in the ‘60s immersed in the sound of an inexpensive portable Magnavox stereo. It made me love music. I later had quad etc but now feel I want the best sound and simplicity. The rabbit hole is deep. I want out
I just use a wired earbuds with 3.5mm adapter to usb c and, a 4.4mm to 3.5mm, to connect to whichever devices I have with me. Or just use both adapters at the same time.
This is the best and most objective summary of the various options I’ve ever seen. The top end AK players sound amazing with suitably wallet-crushing IEMs, which just about keeps us on side, but the rubbish UI and appalling WiFi connectivity let that side down. After Apple finally got their act together with lossless, I dug my Chord Hugo out of the cupboard where it had been languishing unloved, and use it with my iPad for Apple Music and Tidal. Horrendous in terms of cables but sounds amazing with some good over-ear ‘phones. I will be glad when the wireless IEMs can do lossless straight from a phone.
And GREAT point about being on a plane - you can have the best IEMs and AK player and won’t enjoy it because of the background noise.
Subscribed.
great video! as much as i love my desktop system at home i feel like i barely use it because I never have time when i'm home. portable audio has been a real blessing. 90% of my listening is done with my kann alpha and u12t's. the sound is a so good that i hardly ever use my wf-1000xm4 bt buds. at the gym i'll use my dap with a pair of etymotic er4p. yes it's not nearly as convenient as a pair of wireless earbuds but the sound is so much better. i use a runners fanny pack with the dap and for the most part it stays out of the way and is great. for airplanes i bought a cheap pair of hearing protection earmuffs that i use over my IEMs. not the most elegant solution but it works quite well. like you said portable audio is about compromises and I feel compromises are worth while for the sake of beautiful sound.
My desktop system is directly wired into my PC and is generally the only thing I connect the headphones to so I happily get to use it regularly, if only from intentional lack options.
And for portable I just use a Fiio M9 and a selection of IEMs so I get to pick and choose what I feel like on the go without going to overboard with stuff like portable amps and ect.
Options are only good until they start making it too much effort to use any of them, IMO
I agree that LDAC does not blow anything out of the water. I suppose it ticks the 'lossless' box if you have the equipment and the ear to discern it.
I'm currently trialling an MMCX LDAC module from Hiby and must admit I struggle to tell the difference between cabled and wireless with my RHA T20is. Probably a good match.
after i started getting sick of my 10 adapters and dacs for my iphone so i decided to rip my cds with exact audio copy and put it on my ipod classic... sounds amazing and it's kind of enough for "on the go terms" in my case
I’ve been doing similar with my CDs for a while (ripping to ALAC). Last year I modded the iPod to put in a 1TB drive and have been able to keep my whole library on there. It was a fun project.
I have an inexpensive Sony NW-A55L and a pair of AKG headphones. I have inserted a 1TB into the Sony and all my CDs in .wav format are on it. It does me. Thousands of euros for portable audio? My friends can't believe I've spent almost two-thousand pounds for my home Wi-Fi set-up. A different world.
@@jon342 wow, how did you do that? i would love to do the same
I enjoy your videos because you do a great job of explaining what is possible, not necessarily what is best. I don't have the budget for a lot of the gear that you review, but everyone has their own budget and opinion of what "sounds good". On the topic of portable gear, I am excited to see what the future holds for Aptx adaptive equipped phones and earphones.
Just put the phone with cables & dac amps in a small shoulder bag and control everything with an apple watch.
Obviously the phone needs to be an iPhone for this to work but this works sooo great.
My fave video of yours for a while. Enjoyed that a lot. I saw Eat Static live years ago when they played the club where I was working. They were amazing. Senser supported.
Frankly speaking when you’re out and about in the city walking there will be so much background noise you won’t be enjoying the higher fidelity sound and you won’t be focusing on it as well as your focus is elsewhere. This is when convenience counts. I think earbuds such as XM4 does the job very well.
At home where i lay back and with a good coffee in hand and enjoy music with my lcd-x and D90/A90 as it should be as there is no distractions
Thanks again John for an informative, watchable and fun video. Even though I'll never be in the market for most of these products, I do like your style
I love how you went over every streaming service except Apple Music, which I'm locked in to.
how do you use it on Windows / Android? You don't, that's the answer.
@@simontranter1950 you can use it on Android, I think it's probably the best option for losless/hi-res audio right now.
