PORTABLE AUDIO for BEGINNERS w/ Sony, Apple, Sennheiser, FiiO, Campfire & more
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- Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
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🎥 Camera: John Darko / Olaf von Voss
🎬 Editor: John Darko
🌈 Colour: Olaf von Voss
🕺🏻 Motion GFX: John Darko
💰 Ad segment: Jana Dagdagan
🎵 Song IDs? Playlists of all music heard in this video - and other videos - can be found on PATREON: / johndarko
0:00 Intro
1:10 True Wireless
4:11 Wired setups
8:57 High-end wired setups
15:08 Back to Bluetooth
💛 What are those yellow speakers?
Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5S 2 (the larger pair)
🛒 amzn.to/3G1tt6Z
PSB Alpha iQ (the smaller pair)
🛒 amzn.to/3FUZTAd
👉 Also seen in this video...
Apple AirPods Pro v2
🛒 amzn.to/3slhUVn
Sennheiser Momentum TW3
🛒 amzn.to/47k8Wq6
Sony WF-1000XM5
🛒 amzn.to/47k8HeG
FiiO KA2
🛒 amzn.to/49zXwAC
FiiO FF3
🛒 amzn.to/3u8Neae
Sony NW-A306
🛒 amzn.to/47pMGer
Sony Xperia 1 V
🛒 amzn.to/47auvto
AudioQuest DragonFly Black
🛒 amzn.to/478EhMy
iFi GoPod
🛒 amzn.to/46bRKSw
Sennheiser IE200
🛒 amzn.to/49ulzRg
Sennheiser IE300
🛒 amzn.to/49qKQMh
Sennheiser IE600
🛒 amzn.to/473qNSm
Sennheiser IE900
🛒 amzn.to/475fIQI
Campfire Andromeda Emerald Sea
📖 www.campfireaudio.com/product...
Campfire Solaris Stellar Horizon
📖 www.campfireaudio.com/product...
Campfire Trifecta Astral Plane
📖 www.campfireaudio.com/product...
Shanling M3 Ultra
🛒 amzn.to/3MDHJ9L
Astell & Kern SP3000
🛒 amzn.to/49ywZUc
Streaming platform by Roon
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Cables and power products by AudioQuest
🛒 howl.me/ckbW8ZBoZAg
Hi-fi furniture and speaker stands by Solid Steel
🛒 howl.me/ckbW9947Hdi
Room treatment by Vicoustic
📖 vicoustic.com/
Darko.Audio may earn a small commission from items purchased via affiliate links, which are indicated with a '🛒'.
Portable Audio for Beginners (2022 edition)
📺 darko.audio/2022/01/a-long-fi...
#portable #headphones #airpods
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The best thing about autumn, winter and spring is that I can wear my headphones everywhere as they double up as earmuffs!
John, I just noticed that you passed 300K subscribers. Congratulations!
Hey I have not watched your videos in awhile I appreciate your videos and your music selections are great.
stellar as ever. thank you for the time and effort.
We need a video on how to explain why I need these products to the wife.
buy first, apologize to wife later.
well
Live your own way of life. Enjoy it to the fullest. Let them comment..
LOL! or husband!
Very nice job, wonderful production all around and looking forward to more. Your channel will start growing very quickly 🙏🏻
Informative. Great help.
Have had the FiiO FF3 for 6months and love them.
i too had good times w affordable portables back in college days
Hi John, great video yet again. To say i look forward to your next video drop is an understatement. The quality and thought that goes into your presentations is off the scale. Candy for the eyes and ears, ill let you decide if i mean you 😁 or the vid 😊
Seriously though, thank you and thanks to Olaf too, just brilliant stuff. 👏
Congrats John on the 300k mark brilliant channel
For anyone with a lightning iPhone: the Fiio KA1 and KA2 also come in lightning versions.
And the KA5 comes with a lightning cable as well as usb C
Thank you for bringing the FiiO KA2 and the FF3 earbuds to my attention. For me they provide a very good listening experience. I also tried the FiiO FF5 earbuds but to me they didn’t offer the same listening experience as the FF3 earbuds. I will keep watching
Glad to see that you haven't moved on to exclusively unobtainable products.
