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Sound wise I've compared a few high end DAPs with my phone, and I can't tell the difference. Come to find out, that component is going to be about the most transparent in your system.
I'd get the V30 if you want to do streaming and have a multi use device. I'd get a Cowon if you don't want to be distracted and have music files and like EQ.
you need to establish your needs and expectations firmly before buying a DAP to avoid overspending. while the V30 will do just fine as a DAP, you already said its old so life expectancy will be a major consideration. if you will only use IEMs then perhaps you only need single ended outputs which will greatly reduce cost. i kept this in mind before settling for the hidisz AP80. you may require wifi so you need to seek higher tier models from FiiO and other leading brands. i also considered higher end options from cowon and FiiO but ultimately decided that i do not need balanced outputs and huge amp power for IEM use in a mobile device. my AP80 in low gain is already bloody loud on all of my IEMs. HTH
Sound wise I've compared a few high end DAPs with my phone, and I can't tell the difference. Come to find out, that component is going to be about the most transparent in your system.
I'd get the V30 if you want to do streaming and have a multi use device. I'd get a Cowon if you don't want to be distracted and have music files and like EQ.
you need to establish your needs and expectations firmly before buying a DAP to avoid overspending. while the V30 will do just fine as a DAP, you already said its old so life expectancy will be a major consideration. if you will only use IEMs then perhaps you only need single ended outputs which will greatly reduce cost. i kept this in mind before settling for the hidisz AP80. you may require wifi so you need to seek higher tier models from FiiO and other leading brands. i also considered higher end options from cowon and FiiO but ultimately decided that i do not need balanced outputs and huge amp power for IEM use in a mobile device. my AP80 in low gain is already bloody loud on all of my IEMs. HTH
Another thing to consider is a bluetooth receiver, depending on your use case this may be as good or better than a DAP. The Fiio BTR5 speaks all the new Bluetooth codecs, is a superior DAC, and is a headphone amplifier, and lets you use your phone without it being connected to headphone cables. That is not necessarily all of the use cases of a DAP (doesn't solve the problem of limited on-board storage, playing FLAC and other formats, etc), but it covers a lot of them. And the BTR5 is $109 which is cheaper than just about any decent DAP.
Of course a V-series phone. Now that LG has bit the dust, these are criminally cheap. To think a DAP can be the price that it is, and something like a V50 sells on ebay for $250 or $200 used is pretty crazy. V30's all under $150 which is a steal.
I owned an entry-level Sony Walkman (I do not remember the reference, one of the NW…) which I gave to my father because an iPhone is enough. I bought it for sports because the iPhone 6s had a weak battery but the 11 Pro has a lot more battery power. Plus I bought AirPods Pro so that sealed the deal.
Despite being a castrated EU version, the Jack power had more power on the Walkman. Plus I liked all the effects offered by the DAP (even if some are considered « bad » in Hifi terms, but to me they were pleasing). Finally BT quality vs an iPhone was way better with Sony LDAC MDR1000X.
However on my model there is no Android and Wifi so no streaming services, which was a reason to abandon it.
Overall it was not something very useful especially with AirPods Pro but for my ripped CD collection it was a bit better. I just use my MDR1000X wired at work so it was not a really noticeable difference.
So here's my finding of a very comprehensive DAP list ranked by price and specs. You'd be surprised to see so many, with a lot of them exclusive to certain markets. The entry-level DAPs might be alright but query the value of anything beyond that range. ASR's majority of users prefer phones and/or dongles/adapters, but DAPs are kinda 'fun' nevertheless.
I agree. I have 2 DAP's, one AK and one Hiby and now rarely use either. I use my phone(s) and the 9038D dongle and couldn't be happier. DAP's are ok but if streaming on the go is your thing one must use a phone due to probable lack of wifi outdoors.
i bought a second lgv50 off ebay for $250. to back up the one im already using.
its high quad dac is at the top of the section below the best in amirm's dac sq list.
The only ones I recommend for IEM usage are the Sony ZX300 and NWA-A55, only because they can last a ridiculously long time if you're using them to listen to music (which is the main point of a DAP anyway). Hissing is for all intents non-existent for both units, which is pretty much the only thing I care about for IEM amplification.
I would not pick up a second smartphone if I can avoid it as they generally don't have great battery life for listening to music.