HiBy Music's new Android 12 R4 discrete Class A music player is just such an example, being whatever you want it to be – a pocket rocket compact travel companion or beginner DAP.  We've seen this before: just HiBy pushing the boundaries of what's capable at the very top, but also at the bottom. Built on four low-power consumption ESS Technology DACs and two dedicated word clocks, pocket rockets like R4 – at this price – were what Head-Fi used to dream about. Able to decode streams off Spotify, Hi-Res Lossless Apple Music, Tidal and whatever you could download from HiBy's open Android Google Play Store, R4 is an affordable audiophile's dream. It goes right onto Headfonia's Recommended Buys list and into Audiophile-Heaven's Hall of Fame. It punches above its weight to Headfonics. "R4 punches well above its weight, while elevating music playback and user experience beyond anything else I’ve personally used in this price range" says The Headphone List. That fidelity flows on to be translated into difficult, committed audiophile IEM loads too. Eschewing the de rigueur op-amps that you've gotten blaissé about – the ones that other manufacturers fit even into their mid-tier players – HiBy asks you to choose R4's superior discrete Class A output stage instead. [See Product Desc. For More] For an entry-level player, working with high open-loop performance before feedback is applied is no mean feat ... not to mention being able to handle considerable current and provide actual power into low-impedance IEMs. Distortion always remains low when you're listening, helped by its amplifier's Class A operation. 16 output transistors are fully biased to achieve their most linear open-loop operation, ensuring an accurate reproduction of your music without the excessive use of negative feedback.  This means that the increasingly low impedances of modern IEMs will be dealt with adequately. R4's output devices are truly capable of handling current and outputting up to 525 milliwatts of power – it's not a player that will lose composure dealing with loads from Empire Ears and Vision Ears. Picking this HiBy up quickly on the go does not mean sacrificing fidelity. Using op-amps would have been too easy, and HiBy firmly stick by their discrete amplification guns even at R4's price of entry. It's a level of detail that's paid off in natural, accurate sound, reproducing the detail its quad of ESS ES9018C2M DACs are capable of. The attention paid to R4's digital decode extends beyond its DACs, its FPGA and dual crystal oscillators – it's in HiBy's desire to split its quad array of chips into two pairs. One pair decodes PCM, and the other DSD. By recognising the completely different requirements in decoding each format, R4 keeps impressing us below the surface. Specially configuring a pair of its DACs, and their ensuing analog low-pass filters (LPF), means HiBy are in a much better position to bypass DSD's problems and decode the format purely. R4's DSD decode path benefits greatly from its LPF's stronger rejection of ultrasonic noise, in particular preventing single-rate DSD64's noise problems from contaminating the subsequent signal path. HiBy might have gone in all in on the consumer market with R4, but that never stopped these innovators from respecting their audiophile roots. It then backs up that distortion and noise performance with all the luxuries that a modern music lover counts on. Android 12 and Google Play Store's apps run smoothly thanks to a Snapdragon 665 CPU, for up to 11 hours on a single charge. Seasoned audiophiles needing a compact and rugged travel companion will not find themselves missing their reference DAPs very much at all, given how high R4 gets you up the tree in performance. Similarly, newcomers will be treated to the full audio experience very quickly – and in painless financial manner. If you've graduated from R4, be sure to check out HiBy's other marvels here too, or view all our other music players here.

In the spirit of the Walkman is Sony's entry-level NW-A306, such that anyone can enjoy listening to music today. With Android 12, Google Play Store and Wi-Fi compatibility for downloading and streaming, A306 is a wonderful music companion for any 3.5mm earphone and headphone. Lose yourself in high quality sound that’s even more dynamic and transparent, with a richer, more expansive sound field. Coupled with the ease of downloading and streaming music, it takes your listening enjoyment to a whole new level. [See Product Desc. For More] S-Master HX digital amp technology, independently developed by Sony, is compatible with the Native DSD format, and supports balanced and high power output. It reduces distortion and noise across a wide range of frequencies, for rich and full-bodied sound, further enhanced by new high quality sound lead-free solder. Various DSP tweaks can still be implemented in Sony's custom Walkman software, including DSD Remastering Engine, DSEE Ultimate upsampling and DC Phase Lineariser. Also view all of Sony's other releases here, or our other music players here.

Cayin Audio, you keep outdoing yourself. When every release from these innovators is expected to be a revolution, N8II had to break significant new ground. This tube or solid-state flagship music player achieves exactly that, with upgrades on every front. N8II plays with a deftness of touch to dynamics, realistic distances and imaging, plus a soundstage bathed in a gentle light that is at the same time detailed but never fatiguing. Headfonics heard N8ii up Cayin's tube DAP game. It went right onto Headfonia's Recommended Buys list. Twister6 heard "Cayin take their original N8 DAP to a whole new level ... beyond of 'everything but the kitchen sink'". Ear Fidelity declares it a "masterclass of a DAP", with "tube and Class A a game changer". Dual ROHM BD34301EKV DAC chips make their debut in N8II and portable audio, fronted by a full Google Play Android 9 operating system. That all feeds Cayin's new timbre selector that applies to both balanced and single-ended discrete amplifier outputs. [See Product Desc. For More] Four years in the making since Cayin's original N8 made history as the first portable tube music player ever, N8II achieves what its predecessor couldn't even have begun to dream of. It doubles up on its 6P1 tube complement in its small signal gain stage, packing two Nutube dual triodes for true balanced, differential, operation from either its 4.4mm or 3.5mm outputs.  N8II's Nutubes can be turned on or off on both outputs to match your listening preferences. If you choose to bypass tubes, signal direct from the DACs runs to the power stage, benefitting your gear that loves the precise, clean detail associated with transistors. READ ALSO DAPs have gone down the tube Taking inspiration from Cayin's tube/solid-state C9 portable amplifier, N8II's differential analog design relies heavily on common-mode rejection to serve as a clean, transparent – but never sterile – flagship reference with 125dB of signal-to-noise ratio. A marvel of miniaturisation, N8II packs C9's discrete power stage, operating in switchable Class A or Class AB to put out up to 1,200 milliwatts. This bias system ensures the output of watts that are supreme in quality – a result of individual transistors being turned on and operated where their open-loop linearity is optimal to further push distortion down. Cayin leave you the ability to boost N8II's operating voltage beyond 14 volts, further ensuring transistor linearity while guaranteeing headroom for large dynamic swings on bigger cans that need it. However, it's not only about the quantity of power, but more importantly the quality. Signal integrity is key. N8II's volume control remains fully analog, eschewing a lossy digital control thanks to JRC's NJW1195A resistor ladder part, implemented only after the gain stage. Any attenuation is kept far away from the delicate output signal from new ROHM DACs – of which Cayin's implementation has been key. READ ALSO C9 – nothing is too extreme for Cayin BD34301EKV decodes DSD as a native 1-bit stream without PCM processing, owing to N8II's external analog volume control. ROHM's flagship chip's ability to output analog in current, pushing distortion figures down and upping tuning potential via N8II's extensive current-to-voltage I/V converter, also cannot be overlooked. This small-signal segment beginning from the ROHM DACs has been overbuilt for a music player. But what might be considered extreme elsewhere, is only expected from Cayin.  Currawong says "N8II is for people who must have the best DAP of its kind, regardless of the cost".  ROHM's input signal processing via dither and advanced clock handling, plus a chip layout that's been streamlined for silent operation, are also talked up. N8II's FPGA feeds a pristine I2S signal to the dual DACs, after which they are upsampled by up to 32 times before being converted according to ROHM's linear-phase digital filters. Cayin have deployed the perfect Google Play-based Android 9 UI to feed every imaginable kind of content to its shiny new digital sub-system hardware. Direct Transport Audio bypasses otherwise mandatory sample rate conversion of stock Android. So play Tidal 16X MQA, Qobuz and Hi-Res Lossless Apple Music as the file was originally encoded with full confidence, with no undue digital tampering. The flexibility yielded by Cayin's Snapdragon 660 CPU and 6GB of RAM running optimised Android 9 is phenomenal, and fully at the service of N8II – Head-Fi's most advanced and complete music player in 2022. Those wanting more horsepower yet from Cayin can look at C9 as a potential stacking option from N8II's balanced line-outs here, browse Cayin's other revolutionary products here, or view all our other music players here.

Ambitions keep rising at HiBy Music. Give your flagship IEMs the treatment they deserve in 2025 and beyond with R6 Pro II alongside R6 Pro Max. As if bringing AKM’s sought-after flagship AK4191EQ DSP and dual AK4499EXEQ DACs to a new level of affordability wasn’t enough, R6 Pro II adds on a discrete Class A balanced 4.4mm headphone amp. Sophisticated, open and airy, there's a refined flavour imparted on top of its neutral yet forgiving transparency. Headfonia have already elected it to their Recommended Buys list, something that Audiophile-Heaven second. R6 Pro II is The Headphone List's "instant recommendation at or below the kilobuck mark ... packs more technology than I’ve seen in flagships only a year or two ago, with sound quality that comes oh so close". R6 Pro II’s AKM decode gets passed along beautifully to drive your prized headphones and earphones says MOONSTAR Reviews. Audio Discourse writes HiBy hit it out of the park – empowered by a beautiful I/V stage, Class A discrete transistor output stage, Android 12, full Google Play Store and streaming usability, plus HiBy's relentless drive to surpass previous limits. [See Product Desc. For More] A modern-day music player is so much more than its DAC chips, and HiBy have taken that to heart … hoping everyone does too, to truly see the extent of their efforts. Greatness achieved at the highest end is easy, but portable digital audio has a new master in HiBy because of how much of that essence trickles down affordably into R6 Pro II. HiBy’s effort means R6 Pro II is greater than the sum of its parts regardless of its entry price, and ensures the very best platform for Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM)’s resurgent flagship DACs to make their mark.  That’s evident because of the mastery HiBy designed around AKM's digital ecosystem. These Japanese giants, back on their feet with a clean slate, started afresh expanding the basic footprint of a single DAC chip IC into three separate parts – to similarly multiply capabilities by a factor of three. AKM’s AK4191EQ DSP is the brains of the operation, receiving pristine I2S clocking and data from HiBy’s FPGA. Aboard, AK4191EQ’s delta-sigma modulator takes advantage of its expanded, dedicated, silicone footprint to lay claim to the title of the first chip IC working at seven bits. These seven single-bit modulators flow on into R6 Pro II's AKM 4499EXEQ DACs, one for each channel and built with a single purpose in mind: to turn the interpolated, noise-shaped, digital data it receives into the most precise analog waveform possible afforded by its large footprint.  Silicone size matters when it comes to a great DAC IC, and AK4499EXEQ has it. Enabled by much more exact, matched resistors and capacitors aboard for precise DC single-bit decoding, and dynamic element matching that is less burdened by switching errors – granted by parts accuracy from a bigger footprint. Any conversion errors from AK4499EXEQs outputting in current manifests as DC offset, and not total harmonic distortion, that is easily filtered out. That's expected of any source claiming to be high performance.  HiBy's eight-channel current-to-voltage I/V section follows these AK4499EXEQs, befitting of chips that output in current for best distortion performance and indeed more expensive players.  By treating each of the eight channel current outputs separately before stereo summing, R6 Pro II yields a small-signal stage that is transparent and, most importantly, accurate. HiBy's gain signal flows as a linear waveform on to a series of 16 discrete bipolar power transistors working in Class AB or an optimally pure Class A. Differentiating itself from so many others who use op-amp ICs with inordinate amounts of gain, R6 Pro II's open-loop linearity remains excellent before application of feedback. That's owed to its Class A bias ensuring individual output transistors are working in optimum condition – aided by an operating voltage of five volts. Distortion and noise are kept low, without resorting to the excessive use of negative feedback. HiBy designed a true-balanced differential amplifier to further improve R6 Pro II's linearity, and you can count on common-mode rejection at its best whenever you plug in via 4.4mm.  R6 Pro II's current handling is impressive given its number of output transistors in parallel, meaning this HiBy remains unfazed driving even the punishing low impedances of Odin and Legend Evo from Empire Ears, plus the Vision Ears EXT, Subtonic Audio's Storm, Focals, Fostexs and Rosson Audio Designs. A separately regulated inductor-based power supply ably backs up this potent voltage source. And even this overachieving HiBy is able to supply its clean small-signal to the likes of outboard amps such as Cayin Audio's C9II, via a dedicated 4.4mm line-out port. By putting such a high-performance circuit and a big 5,000mAh battery in the palms of people's hands and offering them a Snapdragon 665 with full Google Play support, HiBy grant you the ability to bypass Android 12's sample-rate conversion for bit-perfect playback. This is what it means to truly step-up in 2024, and HiBy use the statement that is R6 Pro II to tell you how much more you should expect. See what forward-thinkers HiBy can really do higher up the range here, or view our other music players here.