I mainly prefer a portable audio player over my phone to save battery life of my phone for phone stuff.
Plus you don't get annoying notifications and annoying calls :p
Thank you for another great video. I love coming back to your channel and binging all the videos I have missed. You do a great service to the community.
I'm a beginner and I use a type c apple dac with Kz zst IEM along with high res offline music with wavelet auto eq on OnePlus 7T as my setup
Nice sarcasm, but I don’t like it.
I very much enjoy the in depth analysis and reasoning on benefits and drawbacks of these portable audio systems. While the high end devices will never be an option for me the comparisons between such unaffordable systems is very educational and helps me in my lower end purchases when deciding what to buy. Car enthusiasts read reviews on Maserati cars never intending to purchase one but it is a thrill to see them in action.
As windchill is a factor here in CZ, I'm currently using RealMe X2 Pro, iBasso DC03 and the Austrian Audio Hi-X55's (ear muffs). Source is USB Audio Play or Plexamp.
Just put Tidal on my iphone. Very excited. (Dragonfly/Satsuma user)
get Qobuz...
I feel like I am way back in the time after watching this video
Great to see you using the ifi go blue John, I think it's a great solution for using wired IEM's. The chase for ever better sound is never ending, if we just learn to enjoy the music we will all be happier - 3TB music collection......Jesus!! lol
I can’t imagine going back to wired once using true wireless IEMs.
I swap back and forth between my nicer sounding IEMs and true wireless buds depending on if I want the transparency mode mostly, oddities of bluetooth and tiny battery powered devices can still bug me, and having a nice quality digital audio player wired to some IEMs is still reliable and high enough quality to be my preference when I just want music and nothing else
Another great educational post! I like this kind of post and being an IEM nerd, totally agree with your analysis of the various options out there. I too will choose the most convenient options for short outings and the less convenient (and more expensive) options for longer outings. Keep up the good work.
Great video.
Headphones are tools… there are different tools for different jobs.
As an enthusiast who still flies a lot, I leave my expensive planar headphones and dac/amp at home and grab my AirPods Pro or Sony XM4s. Bluetooth and ANC is fantastic.
Dongle DACs are honestly a giant annoyance to use. I recently bought a pair of 7hz timeless and a Radsone ES100MK2 and that's probably all I need for now., BT DAC/AMP doesn't get in the way. It almost feels liberating, since your phone isn't wired to anything anymore. 7hz timeless is amazing.
Yeah plus if you're going to buy a dragonfly or a THX onyx you're already at the price point to get the BTR5 or the ifi go Blu or qudelix 5k. Might as well add the Bluetooth functionality for the same price.
Feel similarly about my Fiio M9 since it's a DAP that can also do Bluetooth receiving if I want, which is a handy 2-for-1 on my more limited budget, it's actually making me want to collect a few more Budget-ish range IEMs just for the variaty and fun of it.
I gave in to convenience a long time ago, using a S10+ running PowerAmp (which has some excellent tone controls) and a pair of Sennheiser Momentum TW2. Not for one moment have I ever paused and thought to myself that it didn't sound good eough. YMMW of course.
I am surprised you haven't dont a review of the sony walkman gold DAP mark 2
I love this video so much. Thank you for giving that overview of all thing portable in HiFi. Everything I absolutely DO NOT WANT. Live you I have some rules for my portable audio: 1) NO WIRES 2) NO DONGLES 3)Must have microphones for phone calls. So yeah…when I’m on the go I’m all about convenience and portability and I will not fuss with wires, dongles or especially SD cards. I do want the best audio I can get with these rules…so for me it’s no question…AirPods Pro. These have literally become a product I will not go without. The are in my ears at all times and I have 2 pair so that one can always be charging while the others are in my ears. The sound great…maybe not the best but great. The noise cancelling and transparency modes are game changers…especially transparency mode. So that’s for me…but I still loved this video. Thanks
Every piece I take out of the house will be no more than $250 USD plus no IEM's.
So, I like this video because it is a good reminder that, as with all things audio(phile), you have to be ready to ask--when is good enough, good enough? John's comment about compromise rings true, and the good news is that part of the fun is identifying different solutions for different use cases. I really like the convenience of my airpod pros, but if i have the time and room to carry stuff, the mojo and Beyer T5's are a great solution. It's nice to be able to choose.
