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Yet another cheap(ish) DAP RFC

rj45

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Joined
Mar 7, 2019
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Hi y'all.
Long time audio enthusiast, mostly swimming in the shallow end (high value).
Looking for a good DAP with a top budget around US $200.
Just ordered some Sennheiser HD650 headphones, so I will need to drive those without distortion.
Wifi connection would be great to play from my NAS, and playlist creation is a must.
Bluetooth not a concern for me.
Balanced output not a must, but might be useful for the Senns.
I had a FIIO X1, and absolutely hated the UI interface, so that brand is a no-go.
I have narrowed my selection to these 2:
Shanling M2x
HiBy R3 Pro

I probably can't hear extreme subtleties in chipset variations, so my decision is mostly
specs, UI, functionality, durability, stability, support and power for the Senns HD650.
Thanks in advance!
 
Last edited:

JustAnandaDourEyedDude

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I would add HiBy R3 Pro Saber (soon to be rereleased) and Hidizs AP80 Pro to your current list.

Edit: The Saber version was available for a while earlier in the year. Then it disappeared from "shelves", in a pattern I have seen before with multiple HiBy DAPs (do they work the bugs out by consumer testing?). Now the HiBy product page says "Coming Soon". I would wait for the new stock, even if the first batch happens to be still available anywhere.
https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-r3-pro-saber

Also, even though are not DAPs, you might give serious consideration to E1DA #9038D (single-ended output) or E1DA #9038S G3 (balanced output) with your phone as transport, for very low noise and distortion and plenty of power to drive your HD650. Around $100 each.
Hi y'all.
Long time audio enthusiast, mostly swimming in the shallow end (high value).
Looking for a good DAP with a top budget around US $200.
Just ordered some Sennheiser HD650 headphones, so I will need to drive those without distortion.
Wifi connection would be great to play from my NAS, and playlist creation is a must.
Bluetooth not a concern for me.
Balanced output not a must, but might be useful for the Senns.
I had a FIIO X1, and absolutely hated the UI interface, so that brand is a no-go.
I have narrowed my selection to these 2:
Shanling M2x
HiBy R3 Pro

I probably can't hear extreme subtleties in chipset variations, so my decision is mostly
specs, UI, functionality, durability, stability, support and power for the Senns HD650.
Thanks in advance!
 
Last edited:
OP
rj45

rj45

New Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2019
Messages
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2
Thanks, the HiBy R3 Pro Saber looks like the champ. Dual ESS dacs and a balanced output.
Very reasonable price also!
Wow. The product page says unavailable, but Amazon let me put in in the cart and buy it.
Rare mistake by Amazon.

Or not! From the HiBy R2 Pro Saber page, I clicked "buy" and Amazon automatically substituted the non Saber version.
So that one will be sent back. Want the ESS version.
 
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