R2R is for the purists, and few get purer than RS2. HiBy Music distilled the necessities from their pioneer RS6 for pure file music playback in a mini-form factor. Clearly enough, to land on Headfonia, and Audiophile-Heaven's, Recommended Buys list, with no shortage of the R2R experience for Headfonics. While being the smaller sibling, RS2 plays music back with a sonic truth and a particular delicacy and refinement only possible from R2R, but different to its Darwin V2 counterparts. Those with a tremendous personal music library of files will be particular enamoured with RS2's dual micro SD card slots for up to 4TB of storage. READ ALSO Darwin R2R sees HiBy set the bar PCM and DSD will be decoded up and down RS2's ladder of individual resistors, in the second generation of HiBy's low-powered, battery-friendly, Darwin architecture. With the work and skill it takes to design one's own R2R resistor DAC from scratch, we must say: RS2, like RS6 before, is proof of how far up the ladder HiBy have climbed. [See Product Desc. For More] We've heard multiple times it's not a matter of parts but the implementation that counts. So we pay attention when RS2 coverts PCM and DSD via separate circuit paths, doing so for the former ala typical R2R – NOS (non-oversampling).  That's double the feat because the precision demanded in exact resistor values – for the buttery, natural and resolving ability that R2R DAC topology is known for – goes up. Lovers of reference sound need not fret, however, with the ability to switch PCM decoding from NOS to oversampling mode for the cleanest possible result. That scrubs any last distortion and artifacts beyond the audible human hearing range. HiBy make the distinction between PCM and DSD, because RS2 separately converts the latter with the most purity ever encountered in a portable device till date. Instead of pre-conversion to PCM as many other off-the-shelf DAC chips do, RS2 preserves the original DSD file throughout the process.  Believe it: HiBy decode natively in DSD's true 1-bit process. RS2 calls for a simple low-pass filter for the purest, most elegant portable DSD conversion that preserves the simplicity of the process and original waveform. Amidst minimal digital filtering, the format's analog-like goodness gets delivered unmolested to your ears. RS2's dedicated and separate R2R PCM and DSD circuit paths mean you stand to enjoy the best sound you thought possible from either form – impossible to this extent, till now.  The final product goes through JRC's NJW1195A digitally-controlled analog volume control before reaching the output amp, for preservation of your music's true resolution, and that very special, discrete, native DSD decode. The sleekest, latest version of HiByOS allows you to navigate basically between your albums, artists, files and folders as you wrote them to your SD cards. With 4TB of external file storage, and up to 10 hours of playback, get back on the road with maximum portable fidelity in 2022. Also check out HiBy's bigger RS6 here, all of HiBy's releases here, or view our other music players here.

iBasso Audio's Amp12 is now released as an ultimate separate amplifier module for their flagship DX340 music player, its large, dual batteries ensuring iBasso could take this module's analog circuit to town. Clean, precise and infinitely detailed, with plenty of headstage, air and also a rumbling, authoritative bass, Amp12 is a product of the comprehensive discrete circuit built within, one Headfonia says "enhances the player signature in many ways, giving you a more natural approach to the sound", complete with pictures. [See Product Desc. For More] Indeed, iBasso built Amp12 to act as a most faithful conduit to your music, allowing it to remain truthful to the way it was recorded. The voltage gain stage is tuned to provide a vast and open soundstage, while the power stage takes that and preserves all the low-end authority in your music. Headfonics throws this back to when iBasso championed the term neutral, in days gone by, Audio-PH talking about its perfect balance. Audiophile Heaven adds Amp12 gave music a new lease of life. Plug any big can from Sennheiser or ZMF Headphones straight in to be immediately impressed, or use its dedicated hardware line-out as the ultimate source for Cayin Audio's C9. Also view all our products from iBasso here or our other music players here.

Cayin Audio's N30LE flagship proved so popular, they shrunk it down into a mini-me. Introducing the N3 Ultra, the entry-level tube music player with dual JAN6418 valves that yield warm, liquid sound to both single-ended and 4.4mm balanced outputs.  Baby Cayin's strengths are clear to Twister6. Headfonics says Ultra "is a huge setup from the older 2021 N3Pro version". Dual AKM AK4493SEQ DACs help bring N3 Ultra's concept into the future. Its tubes then sweeten Cayin's decoded analog. Ear Fidelity writes it's "wildly recommended ... it's just that good", praise which was echoed by Headfonia and ichos-reviews. Not content to just extend tube timbre to its balanced outputs, Cayin also adopted N30LE's dual modes to give N3 Ultra the same Classic and Modern tube flavour options. Working its JAN6418 pair either as a triode, a pentode, or turned off entirely, yields clear, audible differences that lets you find the perfect synergy with your transducers. This swappable tube signature then flows on to powerful solid-state output buffers capable of driving the low impedances of your IEMs and headphones. The evolution from Cayin's original N3Pro kick-started a tube DAP genre and indeed inspires flagships these days. But Head-Fi's foremost innovators show us first never follows, staying ahead of the curves with guaranteed hits like N3 Ultra. [See Product Desc. For More] N3 Ultra is so much more than its DAC chips, which as Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM)’s resurgent AK4493SEQs deserve a mention as lowering power consumption and performing better than their predecessor's metrics. Where N3 Ultra really begins to impress is the presence of its pair of Raytheon JAN6418 tubes – each taking care of one channel. READ ALSO The past, present and future of Cayin tubes Placed at the voltage gain stage where it will yield the biggest sonic impact, the small output of these pentodes makes its presence heard on all four analog outputs by popular request – 3.5mm single-ended phone out, 4.4mm balanced headphone out, 3.5mm single-ended line-out and 4.4mm balanced line-out. Indeed, N3 Ultra is a huge upgrade. It throws out the lossy DAC digital volume control of its Pro predecessor – catastrophically located in the signal path before the tubes back then, already diminishing dynamic range performance before the arrival of the precious decoded analog at arguably the noisiest section of its circuit. Never again. N3 Ultra incorporates a JRC NJW1195A electronically controlled analog volume control only far AFTER its tube gain and right before its power stage, where its quality can be showcased. This resistor ladder volume control comes only after the voltage drivers, kept far from the input signal for maximum integrity, and the best signal-to-noise performance. READ ALSO DAPs have gone down the tube Cayin count on the square law function of N3 Ultra's JAN6418 to push down distortion at the drawing board. The huge operating voltages of this valve section, and their Class A operation, in a portable player means that open-loop linearity exceeds virtually every other non-tube DAP ... at any price. The signal that goes in, comes out amplified the same. You'll hear from N3 Ultra the kind of effortlessness yielded only by high operating voltages, Class A bias and the non-existent capacitance of tubes. These factors allow minimum negative feedback to be applied, as what enters Cayin's JAN6418s has little error that needs correction. You can focus on the music in either Classic or Modern – the latter working each JAN6418 as a pentode – tube modes, knowing that you're hearing back the track close to the way it was recorded. The single-ended operation of Cayin's valves emphasises even-order harmonics for natural, engaging and warm sound. And the small quantity of tube feedback means distortion remains low order, rather than complex intermodulation. N3 Ultra's highly-linear small signal is then converted to balanced and flows into the player's differential solid-state output stage. These op-amp buffers give Cayin's prodigy the grunt to drive lower impedance IEMs and headphones like Focal perfectly. In this way, you can bask in the natural allure of tube sound, and still trust your player to act as a proper voltage source, packing low output impedance and high damping factor.  READ ALSO N3 Ultra's development story You'll want to get your music aboard N3 Ultra, and Cayin build in a Snapdragon processor as well as lightweight, non-streaming Android skin to keep operation bloat-free. Microphonic control is well in place around N3 Ultra's JAN6418s – learnt from generations of Cayin tube music players – and abundant heatsinking is applied around them to keep rising temperatures away from critical components. As evidence by N3 Ultra, Cayin don't build entry-level players. Each release is over-built to stand up to the rigours expected of it, and beyond. Check out the rest of these innovators' releases here, or view our other music players here.

iBasso Audio didn't just add a 3.5mm output to its classic 4.4mm discrete Amp8, MKII also injects some DX320 magic straight into the DX240 music player. Twister6 thinks this completes iBasso's mainstay with a "resolving dynamic sound". Headfonia says it adds to DX240's flagship feel.  Audio-PH believes the ease of the Amp8 MKII upgrade was "to embody your skills and demonstrate them to a large audience", and MOONSTAR Reviews definitely seconds the added variety and sound quality. [See Product Desc. For More] Based off the stock Amp11 MKII of DX300, a high 8 volt operating voltage grants AMP8 MKII excellent open-loop linearity, with the ability to effortlessly reproduce large dynamic swings in your music.  That's all backed by discrete buffers capable of 2 amperes output to form a potent power stage, able to maintain excellent drive into the ever decreasing impedances that are typical of bone conduction or electrostatic IEM hybrids.  Add Amp8 MKII to your DX240 for a controlled sub-bass boost and detailed emphasis in your upper midrange, while giving your big, transparent, Craft Ears and Empire Ears flagships the footing necessary for them to show everything they can do.  Also browse the rest of iBasso's line-up here, or our other music players here.

Listeners just can't resist resistor-ladder DACs, and the same can entirely be said for HiBy Music's discrete Darwin V2 R2R RS6. Headfonia rates it a "very good statement from the brand". It's a worthy introduction for analog lovers says Headfonics, and R2R was just the first step in building a supreme Android DAP experience to Twister6. READ ALSO Evolve or go extinct with RS6's R2R Your music will be decoded up and down RS6's ladder of individual resistors. And with the work and skill it takes to design one's own R2R resistor DAC from scratch, we must say: RS6 is proof of how far up the ladder HiBy have climbed. [See Product Desc. For More] We've heard multiple times it's not a matter of parts but the implementation that counts. So we pay attention when RS6 converts PCM and DSD via separate circuit paths, doing so for the former ala typical R2R – NOS (non-oversampling).  That's double the feat because the precision demanded in exact resistor values – for the buttery, natural and resolving ability that R2R DAC topology is known for – goes up. Lovers of reference sound need not fret, however, with the ability to switch PCM decoding from NOS to oversampling mode for the cleanest possible result. That scrubs any last distortion and artifacts beyond the audible human hearing range. HiBy make the distinction between PCM and DSD, because RS6 separately converts the latter with the most purity ever encountered in a portable device till date. Instead of pre-conversion to PCM as many other off-the-shelf DAC chips do, RS6 preserves the original DSD file throughout the process.  Believe it: HiBy decode natively in DSD's true 1-bit process. RS6 calls for a simple low-pass filter for the purest, most elegant portable DSD conversion that preserves the simplicity of the process and original waveform. Amidst minimal digital filtering, the format's analog-like goodness gets delivered unmolested to your ears. RS6's dedicated and separate R2R PCM and DSD circuit paths mean you stand to enjoy the best sound you thought possible from either form – impossible to this extent, till now. It gets a Gold Award from Soundnews for its performance and innovation. The final product goes through an analog volume control before reaching the output amp, for preservation of your music's true resolution, and that very special, discrete, native DSD decode. No detail is too small for HiBy, and it stretches to software. With Head-Fi's best Google Play Store and Android 9 UI at your fingertips, audiophiles will enjoy the natural, fatigue-free detail of RS6. Use any streamed music service ranging from 16X Tidal MQA, Spotify, full Hi-Res Lossless Apple Music and Roon, to YouTube, Plexamp and Soundcloud.  This is innovation that saw Headfonics name RS6 on its prestigious Top Gear 2021 Editor's Choice list. Hear this in tandem with C9 – owners of Cayin Audio's flagship portable tube amp should also seek out RS6 for a tremendously thorough R2R source complete with hardware line-out port. Also check out HiBy's New R6 here, all of HiBy's releases here, or view our other music players here.

