The Sennheiser IE 900 are a fantastic sounding single-dynamic driver earphones characterized by a neutral-bright, coehesive tonality with a natural timbre an incredible upper extension quality that will please the advanced audiophile for years to come.

The IE 900 are on our Wall of Excellence.

I thank Sennheiser USA for this loaner, which they generously let me use for 4 months. I thank Kazi for the measurements (kazi.squig.link/)

Introduction

I once ended up at the CES show at the Venetian in Las Vegas. This was rather coincidental, and I had been attracted more to the “adult fare” at the same hotel – also coincidentally. Having no tickets for either, I was restricted to the peripheral overflow suites. In one of them played a sophisticated stereo setup…lots of tubes and LEDs, monstrous cables and very large speakers. A huge system. The small crowd was ooh-ing and aah-ing.

Out of the speakers came…choral music by a choir. Very subtle and unspectacular. But it sounded natural and realistic. So much gear, so much investment, for so little result? I was scratching my head…and wrongly so.

What could be better than reproduction as close to the original as possible? We sit in modern concert halls listening to chamber music and symphonies, which never sounds flashier than nature allows. Isn’t that what audiophilia is all about?

I have listened to >$1000 earphones that sounded spectacular but also unrealistic: “perfumed”…and “glassy” to my ears. How good is a resolution beyond natural?

Sennheiser, a company established out of Germany’s ashes in 1945, have always stood for natural sound. My first headphones were the HD 414, today I treasure the HD 600 (introduced in 1997) and the HD 25 (introduced in 1989). Natural sound is obviously never obsolete.

In terms of in-ear monitors, Sennheiser came relatively late out of the starting blocks. They can pride themselves of inventing the earbuds (their famous M-series ), and added their first in-ear monitors parallel to the introduction of the iPhone…which had a very mushy bass.

In terms of technology, the company relies entirely on single-dynamic drivers for reasons of sonic cohesion and minimization of distortion: no BAs, no crossovers used.

Their 2015 Momentum in-ear had a decent V-shaped sound with too much bass and too little vocals for my taste. In 2019, Sennheiser introduced their pro line for musicians, which I analyzed to the hilt. In retrospect, I could only recommend the middle model Sennheiser IE 400 PRO as the best sounding of the lot.

The $350 Sennheiser IE 300, introduced in 2021, was aiming at the “consumer crowd”. At the time, Sennnheiser had experimented more with the sound chamber for improved clarity, which probably was the nucleus of their IE 600 and IE 900 developments, which reached the market in 2021. As a bonbon for the budget conscious, the 2023-introduce $150 Sennheiser IE 200 impress even the most critical listener – and they run circles about the IE 300.

Therefore, if you like the IE 900 (or IE 600) but can’t afford them, get the IE 200.

Specifications Sennheiser IE 900

Physical Things and Usability

I don’t want to be repetitive. You get information on the technical aspect in the above space, on the Sennheiser website, and right here in Alberto’s very thorough IE 900 analysis.

In the box you find:

The precision-milled and anodized aluminium housings follow the company’s IE 200 and (discontinued) IE 300 models, shape wise….and therefore comfort wise. Fit and comfort have highest priority for me, and the small earpieces score 10/10. No need for custom-made shells.

Unfortunately, all these models (and the IE 600 also) have the same silicone eartips which don’t fit my ears at all; I used long-stemmed Azla SednaEarFits (“toilet plungers”) instead, which also produce an excellent isolation. Sennheiser offers custom-made silicone eartips – but in Germany only.

Three cables are included for single-ended 3. 5mm, and balanced (2.5 mm, 4.4 mm) circuits. They are pretty non-descript in their visual appeal but pragmatic. The MMCX connectors are slightly different from the standard ones, you have to be careful when fitting third-party cables.

Tonality and Technicalities

The Sennheiser IE 900’s sonic signature can be characterized as neutral with a tinge of bright, organic, and close to the truth, with realistically rounded corners….meaning, a cello sounds like a cello and a trumpet like a trumpet: the note decay is just right. They excel with complex music (let’s say, by an orchestra) played on naturally amplified instruments (e.g. strings, wind instruments) and are truly is an iem for the purist.

What strikes me first whenever I plug the IE 900 into my ears is the fabulous treble extension and resolution, in a quality I have not experienced in an iem before. I typically don’t care much about treble, but this one is a real treat.

The low end is as it should be imho: nicely enveloping with a VERY deep extension, no mid bass hump, good composition down to the lowest frequencies. Good rumble down there, but not too thick. The bass is impactful and speedy, yet not smearing into the lower midrange. Great separation between them.

Always a good test for bass tightness is Ladi Geisler’s “Knackbass” in early 1960s Bert Kaempfert recordings (marvels of Germany sound engineering). And the IE 900s deliver it as it should be…bass guitars and drums are tight and crisp but without being overwhelming.

Voices are perceived as lean by some in the IE 900, but not to me. Male voices are certainly not fat, also not sharp, but rather realistic, well rounded, nuanced, and three-dimensionally well sculptured. The midrange also comes with great resolution, clarity, and transparency.

Female voices are full and well rounded/articular to my ears, and forward, more forward than in the HD 600 headphones. One of my standards is Stevie Nicks in “Dreams” from the Fleetwood Mac Rumours album.

Treble is one of the IE 900s outstanding features: very well resolving, very accentuated, cymbals come out better on the IE 900 as in all other earphones I have tested. They are in stark contrast to the robotic cymbals in planar-magnetic iems.

Trumpets, strings, electric guitars and pianos in the upper midrange are discreet and unobtrusive, fitting well into the mix.

Soundstage is very wide (“widescreen”) and tall, and somewhat deep, but not s as deep as, let’s say, the Dunu Zen. 3D imaging and microdynamics are excellent, you can really map the musicians on stage in 3D rather accurately.

When it comes to timbre, I cannot think of any Sennheiser headphone or earphone that hasn’t excelled in this respect. The IE 900 deliver music as close to the source as could be. Excellent clarity and transparency contribute to this without the artificial “glassiness” of most BA or hybrid earphones.

Bringing it all together, the IE 900 excel through their cohesion…the whole frequency spectrum is well balanced, nothing it overdone or neglected. Your money goes into realistic natural sonic production: music as is.

In comparison, my beloved Dunu Zen are easier to drive, bassier, therefore also narrower but deeper, stage wise, with a much spicier upper midrange. However their cymbals disappear in a hole compared to the IE 900. The final E5000 are harder to drive, warmer, have fuller male/female vocals, are bassier, but the bass is generally fuzzier (depending on source). They have a narrower stage and lack the IE 900’s treble extension.

The IE 600 are bit harder to drive than the IE 900. They are bassier, punchier, more V-shaped, and therefore more spectacular with a broader mass appeal…but they are also somewhat cruder (particularly in the treble) than the more finely woven and better imaging IE 900. The IE 600 are the exuberant teenager, and the IE 900 the more mature, laid back, older brother.

The Sennheiser IE 200 are harder to drive than the IE 900 with softer notes, a less intimate imags, and without the IE 900’s spectacular treble extension. They are nevertheless overall darn good and produce vocals very well, for example.

Concluding Remarks

The Sennheiser IE 900 are for purists, for listeners who want to enjoy music as close to the truth as possible. They don’t exaggarate and therefore don’t wow on a first listen (apart from the treble), they linger…and keep doing so. The IE 900 are clearly for the advanced listener, who dip deep into rather complex orchestral, vocal, and jazzy music.

The IE 900 may be pricey but they will hold their relevance and therefore value over the years to come. Similar to the HD 600 headphone series before, they are an investment in the future.

Until next time…keep on listening!

The post Sennheiser IE 900 Review (2) – From A Single Mould appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Die Sennheiser IE 900 sind ein fantastisch klingender, dynamischer Kopfhörer, der sich durch eine neutral-helle, zusammenhängende Tonalität mit einem natürlichen Timbre und einer unglaublichen oberen Erweiterungsqualität auszeichnet, die dem erfahrenen Audiophilen für die kommenden Jahre gefallen wird.

Die IE 900 hängen an unserer Wall of Excellence.

Ich danke Sennheiser USA für dieses Leihgerät, das sie mir großzügig für 4 Monate gebent haben. Ich danke Kazi für die Messungen.

Einführung

Ich bin einmal bei der CES-Show im Venetian in Las Vegas gelandet. Das war ziemlich zufällig, und ich war mehr von der “Erwachsenenkost” im selben Hotel angezogen worden – auch zufällig. Da ich auch keine Tickets hatte, war ich auf die peripheren Überlauf-Suiten beschränkt. In einem von ihnen spielte ein ausgeklügeltes Stereo-Setup… viele Röhren und LEDs, monströse Kabel und sehr große Lautsprecher. Ein riesiges System. Die kleine Menge war ooh-ing und aah-ing.

Aus den Lautsprechern kam… Chormusik von einem Chor. Sehr subtil und unspektakulär. Aber es klang natürlich und realistisch. So viel Ausrüstung, so viel Investition, für so wenig Ergebnis? Ich habe mich am Kopf gekratzt… und das zu Unrecht.

Was könnte besser sein, als die Reproduktion so nah wie möglich am Original zu sein? Wir sitzen in modernen Konzertsälen und hören Kammermusik und Symphonien, die nie auffälliger klingen, als es die Natur erlaubt. Ist es nicht das, worum es bei Audiophilie geht?

Ich habe mir >1000-Dollar-Kopfhörer angehört, die spektakulär, aber auch unrealistisch klangen: parfümiert… und “glasig” in meinen Ohren. Wie gut ist eine Auflösung jenseits der Natürlichen?

Sennheiser, ein 1945 aus der Asche Deutschlands gegründetes Unternehmen, hat sich schon immer für natürlichen Klang eingesetzt. Meine ersten Kopfhörer waren die HD 414, heute schätze ich die HD 600 (eingeführt 1997) und die HD 25 (eingeführt 1988/89?). Natürlicher Klang ist offensichtlich nie veraltet.

In Bezug auf In-Ear-Monitore kam Sennheiser relativ spät aus den Startblöcken. Sie können stolz darauf sein, die Ohrhörer (ihre berühmte M-Serie) zu erfinden, und fügten ihre ersten In-Ear-Monitore parallel zur Einführung des iPhone hinzu… das einen sehr matschigen Bass hatte.

Ihr 2015 Momentum In-Ear hatte einen anständigen V-förmigen Sound mit zu viel Bass und zu wenig Gesang für meinen Geschmack. Im Jahr 2019 stellte Sennheiser seine Pro-Linie für Musiker vor, die ich bis zum Anschlag analysiert habe. Im Nachhinein konnte ich das mittlere Modell Sennheiser IE 400 PRO nur als den besten Klang der Menge empfehlen.

Der 350-Dollar- Sennheiser IE 300, der 2021 eingeführt wurde, zielte auf die “Verbrauchermenge” ab. Zu der Zeit hatte Sennnheiser mehr mit der Schallkammer für eine verbesserte Klarheit experimentiert, die wahrscheinlich der Kern ihrer Entwicklungen IE 600 und IE 900 war, die 2021 auf den Markt kamen. 

Als Bonbon für die budgetbewusste beeindruckt der 2023 eingeführte 150 $ Sennheiser IE 200 selbst den kritischsten Zuhörer – und sie führen Kreise über den IE 300.

Wenn Sie also die IE 900 (oder IE 600) mögen, sie sich aber nicht leisten können, holen Sie sich die IE 200.

Physische Dinge und Benutzerfreundlichkeit

Ich möchte mich nicht wiederholen. Informationen zum technischen Aspekt erhalten Sie im obigen Bereich, auf der Sennheiser-Website und genau hier in Albertos sehr gründlicher IE 900-Analyse.

In der Box finden Sie:

Die präzisionsgefrästen und eloxierten Aluminiumgehäuse folgen den Modellen IE 200 und (abgesetzt) IE 300 des Unternehmens, formtechnisch … und damit komfortmäßig. Passform und Komfort haben für mich höchste Priorität, und die kleinen Ohrhörer punkten 10/10. Keine Notwendigkeit für maßgeschneiderte Muscheln.

Leider haben alle diese Modelle (und auch der IE 600) die gleichen Silikon-Ohrstöpsel, die überhaupt nicht zu meinen Ohren passen; ich habe stattdessen langgestiemte Azla SednaEarFits (“Toilettenkolben”) verwendet, die auch eine ausgezeichnete Isolierung erzeugen. Sennheiser bietet maßgeschneiderte Silikon-Ohrstöpsel an – aber nur in Deutschland.

Drei Kabel sind für einzelnde 3,5 mm und ausgeglichene (2,5 mm, 4,4 mm) Schaltkreise enthalten. Sie sind ziemlich unscheinbar in ihrer visuellen Anziehungskraft, aber pragmatisch. Die MMCX-Anschlüsse unterscheiden sich geringfügig von den Standardanschlüssen, Sie müssen beim Anbringen von Kabeln von Drittanbietern vorsichtig sein.

Tonalität und technische Details

Die Klangsignatur des Sennheiser IE 900 kann als neutral mit einem Hint von hell, organisch und nah an der Wahrheit charakterisiert werden, mit realistisch abgerundeten Ecken….das bedeutet, ein Cello klingt wie ein Cello und eine Trompete wie eine Trompete: Der Notenausklang ist genau richtig. Sie zeichnen sich durch komplexe Musik (sagen wir, von einem Orchester) aus, die auf natürlich verstärkten Instrumenten (z.B. Streicher, Blasinstrumente) gespielt wird, und sind wirklich ein Iem für die Puristen.

Was mir zuerst auffällt, wenn ich den IE 900 in meine Ohren stecke, ist die fabelhafte Hocherweiterung und Auflösung, in einer Qualität, die ich noch nie in einem Iem erlebt habe. Normalerweise kümmere ich mich nicht viel um die Dress, aber dieser ist ein echter Leckerbissen.

Das niedrige Ende ist so, wie es sein sollte: schön umhüllend mit einer SEHR tiefen Verlängerung, kein Mittelbass-Humpfel, gute Komposition bis hin zu den niedrigsten Frequenzen. Gutes Rumpeln da unten, aber nicht zu dick. Der Bass ist wirkungsvoll und schnell, schmiert sich aber nicht in die untere Mitte. Große Trennung zwischen ihnen.

Immer ein guter Test für die Bassdichtheit ist Ladi Geislers “Knackbass” in den frühen 1960er Jahren Bert Kaempfert Aufnahmen (Wunder von Deutschland Sound Engineering). Und die IE 900s liefern es so, wie es sein sollte… Bassgitarren und Schlagzeug sind eng und knackig, aber ohne überwältigend zu sein.

Stimmen werden von einigen im IE 900 als schlank wahrgenommen, aber nicht für mich. Männliche Stimmen sind sicherlich nicht fett, auch nicht scharf, sondern eher realistisch, gut abgerundet, nuanciert und dreidimensional gut skulpturiert. Der Mittelklasse kommt auch mit großer Auflösung, Klarheit und Transparenz.

Weibliche Stimmen sind voll und gut abgerundet/artikulal zu meinen Ohren und nach vorne, mehr nach vorne als in den HD 600-Kopfhörern. Einer meiner Standards ist Stevie Nicks in “Dreams” aus dem Fleetwood Mac Rumours Album.

Treble ist eine der herausragenden Funktionen der IE 900: sehr gut lösende, sehr akzentuierte Becken kommen auf dem IE 900 besser heraus wie bei allen anderen Kopfhörern, die ich getestet habe. Sie stehen in krassem Gegensatz zu den Roboterbecken in planar-magnetischen Iems.

Trompeten, Streicher, E-Gitarren und Klaviere in der oberen Mitte sind diskret und unaufdringlich und passen gut in den Mix.

Die Klangbühne ist sehr breit (“Widescreen”) und groß und etwas tief, aber nicht so tief wie, sagen wir, das Dunu Zen. 3D-Bildgebung und Mikrodynamik sind ausgezeichnet, man kann die Musiker auf der Bühne wirklich ziemlich genau in 3D abbilden.

Wenn es um das Timbre geht, kann ich mir keinen Sennheiser-Kopfhörer oder -Kopfhörer vorstellen, der sich in dieser Hinsicht nicht ausgezeichnet hat. Der IE 900 liefert Musik so nah an der Quelle, wie sie sein könnte. Ausgezeichnete Klarheit und Transparenz tragen dazu bei, ohne die künstliche “Glasigkeit” der meisten BA- oder Hybrid-Ohrhörer.

Wenn man alles zusammenbringt, zeichnet sich der IE 900 durch seinen Zusammenhalt aus… das gesamte Frequenzspektrum ist gut ausbalanciert, nichts, was es übertrieben oder vernachlässigt. Ihr Geld fließt in realistische natürliche Klangproduktion: Musik, wie sie ist.

Im Vergleich dazu sind meine geliebten Dunu Zen leichter anzutreiben…mit mehr Bass, daher auch schmaler, aber tiefer, stufenmäßig, mit einem viel schärferen oberen Mittelbereich. Ihre Becken verschwinden jedoch im Vergleich zum IE 900 in einem Loch. Die letzten E5000 sind schwieriger zu fahren, wärmer, haben einen volleren männlichen/weiblichen Gesang, sind Bassiser, aber der Bass ist im Allgemeinen fuzzier (je nach Quelle). Sie haben eine schmalere Stufe und es fehlt die Doppelverlängerung des IE 900.

Der IE 600 lassen sich etwas schwieriger antreiben als der IE 900. Sie sind bassigzer, druckvoller, V-förmiger und daher spektakulärer mit einer breiteren Massenanziehungskraft… aber sie sind auch etwas grober (insbesondere in den Höhen) als die feiner gewebte und bessere Bildgebung IE 900. Der IE 600 ist der überschwängliche Teenager und der IE 900 der reifere, entspanntere, ältere Bruder.

Der Sennheiser IE 200 ist schwieriger zu treiben als der IE 900 mit weicheren Noten, weniger intimen Bildern und ohne die spektakuläre Doppelverlängerung des IE 900. Sie sind dennoch insgesamt verdammt gut und produzieren zum Beispiel den Gesang sehr gut.

Abschließende Bemerkungen

Die Sennheiser IE 900 sind für Puristen, für Zuhörer, die Musik so nah wie möglich an der Wahrheit genießen wollen. Sie übertreiben nicht und begeistern daher nicht beim ersten Hören (abgesont der Doppel), sie verweilen … und tun es weiter. Die IE 900 sind eindeutig für den fortgeschrittenen Zuhörer, der tief in ziemlich komplexe Orchester-, Gesangs- und Jazzmusik eintaucht.

Der IE 900 mag teuer sein, aber er wird seine Relevanz und damit seinen Wert in den kommenden Jahren behalten. Ähnlich wie bei der vorherigen HD 600-Kopfhörerserie sind sie eine Investition in die Zukunft.

Bis zum nächsten Mal…keep on listening!

The post Sennheiser IE 900 Rezension – Aus Einem Guss appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The $199 Moondrop DISCDREAM is a very-good sounding (trans)portable CD/SD-card player that drives even demanding headphones like my 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 600 well and also works as a DAC /amp for your computer. Whilst it features a dedicated line out, it sadly lacks digital outputs.

The Moondrop DISCDREAM was kindly supplied by SHENZHENAUDIO for my review – and I think them for that. You can purchase it here.

Introduction

The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony, and first released in Japan back in 1982. CDs were very expensive in the mid 1980s in my native West Germany — more than twice the cost of an LP (how times have changed!). My friends, professional classical musicians, were fascinated by the detail retrieval compared to analog sources at the time.

CDs buyers frequently purchased this digital format for experiencing the sound quality — and not necessarily for the content. I once ended up with a 1907 (!) recording by Enrique Caruso, which sounded…terrible.

When it comes to vinyl I had issues as, in Germany, customers could play records in stores, then put them back on the shelf. I frequently purchased “new” albums with fingerprints and scratches. The CD came to the rescue.

I started acquiring digital in 1988 and have accumulated >3000 CDs since. Thanks to the Apple Airport Express, I started ripping my CDs as early as 2003, but the physical copies remained…cluttering our house up. Ask my wife.

In the meantime, CD prices have come down considerably, whereas vinyl has skyrocketed during its recent comeback. Hipsters have embraced analog technology and vintage Hifi stores’ sales soar. And, in analog…y to the mid 1980s, just inversely, they purchase vinyl for the sound experience and not so much for the music.

How else would anybody fork out >$50 for an obscure Jethro Tull album or Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits…when you can pick up CD versions in a thrift store for a couple of bucks? I also don’t see the need for purchasing post 1982 recordings that have been produced for digital media.

Been there, done that. It sometimes pays to be old. And as history repeats itself, hipsters are increasingly picking up CDs, whereas serious equipment reviewers like Steve Guttenberg have always relied on this medium. I belong to the latter and have never given up on CDs (while dusting off my old Thorens TD147 record player occasionally).

Was the race on for old vinyl, so has this hunt changed for original CD recordings, as many if not most recent remasters suffer from dynamic compression: sound great in your car stereo but not on your $$$$$ home system.

Today, decent, affordable CD players and transports have become rare, as not many companies produce drive mechanisms, possibly for the lack of customer demand. Strictly speaking, any moving medium has become obsolete with the advent of SSDs.

But since the world typically rotates in cycles, the CD is currently experiencing a comeback – and some manufacturers have discovered it: Shanling and SMSL have released HiFi CD Players recently.

Moondrop, the company out of my Chinese Alma Mater Chengdu, Sichuan, have expanded lately, from originally mainly earphones into headphones, dongle DACs, and now a portable CD Player. Their DISCDREAM is the product of Moondrop’s cooperation with a senior developer who had been involved in Sony’s Discman concept more than 30 years ago.

The company wanted to supply all these guys with a portable CD player, who cannot find a working vintage one, thereby integrating the latest technology such as modern DAC chips and amplification. The DISCDREAM also has functionalities the old Discmen lacked. It looks like this, bigger than the old portables:

In a companion article, I will compare old and new CD player generations.

Specifications Moondrop DISCDREAM

Physical Things

In the box are: the player, a USB-C charging cable and poster-sized manuals in English, Chinese, and Japanese…and the QC card.

The player’s shell is made of metal with a lid mainly of glass, which makes for an attractive visual effect watching the spinning CD. But it is also a fingerprint magnet and prone to scratching. Have your Windex ready. There are 4 rather grippy rubber feet on the bottom. A protective bag of soft fabric would have been good but is not included.

The design is reminiscent of the wall-mounted Nakamachi CD changers you found in 1990s record stores. I remember auditioining music with these at MusicPlex on Portage and Main in Winnipeg, MB, and at HMB on Catherine St. in Montreal, PQ.

