speaking of that, to me, main reason why i keep lurking for audiophile DAP, due to i want to possibly eliminate DAP+clinging interconnect+amp combination.. but hearing your rant, should we conclude that, for the time being, we still can't escape from a portable amp? well, honestly, i never try own a super expensive DAP such as the AK100/120 or C4 etc.. actually my first bet to audiophile DAP was the X3, and thats driven by many praises from what i read in forums.. but in reality, the X3 is far from capable to feed my portable music need (well i thought it could if i want to use it just for a move or very casual, but recently mu lust on music always want something "acceptable" to my ears, even for casual usage.. maybe i'm quite emotional recently.. lol).... in the end, still a Vestamp attached to it.. yeah i do agree, sleekness/outlook do attracts me, but at the end of the day, the sounds that matters most.. if i were to buy ZX1 just yet again to pair it with another amp, then i rather stick with my current ipod+porta tube set up..