--- SOLD! --- HiBy Music's R8 release comes as a sign of assurance, a bid at challenging for the top of the DAP market. If you've found a niche make it yours, and HiBy's uber-powerful Android 9 and MQA 16X player is a showcase of electronics engineering brilliance. [See Product Desc. For More] R8's dual AKM4497s bring out the best of your online and offline Tidal MQA files, with a headphone amplifier Turbo Mode that puts out desktop amplifier leagues of power to drive Sennheiser and ZMF Headphones with ease. Here is a DAP that's all about the big experience. Such as the biggest, most speaker-like performance from Sennheiser's HD800S driven 4.4mm balanced: two strong tower images playing from in front of you. Even desktop amplifiers struggle to portray the same cues in spatial depth with this headphone legend, certainly never matching full-size stereo listening...until now. R8 leapt onto Headfonia's 'Recommended Buys' list for its supremacy in powering virtually all manner of headphones, being elevated to a 'Best of 2020' award given it's no small task for a portable device. Yet Twister6 hailed HiBy for giving us a flagship music player not all about brute force, but beautiful sound as well. This all led to Headfonics proclaiming R8 the most complete DAP on the market at time of writing. For the music player that does it all comes with a full suite of accessories including its own premium leather-bound carry box and exclusive Dignis case in tow. It's an unboxing experience to behold. Porta Fi called it – HiBy nailed it with R8. Now at Zepp, whet your appetites with the rest of HiBy's releases here first, or browse our other music players here.

Cayin Audio's N6III continues with E203. The latest DAC/amp module is built around ESS Technology's ES9039Pro and a Class A discrete transistor output stage with Hyper mode, to yield some of the most complete portable amplification known to modern Head-Fi. Nothing else this side of $2,000 will drive a Nightjar Acoustics Duality, Subtonic Audio Storm and Symphonium Audio Crimson without compromise. Twister6 noted E203's "deeper sub-bass rumble, fuller body textured mids, and a more relaxed treble". ESS DACs saw arguably the most popular modules with the preceding N6II. In the time since, N6III has been able to take inspiration from C9II to invent a whole new analog circuit utilising this generation's 30 per cent increased board space, designing a great platform to debut the ES9039Pro in a Cayin DAP. Hyper modern, this ESS flagship's Hyperstream IV technology is good to go for the next decade. ES9039Pro's patented pulse-width modulation technology is already a one-up on standard delta-sigma modulation, now pushing nigh inaudible high-order distortion levels post-conversion further down. [See Product Desc. For More] This eight-channel DAC bring five new digital filters – many with low in-band ripple – to the party for new flavours of sonic reproduction. ES9039Pros pack enough computational horsepower to run their 8x oversampling process in just two passes thus minimising rounding errors – an upgrade on other attempts that use a concatenation of three stacked 2x oversampling passes which compound errors. Perfectly exploiting the dynamic range and distortion headroom these futuristic ESS DACs provide is Cayin's implementation. An eight-channel current-to-voltage I/V conversion stage is built in to preserve the full information from N6III/E203's digital decode. This overbuilt stage is befitting of ESS chips that output in current for best distortion performance, and indeed more expensive players. By treating each of the eight channel current outputs separately before stereo summing, N6III/E203 yields a small-signal stage that is transparent and, most importantly, accurate. The sheer resolution the ES9039Pro is capable of in E203 is the stuff of legend. But in the spirit of innovation, Cayin may be the first ones to tame this chip for personal audio use, drawing upon their experience developing the wildly-popular C9II tube/solid-state hybrid tube portable amplifier. Plenty of C9II's feats focused on beefing up its small-signal voltage stages, where the majority of an analog circuit's sonic signature is shaped. Cayin focused on reinforcing the current-delivery capabilities of said small-signal stages, ultimately allowing them to drive C9II's big discrete output transistors – and more importantly, the challenging capacitive loads they represented. Results spoke for themselves for C9II, and that's now trickled down into N6III/E203. This module likewise overbuilds its differential, balanced small-signal stage – where E203's sound signature is defined – packing in the venerable Texas Instruments OPA1612 that has been respected in line-stages for over a decade. How E203 overcomes its internal lag circuit capacitance is audible, resulting in an extended high-frequency performance that enables excellent phase response in the human hearing range for realistic dynamics. An airy, open, precise soundstage is possible as a result. Overcoming circuit capacitance also leads to voltage signals traveling through without lag behind current, leading to a more natural sound that does not descend into harshness. Cayin desire for you to enjoy this performance into a wide variety of gear. That's why E203 packs a Hyper mode, where operating voltages for its power section rise above 10 volts – the headroom and linearity of its discrete output devices assured as a result.  This open-loop linearity will particularly reward listening to the highest fidelity IEMs from Elysian Acoustic Labs, Empire Ears, PlusSound and Vision Ears available today, especially with E203's discrete headphone amplifier.  Indeed, Cayin's big output devices can be operated in Class AB or an optimal Class A, for sonic tweaking with your favourite earphones and headphones. Differentiating itself from its peers built with op-amps yet with inordinate amounts of gain and negative feedback, E203's linearity remains excellent already before correction is applied, owing to its high operating voltages and bias. Those ensure individual transistors are working in optimum condition. Distortion and noise are kept low, without resorting to the excessive use of negative feedback. Cayin designed a true-balanced differential amplifier to further improve N6III/E203's linearity, and you can count on common-mode rejection at its best whenever you plug in via 4.4mm preserving its resolution. At the tip of the power stage's spear, unconventionally large 3 ampere output transistors common to C9II and HiBy Music's RS8 ensure excellent current-handling. These are output transistors that can withstand high voltages – facilitating Hyper mode and a total of almost 2 watts for big headphones too. Capable of following the impedances of today's flagship IEMs low, Cayin's tradition building amplifiers that provide actual power as proper voltage sources continues. Rarely will a single device be as complete as N6III/E203 at this size, form factor and price point. The combination of the ES9039Pro's neutral, ultra-high-resolution capabilities, combined with an airy, delicate voltage-gain stage and an output section that effortlessly drives a wide range of demanding headphones, ensures this modular marvel will remain an exceptional performer for years to come. As you await the launch of their next audio motherboard, check out N6III's companion C201 module here, the rest of Cayin's gear here, or view our other music players here.

It would have been enough for iBasso Audio to answer the market by throwing D16's DSD DAC into an Android music player. Instead, the new flagship DX340 doesn't stop there.  The capability of iBasso's proprietary 1-bit, all-to-DSD, DAC is boosted by the arrival of FPGA-Master 3 to take DX340 above and beyond any other custom discrete decoder in a DAP. Totally transparent on a micro and particularly a macro level, portraying a soundstage filled with natural air and light, iBasso's fluid flagship reproduces digital with a life-like flow – a caress that presents dynamics sweetly without any hint of listener fatigue.  DX340 takes advantage of its powerful new FPGA hardware to load original and even more advanced software algorithms on, giving listeners immediately audible DSP tweaks that control harmonic distortion profiles. iBasso's impressive FPGA and DSD DAC are backed by Amp15 that answers another market call. A Desktop Mode is built in via 12V DC input, allowing DX340 to boost its max output power to 4.3 watts! That's power to drive many demanding headphones at the desk. On the go, DX340 leverages iBasso's dual battery system that supplies digital and analog stages separately for clean, abundant reserves. All that, for you to take your Hi-Res Lossless Tidal and Apple Music anywhere with you on this Android 13 pinnacle. [See Product Desc. For More] When it comes to music playback, DX340 doesn't differentiate between CD rips, Hi-Res downloads and Android streaming. It upconverts all your normal PCM material into DSD before decoding your digital to analog. All formats are passed as DSD through DX340’s 1-bit decode.  Without irony, DX340 will yield the most improvement to collectors of SACD-rip, DSD64 files. As a heavily-upsampling DAC, iBasso take the honours as one of the first Head-Fi products to target and remove DSD64's terrible ultrasonic noise problems. iBasso build a 1-bit DSD DAC into DX340 because there's zero error at the point of conversion. There, DX340 relies on the total accuracy of DSD's 1-bit conversion to analog, taking advantage of DSD's sheer ease of decoding to boot. The pitch for DSD's 1-bit conversion is digital at its simplest and closest point to analog – level represented only either as a 1 or a 0, switching on or off.  To achieve analog, the bitstream is simply low-pass filtered. But there's work DX340 needs to do first, preparing incoming DSD and certainly PCM data aboard your player to emerge as the best possible 1-bit digital stream for conversion.  How DX340 alleviates said white noise issues of DSD64 – indeed, of any inherent problems to single-rate material be it DSD's noise or PCM's steep digital filtering, intersample overs and digital pre-emphasis – is that it applies heavy oversampling to incoming data. iBasso's DSP oversamples data to huge bit depth and sample rates synchronous to their new FPGA-Master 3 generating I2S. The new multibit data running many times DSD's base 2.8Mhz rate is then put through a Pulse-Width Modulated (PWM) process in preparation for 1-bit decoding. iBasso treats each of DX340's 32 resistors per DAC phase as individual entities, operating them at very specific moments in the time domain.  Ordinarily that might spell chaos co-ordinating a total count of 128 individual DAC elements, but it's iBasso's FPGA-Master 3 that grants a firm grip of how each resistor-capacitor low-pass filter outputs in the time and frequency domain. The result of the entirety of 128 DAC elements outputting at phased intervals leads to a coherent, continuous waveform with finer stairsteps in time. That captures more detail in your music and reduces errors, decoding your music back more accurately to the original waveform. DX340's PWM DSP pre-stage addresses the problems of conventional noise-shaped digital's inconsistent rise and fall edges at the frequency level, with adjustments made to facilitate more accurate, predictable switching. This approach results in a reduction of errors by avoiding intersymbol interference. Notably, non-linearities arising from rise and fall mismatches do not manifest as total harmonic distortion. iBasso's PWM DSP does not produce harmonic errors that vary with digital output levels.  And the processing power FPGA-Master 3 possesses allows listeners to experiment with digital harmonic distortion profiles in real-time. Dubbed 'Advanced Harmonic Adjustment', DX340 owners can switch between adding even-order harmonics – for smoother and more liquid sound – or odd-order harmonics – for greater dynamics and harder impact. Instant synergies with your headgear can be discovered in this way. Aboard DX340's logic is a digital volume control with large coefficients to trim levels and add datastream width. This high bit and sample rate headroom is free from overload issues when it is eventually brought back down to the required 1-bit DSD signal for low-pass filtered conversion – but now at a bandwidth of 49Mhz, moving DSD's white noise issues far, far out of the audible band. iBasso's discrete proprietary tech immediately differentiates itself from commercial DAC chips, where IC packages are often too small to perform an ideal 1-bit DSD conversion. DX340 also avoids the errors of dynamic element matching inherent to 2-7 bit delta-sigma decoders. This high-fidelity is amplified and flows on to DX340's Amp15 and powerful op-amp output buffers that supply current and mean iBasso's flagship promises high damping factor while maintaining its low distortion into low impedances typical of IEMs, Focals, Fostexs and Rosson Audio Designs. Specially selected by iBasso, DX340 boasts eight Texas Instrument devices that are ideal voltage sources and stable into capacitive loads, with their gain bandwidth product ensuring frequency response extends well beyond the human hearing range for excellent phase response and taut, impactful and life-like dynamics. Still the closed-loop internal gain remaining after the mandatory application of negative feedback around iBasso's analog circuit remains high, so where she really can shine is in swinging voltage, opening up the sound of any high-impedance Audio-Technica, Sennheiser and ZMF Headphones while barely breaking sweat. But where DX340 exceeds all others who use this TI buffer is its ability to accept a 12 volt DC input into Amp15, bypassing its battery and internal 8 volt rails to increase headroom and linearity, directly boosting the amount of swing DX340 is capable of.  With Desktop Mode activated by inserting said DC power supply, Amp15 is capable of outputting over 2 watts per channel, effortlessly running big headphones at the desk! But discrete audio amplification will always still have its day, and previous owners of the DX300, DX320 and their relevant amplifier cards are not left hung out to dry.  Amps 12 thru 14 are adaptable to DX340's new structural housing via card adapters, meaning you can enjoy Amp12's discrete current-handling and reduced feedback of such topologies with the most demanding low-impedance flagship IEMs around today. While the Nutube gain stages of Amp13 and Amp14 can also transfer their lush goodness to DX340, grab the JAN6418/BUF634A Amp16 now to enjoy incredible power output! Away from the desk, you'll enjoy clean power for whichever card you load up, with separate battery systems – one for digital and one for analog circuits – meaning you'll never risk one side dirtying the other. This battle against obsolescence through swappable amp cards and dual batteries is aided by DX340's enclosure being easy for you to access and change any parts that you need, without returning to the factory.  iBasso's future-proofing is complete with the loading of Android 13 aboard a Snapdragon 665 SOC backed by 8GB of RAM. And a coaxial output also means DX340's FPGA-Master 3 makes for a wonderful source with iBasso's own D16 and D17, should you want to stack DX340 is the pinnacle of iBasso engineering, a testament to how far they've brought Head-Fi. Upgrade yours today with Amp16 ... or, if you seek other simpler DAC and DAP solutions, check out iBasso's other releases here, or view our other music players here.

