Easily one the best dap I have ever tried, and basically does all I could ask sound wise out of a dap. Sure it’s lacking any streaming support outside of BT, has a UI that’s a bit rough around the edges, and has some current quirks like missing gapless playback, but it’s all worth it because of the sound lol.
Starting a thread here because it deserves it lol.
Short impressions for the normal P6
Signature wise it’s a warmer smoother more relaxed signature, but without tilting too far in that way. Really really impressive dac for a dap, pretty surprising technical ability coupled with great organicness, can easily rival some higher tier desktop dacs (personally I think it’s inbetween a holo cyan and spring 2 if that gives any context). Drives basically whatever I throw at it really well for iems, and can drive a surprising amount of headphones as well.
Really hard to compare to other daps, because it just ends up besting pretty much all I have heard lol. Might trade one or two blows with something like a lotoo paw gold touch ti, dx220 max, or hifiman hm1000, but really it’s just higher level than those overall.
Short impressions for the P6 Pro
Some big stand outs when it comes to performance so far (from memory of the p6):
dynamics: it’s another step up from the p6, it has really impressive microdynamics so far that I don’t think I’ve heard from another dap before (I mean the p6 was already that way but this is just the next tier)
bass control, grip, and texture: the bass feels like it really improved to where texture is much more noticeable and a bit less soft and hazy, it feels like it has much more to throw around while having a firmer grip on things as well, and did I mention better texture lol?
stage: it’s width and depth are more impressive to me from memory vs the p6, it feels more organic and accurate in placement as well. BUT it does seem a bit less width focus and more depth focus
microdetail and layering: it is a direct upgrade in resolution and separation, but never in your face about it
Things that feel somewhat similar or not much changed from the p6:
timbre: is still really organic, doesn’t feel to have taken a significant step forward but nor a step back in quality, but I’d still say general improvement
tonal density: feels really right when it comes to fullness and richness, a fairly neutral approach with perhaps a slight bit of extra meat on the bone, but never enough to overwhelm, slight bit leaner than the normal P6
signature: still feels more like that natural-neutral type of tuning, a good balance with a slight bit of lean toward the warmer side of things, but reasonably neutral depending on how you have it configured, a bit more neutral than the P6
smoothness: it still feels a bit more on the slightly smoother leaning side of things when it comes to the midrange and treble, a slight bit less smooth but reasonably similar enough
Things that feel fairly different, but not ness better or worse:
forwardness: so far, it feels like it’s not as relaxed as the p6 and more on the forward side of neutral, but it’s not to the point where it’s shoving things in your face, not sure how I feel about this one as I kinda liked it’s slightly less forward nature of the stock p6
And it also has a touch screen which is easier to use even if I don’t personally use it all that often myself.
Dac wise imo it can now trade blows with the spring 2 kte. Nuff said lol. Basically an improvement in sound and usability that was worth every penny. Further increasing the distance between it and other daps lol.
I’d say pretty substantial step up overall, not really a contest there (ended up selling my qpm after I got it since I really found there wasn’t a case where I used it anymore)
It’s such a big difference that there really was no reason to use the qpm at all after I got it. It actually really does feel like having a really nice $$$$ desktop setup in a portable package.
I suppose that means I won’t really loook at getting anything else then I really liked the sound of my old Qp1r, kinda miss how relaxing it was with the Haka.
I currently use some Hart interconnects, short right angle 4.4 to 4.4, a 3’ straight 4.4 to 4.4, and a 3’ 4.4 to dual XLR. For USB, I mostly use what came with it or the W2. All probably need to be upgraded.
Ah forgot to mention I use the X8 Gold Plated Hybrid plussound adapters, and for the usb cable I actually don’t use anything special, because when I want to do serious listening I wouldn’t have it connected to a pc
I’m considering getting a few nice stands like these for my setups (likely 3 stationary ones) I’d need to see if they can make the groove bigger though
Was thinking of probably starting with audioquest forest usb c cables on each since they’re not too expensive, mainly thinking since I’ll probably have it hooked up as a dac when I want to use streaming services.
Also think I may need to contact Valentium on Etsy since they no longer have the case listed, although I would prefer to have a non leather case on it (I’m not sure if mine is coming with the stock case)
To piggy back off of this a bit, what do yall use as transport? I would use a pi but can’t use wierless network at work. I can get a switch and use lan, but usb->usb would be a bjt more ideal. I figure basicaky totl would be sms200 but anything below that? Seems like its pretty hard to find a streamer/ddc with usb out tbh.
Edit: I guess I could do chord 2yu but tbh, I kinda don’t like the concept of supporting that massively iver priced product
Well, if you consider a sms200 totl then I won’t mention what I use for streamers lol. But you could get a combined streamer/server/player which you would store the data on itself and you could get one with physical buttons on it so you don’t need to connect wireless for basic function control (aurender, coctail, melco, antipodes, innuos, hifi rose (no experience there though) comes to mind for example). You can find a fair amount of music servers which both can store local files and has usb, but the hard part might be trying to control them without a wireless network, they would basically need to have a physical remote and only some of them do
“top of my budget” would have been a better way to put it. But yah, only looking below that since 90% of my listening is either BT or local files anyways.
And sorry, i forgot I mention i want to use with roon from my desktop. Thats the hard part here. Finding a server/streamer isn’t too hard.
So you want something with roon support, has usb, and below 500? I can only think of a few and you mentioned one of them (although not sure if that has roon support), the sonore microrendu v1.5 (a nicer psu is a good upgrade later on) is around 500 ish and would likely have all you need
Edit: Duh, the allo usbridge signature is awesome for the price, should fit well into your budget even with a nicer psu, just install ropieee
the sms-200ultra neo + an sps-500 can reach 2k ish, then if you add on a usb reclocker that goes above 2k so perhaps you were thinking a stack of some sort. The base sms-200 is around 500 bucks but not sure if it’s still sold
Yes. I was certainly thinking of a stack. I didn’t know enough about it to realize that there was a lower tier than the ultra neo tbh. I was thinking ultra neo + power supply (no reclocker though I dont think)
Edit: just found it. Yes, I was thinking ultra neo + sps500 no reclocker
Edit2: while I certainly can use a switch to use lan i think usb would be easiest. How would something like a pi/alo bridge compair to an igalvanic + iusb (other ifi one, idk whats its called)?
I really liked the sound of my old Qp1r, kinda miss how relaxing it was with the Haka.