[Death_Block]

From my experience, yes, you need a DAP. My foray into audiophilia had me running a Dragonfly dongle from my phone, and it was a HUGE improvement. But I hated all the hassle of that setup, and I got my first DAP, a low budget one, too. Not only did it sound better than the Dragonfly, but freeing myself from the mess of the dongle was so nice.

Now a days, the only stack I'd even consider is with a Chord device, like the Mojo 2 or Hugo 2. You get far superior sound quality to even the best DAPs, plus, some of the best driving power, which only the most powerful DAPs can match.

A mojo sounds better than even the best of daps? The 2-3000 daps?

 

[PinkyPowers]

A mojo sounds better than even the best of daps? The 2-3000 daps?

100% yes. And it shouldn't surprise you. It's a simple device designed with the pure purpose of digital-to-analogue conversion. Even it's Amp isn't a real amp, it's done simpler and more purely.

The cost of DAPs bloats tremendous because they are far, far, FAR more than DACs. They have screens, fully-fledged OS'es. They have WiFi, BT, apps, internet. Even the metal machining on the highest end DAPs is probably quite a bit more expensive than Mojo's metalwork. So much more goes into a top tier DAP, and so they cost more.

But when it comes to the circuitry dedicated to achieving sound quality, Mojo is more sophisticated by far. It can afford to be. It's not nearly as limited by space or cost, because that's ALL IT DOES.

And Chord's DACs are designed by the industry's lead authority, in my opinion. So yes, they sound better than any DAP.

 

[Death_Block]

100% yes. And it shouldn't surprise you. It's a simple device designed with the pure purpose of digital-to-analogue conversion. Even it's Amp isn't a real amp, it's done simpler and more purely.

The cost of DAPs bloats tremendous because they are far, far, FAR more than DACs. They have screens, fully-fledged OS'es. They have WiFi, BT, apps, internet. Even the metal machining on the highest end DAPs is probably quite a bit more expensive than Mojo's metalwork. So much more goes into a top tier DAP, and so they cost more.

But when it comes to the circuitry dedicated to achieving sound quality, Mojo is more sophisticated by far. It can afford to be. It's not nearly as limited by space or cost, because that's ALL IT DOES.

And Chord's DACs are designed by the industry's lead authority, in my opinion. So yes, they sound better than any DAP.

I get that, makes complete sense, just didn't expect the gap to be that different. Would you say that goes as far as say a shanling H7 or the Fiio Q15?

 

[PinkyPowers]

I get that, makes complete sense, just didn't expect the gap to be that different. Would you say that goes as far as say a shanling H7 or the Fiio Q15?

With those, you may indeed get slightly better SQ, but it could be close. Chord is a more special case. Starting with, they aren't using off-the-shelf DAC chips, but rather proprietary design, custom tailored to the device and its needs. And, as I mentioned before, Chord has Rob Watts designing these things, and he is, in my opinion, on another level. As are his products.

Go on YouTube and watch one of his lectures. You'll see, he seems to be well ahead of the curve. After owning the Mojo 2, I can say, the evidence is in the pudding.

All that said, I am still a DAP user. Check my sig for details. I love the convenience of a one-unit setup. I've been rocking out to the Empire Ears Odin from the Cayin N6ii E02 all day.

 

[Death_Block]

That's what is drawing me to the chord products, and the already purchase of the zx507. I appreciate the engineering of not using shelf products. Plus they tend to be more musical. But alas, the 507 has kicked the bucket so looking for a replacement.

 

[PinkyPowers]

That's what is drawing me to the chord products, and the already purchase of the zx507. I appreciate the engineering of not using shelf products. Plus they tend to be more musical. But alas, the 507 has kicked the bucket so looking for a replacement.

I've never tried a Sony player. I've heard very good things about their top model.

 

[Death_Block]

I've never tried a Sony player. I've heard very good things about their top model.

Totl stuff. But all totl is out of my price justification. I'm not a diminishing returns chaser. I much prefer the sweet spot of performance at reasonable prices