When you've got the code, you've got the power. HiBy Music's proprietary DARWIN DSP and digital filter design has paid off in R8II – Head-Fi's groundbreaking, first totally original, discrete pulse-width modulated (PWM) music player. Sweet, with a black background and plenty of vocal density, R8II is one smooth customer. With DARWIN having gained prominence in the R2R RS6 and RS8 players as software specially written for hardware, the oversampling, noise-shaped PWM R8II eschews standard DAC chips and is an even further step as a pure HiBy digital creation. It goes right onto Headfonia's Recommended Buys list. Headfonics hail R8II's "vocal presence and midrange openness that might tick more boxes than the RS8". Twister6 praised "such rich selection of features and the flagship level of performance at a cheaper price in comparison to their RS8 TOTL flagship".  The Headphone List gives it the "highest possible recommendation". Indeed, HiBy loaded code aboard R8II's FPGA to run its PWM DAC with a new frequency and time domain accuracy. It gets the Soundnews Gold Award and even outscores its RS8 cousin, as this reviewer validly questioned if it's the best portable DAP ever. All these gains in decoding digital to analog translate to a newfound realism and accuracy in playing music back via the Android 12 R8II, which comes with HiBy's discrete Class A 4.4mm headphone amplifier capable of driving a new generation of low-impedance flagship earphones. [See Product Desc. For More] Instead of being a mere drive towards cost-effectiveness, the PWM R8II – dubbed DARWIN Multi-Phase Array (MPA) – unlocks a new era of sustainable portable performance in DAPs. This PWM prodigy sidesteps the impractical dependance on parts precision necessary in analog circuits and filters to perform. Rather, R8II shifts the hard work into the digital realm for frequency and time-domain results only possible with high-speed DSP. Its pulse-width modulation decoding of digital via individual capacitors and resistors is already a one-up on the standard delta-sigma modulation typically found in DAC chips.  HiBy's DARWIN MPA addresses the problems of conventional delta-sigma's inconsistent rise and fall edges at the frequency level, with adjustments made to facilitate more accurate, predictable switching on and off between 1s and 0s. This approach results in a reduction of errors by avoiding intersymbol interference. Notably, non-linearities arising from rise and fall mismatches do not manifest as total harmonic distortion. R8II's PWM decoding does not produce harmonic errors that vary with digital output levels. The brains of R8II are contained within its FPGA running a second generation of DARWIN digital filters. HiBy has cracked the formula for simultaneous time and frequency domain performance via its proprietary code. Certainly, digital can only claim to be high-performance if it oversamples heavily past the problems of Nyquist. And R8II is such a fruition of this ideal being developed entirely in-house at HiBy. DARWIN digital filters oversample incoming PCM data by 128x. These formats are put through a discrete MPA DAC running at an incredible speed of 6.144 Mhz. Shifting the Nyquist frequency exponentially beyond the range of human hearing enables the associated digital filter to function with a shallow profile. This allows for the effective blocking of aliased digital frequencies, while concurrently enhancing time-domain performance by minimising impulse ringing – a contrast to what a standard steep digital filter might induce. Importantly, this approach dramatically relaxes demands on the parts precision of any subsequent analog low-pass filter following R8II's DARWIN MPA DAC. Not that its discrete current-to-voltage I/V converter – made of individual transistors – has a problem dealing with any remaining distortion presenting itself as a DC offset that is easy to filter out. The dynamic element-matched, multi-bit output of R8II's DAC is precious. Indeed, HiBy's I/V stage has the high slew rates and instant step response necessary to keep up with the more linear phase of DARWIN MPA's shallow digital filters. Whatever entered R8II's DAC as digital comes out exactly the same in analog due to this I/V's low open-loop gain – with lower negative feedback necessary leading to its high speed, plus high slew rates and unity gain stability.  There's a reason R8II portrays elements within the soundstage with such solidity, despite aural image tangibility not normally being the strong suit of 2-7 bit delta-sigma or PWM designs. Indeed, the elements within the soundstage this HiBy generates are convincingly rendered because its small analog signal post-conversion is of the highest quality, and inherently stable without going into oscillation caused by too much I/V gain product. HiBy's decode goes through a four-channel analog volume control before reaching the Class A discrete output stage, preserving your music's true dynamic range resolution. R8II's power supply rails see operating voltages for its power section sit at a nominal 6 volts that Turbo Mode boosts to 7.5, assuring the open-loop linearity of discrete transistors. HiBy's discrete amplifier can be operated in Class AB or an optimal Class A, for sonic tweaking with your favourite earphones and headphones. Differentiating itself from even other flagships that cling to op-amp layouts seeking THX-certification but with inordinate amounts of gain and feedforward/feedback, R8II's linearity remains excellent already in the open-loop, owing to its high operating voltages and bias. Those ensure individual transistors are working in optimum condition. Distortion and noise are kept low, without resorting to the excessive use of negative feedback. HiBy designed a true-balanced differential amplifier to further improve R8II's linearity, and you can count on common-mode rejection at its best whenever you plug in via 4.4mm preserving its resolution. It's an output stage that's direct-coupled to improve low-frequency performance, and R8II audibly plumbs the lowest bass depths. With the extension down low, phase reproduction in the audible human hearing range for taut, hard-hitting and life-like dynamics is excellent. At the tip of R8II's power stage spear, 16 transistors ensure excellent current-handling for good reason, to reap the full benefit of HiBy's separately regulated power supplies for analog and digital sections.  The former is particularly massive and incorporates inductors that store huge energy in a magnetic field before releasing on demand to HiBy's Class A amplifier.  Superior even to super capacitors due to their low DC resistance, these inductors constitute a massive power supply for an output stage that can follow the impedances of the Empire Ears Raven, Odin, Legend Evo plus Vision Ears Elysium EXT down low. Simultaneously, R8II swings enough voltage to push Subtonic Audio's Storm and Symphonium Audio's Crimson, Sony's IER-Z1R as well as Focal's Utopia, Stellia and Clear MG Pro, with total aplomb. You'll want to exploit all of R8II's technical feats by getting as much of your music aboard. So HiBy built in the futuristic Snapdragon 665 SOC and 8GB of RAM to run Android 12 and Google Play Store perfectly. A 12,000mAh battery supplies up to 20 hours of use. Stream Hi-Res Lossless Tidal and Apple Music at full bit and sample rates with HiBy's Direct Transport Audio OS that bypasses detrimental Android sample-rate conversion. And an alcantara-covered backplate and stainless steel chassis means you'll always listen to R8II in style. It's style that absolutely comes with substance, containing a HiBy heirloom. A heirloom that cumulates as a symbol for how far they've come turning their code into truly groundbreaking products and musical nirvana. Track how HiBy made their way to the top by checking out their other innovations here, or view our other music players here.

