More Source Comparisons
I also visited my local audio dealer Addicted to Audio in Melbourne to compare the R6P2 with several of their audio players. I used the UM MEST MKIII IEMs for these comparisons, playing my favourite Yello track “Drive/Driven” through Apple Music, with all DAPs set to their highest gain level.
FiiO M15s (USD $999)
The M15s’ background hiss is immediately noticeable, in stark contrast to the R6P2’s black background. The M15s has a much flatter, less dynamic tonality, which feels more smoothed out and almost reminds me of the stereotypical R2R sound which I don’t especially care for.
Bass on the M15s is also fairly disappointing, and I’m noticing much more treble prominence on the R6P2 which may be a good or bad thing depending on your preference. To my ears the M15s softens & rounds the attack on notes too much, and also projects a soundstage that feels artificially stretched, where instruments are positioned in front of me a great distance away rather than wrapped around my head.
The M15s could be useful for dulling down an overly-aggressive or excessively bright IEM, but I much prefer the R6P2 for my taste.
Astell & Kern SE300 (USD $1899)
The SE300 features a much smoother, more refined R2R tonality than the R6P2, with a more liquid midrange that flows smoothly and imparts a greater feeling of analogue refinement.
Sonically the R6P2 feels brighter and more V-shaped, whereas the SE300 is warmer, smoother and in this particular case does an excellent job of balancing out MEST MKIII’s V-shaped’s presentation.
Other than a slightly deeper stage however, I don’t feel like the SE300 is performing to a higher technical level, though it does resolve similar amounts of information without having to rely quite so much on treble prominence to do it. I definitely prefer the SE300’s build quality and volume wheel, but can imagine many people appreciating the R6P2’s slightly more exciting presentation.
Astell & Kern SP3000 (USD $3699)
At 493 grams the SP3000 feels substantially heavier, which along with its’ more vibrant screen helps impart a more premium feel.
The SP3000 is tuned more politely, with a much greater sense of refinement. Midrange texture and tonality is smoother, treble feels less harsh, and imaging is perhaps the best I’ve heard from any player on the market with notes popping out from an inky black background.
The SP3000’s soundstage feels similarly wide, but is undoubtedly deeper, though I find its’ dynamics a tad muted which to me suggests its’ headphone amplifier may be lacking. It makes the R6P2 sound unrefined by comparison, though I’m not sure the differences between them are enough to justify the price gap, nor do I suspect everyone would prefer the SP3000’s more polite presentation.
Page 1 – Introduction, Tech Specs & Battery Life, Ergonomics & Usability
Page 2 – Sound Performance & Technical Performance
Page 3 – Source Comparisons
Page 4 – More Source Comparisons
Page 5 – Conclusion
Great review as always Nick and I agree with so much of what you said. Looking forward to hearing it with my Mass Kobo 475 when it arrives 👍
Thank you Armstrj2! I honestly don’t think anyone can go wrong with the R6P2 unless they absolute insist on owning a smaller player. Definitely the best sonic bang for the buck of any player I’ve tried and good enough to satisfy anyone accustomed to flagship-level sound.
Great review! I’ve been on the fence about getting one of these myself..this review may tip the scale. Appreciate it Nick.
Thank you jeremy, I was skeptical to believe the R6P2 hype myself but it is absolutely the real deal.
Hi, can you a little more about the R6 Pro II + Mass Kobo 475 combination? What exactly is improved and how much ? And how this combo compares, to let’s say, the SP3000 which would be about the same price considering the price of the combo ?
I have a R6 Pro II and I love it, so I’m strongly considering adding the 475 to my chain.
Fantastic review as always ! Thank you!
Marcelo the short answer is – pretty much everything.
Mass Kobo 475 has been my best audio purchase this year. It is simply the best sounding portable amp money can buy, of those I’ve heard anyway, but I’ve heard almost all the good ones.
It expands the stage in all directions, deepens bass, improves resolution significantly, and massively improves control during busy passages – that last benefit is HUGE if you love fast, complex music like I do.
I would take the R6P2 + 475 combo over the SP3000 in a heartbeat, absolutely no contest. Make sure you buy Tamiya Neochamp AA’s – they’re the best sounding brand of batteries we’ve found for the 475, yes there is a sonic difference believe it or not.
Nice, thank you for the answer. I think I will be grabbing one next year then.
Just one more question, how’s the hiss/background noise of the 475 on high sensitivity IEMs ? I have a SoundRhyme SR8 thats like 5 OHMs and the R6 Pro II is the only device I round that is able to handle it without ANY hiss. Did you tried high sensitivity IEMs with the 475 ? If so, is there too much hiss?
Marcelo the 475 on low-gain is almost dead silent, one of the quietest if not the quietest portable amps I’ve owned.
On high-gain the noise floor will go up but I find low-gain is perfectly adequate for IEMs, even those like Storm that are difficult to drive, and use mine in low-gain mode exclusively.