This video is close to being in a foreign language ! So many buzz words!
Hardly a beginners guide!
🙋♂️ GREAT OPTIONS FOR BEGINNERS 🤗👍💚💚💚
Excellent review. Many of these products I own. It's a joy to see these. May I also recommend the Cayin Ru7. A 1 bit dongle dac..dad conversion. I'm enjoying that right now .
There are so many great options for on the go quality audio.
i really enjoy ifi products. i have a go blu and a gryphon and love the sound of them and ease of use. i stopped using ANC headphones or even over the ear all together when i travel. a good set of IEMs with some decent tips and, as a misophonic, makes traveling a nice experience.
Dear John, thanks for again another amazing review! I was expected to see/hear about Meze Advar 😢
Ifi go pod makes my Sennheiser IE 900 sound amazing! It even made my Shure se846 sound pretty great
I use my IE900 with the iFi Gold bar with balanced output. It is a true marvel.
Looking forward to your Xperia 1 V review, would like to see you pair it with dongles, IEMs and the XM5 earbuds
Wow, the ifi go pods look amazing, definitely checking those out. Have some Shure IEMs that I’m really fond of and can’t bear to part with. Shure attempted a Bluetooth receiver to convert cables iems a while ago but it wasn’t very good, have been waiting for a good alternative since
I've been using a Sony Xperia 1iii for all my music listening for a couple of years, its pretty great. I use the Sony wf-xm5 when out and about, I live in the centre of a busy city and find that the isolation wired IEMs provide isn't enough. At home I use a variety of IEMs with an IFI Go Bar, its a great device, the built in IE Match is a brilliant feature. The Go Blu is also great, so much more lively and engaging than other bluetooth DAC/amps I've used. I only do portable audio as I'm rarely in one place for long.
I have had the B&O Beoplay EX for about a year and love them! =O)
Here’s what I tried in pursuit of overcoming Apple’s AAC Bluetooth limitations: iPhone can’t play 24-bit through Bluetooth, however it’s possible via lightning out (even using standard 3.5 audio adapter). So I tested Bower & Wilkins’ Pi7 case ability to convert and retransmit analog audio from any 3.5 audio out directly to earbuds. With standard Apple adapter though there wasn’t enough volume (amplification?) and overall result didn’t impressed me. But I tried connecting Dragonfly DAC with Apple’s “camera kit” adapter into Pi7 case and from there into earbuds through what I believe is 24bit Bluetooth streaming between case and buds. Result was good. I think low end became more detailed and less boomy, staging and imaging improved as well. It wasn’t something completely different from standard Bluetooth connection. But this is definitely worth looking into…
Cool intro and appearance. Very Doug Henning.
portable audio doesn't necessarily mean earphones or iem.
I personally would never considered any model of those no matter how well they may sound.
my choice is always a pair of normal full-sized headphones. Most likely wired.
However the higher impedance limits choice of possible setups as I also have to mind the output power of the device I connect them to.
And this is exactly where your help to organize such a setup would be highly appreciated.
A fair few variations there. I’m happy listening to Spotify etc on my iPhones with a Fiio KA1 and KZ ZSN Pro’s. Great sound and great value too.
Lightning Dongle and HEXA is my go to.
The HEXA is an EXCELLENT choice!! The vocal clarity and accuracy/separation of the instruments are SO GOOD!!! Especially for the price!! Budget iems are getting REALLY GOOD!!!
Great video, John. Very informative, but I'm still not completely convinced on wireless earbuds..........
John, not sure if this was covered and I missed it, or you cover it in another video, but what about cables? Upgrading cables for headphones, balanced cables, lightning to 3.5 dongles etc. where to buy them from, ones to avoid, do they make a difference?
I see lots about portable dacs with balance out and have no idea where I can trust for a cable, many of the headphones manufacturers don't seem to supply them.