Check the product page for further details.

Functionality and Operation

The DISCDREAM does

• play CDs and SACDs gaplessly
• play music from a micro SD card
• act as DAC and amp for a computer source [and for DAPs, too]
• feature a dedicated line out
• offer a 3..5 mm headphone jack

It does not

• have digital outputs
• rip CDs
• have a balanced circuit
• have Bluetooth capabilities
• have a remote

Interface

Front Panel

…features six buttons for the usual operation and also a crisp display.

See here for operational details

[collapse]

Side Panels

The right panel features an SC-card slot (for music), a dedicated line out, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The left panel is blank.

Back Panel

You find the on/off switch, a pinhead LED (green when charging), and a USB-C port for charging and connecting to a computer.

Playing Music from CD, SD Card, and PC

You can switch between these three different sources with the button next to the display.

Playing CDs is straight forward…you lift up the lid and mount your CD, just like on your record player…and push the start button. The drive starts swiftly and operates quietly. Track changes (forward-backward) are smooth. If you wish, you can leave the lid up, just like on your turntable.

Operating music from an SD card is a different story as the small display is much simpler than that of a DAP. The system ignores folder hierarchies and labels songs from 1 to X. You therefore can never be quite sure what song is playing and what album will be next. An error sign appears when the music organization on the SD card is too complex for the system to handle.

As to USB: works for my Mac with the included USB-C to USB-A cable. Since both DISCDREAM and current MacBooks use USB-C ports, I had to dig out an adapter. Unfortunately, the USB-C port is NOT a digital out – I tested it with an external DAC: it does not work.

Outside the specs: I also connected my iPhone and the Hidizs AP80 Pro-X DAP to the DISCDREAM’s USB-C port. As expected, iPhone “did not support this accessory” and the DAP worked well…but with a caveat: since the USB-C port is also used for charging, the DISCDREAM started “milking” the DAP.

Amplification and Power

The DISCDREAM has a volume scale up to 50 (check the specs above for detailed numbers). I run the 32 ohm Beyerdynamic Custom Pro at 7-8 and the hungry 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 600 on 19-20, at leisurely listening. On quiet recordings, and craving some oomph, I crank the dial just above 30 with the Senns. Plenty of power for most headphones.

Sound

The DISCDREAM sounds like a classic mid-tier CD player. Very clean, very good separation, very transparent image, very good resolution. Very “widescreen” with the HD 600. Excellent note definition with well rounded notes. I am surprised how good it sounds.

Let’s put it like that: I Iistened to Dire Straits’ “Brother ins Arms” album, the complete Freischütz opera by Carl M. von Weber, and Pink Floyd’s “Echoes”. Could not stop.

In an unfair but useful comparison, my $1300 Marantz SA8005 with integrated headphone amp sounds grittier, deeper, fuller, more organic, with more bass rumble, but it also has a narrower stage. The Moondrop sounds a bit more subtle, more polished, finer, and wider. But the differences are not earth shattering. I’d tie them in terms of overall technicalities.

My 23 year-old TOTL Panasonic SL-CT780 portable player also manages the HD 600 (to my surprise). It sounds narrower, duller, and is technically much less refined than the DISCDREAM, particularly in terms of imaging, resolution, and upper extension.

Last but not least did I compare the DISCDREAM by itself vs. plugged into the EarMen CH-Amp. Again, the differences were not huge (unless you are in dire need for excess power). The CH-Amp delivered a slightly more relaxed, deeper image, the Moondrop’s built-in amp was a bit more forward. This means that the DISCDREAM is a mature device by itself.

Real-Life Use

The DISCDREAM is kind of an oddball in that it is of desktop size (with a footprint even larger than the EarMen stack) but comes with a battery and no digital out for connecting it to a DAC. On the other hand, it is too large for use on the bus or when walking downtown. Call it transportable rather than portable. And no-one would carry their CDs to a hotel room either.

So yes, you can use it with your phone’s 5V power supply (or the ifi iPowerX or Allo Nirvana) and you can plug it into an amp, if necessary, but this defies its purpose.

For me, it comes down to use within the house, being on the sofa or in bed. The DISCDREAM is kind of its own movable desktop stack. Finally…as I really hate my desk.

Concluding Remarks

The Moondrop DISCREAM fills a niché occupied by mainly older listeners who are still sitting on their prehistoric CD collection – and hipsters who are newly discovering this medium. It plays my CDs satisfyingly well, and does justice even to demanding headphones. I finally pick up these stashes again after having ignored them for the last 30 years. A very engaging listening experience that is also optically appealing…when the disc spins.

What a very good idea you had, Moondrop.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

Our generic standard disclaimer.

Gallery

The post Moondrop DISCDREAM Review – Discotheque appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The $230 Oladance OWS Pro is an open-ear wearable stereo device that impresses by its natural, open presentation. Something completely different compared to the usual fare…and very well executed.

The Oladance OWS Pro was kindly and unsolicited provided by the company for my analysis – and I thank them for that. As always, no affiliate links and no kickback. And no silly YouTube videos either. Wir können auch anders.

Introduction

In 1726, Swiss mathematician Leonard Euler published his doctorate “dissertatio physica de sono” (physical dissertation on sound). In 1739 he followed up with the “tentamen novae theoriae musicae” (attempt at a new theory of music), hoping to eventually incorporate musical theory as part of mathematics. You may remember the Euler’s number from your math class: the mathematical constant e, approximately equal to 2.71828, which is the base of natural logarithms.

Oladance obviously adapted some of Euler’s sonic ideas. Their first syllable is based on the Cantonese pronunciation of his name. The company was established in the US in 2019, where the product and software designs are located.. Their goal is to bring the physical and digital world together with innovative audio products. They also have offices in Hong Kong and Shenzhen to target their biggest expansion markets. Their first-generation product was launched in 2021, but global sales only commenced in 2022.

OWS is short for “Open Wearable Stereo”. This concept, according to the company, stands for open and natural, comfort and health (avoidance of hearing damage), and stereo sound quality (through software innovations and hardware innovations). I have to admit, there is lots of interesting and innovative technology in these wearables.

Specifications Oladance OWS Pro

Physicals

In the box are the earpieces, a storage/charge case, a USB-C charge cable and the manual/other paperwork. These earpieces are made of titanium and skin-friendly silicone, the case of polycarbonate-polyacrylonitrile alloy. Both are “Chrome de la Chrome”, reminiscent of the Terminator II movie. Excellent haptic, a premium product…and a fingerprint magnet.

Battery life is up to 16 h per charge and 58 h for the case for continuous playback. Charge times are 2 h for the earpiece and 3 h for the case.

Comfort and Fit

Comfort is amazing. The earpieces feel weightless…you really think you are sitting in a concert hall or recording studio. There appears to be a good balance between the battery in the back and the speaker module in the front that avoids any pulling. After a long listening session, I could not find the buds…they were still sitting on my ears.

Fit is another issue. The company relies on “on-size-fits-all” shape, but human ears differ in shape. The speakers have to somewhat aligned properly on the ear. While fit is good for most, people with very big or very small ears may have issues: the sound may be tinny and the maximum volume rather low.

This issue could be avoided if Oladance had made the earpieces bendable so that people could adapt them to their ear shapes. But, then they would not fit into the charging case easily anymore…unless it was flexible, too ;).

On the good side: glasses are no problem, I tried different ones with different temple geometries. Furthermore, these wearables sit secure like rocks. You can shake your head as you want, and bow in all directions…they do not move. Excellent!

Now you definitely know the difference between comfort and fit.

Features and Operation

The OWS Pro incorporates a lot of innovative ideas and technologies such as virtual bass and dynamic EQ. The virtual bass uses the ear as resonance and the dynamic IQ adapts automatically to the ambient noise (indoor, outdoor). Six microphones aim to cancel external wind sounds…which works actually very well for me in the Canadian fall.

The free app, available from Google Play and App Store, allows for selecting different sound profiles and offers even a basic customize eq.

Since an open wearable does not seal well, the app offers something similar to ANC, called “Focus Mode” (also displayed as “Zen Mode”), which works soso, depending on ambient noise. Since the wearables invite for lengthy listening sessions, a patented anti-hearing algorithm can be used to avoid hearing damage.

The OWS Pro are operated with one button on each earpiece (and also sport an on/off switch). The button is clickable and also swipeable, depending on functionality. Gestures can be customized in the app. I found these difficult to handle initially, but got used to them quickly.

Bluetooth Functionality/Performance

The OWS Pro deploys the latest Bluetooth version 5.3, but the older SBC codec. You may not hear much of a difference between lossy and lossless. Multipoint is supported: you can connect the OWS Pro up to two devices. The earpieces work within a distance of 20 m.

Tonality and Technicalities

While one size-fits-all accounts for the earpieces, it does not for the sound. Depending on how the earpieces are aligned in one’s ear, you get a different sound perception. And this varies as no ear is the same. But what’s in common for everybody is the polished and balanced, sparkly, clean, transparent, NATURAL quality of the reproduction and the fantastic soundstage (wide and tall, but limited in depth). You think you are sitting in the recording studio or a concert hall. A truly open sound.

If a V-shaped iem was a heavy French Bordeaux wine, the Oladance OWS Pro are like a bubbly fine champagne.

Some users and Oladance itself perceive a similarity to Bose earphones, but I would rather compare the their sonic qualities to Bang & Olufsen products. The sound goes perfectly with the wearing comfort.

Since on-ears are never very bassy (they may dig deep but do not have that punch of in-ears), you get a rather balanced, coherent sonic image. And yes, the OWS Pro has that good sub-bass extension, and midbass has this golden, full, soothing feel.

Treble is sweet and nicely extended (for a Bluetooth device) with a lot of pearly sparkle. Midrange is present and silky, voices are sculptured 3-dimensionally, they are reasonably forward and of natural richness (not too thick or too lean). Just as it should be.

Note definition is excellent, imaging and soundstage are marvellous and so are separation and layering…but I am repeating myself. Resolution and microdetail are also outstanding for the class. I was admiring the sound of my big stereo system until I realized the music actually came from the wearables. If NAD’s Paul Barton had designed the OWS Pro, one would speak of “room feel”.

The overall listening experience is cohesive, relaxed, ORGANIC, and laid back but also very disciplined and composed (no smearing notes). When turning the volume up high, the upper mids can get a bit grainy (but never shouty). The OWS Pro work best with (complex) natural sounds…but are a mixed bag when the music becomes more aggressive (because of the limited bass punch).

Phone/Microphone Quality

Listen yourself. Here is a sound sample recorded with the 6 built-in microphones:

Value

At $230, the Olandance OWS Pro don’t come cheap but fit with the pricing of comparable iems and in accordance with their (expensive) technology. They really are a quality product in terms of both haptic and sound.

Why Would We Want It (or Not)?

The main purpose of having these is relaxed, non-fatiguing, natural, home-theater-like listening over a longer period of time. For example, while writing some of this, I listened to a lengthy Vladimir Horowitz piano recital. And/or you want to be able to hear the ambient noise when on the job or in traffic…hey don’t do that. You can also enjoy these in the gym or doing sweaty outdoor sporting activities (IPX4 water resistance)…or simple when walking around in a hot, humid climate.

“Yes they [Oladance] have their shit together.” Loomis Johnson (famous audio blogger).

Concluding Remarks

The Oladance OWS Pro are a completely new and interesting concept with their perfect marriage between extreme comfort and relaxed, natural listening experience. They offer a balanced, cohesive sound with great note definition and accuracy and give you a realistic live experience. You can listen to them all day without fatigue and without running out of battery (while your phone does…)

Due to their nature as on-ears, they don’t have that driving, authoritative bass and are less suited for the more aggressive music. They target the more mature, discerned listener. I love these for piano, orchestral, and jazz…but also enjoyed listening to rock music like Queen, Dire Straits, and Pink Floyd.

The OWS Pro are truly fine dining. Oladance are a young and coming company that will make it big, I’m sure.

Leonard Euler would be pleased.

Until next time…keep on listening!

The post Oladance OWS Pro Review – Aural Sculptures appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The $25 Moondrop Space Travel are absolutely marvellously sounding TWS earphones, my find of the year. There is nothing on these that would indicate their low price.

Pros — Wonderful cohesion and fluidity, organic sound; superb comfort and fit for my ears; decent ANC, incredible value.

Cons — Relatively short battery life; not the loudest maximum volume.

The Moondrop Space Travel were kindly provided by SHENZHENZAUDIO for my review – and I thank them for that. You can get them here.

Introduction

Moondrop were once big into space – now they are back. Just like the USA. Since their takeoff from Chengdu, Sichuan, China, in 2015, they have travelled with Spaceships through Starfields to boldly go where no man has gone before. They experimented with diffuse field neutral and Harman Kardon, and recently appeared to have settled for their own interpretation of the latter, called VDSF (see below).

When I was a space cadet myself in Chengdu (yes, we had an office there), most of the Moondrop protagonists were children or teenagers.

Apart from alternating tuning trends in the “tonalities of the season”, Moondrop sometimes were their biggest competitor, even enemy. For example, their $30 Crescent rivalled their $180 Kanas Pro Edition back in 2019. Needless to say that the Crescent disappeared very quickly and mysteriously from the company’s catalogue. Faster than Yevgeny Prygozhin.

As history ALWAYS repeats itself, I hope the $25 Space Travel will stay in the market a bit longer. They are THAT GOOD. I don’t know the other Moondrop TWS models but am completely satisfied with this one. It could be the one for the lonely island for me (provided there will be enough chargers available).

Specifications Moondrop Space Travel

Physicals and Operation

In the box are:

• Space Travel * 1
• Charging Cable * 1
• User Manual * 1
• Product Card * 1
• Earphone tips * 3 pairs (S/M/L)

The case is made of solid, hard polycarbonate and looks futuristic, like the love child of a pencil sharpener and a water flosser. A bit awkward in one’s pocket but a great looking accessory to any desk. The earpieces (without their antennas) are rather small and have an excellent fit on my ears: super comfortable with a great seal. Stock eartips work well. Haptic of both earpieces and cable is great. No hint that this set is only $25.

Operation is intuitive when you have used TWS earphones before: different taps and clicks operate next/last song, play/pause, turnoff/off voice assistant and ANC. This works smoothly. You can customize these gestures with the free Moondrop Link app…see below.

The voice assistant is actually quite cool: a snoddy young girl’s (or waifu’s?) voice advising the listener in a sometimes funny way. May cause repeated chuckles and good mood.

What you cannot do with tapping is adjusting the volume. This needs to be done on your music source. Speaking of volume: Space Travel’s maximum volume is not as high as that of its more expensive competitors such as the 199€ Earsonics AERØ or the $150 final ZE3000, but it is loud enough for “normal” listening.

Bluetooth Functionality

The Moondrop Space Travel features Bluetooth 5.3 and actually really operates over a distance of 10 m, unobstructed, as claimed. I tested it. Bluetooth operation is very smooth. When alternating between the Space Travel and the final ZE3000, the iPhone recognizes each model automatically. No fiddling with the setting necessary.

Active Noise Cancelling

It works, and surprisingly well as long as you do not expect wonders. The Moondrop Space Travel’s ANC filters out static noise such as remote traffic, wind in trees, or a fridge sound quite effectively. It does not do much for dynamically changing noises such cars passing by or the traffic helicopter above you. The use can choose between noise cancelling, regular, and transparency mode.

Battery

That’s where more expensive models leave the Moondrop Space Travel in the dust. You get max. 4 hours of uninterrupted listening out of them, not quite enough for most international air travel out of Canada. Recharging takes approximately one hour. The case allows three re-charges to a total of 12 hours. It is re-charged within 1.5 hours.

The free Moondrop Link App

I downloaded the free Moondrop Link app from Apple’s App Store. A Google version is also available. The app works for a series of Moondrop devices such as TWS iems and dongles, and serves the purpose of fine-tuning them.

For the Moondrop Space Travel, the Link app allows for two things: first, customizing operational gestures (“Custom Touch”) such as play, pause, next song, ANC on/off etc.

Second, the user can adjust the tonality with a choice of “Reference, Basshead, and Monitor”. The difference between the three is the bass perception. Monitoring has the flattest bass for the most neutral sound.

I mainly use “Reference” in the middle as it is closest to the Harman Target (with a bit of bass rumble). If you are on a noisy train or bus, you may choose “Basshead” in order to support the ANC in suppressing the ambient noise.

Once selected, the Space Travel memorizes the setting.

Tonality and Technicalities

The sound of the Moondrop Space Travel is absolutely superb. This may be a blanket statement but that’s how I perceive it. I have used the Space Travel around the clock (or moon?) since its arrival. Its natural sound rivals my $150 final ZE3000 TWS gold standard. Surprised?

With three selectable tuning configurations you can tweak the Moondrop Space Travel’s tonality to your liking. All three hover around Moondrop’s Virtual Diffuse Sound Field (“VDSF”) target, their interpretation of ideal sonic quantities across the frequency spectrum. The VDSF (and therefore the Space Travel) avoids annoying peaks and is broadly similar to the Harman target.

The “Reference” tuning comes closest to the VDSF target, The “Monitor” shifts the experience somewhat towards neutral. Basshead is not as extreme as it sounds and can polish some flat old recordings up quite a bit.

Bass is in all cases reasonably tight with natural decay — and with good control and decent attack. Mids are a tad on the lean side (but only a tad), and they excel in note definition and articulation. Midrange resolution and clarity are very good.

The interplay of bass and mids makes for excellent spatial cues. You get a real room feeling. And since the upper mids are well controlled there is absolutely no shoutiness. Gone are the days of the piercing Moondrop SSR and the likes of. Treble is safe and well rounded by Bluetooth’s own limitations.

The Space Travel sound wonderfully cohesive, fluid, natural, and relaxed, but with great dynamics nevertheless. Staging is wide with reasonable depth, separation and layering are unbelievably good considering its price. Even microdynamics is surprisingly good.

It is the whole composition that is so enticing to my ears.

In comparison, the superb $150 final ZE3000 are somewhat richer sounding and play louder. But the Space Travel have better articulation (!!!). The ZE3000 also play longer before recharging but have much bigger earpieces.

The 199€ Earsonics AERØ may be built more rugged but have some degree of unpleasant harshness compared to the Space Travel.

None of these pricier competitors offers ANC.

A word on the microphone’s recording quality: pretty good, my voice comes across quite clear in an echoey environment (over hardwood floors):

Concluding Remarks

Since Chinese budget iems have first flooded the western markets some 5 to 7 years ago, consumers have been “holygrailing” to find that $$$ iem at a bargain price. But these killer deals never materialized. This resulted in hoarding for many jumping from one model to the next in short order like Tarzan from tree to tree. It has been a bottomless barrel – and an expensive one cumulatively.

Not quite sure whether the Moondrop Space Travel will satisfy this clientele 100% either, but they are Wall of Excellence material in my opinion. They offer a natural, cohesive listening experience that is nothing less than irresistible to my ears. Greatness independent of price.

My find of the year! It is as simple as that. Why pay more? Get them before they are being pulled – again.

Until next time…keep on listening!

The post Moondrop Space Travel TWS Review (1) – Reaching New Galaxies appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The EarMen CH-Amp was supplied by the company and I thank them for that – and for their patience (I tested critically for over 2 months). You can purchase it for $1480 (at the time of writing) from the EarMen shop.

Introduction

EarMen are designers and manufacturers of premium audio products from Europe. They are registered in Chicago however develop and produce in Serbia. They are a young company, but with lots of experience as they are an offshoot of premium manufacturer Auris Audio.

EarMen are confident. They do not offer umpteen models of the same at similar prices. No, one model fits all. And they don’t hand the responsibility of a good sound to the user through countless tweaking options. Their devices sound as good as they should out of the box.

EarMen products have long shelf lives: they are well designed so that the buyer does not have to fear their purchase will be superseded by an “upgrade” anytime soon.

EarMen like puns in their product names: Donald DAC, ST-Amp, and TR-Amp. And now the CH-Amp.

EarMen impressed us first with their dongles, the $129 Eagle and the $199 Sparrow. The former is still the lowest-priced dongle with premium sound on the market in my opinion. And the Sparrow is Biodegraded’s daily driver. It is not only the sound that is impressive but also the design and premium build.

Next, EarMen delighted us with their portable headphone amps, the affordable TR-Amp and the pricier Angel. And then came the Tradutto, their premium DAC designed to go with the CH-Amp. And, boy, does this synergy work.

Specifications CH-Amp

Physical Things

In the box are the actual Ch-Amp, the PSU-3 linear power supply, one 5-pin cable to connect both, and three more standard power cables to connect three more 12 V devices, for example the EarMen Tradutto (which has the same dimensions as the CH-Amp for perfect stacking), a combo remote for CH-Amp and Tradutto, and the manual. These are more accessories than listed in the manual (which you can download here).

A power cord is not included as EarMen are of the opinion that audio enthusiasts have their own preference, worldwide plug standards vary – and everybody has a spare in their drawer anyway. While such a cord is easy to get, a 4.4 mm balanced Pentaconn cable is still a rare thing – and EarMen are advised to offer one in their online shop.

PSU-3, CH-Amp (and even the remote) have appealing, minimalistic industrial designs with clear, straight lines. And they continue EarMen’s tradition of EXCEPTIONAL build quality.

The units are very heavy (3.5 kg combined) and sturdy. The CH-Amp’s printed circuit board is sitting in a one-piece aluminum enclosure with galvanized steel bottom (the same accounts for the PSU-3). Button and dial mechanisms are precise and rugged. Of all devices I have tested, only Burson products have a comparable build quality.

Like the Tradutto, the CH-Amp features an OLED display that indicates the settings.

The CH-Amp is shape wise and technically matched with the Tradutto DAC and essentially relies on this DAC to form the EarMen stack. The CH-Amp’s remote operates both devices.

Features

The CH-Amp is a fully balanced amplifier that comes with a sophisticated linear power supply that handles an additional three devices. The CH-Amp features 2 circuits, a single-ended 6.35 mm one and a more powerful 4.4 mm balanced one. It deploys German quality WIMA capacitors, audio electrolytes in combination with MELF low noise resistors and SoundPlus OPA1642 operational amplifiers.

For balanced operation, the CH-Amp needs to be connected to a balanced DAC such as the EarMen Tradutto. EarMen are forward looking in their choice of 4.4 mm connectivity between DAC and amp for balanced sound…you also need a balanced cable for your headphone or earphone.

The CH-Amp features a safety mechanism to protect the attached equipment and our ears – as described below.

Operation

The CH-Amp features all its controlling features (buttons, knobs, display) in the front, and all its connectivity in the back.

