Which fiio to buy

File transfer is super easy, and the 8gb memory would be enough for several albums of CD or FLAC quality and of course it's all expandable with an optional microSD card. Great for audiobooks, the Sport also features FM radio, and the only question here really is about sturdiness and longevity - but that is always the case with low budgets.

See the SanDisk Clip Sport. We have two tables here - the list of file types was two long to include in a single table, so we've separated them for easy comparison. The circuitry inside easily justifies the often astonishing price tags - they can often cost as much as a complete audiophile home setup.

Clearly, they should be treated as serious audio hubs. But if you want to find out what makes DAPs so much more special, read on. The first thing to note about DAPs is unquestioningly their stupendous audio detail - Audio with a capital A is the name of the game.

This leads to another important DAP feature. High-definition audio files can take huge amounts of hard drive space - tens or even hundreds of times bigger than MP3s. Based on that, DAPs need a massive storage capacity. Since many first-time DAP users comment on the incredible transient detail and increased headroom and soundstage, we need to mention the internal components responsible for those.

Even the digital ports play an important role, as they open possibilities for further expansion and sonic improvement. The quality of playback of any digital audio player depends almost entirely on the quality of the DAC Digital-to-Analogue Conversion chipset.

The quality of these components is proportionate to their price which in turn determines why some DAPs are so much more expensive…Higher-resolution files do sound better than lower ones and much better than compressed lossy ones , and the processing power of the DAC chip determines how such audio characteristics such as transient clarity, harmonics, depth, stereo width and more, are translated from digital to analog.

The great thing about great DA converters is that your amazing speakers and headphones will sound even more amazing. We recently ran a massive comparison of the best DACs of this year, where we explain the importance of digital audio conversion in detail.

There is in fact a close relation. Ta da! One of those may be made up. Not only are all of these handled natively without the need of conversion but each of them can be encoded at different bitrates.

Audio bitrate quality is quite like megapixels in digital cameras - the higher the pixel count in an image, the higher the detail. The ability of DAPs to play super-high bitrates is also directly linked to the above mentioned DAC chipsets, and we do quote the highest possible values - in some cases those can be as high as kHz, which is seventeen times the density of a CD uncompressed audio What is DSD Audio? One minute of DSD audio, for example, exceeds mb of drive space, which means that an average album takes somewhere between 8 and 12GB.

Good DAPs normally ship with at least 64GB of internal hard drive space, and manufacturers quote the maximum space that one can upgrade to. Other issues that we should make you aware of are things like compatibility with external memory cards; some DAPs support external storage expansions of only particular size and even type SDHC or SDXC , so do check your manual before purchasing the wrong card. It goes without saying that due to the large-sized hi-res files, library transfers can often prove time consuming.

The majority of digital audio players on the market currently use a micro USB port 2. The DAP market has become very competitive, and thankfully, many manufacturers have started to address this issue. Newly-released models are beginning to feature USB 3.

An operating system is the software that lets you interact with your player, allowing you to play songs, skip tracks, connect to Bluetooth and the like, all through a dedicated interface.

If you are an Android smart device user, you will immediately feel at home with the majority of DAPs. If you happen to have an overwhelmingly-large super hi-res audio library and the current maximum storage of your digital audio player is not sufficient, then the streaming capabilities of DAPs may be something worth looking at.

When connected to a computer server, they can also act as standalone DACs, streaming audio from a hard drive into your state-of-the-art amp and speakers. This, again, is a good place to mention that data stream transfer speeds are crucial for smooth and uninterrupted server playback - having a USB 3.

Additional factors come into play - even if your DAP might recognise every audio file in existence, your computer might not, and you might need a dedicated hi-res audio media player installed on your computer. Even then, certain files might be limited to a certain bitrate. Balanced and unbalanced connections are often referred to as pro and semi-pro respectively. In short, the effect of using balanced connections is to provide a better signal-to-noise ratio.

The slightly theory-heavy explanation is that balanced outputs offer an impedance-balancing between the individual wires effect on the connected cable, resulting in a better transference of the audio signal. Better than what you might ask? Well, unbalanced outs, naturally. This is really when balanced outputs can come handy and act as effective hum-destroyers, as we discussed in our breakdown of the 10 Most Common Home Theater Problems.

They have the same shape as regular small headphone jacks 3. When we talk accessories, the first thoughts include protective cases, screen protector kits, and so on, which are a little more than necessary when you are enjoying your music through a few grand worth of a handheld hardware.

The cool part is that many DAPs can be expanded in a modular way to fit a particular setup. Portable perfection. Photo Credit. The Master Switch. See the Sony NW-A55 8. See the Shanling Q1 9. See the HiBy R6 Pro See the iBasso DX See the Shanling M8 See the Cowon Plenue R2 See the Apple iPod Touch See the SanDisk Clip Sport DAP Comparison Tables We have two tables here - the list of file types was two long to include in a single table, so we've separated them for easy comparison.