Would be interested on your thoughts of the Shure true wireless gen2 adaptors. I have had them for a year now with some old Shure 425’s that I am very happy with
my portable audio setup was a blessing 2 with samsung dongle :)
my combo is: Moonriver 2 + HD 25
I have the new Sony xm5s but struggle with the stock ear tips. Which ones do you have on the ones in your video please?
Have you tried CIEMs like UE Pro?
Do you think there is a substancial increase in sound quality and comfort compared to the ones with generic fit?
Thanks!
It is an absolute, no-compromises, requirement for me to have a bottom end that is real nice and tight
Ooh er, Mrs
🤨
Practical observation on the iFi GoPod (and perhaps any bluetooth ear-hooks): My iBasso Audio adaptors sound worse than my wired setup *when connected to an iPhone*. This is not the case when using a Google Pixel, pointing at the fact than LDAC can do a good-enough job while AAC can't.
I’ve observed similar using a Fiio BTR7 and swapping it between USB and Bluetooth on an iPad. I found a discernible, if not immediately describable improvement in sound plugging the BTR7 vs. pairing it over Bluetooth
As you said I just realized that Fiio Ka2 is better than Walkman and Dragonfly black. Is this really the case ? And including LG V60 wouldn't be bad, get one as it surely worth it
GoPod is the way to go...so much more versatile..i have the fiio alternative and love them bit the ifi has better options even though its more expensive i think I'll be getting a set.
John, have you considered the woo audio portable usb amp?
I would suggest you test the Soundcore Liberty 4 = excellent sound quality imho for a good mid level price plus a good app to accompany this. For a high tier iem then theres the Denon Perl pro - I've seen raving reviews about this but am still saving up for it lol. Nice review.
I've been using a pair of KZ ZS10pro and KZ wireless adapter for a while now and it's the best wireless experience I've ever had! (~80€ for the system)
Which adapter are you using?
Any recommendations on aftermarket tips for people with allergic reaction?
I’m envious of everyone who can wear these types of things, they just fall right out of my ears.
Are those the Symbio hybrid memory foam/silicone ear tips from MandarinEs on that last set of IEMs that are connected to the iFi GoPod? If so, those are my favorite ear tips. They have a new version now, but I haven't tried them yet. I'm waiting for the seller to post them on Amazon.
My mobile setups are apple AirPods Pro 2, and ifi go blu + focal Celestee or truthear Hexa.
i have the UTWS5 from FIIO paired with Moondrop Kato's. Not a single TWS on the Market beats a combo like this of a real IEM and a powerful hang on amp. Recently tried with the very good Gemini 2's from Devialet. Comfortwise they obviously win buy sound is not comparable
For people that want the simplicity of bluetooth, how would you compare the Senn Momentum 3 True Wireless to the Campfire audio orbit...Thanks
Interesting, most of these are out of my budget but love the info.
Yeah, I noticed that as well. Most of the gear he talked about is mid-level and higher. Not sure how it's for "beginners".
The ifi go pods are such a half assed product but the only alternatives come with their own issues. The go pods are so flimsy, the plastic started cracking within hours of use on both of my units. They're totally incapable of supporting the full 990Kbps bitrate of LDAC when you force it, even when I'm in the middle of nowhere with no BT interference. They also claim to support LHDC but when I tried with my Fiio Dap there was no audio. That same dap can do full bitrate LHDC on my UTWS5 no problem.
There's also constant signal problems. Often one or both channels will drop out or one will be out of sync.
can't wait to hear what you have to say about the sony xperia 1 V. I'm hearing not a VERY big difference between the headphone jack and something like the ifi gryphon.
this is very good though lul
Early this year I switched from EarPods to Sony Linkbuds S. This sony product has an incredible sound and dynamics and superb noise isolation. App is also very good and detailed. Also, unlike the Apple and other large earbuds, these Linkbud S are light and have no feeling that they will fall out.
I have a pair and they actually FIT my small ears! However not great for noise canceling but good enough! Easy to use. BT works well.
Have you tried the Shure true wireless adapter that allows any of their IEM's to become wireless/bluetooth IEM's. Looks similar to the iFi gopod's
No on ear headphones?
