The Colorfly CDA-M2 is a powerful dongle with excellent imaging and an organic sound that drives current-hungry low-impedance iems well as well as 300 ohm headphones at the cost of a “healthy” battery draw from the source.

The $159 Colorfly CDA-M2 was provided unsolicited for my review by SHENZHENAUDIO, and I thank them for that. You can purchase it from SHENZHENAUDIO.COM.

Introduction

Ever since audio pioneer Gordon Rankin produced a dongle (“a DAC/amp without battery sourced by the host device”) with a current drain small enough to work with a mobile phone, a plethora of companies has released countless models following this concept. We may remember “Dongle Madness” and other sensationalist (but rather unorderly) ranking lists. /

These dongles can be put into two end member categories: such with power, and such with low battery drain (AudioQuest DragonFly series). The powerful ones drive low-impedance earphones/headphones well but drain your phone’s battery fast (e.g. ifi Audio Go bar). The battery conserving ones may not be used for earphone/headphone with impedances below 24 ohm (bass would be mushy as it needs the most power).

The art is to produce a dongle with the best compromise between the two. A successful example is the $250 Questyle M15. The ColorFly CDA-M2 (another “Fly”) balances this fine line relatively well with lots of power and an acceptable battery drain.

Colorfly is not as new a company as one might think, they are subsidiary of Colorful, the graphic card manufacturer. The founder of Luxury & Precision (Mr Wan) was the former engineer for Colorfly. He designed the very first digital Chi-Fi audio player that is able to decode 24 bit files. He also designed the circuitry of the CDA-M2, which follows the highly acclaimed M1 model.

Specifications Colorfly CDA-M2

Physical Things and Functionality

In the box are the CDA-M2, a ribbon USB-C cable, and the manual. The CNC machined chassis is made of zinc alloy with a glass covered OLED screen (with 10 brightness levels). The device works plug-and-play with Apple, Android, and Windows devices (from version 10; a Windows driver for earlier version can be downloaded from the company site). A lightning cable for iPhone is not included.

The body may be relatively small but I find it slightly heavy at 27 g. Also, I’d like to see a soft case to protect it from crashing with the phone or computer it is attached to.

The device is hardware controlled by its three buttons. You will have to set the output on your host device to near 100% (I usually do 80%). You can adjust volume, gain, L and R balance, you have the choice between 5 digital filters (make essentially no difference), and you can switch on an overvoltage suppression (useful when accidentally disconnecting the device).

You can select screen brightness, rotate the display, and select the time it switches itself off. You also have the option to toggle a voltage overflow protection on/off, check the current voltage, and run the CDA-M2 in gaming mode (with presumably lower latency).

As to the technology under the hood, you find a lot of information in the specs above. The core is a dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chip that tells you absolutely nothing about the sound quality – in contrary to the internet’s echo chamber. All it indicatesis that a dual DAC may have a better channel separation and cross talk than a single one. But, rest assured, the chips are well implemented so that resulting sound quality is actually very good. Details below.

Amplification and Power Management

The CDA-M2 provides enough current to drive the notorious thirsty final E5000 earphones – not many dongles can do that. It also handles 300 ohm headphones such as my Sennheiser HD 600 well. Providing a relatively high current comes at a price: it drains your source faster than, let’s say, the even more powerful Questyle M15.

The CDA-M2 is accepted even by older iPhones, despite Apple’s limitation to a current draw of 100 mA. The Colorfly engineers must have found a way to circumvent this barrier.

This may not play a role with a computer source or a modern phone, but will be a challenge for an older model with a smaller battery. The champions in terms of power management are still the AudioQuest DragonFlys, which, as a downside, don’t drive current-hungry, that is low-impedance earphones well (<24 ohm).

If you want to read up on these particularities around “Ohm’s Law”, I can offer this article as a guide.

Sound

After having tested umpteen dongles, the CDA-M2 blew me somewhat out of my socks. Sound quality is incredible (considering its $159 price tag). It can be characterized as neutral, possibly with the corners rounded a bit by the slightest temperature, but very agreeable (“musical”) and not analytical like the ifi Audio Go Bar, for example. Very appealing to my ears.

Imaging is absolutely outstanding, beating even my beloved Questyle QP1R ($950 in 2015). I started testing with the easy-to-drive final Sonorous III closed-back headphones and the very difficult-to-drive final E5000 earphones. The CDA-M2 mastered both with ease: luscious, crisp, transparent yet rich. Wonderful dynamics. Biiiiiiig staging. Everything so homogenous and organic.

I am increasingly wondering why we need desktop stacks, at least for transducers that do not need excessive current.

In comparison, the $250 Questyle M15 is slightly more powerful [better for 300 ohm headphones] and has less current draw. While is also handles the notorious final E5000, it drains your phone slower than the CDA-M2. In terms of sound, the CDA-2 may sound a bit crisper and forward, and the M15 a bit thicker and laid back. But these differences are small – both devices are excellent. The most important differences are in power and price.

Concluding Remarks

Not only did the Colorfly CDA-M2 surprise me, it also completely convinced me: tons of features, super sound. What a great dongle that raises the bar in the $150 region.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

Our generic standard disclaimer.

The post Colorfly CDA-M2 Review – With Flying Colors appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Gear of the Year: audioreviews.org is soon completing its 5th year. We are still six dedicated and competent authors located all over the western hemisphere, catering to a mature, discerning readership. Our list of earphone reviews is approaching 450 and our Wall of Excellence (WoE) is better decorated than the Christmas tree at NYC’s Rockefeller Center. Since any product on our WoE is backed by more than one opinion, it should give you confidence in your buying decisions.

However, our WoE is not a bunch of “best of” lists as we have not tested all competitors in each category. Such claims would be presumptuous.

We did, sadly, lose our single sponsor HifiGo (and some more suppliers) over our reviews of their gear. But hey, our critical, realistic approach sets us apart from 98% of the blogosphere (we think). We rather deal with companies that have confidence in their products.

Whatever gear passes our test must be somewhat good. We still don’t do Google ads, affiliate links, and we don’t allow trackers…we are no salespeople, we honour your reading pleasure and your privacy. We are simply audio aficionados.

Thank you for your patronage in 2023! Enjoy this read and we wish you a happy and successful 2024!

Hey, feel free to let us know your personal favourites of 2023 in the comments section below.

We thank our 2023 Partners

And here we go…that’s what we enjoyed in 2023…published by author in the order of submission…and purely subjective.

Loomis Johnson…Chicago, USA

Wiim Mini AirPlay 2 Wifi Streamer—the onboard DAC is just fair, and the app is quirky (if very ambitious), but through its digital out this is a genuinely excellent streamer  for less than a hundo.

BGVP DM9 IEM—energetic and massive sounding, these are head and shoulders above any other IEM I’ve heard this year. Richly priced at $600 and worth every penny.

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones—Bose has marginally better ANC and Sennheiser a longer battery and better UI, but overall the XM5 would be my pick if (god forbid) I could own only one TWS.

Oladance Wearable Stereo Open Ear Headphones —eons better than any bone-conduction model out there, these come close to good in-ear TWS models for sound quality, with a rich warm sound and a big 3D stage. Hall of Fame material.

SMSL D0400  DAC/Headphone Amp—a tad more detailed (if not necessarily better-sounding) than the godlike SU-9, the inclusion of balanced out and an excellent onboard headphone amp makes this my pick among SMSL’s myriad offerings.

