The player, who is dedicated to today's review, was getting to the end users for a very long time. Announced at the beginning of 2015, the Explorer was several times subjected to processing, took part in croweding and finally reached the free sale in the second half of last year. Let's see what happened to the developers.
In general, the entire project is an illustration of how a group of people embodies their idea and their own vision, without chasing fashion trends. The developers initially went from the idea to create a player in a wooden case, without resorting to solutions like "we'll make it from aluminum and glue the veneer. Hence, large enough dimensions of the case (the tree should be thick) turned out, which naturally flowed into the idea of making the case in the shape of a flask for convenience. The sound was also made "unfashionable", PCM1792, in combination with a powerful amplifier provided a moderately vintage feed. Well, finally, the last idea was to use as an Android OS with minimal interference in it.
Since the project is mainly American, the price tag has turned out to be slightly higher than the "average market", the cost of the player is $ 600, so let's deal with Explorer in more detail.
Specifications
- Processor: Rockchip RK3128 @ 1.3 GHz
- RAM: 1 GB
- Built-in Memory: 64 GB
- Memory Cards: MicroSD
- DAC: PCM1792
- Opel : TPA6120A2
- Output power (per channel): 300 mW @ 32Ω
- Signal to noise ratio: 128 dB
- Output Impedance: <1Ω
- OS: Android 6.0
- Outputs: 3.5mm earphone, 3.5mm linear / optical
- Battery: 4000 mAh
- Operating time from one charge: ~ 8 h
- Charging time: ~ 5 h
- Wireless Modules: WiFi 802.11 ABGN, Bluetooth 4.1
Packing and delivery kit
If for every time I write something like "a box here is standard" I was given a dollar, I would have already bought myself something like A & K AK70 Mk II for portable use, but since there is no one wishing to do this, I have to write like free. In general, there is a traditional "dust jacket" with a good polygraphy and an inner package of black cardboard. Inside, you will find the player in a protective film, various instructions / warranty cards, a microUSB cable and a leather case that you can put on the player to protect it, although this deprives the idea of a wooden player of all senses. Of the pleasant bonuses, the bundle contains a promotional code for 90 days of Tidal's free subscription.
Also, a good desktop stand-dock is sold separately for Explorer, for those who want to use the player as a desktop source.
Design and management
A lot of copies of the gadget's appearance have been broken, and there will be even more discussions in the future (comments on this review will not be an exception), but on common sense, the creators simply solved the problem in the most efficient way, any alternative would be worse and / or more expensive. In general, if someone has not even seen this player until today, then the photos above are already allowed you to add the view of the Explorer. The main part of the hull is made of wood (a maple, mahogany, zebrano and ebony are offered), and, as I wrote above, this is not veneer or vinyl with imitation, but the real wood, very well processed. Maybe it will sound a little funny, but I really like the feeling of this player in my hand, a smooth tree with rounded edges is very nice to the touch, that's why the player is more aesthetically perceived than in the photo.
The upper and lower ends are made of aluminum, which also fits in well with the concept of the device. On the "inside of the flask" there is a plastic ledge with a screen, of course, from the point of view of leading Internet experts, this breaks the harmony of the spheres, but actually there could be exactly three alternatives. The banal idea - to make one of the "Explorer" sides flat, perhaps, is not an option, it would be terrible even for my unpretentious taste. The screen could be drowned in the case, which would seriously worsen the control, or the display could be curved in the shape of the case, but then the price tag would clearly increase significantly, companies capable of making curved touch screens are few in the world, and their products are expensive.
There are few controls in the player, on the underside there is a MicroUSB connector and a microSD card slot (micro to micro). The volume control is placed on the top side, it is also pressed to turn on and lock the screen, on the sides of it there are connectors - headphone and line, combined with a coaxial one. The regulator uses an encoder, it rotates and is pressed with clear, well-defined clicks.
Almost all control of the player is carried out with the help of a touch screen, located on the inside. He is surrounded by a plastic insert, which looks a little alien, however, I already wrote about this earlier. The screen is normal in quality, but it does not have enough brightness for a sunny day. The sensor works normally.
Of course, I would like to get at least three hardware buttons to control playback "blindly", but they are not. In addition, I personally regret that the Explorer case does not provide a capacity for drinks, gram 100 "Rubinov Vinjak" would nicely complement the sound of the device.
By the battery life, everything is normal here, in the standard test (MEEAudio P1 in the role of load, FLAC 44.1 / 16 bit), the Explorer worked 8 hours 10 minutes. The figure is not a record, but for the claimed capacity - quite normal. The charge, of course, is long enough, but I just leave the Explorer charged at night.
Firmware
Initially, the gadget was conceived as a "streaming player" that works only with online services, but Echobox quickly realized the flaw in this highly specialized version and added support for playing local files.
I do not know if there is any sense in describing the firmware of the player, as the developers here have chosen a genius in their simplicity way. "On board" the player is an ordinary Android 6.0 with pre-installed USB Audio Player Pro and a Tidal client. Google Play Services in the player is not installed (I think the American origin imposes stricter licensing restrictions), but the installation of programs from the APK is not a problem.