I understand that Android 14 is now being rolled out to the Experia 1 mk V. I am very interested in phones that still offer wired headphone jacks, and hopeful that this phone compares favourably over using USB Audio Pro with a THX Onyx dongleDAC. I miss my LG V30 quad-DAC.
Any plans on reviewing the new Dali IO-12 headphones?
Maybe I missed it, but what would be best IEMs for use on an airplane? I would use them with my LG V30 or Samsung tablet (for movies). Could be wired or BT. Currently using the Gen 3 Sony BT ones you have in the video, but they are getting beat.
There's wayy too many to make blind recs. There's also way too many connection options these days to pigeonhole the possibilities.
Any passive isolation from universal iems with adequate tips will provide enough isolation whereby ANC becomes irrelevant.
It's up to your wallet and tuning preferences to tailor your search.
I've been using IE 200 for a year now and don't plan to change them. Before that I had the OG Solaris, but I quickly sold them as they had too much bass. I also had Andromeda, they are very detailed with good midrange, but the armature bass is very specific, not as smooth as dynamic bass. So I think using a small 7mm driver in the IE 200 is a good solution, best of both worlds so to speak + because of that they are very small and comfortable. There is one downside, they require some amplification. Of course they sound good even with 10€ USB-C dongles, but they do not show their full potential, in my opinion.
Solaris had too much bass 🫠? I wish my Solaris SE had any bass
How do you like the cables of the IE 200?
Is there any good replacement cable in the aftermarket? Asking because I'm about to order the IE 200 but not sure about the cable.
Thanks
You mention music listening in LDAC, which streaming services offer LDAC and which would you recommend?
It’s not streaming services which offer it rather the device which is doing the streaming! Many androids will do it, but no iPhones will.
Should I get the IE600 or something else better in that price range? I have a WM306 and want a midrange sound. Don’t want a bass heavy IEM. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks
You can take a look at sony's own IER-M7, which is in strong discount now (799 to 499). I had one and it's very focus on giving you the original sounds with clear and balanced performance without heavy bass.
You should test beyerdynamic xelento remote v2. 😊
Enjoyed the video, but this is not even close to being a presentation for beginners. Model number soup.
Overwhelming
Have you heard of the AUNE M1P which houses a special hardware decoding frame with ARM and FPGA architectures. It uses ultra-low jitter dual clocks to realize asynchronous regeneration, and then the clock synchronization of the FPGA-DAC? It is supposed to sound great, but looks poor. My thinking is why buy a $3000 DAP when you get get a very good unit for $400. This could be a review idea.
16:26 💯 What's the point of having cake if you're not going to eat it??
Speculating how valuable it will be 1, 2, 5+ yrs into the future!
Can you text the Beoplay EX headphones in comparison?
I'd like to ask a question re battery life of wireless iem's. I really like my SonyXM4's but even though I don't commute to work and listen to music for a hour or two a day on the Sony's the batteries have started to go after just under two years. It's an important factor if I'm going to have to replace them every two years. Is this an acceptable situation to pay £200+ for a product which will be useless in two years? Is it the 'norm'? Are Apple ear pods any better re battery life? I'd really appreciate some feedback before I buy a new pair or maybe I'll have to go back to wired phones.
Yes. Most things are uselss in two years. Think shoes or other items that you constantly buy. Or in terms of batteries, most phones start to die off already after first year. After year and a half my Samsung barely makes it through the day, at start it did 3 days.
@@MrPigeonaids Thanks for your feedback. I understand your point but I don't spend £200+ on things that I have to constantly buy and re shoes if you buy a good pair of shoes you can get them re-soled/heeled. It might be good if there was an easy way to replace the batteries. It's not good for my wallet or the environment for that matter. Are Apple pods the same?
I own the Sony WF1000 XM3's which I bought about 2.5 years ago for a holiday where I wanted something which would provide good noise cancelling on flights, good sound quality and decent battery life. I haven't seen any reduction in battery quality on mine, and I'd say using them for a couple of hours per day I can go a whole week without charging them. I'm always conscious about using the box between uses as I don't like over charging things and think that can shorten battery life (of which I have no proof) but everything with a battery will diminish over time.