Truthear Shio DAC/Dongle—well featured, balanced dongle won’t make your counterfeit Beats sound like Carnegie Hall, but it sounds just slightly more transparent than its ubiquitous price peers.

JBL Boombox 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker— rather than spending ten grand to mod the sound system on his 100k pontoon boat, a very wealthy friend of mine dropped $349 on one of these. He couldn’t be happier. Link two together and you’ll be in hip-hop heaven.

Eagle Rare 10-Year Bourbon—if this was an IEM, we’d deem it “musical, balanced and fully coherent.” People are asking stupid prices for this in the secondary market, but if you can find it anywhere near its $40 SRP, buy it.

Dreamcloud Premier Rest Hybrid Mattress—the downside of buying a really good mattress is that it’ll sap your ambition faster than a meth habit. If, however, like me your ambition is to lay around and watch professional basketball, this is a necessary acquisition.

Jürgen Kraus…Calgary, CANADA

Short and sweet, as I am mainly still using my 2022 gear. And the best gear is the gear one uses after all. 2023 added a few excellent products to my daily listening. Oladance TWS Pro wearables were most impressive…and useful…a home theatre on your ears you don’t even feel. I can listen to these all day.

In terms of earphones, the Sennheiser IE 900 impressed me most because of their natural, cohesive presentation, their incredible treble quality, and their wonderful dosage across the frequency spectrum. I preferred them much more over the IE 600, which offer the same Harman type tuning we have experienced so often before. Both were sadly loaners. I also love the well-balanced Sennheiser IE 200, which are tuning wise closer to the IE 900 than to the IE 600.

Also very natural sounding are the Akoustyx S6, but they do need some modding to tame the upper midrange. As to budget TWS, I do have a pair of Moondrop Space Travel by my bedside, for talk radio and classical music. They have a very composed and nuanced presentation…and they fit me well.

Also by my bedside is the EarMan CH-Amp/Tradutto combination for driving my HD 600 and final Sonorous III. I equipped the HD 600 with a Hart Audio 4.4 mm balanced cable. Also great is the SMSL DO200 MKII DAC, which I use on my desk.

As a movable desktop stack (between sofa and kitchen table) serves the very good sounding Moondrop DiscDream CD player. A great idea to reconsider this technology — looking forward to another premium Walkman.

An honorouble mention goes to the very versatile TempoTec Serenade X Digital Desktop Player, and TempoTec as a company, as they don’t get lost in countless models of the same…no they offer one model of each product, and each is well thought out. A big step up for them in the last two years.

As a guilty pleasure, I indulged myself with USB cables for audio usage from AudioQuest (Forest), IKEA, and Monoprice. I love USB cables. And this combination of brands doesn’t leave room for the usual shitstorm by naysayers.

And hey, Loomis, we just acquired an Endy mattress. Made in Canada, of course.

Alberto Pittaluga…Bologna, ITALY

Given I’m not one of those world-famous tiktokers I guess it’s preliminary worth remembering that I have a sharp inclination to carefully avoid wasting time on even assessing “stuff” which doesn’t apriori seem to qualify for a serious upgrade to whatever I already own – an attitude of mine that applies across the board of course, not certainly to audio gear only. Such information is I presume key to better understand the following list.

Proceeding by categories, and starting with cans, towards the end of the year I got a pair of Sennheiser HD800. These were quite a lot anticipated to upgrade my pleasure on my particular library vs the HD600 – and that’s of course what happened. As a side bonus I had yet another chance to touch how important fresh pads and a decent cable are for sound optimisation, let alone how tough still is finding an overall more exquisite timbre then the one coming off my Groove.

Shrinking size down to IEMs, my trip to Munich earlier this year got me very curious about Sennheiser’s relatively recent IEM introductions, and that’s where the curiosity to assess IE900 and (from a different source) IE600 came up from.

The latter impressed me almost as much as the former, however when it comes to stunning V-shaped IEM encounters happened this year nothing beats – and I reckon will hardly beat tomorrow – Intime Sho DD.

The other major IEM acquisition of the year is represented by final B3, and their ability to capture the auditioner and port him onto the jazz stage. Honorable mention goes to Akoustykx S6 (and their “magic” Earlocks).

In terms of source gear, I completed my collection of DAPs by acquiring a Sony WM-1A, of course instantly flashing MrWalkman WM1Z signature onto it. For a number of reasons its sonic features are at the same time in line and complementary to those of my other standards: Questyle QP1R and QP2R.

Sometimes it does bring an audible improvement, other times it doesn’t – it depends on the apriori situation of the system you plug it onto. I’m talking about AudioQuest’s Jitterbug. My (quite articulated) home setup is clearly in the benefitted category, and that’s why 3 of these are now stable part of it.

Source gear honorable mention goes to a tiny-budgeted device, Ifi GO Link. That, and IEMs with a balanced cable and a 3.5mm TRRS adapter, right away became my blind buy rec to those individuals which every now and then, attracted by the gear they often see me fiddling with, ask me to indicate “something nice and inexpensive to get started with”.

Looking in retrospect what I just recapped (and I genuinely did it “live”, now, for the mere sake of putting these notes together) none of my 2023 preferred tech comes from chifi-land. The white-bearded badly-aging old continent nerd in me shily shruddered in realising it

Durwood…Chicago, USA

Kefine Klanar

Redefines what a planar can do, the Timeless 7Hz was great but it also had that overblown upper air treble that made it standout. The Klanar on the other hand dials everything down delivering similar quality bass and while not as treble exciting is better balanced, target curve crowd pleasing retaining the technical precision and quick transient delivery of the planar driver.

Moondrop Blessing Dusk 2 

Fits snugly staying in place, great technical details, with enough bass to keep me interested.

BGVP DM9

While I do not own many top tier earphones, I have listened to plenty at shows and know that they best anything I have in the $300 realm. The bass hump is well controlled and balanced nicely in the midbass/sub-bass transition region. The elevated treble plateau keeps them energized and engaging delivering maximum resolution and clarity.

SMSL DO400 DAC/AMP

Extreme value premium desktop DAC melding a powerful headphone amp. I miss the quick control of a potentiometer volume knob of a split dac/amp solution, but it is worth the feature rich resolving DAC and potent headphone amp drive.

Truthear SHIO DAC

Just as powerful as any of the dongles out there it sounds the most blended qualities of a dongle dac without leaning too warm, bassy, thin or sharp. Not head and shoulders above the LG G8, but can turn any USB-C phone into an excellent DAP for an average price.

Oladance OWS Sport

A new category of open-ear sports headphones that offers other uses while avoiding disadvantages of in-ear pressure, ear canal phobias, and isolation, earbud compromises, and over ears isolation and sweatiness. Balanced sound quality that trades low-end bass for open awareness without the lackluster bone conduction competition. Review coming soon, they know what they are doing.

TWS????

Still looking for a TWS all-rounder. I want them to fit tight without loosening slowly, excellent tonality and have good ANC. A blend of the Sony WF-1000XM3 ANC with the sound of the Moondrop Alice combined with the fitment of the KZ ZXS Pro.

When browsing the local classifieds this year I scored some very excellent sounding vintage ADS L570/2 and lesser known local midwest unicorn relic well tuned, amazing imaging cherry veneer Amrita Elan (I think) that my buddy is still scorning me over not “allowing” him to buy them instead- no worries we are still friends. He would love to get his hands on the 3 way model with isobaric woofers anyway.

Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir…Munich, GERMANY

This year passed by in the blink of an eye, but fortunately I managed to listen to hundreds of devices in this rather short span. My personal collection also went through some radical changes, so without further ado…

Firstly, I finally upgraded my reference gear, both portable and desktop. On the portable side, it’s now Lotoo PAW Gold Touch paired with the venerable Cayin C9. The desktop, meanwhile, is the recently-retired Questyle CMA Twelve Master. Having tried numerous TOTL setups so far, these two fit my needs the most. I may add a tube amp down the line, but that’s for the future.

On the IEM side of things, my daily drivers include Sennheiser IE 900 and the (discontinued) Softears Turii. The IE 900 are perhaps the most advanced in terms of driver tech, and the Turii have such a unique, spacious sound that it belies the single dynamic setup. They have received the most “ear time” this year, and will likely continue to do so in the coming year.

On the TWS side of things, I am impressed by the Beats Studio Buds Plus. For once, a Beats product is actually decent enough to be a daily driver. Apart from the middling noise cancellation, there is little I’d change about them given the price tag.

Finally, I have streamlined my headphones collection and ended up purchasing a modded Sennheiser HD 800. These hold up tremendously well against the planar magnetic behemoths even now, and the staging and imaging are unparalleled in the sub-$2000 space. I was also pleasantly surprised by Sennheiser HD 660S2, though the price tag is a bit higher than I’d prefer.

This year, I finally managed to audition the Sennheiser HE-1 for almost an hour. It was a surreal experience and I can definitely see (or hear) why these are so mythical. That being said, the Warwick Acoustics Aperio are no slouch either and trade blows with the supreme Sennheisers.

But the one pair of headphones that I can call my “personal endgame” are none other than Warwick Bravura. They get dangerously close to the summit-fi behemoths and fortunately, come pre-built as a system so you can save on the cost of an energizer or accompanying pre-amps to further flavor the sound.

Notable mentions: Campfire Audio Supermoon (perhaps the best sounding planar IEMs), Softears Twilight (fantastic single DD), Effect Audio Code 23 (the best copper cable I have ever tried, despite the challenging ergonomics), iFi Go Blu (fantastic little dongle), Cayin RU7 (replaced Questyle M15 for my portable use).

Biodegraded…Vancouver, CANADA

Environmentally friendly, as his name implies, he stuck to his 2021 gear…again. Gives us carbon credits.

Gear of the Year 2022

The post Gear Of The Year 2023 – Our Personal Favourites appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The €199.00/$300 CAD Tangent CD II is an elegant looking, small CD Player that offers adequate sound but lacks standard features such as continuous playback or a display. Its enormous jitter makes it a poor transport as it does not work with all DACs.

I purchased the Tangent CD II at full price from Electronics For Less Canada.

Introduction

Tangent are a Danish audio company that had been established in 1996. They are known for their radios, loudspeakers, and Hifi components. Their designs follow these distinguished Scandinavian concepts we know from Bang & Olufsen or IKEA: simple and pragmatic, always with clear lines.

I purchased the Tangent CD II because I needed a small CD transport to work with a similarly sized desktop DAC/amp combo. After all, I have 3000-4000 CDs. Sure most of them have been ripped, but there is still the odd classical CD I had ignored in the past.

Specifications Tangent CD II

The most important specifications are not given (marked with “?”). When reading on, you may get an idea why.

Physicals, Functionality, and Operation

The Tangent CD II’s biggest asset is its small size: it is a square box, hardly exceeding the footprint of a CD. There is no display. The only indication that the player is on is a pinhead LED (white when on, red when on standby). The front panel is made of brushed steel with a row of buttons (with good mechanisms). the CDs are slot loaded, which works well. Good haptic and attractive design.

The back panel features the on/off switch, the power outlet, analog RCA line outs and S/PDIF (optical). A coaxial out is sadly missed.

The remote is a universal one to be also used for the company’s fitting amp and streamer. What is lacking is the ability to select ANY track on the CD…you are out of luck above #6 (!!!).

The drive is quiet during operation and responsive to the remote.

Listening/Sound

In my testing, I used the Tangent CD II as transport only and as full CD Player. The same music was used with all sources. I listened with the easily driven final Sonorous III headphones.

Setup I: CD II as Transport

I connected the Tangent CD II via its optical line out with the EarMen Tradutto and SMSL DO200 MK II DACs. The DACs were connected to the EarMen CH-Amp via balanced and RCA interconnects. In this setup, the CD II was used as a transport only — bypassing its own DAC. I compared the CD II with my iPhone connected via USB to the DACs.

Using the Tangent CD II as transport only worked with the Tradutto DAC. The CD II / SMSL DAC combo produced regular music dropouts every few seconds. I tried several Toslink cables — no difference. All alternative sources connected optically with the SMSL worked fine, hence the CD II must be the culprit. The problem is most likely timing errors (jitter) from the CD II.

The more expensive and technically more sophisticated Tradutto appears to have a rather high jitter tolerance. Tangent should have added a coaxial line out as it is less prone to jitter than optical.

Setup II: CD II as CD Player

I also wired the Tangent CD II directly into the CH-Amp via the RCA line outs, thereby bypassing the external DACs. In a comparison test, I replaced the CD II with a vintage Panasonic Portable CD Player (with a dedicated 3.5 mm line out).

Results/Interpretation

iPhone via USB vs. CD II via optical into external DAC: the USB signal was stronger/louder and richer. I had to turn the amp much higher up to get the same volume with the CD II. The CD II has more rounded notes (Toslink effect) and sounded flatter than iPhone/USB. The CD II’s sound quality was acceptable to my ears: nothing harsh sounding. But the CD II needed so much more amp power, which may become an issue with hungrier cans.

CD II through external Tradutto DAC revealed a better sound quality compared to using its own DAC. The CD II’s integrated DAC delivered the lowest signal volume of the testing.

Through its own DAC, the CD II played “better” than the Panasonic. Both had approximately the same low output volume level.

In summary, the iPhone transport via USB delivered the best results.

Criticism

Unfortunately, the Tangent CD II has severe technical and operational shortcomings. First, it does not work well as a CD transport because of its jitter — you may get dropouts in your DAC. Optical connections are prone to jitter, which could be mitigated by a coaxial output that the CD II lacks. I presume Tangent use cheap parts.

Another real bummer is the lack of continuous play: when listening to a Live album, you get gaps between tracks…which is really annoying….and, frankly, substandard.

Also amateurish is the limited functionality of the remote: you can only access tracks 1-6 directly. If you’d like to, for example, go to Variation #26 of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, you are out of luck. Sure, you can forward one by one, but the lack of a display makes your navigation much guesswork.

And then there is the low output level…

Summa summarum, it is no surprise that Tangent does not include the crucial specs in their manual.

Concluding Remarks

The Tangent CD II offers adequate performance as a CD Player, provided you listen to albums and don’t want to jump between tracks. As a CD transport, it is a tricky option as it may not work with all DACs because of its enormous timing errors through its optical line out. Several operational misses described above complete the list of plunders.

On the positive side, Its biggest assets are its attractive design and its small footprint.

I regret having purchased it as it simply does not do its job for me (as a CD transport) — and I find it overpriced. As it seems, it features the simplest technology available in an attractive box.

Tangent Danmark’s marketing obviously relies on the popularity of stylish Danish design in general and the potential customer may have subconsciously Bang & Olufsen in mind. But, under the hood, the CD II does not offer enough substance to warrant its purchase in my opinion as it lacks too many basics.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

Our generic standard disclaimer.