Front Panel

The CH-Amp’s front panel is cleanly laid out and complements the overall shape. It features a 6.35 mm socket for the single-ended circuit, and a 4.4 mm socket for the balanced circuit.

The small OLED indicates the selected input (BAL, L1, L2) and the gain (high, low). If no headphone is connected, it indicates its pre-amp setting “PRE”. It also contains a nifty VU meter. The display is always on and cannot be dimmed, but it is subtle.

The tiny buttons to the right of the display let you select gain and line in. The on-off/volume knob can also be used as a mute button.

Back Panel

The CH-Amp’s back panel contains a 5-pin power input from the PSU-3 power supply, a 4.4 mm balanced socket, and 2 RCA inputs. This means you can connect 3 source devices simultaneously.

For use a pre-amp, the CH-Amp features a 4.4 mm balanced line out and RCA pre-outs. The 4.4 mm circuit is required to keep the stack’s dimensions down (XLR requires a much bigger chassis). The power supply’s back pane is discussed in detail below.

Switching the power supply on welcomes you with a loud “zong”…which is normal. You still have to switch the CH-Amp on individually (and the Tradutto) by pushing its volume knob.

By default, the CH-Amp is on volume level 0/low gain. After selecting the input and gain, you are ready to listen.

In the case you pull the headphone out of the socket, the volume automatically resets to 0. The knob physically moves back into this position under a clicking noise. It is a safety mechanism for protecting your equipment and your ears.

While this can be a cool effect, the gain also resets to low. I would prefer if the gain stayed on the previously chosen setting as it is not a safety requirement (zero volume is zero volume). It would be more convenient if gain selection was included in the remote’s functionality – which it is not.

The Remote

It is actually double remote for controlling the CH-Amp and the Tradutto DAC – and it also switches both devices on and off (but not the PSU-3). The remote is made entirely of metal with quality button mechanisms – and it contains a battery. It charges through any 5V power supply/computer outlet through its USB-C socket. Charger and cable are not included…less clutter.

The haptic is great, certainly much better than my drawer full of flimsy plastic remotes for operating my TV, some DACS, and even my premium Marantz SA8005 SACD player.

What one needs to get used to is the ergonomics (it is just a rectangular box with rounded corners) and the operational challenges. If you stack the Tradutto DAC on top of the CH-Amp/PSU-3, you may find it counterintuitive to have the CH-Amp’s buttons above the Tradutto’s buttons…and may as well sandwich the Tradutto between CH-Amp and PSU-3.

But, obviously, the CH-Amp has priority on the remote, as you may not own a Tradutto at all.

The other challenge is that the selection buttons of the CH-Amp (line ins: BAL, L1, L2) and the selection buttons of the Tradutto (inputs: USB, TOS, COAX, BT) are on opposing sides. All this in the context that the buttons are very close together. As mentioned, a gain control button is not included.

Again, this organization benefits the remote’s size, which is much smaller than any other remote for desktop devices I have – and which is in line with the small-size concept of the EarMen stack.

You may use the remote a lot if your arms are shorter than your headphone cable.

The PSU-3 Power Supply

It is evident that the device advertised as CH-Amp comes in two parts, the bigger and heavier of which is not an amplifier at all: the PSU-3 power supply. It features four power outlets (cables included) and therefore can supply three additional 12V devices other than the CH-Amp (such as the Tradutto DAC, EarMen’s Staccato Streamer, and another device of your choice).

The input voltage can be switched between 115 and 230 V. While it may look bulky, it actually saves a lot of space as discussed in the next chapter.

Power supplies are a very important and frequently underestimated part of our stereo systems. I have tested a few, and in my experience, they make a huge sonic difference – and I mean huge: not by adding sound quality but by minimizing its decay.

Examples are the Tradutto’s stock supply, the ifi Audio iPowerX and the Burson Super Charger, all of which are switching mode power supplies (like our phone/notebook chargers). They are smaller than the PSU-3 unit, which is a linear power supply (LPS).

An LPS is relatively bulky (up to microwave size) and heavy because it contains a big transformer, but it has a great price to performance ratio delivering a cleaner DC through a more stable voltage.

The smaller SMPS are generally noisier and deteriorate the signal more, unless you move into the super premium segment. But even a decent LPS can setup you back several hundred dollars. Easily!

EarMen’s engineers have obviously put a lot of thought into clean power.

If you also own the Tradutto, you can use its stock SMPS for other devices. The PSU-3 is a better power supply that upgrades the Tradutto’s sound, too.

Amplification

The CH-Amp has a maximum power of 3.8 W for its balanced output on high gain @ 32 Ω. See the two tables below for details at other representative headphone impedances. EarMen does not recommend load impedance of 8 Ω (you can work around this by using the IE Match).

Balanced Output (4.4 mm)

Single-ended Output (6.35 mm)

I tested the CH-Amp with the EarMen Tradutto DAC, sourced my a MacBook Air. I mainly used two headphones, the power-hungry 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 and the easy-to-drive 16 Ω Final Sonorous III, both with 4.4 mm balanced cables. The CH-Amp’s volume scale ranges from 0 to 30.

With the Senns, I turned the volume to 15 (on high gain) for a “healthy” sound, and to about 20 for loud music. 25 was hurting my eardrums. The Sonorous played already really loud at 9 on the dial (on low gain). 6 was enough for normal listening.

Driving the 32 Ω Beyerdynamic Custom Pro and the 70 Ω Sennheiser HD25 on the single-ended circuit on low gain also was a piece of cake for the CH-Amp.

The CH-Amp will drive any headphone sufficiently (except, perhaps some rare, particularly “hungry” planars).

Sound

I tested with the EarMen Tradutto DAC sourced by a MacBook Air.

The CH-Amp’s sound is essentially uncoloured, maybe with a very slight lift at the low end (depending on source and interconnects). Transparency is excellent, staging and extension vary with transducer: the Sennheiser HD 600 play way more open than the Final Sonorous III.

There is obviously a sonic difference between the balanced and single-ended circuits (apart from power). The balanced circuit adds more depth to the sonic image – and produces an overall more “balanced” sound. It is the 4.4 mm circuit that makes the CH-Amp shine.

I have been listening over 2 months with headphones of impedances as low as 16 Ω and do not register any hiss. One recording I am getting back to again and again is Miles Davis’ classic 1959 Kind of Blue album (in the 2007 digital hybrid SACD SICP 10083 version from Sony Japan), in combination with the Sennheiser HD 600 (with balanced cable). In my experience, it feels like being in the studio: excellent transparency, crispness, resolution, and control. The sound is vivid yet natural and balanced. An addictive experience.

In comparison, the Tradutto with the similarly powerful Burson Funk (with the V6 Classic opamps and the Super Charger power supply) creates a warmer and flatter sound (as it lacks a balanced circuit).

The CH-Amp, in combination with the EarMen Tradutto produces the best sound I have experienced with my headphones. It is a truly complete (balanced) package!

Does Size Matter?

On my desk, space is sparse – and size matters a lot. The Marie Kondo in me wants a setup with the best possible sound and yet the smallest possible footprint — and as little (cable) clutter as possible.

The EarMen stack (Tradutto, CH-Amp, and Staccato streamer) occupies the smallest possible area of any stack in its category. It is building up rather than out, just like skyscrapers in mega cities – and it occupies barely more area than a CD.

Its footprint is further minimized by the lack of cable clutter: the single, short 4.4 mm Pentaconn cables takes way less space than the two bulky XLR ones it replaces. I ordered my megumi copper cable from Hart Audio, who also consider the less cumbersome 4.4 mm cables as convenient.

The third space saving takes place underneath our desks. Instead of needing four wall outlets or a power bar with three additional external power supplies dangling around our feet (which may introduce potential interference issues), the PSU-3 needs only a single power cord/power outlet for supplying the CH-Amp and another three 12 V devices.

If you, let’s say, only use the PSU-3 for the CH-Amp and Tradutto, you can connect any other two 12 V device to it. For example, it works for the TempoTec Serenade X player – and it improves its sound substantially compared to its stock supply (even the Tradutto’s stock power supply makes the Serenade X sound much better).

In summary, “less is more” and the EarMen stack’s size is very handy. With one less problem, I can leave the desk clutter intermittently to books and papers.

Concluding Remarks

In summary, the CH-Amp is characterized by a clean industrial design, clean power, clean sound, and clean cable organization with the smallest possible footprint.

Both CH-Amp and Tradutto make for a fantastic stack, a complete package that made it well worth re-equipping my favourite headphones with 4.4 mm balanced cables (check the “Gallery” below for details.

The EarMen stack is the best best desktop combo I have tested. Period. And it is more than enough for my sonic needs. It is not often that such a great device hits my test bench.

In the end, “We are the CH-Ampions” applies…please excuse the pun.

For best results, pair the CH-Amp with the Tradutto.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

Our generic standard disclaimer.

Gallery

The post EarMen CH-Amp Review – Complete Control appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Der EarMen CH-Amp wurde von der Firma bereit gestellt und ich danke ihnen dafür – und für ihre Geduld (ich habe über 2 Monate lang kritisch getestet). Sie können ihn für 1480 $ (zum Zeitpunkt des Schreibens) im EarMen Shop erwerben.

Dieser Artikel wurde vom Author aus dem kanadischen Englisch übersetzt. Das Original findet sich hier.

Einführung

EarMen sind Designer und Hersteller von Premium-Audioprodukten aus Europa. Sie sind in Chicago registriert, entwickeln und produzieren jedoch in Serbien. Sie sind ein junges Unternehmen, aber mit viel Erfahrung, da sie ein Ableger des Premium-Herstellers Auris Audio sind.

EarMen sind selbstbewusst. Sie bieten nicht zig Modelle desselben zu ähnlichen Preisen an. Nein, ein Modell pro Kategorie reicht. Und sie geben dem Benutzer nicht die Verantwortung für einen guten Klang durch unzählige Optimierungsoptionen. Ihre Geräte klingen so gut, wie sie es aus der Packung heraus sollten.

EarMen-Produkte haben eine lange Haltbarkeit: Sie sind gut durchdacht, sodass der Käufer nicht befürchten muss, dass sein Kauf in absehbarer Zeit durch ein “Upgrade” ersetzt wird.

EarMen mögen Wortspiele in ihren Produktnamen: Donald DAC, ST-Amp und TR-Amp.

EarMen beeindruckte uns zuerst mit ihren Dongles, dem 129 $ Eagle und dem 199 $ Sparrow. Ersteres ist meiner Meinung nach immer noch der preisgünstigste Dongle mit Premium-Sound auf dem Markt. Und der Sparrow ist der tägliche “Driver” von Co-Blogger Biodegraded. Es ist nicht nur der Klang, der beeindruckend ist, sondern auch das Design und der Premium-Build.

Als nächstes begeisterte uns EarMen mit ihren tragbaren Kopfhörerverstärkern, dem erschwinglichen TR-Amp und dem teureren Angel. Und dann kam der Tradutto, ihr Premium-DAC, der für den CH- Amp entwickelt wurde. Und, Boy, funktioniert diese Synergie gut.

Spezificationen des CH-Amp

Physische Dinge

In der Box befinden sich der eigentliche CH-Amp, das lineare Netzteil PSU-3, ein 5-poliges Kabel zum Anschließen beider, sowie drei weitere Kabel zum Anschluss von drei weiteren 12-V- Geräten, zum Beispiel das EarMen Tradutto (das die gleichen Abmessungen wie der CH-Amp für perfektes “Stapeln” hat), und eine Kombi-Fernbedienung für CH-Aamp und Tradutto. Dies ist mehr Zubehör als in der Bedienungsanleitung aufgeführt (welche Sie hier herunterladen können).

Ein Netzkabel ist nicht im Lieferumfang enthalten, da EarMen der Meinung sind, dass Audio-Enthusiasten ihre eigene Präferenz haben, die weltweiten Steckerstandards variieren – und jeder hat sowieso ein Ersatzkabel in seiner Schublade.

Während ein solches Kabel leicht zu bekommen ist, ist ein 4,4-mm symmetrisches Pentaconn-Kabel immer noch eine seltene Sache – und EarMen wird empfohlen, eines in ihrem Online-Shop anzubieten.

PSU-3, CH-Amp (und sogar die Fernbedienung) haben ansprechende, minimalistische Industriedesigns mit klaren, geraden Linien. Und sie setzen die Tradition von EarMen von AUSSERGEWÖHNLICHER Verarbeitungsqualität fort.

Die beiden Einheiten sind relativ schwer (3.5 kg zusammen) und robust. Die Leiterplatte des CH-Amp befindet sich in einem einteiligen Aluminiumgehäuse mit verzinktem Stahlboden (die gleichen Rechnungen für das Netzteil-3). Knopf- und Wählmechanismen sind präzise und robust. Von allen Geräten, die ich getestet habe, haben nur Burson Produkte eine vergleichbare Verarbeitungsqualität.

Wie der Tradutto verfügt auch der CH-Amp über ein OLED-Display, das die Einstellungen anzeigt.

Der CH-Amp ist von der Form und technisch auf den Tradutto DAC abgestimmt und verlässt sich im wesentlichen auf diesen DAC, um den EarMen-Stack zu bilden. Die Fernbedienung des CH-Amp bedient beide Geräte.

EIGENSCHAFTEN

Der CH-Amp ist ein “balanced/symmetrischer” Verstärker, der mit einer ausgeklügelten linearen Stromversorgung ausgestattet ist, die drei zusätzliche Geräte betreiben kann. Der CH-Amp verfügt über 2 Schaltkreise (asymmetrisch/single-ended 6.35 mm und eine leistungsstärkere 4.4 mm balanced/asymmetrisch). Es sind WIMA-Kondensatoren in deutscher Qualität, Audioelektrolyte in Kombination mit MELF-Rauscharmen Widerständen und SoundPlus OPA1642 Opamps verbaut.

Für den “balanced” Betrieb muss der CH-Amp an einen ausgewogenen Digitalwandler wie den EarMen Tradutto angeschlossen werden. EarMen freuen sich auf ihre Wahl der 4.4-mm Konnektivität zwischen DAC und Verstärker für ausgewogenen Klang… Sie benötigen auch ein “balanced” Kabel für Ihren Kopfhörer.

Der CH-Amp verfügt über einen Sicherheitsmechanismus, um die angeschlossenen Geräte und unsere Ohren zu schützen – wie unten beschrieben.

Bedienung

Der CH-Amp verfügt über alle seine Steuerfunktionen (Tasten, Knöpfe, Display) auf der Vorderseite und alle seine Konnektivität auf der Rückseite.

Vorderseite

Die Frontplatte des CH-Amp ist sauber angeordnet und ergänzt die Gesamtform. Es verfügt über eine 6.35-mm-Buchse für den Single-End-Schaltkreis und einen 4.4-mm Anschluss für den Balanced-Circuit.

Das kleine OLED Display zeigt den ausgewählten Eingang (BAL, L1, L2) und die Verstärkung (hoch, niedrig) an. Wenn kein Kopfhörer angeschlossen ist, zeigt er seine Vorverstärkereinstellung “PRE” an. Es enthält auch ein raffiniertes VU-Meter. Das Display ist immer eingeschaltet und kann nicht gedimmt werden, aber es ist subtil.

Die winzigen Tasten rechts vom Display lassen Sie Gain und Line-In auswählen. Der Ein-Aus- /Lautstärkeregler kann auch als Stummschalttaste verwendet werden.

Rückseite

Die Rückwand des CH-Amp enthält einen 5-poligen Stromeingang aus dem Netzteil PSU-3, eine 4.4 mm Balanced-Buchse und 2 RCA-Eingänge. Das bedeutet, dass Sie 3 weitere Quellgeräte gleichzeitig anschliessen können.

Für die Verwendung eines Vorverstärkers verfügt der CH-Amp über einen .,4-mm symmetrische Line-Out und RCA-Pre-Outs. Der 4.4-mm Schaltungkreis ist erforderlich, um die Abmessungen des Stacks niedrig zu halten (XLR erfordert ein viel größeres Chassis). Die Hinterseite des Netzteils wird im Folgenden ausführlich besprochen.

Das Einschalten der Stromversorgung begrüßt Sie mit einem lauten “Zong” … was normal ist. Sie müssen den CH-Amp immer noch einzeln (und den Tradutto) einschalten, indem Sie den Lautstärkeregler drücken..

Standardmäßig befindet sich der CH-Amp auf Lautstärkestufe 0/niedrige Verstärkung. Nachdem Sie die Eingabe und den Gain ausgewählt haben, kann man Musik hören.

Wenn Sie den Kopfhörer aus der Buchse ziehen, wird die Lautstärke automatisch auf 0 zurückgesetzt. Der Knopf bewegt sich unter einem Klickgeräusch physisch zurück in diese Position. Es ist ein Sicherheitsmechanismus zum Schutz Ihrer Ausrüstung und Ihrer Ohren.

Während dies ein cooler Effekt sein kann, wird der Gain auch auf niedrig zurückgesetzt. Ich würde es vorziehen, wenn der Gain auf der zuvor gewählten Einstellung bleibt, da es sich nicht um eine Sicherheitsanforderung handelt (Nullvolumen ist Nullvolumen). Es wäre bequemer, wenn die Gainwahl in die Funktionalität der Fernbedienung einbezogen würde – was nicht der Fall ist.

Die Fernbedienung

Es ist eigentlich eine doppelte Fernbedienung zur Steuerung des CH-Amp und des Tradutto DAC – und es schaltet auch beide Geräte ein und aus (aber nicht das Netzteil). Die Fernbedienung besteht vollständig aus Metall mit hochwertigen Tastenmechanismen – und sie enthält eine verbaute Batterie. Es lädt über jedes 5V-Netzteil/Computersteckdose über seine USB-C-Buchse auf. Ladegerät und Kabel sind nicht im Lieferumfang enthalten… weniger Unordnung.

Die Haptik ist großartig, sicherlich viel besser als meine Schublade voller billig anmutenden Kunststofffernbedienungen für den Betrieb meines Fernsehers, einiger DACS und sogar meines Premium-Marantz SA8005 SACD-Players.

Woran man sich gewöhnen muss, ist die Ergonomie (es ist nur eine rechteckige Box mit abgerundeten Ecken) und die betrieblichen Herausforderungen. Wenn Sie den Tradutto DAC auf den CH-Amp/PSU-3 stapeln, können Sie es kontra-intuitiv finden, die Tasten des CH-Amp oberhalb der Tasten des Tradutto zu haben… und können den Tradutto auch zwischen CH-Amp und PSU-3 stellen.

Aber offensichtlich hat der CH-Amp Vorrang in der Fernbedienung, da Sie möglicherweise überhaupt keinen Tradutto besitzen.

Die andere Herausforderung besteht darin, dass sich die Auswahltasten des CH-Amp (Line-Ins: BAL, L1, L2) und die Auswahltasten des Tradutto (Eingänge: USB, TOS, COAX, BT) auf gegenüberliegenden Seiten befinden. All dies in dem Kontext, dass die Tasten sehr nah beieinander liegen. Wie bereits erwähnt, ist eine Gain Control-Taste nicht enthalten.

Auch hier kommt diese Organisation der Größe der Fernbedienung zugute, die viel kleiner ist als jede andere Fernbedienung für Desktop-Geräte, die ich habe – und die dem kleinen Konzept des EarMen- Stacks entspricht.

Sie werden die Fernbedienung viel verwenden, wenn Ihre Arme kürzer sind als Ihr Kopfhörerkabel.

Das PSU-3 Netzteil

Es ist offensichtlich, dass das als CH-Amp beworbene Gerät aus zwei Teilen besteht, von denen der größere und schwerer überhaupt kein Verstärker ist: das Netzteil PSU-3. Es verfügt über vier Anschlüsse (einschließlich beigelegte Kabel) und kann daher drei zusätzliche 12-V-Geräte außer dem CH-Amp (wie den Tradutto DAC, EarMen’s Staccato Streamer und ein anderes Gerät Ihrer Wahl) liefern.

Die Eingangsspannung kann zwischen 115 und 230 V geschaltet werden. Obwohl das Netzteil sperrig aussehen mag, spart es tatsächlich viel Platz, wie im nächsten Kapitel besprochen.

Netzteile sind ein sehr wichtiger und häufig unterschätzter Teil unserer Stereoanlagen. Ich habe einige getestet, und nach meiner Erfahrung machen sie einen großen klanglichen Unterschied – und ich meine enorm: nicht durch Hinzufügen von Klangqualität, sondern durch Minimierung der Erosion derselben .

Beispiele sind das Netzteil des Tradutto, das ifi Audio iPowerX und das Burson Super Charger, die alle Schaltmodus Netzteile sind (wie unsere Telefon-/Notebook-Ladegeräte). Sie sind kleiner als die PSU-3 Einheit, die eine lineare Stromversorgung (LPS) ist.

Ein LPS ist relativ sperrig (bis zur Mikrowellengröße) und schwer, weil es einen großen Transformator enthält, aber es hat ein gutes Preis-Leistungs Verhältnis, das eine sauberere Gleichstromspannung durch eine stabilere Spannung liefert.

Die kleineren SMPS sind im Allgemeinen lauter und verschlechtern das Signal mehr, es sei denn, Sie wechseln in das Super-Premium-Segment. Aber selbst ein anständiger LPS kann Sie mehrere hundert Dollar kosten.

Die Ingenieure von EarMen haben offensichtlich viel über saubere Energie nachgedacht.

Wenn Sie auch den Tradutto besitzen, können Sie seinen Standard SMPS für andere Geräte verwenden. Das PSU-3 ist ein besseres Netzteil, das auch den Klang des Tradutto verbessert.

Verstärkerleistung

Der CH-Amp hat eine maximale Leistung von 3.8 W für seine ausgeglichene Leistung bei hoher Verstärkung @ 32 Ω. In den beiden folgenden Tabellen finden Sie weitere Informationen zu anderen repräsentativen Kopfhörerimpedanzen. EarMen empfiehlt keine Lastimpedanz von 8 Ω (Sie können dies mit dem IE Match umgehen).

Balanced Output (4.4 mm)

Single-ended Output (6.35 mm)

Ich habe den CH-Amp mit dem EarMen Tradutto DAC getestet, mit Musik von meinem MacBook Air. Ich habe hauptsächlich zwei Kopfhörer verwendet, den energiehungrigen 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 und den weniger anspruchsvollen 16 Ω Final Sonorous III, beide mit 4,.4 mm symmetrischen Kopfhörerkabeln. Die Lautstärkeskala des CH-Amp reicht von 0 bis 30.