I wonder why audiophiles never talk about custom fitting their IEMs. Reshelling or just customizing the fit with your very own ear impressions makes the IEMs truly individual and it does have loads of advantages outside the pro world where these solutions are used mostly. I use my custom fit Blessing 2 Dusk both for my music and for monitoring at work.
I love my Sony Bluetooth in ear headphones when I don't want a complicated setup, something easy to use. Otherwise portability I love my trusty BTR5 and IEM combo. On the desk I prefer a tube amplifier to make any headphones sound warm and pleasant to listen to for longer hours.
So I think I’m in the right place to ask this question, ¿which streaming service have the best quality for music? I’m currently using Apple Music but no one in this video mention that streaming service so I am a little bit concerned
I would say Qobuz
You need to source for cables. Portability is an ease when you got the right cable for example otg cable for handphone to mojo.
Hey John. Great video... as always. I really love the ending when you talk about when you use which setup for a walk. I do that just like you. Very cold... AirPods pro. Weather good and warm... DAP and better or best earphones. Thank you for your work! Best wishes from Bavaria ;)
Thanks John. My favorite IEMs from Campfire is also the Ara. For when I want much more bass I use the Dorado 2020. The two of them fill out every conceivable musical genre I listen to. I also use the Fiio M11 Plus LTD (with the AKM DAC chips) DAP and I absolutely love the setup.
Recently I have tried to use a pair of Audeze LCD-XC with the Fiio DAP while at the office but I have not quite figured that one out, mainly regarding transporting but also EQing.
This was an absolutely great overview across the different options that really helped me understand why I have always been settling for Bluetooth IEMs on the go. Recently bought the Sennheiser Momentum TW 3 and love them even more than my TW 2. Would love to hear your opinion on them vs the Sony. It’s a German company, after all, and me being from Cologne takes at least a bit of pride in this one „tech“ company we have that’s doing high quality stuff.
I’m in noisy environments frequently, and it’s exhausting! Absolutely active noise canceling has been a godsend.
Thank you, John! One more great episode! If I can wish one more thing, related to this theme: Some of the equipment you showed us had 2,5mm BALANCED connections. I have a Pioneer XDP-300R DAP, supporting this 4-pin (TRRS-jack) connection and Shure SE535 (there is a couple of even more expensive IEM's, from Shure, as well....) - absolutely worth testing. With an appropriate cable (wich I have not found), the listening could have been done in "balanced mode" - witch in this scenario means using 4-conductor cable from the 2,5mm jack to the in-ear elements. Just like cabling loudspeakers. Have you tested this way to connect the in-ears? Does this make any difference vs. use of the standard 3-pole 3,5mm jack?
As always, very informative video and great production quality. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your review and instruction. Two questions: 1. Why don't you ever mention Deezer as a high-quality streaming service? I subscribed 3-4 years ago as part of a B&W free promotion and have loved it. Just wondering. 2. You don't seem to ever mention Klipsch products in IEMs or earbuds. You do mention Apple but Klipsch seems to be a real player. Are they that poor compared to all the other IEMs you review? Thanks again!
But Darko, what about… me saying Thank You for making this video. I appreciate you sharing your time and experience. 😊
Yes. The affordable and completely entry level (for beginners) combo of 2k DAP and 1.2k IEMs.. Dude. This is beyond silly. No person wanting to get into hi-fi audio would be able to put that kind of money on the table from the get go.
Yeah...no regular Joe like me and you got that kind of money to drop
I cop Chinese iem headphones from Ali Express and the k13 Jade audio dongle that just arrived in the mail
one idea that kinda tempts me is the hiby R3's hiby link.. so that when im not offline i can just listen to my offline tracks or use it as a bluetooth dac like that ifi. but also hiby link allows to use my phone to control the hiby using for tidal and my own music.. so its a bluetooth dac but can also have the full lossless experience
I think it's worth bringing up the Apple Lightning and USB-C dongle DACs, if only for their sheer value (USB-C will work with USB-C Android and Windows devices). Now, one can obviously make the argument that Apple's charging $9 for something that should never have gone away in the first place (although IMO these DACs sound better than my old iPhone 6S' onboard audio), but if you've resigned yourself to our dystopian dongle present/future and don't have a ton of cash kicking around, you could spend a lot more and do a lot worse. They test fantastically well, and pairing them with some relatively inexpensive wired headphones like Tin Audio or Sennheiser is a big step up in sound quality vs bluetooth. At $9 they're a no-brainer, even if they are a bit flimsy (I wrapped mine in shrink tubing). The USB-C model isn't a bad way to inexpensively get digital audio out of a PC/notebook if all you need is 3.5mm either.