It had to be Cayin. From those who gave Head-Fi the first Android-based R2R DAP, and the first similar discrete resistor DAC/amp dongle, comes N7. This all-to-DSD flagship music player is a fitting celebration of Cayin Audio's 30th anniversary. Built of 128 individual resistors and original DSP work carried on a FPGA, the fully-balanced, differential, 1-bit discrete DAC in N7 is proprietary Cayin through and through. It's "the kind of DAP that invigorates your listening experience with headgear that perhaps over time you have gotten a bit blasé about" praised Headfonics. "Cayin is putting the bar very high for themselves and the competition" added Headfonia. Twister6 wrote home about N7 after he adopted it as his daily driver for "flagship-level performance". It's a flagship bargain to eCoustics. ichos-reviews envies "the lucky owner with many hours of pure musical bliss". Cayin doesn't differentiate between CD rips, Hi-Res downloads and Spotify, Tidal or Apple Music streaming. The Android 12, Google Play Store N7 converts all your normal PCM playback into DSD.  All formats are then passed as DSD through N7's precise 1-bit decode, before signal flows on to a balanced 4.4mm discrete transistor headphone amplifier biased into Class A. [See Product Desc. For More] Caiyin's latest innovation combines the best of digital and analog technology to emerge totally unique and apart from an increasingly mature market. N7's corporeal, physical and tangible sound is unmatched by any other DAP. N7 doesn't just sound surprisingly non-digital: it's utterly realistic and true to life. Natural and chock full of resolution, Cayin's landmark release stands apart by presenting music in a spectacular yet totally even-handed way bottom to top. Cayin returns to Sony's Scarlet Book SACD revolution of the 1990s and elevates that conversion philosophy with modern hardware plus a proprietary DSP trick or two. N7's highlight is its 1-bit decoder, drawing inspiration from the Philips and Marantz DSD DACs of yore. N7 converts all PCM files to octo-rate DSD first via DSP logic, while letting native DSD material flow on to the 128 discrete resistors in its fully-balanced DAC – in actuality a simple analog low-pass filter. There's zero error at the point of conversion in a 1-bit DAC. There, Cayin relies on Pulse-Density Modulation (PDM)'s total accuracy, and sheer ease of decoding. The pitch for DSD's 1-bit conversion is digital at its simplest and closest point to analog – level represented only either as a 1 or a 0, switching on or off. To achieve analog, the bitstream is simply low-pass filtered. Cayin's all-to-DSD discrete DAC is accurate ... and also elegant, breakthrough and historic in personal audio. It draws inspiration from the illustrious halls of Hi-Fi, where each EMM Labs, Nagra Audio, Playback Designs and PS Audio 1-bit DAC release has been greeted with accolades and fanfare. N7's discrete proprietary tech immediately differentiates itself from commercial DAC chips, where IC packages are often too small to perform an ideal 1-bit conversion. N7 also avoids the errors of dynamic element matching inherent to 2-7 bit delta-sigma decoders. The delicate analog voltage waveform painstakingly decoded from DSD in N7 is precious. Cayin's R&D, invested building their own DAC, pays off as the fragile small-signal goes on to be handled by a similar discrete bipolar transistor gain stage. This design is more than up to the task of preserving the signal – mere op-amp ICs need not apply. Instead of wasting their DAC development efforts by entrusting the analog job to commercial ICs, Cayin's labour of love continued into its discrete, differential, analog stage for common-mode rejection. N7's driver section counts on all the benefits that come with a discrete bipolar design – low voltage noise, low open-loop gain and the resultantly lower negative feedback necessary, high slew rates and unity gain stability. This accurate linearity means that whatever entered N7's DAC as digital, comes out exactly the same in analog. There's a reason N7 portrays elements within the soundstage with such solidity, the aural images it generates so convincingly rendered – its small signal post-conversion is of the highest quality, and inherently stable without going into oscillation caused by too much gain product. The utmost attention is paid throughout. The results of which can be fed out as a line or pre-amp voltage to a downstream amp such as Cayin's C9ii and iBasso Audio's PB5 tube/solid-state hybrid portable amplifier. The decoded analog goes through a four-channel analog volume control before reaching the Class A discrete output amp, facilitating that very special 1-bit discrete DSD decode and importantly preserving your music's true dynamic range resolution. N7's high rails see operating voltages for its power section rise above 10 volts, the linearity of discrete transistors assured as a result. Cayin's discrete headphone amplifier can be operated in Class AB or an optimal Class A, for sonic tweaking with your favourite earphones and headphones.  Differentiating itself from even other flagships that cling to op-amp layouts seeking THX-certification but with inordinate amounts of gain and feedforward/feedback, Cayin's linearity remains excellent already in the open-loop, owing to its high operating voltages and bias. Those ensure individual transistors are working in optimum condition. Distortion and noise are kept low, without resorting to the excessive use of negative feedback. Cayin designed a true-balanced differential amplifier to further improve N7's linearity, and you can count on common-mode rejection at its best whenever you plug in via 4.4mm preserving its resolution. It's an output stage that's direct-coupled to improve low-frequency performance, and N7 audibly plumbs the lowest bass depths. With the extension down low, phase reproduction in the audible human hearing range for taut, hard-hitting and life-like dynamics is excellent. At the tip of the power stage's spear, unconventionally large 5 ampere output transistors ensure excellent current-handling for good reason, to reap the full benefit of N7's separately regulated power supplies for analog and digital sections. Capable of following the impedances of the Empire Ears Raven, Odin and Legend Evo down low, Cayin's 30-year tradition building amplifiers that provide actual power as proper voltage sources into halving resistances continues with N7. You'll want to exploit all of N7's technical feats by getting as much of your music aboard. So Cayin built in the futuristic Snapdragon 665 SOC and 4GB of RAM to run Android 12 perfectly. A 9,000mAh battery supplies up to 10 hours of use. Stream 16X Tidal MQA and full Hi-Res Lossless Apple Music at full bit and sample rates with Cayin's Direct Transport Audio OS that bypasses detrimental Android sample-rate conversion. And voilà: there ends the list of exploits as long as Cayin's illustrious history that the discrete 1-bit DSD decoding, Class A N7 brings to market – ready to take on the next 10 years. Also look how Cayin intend to define a new era via their entire catalogue here, or view our other music players here.

By popular request – iBasso Audio send DX340 further down the tube with their balanced Nutube 4.4mm Amp14 amplifier card. Twister6 loved "fine-tubing" the sound! Building on Amp13, and the clamour for a balanced version on the back of its success, iBasso have come up with another Nutube module capable of swinging twice as much output voltage for bigger Focal and Fostex headphones.  iBasso's DX3XX series is a great platform to launch a design as ambitious as Amp14, with its dedicated analog section battery and extra chassis space for an uncompromising audio circuit put to great use here. Amp14 is the natural evolution for DX340, its strong liquidity and air the natural complement to one of Head-Fi's most detailed music players – despite its Nutube's cathode input providing strong immunity to Wi-Fi and external interference, in a reference implementation of Korg's direct-heated triode. [See Product Desc. For More] Placed at the voltage gain stage where it will yield the biggest sonic impact, the small output of Amp14's Nutube then gets boosted by Toshiba FET buffers. The differential stage begins there while preserving the square law function of the Nutube, and grants the voltage section enough juice to drive the rest of Amp14's solid-state output stage.  DX340's dynamic range is maintained through two NJR NJU72315 digitally-controlled analog volume parts. The fully balanced, differential, Amp14 is additionally able to count on common-mode rejection plus adequately applied negative feedback for more linearity and less distortion and noise. The separate 2,000mAh analog battery aboard the DX3XX line supplies the backbone of power for Amp14's high operating voltages, with clean, individual DC power sections for crucial parts of the module including a 14 volt supply for the Nutube's anode. Dual Texas Instruments OPA1622 op-amps make up Amp14's power stage with operating voltages of 8 volts, such that higher impedance transducers are given the swing necessary to perform. A dedicated 4.4mm line-out section on Amp14 also supplies DX340's excellent small signal to an outboard amplifier. Such is expected of a high-performance iBasso Amp14 module that yields excellent distortion and noise specifications, while capturing the romance of tubes in DX340. ichos-reviews says Amp14 completes iBasso's family of amp cards with its natural timbre. Also view Amp13 here, all of iBasso's other portables here, and our music player catalogue here.

DARWIN shook Head-Fi and now HiBy Music has arrived at R2R's final evolution. RS8 climbs to the peak of portable decoding with DARWIN V2 – HiBy's flagship discrete R2R topology. HiBy's TOTL R2R music player spares no expense and doesn't stop at its most advanced resistor ladder DAC, adding on a discrete Class A 4.4mm headphone amplifier and overbuilt power supplies. RS8 is a new gold standard that matches desktop R2R writes Headfonics, winning its Best DAP of 2022 award. Headfonia elected RS8 to its Recommended Buys list. It also gets the Soundnews Gold award. Twister6 praised its "natural organic tonality with a resolving tuning". RS8 is the host with the most, doubling its DAC's individual resistor count compared to RS6 and putting its precision at the disposal of a full Google Play Services Android 12 OS. The Headphone List recommends RS8 unequivocally. Install and play back your favourite music streaming apps such as Tidal Masters and Apple Music at their full resolutions, courtesy of this decoding behemoth. [See Product Desc. For More] RS8 follows in RS6's footsteps converting PCM and DSD via separate DARWIN II circuit paths, doing so for the former ala typical R2R – NOS (non-oversampling).  READ ALSO How HiBy's DARWIN set the standard That's double the feat because the precision demanded in exact resistor values – for the buttery, natural and resolving ability that R2R DAC topology is known for – goes up. DARWIN II doubles the individual resistors originally found in DARWIN, making the most of its chassis space to line up 184 high-precision resistors to work the Most Significant Bits and Least Significant Bits of your music better.  DARWIN II's linearity improves as a result and its capacity to reproduce micro-detail from small signal levels sees a dynamic range improvement of 15dB in RS8.  Lovers of reference sound need not fret, however, with the ability to switch PCM decoding from NOS to oversampling mode for the cleanest possible result. That scrubs any last distortion and artifacts beyond the audible human hearing range, via proprietary DARWIN II digital filters implemented aboard RS8's FPGA. At the signal processing stage, HiBy make the distinction between PCM and DSD, because RS8 separately converts the latter with the most purity ever encountered in a portable device till date. Instead of pre-conversion to PCM as many other off-the-shelf DAC chips do, RS8 preserves the original DSD file throughout the process.  Believe it: HiBy decode natively in DSD's true 1-bit process. RS8 calls for a simple low-pass filter for the purest, most elegant portable DSD conversion that preserves the simplicity of the process and original waveform. Amidst minimal digital filtering, the format's analog-like goodness gets delivered unmolested to your ears. RS8's dedicated and separate R2R PCM and DSD circuit paths mean you stand to enjoy the best sound you thought possible from either form – impossible to this extent, till now. The final product goes through an analog volume control before reaching the output amp, for preservation of your music's true resolution, and that very special, discrete, native DSD decode. HiBy's reckoning has been in developing wonderfully innovative hardware free of any prior ceiling. And with RS8's R2R DARWIN II digital circuit only as good as its analog output stage, HiBy capitalise on the extra board space to mount a massive discrete headphone amplifier. Large power rails see operating voltages rise as high as 7.5 volts, the linearity of eight dual bipolar transistors outputting in parallel assured as a result. RS8's discrete headphone amplifier can be operated in Class AB or an optimal Class A.  Differentiating itself from even other flagships that cling to op-amp layouts seeking THX-certification but with inordinate amounts of gain and feedforward/feedback, HiBy's linearity remains excellent already in the open-loop, owing to its high operating voltages and bias. Those ensure individual transistors are working in optimum condition. Distortion and noise are kept low, without resorting to the excessive use of negative feedback. HiBy designed a true-balanced differential amplifier to further improve RS8's linearity, and you can count on common-mode rejection at its best whenever you plug in via 4.4mm preserving DARWIN II's resolution. It's an output stage that's DC-coupled to improve low-frequency performance, and RS8 audibly plumbs the lowest bass depths. Eight unconventionally large 3 ampere output transistors ensure immense current-handling for good reason, to reap the full benefit of RS8's separate power supplies for analog and digital sections. The former is particularly massive and incorporates inductors that store huge energy in a magnetic field before releasing on demand to HiBy's Class A amplifier. Superior even to super capacitors due to their low DC resistance, these inductors constitute a massive power supply that ensures RS8 relishes as much pushing low-impedance Empire Ears Ravens, Odins and EVOs as it will driving Focal's Utopia 2022. RS8 is digital, analog and power supply design excellence par none that will serve you for years to come as numerous firmware updates carry new code teaching HiBy's FPGA new tricks. And Android 12 OS mounted on top of a Snapdragon 665 CPU promises stable, snappy operating streaming 16X MQA via Tidal Masters, full resolution Apple Music Hi-Res Lossless, and Spotify. If Head-Fi had been looking at what the future had to offer, then HiBy have decisively provided us with dreams that are made out of RS8. Also check out HiBy's RS6 here, all of HiBy's releases here, or view our other music players here.