I've heard the Apple's aren't great but my friend swears by his Sennheiser. This is why I always buy the previous generation using heavy discounts on Amazon, rather than cop out for the latest product as the price generally drops like a stone when a new model is on the horizon!
@@robonzo4817 Cheers for your feedback. I paid £199 for the XM4's on offer. I think they were originally priced at £300. I have wondered whether the software updates can add to the battery situation as this has been the case on other well-known tech products. I realize that John Darko could not have known how long the batteries would last when he did his original revue but the manufacturers should indicate approximately how long the batteries/product should last under regular usage. I expected an item like this from Sony would last for more than two years. Maybe I was naive.
Thoughts about the Fiio KA5 paired with Sennheiser IE 400 Pro?
Seems like Ka5, or even ka3 would be fine with any iem
How about edifier neo buds pro ?
Ifi good😂
Great video, John,….except, most of these headphones appear to have been named by someone hitting random keys on their keyboard. I feel a bit like the dog Ginger in the famous Gary Larson cartoon. It’s “blah…blah…blah…Sony.” I realize you make videos and podcasts, not spreadsheets, but could you list the portable audio devices you reviewed and maybe check your favorites? Ginger and I would appreciate it.
What’s your take on the Fiio BTR7
Or BTR5/3k, ifi go blu, qudelix 5k, etc
Does phone model impact sound quality if i decide to go for a high end ear piece?
Not really? Bluetooth standards exists and they differ on phones but usb c dongles should sound the same on every phone. For bitperfect playback on android you’ll need usb player tho
i think it's because you have not tried yet the Denon Perl Pro
Really would love a view over BT DAC/Amps. Want to run some Iems in my helmet, and not get caught in cables. And helmet audio (Cardo) is fckn expensive for what it is.
Ok, so I watched the 2022 version 😂
Shandling Ultra DAP
walking with a cable makes that cable sound and wireless don't have this? do you notice this, am I just using poor cable in ear headphones?
It's definitely your cable build. I use the Gizaudio Chopin IEM and you don't hear the cables when you move them. But that IEM runs a little more than $200
It's cable quality. It's worse with cheaper headphones
It's worth to note that the build quality on the Sennheiser TW 3's is atrocious. I'm on my 2nd, almost on my 3rd, had Amazon accepted to replace instead of offering only a refund. There are lots of owners having to replace them 3, 4 or more times.
The issue is the gunk they use to stick down a gauze on the headphone. Over time this softens, moves over a sensor, which causes a constant chirping noise.
What are your expectations regarding upcoming UWB (Ultra-Wide-Band) headphones? There is much more bandwidth compared to Bluetooth.
I guess you don't find the Sony XM5s to be uncomfortable. I've heard many reviewers say they are
Whomever thinks the xm5 are not comfortable has some oddly shaped ears.. next to AirPods, I find them one of the most comfortable tws iems
Thanks Darko! What percentage of your extra-domestic excursions are spontaneous as opposed to being premeditated? Either way, you very much appear to be a man in nearly perpetual motion, subject only to the periods of torpor necessitated by our shared human physiology.
It will be very appreciated a conclusion about all you are saying, too fast, too much information and nothing clear at the end. Beginners with that prices....
Sorry, this is all too complicated to me as a complete newbie enthusiast 😂 I'm familiar with terminology, tried a few products mentioned here (and lots of older stuff not mentioned here) and all I ended up with is... a headache.
What I learned: wireless earbuds - okay if you want noise cancellation and don't really care about audio quality. Ok, i agree. Sony player is decent, ok. Couldn't understand much about alternatives, would appreciate a separate video on portable players that can play spotify or something similar. Oh, and headphones? Me? Wired, no discussion. But the exact model is 100% subjective matter, I have to hear them before I buy.
Yeah, this is a terrible video for beginners.