Thank you! You opened my eyes with Plex and Plexamp! I have too big Hi-Fi library and i was searching to find a way to enjoy mobile!
AND you can have all this music in USB player(UPnP/DLNA servers)
I use a fiio setup most of the time F9 iem paired with the BTR 5 but recently with the colder weather I've been using the koss kp40 utility with the utility cable directly to my phone very good sound quality especially for the cash output.
My LG G7 does all this. Great portable audio solution.
Just watching this months later. The wireless stuff isn’t my thing on the go, but I have Sennheiser MW2 wireless buds when I want to move freely. When I’m outside the house I still use my Fiio Mont Blanc and Etymotics ER-4P. Absolutely no issue with any form of lossless music out of an android phone, whether playing via direct memory or streaming.
Another great video thanks I just introduced my friends to this channel can’t wait to see the next video 👍
Qudelix 5k is my favorite portable audio solution. I used LG phone is probably mandatory though for an audiophile collection. G8, g8x, v60 etc...
what you said "so if you're the kind of person that gets angry about high-end audio pricing you should just stop watching now..." what i would have said "so if you're the kind of person that gets angry about high-end audio pricing keep in mind that you don't need thousand dollar equipment to get great sound." this is (supposedly) for beginners, right?
he said beginners, not poor people.
Great video! I find myself more and more turning to my iPad- dragonfly cobalt at home with Tidal rather than going to the main HiFi now for the convenience
What about Fiio ka2 ?
And in matters of phone please get a LG V60
Your pocket issue is completely solved by the Sony NW-a100tps - I got it specifically because of my Walkman nostalgia - having a lanyard holder. I plug mine in, hang it ‘round my neck, probably under my jumper if going out in public, and I’m all good. I had an early MP3 player like that in the 00s where the headphone cable formed the lanyard. Works well. Could also divide the cool from the Uber nerds. I have no shame.
My first portable audio was a yellow Sony Walkman in 1982 - the sound quality has no doubt improved but the Walkman had more personality, long gone sadly.
I love my Fiio BTR5 (2020 non-MQA) but I use it as a dongle dac with the Fiio usb-c otg or lightning to usb-c cables, paired with a wired headset. I love that it gives me access to lossless at a low price.
I’m using a Astell & Kern A futura SE100 and a pair of JH Audio Roxanne II with 12 BA Drivers a side. It uses the same AMP Section as the a ultima Series but only a single ESS9038pro.
I would have liked to seen the Fiio M17 on here as it’s the newest DAP and faster than the two you mentioned. Also everyone always forgets about how good DAP’s are for music in your vehicle.
Honestly a Fiio M9 is enough for me, it's small, plays everything I have well, and didn't murder my bank account while still also including balanced out
@@UNSCPILOT I only use DAP’s in my car audio system as I’m not big on listening to music through headphones
You own a Rancilio _and_ you go to a coffee shop?
Great video, thank you.
I’ve always considered coffee shops an elite/rich people thing myself. I’ll just make my own coffee
You almost got me with the silent trains in Geramny. I was thinking about ICEs, those can be quite, but then I realized you were talking about the U/S Bahn. They are sooo loud, I would always pick a device with ANC and a headphone like the B&W PX7 or the Sony XM3 over any fancy IEM/Headphone.
I'm glad I watched through to the German trains/British trains crack...😁
German trains are very noisy. Maybe Berlin trams are quiet.
Plexamp is wonderful. I've yet to try a phone that sounds really good, I find myself fiddling with the equaliser to compensate but never seem to get quite the sound I'm after. Probably just me.
For my portable music needs I went with the Sony MX1000M4 because when I'm I'm out and about listening to music it's normally while working out or doing yard work so it needs to be sweat resistant and comfortable and not get in the way or weigh me down
This would be so chilling if you find out at the end , his librarys just filled with Kids Bop albums.
shout out to "we belong together" by mariah carey💀
🤣 When I used to keep music on my older Android phones, I’d juggle playlist after playlist. I wanted my entire library available offline. I definitely agree with your thoughts on microSD cards.