The next chapter in iBasso Audio's DX340 odyssey arrives in the hybrid JAN6418 tube/solid-state Amp16. Adding to the strengths of its mothership's 1-bit DSD DAC, the rich and natural soundstage of Amp16's tubes enhances the overtones of a wonderfully immersive and transparent music player. Amp16 is still a tale of beauty and brawn, though. DX340's ability to drive difficult loads is unchanged with Texas Instruments' big BUF634A buffers present once more to push difficult loads. Its DC-input power supply continues to allow you to operate DX340 in Desktop Mode too. Add the magic of tubes to iBasso's 1-bit flagship today, and enjoy countless years of enjoyment with earphones on the go, and headphones at the desk! [See Product Desc. For More] The story of Amp16 begins and perhaps ends at its dual Raytheon JAN6418 triodes. Placed at the voltage gain stage where they will yield the biggest sonic impact, the small output of these pentodes makes its presence heard on its 4.4mm balanced headphone out. iBasso count on the square law function of Amp16's tubes to push down distortion at the drawing board. The huge operating voltages of this valve section means that open-loop linearity exceeds virtually every other non-tube DAP ... at any price. The signal that goes in, comes out amplified the same. You'll hear from Amp16 the kind of effortlessness yielded only by a huge operating voltages and the non-existent capacitance of tubes. These factors allow minimum negative feedback to be applied, as what enters iBasso's JAN6418s has little error that needs correction. Amp16 also allowed iBasso to showcase their attention to circuit detail by incorporating a JRC electronically controlled analog volume control after its tube gain stage. This resistor ladder volume control part is implemented only after Amp16's tubes, kept far from the input signal for maximum integrity, and the best signal-to-noise performance. iBasso's single-ended operation of Amp16's valves emphasises even-order harmonics for natural, engaging and warm sound. And the small quantity of tube feedback means distortion remains low order, rather than complex intermodulation. Amp16's tubes can also be bypassed for you to enjoy a purely solid-state mode and impart a more dynamic and odd-harmonic focused signature. This way, you can discover your favourite synergies and additionally conserve battery power on your mobile source device. iBasso's highly-linear small signal is then converted to balanced and flows into the player's balanced solid-state output stage for muscle. These Texas Instrument op-amp buffers are the highly-fancied BUF634As of recent iBasso, Lotoo and Shanling Audio flagship fame – they'll do their job of supplying the grunt behind Amp16's delicate tube signal, guaranteed. This hybrid combination of tube gain and solid-state power is a well-tried combination. And the BUF634As are ideal voltage sources and stable into capacitive loads, with their gain bandwidth product ensuring frequency response extends well beyond the human hearing range for excellent phase response and taut, impactful and life-like dynamics. They promise high damping factor while maintaining its low distortion into low impedances typical of IEMs, Focals, Fostexs and Rosson Audio Designs, supplying over 1 watt of power in such cases! Still the closed-loop internal gain remaining after the mandatory application of negative feedback around iBasso's analog circuit remains high, so Amp16 can open up the sound of any high-impedance Audio-Technica, Sennheiser and ZMF Headphones. Where Amp16 exceeds all others who use the BUF634A is its ability to accept a 12 volt DC input, bypassing nominal battery and internal 8 volt rails to increase headroom and linearity, thus directly boosting the amount of swing DX340 is capable of. In fact, give this triple wonder of 1-bit, tubes and BUF634A sound a go into any of your favourite transducers at the desk. Never has a portable device at this price or size mixed immersion, natural transparency and power as convincingly in all use cases – all thanks to Amp16! Also browse DX340 here, the rest of iBasso's releases here, or view all our other music players here.

For the first time since 2021, a new Cirrus Logic player with a discrete output stage. HiBy Music's R6III formula pairs the incredibly-popular CS43198 with a Class A discrete transistor balanced amplifier at a new low in price-point. HiBy have "a tastefully refreshed version of an already impressive DAP ... incorporates a more capable array of DACs for enhanced performance and a darker background that is easily discernable, synergising well with IEMs of higher resolving power" says Headfonics. The Cirrus Logic-Class A combo shows up in R6III's sound, with a sense of vibrancy and vigour delivering notes with charged energy. There's a trademark HiBy accuracy to frequency response too, coloured yet always correct keeping budding music enthusiasts keeping them entertained – always. HiBy's latest release packs refinement amidst a black background attained from a low noise floor, capable of exposing all the detail flagship IEMs and headphones are capable of today.  Four CS43198 DACs supply the increasingly-popular Cirrus Logic package as R6III's decoding backbone, allowing you to play back Apple Music Hi-Res Lossless, 16X Tidal Masters and Spotify with no shortage of mobile fidelity on Android 12's modern OS. [See Product Desc. For More] R6III brings its Cirrus Logic workhorses, and accompanying assortment of digital reconstruction filters for sonic tweaking, to a new level of affordability. The converted analog, decoded with the backing of a FPGA leashed to R6III's DACs generating I2S, yields up to 127dB of dynamic range via CS43198's dedicated Class H voltage outputs – not compromised as ESS or AKM chips treat the voltage path. This audio flows as an accurate waveform on to a series of 16 discrete bipolar power transistors working in Class AB or an optimally pure Class A. A continuation of its junior R4's high output device count, and differentiating itself from so many others who use op-amp ICs with inordinate amounts of gain, R6III's open-loop linearity remains excellent before application of feedback. That's owed to its Class A bias ensuring individual output transistors are working in optimum condition – aided by an operating voltage of five volts. Distortion and noise are kept low, without resorting to the excessive use of negative feedback. HiBy designed a true-balanced differential amplifier to further improve R6III's linearity, and you can count on common-mode rejection at its best whenever you plug in via 4.4mm. R6III's current handling is impressive given its number of output transistors in parallel, meaning this HiBy remains unfazed driving even the punishing low impedances of Raven, Odin and Legend Evo from Empire Ears, the Vision Ears EXT and the Oriolus Szalayi. And even this baby HiBy is able to supply its clean small-signal to the likes of outboard amps such as Cayin Audio's C9II, via a dedicated 4.4mm line-out port. By putting such a high-performance circuit in the palms of people's hands and offering them a Snapdragon 665 with full Google Play support, HiBy grant you the ability to bypass Android 12's sample-rate conversion for bit-perfect playback. Music is truly accessible to anyone and everyone.  Discussing the above, it's so easy to forget we're talking about R6III as HiBy's entry-level offering. See what these forward-thinkers can really do higher up the range here, or view our other music players here.

HiBy Music's R1 is one's ideal first music player. As affordable as a portable USB DAC dongle, it's R1's standalone features as a DAP that stand out. MOONSTAR Reviews rates it highly as your first dedicated device to play your music on. HiBy packs its own battery meaning you won't need to deplete that of your everyday mobile devices.  HiBy use R1's battery to good effect, building a full audio circuit around it. You'll hear the upgrade proper PCB space and a dedicated power supply yields. From the outset, you'll find out what 'Hi-Fi' sound is about, through its Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC. With specially-developed audiophile digital filters aboard R1's DAC– coded for their audio reproduction fidelity and not cost – you'll hear the difference versus your regular mainstream Bluetooth buds and PC outputs.  R1 also achieves high playback bandwidth, essential if phase response in the human hearing range for taut, snappy dynamics is to be preserved. Instruments and voices will sound lifelike for the first time, with transient reproduction all phase and timing intact. Come and reap the benefits from one of Sennheiser's single dynamic driver IE200 and IE600 earphones. Also check out the rest of HiBy's other releases here, or view our other DAPs here.

Third time's the charm for Cayin Audio with N6III. They've perfected the formula for the ideal Android 12 platform – one music player that truly will keep up with all your audio needs. The trilogy continues with the C201 module built around eight Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips to yield neutral, high-resolution headphone playback, or E203 with the mighty ESS Technology ES9039Pro flagship for supreme detail and low-impedance flagship IEM driving power. Twister6 praised it for filling the modular niche, with the "ability to order N6iii with either of the modules" being a rare one. That versatility was echoed by ichos-reviews in their assessment of C201. Choose which module you'll start your N6III journey with here, and never fear about missing out. After all, you can continue to develop your collection with any of the new DAC/amp motherboards that are subsequently released. [See Product Desc. For Individual Module Info] It's easy for another Cayin to follow in the footsteps of the N6II – the first interchangeable audio motherboard that contained the entire DAC and its corresponding analog audio circuit in one whole swappable module. View all info on the stock C201 module – Eight Cirrus Logic CS43198s with precision analog volume control View all info on the stock E203 module – One ESS Technology ES9039Pro with Class A/AB/Hyper mode discrete transistor output stage First never follows, but in the case of N6III there's a strong foundation laid down by its groundbreaking mid-priced predecessor. Never wanting for sound quality – even inspiring other manufacturers to produce their own copies – Cayin have taken steps forward to modernise the N6 modular concept with a Snapdragon 665, 6GB of RAM, an external long-range Wi-Fi antenna and a 50 per cent larger battery. Modules can now also be changed without separate tools. Need we mention that the signal path is fully shielded from parasitic wireless interference housed in its own isolated aluminum chassis. N6III's build only increases the noise rejection immunity of modules that are each already top-notch audio performers in their own right. View the futuristic N6III's respective C201 and E203 modules as well as all our other Cayin music players here, and our other DAPs here.

After iBasso Audio's success with DX260, you knew DX180 was going to be on its way. Doing good by DX260's industry-leading measurements, DX180's 130dB of dynamic range and -115dB THD is ensured by 4 Cirrus Logic CS43131 DACs. Twister6 says it simply: "I'm impressed!" It exceeds the highest expectations of ichos-reviews. More than outright audio benchmarks, it's the continued evolution of iBasso's FPGA-Master 2 technology to lower entry points that's reason to celebrate. It landed on Headfonia's Recommended Buys list and Audiophile-Heaven's Hall of Fame. "DX180 is a very accomplished and natural-sounding" player says Headfonics, this iBasso arriving at the sweet spot between raw resolution and musicality. MOONSTAR Reviews praised a near-flawless display. iBasso's affordable player never pushes you out of your comfort zone, sweetening the deal – and detail – its correct, super-quiet operation, yields. With its unique CS43131 implementation, the Android 13 DX180 exceeds even Cirrus Logic's nominal specs giving listeners a degree of pocket fidelity from Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music never experienced before. [See Product Desc. For More] That's owed to iBasso's very precise decode thanks to its FPGA-Master 2, banishing noise and distortion with proprietary code aboard operating DX180's arsenal of DACs with an accuracy and co-ordination not thought possible before. This numbers-chasing from iBasso leads to a new-found transparency in your music playback. The technical basis upon which the idea of DX180 was founded was to operate its sheer number of DACs in as flexible and independent a way each. Each DAC answers to iBasso's veritable puppet master – the FPGA-Master 2 aboard. iBasso's treat each of the 4 CS43131s as individual entities, and operates them at very specific moments in the time domain. Ordinarily that might spell chaos, but it's iBasso's FPGA-Master 2 that grants a firm grip of how each Cirrus Logic outputs in the time and frequency domain. The result of the entirety of 4 DACs outputting at phased intervals leads to a coherent, continuous waveform with finer stairsteps in time. That captures more detail in your music and reduces errors, decoding your music back more accurately to the original waveform.  Throughout, FPGA-Master 2 keeps an iron grip on proceedings as the CS43131s work in synchronous mode, counting on iBasso's FPGA-generated I2S to work in the exact manner intended. Superior to the switched-capacitor output stage on Asahi Kasei Microdevices voltage DAC counterparts, the Class H analog outputs of CS43131s are accurate before being fed into DX180's low-pass voltage summing gain stage that smooths the audio wave removing ultrasonic artifacts further. After the differential decoding, iBasso's generous use of negative feedback quashes distortion and claims up to 130dB of signal-to-noise ratio. The employment of this feedback also sees DX180 achieve massive bandwidth that's effectively flat 10Hz to 75Khz. That means phase reproduction in the audible human hearing region is stellar, for realistic portrayal of dynamics and natural transparency – a triumph of iBasso's new mid-line player. Powerful op-amp output buffers supply current and mean iBasso's wonderkid promises high damping factor while maintaining its low distortion into low impedances typical of IEMs, Focals, Fostexs and Rosson Audio Designs. Still the closed-loop internal gain remaining after the application of negative feedback around DX180's op-amp IC analog circuit remains high. So where she really shines is in swinging voltage, opening up the sound of any high-impedance Audio-Technica, Sennheiser and ZMF Headphones while barely breaking sweat. And DX180's future-proof Android 13 software will mean Google Play Store app support of Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music for years to come, backed by a Snapdragon 665 SOC processor. Certainly, iBasso's FPGA-Master 2 wonderkind might be all the DAP you need. Till you step up to what dual battery power supplies, a discrete DAC and output stage can do for you in DX340 and one of its swappable amp cards. Explore the rest of iBasso's range here, or view our other music players here.

