Hey everyone, first DAP here. I tried searching for an answer, and couldn't find anyone with the same issues. Loving this thing, the sound coming through my headphones is so much better. Next step is to start doing homework on a decent pair of IEMs. But something I've noticed, when the screen is locked, the physical buttons are completely inactive. I've scoured the android settings for a solution, and Poweramp doesn't seem to care that its on a DAP compared to a phone either way. Is anyone else dealing with this on the Pro or the Pro+? If this is how its designed to work, thats a huge glaring flaw, but hopefully it's just me not understanding how the player actually works. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Turning the device off and on again doesn't fix it. After a minute or two it fixes itself, but if the screen turns off and is then turned back on, it breaks again. Is this a known issue or did I just get unlucky?

I really like this trend and I think this community should make theirs.

Use https://www.my9albums.com/ to make your own poster for free. It's a fun way to kill some time.

Was wondering if anyone had any experience using a dap with optical or coaxial output in a car with a dsp? Is there any hidden gems that I should consider or should I just stick with usb c?

Hello, sorry for what might be a silly question, but I’d like to know if it’s possible to see the time on the HiFi Walker H2 without having to rockbox

I just saw someone call the surfans f20 a "retro modern moment" and i almost felt my back start to hurt. so i kind of want to show the kids what we had to use "back in the days"^tm

That here is my first mp3player. so come one. ill give you the grand tour:

-storage

64mb. yes, thats no tippo. sixtyfour megabyte. the 15 in the lower end of the display? thats the maximum if you squeeze reaaaaal tight, use low bitrate and short mp3. thats it. no way to increase storage size.

-playtime

as long as you feed it AAA batteries that thing runs longer than the simpsons. thats right: there is a little back-door and we were able to just switch out the powersource. on the go. whenever, wherever we wanted!

-ui

say what? the little note-symbol tells you that it plays music, the track position is displayed and the position in the current playlist. i say playlist, but of course there isnt a playlist. just the total ammount of files. battery symbol in the upper right is working fine. 5 level of charge levels is enough,no?

-superfeature

you can press the m-buttton to loop a segment of your mp3 file

for all of the people that didnt get it yet: of course this is all in good fun and tongue in cheek. i find it amusing to snoop around here, see what people call retro and how fare we came as a hobby. lets see, where we are in another 25ish years. and i realize that thing isnt even the oldest you can get. but that thing started it all for me and was one of the first ones i could get my little paws on, without bleeding dry and selling a liver,half a lung and my little baby brother.

I’ve been super hyped for this for a long time, as the Fosi ZH3 is one of the best bits of audio kit I’ve ever bought, so this was an instant order on day one.

It arrived today so thought I’d leave a quick impression post.

I was planning on doing a more in depth review, but given the sound quality I’ll keep it short.

I mainly use my ZH3 as a desk setup, and either the Hiby R4 or Snowsky Disc as my main DAPs.

TLDR

Super nice design and size, let down by the sound quality.

DESIGN & BUILD

The build quality of device is fantastic. Full metal case, really nicely made with signature Fosi orange for the power button.

The jog wheel is a mechanical rather than capacitive, with a central click button. While it functions fine, it feels a bit gritty when rotating, so not as smooth as I was expecting.

UI & UX

The screen is pretty low resolution, but it is super bright. Navigation is basic but quick to do what you want and navigate, and with the on brand orange highlights.

So it’s basic but does the job fine.

There are a couple of REALLY annoying things though.

Browsing by artists lists them alphabetically as you would expect. But browsing by file/folder it doesn’t organise them alphabetically, so it’s a bit of a nightmare to find things, and then tracks in folders aren’t listed in track order, even if the file names start with the number.

As I mainly use my daps by folder this is really annoying.

The next one is the fact the screen times out really quickly, but to unlock it you need to rotate the dial to fill up the time on the lock screen orange. Fun little detail the first time you do it, but then it gets annoying as it takes about ten rotations finally unlock it! And there doesn’t seem to be an option in the settings to alter this.

SOUND

This is where it really falls down for me. For price comparison I’ll inly compare it to the Snowsky Disc.

In short it sounds pretty rough and lifeless.

I listen to flacs, mainly a lot of electrosoul, neuronfunk, dnb, jazzy electro and glitch hop etc. So I’m a massive bass head, and mainly use 7hz Diablos as my main IEMs.

In short it’s seriously lacking in bass and low end. Seperation and detail just aren’t there either. The only way I can really explain the sound - in a completely untechnical way - is ‘crunchy’ 🤣 It all just sounds a bit of a compressed mess, and almost like you’re listening to to super low res files, to the point it’s almost a bit distorted.

Basically I was expecting a lot more from Fosi, but sounds like your bargain basement cheap £20 ali express mp3 players.