The post Tangent CD II Review (1) – Jitter Assault appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The $129 TempoTec March III M3 is a versatile natural sounding and powerful balanced DAC/amp (wired, BT) that drives even 300 Ω headphones well. It runs on 5V from your computer, the stock power supply, or a fancy third party one.

The TempoTec March III M3 was kindly provided by the manufacturer for my analysis, and I thank them for that. You find more information on the TempoTec website.

Introduction

TempoTec are a Chinese company established by audiophiles. They claim to have a multinational team from China, Taiwan, Korea, and Germany. The company originally made a name for itself by budget dongle DACs…cheap, ok, great value, but not necessarily high end. This, unfortunately, stuck with them for the longest time.

Lately, the company left the starting blocks and released impressive “midfi” products that convinced by innovative quality features at attractive prices.

First was the TempoTec V6, a very good sounding digital analog player at an incredible $300. Next came their $269 Serenade X, a desktop streamer with essentially unlimited features. And last but not least, there is the forthcoming IM05 4+1 earphone, their first…but it is a good one.

The March III M3 is TempoTec’s first DAC/amp, which once again undercuts its competition in price, but not in quality.

TempoTec are becoming serious competitors to brands such as Topping, SMSL, and possibly FiiO. But in contrast to these companies, TempoTec are confident to score with one model of each: streamer, dap, DAC/amp…instead of offering us the same in multiple different flavours. A very positive sign.

Let’s have a good look at the March II M3’s specs. What makes the device special?

Specifications TempoTec March III M3

Physical Things

In the package are the unit, a 5V/2A power supply, 2 USB-A-C cables, and the paperwork. The device and all buttons are made of metal, the front is almost completely covered with glass. The March III M3 is rather small and relatively light – easy to be carried around on travel and to be used in hotel rooms or the office.

Technology

The March III M3 sports an Asahi Kasai DAC chip (most competitors use ES Tech Sabre chips) for decoding, and 4 OPA1688 operational amps by Texas Instruments for amplification. For readers who dwell on DAC chips making the sound: they don’t. This combination of quality DAC and opamps costs you and me around $15 USD, and is probably much cheaper in bulk [ES Tech chips are not much different]. TempoTec does not give us details on the other components.

The March III M3 comes with a 5V/2A power supply with USB-A port. Alternatively, you can power the device from your computer or a power bank, or a fancy third-party power supply such as the $99 ifi Audio iPowerX or the $59 Allo Nirvana or the $43 BRZ.

Replacing the stock power supply with the iPowerX enriches the sound, it adds body…though it may be a cost prohibitive upgrade. Just try all the 5V power supplies that came with your tablet or phone. The lowest current I used in my test was 1.2A for the BRZ.

Front Panel

The front contains all control and monitoring functions: the two headphone sockets (3.5 mm single ended and 4.4 mm balanced), the on/off/volume knob, an OLED screen (small but crisp) and three buttons: Mode (wired/BT), Gain (low/high), and Bass (on/off). Most of the front panel is glass. The brandname “TempoTec” is nowhere to be found.

Back Panel: I/O

In the back are two USB-C ports (one for 5 V power, the other for connecting a music source), analog RCA outputs (for powered speakers), and digital SPDIF out (coaxial, optical)

Functionality and Operation

The TempoTec March III M3 is an unusually versatile device.

It does

• play music into headphones from different sources (Phone/tablet, computer)
• accepts digital music wired or per BT
• output an analog signal through its balanced and single-ended circuits into headphones
• output an analog signal per RCA into powered loudspeakers
• output a digital signal into another DAC via SPDIF (coaxial, optical)
• works as a BT receiver

It does not

• drive most unpowered speakers
• power the hungriest planar magnetic headphones

The unit is switched on and off by pushing and holding down the volume knob. The Mode button toggles between wired and BT operations, the gain can be adjusted to low and high (use low gain as much as possible as any high gain compresses dynamics), and bass button adds…you got it…bass.

And the added bass totally contorts the timbre. It is awful and you better leave it off….unless you need some serious “boom boom”. Actually, even without the bass button, there is more than plenty of bass, naturally.

Wired

You can operate headphones through the two headphone jacks. The balanced 4.4 m circuit is much more powerful and provides an overall better sound. Only use the 3.5 mm one, if you don’t have a headphone with a 4.4 mm plug.

If you have powered near-field speakers, they are connected to the RCA ports in the back.

If you can’t be bothered with the DAC/amp functionality at all, you have the option to connect the March III M3 to an external amp. This is a truly rare feature in this price category.

Bluetooth

The March III M3 is also a Bluetooth receiver. It features the latest Bluetooth 5.2 and handles all common codecs (SBC 328 kbps, AAC 256 kbps, LDAC 990 kbps). It operates over a distance up to 30 m. This is useful when the unit is used with powered speakers when the headphone cable is longer than one’s arms. The M3 never lost reception while I was walking with my iPhone music source all over the two floors of my 2000 sq ft house.

It becomes really interesting when the March III M3 is connected via a different DAC to a room-filling stereo system. In this case, the device’s own DAC and amp are disabled and it works as a BT receiver only.

Amplification

Power is not measured but always calculated from voltage, current, and resistance. TempoTec list a power of 630 mW @ 4 V/32 Ω for the balanced circuit, and 310 mW @ 2 V/32 Ω. But 630 mW power require a voltage of 4.5 V, at 4 V, it is only 500 mW (accordingly, the SE power should be 250 mW). Therefore, either the given voltage or power are wrong…which does not matter in the end.

The March III M3’s volume scale goes from 0 to 100. In practical use, the device drives the 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 on high gain at a volume of up to 95 (for quiet recordings); it needs a volume of 80 to be loud for average recordings, and 65 for moderate level on the balanced circuit. This is pretty impressive considering the headphone’s sound quality is not suffering at high volumes. The sensitive Final Sonorous III gets away with a volume of 30. The HD 600 don’t run well on the weaker single ended circuit.

Most iems need about 30 on balanced and 40 on single ended. Unless you have a hungry planar magnetic, the March III M3 handles the rest.

Sound

The March III M3’s sound quality is actually surprising(ly good): it is not harsh and analytical as many of its budget peers’, but rather…erm…”musical” with well rounded notes. Many would claim that the lack of “Sabre glare” is ascribed to the Asahi Kasai AK4493SEQ chip, but life ain’t that easy, friends.

The overall tonality is slightly warm with an elevated low end, similar to TempoTec’s V6 dap.

Bass is indeed lifted a bit and not the fastest. It may occasionally smear into the midrange, which is probably the M3’s weakest point – but it is not dramatic. Transparency is otherwise good. The stage is wide and tall but not very deep.

The balanced circuit adds power and also depth to the image. The single-ended image is more two dimensional…and BT operation removes a bit of richness and extension on both ends, but is overall still pretty good.

In order to characterize the March III M3 in more detail, let’s compare it to the $250 EarMen TR-Amp, a battery operated DAC/amp with a single-ended circuit only. The TR-Amp does not offer BT and has slightly weaker amplification. At twice the price, you’d expect better components in the EarMen, and therefore better sound quality.

Both do indeed sound different. The TR-Amp is less bassy, has a crisper attack, better note definition (“sounds sharper”), better resolution and transparency, and better 3-D reconstruction overall. The March III M3 has softer notes, a wider but shallower stage, and lags the TR-Amp in terms of separation and layering.