Mit den Sennheisern drehte ich die Lautstärke auf 15 (bei “High Gain”) für einen “gesunden” Klang und auf etwa 20 für laute Musik. 25 war für mein Trommelfell zuviel. Der Sonorous spielte bereits sehr laut bei 9 auf der Skala (bei “Low Gain”). 6 war genug für normales Hören.

Das Fahren des 32 Ω Beyerdynamic Custom Pro und des 70 Ω Sennheiser HD25 auf der Single-End- Schaltung mit geringer Verstärkung war auch ein Kinderspiel für den CH-Amp.

Der CH-Amp treibt jeden Kopfhörer ausreichend an (mit Ausnahme einiger seltener, besonders “hungriger” Planare).

Klang

Ich habe mit dem EarMen Tradutto DAC getestet, der von einem MacBook Air mit Musik versorgt wurde.

Der Klang des CH-Amp ist im wesentlichen unverfärbt, vielleicht mit einem sehr leichten Boost am unteren Ende (abhängig von Quelle und Verbindungen). Die Transparenz ist ausgezeichnet, die Inszenierung und die Erweiterung variieren je nach Wandler: Der Sennheiser HD 600 spielt viel offener als der Final Sonorous III.

Es gibt offensichtlich einen klanglichen Unterschied zwischen den symmetrischen und den asymmetrischen Ausgängen (abgesehen von der Leistung). Der symmetrische Schaltkreis verleiht dem Klangbild mehr Tiefe – und erzeugt einen insgesamt “ausgeglicheneren” Klang. Es ist die .,4-mm-Schaltung, die den CH-Amp zum Strahlen bringt.

Ich testete über 2 Monate mit Kopfhörern mit Impedanzen von nur 16 Ω und registrierte kein Zischen. Eine Aufnahme, zu der ich immer wieder zurückkomme, ist Miles Davis’ klassisches 1959 Kind of Blue Album (in der digitalen Hybrid-Version SACD SICP 10083 2007 von Sony Japan), in Kombination mit dem Sennheiser HD 600 (mit symmetrischem Kopfhörerkabel). Meiner Erfahrung nach fühlt es sich an, als wäre man im Studio: ausgezeichnete Transparenz, Schärfe, Auflösung und Kontrolle. Der Klang ist lebendig, aber natürlich und ausgewogen. Eine süchtig machende Erfahrung.

Im Vergleich dazu erzeugt der Tradutto mit dem ähnlich leistungsstarken Burson Funk (mit den V6 Classic Opamps und dem Super Charger-Netzteil) einen wärmeren und flacheren Klang (da ihm ein symmetrische Schaltkreis fehlt).

Der CH-Amp erzeugt in Kombination mit dem EarMen Tradutto den besten Sound, den ich mit meinen Kopfhörern erlebt habe. Es ist ein wirklich komplettes (ausgewogene) Paket!

Spielt die Größe eine Rolle?

Auf meinem Schreibtisch ist der Platz knapp – und Größe daher sehr wichtig. Die Marie Kondo in mir will ein Setup mit dem bestmöglichen Klang und doch dem kleinstmöglichen Platzbedarf – und so wenig (Kabel-) Unordnung wie möglich.

Der EarMen Stack (Tradutto, CH-Amp und Staccato-Streamer) nimmt die kleinstmögliche Fläche eines Stapels in seiner Kategorie ein. Es baut sich eher auf als draußen, genau wie Wolkenkratzer in Metropolen – und er nimmt kaum mehr Fläche ein als eine CD.

Sein Platzbedarf wird durch den Mangel an Kabelsalat weiter minimiert: Die einzelnen, kurzen 4.4- mm-Pentaconn-Kabel nehmen viel weniger Platz ein als die beiden sperrigen XLR-Kabel, die es ersetzt. Ich habe mein Megumi-Kupferkabel bei Hart Audio bestellt, das auch die weniger umständlichen 4.4-mm-Kabel für praktisch hält.

Die dritte Platzersparnis findet unter unseren Schreibtischen statt. Anstatt vier Steckdosen oder eine Netzleiste mit drei zusätzlichen externen Netzteilen zu benötigen, die um unsere Füße baumeln (was zu potenziellen Interferenzproblemen führen kann), benötigt das PSU-3 Netzteil nur ein einziges Netzkabel/eine Steckdose für die Versorgung des CH-Amp und weitere drei 12-V-Geräte.

Wenn Sie beispielsweise nur das PSU-3 für den CH-Amp und Tradutto verwenden, können Sie zwei weitere 12-V-Geräte daran anschließen. Zum Beispiel funktioniert es für den TempoTec Serenade X- Player – und es verbessert dessen Klang im Vergleich zu seinem eigenen Netzteil erheblich (sogar das Standardstromversorgung des Tradutto lässt den Serenade X viel besser klingen).

Zusammenfassend ist “weniger mehr” und die Größe des EarMen Stacks ist sehr praktisch. Mit einem Problem weniger kann ich meine Bürounordnung den Büchern und Papierkram überlassen.

Abschließende Bemerkungen

Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass sich der CH-Amp durch ein sauberes Industriedesign, saubere Leistung, sauberen Klang und saubere Kabelorganisation mit dem kleinstmöglichen Platzbedarf auszeichnet.

Sowohl CH-Amp als auch Tradutto sorgen für einen fantastischen Stack, ein Komplettpaket, das es sich gelohnt hat, meine Lieblingskopfhörer mit 4.4-mm “symmetrischen” Kabeln neu auszurüsten (siehe die “Galerie” unten für Details.

Der EarMen-Stack ist die beste Desktop-Combo, die ich getestet habe. Basta! Und es ist mehr als genug für meine klanglichen Bedürfnisse. Es kommt nicht oft vor, dass ein so großartiges Gerät auf meinen Schreibtisch kommt.

Am Ende gilt “Wir sind die CH-Ampions”… bitte entschuldigen Sie den Kalauer.

Für beste Ergebnisse kombinieren Sie den CH-Amp mit dem Tradutto.

Bis zum nächsten Mal…keep on listening!

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Impressum

Our generic standard disclaimer.

Gallerie

The post EarMen CH-Amp Kopfhörerverstärker – Testbericht aus Kanada appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The $265 TempoTec Serenade X “Full Balance Designed Integrated Network Streaming Music Player” is a fabulous all-in-one mid-fi player that successfully marries functionality and sound. A complete package and a true pleasure on all fronts using it. Plays even lossless via Apple AirPlay 2...

The TempoTec Serenade X was kindly provided by the manufacturer, and I thank them for that. You find more information on the TempoTec website.

Introduction

TempoTec are a Chinese company that have come a long way recently. Previously best known for their budget DACs, they stepped into the limelight with their excellent V6 Digital Analog Player, a wonderfully tuned device at around a (very attractive) $329.

I became interested in the TempoTec Serenade X because I wanted to find out what it could do for us. After all, it is an unusually looking device. In short, it can do A LOT…it streams…per internet from the usual subscription services (Tidal, Qobuz etc.), per Bluetooth from your tablet/phone, per USB from the computer, external hard drive, or simply a USB stick…and per coax or Toslink (or USB) from your CD player. Did I forget anything?

The Serenade X excels through its functionality while having a decent however standardized, prefabricated sound through 2 standard SoCs.

Specifications TempoTec Serenade X

Physical Things

In the package are the device, a screw-on Bluetooth antenna, the 12V power supply, a USB-A to USB-C cable, 1 HiBy 4.4 mm (female) to 3.5 mm (male) adapter, 1 GB USB-thumb drive, a microfibre cleaning cloth, and the usual paperwork.

The TempoTec Serenade X is an unusually shaped device and appears like the love child of a tablet computer and a RC Battery Charger.

The chassis is made of metal and the whole top is reflective glass. The latter contains a relatively small 3.2″ touch screen of intermediate resolution – which does the job for me. The build quality is fine. What may be confusing, initially, is that most functionality is handled by the touch screen, but some (for example volume) by a set of physical buttons.

The Serenade’s X footprint is rather small (12 x 10 x 4.5 cm) and all you need is a wall socket. This makes it attractive for small desks and even hotel rooms.

Technology/Architecture

The Serenade X sports a dual ESS9219C chipset (“System on Chip” or “SoC”) for a fully balanced design. This means DAC and amp are on the same chip. This saves space however creates a somewhat prefabricated sound and amplification.

And since DAC and amp cannot be separated, it is not possible to create a digital output. All outputs are therefore analog.

All functionality is controlled by a FPGA digital management circuit. Volume is controlled digitally by hardware button and by the HiByLink mobile app.

Firmware can be downloaded from the TempoTec website and easily updated via a USB stick.

Interface

Top Panel

Contains all control functions via the touch screen and a button panel. Operation is intuitive.

Back Panel: I/O

All inputs are digital, the outputs are analog. You can connect CD players, daps, DACs, and computer via S/PDIF (coax, optical), USB-A and USB-C. On the receiving end you can connect 4.4 mm plugs (headphone or amp) for balanced operation, and RCA interconnects for single-ended amplifiers.

Functionality and Operation

The Tempotec Serenade X is an incredibly versatile device.

It does

• play music through balanced headphone circuits and balanced or single ended external amplifier
• play music from wireless sources: Tidal & Qobuz (Wifi), Apple AirPlay 2 (“Apple Music”) & Bluetooth (“Spotify”) etc. (from computer, phone)
• play music from wired sources: coaxial & S/PDIF (CD player, DAC, dap), USB-A & USB-C (computer, dap, internal HiBy player)
• feature the HiBy player that can be controlled from your phone via the free HiByLink app
• let you tweak the sound with HiBy’s very smart MSEB parametric equalizer
• let you update the Firmware through a set of files downloaded directly or through a computer from the TempoTec website.

It does not have

• integrated Spotify (can be mitigated by streaming from phone/computer via Bluetooth)
• Roon capabilities
• digital outputs (cannot connect to an external DAC)
• a microSD card slot (can be mitigated by a USB adapter)

Whilst this list is somewhat overwhelming, the menu is intuitive and self explanatory. I will explain the most important features and workarounds as follows.

Menu System

The touch screen displays a compact menu that lets you access and choose the various inputs including streaming services, wireless connectivities, settings, the HiBy music player, and the MSEB (which stands for “Mage Sound 8-ball”). MSEB is a parametric, very intuitive EQ.

Wireless Options

Apple AirPlay 2 vs. Bluetooth 5.0 vs. Wifi

The Serenade offers these three wireless input possibilities.

Wifi: does not allow for direct streaming, it just transfers data to a connected drive.

Bluetooth & Apple AirPlay 2: you can play music from your computer/phone via Bluetooth (all current codecs) or Apple AirPlay 2. Both work differently.

Bluetooth uses a direct connection whereas AirPlay 2 connects via the network. This allows for bigger data streams including images so that AirPlay 2 can play lossless, Bluetooth cannot. Apple users frolic.

Streaming Services

Tidal, Qobuz: you can connect to and control Tidal and Qobuz via Wifi through the Serenade’s interface.

Apple Music: streams lossless from your phone or Mac with Apple AirPlay 2. Album art shows on Serenade X’s screen.

Spotify: There is no Spotify option in the menu, which you can stream via Bluetooth from your phone or computer. The downside is “no cover art”, just a generic screen on the Serenade X’s display.

Wired Options

Toslink/optical: CD-players, DACs, and my old Questyle QP1R dap have optical line outs.

Coaxial: works with most DACs and CD players.

USB-A, USB-C: connect your thumb drive, SSD, or similar with your music library on it.

No micro-SD card slot? Not a problem. Use a USB memory-card reader.

Integrated Option: The HiBy 3.0 Music Player with HiBy Link Remote

The Serenade X features a built-in HiBy music player which you also find in many digital analog players. It is sourced by an external drive. I use a 128 GB thumb drive. The free HiByLink app turns your phone into a remote (if your headphone cord is longer than your arms).

The HiBy music player is also on the TempoTec V6 and the Hidisz AP80 Pro-X (and many more). It is intuitive, offers lots of tweaks (for example an MSEB), and it sounds better than Apple’s Music player on my iPhone.

Sound and Amplification

As mentioned, the Serenade X features 2 standard SoCs, that is DAC and amp are on the same ESS chip. This creates a standard sound and output power as experienced, for example, in the Qudelix-5K, Hidizs XO, FiiO BTR5, a few Shanlings, and the Hidizs AP80 Pro-X dap. The amplification (see specs) is powerful enough to drive my 300 Ω  Sennheiser HD 600 with ease.

The audio engineer cannot manipulate the analog output stage and the amp, and only has the option to put fllters and/or components at the end of it, as done in the Questyle M15. I assume the latter was the case as the Serenade X sounds livelier and faster than other devices using these SoCs.

As with the peers, the sound is still off analyical-neutral into very slight colour, with good extension at both ends. What’s improved over the standard sound is better transparency and a more vivid, crisper presentation. The balanced circuit makes for an especially large headroom. I also find the resolution very good. There is no hint of stridency and the timbre is very good. I picked the finest details out of a transcribed Mozart oboe concerto.

So whilst audio snobs may role their eyes, the combination of balanced and AirPlay 2 make for a well-rounded, enjoyable listening experience.

Serenade X vs. Dongles and DAPS

After we have explored all input and out options, a compact functionality comparison with DAPs and phones with dongles is warranted.

Concluding Remarks

I usually don’t give recommendations, but this is an easy one if the special funcionality and “balanced sound quality” fits your needs. I really enjoy using the Serenade X simply because of its versatility and have done so for hours and hours: it is a small, intelligent, and reasonably powerful all-in-one device.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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The post TempoTec Serenade X Digital Desktop Player Review – Rocking The Jukebox appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The Akoustyx S6 is a superbly built and very handy planar-magnetic earphone with excellent resolution and timbre that can get spicy in the midrange at louder volumes.

The Akoustyx S6 was kindly supplied by the manufacturer for my review – and I thank them for that. You find more information on the respective product page.

The S6 are currently on deep discount sale (like: 50% off) on Drop.

Introduction

Akoustyx are an American junior earphone company out of San Jose, CA, producing in Nashville, TN, with US and imported parts. They are the type of company who put a lot of detail into their designs aiming to develop budget to medium-priced models with long shelf lives – that do not get succeeded every 6 months by a “Pro” version. Just like the big boys ala Sennheiser, AKG, etc., players with lots of experience and confidence behind them.

Akoustyx focus on a small number of products – instead of getting lost in a jungle of “moreofthesame”. I purchased my first few mid-tier earphones from companies that are renowned for the electronics, speakers, and headphones, but only offered a single earphone model. I concluded these iems must be good: Focal Sphear, Bowers & Wilkins C Series 2, and the NAD HP20. And they were good in their days.

I tested the Akoustyx R-220 previously, which feature 2 balanced armature drivers – and sound almost clinically diffuse-field neutral. Technically great, but temperature wise not for everybody. And they are still being offered three years later. I still consider the R-220 as being timeless – and something special in my huge iem collection.

As to Akoustyx’s attention to detail, which they marry with pragmatism: all three of their series are extremely small, light, and they come with nifty “Earlocks” – patented soft-rubber rings that hold the iems firmly in your ears. They have the effect that you don’t feel the earphones in your concha anymore. They even offer neoprene cases for their R-200 and S6 series.

The Akoustyx engineering team’s 6.1 mm planar-magnetic driver has been developed since 2018 and was officially launched at CanJam Social 2022. You may guess the reason for this delay. It is assembled in the USA.

Specifications Akoustyx S6

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the earpieces (of lightweight Al alloy with a Ti oxide treatment), 3 sizes of soft-rubber Earlocks, the OFC cable with a Ti Kevlar sleeve, 1 set each of silicone and foam tips, a slimline neoprene case, and the paperwork. Cable and earpieces are connected via MMCX.

Materials, build quality, and haptic are as fine as it gets.

Akoustyx earphones are special in that they leave the smallest possible footprint in your shirt pocked of any iem (except perhaps Etymotics). They are not only small but also extremely light. Fit and comfort are excellent, the Earlocks add increased hold.

You get the company’s more detailed tech description from their product page. The S6 are very easy to drive.

Tonality and Technicalities

Well, my frequency response graph looks just terrible (the company’s looks better…we obviously use different standards…in fact I applied a ‘correction’, which is an empirical adjustment of the DIY tube coupler’s response towards a particular IEC coupler’s response based on comparative measurements of 13 IEMs – which do not include a sample of the Akoustyx S6). On the other hand don’t I know what measurement parameters Akoustyx applied.

My graph lets expect a bassy screamer with vocals buried 6 ft under. This is not quite the case and shows once again how graphs can be deceiving. The S6 is not as V-shaped as it appears and not as bassy either.

It offers a slightly warm temperature at the low end, and becomes neutral from the midrange up, resulting in an appealing timbre, as long as you don’t turn the volume up. Maybe this frequency response is required to bring the best out of this small driver.

I usually measure frequency responses with 85 dB @ 1 kHz but had to go down to 82 dB as the software started clipping the upper midrange/lower treble peaks.

The bass is…very good. Yes, it is fast, but not too fast, composed and controlled. It could be even more for my taste. Confused? Well, remember the story of the JVC HA-FDX1 with its three tuning filters? All they do is change the upper midrange – and all you hear is a different bass response.

That’s because the human ear records the whole frequency range in context and not just the individual snippets (bass, mids, treble). Also, the S6 does not have the mid bass boom of the famous 7Hz Timeless.

That means for the S6 is that this gigantic pinna gain greatly diminishes the quantity of our bass perception. The bass is not even much extended into the sub-bass to my ears. Unfortunately, that bass does not tame the upper midrange to reasonable levels. It is shouty and can be fatiguing at higher volumes.

Fuelling the upper harmonics it really etches vocals out: they are lean, articulate, they are very lively, but they lack body, although they are not even particularly recessed. I wished the midrange corners were a bit (more) rounded. As a positive, this results in excellent midrange definition and resolution – and great speech intelligibility.

The upper midrange brings out higher piano notes very accurately with a natural stroke — but higher trombone notes can be strident. You can avoid fatigue by simply keeping the volume at bay. Using parametric or graphic eq remedies this, too.

Going higher in the frequency range, cymbals are still well resolving but can be a bit robotic/metallic and certainly tizzy, that’s where the planar-magnetic characteristics appear. High notes are generally well resolving.

Technicalities are outstanding for this class. Stage is expansive and not too deep. Imaging is wonderful, separation and layering are great, and the driver can handle whole symphony orchestras with ease. No crowding, each player is reasonably accurately placed on stage.

The S6 also passes the cello test: decay is natural enough to make a cello sound like a cello (and not like a hacksaw through ultra-fast note decay), which can be a problem with planar-magnetic drivers. The S6 offers a fantastic timbre.

In summary, these S6 are great if you find the (volume) limiter button, also considering their haptic and comfort. Turning the volume up can make you curse them. Angel and Devil in one. I experienced both. The S6 therefore work best with warm sources and jazzy or classical acoustic sets. Pounding EDM or similar against your eardrums may be a bit much for you.

I expect the S6 overall design and haptic may rather appeal the mature, audiophile crowd and not the compulsive buyer.

Concluding Remarks

The Akoustyx S6 nevertheless come as a big, positive surprise to me. I was aware that the company could produce technically fantastic earphones offered below $300, but in the S6 they added an element of “musicality”.

The S6, despite their tiny size with their miniature planar-magnetic drivers offer big, accurate, and enjoyable sound with the caveat that it can get fatiguing at higher volumes. The Akoustyx S6 are certainly special but will mainly appeal to purists.

Until next time…keep on listening!

The post Akoustyx S6 Review (1) – Angel And Devil appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The $149 Final ZE3000 are superb sounding TWS earphones that provide the utmost wearing comfort. They can easily compete with any wired iem in their price category.

Pros — Excellent sonic signature and technical performance; smooth Bluetooth operation; very good comfort and fit.

Cons — Possibly no punchy enough for non-audiophiles.

Introduction

“Big in Japan” was a huge international 1980s hit by German group “Alphaville”. It flopped in Japan itself because it closed on a…Chinese gong. In contrast, Final Audio Design are big in their native Japan. They have been around since 2007 and have sold their earphones since 2009. Their first wireless earphone was the E3000 in 2017, of which they allegedly sold hundreds of thousands – and won 10 gold medals at Japan’s biggest audio awards. The Final ZE3000 is the successor.

Final do not rely on blog/YouTube promoters. They typically do not provide “review samples” – and their products therefore do not show up on the usual “Best of” buying lists, a fact that disproves the general validity of such. Final products also don’t fare well with the “measurebators” (check Crinacle’s ranking list, for example). The company has enough self confidence not to care.

It is Final’s philosophy to provide natural sound, thereby not bothering with window dressing such as fancy faceplates or swanky packaging. The company’s concept is – and has been “the comprehensive pursuit of things that are fundamentally right”. And they back this with a competency based on their solid R&D. It is therefore not surprising that their product is sustainable; many of their current models have been around for more than 4 years (I just bought the Sonorous III, released in 2016).

Coincidentally, four of us at audioreviews.org purchased (and thoroughly analyzed) quite a few of Final’s models. For example, Alberto gave his detailed account of the Sonorous II & III headphones and Kazi characterized Final’s complete E-series. Quite a few of Final products decorate our Wall of Excellence. So you, the reader, have several qualified opinions on their products – which is more reliable than a single person’s rankings.

Having qualified through actively buying their gear and generating meaningful and thorough analyses, and Kazi talking to their reps in person, we could secure review units of the ZE3000 and UX3000 (their first wireless headphone).

Specifications Final ZE3000

Physicals

In the box are:

• Charging Case with earpieces
• Final “TYPE E Truly Wireless Exclusive Edition” eartips (5 sizes: SS / S / M / L / LL)
• USB Type C Charging Cable

Case and earpieces of the Final ZE3000 are coated with the soft-textured SHIBO シボ finish, that yields a speckled pattern reminiscent of classic SLRs, which makes them look rugged (my UX3000 and Sonorous III headphones also feature this coating). The case is handy and can be operated with one hand.

The earpieces are rather bulky (has to do with acoustics) but very light. They have minimal contact areas with the concha, which makes them comfortable. Final’s eartips provide a very good seal. I can wear these for hours without even feeling them. As to the technical details, Final provide extensive information on the ZE3000’s product page.

シボ is an old Japanese word for wrinkled paper!

Bluetooth Functionality

Once paired, the Final ZE3000 connect automatically to my iPhone or daps, upon taking the earpieces out of the case. Running around my 2000 sq ft home with the phone/dap on the kitchen counter, I don’t have any issues with transmission. It works! I am using the aptX codec.