Been using my iPod shuffle loaded from my Linux laptop playlist. Clip and go.
3 terra bytes i mean bro your crazy
You'd be surprised how few albums that is
At Hi Res Flac it's not much
Excellent vid. Great info. Making choices based on compromises, as you state, is key.
these are all dongle issues, invest in better more purpose built adapters
lol fr
Would love some digging and analysis of Amazon HD. In that market UHD quality streaming, then make it almost impossible to listen at that quality via the design of the amazon hd app.
I'm just about to make decision which music stream platform to choose, do you have a thoughts on Deezer? And the next question is, does it matter at all when listening to music on a PC and a phone? Thanks for the perfect content you making Sir.
I would say that the choice of streaming service is very much a question of your very own personal use case.
SOUND: It is hard to judge the services on basis of their sound quality. I am a subscriber to Spotify, Qobuz and Tidal and have some experiences with Apple and TH-cam. When I hear differences, it is practically always due to the specific recording that they chose for the digitization. I have a decent stereo system that you would certainly call high end, but I am not able to say that I need high resolution to make me happy - CD quality is always enough for me. Heck, most of the time I am totally happy with Spotify's current premium resolution and wonder if I could really make out a difference to CD-quality streaming in a blind test.
PRICING: Pricing might play a role for you or it might not. But you might get CD quality for less money on other services than Deezer if you are already an Apple subscriber or an Amazon Prime user oder a TH-cam premium payer. Should you have children, a family subscription might make sense (and your kids will most likely try to make you choose Spotify, because that is what their friends will be using).
USER EXPERIENCE: All the apps look a little bit the same in the beginning, but the devil can be in the details. UX is the most important point why I would suggest that you use the trail periods of the different services and gather your own experience. Do you appreciate recommendations? Like music videos? Fancy podcasts, some of them exclusive? It is user experience that has always brought me back to Spotify (see also the next point). Ahh, and one important thing: It is possible to move playlists between streaming services or even keep them in sync while you are using several of them. I am personally using soundiiz.com for that matter and while it's not 100 percent perfect, it still keeps everything nice and tidy on all my streaming fronts.
INTEGRATION: Now, that might not play a big role for you, as long as you just want to use streaming on your smartphone or PC. But once you are trying to move that experience over to some hifi hardware, differences are starting to become huge. Like, huuuuuge. Should you own a Sonos system, Deezer might be for you as they offer a Deezer integration. When you are in the high end domain, systems will most likely have integrations for Tidal and Qobuz. That is the fact with Roon and InnuOS sense. However, integration needs some explanation: It mainly means, that you can access these streaming services using the graphical user interface (GUI) of the hifi system. But: That is read only! Let me give you an example: when you use Roon on your device, you can start a Qobuz playlist. But you can not add a song to that Qobuz playlist using Roon (you can add it to a Roon playlist, however). Reason is that the services will prohibit third parties from accessing their databases with a write command. Therefore the best solution is finding a service that lets you use the existing app of the streaming service on your phone (for example Spotify) to control the music that is played on the stereo system. So far, to my knowledge that only works for Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect and only works with a number of specific hifi hardware. Sometimes, workarounds exist. Sometimes the whole thing just sucks. Confused? Well, we all are. ;-)
In the end, here is my recommendation: Try Deezer if you want to. Build your first playlists. Then try Spotify. If you are a bit of a hifi nerd, then try Tidal and/or Qobuz. Move your playlists with Soundiiz.com everytime you switch, so you build up your experience and see which GUI suits your needs best.
Or just use Deezer, get used to it and be happy. 🙂
I really enjoyed deezer. Easy to navigate, good selection of artists and sounded good with bluetooth.
Unfortunately I'm on Android so when I connect my dragonfly red, it defaults to a set sampling rate and is not bit perfect. Deezer isn't available on USBPP, which adjusts sampling rate.
Quobuz is therefore my service of choice (available on USBPP, sounds great but also fairer artist royalties). But I was very fond of Deezer for bluetooth and direct-to-phone set ups.
Thanks for all.
You're the best!
memory cards are alright.
Yeah I didn’t really know what the issue was, after all you can have one TB in some machines, isn’t that enough?