Measure iBasso Audio's progress through DX260. Head-Fi's best measuring Android music player with 133dB of dynamic range and -121dB THD counts on 8 Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs for its ultimate measured performance. But more than that, it's the debut of iBasso's FPGA-Master 2 technology that's reason to celebrate. Perfectly neutral with just a tint of sweetness, every musical nuance is audible against DX260's black background.  With that operating its CS43198 chips quad-mono, the Android 11 DX260 exceeds even Cirrus Logic's nominal specs giving listeners a degree of pocket fidelity from Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music never experienced before. DX260 lands on Headfonia's Recommended Buys list and in Audiophile-Heaven's Hall of Fame. Its qualities are evident for MOONSTAR Reviews to hear. Ichos-Reviews says iBasso's "unparalleled transparency and neutrality surpass even flagship models". [See Product Desc. For More] That's owed to iBasso's very precise decode thanks to its FPGA-Master 2, banishing noise and distortion with proprietary code aboard operating DX260's arsenal of DACs with an accuracy and co-ordination not thought possible before. This numbers-chasing from iBasso leads to a new-found transparency in your music playback. The technical basis upon which the idea of DX260 was founded was to operate its sheer number of DACs in as flexible and independent a way each. Each DAC answers to iBasso's veritable puppet master – the FPGA-Master 2 aboard. iBasso's treat each of the 8 CS43198s as individual entities, and operates them at very specific moments in the time domain. Ordinarily that might spell chaos, but it's iBasso's FPGA-Master 2 that grants a firm grip of how each Cirrus Logic outputs in the time and frequency domain. The result of the entirety of 8 DACs outputting at phased intervals leads to a coherent, continuous waveform with finer stairsteps in time. That captures more detail in your music and reduces errors, decoding your music back more accurately to the original waveform. Throughout, FPGA-Master 2 keeps an iron grip on proceedings as the CS43198s work in synchronous mode, counting on iBasso's FPGA-generated I2S to work in the exact manner intended.  Superior to the switched-capacitor output stage on Asahi Kasei Microdevices voltage DAC counterparts, the Class H analog outputs of CS43198s are accurate before being fed into DX260's low-pass voltage summing gain stage that smooths the audio wave removing ultrasonic artifacts further. After the differential decoding, iBasso's generous use of negative feedback quashes distortion and claims up to 134dB of signal-to-noise ratio. The employment of this feedback also sees DX260 achieve massive bandwidth that's effectively flat 10Hz to 75Khz. That means phase reproduction in the audible human hearing region is stellar, for realistic portrayal of dynamics and natural transparency – a triumph of iBasso's new mid-line player. Powerful op-amp output buffers supply current and mean iBasso's wonderkid promises high damping factor while maintaining its low distortion into low impedances typical of IEMs, Focals, Fostexs and Rosson Audio Designs. Still the closed-loop internal gain remaining after the application of negative feedback around DX260's op-amp IC analog circuit remains high. So where she really shines is in swinging voltage, opening up the sound of any high-impedance Audio-Technica, Sennheiser and ZMF Headphones while barely breaking sweat. And DX260's future-proof Android 11 software will mean Google Play Store app support of Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music for years to come, backed by a Snapdragon 660 SOC processor and 4GB of RAM. Certainly, iBasso's FPGA-Master 2 wonderkind might be all the DAP you need. Till you step up to what dual battery power supplies, a discrete DAC and output stage can do for you in DX340 and one of its swappable amp cards. Explore the rest of iBasso's range here, or view our other music players here.

The only limit set for Lotoo had been size, but now they've roundly conquered that with Mjolnir. Limited to only 600 units made worldwide. The ultimate Lotoo ever built is a trans-portable 4-pin XLR and 4.4mm music player and DAC/amp powered by a super battery unit. Capable of outputting up to 2.5 watts of power per channel, Mjolnir is built on AKM's final units of AK4499EQ DACs. Mjolnir gives its prized, rare and out-of-print AK4499EQ chip from 2019 an all-metal, CNC-machined platform to shine upon. Robust power supplies comprised of six 21700 battery cells means this Lotoo monolith works on an operating voltage of 20 volts.  That, coupled with its silent noise floor and up to 134dB of dynamic range delivering fidelity, means Mjolnir performs about any way you want it. That means it'll drive the Empire Ears Raven and Oriolus Traillii JP, up to Focal's Utopia, ZMF Headphones' Atrium Closed and Caldera plus HEDD Audio's HEDDPhone 2 equally well. [See Product Desc. For More] It's wonderful that Lotoo provided Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM)'s AK4499EQ zenith the time capsule needed to transport this legendary chip forward for the enjoyment of future audiophiles.  With Mjolnir built on Lotoo's LTOS custom user interface, this uber-flagship DAP adds its own value with a digital subsystem – consisting of Lotoo's tried-and-true NXP i.MX 6ULL and Analog Devices Blackfin DSP processor sub-system carrying proprietary code that generates clocking and audio data I2S for its AK4499EQ. Marking Lotoo's return to current-output DACs for the first time since 2014 when Texas Instruments' (TI) PCM1792 appeared in Paw Gold, Mjolnir's four-channel AK4499EQ outputs analog to a current-to-voltage I/V stage where D/A conversion errors manifest as a DC offset that is easy to filter out – instead of more sinister total harmonic distortion. The desire for purity is mirrored in Lotoo's construction of Mjolnir. Multi-layer PCBs and a 3mm thick metal locked-in shield for the audio circuit, down to individual screws fashioned from 304 and 316 stainless steel and a CNC chassis built to surpress quality-averse vibrations, are testament to Lotoo's attention to detail. Mjolnir's pristine small signal gets fed to its power stage consisting of eight TI LME49600 buffers – the first and only time Head-Fi has seen these parts implemented in such a topology – making up an incredibly powerful paralleled quad-mono balanced output stage capable of 5 total watts. With Mjolnir's 20 volt battery power rails running closer to each LME49600's power supply requirement, each op-amp already acts linearly in the open-loop before mandatory feedback is added. Dynamics are unhindered regardless of load complexity – undoubtedly bolstered by LME49600's incredible slew-rate spec. The negative feedback finally applied as the cherry on the cake sees Mjolnir achieve up to an incredible 130dB dynamic range via 4.4mm or 4-pin XLR headphone outs, or 134dB via dual 3-pin XLR line-outs. Indeed, Lotoo built Mjolnir to function perfectly as a DAC too, its Wi-Fi undergoing Roon testing and certification, with DLNA readiness meaning use with UPnP software is also possible. Digital outputs into your Hi-Fi system's DAC also sees Mjolnir execute transport duties via AES/EBU, S/PDIF RCA and optical. So here is Lotoo with Mjolnir proudly asking whether your all-in-one system even hubs, building the ultimate all-in-one to end every argument against it. Check out Lotoo's other devices here, or view our other DAPs here.

--- SOLD! --- iBasso Audio have shown Head-Fi what the entry-level DX170 and flagship DX320 are capable of. And it's been left to the DX240 to act as the crossroads of them all, bringing together all the best traits of iBasso's DAP prowess into one single device.  DX240 is so good, in fact, it displaces DX300 on Headfonia's Recommended Buy list and joined its big sibling there on Audiophile-Heaven. DX240's owners are entitled to three free amp card endplates and a matching leather case worth $149, while the upgrade to Amp8 MKII updates capabilities further! [See Product Desc. For More] Revitalising the popular form factor that the original genre-defining DX200 and DX220 packed, the DX240 is another cumulation of the progress iBasso have made. With stock Amp1 MKIII, this versatile player promises an abundance of transparency and plenty of involvement through a liquid mid-range, particularly with female vocals. ESS Technology's ES9038Pro top-dog – outputting in current to a proper I/V stage for best distortion characteristics – arrives as the decoding backbone. The refinements made around this DAC chip bring DX240 into portable audio's future.  Trickling down from the DX320, a FPGA acts as a clock and data master, presenting raw I2S for the ES9038Pro in the cleanest, quietest and most precise manner. Joining those are the Snapdragon 660 CPU, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.  Headfonics say DX240 lands with real purpose in the world of modern music players. Major HiFi met "really no setbacks to this device whatsoever". MOONSTAR Reviews says DX240 delivers sonically, and in terms of usability. "Every dollar works out completely" to Audio-PH.  Twister6 found this iBasso a jack of all trades and master of them all too. Full Google Play Services and Android 11 usability is a breeze when viewed through DX240's 1080p screen. Play up to DSD512, 16X Tidal MQA and full Hi-Res Lossless Apple Music online or offline – entirely bit-perfect through iBasso's bypass of Android sample-rate conversion. Truly, DX320 miniaturised desktop DAC/amps – and DX240 miniaturised DX320. With a palm-and-pocket-friendly form factor, DX240 is reminiscent of DX170 – but with added amp card modules. Amps1 through 8, developed for iBasso's DX2xx line, are compatible here, so your collection of cards will find a new lease of life. At the same time, enjoy the new Amp8 MKII, developed for and only for the DX240. But really, iBasso's DX240 is a new lease of life for the entire music player category, balancing fidelity, power, portability and access in one stroke. Bravo – also shop iBasso's other releases here, or all our other music players here.

Cayin Audio's C201 employs a novel parallel differential matrix DAC architecture with its eight Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips for the modular N6III. Twister6 praised C201 for its "more resolving tonality and a neutrally revealing signature to extract more micro-details from the sound" – ichos-reviews praising "outstanding technical performance and exceptional sound quality". N6III's FPGA feeds each of C201's DAC chips independently with I2S signals, operating them in mono mode before they are grouped into pairs and paralleled to form full-differential output channels. To ensure optimal performance, each DAC chip benefits from discrete, symmetric power supply and peripheral circuitry. This design minimises distortion and jitter, resulting in enhanced sound density and overall audio quality. [See Product Desc. For More] By precisely aligning the phase of all DACs, Cayin has achieved a significant improvement in the C201's sonic performance. This is an analog output performance that matches the precision of its digital decode, with their operation in balanced differential mode counting on common-mode rejection to cancel out distortion and noise. The larger PCB size that N6III affords means that C201 is able to count on 30 per cent larger board space to keep overbuilding its circuits. This robust nature is typified by the NJU72315 volume controls – these analog attenuators are unbuffered in their basic IC form, leaving the choice of subsequent driver stage to Cayin and allowing N6III to be its quiet best, achieving 130dB of signal-to-noise ratio. This high quality is preserved into your transducers as C201 loads in four Texas Instruments OPA1622s as N6III's output stage. These powerful, precise op-amps supply abundant current and mean N6III promises high damping factor while maintaining low distortion into low impedances typical of IEMs, Focals and Fostexs achieving up to 700mW on its 4.4mm output. Still the closed-loop internal gain remaining after the application of negative feedback around N6III/C201's op-amp IC analog circuit remains high. So where she really shines could be in swinging voltage, opening up the sound of any high-impedance Audio-Technica, Sennheiser and ZMF Headphones while barely breaking sweat. Its fine small-signal component also sees it serve as a line source into Cayin's other hot 2024 release, C9II, allowing you to add tubes and a Class A discrete analog circuit down the line to scale up further. C201 is a fine start to life for N6III and your journey with Cayin's latest mid-range overachiever. As you await the launch of their next audio motherboard, check out the sister E203 for N6III here, the rest of Cayin's gear here, or view our other music players here.

