I consider myself something of a skeptic. Not a real skeptic. I let narratives carry me away far too often, and question things I’m down with far too seldom. But I try to make it a point to distain the belief in listening and believing. For audio stuff: that test has to be hardware, standardised, volume-matched, and snarky.
Read moreRMAA: Astell&Kern AK70 24-bit
Marketing copy worthy of blooper reels is one of Astell&Kern’s fortes. And, Music Friend In My Pocket, AK70, is the cringingly, suggestively ugly even by AK standards. Bravo. Despite, this, the AK70 itself is handsome. Sure, its Korean edges will draw blood. But it is shorter than an iPhone 5 and not much larger than an original AK120. Get a case for it. It will fit in your pocket.
Read moreRMAA: Venturecraft Valoq 24-bit
If you read the summary (to be published soon), you will note that I’m not a fan of using Valoq. Valoq is kludgy. It is ugly. It screws the gapless pooch and pops way too much when the mains are switched on or off. Finally it’s got an annoying grounding problem.
Read moreRMAA: Cowon Plenue D 24-bit
In the spotlight
Even tacked down, my still-shiny Plenue D slid off my photography table, hit the tripid, hit the c-stand, hit the floor. Thank the gods the screen didn’t shatter. The series of accidents gave me and excuse to pinch and prod, the summary of which is this: Plenue D isn't as solidly built as the original AK100. It is nicely machined though, and attacks its user with fewer Korean corners. More so than the Astell&Kern, plates in its face and ass flex under mild thumb-and-finger pressure. Cowon prettied up little D by adding glitter to its polished flanks before sliding it in a brushed back capping it in a fully polished cap. Basically, they covered portable audio design trope but the serrated logo.
Read moreRMAA: FiiO M3 24-bit
This iPod nano guy flipped out when he saw Fiio's first Facebook advert for the M3. It is my strong opinion that portable players should come in all sizes. Shirking high-quality, comfortably pocketable players for kludgy touch UIs, massive screens, and evaporating battery life is poor form. My readers know my better than I do.
Read moreRMAA: Pioneer XDP-100R 24-bit
It looks like a Jeep designed by a man worried about his manhood. It performs like an Onkyo DP-X1. It’s got enough 00’s in its name to qualify it for an MI6 franchise of its own. And no way is it sexy enough that the handsomely epilated people on its marketing page would touch it for less than a model's wage. Strangely though, despite all its 00’s and other other idiotic geekified nomenclature, I find it easier to type XDP-100R than DP-X1. What gives?
Read moreRMAA: Sony NW-ZX2 24-bit
After dinking around with poor interfaces (Onkyo DP-X1, Pioneer), massive players (Astell&Kern AK380), and exploring the gory world of staunching bandages (Astell&Kern AK Jr, Astell&Kern AK380), I was so happy to fit the ZX2 in my palm. Its interface is clearly organised. It is generally responsive. Its body doesn’t draw blood. It’s a Sony. Whatever else it means, at minimum the name suggests a decent focus on human-oriented design. Indeed, both the ZX2's hardware and software UIs are revelations among all high-end players.
Read moreRMAA: Onkyo DP-X1 24-bit single-ended and balanced
Why didn't I listen to it? Simple: I don't care. The DP-X1 is too big, too awkward, and too slaved to an unfathomly music-unfriendly and ugly interface that I would never consider owning it. It feels bad in the hand, and whose interface relies more on glitz than it does on gravitas. Getting music to register to it was even more difficult than for the Astell&Kern AK380 (RMAA'd here - reviewed here), primarily because it is new and its firmware doesn't do ID3 tags well.
Read moreRMAA: MS-AK100 24-bit new
Consider this article a happy follow-up to the 'dud' MS-AK100 RMAA results I just posted. The results below describe the unit I originally reviewed at Headfonia. They describe a DAP which largely outperforms the AK240, and which, in many metrics, stays toe-to-toe with the 3500$ USD AK380.
Read moreRMAA: MS-AK100 24-bit old
Prior to releasing an official apology, it is meet to be up front about the performance of my AK100 which Mezzo Hifi modded. Next to the one I reviewed at Headfonia, and the one I previewed here at ohm, it is piss-poor. At my request Mezzo agreed to look again at the same unit. If it was out of spec, they would fix it. The results speak for themselves.
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