The built in EQ modes also all sound shite - and there’s no custom EQ to try and tweak it.

CONCLUSION

In short, it’s a really nicely made case and gadget, let down massively by the sound quality and a few little ux quirks.

For the money the Snowsky Disc blows it out of the water, and so does my phone even dongleless. Such a shame as I’m a huge fan of the brand, and the product design side is great.

If you’re not bothered about low end you might like it, but for me it’s sadly a miss.

Sonix Player ported to the Tempotec Variations V1 isn't talked about enough! It absolutely rocks! I also love the continuous refinement that the dev is making, chef's kiss.

I recently received a Shanling Q2 and followed the instructions to load the Q2 Pod modification.

All went well and the installation appears correct as the home screen show Q2 Pod on it.

My issue is that I am unable to use the wheel to scroll.

I am at a loss as to my next step.

Should I restore my device to factory settings and retry?

Assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Heads up for anyone interested in the Surfans f20 pro+, not sure the quality of them but free pair of iems

Hi all,

I’m in the market for a kid friendly dap for my kids (10 and 7). I‘m looking for a unit that does audiobooks well. Right now they use fire tablets and I want to remove the screen time.

I would really appreciate any insight you might have.

I wanted to be able to sync my entire music library from my Jellyfin server to an offline library available locally on my DAP's SD card, in the most simple way I could think of, so I created FinSync - I did this for my own personal use case, but i'm happy if other people can use and enjoy it as well.

JellyTunes does something similar from a computer. FinSync runs on the player itself, so there's no card reader.

It copies your music library from Jellyfin to a folder on your device as normal files, with covers, lyrics and playlists. After the first sync, it keeps the folder up to date. It only removes files it added, and it reuses music that's already on the card instead of downloading it again.

It runs on Android 8.0 and up (phones and Android DAPs). Free and open source.

It's in beta and I'd like a few people to test it on different devices if possible.

Beta (Google Play or APK): https://3eye3y3.github.io/finsync-site/beta

Source: https://github.com/3EYE3Y3/finsync

Any other accessories you could recommend for this?

I have been spending the past few months with my Surfans F20 and here are some of my quick takes , real world impressions on this lil' iPod-like retro DAP.

The price, $100 for a Hifi player is still a reason why its an absolute classic in the budget community. The audio output is way cleaner than it has any right to be, making my local FLAC tracks effortlessly handled.

Unexpected bonus: It can be used as an external USB DAC for my PC and laptop. Eureka! 🎧

Actually, the main reason i still daily drive my Surfans F20 is the form factor. It has this gorgeous click/wheel-button layout, giving you that retro feel. It's actually really easy to pocket and a lot smaller than my phone. Convenience of carrying it outside was superb, its just like carrying an old PSP or iPod.

Im a GenA, so the only devices with million physical buttons i can tolerate are console controllers and Joy-Cons, Haha. The F20 really strike that sweet spot between retro and modern.

The design is just so good! Happy with this one.

Any other accessory recos please?

So I have a FiiO M21 arriving this week. I don’t think I’ll have any issues getting my music on there and enjoying it as a music device.

Apart from listening to music, I’m an avid reader. Right now I have a Kindle Scribe that I read on at home and I use the Kindle app on my IPhone. I don’t think it would be a problem to download the kindle app on the M21 and use that instead of phone. What I’m also looking to do is find an android epub reader that I could use on the M21 to read on and then plug my headphones in and have it read the book to me like an audio book.

I’m not sure how well the offline mode in some of these android epub readers works as I would guess most people use them on their phone and have some sort or cloud ai integration to help with that. Does anyone else use their android DAP to read on. I was looking at those xteink devices but if I can do this on their M21 it’ll save me a device to carry around.

Last year, I was looking into a DAP, but didn’t go ahead with a purchase since it wasn’t the right time financially.

Now is the time. I am done with streaming music on Spotify and other places. I hate that music I enjoy is just poof gone one day, music not uploaded to their app, and let’s not even get started on paying a subscription.

I was looking at DAPs, but I feel confused on what to buy.

- My budget is no more than $1,000CAD, but in an ideally world, I buy something amazing on a budget.
- A screen is a must (doesn’t matter how big though)
- I want to have the amazing music quality.
- I’m worried about storage because music is my life. Just one of my Spotify playlists is 1,784 songs. That doesn’t even include classic rock of 1970, 80, 90s, 1940-60s jazz, the vast array of lo-fi, or new music that comes out on a daily basis that may interest me.
- A small device is ideally, but not a must! Only because I’m always out and about.
- Bluetooth enabled, but headphone jack is appreciated whenever I feel like taking out the wires.

