Page 95 - Stuff - September 2017 UK

GROUP TEST AUDIO PLAYERS

HIRES
AUDIO
SOURCES

Apple iPod Touch Pioneer XDP-100R-S

7 Digital from £179 / stuff.tv/iPodTouch £349 / stuff.tv/XDP100RS
7 Digital has
found its niche Now Apple’s iPod Classic classics from your library As Morrissey once sang, FLAC alternatives while
with a bountiful has gone to the gadget an absolute breeze. “From the ice age to the still offering the same
catalogue of farm in the sky, the iPod Sound is clear and rich, dole age, there is but one audio quality.
reasonably Touch is its only dedicated but there’s no support for concern: some audio You can fit a lot more
priced hi-res music player that you can hi-res music, which all the formats are better than music on this Pioneer than
music. It’s still buy. Last updated in other players here feature, others.” He was quite right some rivals – up to 432GB.
a great way 2015, the sixth-gen Touch even if they cost a couple too, as MQA is a big step up And while other players
to start your is essentially an iPhone of hundred more. This is from FLAC when it comes can offer more precise
collection. without the phone bit. a simple alternative with to hi-res playback. performance, the Pioneer’s
from The Touch’s 4in screen bountiful app support. Pioneer’s XDP-100R-S sound is still very good.
£4.99/album films, but it’s bright, sharp is one of the few music
and – combined with a STUFF SAYS players to support MQA STUFF SAYS
A8 processor – makes The ori
inal is no lon
er files, which take up less A
reat-value hi-res player
digging out forgotten the best, but it’s still
reat storage space than their with room for loads of tunes

Tidal
This hi-res
streaming
service,
famously
owned by Jay Z,
has made its
name with a
string of stellar
exclusive album
releases.
from
£9.99/month

Onkyo DP-X1 Fiio X5 III

£549 / stuff.tv/DPX1 £389 / stuff.tv/FiioX5
The Onkyo looks dapper, balanced player, whose The third-gen Fiio X5 is the latest, greatest one:
Qobuz offers up to 432GB of Android support means a portable music player MQA. Most importantly,
Go for the £350 storage and supports streaming from Tidal and that’s in need of something its small-scale sound puts
annual plan and the new MQA format. Qobuz is no trouble. to make it stand out from it behind the AK70.
you can have The only problem? The But again, compared the rest of the hi-res pack. So why has it still got
unlimited 24-bit Pioneer above has the to a hi-res player like the This is a device that does four stars? Because this
streaming plus same feature list for Astell & Kern this Onkyo the same things as its all amounts to nit-picking
up to 60% off £200 less. doesn’t quite have the competitors, with a little and the X5 is still a decent
this service’s Still, even though the same audio chops… and less finesse. bit of kit. Nothing more,
huge catalogue DP-X1 isn’t distinct enough it costs a little bit more. It runs on Android, but nothing less.
of FLAC to demand your cash, we is prone to vaguely written
downloads. can’t quibble too much STUFF SAYS error messages. It offers STUFF SAYS
from over its credentials. This Just behind the pace, but support for a whole heap Maybe not the player you
£9.99/month is a clear, spacious and still decent in its own ri
ht of file formats, but not need… but not bad at all

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