It was time for a HiBy Music MAX. R6 Pro Max takes their well-loved R6 Pro II and nearly doubles its power output, for big headphones and big sound in a small pocketable package! Twister6 praised "sound performance change on a whole different level". Headfonics "liked how the vocal is delicately presented with sufficient weight and control ... enhanced power benefits the soundstage and vocal line to sound more natural". In fact, R6 Pro Max is the smallest portable player that packs two of ESS Technology's flagship ES9039MPro DAC chips. HiBy's implementation sees richness accompany the resolution, so your music's soul remains at the forefront as you uncover all the details through arguably the most detailed DAC chip available today. R6 Pro Max's renewed form factor allows HiBy to stuff in bigger power supplies and an analog output stage that then transfers all the detail dual ES9039Pros can produce into a huge range of head gear loads – especially high-impedance headphones. Freely pair with an Audio-Technica, Sennheiser or ZMF Headphones then – R6 Pro Max extends HiBy's tremendous value to the realm of big cans in 2025! [See Product Desc. For More] The rich and soulful R6 Pro Max is advertisement for HiBy, and also ESS. ES9039Pro's patented Hyperstream pulse-width modulation technology was already a one-up on standard delta-sigma modulation, and now enters its fourth iteration pushing nigh inaudible high-order distortion levels post-conversion further down.  These eight-channel DACs bring five new digital filters – many with low in-band ripple – to the party for new flavours of sonic reproduction. ES9039Pros pack enough computational horsepower to run their 8x oversampling process in just two passes thus minimising rounding errors – an upgrade on other attempts that use a concatenation of three stacked 2x oversampling passes which compound errors. Perfectly exploiting the dynamic range and distortion headroom these futuristic ESS DACs provide is HiBy's implementation. An eight-channel current-to-voltage I/V conversion stage is built in to preserve the full information from R6 Pro Max's digital decode.  This overbuilt stage is befitting of ESS chips that output in current for best distortion performance, and indeed more expensive players. By treating each of the eight channel current outputs separately before stereo summing, R6 Pro II yields a small-signal stage that is transparent and, most importantly, accurate. HiBy's analog signal is then amplified by powerful op-amp buffers that count on their high open-loop gain to boost power over the preceding R6 Pro II by 80 per cent! This output stage supplies current and means HiBy's muscleman promises high damping factor while maintaining its low distortion into low impedances typical of IEMs, Focals, Fostexs and Rosson Audio Designs. A separately regulated inductor-based power supply ably backs up this potent voltage source. Still the closed-loop internal gain remaining after the application of negative feedback around R6 Pro Max's op-amp IC analog circuit remains high. So where she really shines is in swinging voltage, opening up the sound of any high-impedance, 300ohm Sennheiser and ZMF while barely breaking sweat. All while R6 Pro Max's big 8,200mAH battery keeps you playing back happily for up to 10 hours. While Android 12 software means it's future-proof for Google Play Store app support of Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music, backed by a Snapdragon 665 SOC processor and 6GB of RAM. Explore this ESS attempt at the top for all your needs today, or check out the sister – and still just as relevant – R6 Pro II here if you're eyeing pure IEM listening. Also check out all of HiBy's other gear here, or view our music players here.

Lotoo have yet another chance to showcase their DSP code mastery, bringing AKM's AK4191-AK4499EXEQ DAC ecosystem in the Paw Gold Touch (LPGT) 2 music player to new heights. After taking the original Paw Gold Touch as far as they could with constant Digital Signal Processing evolution, Lotoo acknowledge the strides digital audio has made in the six years since, bringing its flagship up to 2024 standards. Knowing what AKM's own AK4191 delta-sigma modulator is capable of, and Lotoo's own track record of proprietary software upgrades down the years, LPGT2 is good to go for a decade on its own on the digital front. It's backed up by a 4.4mm output capable of producing 1,000mW balanced power per channel. In addition to the Analog Devices Blackfin DSP microprocessor, LPGT2 adds the wireless Lotoo Teleport Protocol (LTTP) that allows your everyday smart device to transmit streaming of up to 24/96Khz high-res lossless audio to your player. Via a USB-C attachment to your phone, LTTP brings the improvements Lotoo's techniques bring to your favourite streaming content from Tidal and Apple Music. [See Product Desc. For More] Lotoo's use of the Analog Devices Blackfin BF706 DSP microprocessor is the stuff of legend by now, with the code written and loaded up over multiple firmware upgrades and several years a technique these Taiwanese coding innovators have made their own – so much of how each of Lotoo's classic DAPs sound is owed to this. The generation of pristine I2S is the ultimate goal for LPGT2's DSP. But even the best digital trickery in the world needs a hardware platform sufficiently capable to execute software. Enter Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM)’s resurgent flagship DACs.  These Japanese giants, back on their feet with a clean slate, started afresh expanding the basic footprint of a single DAC chip IC into three separate parts – to similarly multiply capabilities by a factor of three. AKM’s AK4191EQ is the brains of the operation, receiving pristine I2S clocking and data from LPGT2's Blackfin. Aboard, AK4191EQ’s delta-sigma modulator takes advantage of its expanded, dedicated, silicone footprint to lay claim to the title of the first chip IC working at seven bits. These seven single-bit modulators flow on into LPGT2's dual AK4499EXEQ DACs, one for each channel and built with a single purpose in mind: to turn the interpolated, noise-shaped, digital data it receives into the most precise analog waveform possible afforded by its large footprint. Silicone size matters when it comes to a great DAC IC, and AK4499EXEQ has it. Enabled by much more exact, matched resistors and capacitors aboard for precise DC single-bit decoding, and dynamic element matching that is less burdened by switching errors – granted by parts accuracy from a bigger footprint. Any conversion errors from AK4499EXEQs outputting in current manifests as DC offset, and not total harmonic distortion, that is easily filtered out. That's expected of any source claiming to be high performance. A high-quality current-to-voltage I/V section follows these AK4499EXEQs, befitting of chips that output in current for best distortion performance and indeed flagships like LPGT2. The second Lotoo device after Mjolnir this decade to boast such a circuit, LPGT2 brings those benefits to a portable device 10 years after the first generation LPG in 2014. Once again, LTTP allows you to get high-res lossless from your favourite streaming app on your smartphone to LPGT2, adding to its versatility beyond its 2TB SD card capacity. Running on Lotoo OS 1.6, LPGT2 once again eschews Android operation for the cleanest, lowest interference and CPU noise for a black background. That's only helped by an eight-layer PCB with shielding for the analog circuit, preserving all the analog resolution dual AK4499EXEQs can produce. This high-fidelity is amplified and flows on to powerful op-amp output buffers that supply current and mean Lotoo's flagship promises high damping factor while maintaining its low distortion into low impedances typical of IEMs, Focals, Fostexs and Rosson Audio Designs. Specially selected by Lotoo, LPGT2 boasts Texas Instrument parts that are ideal voltage sources and stable into capacitive loads, with their gain bandwidth product ensuring frequency response extends well beyond the human hearing range for excellent phase response and taut, impactful and life-like dynamics. Still the closed-loop internal gain remaining after the mandatory application of negative feedback around Lotoo's analog circuit remains high, so where she really can shine is in swinging +20.3 dBu of voltage, opening up the sound of any high-impedance Audio-Technica, Sennheiser and ZMF Headphones while barely breaking sweat. Indeed, this latest evolution of Lotoo's beloved Paw Gold concept ensures it's totally future-proof, ready for whatever the bright future of the rapidly-advancing world of Head-Fi throws at it, on the digital and analog fronts. After LPGT2, keep up to date with the fantastic staying power Lotoo releases have here, or view all our other music players here.

--- SOLD! --- Cayin's flagship N8ii, this tube or solid-state flagship music player plays with a deftness of touch to dynamics, realistic distances and imaging, plus a soundstage bathed in a gentle light that is at the same time detailed but never fatiguing. This B-stock variant is more than 30% off, in full working condition.  Warranty: Full one year from the date of purchase.

The latest NW-ZX707 is a premium Sony Walkman combining incredible sound quality with Android 12, Google Play Store and Wi-Fi compatibility for downloading and streaming. Lose yourself in high quality sound that’s even more dynamic and transparent, with a richer, more expansive sound field. ZX707 features Sony's newly-designed output stage with a larger inductor for the high quality low-pass filtering fundamental to Class D performance. Coupled with the ease of downloading and streaming music, it takes your listening enjoyment to a whole new level. [See Product Desc. For More] S-Master HX digital amp technology, independently developed by Sony, operates outputting in pulse-width modulated Class D, and supports balanced 4.4mm and high power output. A new output inductor reduces distortion and noise across a wide range of frequencies, for rich and full-bodied sound, further enhanced by new high quality sound lead-free solder. The ZX707 boasts an even stronger power supply than its predecessor, not only in the analog section but also in the digital block which is physically separated.  High polymer capacitors and inductors headline the upgraded power supply that is the lifeblood of audio, for a signal path that has similarly been enhanced.  Various DSP tweaks can still be implemented in Sony's custom Walkman software, including DSD Remastering Engine, DSEE Ultimate upsampling and DC Phase Lineariser. All that hardware working in tandem with software is best enjoyed via ZX707's 4.4mm balanced output, with up to 25 hours of battery life ensuring your tunes keep playing over the longest listening sessions. Also view all of Sony's other releases here, or our other music players here.

Part of Sony's Signature Series, the WM1ZM2 sets a new benchmark in pure sound quality and listening sophistication. Brought into the modern age with Android 11, Google Play Store and Wi-Fi streaming, this flagship honours the Walkman legacy giving you the finest audio playback on the go. Indeed, crafted with fine materials and meticulous attention to detail, and offering the ease of downloading and streaming music, WM1ZM2 is audio at its most indulgent. [See Product Desc. For More] Despite oxygen-free copper (OFC) being notoriously difficult to machine process, the WM1ZM2 features a gold-plated copper chassis. Sony's flagship therefore offers even greater benefits in terms of audio quality. Bass notes are clear and powerful, the atmosphere is more expansive, and harmonic overtones through the frequency response linger beautifully. S-Master HX digital amp technology, independently developed for Walkman, is compatible with the Native DSD format, and supports balanced and high power output. Sony's proprietary technology reduces distortion and noise across a wide range of frequencies, for rich and full-bodied sound, further enhanced by new high quality sound lead-free solder. Taking inspiration from Sony's desktop transportable DMP-Z1, the WM1ZM2 features an even stronger power supply than its predecessor, both in the analog block and the digital block. High polymer capacitors, film capacitors and inductors headline this, bolstering a signal path that has been revamped for higher performance still. Thick KIMBER KABLE from the American Hi-Fi manufacturer is used to transmit signal where possible, helping shut out external noise, transmit high quality audio signals and achieve powerful and smooth sound quality. Various DSP tweaks can still be implemented in Sony's custom Walkman software, including DSD Remastering Engine, DSEE Ultimate upsampling and DC Phase Lineariser. All that hardware working in tandem with software is best enjoyed via WM1ZM2's 4.4mm balanced output, with up to 40 hours of battery life ensuring your tunes keep playing over the longest listening sessions. Also view all of Sony's other releases here, or our other music players here.