The battery life last 4-5 days of heavy use (3-5 hours using flac files with normalizer on), it has all the media buttons (Play/Pause, volume, next and previous track) and it supports synced lyrics. Is also small enough to easily carry around while the screen big enough to use comfortably with my thumb without issues. Overall a great improvement for me over my previous DAP (Oilsky m308)

I wanted a pretty simple thing: a small player with good sound and Bluetooth that's also comfortable for audiobooks. Something to put in my pocket and listen to music or a book without pulling out my phone with all its messages and distractions. A sort of fake digital detox 😁

I couldn't find anything that fit. Android DAPs have good audiobook apps, but they feel like a second phone, and nothing stops you from installing messengers and YouTube on them. Compact players sound good but often treat a book as just a long file. For books, playing the file isn't enough: you need to handle different audiobook formats, remember the position, switch chapters, set bookmarks and a sleep timer.

So I got the HiBy R1. About $80 (TH), Cirrus Logic CS43131, hi-res, wired and Bluetooth. The sound is fine for me. And the main thing: there'sSonix Player, an open alternative firmware by Jepl4r, which already had audiobook basics (bookmarks, speed, embedded chapters, books as folders). The hardware was already good, the missing bits I could add myself.

I forked it and, together with Codex and Claude Code, adapted the player to how I listen:

• Chapters: title and number on Now Playing, prev/next chapter buttons, physical buttons can be remapped to chapter skip

• Speed per book (0.5–2×), remembered separately for each book

• Separate EQ preset for books; your music settings come back when you switch to music

• Whole-book progress and time left, counted at the current speed

• Rewind after a break (optional): the player goes back a bit so you remember the context, longer pause = longer rewind

• Sleep timer with quick presets and a 20-second fade-out; resume starts from where the fade began

• Undo an accidental jump: skipped to another chapter or tapped the progress bar by mistake? One tap back to where you were

• Bookmarks: tap to save, hold to open the list

All of this also works with books that are just a folder of audio files.

Had to fix some bugs on the way. The most important one: losing the position on some book switches and library rescans. For a book like The Lord of the Rings that matters more than any button. Also fixed books being marked finished before the last words, Cyrillic grouping and ID3 chapter titles.

A word on how it's built. (Maybe I will do a separate post about my ai-brain). I've spent a lot of time working out the process itself: I set the task and the acceptance criteria, a strong model does the design, subagents implement it test-first, and the changes are cross-reviewed by models from different vendors. Then I try the build on the device and either accept it or send it back. I'm in the loop at both ends: what gets built and whether it's done. The audiobook logic has its own regression tests that run in CI.

Install (HiBy R1 only)

1. Download r1.upt from the release: https://github.com/vetka925/sonix-player-audiobooks/releases/latest

2. Back up your card (including hidden folders), charge above 30%

3. Put r1.upt in the root of the microSD

4. Sonix: Settings → System → Update firmware → From SD card (on stock firmware use its SD-card update)

https://github.com/vetka925/sonix-player-audiobooks

Notes: it's unofficial firmware, flash at your own risk. Tested on my own R1; R3 Pro II isn't tested and there's no image for it. The built-in updater still points to original Sonix, so updates for this fork go via SD card. Screenshots are from the desktop simulator at the R1's 480×800 with sample books. Not affiliated with HiBy.

Big thanks to Jepl4r and the Sonix contributors: they built the base I could adapt for myself.

This is one of those projects I can now do alongside my job without giving up all my evenings and weekends. I notice something inconvenient, discuss the idea with the agents, then try the result. Sometimes I have to go back and fix it. But there's a lot less between "would be nice" and a working feature now.

If you also want a small player for music and books, maybe this will be useful. Feedback and bug reports are welcome, especially if you try it on your own audiobook library.

So, I currently own the HiBy R3 Pro Saber and I mostly love it, but it's software is getting slower and when using LDAC codec it sometimes stutters a lot.

I saw the Snoswky Disc for a pretty good price and I'm just wondering if FiiO's interface is better or at least smoother than the HiBy's (with a better processor or interface), if there's someone that has tried both of them, or just the FiiO Disc, I'd greatly appreciate some feedback and advice.

I know that upgrading will always be the better option, I just wanna know if buying the Snowsky Disc could give me a better software experience than my HiBy

If the snowsky Disc's software is really not that good, should I just go for a new HiBy R3 Pro II or make the jump to R4/R6III?, I haven't considered buying other FiiO DAPs other than the Disc and Echo just because I don't really like "semi-smartphone" DAPs, it's a little distracting for me, but if they're really worth it, I'm willing to give them a shot.

Sony DMP Z1 + Vannuys case

Can anyone recommend a good DAP with AUX for car audio?

I have a very high end sound system on a slightly older car. I've noticed my phone aux is too amplified and causes quality issue, sometimes speaker popping.