The TR-amp is technically and analytically better but the March III M3 is more soulful and sweeter sounding…at half the price. I enjoy both.

Concluding Remarks

With the March III M3, TempoTec has pulled another white rabbit out of their hat. It it a complete, good-sounding and attractive looking DAC/amp and BT receiver that works well with most full-sized headphones and essentially all iems. What sets is apart from its immediate competition are its low price and digital outputs.

I cannot think of a comparable competitive device below $200. I really like this little rascal a lot. It is right up my alley.

The March III M3 joins the V6 dap and the Serenade X as a great, enjoyable product at a reasonable price.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

Our generic standard disclaimer.

Gallery

The post TempoTec March III M3 Review – Mach III 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!

Contact us!

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!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

Our generic standard disclaimer.

Gallery

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

Gear of the Year: 2022 marks the blog’s fourth year. We collectively published 100-150 articles, mainly product reviews, but also technical information (such as earphone modding). Apart from receiving review units from manufacturers and sellers, we also purchased a lot…and we borrowed from audiophile friends and colleagues.

Our list of earphone reviews is going towards 400, which is a very useful database. And one of the world’s biggest. In the DAC and amplification department we have also reached a respectable 70.

While we shrank from 8 to 6 authors, we essentially doubled our viewer numbers and currently record well over 1000 daily individual blog visitors (1377 on Black Friday 2022). But we remain humble, continue viewing our hobby as labour of love and focus on information for you, the reader, while not selling out.

Another very popular list is our Wall of Excellence, which hosts gear not approved by one of us, but by the whole team. This is a useful filter for you and should give you confidence in your buying decisions.

And yes, we searched for and found an exclusive sponsor in HiFiGo, who help us with our basic operating cost (web hosting). We still chip a lot of our own money in for mailing between us reviewers, import charges etc.

By having a single sponsor (and not Google ads) paying us a moderate flat fee, we don’t rely on viewer numbers. For you, this means no popups and no ads between paragraphs, nothing in your way when reading our articles. All advertisement takes place in the top toolbar and the sidebar. Feel free to check it out.

We also continue refraining from affiliate links as it still leaves a bad taste in our mouths.

As at the end of the previous years, we list our our personal favourites of 2022 – the portable audio we personally enjoyed most. There are no rules, we just tell you what we like. It does not have to be the latest. After all, the gear we use most is the best for us. Between us, the Dunu Zen, 7Hz Timeless, Final ZE3000, and Questyle M15 received the most mentionings. The Questyle M15 appears to be the most highly acclaimed dongle in the blogosphere period and may as well be the “Product of the Year” all around.

We don’t publish any “best of” lists as we have not tested all competitors in each category.

Enjoy this read and we wish you a happy and successful 2023!

We thank

And here we go…that’s what we enjoyed in 2022…

Alberto Pittaluga… Bologna, ITALY

My 18 readers know that I’m much more into enjoying better sound than into getting excited about sidegrades or other small changes from my existing preferences. I am the polar opposite of a marketing hype target individual – on pretty much any topic by the way. I mean: try and sell me a “better” (?) Moka coffee machine…

With that in mind, and considering that I’m not into this since yesterday evening, it’s quite logical that the list of the really significant items out of all those I come across over a year’s time is short. Here’s what I found in 2022 which is worth recommending.

IEMS

Intime Miyabi – a great piece of engineering ticking most if not all boxes for my tastes. Beyond details, one of the absolute best sound delivery experiences one can buy (well… some personal initiative is required to fetch it from Japan) below 500$… spending less than half of it. My report here.

RHA CL2 – I heard quite a few planar IEMs, and not a single one “closes the door” for me. Long story short, none offers me a well-articulated-enough sound experience out of the box, and none carries a driver good enough to be equalised into something I really like. The sole exception I ever came across yet is this RHA CL2 – a dated model indeed, which I had the venture to audition this year for my first time. More on this on my piece about it.

DAC/AMP Dongles

Questyle M15 – no doubt the “best overall quality” battery-less DAC/AMP (“dongle”) at any price. Paired with a small transport easily makes all sub-800$, and most sub-2K$ DAPs pointless in terms of sound quality delivery (some may still prefer “some” DAP for better pocketability convenience or specific features). Firstly reviewed in depth by Jurgen here, you can read my incremental notes here.

E1DA 9038SG3 and 9038D – the M15 is what it is, but it also is relatively expensive (almost 300€ once delivered to Italy). My previous experience taught that me that exclusively higher-tier (and price) dongles are able to deliver sound qualities worth investing in more money than the 9$ price tag asked for an Apple Dongle ($9). Then I found these two gems which fulfill the need for incredibly clean and powerful sound for less than half M15’s price, and 90% of its proficiency.

Biodegraded…Vancouver, CANADA

7Hz Timeless:
Despite a somewhat elevated and loose midbass, these have great overall tonal balance, smooth mids, excellent instrument separation and layering, and speed. Macrodynamics are on the soft side, which might not be for everybody; and the fit will be problematic for people with concha bowls on the smaller side. They work best with warmer, dynamic sources.

Durwood…Chicago, USA

Swimming in dongles I don’t have a favorite, Moodrop Dawn has the selectable gain, others like the Shanling UP3 have single and balanced outputs and controls. Take your pick. I would like selectable gain AND single ended/balanced outputs.

Desktop DAC goes to the SMSL C200 for best value and sound that hangs near the top dogs. I personally prefer separate pieces for the ability to have more connection options and swapping but for near double the price I don’t see double the performance. The SMSL SU-9 is excellent for me I ended up buying one on the second hand market. The SMSL DO100/HO100 is great too and bit more user friendly for the size.

For earphones I still love my Shozy Form 1.4 for the bass tuning, warm signature and superb fitment YMMV. There are lots of excellent performers if just factoring in sound and technical merits including the 7Hz Timeless and Moondrop Kato, but I struggle keeping them in place. For those starting out or not a lot to spend, my budget pick for what is available would be the CCA Lyra.

For TWS, I only have 3 pairs to compare-but if I don’t need ANC, I would pick the Moondrop Alice all day everyday. Review coming soon, they are a wireless Kato and they nailed all the important features (sound, battery life, control, fitment), form follows function.

Jürgen Kraus…Calgary, CANADA

In terms of earphones, I continue liking the JVC HA-FDX1, the Dunu Zen, and the Final E5000. The Zen remain my go-tos. New on my list are the LETSHUOER EJ7M (great allrounders), the Final A3000 & E3000, and the very articulate Dunu Talos. But the earphone I used most in 2022 is the superb Final ZE3000 TWS.

As to headphones, my Sennheiser HD 600 have received company by the Final Sonorous III. On the budget side, I added the excellent KTXPro1 to my Koss selection (Porta Pros, KPHi-30, and KSC75).

I am principally a “portable guy” who used to operate his iPhone with a dongle, mainly the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt. Whilst the Cobalt remains a standard staple of mine, the excellent Questyle M15 (and here too) is a great alternative for my higher current-drawing headphones/earphones – and my personal product of the year 2022.

For driving full-sized headphones and single DD items, nothing beats the Apogee Groove. For Bluetooth DAC/amp, I exclusively use the very mature Qudelix-5K. And for earphone testing, I am still holding on to the totally underappreciated Earstudio HUD100.

