The player, who is dedicated to today’s review, I reached to the final consumers is very long. Announced in early 2015, Explorer several times recycled, has participated in the crowdfunding and, finally, in the second half of last year has got to free sale. Let’s see what happened with the developers.
Overall this entire project is a illustration of how a group of people embodies his idea and his own vision, not chasing fashion trends. The developers originally went from the idea to create a player in a wooden case, without resorting to solutions like “make it out of aluminum and tape veneer. Here was quite a large case (the tree should be thick), which naturally flowed into the idea to make a case in the shape of a flask for convenience. The sound also was made “unfashionable”, PCM1792, combined with a powerful amplifier provided moderately vintage flow. And finally, the last idea was to use as Android with minimal interference in it.
As the project is predominantly American, the price tag turned out, perhaps slightly above “the market average”, the cost of player is $ 600, so let’s deal with Explorer more.
Technical parameters
- Processor: Rockchip RK3128 @ 1.3 GHz
- RAM: 1 GB
- Internal memory: 64 GB
- Storage card: MicroSD
- DAC: PCM1792
- Oh: TPA6120A2
- Output power (per channel): 300 mW @ 32Ω
- The ratio signal/noise: 128 dB
- Output impedance: <1Ω
- OS: Android 6.0
- Outputs: Naushnikov 3.5 mm, 3.5 mm line-in/optical
- Battery: 4000 mAh
- Work time from a single charge: ~ 8 hours
- Charging time: ~ 5 hours
- Wireless module: CQ WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth 4.1
Packing and delivery
If every time I write something like “box there is a standard” I had a dollar I would have bought something like A&K AK70 Mk II for portable use, but as wishing to do that, I have to write like that for free. In General, there is a traditional “jacket” with a good printing and inner packing of black cardboard. Inside you will find the player in a protective film, various instructions/warranty card, MicroUSB cable and leather case that can be worn on the player to protect it, although it deprives the idea of the wooden player of every kind of sense. Of nice bonuses, included is a promo code for 90 days free subscription to Tidal.
Also to Explorer for sale good desktop cradle dock for those who want to use the player in the role of a desktop source.
Design and management
Around appearance of this gadget broken a lot of copies, and more discussions will happen in the future (comments to this review will be no exception), but common reflection — the creators just solved the problem the most efficient way, any alternative would be worse and/or more expensive. In General, if someone has not even seen this player before today, the photo above has allowed you to get an idea about the Explorer. The main part of the case made of wood (a choice, maple, mahogany, zebrawood, and ebony), and, as I wrote above, this is not veneer or vinyl imitation, but the real dereviaga, very well processed. Maybe it sounds a little funny, but I really like the feel of this player in the hand, smooth wood with rounded edges — a really nice touch, so the live player is perceived to be more aesthetically pleasing than the photo.
The upper and lower ends are made from aluminium, which is also well fits into the concept of the device. On “the inner side of the flask” placed a plastic ledge with a screen, of course, from the point of view of leading Internet experts, it disturbs the harmony of the spheres, but, in fact, alternatives could be exactly three. Banal the idea is to make one side of the “Researcher” is flat, perhaps it’s not an option, it would be awful even for my humble taste. The screen could drown in the hull, which greatly worsened the management, or the display could be curved according to the shape of the hull, but then the price tag is clearly significantly increased to, is capable of making curved touch screens, few in the world, and the products of their way.
The controls in the player a little bit on the lower side has a MicroUSB and a MicroSD card slot (micro to micro). On the upper side was placed the volume control, it is also pressed to switch the screen lock on the sides of it there are connectors — naushnikov and linear, combined with a coaxial. The controller uses the encoder, it rotates and is pressed with a clear, well distinguishable clicks.
Almost all of the player control is via the touch screen located on the inner side. It is surrounded by a plastic insert, which looks a little alien, however, thinking about it I wrote above. Screen normal quality, but the margin of brightness for a Sunny day, it has little. The sensor normally works out of depression.
Of course, I would like to get at least three hardware buttons to control the playback of “blind”, but they are not. In addition, personally I wish that the campus Explorer provides all the same capacity for drink, 100 grams “Rubinov Vinjak” nicely complement the sound of the device.
Time battery it’s all quite normal, in a standard test (MEEAudio P1 in the role of loading, FLAC 44.1/16-bit) “Explorer” has worked 8 hours and 10 minutes. The figure is not a record, but for the claimed power is quite normal. Charging, of course, quite long, but I just let Explorer be charged for the night.
Insertion
Initially, the gadget was conceived as a “streaming player” that only works with online services, but Echobox quickly realized the failure of such a highly specialized option, and added support for playback of local files.
Don’t know whether there is a General sense to describe the firmware on the player, because the developers there chose brilliant in its simplicity way. “On Board the” player is the usual Android 6.0 with pre-installed USB Audio Player Pro and Tidal client. Google Play Services is not installed the player (think, American in origin imposes more stringent licensing restrictions), but the install programs from the APK wouldn’t be a problem.
I think there is no point in specifying the function UAPP, as it’s all been seen, and who have not seen — could download it and see. Player stable, omnivorous, very universal in terms of support of formats and languages, mastered it very quickly.