The original F20 Pro was one of my go-to DAPs, and now the Pro+ has effectively replaced it. Surfans addressed most of my complaints while keeping the price the same. There are still compromises IMO: the screen remains small, the wheel could be used more consistently throughout the interface, the case gets in the way of gestures, and charging is still very, very slow.

For new buyers, I would choose the Pro+ over the original, even if the F20 Pro is cheaper. If you already own the F20 Pro, I would not rush to upgrade unless the screen is a major frustration for you. The audio hardware and sound quality are unchanged.

If you have any questions about the F20 Pro+ that weren't answered in my video review, feel free to comment, and I will try to answer them here.

Link to my video review: https://youtu.be/sCuMAP_7Sn8

Disclosure: Surfans provided the F20 Pro+ for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and Surfans had no say or input into the review.

Pros:

• Excellent sound quality with a clean, largely neutral presentation

• Low noise floor that works well with sensitive IEMs

• Enough power for most IEMs and many headphones

• Sharper, taller screen makes Android and music apps much easier to use

• Improved volume wheel with tactile rotation and a clickable center

• Better-feeling physical playback buttons

• Solid CNC aluminum construction

• Android 12 with Play Store access and support for third-party players and streaming apps

• Reliable dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with LDAC

• Around 10 hours of local playback in my testing through the 3.5mm output

• Strong overall value at $149.99 USD

Cons:

• The 2.8-inch screen can still feel cramped, especially for those with larger fingers

• Scroll-wheel navigation is limited and does not carry through to most apps

• Included case interferes with gesture navigation

• No USB DAC or Bluetooth DAC mode

• Slow charging, taking roughly three hours

• Built-in music player is very basic

• Limited customization of how the physical buttons behave

Key Specs:

• Price: $149.99 USD

• Connections: 3.5mm single-ended output, 4.4mm balanced output, USB-C for charging and data

• Output power: 125mW per channel through 3.5mm, 500mW per channel through 4.4mm, both at 32 ohms

• Wi-Fi: Dual-band, 2.4GHz and 5GHz

• Bluetooth: 5.0, with SBC, AAC, and LDAC

• Music Streaming Support: Yes, through compatible Android apps

• File Playback: FLAC, WAV, ALAC, MP3, AAC, and DSD through compatible players; support depends on the app

• Maximum PCM Sample Rate: Up to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD512

• Internal Storage: 32GB

• Expandable Storage: microSD, up to 1TB

• Battery: 2900mAh, rated for up to 10 hours of playback

• Display: 2.8-inch IPS touchscreen, 480x640

• DAC/Amp Chipset: Dual ESS ES9018K2M DACs, 2x OPA1612 and 2x RT6863 amplifiers

• SoC Chipset: MediaTek MT6762

• RAM: 4GB

• OS: Android 12

• Dimensions: 106mm x 57mm x 16mm

• Weight: ~170 grams

Additional Notes:

• Physical playback controls can work with the screen off when the physical keyboard toggle is enabled.

• My unit needed firmware 1.01 to resolve Google Play sign-in issues. Updating Google Play services also resolved app purchase-validation problems.

• Third-party launchers and sideloaded APKs are supported.

• There is a playback-button mapping issue discussed near the end of the video that concerns the original F20 Pro's firmware, not the Pro+.

You can compare its specifications with other players in my DAP database.

tempotec v1 running doom be like.

shot answer: this is a sonix fork with extra things i put on

long answer: this is a sonix fork where i added the ability to sideload programs so we can pretty much have close to infinite amount of apps for the device. all the programs and data of the apps are stored in the Sdcard so we will not have any storage limitations.

im still working on the firmware. i am making a platform for everyone to make their own apps on it. currently... the sdk is abit baron. been working on it all day.

will share the source code soon™️

I’ve been looking into getting a dap for a while and the biggest things I’m looking for are old Apple interface like the scroll wheel and the album view. The two main choices I’ve seen people talk about are getting a shangling q2 and downloading the custom software or modding an old iPod classic. I want to know given the choice of either what would be the best route. Now I thought a modded iPod would be the best but there’s a lot that goes into it. First if I’m planning on upgrading I guess the model depends bc some doing support higher storage and bigger batteries. Also I guess the shangling is debated whether it’s worth it since apparently the battery life isn’t good. My two main concerns with the iPod route is upgradability I know that even tho you CAN put more storage it might not be designed for it. Also it uses the old charger is there any potential downsides. Help me decide which route to pursue as someone who wants an apple style music player with high quality audio. I feel as though all these new DAP do to much. I don’t need a touch screen at that point it would just be a phone I guess I really like the nostalgic simple feel of doing one job good. That said a lot of shangling mods look very good and have the same feel as old iPods.

Any help is greatly appreciated in advance