Help Darko community, I need some 8yr old friendly Spotify player that won’t break the bank that’s also good
The Ifi Gopod is Just too expensive when you can (for £30) get a CCA BTX or KZ-AZ09 Pro (I have Both) and apart from both being Superb they do exactly the same as the Gopod and do it exceptionally well with both units costing just over £60🤷♂️one as a Spare.
I use my Truthear x Mele in ears,
Kiwi ears Cadenza,
Truthear x Crinacle Zero and QKZ x HBB IEM’s which all perform faultlessly.
Please try Samsung's Buds 2 Pro
like 2000 reviews online of those things. they are good, buy.
If you want Harman, it doesn't get much more Harman (Samsung own Harman). They are extremely well tuned and great connectivity, tiny buds, tiny case, intuitive controls that just work (and can control both volume AND ANC/ambient), great fit, great for sleeping/side lying as so small, great ANC, great ambient mode with physical wind shield. Only real negative is the limitation to AAC on non Samsung phones but I don't feel this is a big issue, tuning and sound quality matter more than the codec.
SP3000 =£3000 I'll have two😆😆 oh and another £2k for the Campfire IEMs Tell us a decent mid range setup using an Android phone dongledac and wired phones that betters wireless buds that ordinary people can afford Fiio maybe?
I’m 7 minutes into the video and I don’t understand how it’s for beginners 😅
Great video and details but it’s too much information without getting into the actual terms or explaining why a certain decision you made can guide me through the journey of choosing a wired setup (:
Just my 2 cents, I do appreciate your effort though, so I’m not trying to be rude here
I truly mean it when I say your recent video on Apple Music/Airplay as well as this one is ‘best of breed’. Immensely helpful! Keep the ‘real world’ type videos coming!
Too many factors, not worth it imo, yet. I use cable for music amd bt earbuds for calls amd video meetings. Much simpler amd functional from functional and budget aspect as well. At least for me
You cant make albums from the 70s and 80s make like they were recorded in 2020s - there are limits. Not all music bands were recording on very expensive Struder gear. I think nowdays we want hear every instrument sort of independed, solo, but albums were meant to sound as one.... I think modern music recorded with sophisticated gear, DSD will sound beatufil like you were in their studio live. But for the 70s, 80s albyms CD quality is the best they can achive.
Very nice video! Looking forward to buying the Sennheiser IE 600, and the Airpods Pro 2 or Sony WFXM5!! First to comment!
Are those Pro-Ject speakers in the background???
More info in the description box 👈
You should give the AirPods a little go again. The sound profile has been tweaked in a couple of recent updates. The mids seem a lot cleaner now. Just make sure yours are on the newest 6B32 firmware. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
can you review ultimate ears iems?
Portable Audio for BEGINNERS featuring CAMPFIREAUDIO Solaris 'Stellar Horizon' and AK SP3000 ....eh? XD
This was very clearly explained in the first minute of the video. 👍
@@DarkoAudioI have the bang and olfsen eq which the sound has only got better the more they have worn in, but thinking of getting another pair of in ears or getting over ears, please review the astell and keen uw100m2 heard the sound is the best in ear and review the bowers and willing px7s2E to see if the upgrade is worth the price thank you
My apology to wireless users Bluetooth and wireless for me sound bad compared to thier wired counterparts
NEVER, I repeat, NEVER use headphones/earbuds on the street! Situational awareness is already horrible for most people with their face stuck to a phone screen while walking. Add the lack of hearing to that and it a recipe to get you mugged, robbed, run over and killed. Today, especially in big “blue” cities, you need to have your ears open and your head on a swivel. I don’t know how many times I have seen someone looking at their phone, not even wearing headphones, walk straight into traffic without even looking.
Why fear monger?
It’s in ALL CITIES across the globe. Stop promoting your ultra right point of view.
Also you are missing out on real sound
@@grymkaft Truth is not fear mongering. The facts don’t lie. If you remove the six Democrat run major cities from the gun violence statistics world wide, the US is second from the BOTTOM on the list of gun violence in countries. That’s a FACT, not my opinion.
@@RogierYou Staying safe is not a “right wing” point of view, it’s the correct point of view