The Hidizs AP80 Pro-X has proven a great dap for me, no matter if used alone or as transport with a dongle. The Sony NW-A55 with Mr Walkman firmware also remains in my collection of favourites. And the very crisp sounding Questyle QP1R remains my flagship dap. The biggest surprise for me was the Tempotec V6 dap…essentially a $500 device at half price.

For my desktop setup, I am holding on to EarMen Tradutto DAC in combination with the Burson Funk amp and AudioQuest analog and digital interconnects.

Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir…Munich, GERMANY

Just like that, another year went by. This year was special for me as I got to visit High End Munich 2021 (which happened after a 3-year hiatus) and also got to meet some great reviewers and legends of the industry in person.

Best Headphones: This year, I have slowly transitioned from portable audio into desktop audio. A knock-on effect of that has been my growing headphone collection. What used to be a mere 4 headphones last year, has grown into a whooping 25 now.

Yup, I need another shelf.

Speaking of the best headphones, Hifiman HE-6se V2 got the most use this year from me. I still use the Sennheiser HD650 whenever I feel like relaxing, but for my playlist – the Hifimans absolutely slap!

That being said, they aren’t the best headphones that I’ve tried this year. That recognition goes to the venerable Stax SR-X9000. Still underrated in the summit-fi segment, these overtook Susvara for me in almost every aspect. They are build better, has better sense of space, bass is better defined and slams a bit harder, and of course – the ethereal treble is an absolute joy.

Too bad that the price tag (with energizer) makes these nigh-unobtainable for me. Doesn’t make them any less awesome, though.

Best IEMs: Dunu Zen remains my daily driver, and they scale tremendously with desk sources, so I am a happy camper.

Speaking of camps, Campfire Audio Holocene has sneaked their way into my daily rotation. Probably my most favorite Campfire Audio IEMs, ever. They deserve a lengthy, long-term review, which is in the pipeline.

This year I also had to wade through loads of “meh” IEMs, each mimicking a certain “scientifically perfect” (lol) curve in one way or another, and each sounding boring and unremarkable. But the one IEMs that kept the fire alive was the Softears Turii.

Exceptional in almost every sense, their fit is the biggest concern, but with Spinfit W1 tips (excellent tips btw, recommended) I found them stable enough to enjoy outdoors. Too bad that they’re discontinued.

The Softears Twilight is a spiritual successor of sorts. Doesn’t have the crazy sense of space that the Turii portray, but pretty much beats every other single dynamic I’ve tried under USD $1000 (and I have tried nearly all of the hyped ones by now). So yeah, Softears, take a bow!

Desktop DAC and Amp: Questyle CMA Fifteen takes the cake for the best all-in-one system that I’ve heard. Near-endgame for 99% out there I’d say. Drives almost everything with authority. What’s not to like? Oh yes, the price. Something’s gotta give after all.

As for standalone units, the best solid-state amp I’ve tried: Zaehl HM1. As for the best tube amp: Feliks Envy, or the Feliks Euforia AE. Two very different price-points, but both about the best tube amps you can buy right now.

DACs are a bit difficult for me to judge, and the ones I’ve tried this year couldn’t replace the Holo May L3 I tried last year, so that one still reigns supreme.

Portable DAC/Amp: Questyle came outta nowhere with the M15 (and here too) and seized the day. Nothing else comes close, really. On the higher side of the price, Chord Mojo 2 is an excellent device. For using with IEMs and moderately efficient headphones – that’s all you’ll ever need. The DAC section is kilobuck-level as well.

Surprise of the Year: Final ZE3000.

I do not like wireless stuff at all, mostly because of how poor and compressed 99% of them sound. This one caught be off-guard. I bought them only to review them, fully expecting to put them up for sale once the review is done.

Now, three months later, I carry them everywhere and despite the finicky touch controls, I keep coming back to them. Only the Sony WH-1000XM4 sound as good as them, and they cost 2x the price. To think that Final would come up with one of the best TWS IEMs around – didn’t see that one coming.

Then again, who else would be that methodical?

Loomis Johnson…Chicago, USA

IEMs:

Moondrop Starfield—my default rec to folks who ask me which <$100 phone to buy…big-sounding, with seamless coherence and as lot of PRAT.

7Hz Timeless—polarizing and imperfect (there’s some stridency at the highest frequencies), but technically very accomplished and highly resolving. The more I hear ‘em the more I dig ‘em.

Tin HiFi TWS Buds 3—light on features (no app, no ANC) but beautifully built and a really engaging listen, with very good imaging and instrument placement.

AXS Audio Professional Wireless Earbuds—generic-looking, with a modest soundstage, but probably the best-sounding TWS I’ve heard to date. 

Portable DAC/Dongles:

Xumee USB-C—lots of power and surprising finesse for less than the price of a six pack.

Hidisz S3Pro—a really refined performer which synergizes well with anything under 150 oHm.

Headphones:

1More Sonoflow Wireless ANC—you can pay a lot more for punchier sound or more tech features, but these are an awful lot of headphone for the money, with good noise-cancelling, an unforced natural tonality and fantastic battery life.

Koss KTXPro1—uber-comfortable and musical as hell; for $19 there’s no reason everyone shouldn’t own a pair.

Bluetooth Speakers:

Oontz Angle 3—diminutive, seemingly indestructible cheapo with surprisingly good bass output and an enveloping 3D soundstage.

Edifier R1280DB Bookshelf Speakers—I gave a set of these to the owner of a cannabis dispensary, whose customers rave incessantly about how good they sound even before imbibing.

Desktop DAC:

SMSL SU-6—a more than capable DAC, with excellent bass control and a very detailed (if occasionally overbright) high end; digital preamp and Bluetooth functionality are big plusses. Outstanding value.

KopiOkaya…SINGAPORE

The editor: although KopiOkaya retired a year ago (on his own terms), he keeps his eartips compendium up to date. His list has been a cornerstone of this block and its most successful article. It currently records somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 views.

Best under $50 IEM:

7HZ SALNOTES ZERO

Best under $100 IEM:

DUNU KIMA

Best IEM of 2022:

SOFTEARS TURII Ti

Best dongle DAC/AMP of 2022:

QUESTYLE M15 (here and here)

Best portable DAP of 2022:

TEMPOTEC V6

Best budget DAC/AMP combo:

SMSL SH-9 THX AAA-888

Best desktop DAC of the 2022:

HOLO MAY KTE (KITSUNE EDITION)

Best desktop headphone amp of 2022:

QUESTYLE CMA FIFTEEN

Best eartips of the 2022

SPINFIT W1

Most outstanding audio product of 2022:

QUESTYLE M15 (here and here)

And This Was The Previous Year:

The post Gear Of The Year 2022 – Our Personal Favourites appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The Final UX3000 is an articulate sounding and well resolving headphone with a very agreeable tuning that also features an effective Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). The headphone also works wired without being switched on. ANC works independently with and without Bluetooth or wired use.

Introduction

Final are a premium headphone/earphone manufacturer out of Japan that focus on technical progress mainly for their domestic market. Their distinction from most of their competitors is that their products have shelf lives of several years. The company prefers substance over style – it does not subscribe to sensationalist marketing – and therefore hands out samples sparsely, and to credible sources only.

At least three of us are Final fanboys in that we have purchased many of their products, which includes painful ordering from Japan through shipping agencies. Alberto has reviewed the Sonorous II & III headphones and Kazi has lined up the Final E-series…and more.

