r/DigitalAudioPlayer

Very impressed, just got it today, now a lot of exiting listening session ahead!

The sub-flagship FiiO M25 DAP had part of its specifications revealed yesterday (May 17). In addition, several images of the new Digital Audio Player (DAP) were published on social media. Check out all the details below.

• English text: https://www.hifihub.com.br/en/spoilers/fiio-m25-specifications-revealed
• Portuguese text: https://www.hifihub.com.br/spoilers/fiio-m25-tem-especificacoes-reveladas

Designed this with my friends for my Electrical Engineering senior design project! This was insanely fun to make.

The cartridges carry not just music, but the entire software as well. So you can have a unique theme or applications for every cartridge. Theoretically this can play games or interface with the outside world via GPIO on the cartridge bus. We wanted a modular hi-fi stereo system that’s fun to use and tinker with.

I am very excited to get this DAP. I got this one on eBay for $56.

Can anyone explain what the Lowpass filter mode is about?

Thank you in advance.

I won't upgrade for a very long time. After a whole day or two of having it, here's my very casual review of the Hiby M500:

Battery Life

- Great. I can't complain. Mainly using Bluetooth Headphones the entire day of having it so wireless helps a lot with the battery. It's my main preference in listening as well lately. It's just convenient.

Build Quality/Design

- It's definitely made of plastic. But it feels solid. I like the whole cassette-esque vibe. The volume wheel feels better than my previous Shanling M3X DAP years ago. The back of the device is a matte-ish glass with the Hatsune Miku thingy.

My only cons:

- Camera

- Internal speakers

They shouldn't have bothered or at least made a version without it to make it cheaper.

I will not comment on the audio since it's kinda moot with me running BT and using EQ. Even my phone sounds good with the same setup. I only got a DAP because I got tired with my phone not being able to house all of the music in my library.

I would definitely recommend this if you love anime even if you are not really familiar with Miku like myself. For a more in depth review (or rambling in the case of Z Reviews, haha I love that dude) check out Z Reviews’ review on this unit along with Super* Review on YT. Cheers

Was in need of a warmer pair and these have certainly delivered!

Just received it ! Hiby R6 Mark 3 2025.

I got the tempotec variations v1 around a week ago, awesome device very light and with very good sound quality.

When I use it with sensitive iem like the tangzu Warner 2, I notice some crackling noise when I pause the music. Also happens with less sensitive item/headphones but it's very hard to notice.

I have other DACs with the same CS chip but I don't notice anything similar in those.

Do you guys notice the same? Or should I change it for another one?

Tired of your media player cryptically skipping music files? I built a utility to fix that.
I wrote this music scrubber utility for myself to audit, clean, and fix those exact file and metadata discrepancies. It's made managing my local library much less of a headache and hopefully it's going to make your life a lot easier too. It uses Python (via the mutagen library) to scan through your directories, dig into the metadata layers, and clean up the exact structural issues that cause players to choke. Check it out and let me know if it helps save your sanity!
You can find the utility here: https://github.com/dlaub123/Music-Analyzer

Introduction

A brief and non-professional comparison of the iBasso DX270 R2R and the Cayin N6iii with R202 motherboard. These are both mid-range DAPs that include R2R resistor ladder technology as part of their digital-to-analog processing chain.

Setup

All audio tracks are in FLAC, CD-quality or better. I listened to a few songs, then switched to the other DAP and listened to the same tracks, pausing for a few hours or a day between sets of tracks. I used AFUL Dawn-X iems for listening across all sessions for consistency. Symfonium is my player app of choice.

"Sultans of Swing", Dire Straits; "Habits", Tove Lo; "Bolero", Pink Martini; "White Rabbit", Jefferson Airplane; "Shampain", Marina; "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo", Béla Fleck and the Flecktones; "I Love It", Icona Pop; "Another One Bites the Dust", Queen; "Because The Night", 10000 Maniacs; "West End Girls", Pet Shop Boys, "Tank!" Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts.

Sound Quality

Both devices sound great. They are the most technically adept players at my disposal, by a decent margin, so this can't be considered a review. I also suspect that the differences I mention could be largely mitigated with careful use of EQ. In other words, I don't believe that (or I can't tell if) one player is better than the other when it comes to resolution, detail retrieval, or accuracy.

The DX270 has an aggressive audio presentation, with punchy bass and sparkle in the treble. It has an engaging, lively tuning that grabs attention, and might be a bit pushy for some. I wouldn't say the sound is quite U-shaped but it does feel as though vocals are slightly recessed. Especially busy instrumental sections, near the end of Tank! for example, get a bit chaotic and maybe messier than the engineer intended.

In contrast, the N6iii has a more relaxed and neutral sound. As a result, mids are a bit more prominent, and female vocals are especially lush and well represented. Jazz and complex instrumental passages are parseable and musical, while retaining detail and texture.

Form Factor and UX

An interesting contrast here with no easy-to-pick winner. The Cayin has a chunkier shape, being shorter and thicker, but is more comfortable to hold and operate. It's worth noting that the Cayin is startlingly heavy the first time you pick it up, this becomes acceptable once you get used to it. The iBasso has a larger screen which is mildly useful when scrolling albums or search results. The Cayin feels a little snappier when switching apps or searching, thanks to having 50% more RAM than the iBasso.

I prefer the stiffer buttons of the N6iii, but both are better with a case to help prevent accidental presses. They both also need a case for grip, as they are otherwise heavy objects made of smooth metal and glass. The volume dial on the DX270 is too easy to turn, the dial on the N6iii is a little difficult. Just call me Goldilocks. The volume UI of the Cayin is full-screen, which is moderately annoying and should be an option setting.

Which One Wins?

The iBasso has some advantages that don't currently apply to me. It has a balanced LO plug, and an external 12V power source for a mode that can drive headphones in a class that I don't own.

The Cayin can swap motherboards, and I'm currently auditioning the T201 tube-based board. Whether being able to switch boards is of value is sort of situational and personal, but it's hard to deny that it's a damn cool trick.

I'm fortunate enough to be able to keep both. The DX270, being a bit lighter and slightly smaller, will be better for traveling. The N6iii, with its flexibility, is great for intentional listening sessions.

Okay... if I was told one of them was going to be thrown into Mount Doom, I would chose to save the Cayin. But it would be a tough choice.

Specifications

Cayin N6iii + R202

• 5" screen, 6 Gb RAM
• 350g; 126 x 77.8 x 23 mm = 225.5 cm^3
• 9000 mAh / 16 hours
• About USD 1500

iBasso DX270

• 5.5" screen, 4 Gb RAM
• 265 g; 136 x 73.5 x 19 mm = 189.9 cm^3
• 4400 mAh / 13.5 hours
• About USD 1250