Tonality and Technicalities

Admittedly, I generally don’t like TWS iems…what a waste considering their disposable batteries and therefore planned obsolescence. But I also have to blur it out: I LOVE THESE FINAL ZE3000! THEY SOUND INCREDIBLE! Their imaging is fantastic, their balance and cohesion are fantastic, staging is great, they make music sound like music. No piercing, nothing analytical or sterile, the music sounds as natural as it gets. And, isn’t that what we want? Their overall signature is marginally warm and silky smooth throughout.

The Final ZE3000 are another great example of the limitations of frequency-response graphing and opinions/ideologies built upon them. No need to follow the pied pipers that confuse you with their partial stories and incomplete accounts. The ZE3000 are just great all around and make for an immersive, engaging listening. I have been using these for weeks around the clock now. What makes them particularly appealing is their smooth leading edge: attack is just right for me without being boring. Headroom is big. You are in the studio with the band or orchestra, sir!

‘nough said? OK, let’s do the bean counting, you know that “bass, midrange, treble” thing everybody does. Bass, subbass, yep, great extension down there. No mid bass hump, therefore no danger to my sensitive eardrums. And the punch is also not deep enough for the low end to sound dry. It is well placed. Just right. And it is far enough away not to bleed into the midrange. OK, it could be a little bit tighter, but we are getting petty.

Midrange is where it should be: in the middle…no V-shape, voices are forward and of good weight and definition, more on the silky side. No screaming guitars. A $1000 wired iem would have better defined edges, the Final ZE3000 sound pleasant and agreeable. We know this smoothness from the Final A3000, for example.

Treble molds seamlessly around the mids (or rather tags onto them), extension is not the greatest (a TWS thing), cymbals are reasonably well sculptured but are a bit on the “light” side – and show natural decay.

If there is something such as a weak point it stems from the Bluetooth technology and not Final’s input: the punch/slam is not as hard as in a a wired premium iem with a good amp…the minature DAC/amps in the ZE3000’s earpieces, you know. But it is still hard enough.

We had the great headroom, and touched the great spatial reconstruction, stage is deep and wide and tall, separation is ok, layering is good. Dynamics and microdynamics are great. Accentuation and nuances in finely woven jazzy or classical passages are outstanding.

As a consequence of the tuning, you can turn the Final ZE3000 up to max without blowing your eardrums out. And despite what people say, I consider this typical Japanese tuning, considering the Japanese Hifi components I owned in the 1980s, which were designed to provide smooth sounds to small apartments….still own a Luxman L-410 amp…my workhorse since 1986.

Final ZE3000 compared

The 199 Euro Earsonics Aerø is another non-V shaped sounding TWS earphone that follows a different build philosophy. In contrast to the Final ZE3000’s bulbous shape, the Earsonics are elongate and slim. They need very deep insertion to seal my ear canals. The Aero have a harder slam and tighter bass than the more relaxed playing ZE3000 and are therefore better suited for aggressive, “heavy” music. They reproduce vocals much sharper and have an overall more “robust” sound. The Final ZE3000 offer a bigger and wider stage (more wide than deep) and have the softer leading edge. Both earphones are good, but I prefer the Final.

The $149 Final UX3000 (review pending) are headphones but could nevertheless be compared to the ZE3000 as both are TWS at the same price. The UX3000 beat the ZE3000 and Aero in terms of staging and imaging, including 3D rendering and headroom. They also have more volume and more pizazz and sound overall more substantial. And they offer 35 hr of battery life and a decent ANC. So, if you want to take any of these on an intercontinental flight you have the choice: ANC, battery life in a large device vs. convenience…as iems fit in your shirt pocket. You may as well get them both…or all three :).

Concluding Remarks

The Final ZE3000 are another winner for Final Audio Design. They score big and may sell like hotcakes in Japan while being ignored by most internet “experts” and influencers elsewhere. They are for people who listen to and enjoy music as authentically as should be. A fare for gourmets and not for gloutons.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Gallery

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Introduction

Burson are a company out of Melbourne, Australia, which are well known and liked for their innovative opamps, DACs, amps, DAC/amps combos. I have analyzed the Burson Funk and the V6 Vivid & V6 Classic opamps.

Their DACs and amps come with their proprietary Maximum Current Power Supply “MCPS” , an ultrafast switching power supply that minimizes noise riding on the signal – and it lowers resistance and speeds up performance.

With the Super Charger, Burson are going a step further in reducing DC noise which and therefore increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. This should improve (micro-)dynamics and sonic detail. The company claims that the Super Charger doubles the the charging frequency to power capacitors inside the audio amplifier, which results in a more impactful sound with a bigger and deeper soundstage.

I tested this, but before I report my results, let’s first talk about the power-supply technology and common issues with mains power.

Power Supplies and Noise

Power supplies are highly underrated components and frequently put in the snake oil corner. That’s partly because they are external somewhere on the floor or optically unspectacular as “wall warts”…but mainly as they – strictly speaking – do not contribute anything to the sound of a device.

What? Surprised? On the contrary, good power supplies serve the purpose of preserving the signal from deterioration through…NOISE. Therefore, sound is “passively” improved by preservation and not by addition.

Three kinds of noise exist that can contaminate and deteriorate the audio signal: electromagnetic interference (RMI), radio-frequency (RFI) interference, and switching noise (which is usually just above the human hearing threshold). RMI and RFI may be transmitted by both USB ports and external power supplies.

What we call noise are not discrete sounds but impurities superimposed on the signal, like dirt mixed in our bathwater. Dirty bathwater does not clean well, and an impure signal compromises sound quality. I speculate that lack of understanding of “noise” in this context contributes to the snake-oil dogma with some listeners.

The electricity that comes out of our mains contains RMI and RFI, the amount of which depends on our living environment. It will be worse in a dense city environment than in the sparsely populated countryside.

All electronic circuits work at low voltage/direct current whereas the grid provides high voltage/alternative current.

A power supply is a transformer that connects the AC grid with the low voltage circuit of a device, let’s say a DAC or amp. There are two kinds of power supplies, switching mode power supplies (SMPS) and linear power supplies (LPS). Both kinds principally work with our audio devices.

A good-quality LPS contains a big transformer which makes them bulky, but it has a great price to performance ratio. The power supplies that come with our phones or notebook computers are SMPS. These are generally more compact and cheaper than LPS but noisier – unless sophisticated filtering is used. Basic SMPS will deteriorate the audio signal but a high-quality SMPS is superior to an LPS.

In an SMPS, the incoming AC is first converted to DC by a rectifier, followed by a filter, and then sent to a transformer. An integrated circuit switches voltage on and off at a very high frequency. An SMPS only needs a small transformer as the flow-through currents are generally small. The resulting DC is not very clean as the voltage is not as stable as with a good LPS. But the small devices travel well to hotel rooms (think Apple’s tiny 5V iPhone charger).

In their Super Charger, Burson tackle specifically the switching noise by raising the switching frequency higher above the human hearing threshold. Simple and clever? But, will it work?

USB Noise

I described USB noise in my analyses of the Allo Nirvana and Allo Shanti 5V power supplies review:

“Another cause of noise/signal deterioration is our streamer/computer/phone source. The various computer internals are inherently noisy. If our DAC is powered through the USB port, the computer delivers both noisy power and a poorly timed data stream (“jitter”) caused by RMI and FMI, through VBUS and data line, respectively, to the DAC.

Both jitter and noisy power contribute to the deterioration of the audio signal. And if both are transferred into the DAC via an inferior USB cable, there is additional interference between power and data lines…which exacerbates the problem. That’s why you need a well-made, well-shielded, well-isolating USB cable, too.

Using an external PS or a battery eliminates the VBUS problem. When testing the “purity” of the Super Charger (as well as for everyday use), I eliminated the USB noise altogether by using a quasi noise-less source.”

OK, let’s have a look at the Super Charger.

Compatiblity

The Super Charger 3/5A is compatible with almost all current Burson DACs and amps…but also with third-party devices, if they fulfill the specs below.

To find out its compatibility with other products, please follow the steps below:

• Is your current PSU 24Volt with the same amp or less? (eg 3A or less)
• Does it have a 2.5mm DC barrel plug?
• Does it have a centre positive polarity?

If the answer is YES to all three, then the Super Charger is compatible.

Physicals

In the box is the device and three slide-in adapters to fit all power outlets around the world. The design is a simple wall wart without button of switches. Its case is made of some kind of polyethylene (“hard plastic”) like most other such devices. A white LED indicates it is connected to the mains.

The Super Charger is slim (leaves space for adjacent power supplies) but sticks out quite a bit – which should not matter too much as it is likely hidden somewhere behind your desk (the stock power supply is on your desk). The chord – against claims in the blogosphere – is NOT detachable (I asked Burson), although the connector rotates.

What Changes are expected?

Improvements depend on the noise contamination. No noise, no improvement. Noise is not only introduced by the ac grid but also by the other electrical components in the chain such as computers and phones. In the worst-case scenario, the benefits of the power supply to the amplifier may be levelled by the other components so that the net improvement is…zero. I experience such as case during the ifi Audio iPower X testing when using a computer as source. We also have to consider permanent fluctuations of the ac grid according to usage and location.

Testimonies of the benefits of power supplies by audioreviews.org writers range from a “cleaner signal, better details, better transients” to improved stereo image and bass, better vocals quality” on the blogosphere. Co-blogger Biodegraded, reports better textured and more extended bass and a quieter background throughout in his headphone amp with the ifi Audio iPower. KopiOkaya owns and tested several LPS and also reports differences in dynamics. Some cheap PS sound “uninspired” in his analyses. Co-Blogger Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir tested the ifi Audio Zen Can and had to purchase an iPower X to get the sonic results he expected from it.

Test Setup

For my listening test, I used a low-noise source, one that does not suffer from contamination from non-audio components (computer of phone), and one that does not rely on a power supply connected to the mains. I therefore deployed the Questyle QP1R dap, that runs on constant power/current supplied by its built-in battery. It also has a dedicated line-out. This source obviously avoids USB noise and mains noise. The Super Charger was attached to the Burson Funk via an AudioQuest Golden Gate 3.5 mm to 2 RCA interconnect.

My complete test setup was:

• Source: Questyle QP1R dap
• AudioQuest Golden Gate 3.5 mm to 2 RCA Interconnects
• Super Charger 3/5A connected to Burson Funk amp.

Test Results

Wowsa! I was stunned! The sonic difference between the stock power supply and the Super Charger is substantial (in my setup). We are not talking nuances, the whole sonic character changes quite a bit…and to the better. Burson claims better detail and better dynamics…which is true. My impressions – from the first minute – have been: much better transparency, much better note definition, better accentuation. Imaging is improved, there was much better control and organization, which I first recorded in the bass. In summary, the signal is much cleaner and crisper, and more true to a Class A amp than with the stock power supply.

The stock power supply delivers a less orderly, much less controlled sound that I first detected on the more loose low end.

I am actually really surprised that the difference is so big. Quite frankly, I enjoy the sound with the Super Charger so much more that I don’t want to go back to the stock supply.

Value: should I…?

The question is: is it worth purchasing the Super Charger as it is not quite cheap? Answer: it depends! First, how much is its acquisition relative to the amp (and the DAC) you use it with? The more expensive the amp, the more worth is it to invest in a good power supply. At $2500, the Super Charger is only a 10% cost addition (how much did you pay for your rubber phone case?).

Second, how “clean” is your chain of electronic devices? If you have a noisy computer or phone and a DAC with a cheap power supply in front of your amp, the Super Charger may not make much or any difference. After all, the golden rule is: garbage in, garbage out.

Some experts are of the opinion that an amplifier benefits more from clean power than a DAC. And they further claim that clean power contributes 70% to an amp’s sound quality. And when you compare the price of the Super Charger against a good linear power supply ($500 plus), it does not look that bad.

In the end, the pleasure you will get out of your power supply will define its value.

Concluding Remarks

To say it in simple terms: when used “properly”, the Super Charger changes the sound of your amplifier notably, to a point that surprised me. It upgrades my Burson Funk to a real Class A amp. I am just confused why Burson includes a – probably also pricey – stock power supply, which you then abandon for the Super Charger.

Wouldn’t it save cost and be better for the environment to give the buyer the choice of picking a power supply upon checkout? Which would bring the total buying price down.

In summary, the Burson Super Charger is for listeners who don’t want to make compromises and who are smart enough to implement it properly into their electronic chain.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

The Burson Super Charger was supplied by Burson Audio for my review and I thank them for that. You can get it directly from the manufacturer.

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The Questyle M15 is a very enjoyable, powerful portable DAC/amp with an uncoloured, crisp, transparent sound far from being analytical or sterile. Candidate for “Best in Class” and on our “Wall of Excellence”.

Pros — Powerful, uncoloured, transparent sound; versatile usage; moderate current draw; great build.

Cons — Can’t find any.

The Questyle M15 was added to our Wall of Excellence.

Introduction

Jason Wang has been an audiophile since middle school. In university, he invented current mode amplification (CMA). CMA devices are characterized by their crisp and transparent sound. It became his ambition to produce audio products with the best possible sound quality. But nothing can remain the best forever, so we should always keep questioning for better. He made this his lifestyle. Jason combined his two principles to form the company Questyle in 2012. Got it?

Questyle had a huge impact with their first digital analog player QP1R back in 2016. Three of us have purchased one – and it remains our reference to this day. Their flagship dap QPM made it onto our Wall of Excellence as true endgame. And the CMA Twelve DAC/amp also collected very good marks from our team.

The company recently also followed the trend of battery-less dongle DAC/amps. Such dongles are marketed to people who want to play music in high quality on their phones, and who don’t want to have a second device in their pocket.

The current market is flooded with dongles – we covered a few – and it appears to be increasingly difficult for a new release to stick out. The 2021 M12 was Questyle’s first effort in this field. Our two guys in Europe were not…too impressed. That’s probably because of their expectations of the crisp Questyle sound, which the M12 did not deliver. It was unusually warm and soft to their ears.

Spoiler alert, the M15 returns to the strictly neutral sound Questyle made its name with. There are a few more things to say, for example how they did it…let’s start with the physicals.

Specifications

Physicals

In the box are:

• 1 * M15
• 1 * USB-A to USB Type-C cable,
• 1 * Type-C to Type-C cable
• 1 * Instruction manual
• 1 * Warranty card

The body is made of metal with a glass cover on top so that one can see the internals at any time. Sturdy, robust…as good as it gets.

Technology

The Questyle M15 incorporates the ES9281Pro SoC (System on Chip) that comprises an all-in-one DAC and headphone amplifier, which delivers a prefabricated sound so that all such devices sound similar. STOP! This is not the case with the M15.

Questyle engineers have enhanced the output signal by adding two Current Mode Amplification (CMA) SiPs (“System in Package”: each with two independent amplification circuits) to achieve the Questyle sound, which is characterized by ultra low distortion, a very low noise floor and very low output impedance of around 1 ohm. This low-voltage configuration is further meant to minimize power consumption, beneficial for mobile use.

The reason why Questyle did not bypass the SoC’s amp altogether is because that’s virtually impossible. And the reason why they didn’t use a pure DAC chip such as the ES9038 is size – it is simply too big. The ES9281Pro chip also features a USB module. Therefore, size and performance dictated the choice of chip.

The M15 offers both balanced (4.4 mm) and single-ended (3.5 mm) circuits.

Functionality and Operation

What it does

• Works plug and play with Windows, Linux, and OSX computers and Android/iOS devices.
• Plays music though single- ended (3.5 mm) and a more powerful balanced (4.4 mm) circuits.
• Supports almost all music streaming platforms worldwide, including Apple Music, Tidal, QQ Music, among others.
• Fully supports and decodes ALAC, FLAC, MQA, and other lossless formats.
• Features two data status indicators that will illuminate one of the following colors: green (sample rate is 48kHz or less), red (hi-res lossless playback: PCM 88.2kHz~384 kHz, or DSD64~DSD256), magenta (final unfold of an MQA Core stream).

What it does not

• Has no on-board control.
• Needs a lightning adapter to be used with iPhone.

The Questyle M15 does not have an on/off switch. It draws current from the host device and switches itself on, when a headphone of earphone is plugged into one of its two sockets.

Amplification and Power Consumption

The manufacturer’s amplification data are rather cryptic so that I put the Questyle M15 to a practical test. The problem is that balanced cables for full-sized, power hungry cans are hard to come by – to take advantage of the M15’s 4.4 mm balanced circuit, which is much beefier than the single-ended circuit (a generally valid statement).

Running the 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 600 on the (weaker) single-ended output – to my surprise – did not only provide enough power, it also maintained the zing, bite, and clarity experienced with easier to drive earphones.

Then I ordered a balanced cable for the balanced circuit – which worked even better. The M15 has enough power to adequately drive a 300 ohm headphone.

Questyle claims that the M15 has an ultra-low power consumption (which, of course, is relative to performance). I did a quick test with the FNIRSI-FNB48 voltmeter. The M15’s single-ended circuit has about twice the power drain of the “frugal” AudioQuest DragonFly Red, and approximately one third more than the DragonFly Cobalt. Both are designed for low power drain, which comes with compromises in performance.

The Questyle M15 has, however, a much smaller current drain than the much less powerful Hidizs S9 Pro. And it works with iPhone that limited power draw to 100 mA, which shuts out similar dongles such as the Astell & Kern PEE51.

I’d say the M15 is very current efficient, but you’d still better have a decent phone battery.

Sound

The Questyle M15 has a sonic signature owners of Questyle equipment love: essentially neutral with great extension at both ends, unparalleled resolution, clarity, transparency, and crisp dynamics – and all that without ever being strident or aggressive, sterile or analytical (Topping comes to mind as the opposite). Almost like a little class-A amp in your pocket. If you have listened to the QP1R dap or the CMA 12 DAC/amp, you will know what I am talking about.

Spatial reconstruction is excellent in both single-ended and balanced circuits. No compromise has been made for the single-ended circuit, the only difference between the two is power. This is in contrast to some other models that sacrifice headroom in their single-ended circuit such as the EarMen Sparrow.

And that’s all you have to know.

Questyle M15 compared

Questyle had released the $150 M12 a year earlier. In contrast, it features only a 3.5 mm single-ended circuit, and, most importantly, it has a different sound: softer and warmer than the M15 or QP1R dap…which did not quite delight Alberto at the time. The M15 also has a gain switch for driving a larger variety of headphones.

Apogee Groove: is much more powerful, way higher current drain, a very high output impedance of 20 ohm, and it does not run with most phones, not at all with iPhones. Its use with hybrid iems is not recommended by the manufacturer. Sonically, the Groove is more coloured and it drives headphones without the need of balanced cables. The Groove offers the best spatial reconstruction of all dongles I have tested but is limited to single dynamic driver earphones and headphones.

With the Sennheiser HD 600, the Groove delivers more dynamics and a deeper stage than the M15. The differences are, however, not substantial. In summary, the Groove excels in it specialized applicability, but the M15 is more universally deployable.

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt is smaller and thus handier on the go, has USB filtering included and sounds a bit smoother and a tad warmer. It has similar imaging and spatial reconstruction qualities. It is less powerful – at a lower power consumption, and therefore more limited in its application. The evaluation of sonic differences relies on personal taste but are on par in terms of overall quality. Both offer stellar sound.

Practical Aspects

Questyle and similar dap manufacturers offer dongle DAC/amps to cover the phone/table/notebook market. A dap has principally a cleaner data and power source than a phone or a computer, as it is designed for playing music only. Computer and phone feature other clocked internals that introduce contaminations (“noise”) to the sound. So you are always better off with a dap, sonically – any USB DAC/amp (“dongle”) is a compromise.

When it comes to dongles, the user has to pick their poison: low current draw (= low power = battery preservation) vs. high power (= better sound quality = battery hog). Both are mutually exclusive.

You obviously need a powerful dongle to operate full-sized cans. Devices optimized for low current draw such as the AudioQuest DragonFlys will be easy on your phone’s battery however not do a satisfactory job on demanding headphones. Clipping will occur which will first be noticed when the bass is getting muddy.

Battery hogs such as Hidizs S9 Pro will do a better job on such headphones but empty your phone in no time. The Apogee Groove will not run with most phones at all. Powerful AND low battery drain does not exist!

There is a fundamental lack of technical understanding by some testers who run full-sized, insensitive cans on battery-preserving dongles, then rate them lowly. This misuse conveys the wrong information on the quality of such devices and distorts the playing field.

Therefore, if you have an old phone, a DragonFly type dongle may be right for you. If you want to run full-sized headphones from your computer, you may favour the Apogee Groove type. The Questyle M15 strikes a good balance between powerful output and current drain. However, despite its advanced power management, it is not a miracle power saver. In the end, you have to factor your intended usage into your buying decision.

Concluding Remarks

The very versatile Questyle M15 dongle is as good as it gets in its category. It is for listeners with very high standards. I will use this one for future iem testing…and submit it for approval to be attached to our Wall of Excellence.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

I received the unit from Questyle Engineering for my analysis. I thank them for that as well as for responsive in answering my questions. You can purchase the M15 at the Questyle Shop.

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The post Questyle M15 Review (1) – Stellar By Starlight appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — Strangely implemented EST causes narrow soundstage; deserves more accessories.

Executive Summary

The LETSHUOER EJ07M is a very enjoyable neutrally-tuned vivid performer with an added bass boost.

Introduction

LETSHUOER are a Shenzhen company specializing in OEM. They are having a current hit with the $149 planar magnetic LETSHUOERS12. The LETSHUOER EJ07M are the company’s current flagship iem and improved version of their very first iem, the $850 EJ07.

Whilst I am always critical with newcomers skipping elementary school and taking shortcuts, the EJ07M is a good pair. I found it first non descript, but it slowly grew on me. And it grew quite big. It is an earphone more on the lean side without being sterile.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the box is…actually not much for an iem of this price: the earpieces, an occ copper cable, 2 sets of silicone eartips (S/M/L), a little box with foams, a cleaning brush, a metal case, and the paper work. Just like the S12, the EJ07M features rather small earpieces, which provide for a good and comfortable fit (for me). They are made of aviation aluminum alloy with fancy, one-of-a-kind faceplates. The company claims they block up to 26 dB of ambient noise. Their low impedance makes them easily drivable.

I found the earpieces’s haptic and form factor great, but the isolation was only soso for me. The cable’s wire structure may be of great purity/quality, there is no microphonics, however the overall jewellery effect is rather small.

LETSHUOER’s translucent standard stock tips worked well for me.

Tonality and Technicalities

Equipment used: Sony NW-A55; Macbook Air + AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt or Earstudio HUD100 (high gain); white stock tips.

The EJ07M is tuned in a gentle U-shape, with a bottom-end emphasis on sub-bass, a moderate pinna gain, and an early treble rolloff. It is essentially neutral with a sub-bass boost. The graph resembles “the personal target curve of the season” of many reviewers (we at www.audioreviews.org don’t have such a thing), which excludes disturbing peaks and other unpleasant surprises. Its presentation is on the lean but never analytical side.