Specifications Final UX3000

The Final UX3000 plays with Bluetooth and wired (without power), and the ANC works completely independently of the audio functionality. This means, the headphone can be used for suppressing ambient noise (“your neighbour’s leaf blower”) without listening to music. Or one can listen to music without noise cancelling.

What the Final UX3000 does specifically you find in the user manual and on the product page.

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are:

The headphone’s frame is made out of hard, rigid polycarbonate coated with Final’s own soft-textured SHIBO シボ finish that gives the surface a speckled look. シボ is an old Japanese word for wrinkled paper! The coating gives it the optical appearance of ruggedness.

The headband is steplessly adjustable according to head size. Its top is mantled by soft pleather…and the earcups, which go around the ears, feature pads made of the same material.

On the back of each earpiece are the operational panels. The right one features a small, subtle LED indicator and three buttons (on/of/pause, volume up/down) and a 3.5 mm socket for the headphone cable (“wired use”).

The panel on the back of the left earcup features a single button (ANC on/off) and a USB-C charging port. Operation is straight forward. As said, both panels operate independently of each other.

Comfort is good for, but may vary individually. I have a large head with large ears and get a snug fit with good seal. Clamp pressure is relatively big for me. I have used the Final UX3000 for hours several times. It may ge a bit sweaty around the ears in a hot climate, though.

Active Noise Cancellation

I tested the ANC listening to a Mozart violin sonata while vacuuming with a noisy older Dyson ball vacuum – a talk radio at normal room volume was running in the background. No issues. The Dyson was still audible but did not interfere much with the music – and, even when the Dyson was off, the radio was effectively shut out.

Another representative test came when comparing the ANCs of the UX3000 and my old Bose QC15. The class-leading Boses did a marginally better job on the Dyson’s noise (without being perfect), but they were twice the price even in 2010. And they run wired only. The UX3000’s noise cancellation does no miracles but is solid and fully sufficient. I look forward to taking it with me on my next intercontinental flight.

A real test was me cutting down trees with a noisy jigsaw while listening to the orchestral music of John Ireland. It worked just fine.

Then winter came and crazy neighbours cleared snow with noisy motorized leaf blowers. Again, the Final UX3000 performed well – even without music.

Tonality and Technicalities

The Final UX3000 features a gentle V-shape mainstream tuning, on the neutral-warm side, but its technicalities make it stick out nevertheless, particularly the good accentuation/articulation and imaging, layering, and separation.

I have listened to Sennheiser and AKG Bluetooth Bluetooth headphones in the past, and both had a completely overcooked bass: overwhelmingly strong and not very controlled. The Final UX3000 are nothing like that. They feature a composed, well-dosed low end that digs deep and provides some rumble. Kick is plenty and surprisingly firm, the dosage is just right for my gusto. There is a mild mid bass boom in some music, but nothing to worry about.

As you’d expect, the vocals are slightly recessed but very nicely sculptured and of decent richness. Also typical for Final’s tuning is the lack of shoutineess which contributes to a other natural music reproduction. Treble, as typical for Bluetooth headphones, is slightly rolled off but nevertheless of good definition. So far fairly standard.

Technically, the Final UX3000 offer great articulation across the frequency spectrum, notes are generally well defined, attack and decay are within normal margins. Headroom is big although stage is only of average width and depth but good spatial cues. Resolution is ok with a bit of stage crowding in busy tracks. Layering, separation, and spatial cues are very good.

What makes it interesting for me to use the Final UX3000 over longer periods is its articulation. It is tight without being sharp/strident. If my old Sennheisers are the equivalent of a soft truck suspension, the Final UX300 is a sporty BMW.

Concluding Remarks

The UX3000 may be Final’s first wireless headphone, but it is a mature and complete product. Not one of sorts “a good first effort, can’t await the pro version”. It sounds great, handles great and has great operational specs (codecs, battery life, charge times). There is not much more I can say other than that I enjoy it – and that I use it (despite all my choices including the Sonorous III).

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

I received the Final UX3000 from the manufacturer upon request. And I thank them for that. You find the product page here.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

The post Final UX3000 Review – Mainstream Against The Stream appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Final UX3000は、明瞭なサウンドと解像度の高いヘッドホンであり、効果的なアクティブノイズキャンセリングも搭載した、非常に好感の持てるチューニングになっています。このヘッドホンは、電源を入れずに有線で使用することもできます。ノイズキャンセリングは、Bluetoothまたは有線での使用の有無にかかわらず独立して機能します。

はじめに

ファイナルは、日本発の高級ヘッドホン・イヤホンメーカーで、主に国内市場向けに技術的な進歩を追求しています。競合他社との違いは、製品に数年の賞味期限があることだ。同社はスタイルよりも実質を重視し、センセーショナルなマーケティングを行わないため、信頼できる筋にのみサンプルを配布しています。

私たちのうち少なくとも3人はファイナルのファンボーイで、日本から代理店を通して苦労して取り寄せた同社の製品を数多く購入しています。アルベルトはSonorous IIとIIIのヘッドホンをレビューし、カジはFinal E-seriesをラインナップしています…他にもあります。

仕様 Final UX3000

Final UX3000は、Bluetoothと有線（電源なし）で再生し、アクティブノイズキャンセラーはオーディオ機能とは完全に独立して動作します。つまり、音楽を聴かずに周囲の騒音（「近所の人の葉っぱの吹き飛ばし」）を抑えるためにヘッドホンを使用することができます。また、ノイズキャンセリング機能を使わずに音楽を聴くこともできます。

What the Final UX3000 does specifically you find in the user manual and on the product page.

モノとユーザビリティ

箱の中身は

ヘッドホンのフレームは、硬質で剛性の高いポリカーボネートにファイナル独自の「SHIBOシボ」加工を施し、表面に斑点状の凹凸を表現しています。シボとは「しわくちゃな紙」という意味です。このコーティングにより、光学的に無骨な印象を与えることができます。

ヘッドバンドは頭の大きさに合わせて無段階に調節できます。耳にかけるイヤーカップにも同素材のパッドを採用しました。

イヤーピースの裏側には、操作パネルを配置。右側には小さく繊細なLEDインジケーターと3つのボタン（オン／オフ／ポーズ、ボリュームアップ／ダウン）、ヘッドホンケーブル用の3.5mmソケット（「ワイヤード使用」）が配置されています。

左のイヤーカップの背面のパネルには、1つのボタン（ANCのオン／オフ）とUSB-C充電ポートを備えています。操作はストレートに行えます。とあるように、両パネルはそれぞれ独立して動作する。

使い心地は、良好ですが、個人差があるかもしれません。私は耳が大きい頭で、密閉性の高いぴったりとした装着感を得ることができます。クランプ圧は私にとっては比較的大きいです。Final UX3000を何度か何時間も使用しました。暑いところでは耳の周りが少し汗ばむかもしれませんが。

アクティブノイズキャンセリング

ダイソンの旧型ボール掃除機で掃除機をかけながら、モーツアルトのバイオリンソナタを聴いてアクティブノイズキャンセリングをテストしてみました。問題ありませんでした。ダイソンの音は聞こえるものの、音楽の邪魔にはならず、ダイソンが停止しているときでも、ラジオは効果的にシャットアウトされました。

もう一つの代表的なテストは、UX3000と私の古いBose QC15のノイズキャンセリングを比較した時です。クラス最高のBoseは、ダイソンのノイズにわずかに良い仕事をしましたが（完璧ではありません）、2010年でさえ価格は2倍でした。しかも、有線のみで動作する。UX3000のノイズキャンセリングは、奇跡は起きないが、しっかりしていて、十分な効果がある。次回の大陸間飛行に持参するのが楽しみです。