In General, Tidal also works flawlessly, although I’ve seen complaints that offline tracks are slow to load, but I got these records a little bit, in addition, the local Internet is not speed, so to test this aspect as I can’t. Tracks are loaded about the same speed as everything else, but how much faster they can ship the Explorer — I don’t know. In addition, when switching between tracks in Tidal sometimes hear the relay click for added protection from possible voltage surges. For me it was not a problem, but some users have managed to blow this whole theory that it crunches the wooden case. When listening to tracks from your local media library clicks are minimized, inherent to other players.
In General, the approach of the developers in terms of software I like. Instead of trying deep customization and the subsequent period of zapilivanie length in six months or a year, they tried to intervene minimally in the existing ready-made solutions, taking almost normal.
Sound
To listen to the device used the following headphones: iBasso IT03, 99 Meze Classics, Audio Zenith PMx2, Noble Kaiser Encore, Campfire Audio Andromeda, 64 Audio U12, HUM Pristine and others.
From the beginning the Explorer has been conceived as a product made under the motto “we like”, the developers just embodies your vision and design, and sound. Therefore, the total flow of the device came out very nemestrinus, it is reminiscent of vintage equipment — a little tepid, a little smoothing of details and very comfortable.
Bass here moderately accented, due to the added massiveness. Because of this, it sounds a little valaina typical of modern players, but not buzzing, and not “smeared”, the transfer of textures is very good. Maybe he just a little lacking hlestkost, but that’s the price incremental of the mass, which is often very relevant. Bass goes very deep and is normally controlled, not Napata on the midrange.
Themselves as midrange is also served with a small “Supplement” in emotion and drive. Of course, fans of monitor audio and the “hunters of micronance” will be unhappy, but we can hardly please everyone at once, the power of Explorer in the energy and integrity of the submission. Midrange a bit relaxed, which makes them suitable for feeding NCH (generally, the integrity of implementation of the ideas in this player sustained “from and to”), but, of course, detail is not obstructed. An imaginary scene, in spite of the heat flow, is built well, it is a little more than average in width and slightly less depth, but the separation of plans is made very soundly.
HF here, too, is done in the General “relaxed” way, they have a good resolution, and quantitatively is not clamped in favor of a comfortable flow, but the attack does not significantly practiced, and gives the HF the most easy composure, which (expected) complements the overall sound of the player.
Comparisons, probably won’t, since the player has a kind of flow, and slightly Recalling the Golden age of the HiFiMan, and the Maverick Audio products, and even visited my portable DAC from AKS.
Compatibility
The player is quite powerful and copes well with a very tight headphones, including not even a particularly heavy isodisomy. Moreover, ZMF Ori and old HiFiMen HE-400 which I liked the most. With IEM’Cami is also quite the player plays (here I would recommend a good otnekivalsya Dyne), but since the amplifier is a bit noisy (especially when using Wi-Fi), the most sensitive models, I would advise you to avoid (or buy an adapter-attenuator and once and for all forget about the problems of background noise).
Stylistically player, of course, drawn to genres that benefit from it “vintage”. It can be recommended particularly to those who are often faced with poor records, so, naturally, he plays well with old tracks ranging from pop music to classical jazz (not excluding, by the way, and there are different hard-and-heavy). However, modern music with him to listen it is possible, but it is a matter of taste. The quality of the record player is very good-natured, on a 10-point scale of fault-finding he can put 5 points.
And, of course, a few tracks as example
Mark Knopfler — The Trawlerman”s Song. Well, Kamon, to describe a player with a bit of vintage serving and not to throw in a selection nopflera? But what I would be like, then? The solo at Mark’s work often some melancholy, therefore, energy in the flow player then has a very “to the court”, as well as the emotional midrange, transmitting all the nuances of the guitar work.
Iron Maiden — Only the Good Die Young. Long time I waited for the player, which is the best album “Maidanov” will be listening, not shuddering every time Bruce sings S or TH I don’t know what crawled up raped in the ear reduced the entry, but more severe HF, I immediately can not remember. The hero of today’s review, of course, the “top” here is not jamming to nesluchaino state, but it makes them “digestible” form, while perfectly playing the rest of the band with the necessary drive and energy.
Machine Head — Triple Beam. Machine Head is back, and this album sneaks up to livers! They became even more fiercely, drawing, as usual, his anger at the problems of society, however, I leave to readers the pleasure of googling, what does scale, and what kind of defect castigate those brutal Lord. We’re back to the player. This track, despite its suurbritanniast, full of very good slow inserts and a decent (by the standards of modern metal) recorded. So there is flow Explorer with its emotion also helps a full disclosure.
Summary
It is such a product happens when someone is taken to do what you like the most, without regard for marketing. The target audience is divided into two parts, those who are “in tune” with the authors and share their ideas — are satisfied, the rest feel the urgent need to convey to the first half of your priceless opinion, wondering why the first part of this opinion provides somewhere to put the… I am in the first cohort, and Explorer, perhaps, will stay with me for a long time.
An overview of the Echobox Explorer player — against the mainstream
Pavel Dmitriev