Sub-bass extension is decent (and the rumble can be a bit fuzzy), mid-bass is focused/, slightly lean with a crisp attack and fast decay, much faster than expected from a single-dynamic driver. It has a good kick and tactility. There is no mid-bass hump that pounds unpleasantly against my eardrums.

Transition to the neutral lower midrange is smooth and without bleed because the low-end boost is so far below that it does not affect vocals and instruments (crisp piano), which have very concise note definition and energy. They are not overly rich but never thin and also not recessed (vocals can be intimate), and the corners can be somewhat sharp. The midrange is very clean and clear and there is no shoutiness (although we are getting close). All this makes for great speech intelligibility.

Treble rolloff starting at 4 kHz narrows the soundstage and limits sheen. This is surprising as you would expect outstanding extension from an electrostatic driver, as perfectly demonstrated in the Vision Ears Elysium, for example. High notes are very subtle and back. A very sparse use of the EST.

Soundstage has good depth but the aforementioned limited width. Dynamics is very good, there is plenty of impact in the attack. The music is more moving back and forth than sideways. Spatial cues is very good. Lean notes make for lots of space between instruments on a crowded stage and great midrange clarity. Transients are generally fast, particularly at the recessed top end. Resolution is very good!

In summary, the “edgy” EJ07M is well rounded (sic!) and does nothing wrong.

LETSHUOER EJ07M Compared

The $150 magnetic planar LETSHUOER S12 iem plays bassier, has a wider but shallower stage, a tad warmer, and therefore less neutral. The EJ07M offers better vocals rendering, better (micro-) dynamics, and similar resolution.

The more organic $600 single DD Oriolus Isabellae plays thicker, richer, softer, and more relaxed, lagging behind in resolution and crispness and energy in favour of timbre and a soothing temperature.

Compared to the warmer, bassier $699 Dunu Zen single DD, the EJ07M lacks depth and body and plays swifter and more brittle. The Zen has a pronounced upper midrange glare and an earlier treble rolloff.

Concluding Remarks

The LETSHUOER EJ07M excels by doing well in all departments, though not achieving the highest possible score in each of them. It delivers a swift, neutral sound with a boosted sub-bass and technicalities in line with its peers. Nevertheless is its main competition internal, as the excellent $150 LETSHUOER S12 is not far behind in most aspects.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The EJ07M were provided by LETSHUOER and I thank them for that.

Get the LETSHUOER EJ07M from letshuoer.net.

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The post LETSHUOER EJ07M Tribrid Review – Dreimal Gut appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — Outdated Bluetooth 4.1; short battery life; no onboard storage for key files, no (more) radio; no case.

Executive Summary

The Hidizs AP80 Pro-X is a versatile and enjoyable dap with a proven SoC sound that probably offers excellent value at its $180 price tag.

Introduction

Hidizs is an up and coming company out of China that recently scored hits with their S9, S3 Pro and particularly their S9 Pro dongle DAC/amps. The latter is one of the most popular dongles in the overcrowded $100-150 class. My review made it into the upper third of our Top 20 most read reviews of 2021. Hidizs also focus on portable music players, bluetooth receivers, and earphones, such as the MS1 Rainbow. The AP80 Pro-X is their latest DAP.

Specifications

The ouput impedance is < 1 ohm…

Differences between Hidizs AP80 Pro and Pro-X

Compared with AP80 PRO using the final unfold (4X) of an MQA file, AP80 PRO X will use MQA technology for the final unfold (8X) of an MQA file.

The AP80 Pro-X is the update of the AP80 Pro. The main tech difference between the two is the chipset. The AP80 deploys two ESS ES9218P SoCs (introduced in late 2016; “System on Chip”), and the AP80 Pro-X features two ESS ES9219C SoCs (introduced in late 2019).

Both all-in-one DAC/amp chips have effectively the same specs, but the ES2919C features hardware-level MQA decoding and it has a lower battery consumption at standby/no load.

This results in essentially the same performance specifications between AP80 Pro and AP80 Pro-X with channel separation as apparent exemption. Hidizs lists a much improved channel separation for the AP80 Pro-X model. Upon further inspection, the AP80 Pro-X’s better value stems from a measurement at no load, whereas the AP80 Pro’s number was generated under load.

And since channel separation decreases with load, these two numbers cannot be compared. But even the AP80 Pro’s “worse number” is still very good. I speculate both models’ channel separation are identical.

Functional difference is a lack of radio and protective case, and a different shape in the AP80 Pro-X (the AP80 Pro’s case does not fit).

Not changed between models have operating system, buttons/potentiometer, and Samsung touchscreen.

In summary, although I have not auditioned the AP80 Pro, I do not expect any (significant) sonic differences between the two. In fact, there should not be any major difference between any model using these SoCs, as the engineer cannot manipulate the software (in contrast to a dedicated DAC chip). In other words, the sound is entirely made by ESS and not by Hidizs or whoever put their name on the dap.

Design, Build quality

Physical Things and Usability

IN THE BOX…

• Type-C cable
• Type-C to Type-C OTG cable
• User manual
• 2 Screen protectors
• Warranty card

The design is an aluminum chassis sandwiched between two sheets of glass. Not sure whether I did it right, but I used one of the screen protectors in the front, and the other in the back :). The square shape is a bit odd to get used to, and the small size is traded for battery size.

The Samsung screen is responsive and of good resolution. The buttons are precise and the Japanese ALPS potentiometer is suspended. The overall build is very good. The AP80 Pro-X does not come with a protective shell, and there is currently no after-market one available.

Functionality and Operation

What it does

• plays music through single-ended and balanced headphone circuits
• works as wired DAC with computer and cellphones
• features bi-directional Bluetooth 4.1
• offers unique sound adjustments through “MSEB”
• accepts micro SD card up to 512 mB
• updates its music library blistering fast
• lets you read ebooks
• counts your footsteps (pedometer)

What it does not

• play single-ended and balanced circuits simultaneously
• does not feature the latest Bluetooth standard
• have radio function anymore (lost with chip upgrade from AP80 Pro model)
• has no accessible onboard storage for key files
• have the greatest battery life between charges
• no case available (at the time of writing)

Handling, Software, operating system/user interface, sound settings, connection options and modes, internals, pairing/Bluetooth, updating the library…fast or slow…

Hidizs AP80 Pro-X Quickguide

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HiBy 3.0 OS

HiBy is a company that produces their own daps, but they started out as software designers. Their OS 3.0 is therefore a mature product that I learnt intuitively and quickly by trial and error. No manual needed.

Compared to other OS, the HIBy has a few special features, such as pedometer and ebook reader. Two-directional Bluetooth may be more common. It can also be used as DAC with your computer or phone/tablet.

Unique to HiBy OS is the MSEB, which stands for “Mage Sound 8-ball”. It is a parametric, very intuitive EQ. The OS also includes a standard EQ. Other remarkable features of the HiBy OS are low/high gain selection, crossfade, and antialiasing in the play settings.

Amplification and Battery Consumption

Hidizs states 6-8 hrs playtime balanced and 8-11 h single ended, with a 40-day standby. That’s not great considering the iPod Classic’s 36 h playtime and is a function of the AP80 Pro-X’s small form factor (which does not leave space for a larger battery). But you are compensated with a fast 1h recharging.

Most of my power-hungry headphones are single-ended and the AP80 Pro-X had plenty of juice left with the 150 ohm Sennheiser HD 25. The single-ended output also handles the demanding planar-magnetic KBEAR TRI3 Pro with ease so that the more powerful balanced circuit probably plays any iem you throw at it.

DAC Use with Computer

Using the AP80 Pro-X as a “dongle DAC” with my MacBook Air worked very well, too. Particularly, the balanced circuit provides lots of power. When connected, the AP80 Pro-X’s battery is charging during use. Sound quality wise, it corresponds to a $120-150 dongle such as the Hidizs S9 Pro (I actually prefer the AP80 Pro-X’s sound). I was pleasantly surprised overall.

As dac compared to Cobalt: Cobalt sounds more natural with more depth/more 3D….and bassier WITH BETTER SEPARATION…and dynamics…HIDIZS SOUNDS FLATTER, less separation…much less depth…much less 3D..not even with bigger headroom…but AP80 is more powerful…

Sound

Equipment used: Sennheiser HD 25, KBEAR TRI3 Pro, Final E3000, IKKO OH10.

The AP80 Pro-X has its sound dictated by its prefabricated SoC. It will sound very similar to other devices using the same all-in-one chip. The presentation is neutral without being analytical or edgy. Nothing is boosted, which results in great midrange clarity. Staging is wide with good depth resulting in a decent headroom even with the single-ended circuit. Dynamics is great, the image is vivid. It also has good intimacy.

The single-ended output is good, but the balanced circuit is the star providing superb clarity and headroom…and a truly impressive listening experience. The clarity is adherent to the lack of USB noise in a dap – compared to a phone full of non-audio components. I find the overall sound better than that of my iPhone SE (1st gen.) with the Hidizs S9 Pro dongle.

Amazing what you get for $180 compared to iems at this price.

Hidizs recommends headphones/earphones between 8 and 200 ohm to be used with the AP80 Pro-X. It harmonizes perfectly well with the 150 ohm Sennheiser HD 25 (single ended circuit, high gain) doing justice to the headphone’s punchiness and dynamics. Lots of headroom.

Stepping over the upper limit with the 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 600, the headphone lost is smoothness and richness and became edgy sounding, while still playing loud enough.

Hidizs AP80 Pro-X Compared

Two candidates for comparison are the $109 Shanling M0 and the $220 Sony NW-A55.

The Shanling M0 features the same SoC as the original Hidizs AP80 Pro and sounds very similar to the “single-ended” AP80 Pro-X, too (I don’t have MQA). The Pro-X has bigger staging and more intimacy. But its balanced circuit with its much bigger headroom and dynamics removed any doubt and puts the Shanling to shame.

The Sony NW-A55 only features a single-ended circuit and sounds somewhat smoother and richer in the midrange, in comparison to the more brittle AP Pro-X. And it has a far superior battery life of >>20h owing to its larger size/bigger battery. The Sony can also be customized with Mr. Walkman firmware tailor the sound to the user’s particular taste.

Concluding Remarks

The Hidizs AP80 Pro-X is a versatile and competent dap with proven technology that provides me with lots of pleasure. Particularly its balanced circuit is impressive. As a DAC, it probably beats most budget dongles imo – including the Hidizs S9 Pro. The AP 80 Pro-X sits well in its price category – you probably cannot do better below $200 – which is a sweet spot for many.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The Hidizs AP80 Pro-X was provided unsolicited by Hidizs. You can buy it here: Hidizs.net. This is not an affiliate link.

Coupon Codes
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Cons — Keine Vorverstärker Funktion; kein Kopfhöreranschluss; 4.4 mm Buchse ist derzeit noch selten.

Dieser Artikel wurde vom Author aus dem kanadischen Englisch übersetzt. Das Original finden Sie hier.

Zusammenfassung

Der EarMen Tradutto ist ein natürlicher, quasi-neutral klingender DAC (Digital-Analog Wandler) der sich durch sein minimalistisches, künstlerisches Design und seine stromlinienförmige Funktionalität von der Konkurrenz unterscheidet. Er funktioniert gleichermaßen mit Kopfhörerverstärkern und Stereoanlagen. Ein DAC für den anspruchsvollen Puristen.

Einführung

Traduttore ist italienisch für “Übersetzer”. Tradutto ist offensichtlich ein Wortspiel, da ein Digital-Analog Wandler (DAC) Nullen und Einsen in Klang übersetzt. Und das ist es, was dieses $799 Gerät tut: Es ist ein reiner DAC ohne (Kopfhörer-) Verstärker. Seine Aufgabe ist es, ein hochwertiges Audiosignal zu erzeugen, das dann von einem anderen Gerät verstärkt wird.

Auf der anderen Seite der Adria von Italien aus liegt Serbien, die Heimat der Produktionsstätten von EarMen. Von hier aus produzieren sie “Made in Europe”. Das Unternehmen selbst ist in Chicago, IL, registriert. Es wurde 2019 als Spin-off des serbischen Premium-Herstellers Auris Audio gegründet.

Bisher hat sich EarMen auf wenige Produkte von hoher Qualität konzentriert. Ihr $250 TR-amp ist ein großartiger tragbarer, batteriebetriebener DAC/Amp im Wert, der sogar 300 Ohm Kopfhörern wie dem Sennheiser HD 600 gerecht wird. Ihr $200 Sparrow Dongle verfügt über zwei Schaltkreise, von denen der symmetrische (“balanced”) die größte Klangbühne meiner Testpopulation erzeugt. Beide Geräte befinden sich derzeit auf unserer eigenen Wall of Excellence.

Das Tradutto ist das erste echte “Desktop-Size” Gerät von EarMen, obwohl seine Verwendung nicht auf Arbeitsbereiche oder persönliche Kleinstereoanlage beschränkt ist, sondern auch mit einem Stereosystem in voller Größe eingesetzt werden kann.

Spezifikationen

Öffnen Sie hier für vollständige Spezifikationen

Inputs	BlueTooth QCC5124	Bluetooth 5.1 ( AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL )
	USB
	TOSLINK	S/PDIF optical
	Coax	S/PDIF
Outputs	RCA (SE output)	output impedance = 300 Ω
	Balanced 4.4mm	output impedance = 600 Ω
Audio Formats	PCM	up to 768kHz
	DSD	DoP64, DoP128, DoP256, native DSD512
	DXD	up to 768kHz
	MQA	OFS (MQB/MQA Core), MQA,  MQA Studio
	Bluetooth	44.1kHz – 192kHz/16bit – 24bit
Single-end output
	USB input	S/PDIF input/BT
Output Level	2Vrms 0dBFS	2Vrms 0dBFS
THD+N	0.0003%	0.0003%
SNR	>116dB	>116dB
	A-Weighted	A-Weighted
Freq. Response	±0.014dB	±0.006dB
Fully Balanced Output
	USB input	S/PDIF input/BT
Output Level	4Vrms 0dBFS	4Vrms 0dBFS
THD+N	0.0003%	0.0003%
SNR	>120B	>122dB
	A-Weighted	A-Weighted
Freq. Response	±0.03dB	±0.003dB
Dimension LxHxW	150x30x150 mm	5,9″x1,18″x5,9″
Weight	550 gr	1,21lbs

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Technologie/Architektur

Der Tradutto beherbergt den XMOS 16-Core-Empfängerchip und den S9038Q2M DAC-Chip. Der XMOS 16-Core (XU216) ist einer der Standards in Premium-DACs für die Verarbeitung der von den USB/S/koaxialen Eingängen empfangenen Daten. Es verarbeitet zum Beispiel die MQA-Dekodierung im Tradutto.

In ähnlicher Weise ist der ES9038Q2M ein bewährter DAC-Chip, der digitale Audiodateien bis zu 32bit/768kHz oder DSD512 verarbeitet. Sie können diesen Chip fast überall finden, vom 2150 $ Burson Conductor 3 (enthält zwei davon), über den 300 $ DragonFly Cobalt und 200 $ Khadas T2 Pro, bis hin zum 80 $ Shanling UA2. Der hauseigene $250 TR-amp von EarMen verfügt auch über diesen Chip.

Die (Un) Bedeutung des DAC-Chips: Keines dieser “ES9038Q2M”-Geräte klingt gleich (ich habe den Burson nicht getestet. Entgegen die Echokammer von “Experten” erzeugt ein DAC-Chip allein keinen charakteristischen Klang, sondern ist hauptsächlich für den Umgang mit Audioformaten verantwortlich. Wie Paul McGowan von PS Audio mir sagte: “Die Art und Weise, wie ein DAC klingt, hat alles mit seiner analogen Ausgansstufe zu tun und wenig mit seinem DAC-Chip”. Aufgrund dieses allgemeinen Missverständnisses und um sich vor Fehlinformationen zu schützen, geben viele Hersteller den verwendeten DAC-Chip überhaupt nicht an (z.B. Sony). Gordon Rankin von Wavelength Audio fügt die anderen Faktoren hinzu, die den Klang erzeugen: Power, Filter, analoges Design, digitales Design, Software usw. Um DAC-Chips zu vergleichen, muss alles andere identisch sein, wie zum Beispiel bei den iPods Classic, die entweder Wolfson- oder Cirrus-Chips enthielten.

Traduttos Klang und Klangqualität werden tatsächlich durch den analogen Teil des DAC bestimmt, der das Ergebnis einer Kombination von verbauten Komponenten und technischer Finesse ist.

Nach dem Filtern des “zackigen” Signals, das aus dem DAC (Chip) kommet, führt die analoge Ausgangsstufe mehrere Aufgaben aus, z. B. Verstärkung, zusätzliche Filterung, Entfernen von Verzerrungen und Rest-DC, Pufferung und Bereitstellung von ausgewogenen und Single-End-Ausgängen.

Die analoge Ausgangsstufe des Tradutto verfügt über deutsche Kondensatoren in WIMA-Qualität “für High-End-Audioanwendungen”, um THD, Audioelektrolyte in Kombination mit amerikanischen MELF-Ren mit geräuscharmen Widerständen und SoundPlus OPA1642 Betriebsverstärkern (“Op-Amps”) von Texas Instruments zu minimieren.

Aber noch wichtiger als die Teile ist die Technik. EarMen behaupten, Jitter (“Paketfehler”) durch die Trennung von DAC und analogem Teil durch die Stromversorgung minimiert zu haben. Die Leiterplatte ist vergoldet für optimale Kontakte. Und das solide Metallgehäuse minimiert externe Störungen.

Der Tradutto enthält den Bluetooth QCC5124 SoC (“System on Chip”) für drahtloses Hören – das dem Bluetooth 5.1-Standard folgt.

Zu guter Letzt verfügt der Tradutto über einen vollständig symmetrischen Schaltkreis, der mit einem symmetrischen Verstärker optimal funktioniert.

Physische Aspekte

In der Box ist viel mehr als in der Bedienungsanleitung angegeben. Neben dem DAC, der Fernbedienung, der Stromversorgung mit Adaptern für den weltweiten Netzzugang, der Bluetooth-Antenne und dem Benutzerhandbuch sind außerdem ein USB-Kabel, eine Netztasche (für das Netzteil) und ein Mikrofasertuch enthalten.

Der Tradutto ist ein sehr kompaktes, aber ziemlich schweres Gerät in einem robusten Aluminiumgehäuse. Die Kombination aus relativ hohen Füßen und der sauberen, quadratischen Form mit scharfen Ecken verleiht ihm eine minimalistische Eleganz mit italienischem Design-Charisma.

Die Designer hatten eindeutig ein optische und haptische Anziehungskraft bis ins kleinste Detail im Auge, einschließlich der Schriftart, die für den Namen auf der Vorderseite ausgewählt wurde. Das Tradutto spricht daher nicht nur unsere Ohren, sondern auch unsere Augen (und Finger) an … und damit alle unsere Sinne.

Funktionalität und Bedienung

Das tut er

• Liefert einen vollen, satten, dynamischen, natürlichen Klang
• Bietet symmetrische und asymmetrische Schaltkeiseakzeptiert
• Akzeptiert eine Vielzahl von Quellen per Bluetooth (Telefon, DAP), USB (Computer) und koaxial/optisch (CD-Player)
• Wird mit einer raffinierten wiederaufladbaren Fernbedienung geliefert

Das tut er nicht

• Verstärken
• Arbeit als Vorverstärker Funktion auswählbare Filter
• work as pre-amp
• feature selectable filters

Vorderseite

Das minimalistische Design wird durch sehr klar angeordnete Betriebselemente auf der Vorderseite ergänzt: 4 Tasten mit einem hörbaren, robusten Qualitätsmechanismus und einem unauffälligen OLED-Display, das Ihnen Bit/KHz-Zahlen für die USB- Verbindung gibt, sowie “COAX”, “TOS” oder “BT” für die anderen Eingabeoptionen.

Kein Drehknopf, keine “tanzenden” Farbdiagramme, keine wählbaren Filter – die Form folgt eindeutig der Funktion. Der Tradutto ist so konzipiert, dass er funktioniert, um Nullen und Einsen in den bestmöglichen, natürlichen Klang zu übersetzen. Keine Verstärkung, keine Kopfhörerbuchse. That’s all.

Rückseite

Die Rückwand verfügt über alle Ein-/Ausgänge (von L bis R): 12 V SMPS- Stromversorgung, Bluetooth-Antenne, S/PDIF-Eingange (koaxial und Toslink) und RCA und 4.4 cm symmetrisch. 4.4 cm ist derzeit noch selten, spart aber Platz im Vergleich zu einer XLR-Buchse. Ein 12-V-SMPS-Netzteil ist im Lieferumfang enthalten.

Fernbedienung

Die vier Tasten der Vorderseite des Tradutto finden sich auf der mitgelieferten Fernbedienung wieder.

Die Fernbedienung ist aus Metall, hat eine großartige Haptik und ihre Tasten haben den hochwertigen Federmechanismus, wie auch am Tradutto selbst.

Sie wird über jede 5V- Stromversorgung/Computerbuchse über seine USB-C-Buchse aufgeladen. Ladegerät und Kabel sind nicht im Lieferumfang enthalten.

Klang

Eine Sache, über die ich bei vielen DACs/Verstärken entsetzt bin, ist die Klangsterilität. Ich bin ein Kind der vordigitalen Ära, die bis in die späten 1970er Jahre zurückgeht, und – mit Kopfhörern – opfere ich gerne Auflösung für organischen Klang.

Einer der größten Mängel von minderwertigen DACs ist ein Mangel an Realismus und Bühnentiefe, aber mit einer Portion zusätzliche Schärfe und einem dünnen Mitteltonbereich. Schließlich tun sowohl ein 4000-Dollar- als auch ein 100-Dollar-DAC prinzipiell dasselbe: Klang (Qualität) zu erzeugen, der dann verstärkt werden muss. Ein Wow-Effekt deutet selten auf Qualität hin: Es ist der langfristige Genuss, der zählt.

Ich habe den Tradutto mit Kopfhörern in einer Desktop Aufstellung und auch mit Lautsprechern auf meiner großen Stereoanlage getestet. Ich konnte den 4.4-mm symmetrischen Schaltkreis (vorerst) nicht testen, da ich keinen passenden Verstärker zur Hand hatte. Das wird aber in den Updates nachgeliefert.

mit Kopfhörern

Verwendete Ausrüstung: Macbook Air (WiFi aus, batteriebetrieben) mit verschiedenen USB-Kabeln (Lager, Belkin Gold, AudioQuest Forest), Questyle QP1R mit optischem Lifatec USA Toslink Kabel, iPhone SE (1. Generation); AudioQuest Golden Gate RCA Kabel; Burson Funk Kopfhörerverstärker; Sennheiser HD 600 Kopfhörer.