Audio Conversion Explained The quality of playback of any digital audio player depends almost entirely on the quality of the DAC Digital-to-Analogue Conversion chipset. DAP Operating Systems Explained An operating system is the software that lets you interact with your player, allowing you to play songs, skip tracks, connect to Bluetooth and the like, all through a dedicated interface.

Integrating DAPs in Your Home Setup If you happen to have an overwhelmingly-large super hi-res audio library and the current maximum storage of your digital audio player is not sufficient, then the streaming capabilities of DAPs may be something worth looking at. DAP Accessories Explained When we talk accessories, the first thoughts include protective cases, screen protector kits, and so on, which are a little more than necessary when you are enjoying your music through a few grand worth of a handheld hardware.

Stereo mini-jack 2. On very rare occasions you may see two 2. Stereo mini-jack 4. Line out, Analog Commonly found on Sony products with balanced outputs. Optical 3. Depending on the size of the interface, different types of USB plugs may be present. This would of course be an unit which features even higher resolution DACs! Powered by Drupal. Learn More About Portable Audio. You wouldn't expect headphones to need any special equipment to work. Sound quality. We cannot fault its sonic chops.

The Alpha is as meticulous and honest as it is zealous, with an expansive presentation, punchy bass and good levels of detail. Fundamentally, players such as this must deliver hi-res music in a portable design — and it delivers this in spades. Live recordings are leant a degree of spaciousness and realism rarely heard. And each new generation invariably proves more talented than the last. And we stress the word 'reasonably': because while it pushes performance forward, it also pushes what's acceptable as an entry-level price.

Still, if your budget can stretch to it, this is a truly stunning player with superb build quality to match. In the six years since Sony introduced its first high-resolution Walkman, the Japanese giant has offered hi-res audio support across a variety of portable players, from the very affordable to the very high end.

The firm is most focused on the budget end of the market, though, and in it reaped its reward in the form of a What Hi-Fi? Award for the NW-A Clearly not one to rest on its laurels, Sony replaced that budget belter with this NW-A55L, set a new benchmark for affordable hi-res portable player, and picked up a What Hi-Fi?

Award for its trouble. The NW-A55L is fuller and cleaner, fleshing out notes the bass is notably better defined and presenting them with a more upfront sound. Our Product of the Year Award winner is still one of the best portable music players at around this price bracket. Boasting an easy-to-use interface, stacks of storage and plenty of hi-res file support — not to mention serious levels of detail and a dynamic sound that's synonymous with the brand — it promises a severe step up from your smartphone sound.

However, this seventh generation is more than that: it proves there is still a place for the iPod in this market of smartphone streaming and premium hi-res PMPs. In terms of tonality and overall character, it is a very Apple-sounding product.

It gets everything right, without overstretching itself in any regard. Balance is even, rhythms snap in time and there is enough dynamic interest to discern between varying moods and genre.

Natural, neutral That's before you consider its HD screen, extensive app access, gaming capabilities and even front and rear-facing cameras. It is essentially a smartphone without the cellular connection, making it perhaps the most versatile of the best portable music players on this list.

Hence it comes highly recommended. Read the full review: Apple iPod Touch Another What Hi-Fi? Each DAC type feeds 2. Though it does seem a little unnecessary. But that aside, the company has still managed to set a new performance benchmark for the price with the SE Which is no mean feat. For those with grand portable ambitions, high-end headphones and — crucially — the budget, the supreme SE a previous PMP Award winner is both a luxury and a logical buy.

Any less would be sacrilege. For over a dozen years now, digital audio obsessive Fiio has been living a bit of a double life. In its native China and throughout Asia, the brand is acknowledged as one of the frontrunners in portable digital audio players and their peripheries.

Here, though, Fiio is much more of an underground success, a kind of hipster alternative to all those gauche Apple and Sony PMPs — and its M11 is widely regarded as one of the best music players around at its price. One listen and you can see why.

The M11 Pro 2mm thicker than its non-Pro variant does the brand proud: it's an intuitive Android-based player with a hugely likeable and entertaining sound. Indeed, it sounds as good as anything at this money and better than most. And not at the expense of weight. Sure, there are better-sounding PMPs around. But you'd have to spend a lot more money to best this. Read the full review: Fiio M11 Pro review. This near-flagship model is pretty much faultless when it comes to sound quality.

But it's not perfect. It's pricey, for starters. The jogwheel is easy to reach for a right-hander's thumb, albeit it requires a fair old scroll to make noticeable volume adjustments. We also found ourselves knocking it unintentionally from time to time.

The presentation is clean, clear, punchy and detailed, and music sounds as it should. Its crisp transparency can make similarly priced machines sound dull, muffled or lifeless.

And more affordable players? They don't stand a chance. All right reserved. Player Player. Bluetooth Bluetooth. Earphone Earphone. Cables Cables. Accessories Accessories. Support Support. Forum Forum. Buy Now. Portable Desktop-Class Player M Exhibition Dec. Product Help. Warranty Terms. Download Center.

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