Audiocular Nexus Review: My First DAP Experience with the FiiO JD1

Audiocular Nexus Review – A Beginner’s Digital Audio Players

For the longest time, I used to listen to music on my smartphone and believed that was good enough, as I have both Amazn Music and Apple Music Subscription. Like many casual listeners, I never thought much about dedicated audio gear. That changed when I purchased the Audiocular Nexus, my very first Digital Audio Player (DAP), and paired it with the FiiO JD1 IEM (also my first In Ear Moniter).

After spending near a month with this setup, I felt compelled to share my experience, especially for beginners who are considering their first DAP.

Why I Bought the Audiocular Nexus

Before this I was considering to buy the FIIO Snowsky Disc, that recently launched and the Hybi R1. But after considering the features, DAC chip, UI and my Budget, I did lean towards the Audiocular nexus.

My Experience

I ordered Audiocular Nexus through Conceptkart and got delivered on time. The sleek design, 4 inch LCD display is doing great job. The volume knob is smooth and glitch free. Checked the 3.5mm jack with my FIIO JD1 and bluetooth with my Roseslsa Ceramics Ultra which also supports LDAC Codec.

The Nightmare

I installed Poweramp music player (Paid version) and played the music over JD1. When I put the screen off while playing .FLAC files it starts to throttle. The device could not stream the file. But everything is okay in Apple music, Amazon and Spotify, because those have already streaming in prior while playing. I switched to VLC, Musicolet and Hybi music player but same happened with everything. Online playback is fine, .Mp3 files are working fine, but while playing Hi-Res .Flac files it sucks (while screen off). Researched a lot but nothing solved my issue.

At a point I decided to return the Nexus, but after doing some research I found out some solution that could save my time and money. I tried AIMP music player and it turned into miracle. This player handled the Hi-Res .flac files like a pro.

The Android 12 UI gives some more advantage over the Hybi OS and the small screen of Snowsky.

Applications I Installed in my Nexus

• Niagra Launcher: It provides a minimal and clean look and helps me sorting my applications.
• Youtube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify Music: For any new and online streaming.
• Audible: For my Audiobooks.
• AIMP Player, Musicolet: For Offline Playback of my Hi-Res album.
• Kindle: For any occasional reading.

Also Read: Desi Chicken Kasa: My Signature Dish with Steamed Rice and Dal

Main Features Of Audiocular Nexus

• Dual ESS9018Q2M DAC For Pure Hi-Res Audio Performance.
• 500mW Of Power Output From Dual-Mono Amplification.
• Android 12 Based 8-Core MT6762 Processor Runs At 2.0GHz.
• Supports PCM 192kHz/24bit & Native DSD512 Playback.
• Bluetooth 5.0 (LDAC, SBC, AAC) & Dual-Band WiFi For Stable Connectivity.
• 3000mAh Battery In Retro-Inspired Compact Chassis.

Sound Quality Experience

As someone who is not an audiophile by profession, I can only describe the listening experience in simple terms.

The Audiocular Nexus made me notice details in songs that I had never paid attention to before. Small background instruments, vocal textures, and subtle effects became more noticeable.

For my personal taste, this made music feel more engaging and immersive.

Battery Life and Daily Usage

In day-to-day use, the battery life has been good, one full charge lasts about 2-3 days. While streaming online it heats up and battery drains faster. Charging speed is very slow, as it takes 5-6 hours to charge fully.

What I Liked

Here are some things I genuinely liked about the Audiocular Nexus:

• Display
• Volume knob- Retro style. with 4 extra keys to control music without waking up the screen.
• 3.5mm jack along with 4.4mm balanced output. I haven’t tried any balanced iem will post about it after experiencing.
• Body build and premium feel.
• Chip feels powerful while playing music.
• 64GB internal storage and its expandable upto 512GB.

What Could Be Better

No device is perfect, and there are a few areas where I think the Audiocular Nexus could improve:

• Android 12 is not upgradable, only playsystem updates each month.
• UI lags sometimes as it has only 4 GB of RAM.
• Heats up while using WiFi, or playing online music.
• As its new you could not find any case, screen guard (2 screen guards included with the box).
• Customer Support is not much available.

Is the Audiocular Nexus Worth Buying?

If you are new to the world of digital audio players and want to experience dedicated music listening without spending a fortune, I believe the Audiocular Nexus is worth considering.

For me, it has been more than just another gadget. It has changed the way I listen to music. Instead of treating songs as background noise, I now spend time actively enjoying albums and discovering details I previously missed.

The combination of the Audiocular Nexus and FiiO JD1 has provided a listening experience that feels significantly more enjoyable than what I was getting from my smartphone.

Final Verdict

As my first DAP, the Audiocular Nexus has been a pleasant surprise.

My overall rating would be 8/10.

Would I recommend it to beginners? Yes Definitely.

Who should buy it?

• Beginners entering the audiophile hobby.
• Music lovers wanting a distraction-free listening experience.
• Users looking to get the most out of budget IEMs like the FiiO JD1.

Who should skip it?

• Users who are completely satisfied with smartphone audio.
• People who prefer streaming apps over local music libraries.
• Those seeking high-end audiophile features.

At the end of the day, the Audiocular Nexus reminded me why I fell in love with music in the first place: not because of specifications or technical jargon, but because great music deserves to be heard with attention and appreciation.