Es ist sehr schwierig, den Klang einer einzelnen Stereokomponente in einer Kette zu isolieren, so dass ich durch den Vergleich mit anderen DACs zu meiner Beschreibung kam.

Mein allgemeiner Eindruck ist, dass der Tradutto sehr natürlich, sehr reif, nie analytisch, nie schlank, nie scharf oder aggressiv spielt. Es hat eine natürliche Dynamik und ist über das gesamte Frequenzspektrum hinweg sehr ausgeglichen.

Der Bass ist nuanciert, der untere Mittelton ist reich und voll, es gibt keine unangenehme Schärfe im oberen Mitteltonbereich. Die Klangbühne ist breit mit großartiger Räumllichkeit.

Die Dynamik ist natürlich dosiert, nie überwältigend oder zu höflich.

Ersetzte man Macbook/Tradutto Kombination mit den tragbaren Questyle QP1R DAP (es wird angenommen, dass sein eingebauter DAC mit 500-700- Desktop-DACs konkurriert), gab es einen ziemlichen Klangunterschied: Die Macbook/Tradutto-Kombination hatte eine bessere Dynamik, Klarheit und Klangerweiterung.

Der Austausch des Tradutto durch andere Geräte mit dem ES9038Q2M Chip beseitigte jeden Zweifel an dem allgemeinen Missverständnis über die Rolle eines DAC-Chips für den Klang.

Der $250 EarMen TR-amp (als DAC) klingt etwas wärmer als der Tradutto und ihm fehlt die Höhenerweiterung – aber er kann mit der Bassquantität konkurrieren. Nicht mithalten kann er mit der Klangbühne, der Klarheit, der Trennung und der Detailauflösung des Tradutto. Aber es klang nie scharf oder digital, hart oder schlank. Der Tradutto klingt lebendiger, besser erweitert, mit besser definierten Noten. TR-amp klingt schlanker und weniger dynamisch/energetisch.

Der Khadas Tone2 Pro klingt flacher mit einem gedämpften Mittelton. Es fehlt an Tiefe im Vergleich zu den beiden anderen Geräten. Stimmen klingen schlank und distanziert, was eine luftige Komponente und eine gute Bühnenbreite hinzufügt. Aber es fehlt vergleichsweise an Klangreichtum und Klangkörper.

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt (ohne dedizierten Line-Out) benötigt mehr von der Verstärkerleistung des Burson als die anderen DACs (ich habe Cobalts Ausgangsvolumen nur auf 80% eingestellt, um Verzerrungen zu vermeiden). Es fehlt ein wenig an Dynamik, klingt aber eher organisch und natürlich – und überraschend voll und reichhaltig. Der Tradutto hat mehr Biss, er spielt größer und klarer…

Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass keiner dieser DACs gleich klingt.

mit Stereoanlage

Test Equipment: Marantz SA8005 SACD Player mit Cirrus CS4398 DAC; Blue Jeans Coaxial Kabel, Sys Concept 1300 strand Tousling Kabel, AudioQuest Evergreen RCA Kabel; Luxman L-410 Vollverstärker; Heybrook HB1 Lautsprecher & Sennheiser HD 600 headphones.

Mit CDs als Musikquelle konnte ich leicht zwischen dem integrierten Cirrus 4398 DAC des SA8005 und dem Tradutto hin- und herschalten, sowie auch zwischen den koaxialen und optischen Eingängen des Tradutto.

Der Marantz ($1400 CAD im Jahr 2014) ist bekannt für seine glatte, reichhaltige, saubere, ausgewogene Klangqualität und seine natürliche Reproduktion. Es hat ein “süße” Höhen, aber es fehlt ein bisschen Glanz. Sein integrierter DAC ist etwa auf dem gleichen Preisniveau wie der Tradutto, da die Basisversion dieses Spielers damals $550 CAD betrug.

Beim Wechsel zwischen Marantz und Tradutto (koaxialer Eingang) ist der Unterschied … im Wesentlichen Null beim gelegentlichen Hören … und daher für den täglichen Gebrauch ignorierbar. Aber wenn ich etwas Zeit verbringe und mein analytisches Ohr benutze, ist der Marantz ein bisschen bassiger und wärmer mit einem weniger kontrollierten, schlampigeren unteren Frequenzbereich. Dies führt zu einer engeren Bühne und einer schlechteren Auflösung im unteren Mitteltonbereich.

Der Tradutto hat das den kompakteren, schnelleren Bass und die bessere Notendefinition bis zum unteren Mittelbereich. Es spielt auch ein bisschen wärmer als neutral (aber weniger als der Marantz) – was der “Haus Sound” von EarMen zu sein scheint (auch in TR- amp, Sparrow und Eagle zu finden).

Bei den Höhen hat Tradutto (koaxial) eine etwas bessere Ausdehnung und beide bieten einen natürlichen Zerfall von hohen Tönen, z.B. Becken. Und da scheitern mittelmäßige DACs zumeist- sie klingen künstlich.

Sowohl Tradutto als auch Marantz haben keine Dämpfung im Mittelton, keinen schlanken Gesang, sie sind reich und üppig. Die Laute sind im 3D-Raum im Tradutto besser ausgerichtet, das auch die breitere Bühne hat.

Beim Wechsel von koaxialem zum optischen Eingang gibt es einen Unterschied, dass der TOSLINK im Vergleich zu koax etwas langsamere Transienten erzeugt. Die Noten sind abgerundeter und das Klangbild ist ein bisschen glatter – auch im Vergleich zum Cirrus DAC. Aber auch hier sind die Unterschiede gering.

Insgesamt ist der Tradutto über das gesamte Frequenzspektrum etwas besser aufgestellt als der Marantz – der für mein System für den täglichen Gebrauch im wesentlichen keine Rolle spielt.

Ich habe die Ergebnisse mit dem Sennheiser HD 600, der an den Luxman- Verstärker angeschlossen ist, reproduziert.

Was wir lernen, ist, dass der Tradutto natürlich klingt und nicht analytisch oder aggressiv oder zu schlank. Es macht seine Sache sehr gut.

Bluetooth

Der Qualcomm SoC liefert so ziemlich einen vorgefertigten Standard Sound in einer “Black Box”, bei der der Ingenieur den Sound nicht optimieren kann.

I habe Bluetooth vs. koax mit zwei iPhone (bei gleicher Musik) verglichen, eines fest verdrahtet in den Marantz, das andere drahtlos per Bluetooth.

Bluetooth spielt leiser, es verliert etwas an Reichtum und Intimität und ist kantiger, aber es ist immer noch dezent und mehr als gut genug für zwangloses Zuhören.

Die Verbindung war großartig, ich ging um den 1000 Quadratfuß großen Boden meines Hauses (mit dem iPhone) herum und hatte nie Probleme.

UPDATE: Vergleich mit SMSL DO200 MKII DAC(2023- 01-10)

Ich habe kürzlich den 469 $ SMSL DO200 MKII DAC getestet und hatte die Gelegenheit, ihn mit dem Tradutto zu vergleichen. Ich habe sie Seite an Seite auf der Stereoanlage und mit dem Burson Funk Kopfhörerstärker mit Burson Super Charger und Burson V6 Classic Opamps und modifizierten Sennheiser HD 600 Kopfhörern getestet, wie im DO200 MKII-Artikel beschrieben.

Beide Hersteller verfolgen unterschiedliche Philosophien. EarMen gibt Ihnen das fertige Paket, das auf den Punkt abgestimmt ist, der ihrer Meinung nach am besten klingt. SMSL hingegen überlässt dem Benutzer die Feinabstimmung (und damit die Verantwortung für den besten Klang). Der DO200 MKII verfügt daher über mehrere hundert Kombinationen von Filtern und Klangprofilen (“harmonische Verzerrungen”).

EarMen sind selbstbewusst und betrachten ihre Produkte als optimiert und weisen ihnen eine lange Haltbarkeit zu – SMSL haben ihren ursprünglichen DO200 innerhalb eines Jahres aktualisiert, so dass der Benutzer nach einer ziemlich kurzen Zeit bereits ein veraltetes Gera4t besitzt.

Baulich ist der Tradutto mit seinem schweren Monoblock- Aluminium-Chassis und seiner Metallfernbedienung robust wie ein Panzer. Es übertrumpft alles um ihn herum (und das tun auch der EarMen Angel und  TR-amp).

Was den Klang betrifft, habe ich den SMSL bei seinen Standardeinstellungen belassen, da die Unterschiede zwischen den Optimierungsoptionen minimal waren. Der DAC klingt sehr gut und schlägt wahrscheinlich die meisten anderen in seiner Preiskategorie. Im Vergleich zum Tradutto klingt der SMSL jedoch etwas weniger offen.

Der Tradutto klingt im Mittelton reicher und ein bisschen viszeraler, aufgeschlossener und immersiver mit einer tieferen Bühne.

UPDATE: Tradutto mit EarMen CH-Amp (2023-02- 20)

Der Tradutto wurde entwickelt, um mit dem EarMen CH-Amp zu harmonieren. Ich habe beide ab der Weihnachtszeit 2022 zwei Monate lang getestet. Der CH-Amp wird mit dem riesigen PSU-3-Netzteil geliefert, das auch den Tradutto (und zwei weitere Geräte) antreibt – und seinen Klang verbessert.

Die Standardfernbedienung des CH-Amp steuert beide Geräte. Die Ingenieure von EarMen konnten die Größe der Gehäuse minimieren, indem sie einen 4.4-mm symmetrischen Anschluss wählten (anstelle des umständlichen XLR). Der EarMen-Stack hat einen Fußabdruck, der kaum größer ist als eine CD – und minimiert Kabelsalat.

Der symmetrische Schaltkreis erzeugt ein tieferes Klangbild als er asymmetrische – abgesehen davon, dass er leistungsfähiger ist. Lesen Sie Details zu dieser Synergie in meinem CH-Amp Artikel.

Abschließende Bemerkungen

Nach 2 Monaten des Testens [jetzt 1 Jahr einschließlich des letzten Updates] komme ich zu dem Schluss, dass der EarMen Tradutto das tut, was er tun soll: ein analoges Audiosignal von höchster Qualität erzeugen. Und es liefert prompt. Er ist klanglich geringfügig vor meinem High-End-Marantz SA8005 SACD-Player und schlägt alle anderen ES9038Q2M-Geräte, mit denen ich ihn verglichen habe, um eine Meile.

Abgesehen von seinen klanglichen Fähigkeiten ist der Tradutto ästhetisch ansprechend (“italienisches Design”) und eignet sich gut, mit hochwertigen Tastenmechanismen und einer wiederaufladbaren Fernbedienung. Nach dem Testen so vieler “EarMen” kristallisiert sich heraus, dass ihre Produkte gut durchdacht sind, daher für eine lange Zeit relevant und von beispielloser Verarbeitungsqualität sind.

Der Tradutto ist ein weiteres ausgereiftes Produkt mit der Erfahrung von Auris Audio dahinter. Es ist klein genug, um auf Ihr Schreibtisch/Stereosystem zu passen, einfach zu bedienen, und es sieht gut aus und klingt großartig. Was wollen wir sonst noch?

Bis zum nächsten Mal….keep on listening!

Contact us!

HAFTUNGSAUSSCHLUSS

Der EarMen Tradutto wurde mir von EarMen für meinen Test zur Verfügung gestellt, wofür ich mich herzlich bedanke. Sie können es im EarMen Shop erwerben. Ich danke Gordon Rankin von Wavelength Audio und Paul McGowan von PS Audio für das Gespräch.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.

Galerie

The post EarMen Tradutto DAC Testbericht aus Kanada appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — No pre-amp function/headphone jack; 4.4 balanced output is currently still a rare standard.

Executive Summary

The EarMen Tradutto is a natural, quasi-neutral sounding DAC that distinguishes itself from the competition through its minimalistic, artsy design and streamlined functionality. It works with headphone amps and stereo systems alike. A DAC for the demanding purist.

Introduction

Traduttore is Italian for “translator”. Tradutto is obviously a play on this as a digital analog converter translates zeros and ones into sound. And that’s what this $799 unit does: it is a DAC without a (headphone) amp. Its job is to create a quality audio signal that is then amplified by another device.

Across the Adriatic sea from Italy is Serbia, home of EarMen’s production facilities. From here you get “Made in Europe”. The company itself is registered in Chicago, IL. It was established in 2019 as a spinoff of Serbian premium manufacturer Auris Audio.

So far, EarMen have focused on few products of high quality. Their TR-amp is a great $250 portable, battery-operated DAC/amp that does justice to even to 300 ohm cans such as the Sennheiser HD 600. Their $200 Sparrow dongle features two circuits, of which the balanced produces the largest soundstage of my test population. Both devices are currently on our very own Wall of Excellence.

The Tradutto is EarMen’s first true “desktop size” device, although its use is not limited to workspaces and personal stereo, but it can also be deployed with a full size stereo system.

Specifications

Unfold for Full Specifications

Inputs	BlueTooth QCC5124	Bluetooth 5.1 ( AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL )
	USB
	TOSLINK	S/PDIF optical
	Coax	S/PDIF
Outputs	RCA (SE output)	output impedance = 300 Ω
	Balanced 4.4mm	output impedance = 600 Ω
Audio Formats	PCM	up to 768kHz
	DSD	DoP64, DoP128, DoP256, native DSD512
	DXD	up to 768kHz
	MQA	OFS (MQB/MQA Core), MQA,  MQA Studio
	Bluetooth	44.1kHz – 192kHz/16bit – 24bit
Single-end output
	USB input	S/PDIF input/BT
Output Level	2Vrms 0dBFS	2Vrms 0dBFS
THD+N	0.0003%	0.0003%
SNR	>116dB	>116dB
	A-Weighted	A-Weighted
Freq. Response	±0.014dB	±0.006dB
Fully Balanced Output
	USB input	S/PDIF input/BT
Output Level	4Vrms 0dBFS	4Vrms 0dBFS
THD+N	0.0003%	0.0003%
SNR	>120B	>122dB
	A-Weighted	A-Weighted
Freq. Response	±0.03dB	±0.003dB
Dimension LxHxW	150x30x150 mm	5,9″x1,18″x5,9″
Weight	550 gr	1,21lbs

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Technology/Architecture

The Tradutto hosts the XMOS 16-core receiver chip and the ES9038Q2M DAC chip. The XMOS 16-core  (XU216) is one of the standards in premium DACs for processing the data received by the USB/S/coaxial inputs. It handles MQA decoding in the Tradutto, for example.

Similarly, the ES9038Q2M is a proven DAC chip that processes digital audio files up to 32bit/768kHz or DSD512.  You can find this chip across the board, from the $2150 Burson Conductor 3 (contains two of them), through the $300 DragonFly Cobalt and $200 Khadas T2 Pro, to the $80 Shanling UA2. EarMen’s own $250 TR-Amp also features this chip.

Tradutto’s sound and sound quality are actually determined by the DAC’s analog part, which is the result of a combination of parts and engineering.

After filtering the signal’s jagged edges coming out of the DAC (chip), the output analog stage performs several duties, for example, amplifying, additional filtering, removing distortions and residual DC, buffering, and providing balanced and single-ended outputs.

The Tradutto’s analog output stage feature German WIMA quality capacitors “for high-end audio applications” to minimize THD, audio electrolytes in combination with American MELF low noise resistors, and SoundPlus OPA1642 operational amplifiers (“op-amps”) by Texas Instruments.

But even more important than the parts is the engineering. EarMen claim to have minimized jitter (“packet errors”) through the separation of DAC and analog part by the power supply. The printed circuit board is gold plated for optimal contacts. And the solid metal chassis minimizes external interference.

The Tradutto incorporates the Bluetooth QCC5124 SoC (“System on Chip”) for wireless listening – that follows the Bluetooth 5.1 standard.

Last but not least, the Tradutto features a fully balanced circuit, which will work with your balanced amplifier.

Physical Things

In the box is way more than stated in the manual. Apart from the DAC, remote control, power supply with adapters for worldwide mains access, Bluetooth antenna, and user manual, further included are a USB cable, a mesh bag for the power supply, and a microfibre cloth.

The Tradutto is a very compact but rather heavy device in its sturdy aluminum enclosure. The combination of relatively tall feet and the clean, square shape with sharp corners give it a minimalistic elegance with Italian design charisma.

The designers clearly had optical and haptical appeal in mind down to the smallest detail, which includes the font selected for the name on the front. The Tradutto therefore does not only address our ears, but also our eyes (and fingers)…and therefore all senses.

Functionality and Operation

It does

• create a full, rich, dynamic, natural sound
• connect to balanced and single-ended amplifier circuits
• accepts a variety of sources per Bluetooth (phone, dap), USB (computer), and coaxial/optical (CD player)
• come with a nifty rechargeable remote

It does not

• amplify
• work as pre-amp
• feature selectable filters

Front Panel

The minimalistic design is complemented by very clean operational elements on the front panel: 4 buttons with an audible, rugged quality mechanism and an unobtrusive OLED display that gives you bit/kHz numbers for the USB connection, and “COAX”, “TOS”, or “BT” for the other input options.

No dial knob, no “dancing” colour graphs, no selectable filters — form clearly follows function. The Tradutto is designed to work, to translate zeros and ones into the best possible, natural sound. No amplification, no headphone jack. That’s it.

Back Panel

The rear panel features all inputs/outputs (from L to R): 12 V SMPS power supply, Bluetooth antenna, S/PDIF (optical and coaxial) in, and RCA and 4.4 cm balanced out. 4.4 cm balanced is not the most common standard but it saves space compared to an XLR socket. A 12 V SMPS power supply is included.

Remote

The Tradutto’s front panel’s four buttons are mirrored on the included remote.

The remote is made of metal, has a great haptic, and its buttons have the quality spring mechanism experienced at the front panel.

It charges through any 5V power supply/computer socket through its USB-C socket. Charger and cable are not included.

Sound

One thing I am horrified of in DACs/amps is sonic sterility. I am a child of the pre-digital era going back to the late 1970s, and – with earphones – sacrifice detail resolution for organic sound.

One of the biggest shortcomings of low-quality DACs is a lack of realism and depth of stage, but added sharpness, and a thin, distant midrange. After all, both a $4000 or a $100 DAC do one thing, and one thing only: create sound (quality), that then needs to be amplified. A wow effect does rarely indicate quality: it is the long-term enjoyment that counts.

I tested the Tradutto with headphones in a desktop setting, and also with speakers on my big stereo system. I could not test the 4.4 mm balanced owing to lack of a balanced amplifier.

w. Headphones

Equipment used: Macbook Air (WiFi off, battery operated) with different USB cables (stock, Belkin Gold, AudioQuest Forest), Questyle QP1R with Lifatec USA optical cable, iPhone SE (1st gen.); AudioQuest Golden Gate RCA interconnects; Burson Funk amp; Sennheiser HD 600 headphones.

It is very difficult to isolate the sound of a single stereo component in a chain so that I arrived at my description through comparison with other DACs.

My general impression is that the Tradutto plays very natural, very maturely, never analytical, never lean, never sharp or aggressive. It has natural dynamics and is well composed across the frequency spectrum.

Bass is tight, lower midrange is rich and full, there is no upper midrange glare, and cymbals at the top decay naturally and are well resolving. Soundstage is wide with great spatial cues.

Dynamics is naturally dosed, never overwhelming or too polite.

When substituting the Macbook/Tradutto source/DAC with the portable Questyle QP1R DAP (its built-in DAC is believed to rival $500-700 desktop DACs), there was quite a sonic difference: the Macbook/Tradutto combo had better dynamics, clarity, and extension.

Substituting the Tradutto with other ES9038Q2M chip devices removed any doubt on the general misconception of the role of a DAC chip for sound.

The $250 EarMen TR-amp (as DAC) sounds slightly warmer than the Tradutto and it lacks the upper extension — but it can compete with the amount of bass. It does not rival the Tradutto’s soundstage, clarity, separation, and detail resolution. But it never sounded sharp or digital, harsh or lean. The Tradutto sounded livelier, better extended, with better defined notes. TR-amp is thinner and less dynamic/energetic.

The Khadas Tone2 Pro sounds flat with an attenuated midrange. It lacks depth in comparison to the other two devices. Voices sound lean and distant, which adds a component of air and a good stage width. But it lacks richness and body.

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt without dedicated line-out needs more of the Burson’s amping power than the other DACs (I only set its output volume to 80% to avoid distortion). It lacks a bit in dynamics but sounds rather organic and natural – and surprisingly full and rich. The Tradutto has more bite, it plays bigger and clearer…

In summary, none of these DACs sound alike.

w. Stereo System

Equipment used: Marantz SA8005 SACD player with Cirrus CS4398 DAC; Blue Jeans coax cable, Sys Concept 1300 strand optical cable, AudioQuest Evergreen RCA interconnects; Luxman L-410 stereo amplifier; Heybrook HB1 speakers & Sennheiser HD 600 headphones.

Using CDs as source, I could easily A/B between the SA8005’s integrated Cirrus 4398 DAC and the Tradutto, and also A/B between the Tradutto’s coax and optical inputs.

The Marantz ($1400 CAD in 2014) is known for its smooth, rich, clean, well balanced tone quality and its natural reproduction. It has a sweet treble but lacks a bit of sparkle. Its integrated DAC is at about the same price level as the Tradutto as the basic version of this player was $550 CAD at the time.

When switching between Marantz and Tradutto (coax), the difference is…essentially zero at casual listening…and therefore ignorable for everyday use. But when spending some time and using my analytical ear, the Marantz is a tad bassier and warmer with a lesser controlled, fuzzier low end. This results in a narrower stage and less lower midrange separation and resolution.

The Tradutto has the tighter, faster low end and better note definition up to the lower midrange. It also plays a tad warmer than neutral (but less so than the Marantz) – which appears to be EarMen’s house sound (also found in TR-amp, Sparrow, and Eagle).

Towards the top of the spectrum Tradutto (coax) has a slightly better extension and both offer natural decay of high notes e.g. cymbals. And that’s where mediocre DACs fail — they sound articial.

Both Tradutto and Marantz have no attenuation in the midrange, no lean vocals, they are rich and lush. Vocals are better aligned in 3D space in the Tradutto, which also has the wider stage.

When switching from coax to optical, there is a difference in that the TOSLINK produces slightly slower transients compared to coax. The notes are more rounded and the sonic image is a tad smoother – also compared to the Cirrus DAC. Again, the differences are small.

