Portable Dilemmas

[DavidNesbitt]

Guys
I am new to audio and Hifi

I am in the market for a portable dac/amp and IEMs
I listen in the home and also in my office using Qobuz to stream High Res

My source is either a) mobile phone (portable) or b) at home in my study I have a Bluos 2i which I have just purchased.

I am considering some new kit.

I want a good portable dac/amp to use with my phone./laptop
I am considering the IFI XDSD, DragonFly Cobalt and Chord Mojo.
All the reviews are confusing me regarding portability, sound and other things like heat from mojo and sound issue with xdsd if you hook it up to the Bluos 2i, and the dragonfly limiting the signal and not playing high res and using a lower Hz and quality of sound
So what is the best way to go

Headphones - I want to get some high end IEMs and am looking at Campfire Audio and thinking of going for the Polaris which seem really good and could be universal for home listening on a home set up as well as portable for laptop in office and on mobile whilst out and about.

But also contemplating polaris 2 and saving the money on headphones and buying a topping DX7 Pro for desktop use

I need a bit of steer as to which way to go and what to buy

 

[Vincent Kars]

The Dragonfly is not a good idea:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ioquest-dragonfly-black-dacs.2397/#post-67705

You might select "thumbdrive DAC" and compare: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?pages/Audio_Equipment_Reviews/

 

[DavidNesbitt]

Hey Vince thanks for the reply much appreciated

 

[TimW]

When you say Bluos 2i are you talking about the Bluesound NODE 2i? If you look at Amir's review of it the analog output is not that great but the SPDIF output is fine and performance would only be limited by the external DAC. For this reason I would look for a device that has at least USB input and SPDIF input, which rules out USB only dongles like the DragonFly Cobalt. If I understand correctly you plan to connect this device to your phone via USB in your office? If you have a computer in your office I would just use that instead to save the phone battery but to each his own. The Chord Mojo looks nice and has the features I would think you want, but for the price the measured performance is not exemplary. The iFi XDSD is in the same boat with nice looks and features and a commensurate price tag, it has not been reviewed here but the THD+N spec on their website is not inspiring.

These more boutique brands sell nice looking things that get great subjective reviews but objectively they tend to underperform compared to lower priced products from measurement based manufacturers. Chord, iFi, and Audioquest are also all trying to sell you BS products that do nothing for sound like fancy cables, USB decrapifiers, special power supplies, and digital "upscalers." Personally I would steer away from them even if I was willing to blow that kind of cash.

Take a look at the recently released and reviewed Khadas Tone2 Pro which has great performance albeit with not the most powerful headphone amp. It has USB and SPDIF input along with an I2S input that may support a BT dongle from them in the future. It is small and looks well made although the interface is said to be awful. Maybe that will improve with firmware updates.

Then there is the Topping NX4 DSD which has good performance and includes a battery. Unfortunately its DAC only has USB input so you would have to use the DAC in the Bluesound NODE 2i when connecting them together.

 

[buz]

Read crinacle.com for the IEM, he's no fan of campfire audio for sure.

I got moondrop blessing 2 and quite like them but they are indeed big.

As for mobile listening, I find the qudelix 5k hard to beat. I even use it with my hd800s!

 

[TimW]

There is also the Xduoo XD-05 Plus which looks to have decent performance.

 

[DavidNesbitt]

Thanks TimW appreciate the response I'll look at the Xduoo

 

[DavidNesbitt]

When you say Bluos 2i are you talking about the Bluesound NODE 2i? If you look at Amir's review of it the analog output is not that great but the SPDIF output is fine and performance would only be limited by the external DAC. For this reason I would look for a device that has at least USB input and SPDIF input, which rules out USB only dongles like the DragonFly Cobalt. If I understand correctly you plan to connect this device to your phone via USB in your office? If you have a computer in your office I would just use that instead to save the phone battery but to each his own. The Chord Mojo looks nice and has the features I would think you want, but for the price the measured performance is not exemplary. The iFi XDSD is in the same boat with nice looks and features and a commensurate price tag, it has not been reviewed here but the THD+N spec on their website is not inspiring.

These more boutique brands sell nice looking things that get great subjective reviews but objectively they tend to underperform compared to lower priced products from measurement based manufacturers. Chord, iFi, and Audioquest are also all trying to sell you BS products that do nothing for sound like fancy cables, USB decrapifiers, special power supplies, and digital "upscalers." Personally I would steer away from them even if I was willing to blow that kind of cash.

Take a look at the recently released and reviewed Khadas Tone2 Pro which has great performance albeit with not the most powerful headphone amp. It has USB and SPDIF input along with an I2S input that may support a BT dongle from them in the future. It is small and looks well made although the interface is said to be awful. Maybe that will improve with firmware updates.

Then there is the Topping NX4 DSD which has good performance and includes a battery. Unfortunately its DAC only has USB input so you would have to use the DAC in the Bluesound NODE 2i when connecting them together.

Thanks TimW - Yes I use my phone in the house because the Node 2i is upstairs in the study (i just use it at my desk with wired headphones)
So I am looking for a mobile dac/amp to use qobuz on my phone streaming in the house (when not at my desk) and when travelling to work, at work and walking outside. So I dont want anything too bulky and that gets too hot but that I can get High Res streaming from Qobuz?

 

[TimW]

Thanks TimW - Yes I use my phone in the house because the Node 2i is upstairs in the study (i just use it at my desk with wired headphones)
So I am looking for a mobile dac/amp to use qobuz on my phone streaming in the house (when not at my desk) and when travelling to work, at work and walking outside. So I dont want anything too bulky and that gets too hot but that I can get High Res streaming from Qobuz?

If this is just for your phone then I would just recommend a good dongle. Check out some high performance options listed in this post. I like the E1DA 9038D for its price but the Luxury&Precision looks cool, not sure where to get it. There is also the Helm Audio Bolt.