I think it makes no sense to describe in detail the functions of UAPP, as everyone has already seen it, and who has not seen it - it can download it and see it. The player is stable, omnivorous, very, very versatile in terms of support for formats and languages, it is mastered very quickly.
Tidal in general also works without complaints, although on the Internet I saw complaints that offline tracks are slowly being downloaded, but I do not have these records, in addition, the local Internet is not fast, so I can not test this aspect properly. The tracks are loaded at about the same speed as the rest, but how much faster can Explorer load them - I do not know. In addition, when switching between tracks in Tidal, clicks are sometimes heard from the relay, which protects the headphones from possible voltage surges. For me it did not become a problem, but some users managed to inflate this whole theory that it crunches the wooden case. When listening to tracks from the local media library, clicks are minimized, which is inherent in other players.
In general, the approach of developers in terms of software I like. Instead of attempts to deep customization and the subsequent period of doping in six months-a year, they tried to minimize interference in existing ready-made solutions, having received practically normal software at once.
Sound
To listen to the device used the following headphones: iBasso IT03, Meze 99 Classics, Audio Zenith PMx2, Noble Kaiser Encore, Campfire Audio Andromeda, 64 Audio U12, HUM Pristine and others.
From the very beginning Explorer was conceived as a product made under the motto "we like it so much", the developers simply embodied their vision of design and sound. Therefore, the overall feed of the device came out very neeynestrmovoy, it resembles a vintage technique - a little tepid, slightly smoothing details and very comfortable.
The bass here is moderately accented, due to the added massiveness. Because of this, it sounds a little more impressive than typical modern players, but it does not hum and does not "smear", the transfer of textures is very good. Perhaps, he does not have the slightest amount of biting, but this is the price of additional mass, which is often very appropriate. LFs go very deep and are normally controlled, without creeping on the mid-range.
Themselves, too, are served with a small "additive" in the emotionality and drive. Of course, fans of monitor sound and "micronuans" will be dissatisfied, but you can hardly please everyone at once, the power of the Explorer in the energy and integrity of the filing. The MF is a bit softened, which makes their presentation suitable for LF (in general, the integrity of the idea in this player is sustained "from and to"), but, of course, this does not interfere with the detailing. The imaginary scene, despite some warmth of presentation, is being built well, it is slightly larger than the average in width and slightly less in depth, but the separation of plans is made very soundly.
HF here, too, are made in a general "relaxed" vein, they have a good resolution, and are not quantitatively clamped in favor of a comfortable feed, but the attacks are not worked out abruptly, which gives the RF the very light weight that (expected) complements the overall sound of the player.
Comparisons, perhaps, will not be held, since the player has a kind of feed, reminding a bit of the golden age of HiFiMan, and products of Maverick Audio, and even I once visited a portable DAC from AKS.
Compatibility
The player is powerful enough and copes well with very tight headphones, including even not particularly heavy isodinas. Moreover, it was ZMF Ori and the old HiFiMen HE-400 that I liked most with him. With IEM'ami player is also quite playful (I would recommend good single-drive dynamics here), but since the amplifier makes a little noise (especially when using Wi-Fi), the most sensitive models I would advise to avoid (or buy an attenuator adapter and once and for all forget about background noise issues).
Stylistically, the player, naturally, gravitates toward genres that benefit from its "vintage". It can be recommended first of all to those who often encounter poor-quality recordings, as well, naturally, it plays well with old tracks, from pop music and ending with classical jazz (not excluding, by the way, the various hard-and-hevi ). However, it is quite possible to listen to modern music with him, but this is a matter of tastes. To the quality of recording the player is very good-natured, on a 10-point scale, it can be put points 5.
And, of course, a few tracks in the role of example
Mark Knopfler - The Trawlerman's Song . Well kamon, describe the player with a little vintage feed and not throw in a selection of Knopfler? Well, what kind of person would I be? Mark's solo albums are often melancholic, so the energy in the player's delivery here is very "to the court", as well as emotional midrange, which convey all the nuances of guitar work.
Iron Maiden - Only the Good Die Young . I've waited a long time for a player on which the best album of "maiden" can be listened without flinching every time Bruce sings S or TH ... I do not know what kind of a rape raped in the ear of the recording, but the more harsh HF, I guess, I do not remember. The hero of today's review, of course, the "top" here does not jam to an unheard-of state, but quite gives them a "digestible" look, while perfectly playing the rest of the range with the necessary drive and energy.
Machine Head - Triple Beam . Machine Head came back, and this album picks up to the liver! They became even more angry, turning, as usual, their anger at the problems of society, however, I leave readers the pleasure of Google, where does the scales, and what kind of vice these brutal gentlemen are flouting. We will return to the player. This track, despite all its superbrutality, is saturated with very good slow inserts and decently (by the standards of modern metal) recorded. So here the submission Explorer with its emotionality also helps a full disclosure.
conclusions
It is such a product that is obtained when someone undertakes to do what he likes most without looking at marketing. The target audience is divided into two parts, those who are "on the same wavelength" with the authors and share their ideas - are satisfied, the rest are in an urgent need to convey their priceless opinion to the first half, wondering why the first part of this opinion suggests shoving somewhere ... I am in the cohort of the first, and Explorer, perhaps, will stay with me for a long time.
The article is based on materials .
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