Overall, the Tradutto is slightly better composed across the frequency spectrum than the Marantz — which plays essentially no role for my system for everyday use.

I re-produced the results with the Sennheiser HD 600 plugged into the Luxman amp.

What we learn is that the Tradutto sounds natural and not analytical or aggressive or lean. It does its job very well.

Bluetooth

The Qualcomm SoC delivers pretty much a prefab standard sound in a black “box” where the engineer cannot optimize the sound.

I A/B-ed Bluetooth vs. coax with two iPhones (same music), one hardwired into the Marantz, the other wireless per Bluetooth.

Bluetooth plays quieter, it looses some richness and intimacy, and is edgier, but it is still decent, and more than good enough for casual listening.

Connection was great, I walked around the 1000 sq ft floor of my house (with the iPhone) and never had any problems.

UPDATE: Comparison with SMSL DO200 MKII DAC (2023-01-10)

I recently tested the $469 SMSL DO200 MKII DAC, and had the opportunity to compare it with the Tradutto. I tested them side by side on the stereo system and with the Burson Funk amplifier with Burson Super Charger and Burson V6 Classic opamps and modified Sennheiser HD 600 headphones as described in the DO200 MKII article.

Both manufacturers pursue different philosophies. EarMen gives you the ready package tuned to the point that is sounds best in their opinion. SMSL, in contrast, leaves the fine tuning (and therefore the responsibility of the best sound) to the user. The DO200 MKII therefore features several hundred combinations of filters and sound profiles (“harmonic distortions”).

EarMen are confident and consider their products as final, and assign them a long shelf life — SMSL updated their original DO200 within a year so that the user has superseded equipment after a rather short time. Build-wise, the Tradutto is about as good as it gets with its heavy mono-block aluminum chassis and its metal remote. It trumps everything around it (and so do the EarMen Angel and TR-amp).

As to sound, I left the SMSL on its default settings as the differences between the tweaking options were minimal. The DAC sounds very good and probably beats most others in its price category. However, compared to the Tradutto, the SMSL sounds more constrained and boxed in.

The Tradutto sounds richer in the midrange and a bit more visceral, outgoing, and immersive with a deeper stage.

UPDATE: Tradutto with EarMen CH-Amp (2023-02-20)

The Tradutto is designed to harmonize with the EarMen CH-Amp. I tested both for two months from the 2022 Christmas period. The CH-Amp comes with the huge PSU-3 power supply that also powers the Tradutto (and two more devices) – and it improves its sound.

The CH-Amp’s stock remote controls both devices. EarMen’s engineers could keep the size of the enclosures down by choosing a 4.4 mm balanced connection (instead of the cumbersome XLR). The EarMen stack has a footprint barely bigger than a CD — and minimal cable clutter.

The balanced circuit creates a deeper sonic image than the single-ended circuit – apart from being more powerful. Read details on this synergy in my CH-Amp article.

Concluding Remarks

After 2 months of testing [now 1 year including the last update], I conclude that the EarMen Tradutto does what it is supposed to do: generate an analog audio signal of the highest quality. And it promptly delivers. It is sonically marginally ahead of my high-end Marantz SA8005 SACD player and beats all other ES9038Q2M devices I compared it to by a mile.

Apart from its sonic capabilities, the Tradutto is aesthetically pleasing (“Italian design”) and handles well, with high-quality button mechanisms and a rechargeable remote. After testing so many “EarMen”, it crystallizes out that their products are well thought out, therefore relevant for a long time, and of unparalleled build quality.

The Tradutto is another mature product with Auris Audio’s experience behind it. It is small enough to fit on your desk/stereo system, easy to operate, and it looks and sounds great. What else do we want?

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

The EarMen Tradutto was supplied by EarMen for my review and I thank them for that. You can purchase it at the EarMen Shop. I thank Gordon Rankin of Wavelength Audio and Paul McGowan of PS Audio for discussion.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.

Gallery

The post EarMen Tradutto DAC Review – It’s Only Natural appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Executive Summary

The $59 Allo Nirvana Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS) and $159 Allo Shanti Dual Linear Power Supply (LPS) offer audible improvements over cheaper/stock power supplies and therefore remove a critical bottleneck in our device chain at a relatively low cost.

Introduction

Allo is a company out of Toulouse, France, that has designed and manufactured electronic devices for the last 20 years. Their products range from DIY Audio to Plug’n’Play devices. Allo are particularly famous for their network audio players and USB bridges. Their R&D, engineering team, and production facilities are located in Bangalore, India.

In this article, I analyze the Nirvana and the Shanti, Allo’s two relatively inexpensive 5V low-noise power supplies. I will compare their contrasting designs against each other and against their competitors. Power supplies are a generally highly underestimated component of any audiophile device. Good power supplies can cost $$$ and may have the size of a microwave. And yes, they make a big sonic difference simply by preserving the signal quality.

The Allo Nirvana is a standard staple with Raspberry Pi users for good reasons. It is frequently sold out here in Canada.

Let’s first talk about the power-supply technology and common issues with mains power.

Noise and Power Supplies

Three kinds of noise exist that can contaminate and deteriorate the audio signal: electromagnetic interference (RMI), radio-frequency (RFI) interference, and switching noise (which is usually high frequency between 500Khz and 2Ghz). By definition, interference originates from a source external to a signal path and produces undesired artifacts in the signal. RMI and RFI may be transmitted by both USB ports and external power supplies.

The electricity that comes out of our mains contains RMI and RFI, the amount of which depends on our living environment. It will be worse in a city apartment building than in a house in the country, and it may fluctuate with time of day.

All electronic circuits work at low voltage/direct current whereas the grid provides high voltage/alternative current.

A power supply is a transformer that connects the AC grid with the low voltage circuit of a device, let’s say a DAC or amp. There are two kinds of power supplies, switching mode power supplies (SMPS) and linear power supplies (LPS). Both kinds principally work with our audio devices.

In an LPS, this AC/DC conversion is done by rectifiers and capacitors and the grid voltage is transformed to a lower voltage by a transformer. The bigger the transformer the better. A voltage regulator makes sure that the power supply provides constant voltage to the DAC’s/amp’s logic boards.

In an SMPS, the incoming AC is first converted to DC by a rectifier, followed by a filter, and then sent to a transformer. An integrated circuit switches voltage on and off at a very high frequency. An SMPS only needs a small transformer as the flow-through currents are generally small. The resulting DC is not very clean as the voltage is not as stable as with a good LPS.

An LPS is typically less noisy than an SMPS (in the same price category) as it provides constant signal and voltage power (and no switching noise). Bigger transformers are generally better than smaller ones (although they may measure the same), and they can be very expensive (and bulky). Such big LPS are probably only economic for very expensive audio gear.

The power supplies that come with our phones or notebook computers are SMPS. These are generally more compact and cheaper than LPS but noisier – unless sophisticated filtering is used. Basic SMPS will deteriorate the audio signal.

In summary, a power supply is very important for (preserving) sound.

USB Noise

Another cause of noise/signal deterioration is our streamer/computer. The various computer internals are inherently noisy. If our DAC is powered through the USB port, the computer delivers both noisy power and a poorly timed data stream (“jitter”) caused by RMI and FMI, through VBUS and data line, respectively, to the DAC.

Both jitter and noisy power contribute to the deterioration of the audio signal. And if both are transferred into the DAC via an inferior USB cable, there is additional interference between power and data lines…which exacerbates the problem. That’s why you need a well-made, well-shielded, well-isolating USB cable, too.

Using an external LPS such as the Allo Nirvana or Allo Shanti for your DAC eliminates the VBUS problem.

OK, let’s have a look at the two Allo models.

Allo Nirvana Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS)

In the box is the power supply with with 6 adapters.

The Nirvana is relatively small, as an SMPS does not need large transformer coils. Allo pride themselves of having minimized three different kinds of noise: differential noise between power line and ground (GND) in the audio band (0-20 kHz), common mode noise, and leakage current (which creates EMI).

Features of the Allo Nirvana

• Single output at 2.85A/5V
• Standard North American plug with 120V input
• No load is 5.2V, 2.85A 4.97 to 5.03V
• Includes multiple adaptors (see below)
• Product Page/Purchase Link: https://www.allo.com/sparky/nirvana-smps.html
• Tested at: $59 (with standard North American plug with 120V input)
• Download Manual: https://bit.ly/3Gzzo1C

On the front panel, there is a fixed DC output cable and a USB port. Both constitute a single shared output…either or… 6 adapters are included to connect essentially any 5V device. The switch on the right allows to have the 5V DC side ground earthed or floating (AC side is always earthed)

On its back panel are the fixed AC-input and an earth connector.

There is no on/off switch. Once plugged in, the Nirvana is always on, as indicated by a red LED inside the case (which is well visible through the three slots in the top).

Allo Nirvana and Allo Shanti come with the same accessories.

Allo Shanti Dual Linear Power Supply (LPS)

The Allo Nirvana is a dual linear power supply that relies on a large transformer and is therefore relatively – you guessed it – big. It powers two 5V devices, one with 1.2 A and another one with up to 3 A. The Shanti contains the same adapters as the Allo Nirvana (the set is unfortunately not doubled) plus a detachable power chord.

Features of the Allo Shanti

• Dual output (galvanically isolated) 5.2V 3A and 5.2V at 1.2A
• Power multiple devices (RPI 4, 3 + DAC, Katana, BOSS, or other)
• Independent filtering on each rail
• Super capacitors on the output
• Incredible low impedance / deep reservoir of electrons at the output of the PSU
• Includes multiple adaptors (see below)
• Product Page/Purchase Link: https://www.allo.com/sparky/shanti.html
• Tested at: $159

The front panel features the dual output (galvanically isolated) with two fixed DC output cables. In the back are an AC power input, on/of switch, earth connector and 115/230 V switch.

The earth connector in both Allo power supplies removes voltage potential between devices and therefore avoids hum and ground loops.

Test Setup

For my listening test, different power supplies were connected to the Khadas Tone2 Pro DAC/amp. A music source as noise free as possible is required to isolate the power supplies (and their noise) and to test them effectively. For this purpose, I selected the Marantz SA8005 SACD player as transport, which I connected to the Khadas via S/PDIF using a Blue Jeans coaxial cable. This setup obviously avoids USB noise.

My complete test setup was:

• Different 5V power supplies: Allo Nirvana & Shanti, $99 ifi Audio iPower X, $50 BRZHifi LPS, Apple SMPS (from 2012 iPad), generic $14 Baseus charger SMPS
• Source: Marantz SA8005 CD player
• Uncompressed signal from audio CD
• Integrated dac/amp 1: Khadas Tone2 Pro [S/PDIF input used]
• Receiving end: Sennheiser HD 600

I had already compared the iPower X with the BRZHiFi, Baseus, and Apple SMPS in the iPower review.

Test Results

Spoiler alert (jump over the rest of this paragraph if you don’t want to know the result yet): the Shanti contributes to the best sound in my test chain, followed closely by the Nirvana fighting for 2nd position with the iPower X. As already tested, the BRZHiFi cannot compete with the top trio and the Apple and Baseus are several leagues below the rest.

I started my test with the Apple as reference. I found the sound a bit congested, particularly at the low end (which was also muddy), and it lacked impact.

Switching to the apparent favourite (according to price), the Allo Shanti, I had this “Wow” experience. Holy macro was there a difference – and a huge one. No measurements required. If you cannot hear that, get the Apple one.

The overall image improved substantially with the Shanti, it became much cleaner and clearer. Separation improved dramatically and so did dynamics and impact. The bass was tightened up and the vocals became more alive and intimate. Everything was much better defined, controlled, organized, and dosed.

The Apple sounded muddled and uninspiring in comparison. The Shanti clearly added life to the Khadas. It was like the cleaners went through my house, polished things up and put everything back into place. Hey, this would be a nice present…

The Allo Nirvana kept up well with the Shanti. The sound may have slightly less impact and intimacy, but everything is equally well defined. The Shanti may have slightly better rounded edges and the Nirvana may deliver a slightly leaner and sharper image than the Shanti (with my particular setup). The overall differences between the two are small.

The Nirvana’s real competitor is the ifi Audio iPower X as both are SMPS. In my previous test, the iPower X had clearly beaten the BRZHiFi, Apple, and Baseus. And to my surprise, the iPower X is a bit muddier in the bass (and bassier) compared to the Nirvana’s better defined low end. Both have comparable dynamics and are “even steven” in the other departments…with my test setup. So, yes, you may prefer the “drier” sounding Nirvana over the iPower X – or not. Overall, there is barely a piece of paper between them.

As said, I had tested the BRZHiFi before. It is not bad but has less dynamics than the iPower X, and also lags in separation. The iPower X (and the two Allos) are more “engaging”. There is a big step between the top trio and this one.

I then switched to the Shanti again to confirm my perceptions…and yes, I instantly wanted to return the BRZHiFi to the dealer.

Last but not least, there is the generic Baseus. Its “sound” remained as thin, dull, uninspiring, and lifeless as in my previous test. If you want to save a buck, you save it on the wrong end here, as it affects the overall sound of your device chain – and rather negatively.

In conclusion of this test, Allo Shanti, Allo Nirvana, and iPower X are all decent, recommendable power supplies in my opinion. Whilst the differences between them are small with my test setup, they may be more substantial with “bigger” systems.

Quick Comparison between Allo Nirvana and Allo Shanti

Value

As to which ones to get. The Shanti offers the best “sound quality” by a hair, and is the one recommended for powering two devices. For a single device, you have the choice between the Nirvana and iPower X. Here it comes down to personal preference: light, small, plastic “wall wart” at $99 (travels better to your hotel room) or a larger but sturdier metal box at $59 (hides better under your desk). The iPower X lacks the Nirvana’s ground switch. Any of the three are superior over the $49 iPower wall wart and the BRZHiFi – and more than decent.

Concluding Remarks

Quality power supplies such as the Nirvana and Shanti keep what they promise – they do make an audible difference compared to a cheap one and remove critical bottlenecks in our audio chains. Results may vary with setup, location, and time of day (load on the local power grid). Allo are offering a couple of very useful and established niché products at fair prices.

Bottom line: the Allo Nirvana is the best bang for your buck. Period. And…yes, power supplies can be fun!

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The Allo Nirvana and Shanti power supplies were provided by Allo upon my request – and I thank them for that. The iPower X is on loan, and the others I have purchased myself. I also thank my co-bloggers and William “Wiljen Audiofool” Jennings for intense discussion of this topic.

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You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.

The post Allo Nirvana SMPS & Shanti LPS Review – Messieurs Propres appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — May result in opamp rolling addiction; deluxe package is effectively a “must”.

Executive Summary

The Burson Funk is a highly versatile combined headphone/speaker amp that particularly impresses by its midrange reproduction and power.

Introduction

Melbourne is the less than 200-year old capital of the south-eastern Australian state of Victoria. As a young man, I was offered a PhD project at the city’s Monash University. It was a geological study on Venus. Yes, planet Venus of all. But since they could not guarantee field work, I migrated to Canada instead where I worked with a former lecturer from…Monash. And I am still there.

Although the world has become smaller in the meantime, I have never made it to down under – but always treasured Melbourne bands such as the Birthday Party, Crowded House, Dead Can Dance, and, lately, the rather funky King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Hey, after all, we are talking music here.

Burson Audio was established in 2001 out of Melbourne aiming to push the boundaries of innovation. They started with audio parts (“opamps”) before moving into complete amplifiers. The company prides itself of not advertising and not visiting trade shows (we don’t do that either…no ads here) – and they don’t buy reviews (I have not received an offer yet). This attitude, combined with their product quality is appealing to many so that Burson has generated quite a following. And, as far as I can assess, rightly so.

Specifications

Physical Things

During the design phase of their Lisa computer in 1981, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a meeting: “Well, circles and ovals are good, but how about drawing rectangles with rounded corners? ” This started a series of designs that persist right to the current iPhones. Nothing new here, though, Jobs was obviously following the idea of the Bauhaus school “form follows function“.

Burson also picked up on that German idea with their designs that are minimalistic and functional…and therefore attractive. After all, “less is more“.

The Burson Funk is a piece or art — and not only that. It is that square box with rounded corners and minimalistic operational elements. Build is as good as it gets, the enclosure made of a high-density aluminum. Rugged and heavy. A clever “ridge-n-groove” groove heat-sink structure increases and maximizes the surface area, which optimizes heat dissipation.

The “Cool Stand” also incorporates this design. And it keeps the Funk in an upright position, which further increases head dissipation by decreasing its footprint. Nomen est omen. Didn’t we know this from external computer hard drives?

Rectangles with rounded corners are everywhere!  Steve Jobs.

Features

What it does:

What it does not:

Operation

Just like its general shape, the Burson’s operation is straight forward and strictly functional. The front panel offers two headphone jacks, one for 6.3 mm and the other for 3.5 mm plugs. There are three buttons, one for on/off, the second for toggling between headphone amp and speaker amp, and the third for low/high gain. High gain may be used for harder to drive headphones, and low gain for sensitive iems.

The applied settings are indicated by blue “pinhead” LEDs that are subtle and inconspicuous even in a dark room. The volume knob in the centre has good resistance when turning and is as accurate as could be.

The back panel hosts all sockets: RCA for source input, mic-bypass for gamers, speaker-cable connectors, and the socket for the power supply.

Amplification

The Burson Funk’s Class A headphones circuit offers a healthy 3.5 W at 16 Ohm and a still very generous 150 mW at 300 Ohm. It drives my 300 Ohm Sennheiser HD 600 with ease and will probably do justice to the most inefficient planar magnetic headphones. A low gain setting and the relatively low output impedance of <2 Ohm make the Funk also well suited for sensitive iems. I went as low as 16 Ohm iems in my testing and heard no hiss.

The Class AB circuit is designed for near-field listening, but 2*45 W on 4 Ohm speakers are overkill for desktop use. The Burson Funk works quite well for midsized rooms, too.

MCPS Power Supply

Burson have created their proprietary Maximum Current Power Supply “MCPS” that is included with all their amps. It is an ultrafast switching power supply that minimizes noise riding on the signal – and it lowers resistance and speeds up performance.

Opamps

Operational amps (“opamps”) are one of the building blocks of analog electronics circuits, used for signal conditioning, filtering, and/or performing mathematical operations, and therefore sound optimization and customization. They are easily plugged into/pulled out of the logic board (Allen keys for opening the enclosure are included).

Opamps fine tune the’s sonic signature, and help tailor the sound to the listener’s preference – similar to tubes in tube amps. Opamps are universally deployable across different amps independent of brand.

Burson includes a pair of their flagship V6 Vivid opamps in the “Deluxe Package” that produce an energetic and dynamic sound. They also offer opamps separately, for example, the V6 Classic, which generate a more laid back, relaxed sound with a vinyl charm.

The Funk holds two opamps (hence the supplied “pair”), one for the headphone circuit and the other for the speaker circuit. Feel free to use a different opamp in each signal path. Many users prefer the V6 Classic for headphone use and the V6 Vivid for speakers.

Caution, “opamp rolling” can be addictive!

Sound

Headphones

Equipment used: Questyle QP1R reference dap | MacBook Air + Khadas Tone2 Pro with Allo Nirvana SMPS; AudioQuest Golden Gate RCA interconnects; Sennheiser HD 600 heaphone; Sennheiser IE 300/400 PRO iems.

What became evident first to me was how the Burson Funk with the V6 Vivid opamp replaces the analytical signature of the Questyle’s own Class A amp with a slight warmth and an overall subtle tone colour moving the signature towards analog. Sound is quite natural and definitely not digitally artificial.

Bass with the Burson Funk is tight and the vocals above are placed where they should be, not back and not too up front. Voices are delivered with very good weight and definition, and with crispness, which is of utmost important for my enjoyment. I found that the Funk worked well even with the overly sharp recorded vocals in my test track portfolio. Vocals reproduction is the Funk’s biggest trait which would be my personal dealmaker.

Treble extension with the V6 Vivid is good without any grain. The top end is as sweet as the rest of the spectrum

In contrast, the Topping L30, hailed as one of the best audio products around by quite a few, failed my ears miserably in the vocals department and timbre. That’s where many cheap amps cannot convince: they attenuate the midrange, possibly for better perceived transparency, and they sound sterile and lifeless. The Funk does not suffer from these.

The opamp certainly justifies its “Vivid” name, but the dynamics are well dosed and not overpowering. If you want less punch, try the V6 Classic.

Stage has excellent depth and height, but average width. Headroom is plenty so that a balanced output is not missed. Resolution and separation are very good, too. Most headphone amps I have tested (“Topping L30” type) sounded digital, flat, and thin in comparison. But I have not auditioned many, admittedly.

Speakers

Equipment used: Marantz SA8000, Monster M-series RCA interconnects, Heybrook HB1 speakers (8 Ohm, 90 dB).

The Burson Funk’s Class AB speaker circuit is designed for near-field speakers on our desks. 45 W per channel @ 4 Ohm speakers appears to be overkill for our eardrums. I therefore undermined my reviewing task — also because I don’t have (space for) desktop speakers — and ran the Funk with 8 Ohm Heybrook HB1 speakers @35 W on the main floor of my 2000 sq. ft house. Sourced by the Marantz SA8005 SACD player, the Funk replaced my regular Luxman L-410 dedicated speaker amp.

The result was somewhat predictable. The Burson Funk lacks the Luxman’s sheer power, body, and note weight (“quantity”) but it excels in quality: that is better transparency and depth, better three-dimensionality, crisper attack, better defined notes and better detail resolution.

The Burson Funk is leaner than the Luxman, but never thin. It is a bit underpowered for that large area when listening to Metallica, but I still thoroughly enjoyed its fluidity with Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos by Café Zimmermann. Move the unit into a mid-sized room…and bingo.

Concluding Remarks

The Burson Funk is a gorgeous device that has been pure pleasure for me. Great to look at, great to handle, and very good sounding with lots of power. Most impressive is its vocals presentation.

It does more than justice to my 300 Ohm Sennheiser’s HD 600 and 16 Ohm Sennheiser IE 300/400 PRO iems. And it works well with my speakers the size of a bookshelf (“bookshelf speakers?”) in a mid-sized room. Thanks to the “Cool Stand” finally an amp that fits on my crowded desk.

There is nothing I dislike about the Burson Funk other than perhaps my desire to try more opamps. Well done, cobbers!

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

The Deluxe Package of the Burson Funk was provided unsolicited for this review by Burson – and I thank them for that.

Get the Burson Funk HERE.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.

The post Burson Funk Headphone/Speaker Amplifier Review – Versatile Muscle appeared first on Music For The Masses.