It doesn’t sound much on paper but in the hand you do feel the difference. However, the payoff is that it is lighter than a lot of its peers coming in at 185g which is 10g lighter than the Cayin 5, 35g lighter than the N6 and 15g lighter than the FiiO X7. Yes, it is not metal and given the Cayin N5 and N6 are hunky all metal affairs for a similar price I might have expected the Opus#1 to take the same route. In fact, it is not, rather it is constructed instead from ABS plastics which is highly regarded for impact resistance and toughness and creates a stable environment for electrical properties. Buildįrom the pictures the common assumption would lead you to believe that the Opus#1 is another machined CNC block with a screen in the middle. In the hand, it feels like I have known the Opus#1 longer than I actually have and that could well be a good thing. It is not a standout design but it is a very familiar looking design. In a sense, The Bit are tapping into the current hegemony of technology in hi-res DAPs and producing a design and level of functionality that we tend to associate with high-end players at a price that is a little lower than most. I get an impression this styling will stay with us for a while and is fast becoming the common standard. Even more so is the harmonization of form factor and functionality between most of the major players, with a large touchscreen firing out some sort of Android OS and panels chock full of functionality. $500 to $800 is starting to become a sweet spot for mid-fi good performing DAPs with FiiO, Cowon, Cayin and AK all releasing units in the last year within this price range. It seems The Bit is here to stay and is serious about audio gear. The Opus#1 is their first such DAP though I am told there is another in the works and they have also launched a highly capable looking slim line portable OTG DAC called the Opus#11. They also know their Android and started working on multimedia hi-res devices such as the Opus#1 for around the last 2 years. The Bit as a company has actually been in operation now for about 12 years starting off as an ICT R&D company and working its way into multimedia via the engineering and innovation side. Not to be confused with a world famous winery in the US or the war time Tommy Dorsey Orchestra hit, the Opus#1 is thoroughly modern looking DAP with more than a nod to the spirit of AK and a very competitive price of $599.00. South Korea seems like the mecca now for modern DAP revivals with Astell & Kern coming out of iRiver and Cowon moving forward with their Plenue series and now we have a new player on the block, a company called The Bit who have just released a DAP called the Opus#1. The maceration period for the 2016 Opus One was 17 days and the wine was aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels. Optical sorting at the winery ensures only the best fruit goes into the blend. Out in the Opus One vineyards, winemaker Michael Silacci (who has been at the winery for over two decades) begins tasting grapes rather early in order to pinpoint the perfect harvest date. The harvest began on the 9 th of September under mild conditions and was completed in just 33 days on October 12. In August, perfect conditions for ripening the grapes continued up until the harvest, with a temperature spike in early September. Nevertheless, the Oakville AVA received 28 inches of rain, most of it just in time for bud break in March. The 2016 vintage at Opus One was the fifth consecutive vintage characterized by intense drought conditions in Northern California. The Opus One vineyards are planted with classic Bordeaux grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The grapes from here are blended with fruit from the River and Ballestra Pacels, forming 70 acres that surround the Opus One winery. The first two parcels form the world-renowned To-Kalon vineyard, measuring roughly 100 acres in total. The 2016 Opus One is produced from four different parcels situated in the western region of the Oakville AVA in Napa Valley, California.
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