ジョン・アイルランドのオーケストラ音楽を聴きながら、音の出るジグソーで木を切り倒すというテストをしてみました。うまくいきましたよ。

そして冬になると、狂った隣人たちが騒々しいモーター付きリーフブロワーで雪片付けをするようになりました。ここでも、Final UX3000は音楽なしでも問題なく動作しました。

音律と技巧

Final UX3000は、メインストリームを緩やかなV字型にチューニングした、ニュートラルウォームタイプですが、アクセントやアーティキュレーション、イメージング、レイヤー、セパレーションの良さが際立つ技術的な特徴を備えています。

過去にゼンハイザーやAKGのBluetoothヘッドホンを聴いたことがありますが、どちらも低音が圧倒的に強く、あまりコントロールされていないという、完全にオーバークックな感じでした。 Final UX3000はそのようなことはありません。このヘッドフォンの特徴は、構成された、よく効いたローエンドで、深く掘り下げられ、いくつかのランブルを提供します。キックも十分で、驚くほどしっかりしていて、その量感は私のガッツにちょうどいい。音楽によっては中低音のブームがありますが、気にならない程度です。

ヴォーカルは期待通り、やや引っ込んでいるが、非常にきれいな造形で、豊かさも十分だ。 また、Finalのチューニングの特徴として、シャウト感がなく、自然な音楽再生に寄与しています。高音域は、Bluetoothヘッドフォンの典型として、わずかにロールオフされていますが、それにもかかわらず、良好な解像度を有しています。これまでのところ、かなり標準的です。

技術的には、Final UX3000は周波数スペクトル全体にわたって素晴らしいアーティキュレーションを提供し、ノートは全体的によく定義されており、アタックとディケイは通常のマージンの範囲内です。ヘッドルームは大きいですが、ステージは平均的な幅と深さしかありませんが、良い空間的な合図があります。解像度はまずまずだが、忙しい曲ではステージが少し混雑する。レイヤー、セパレーション、空間的なキューは非常に良い。

Final UX3000を長く使っていて面白いのは、そのアーティキュレーションです。鋭さ・強さを感じさせないタイトさです。私の古いゼンハイザーが柔らかいトラックのサスペンションに相当するとすれば、Final UX300はスポーティなBMWです。

まとめ

UX3000はファイナル社初のワイヤレスヘッドホンですが、成熟した完成度の高い製品です。最初の取り組みとしては良いが、プロバージョンを待つことはできない」という類のものではありません。音もいいし、操作性もいいし、動作スペック（コーデック、バッテリー駆動時間、充電時間）も素晴らしい。私はこの製品を楽しんでおり、（Sonorous IIIを含むすべての選択肢にもかかわらず）これを使用しているということ以外に、私が言えることはあまりありません。

次回まで…聴き続けてください。

Contact us!

免責事項

メーカーからの依頼でFinal UX3000を受け取りました。そして、そのことに感謝します。製品ページがあります をご覧ください。

The post Final UX3000レビュ appeared first on Music For The Masses.

A device gets attached to this Wall of Excellence when based on our private and of course subjective experience it performs so well within its technical and price category as to even discourage considering homologous alternatives.

If it ain’t here, WE don’t want it!

Please note that our WoE will not be limited to devices we actually published a review of. Nonetheless, all WoE devices have for long time been or still are part of our operative gear.

We start small and plan to expand our wall according to merit.

This Site is being consistently updated…please bookmark it and keep checking back!

LATEST ADDITIONS: Qudelix-5K, Questyle M15, E1DA 9038SG3.

In-Ear Monitors

Past excellences, now discontinued or superseded

Headphones

Digital Audio Players (“DAPs”)

Desktop Amplifiers

Desktop DACs

Desktop Integrated Headphone DAC/AMPs

Portable Headphone Amplifiers

Portable Integrated Headphone DAC/AMPs

Headphone DAC/AMP “Dongles”

Dongles are little DAC/amps without battery that are powered by their source device.

Past excellences, now discontinued or superseded

Accessories

The post Wall Of Excellence DRAFT 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

The post Final ZE3000 Review (1) – Big in Japan appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Final ZE3000は、最高の装着感を提供する優れたサウンドのTWSイヤホンです。この価格帯の有線イヤホンであれば、どんなものにも引けを取りません。

長所 – 優れた音質と技術的なパフォーマンス、スムーズなBluetooth操作、非常に優れた快適性とフィット感。

短所 – 非オーディオファンにはパンチが足りない可能性がある。

はじめに

“Big in Japan” はドイツのグループ “アルファヴィル “の1980年代の世界的大ヒット曲である。日本では、中国のゴングで幕を閉じたため、大失敗した。それに対して、ファイナルオーディオデザインは、母国日本ではビッグな存在です。2007年に設立され、2009年からイヤホンを販売しています。同社初のワイヤレスイヤホンは2017年の「E3000」で、その販売台数は数十万台–日本最大のオーディオアワードで金賞を10個受賞したと言われている。Final ZE3000は、その後継機となる。

Finalは、ブログやYouTubeのプロモーターに依存しません。彼らは通常、「レビューサンプル」を提供しません。したがって、彼らの製品は、通常の「ベストオブ」購入リストには掲載されず、そのようなリストの一般的な妥当性を否定する事実があります。また、最終製品も計測器メーカーにはあまり良い印象を与えません（例えば、Crinacleのランキングリストをご覧ください）。この会社は、そんなことを気にしないだけの自信はある。

自然な音を提供すること、そのために派手なフェイスプレートや派手なパッケージといった粉飾をしないことがファイナルの哲学です。ファイナルのコンセプトは、「本質的に正しいものを徹底的に追求する」ことです。そして、それを支えるのは、確かな研究開発力である。したがって、彼らの製品が持続可能であることは驚くべきことではなく、現行モデルの多くは4年以上経過している（私は2016年に発売されたSonorous IIIを購入したばかりだ）。

偶然にも、audioreviews.orgの4人はFinalのモデルをかなり購入（そして徹底的に分析）しています。例えば、アルベルトはSonorous II & IIIヘッドフォンを、カジはFinalの完全なEシリーズを詳細に分析しています。Finalの製品の多くは、私たちの「ウォール・オブ・エクセレンス」を飾っています。つまり、読者の皆さんは、Finalの製品について複数の適格な意見を持っているわけです。これは、一個人のランキングよりも信頼できるものです。

そして、カジが直接担当者と話すことで、ZE3000とUX3000（同社初のワイヤレスヘッドホン）のレビューユニットを確保することができました。

仕様 Final ZE3000

物理的側面

箱の中身は

• イヤーピース付き充電ケース
• TYPE E Truly Wireless Exclusive Edition」ファイナルイヤーチップ（5サイズ：SS / S / M / L / LL)
• USB Type C充電ケーブル

Final ZE3000のケースとイヤーピースには、クラシックな一眼レフカメラを思わせる斑点模様のソフトテクスチャー・シボ加工が施されており、無骨な印象を与えます（私が持っているUX3000やヘッドホンSonorous IIIもこの加工を採用しています）。ケースは片手で操作できるハンディタイプです。

イヤーピースはかなりかさばるが（音響に関係する）、非常に軽い。コンチャとの接触面積が少ないので、快適です。Finalのイヤーチップは密閉性が非常に高いです。何時間でも装着していても違和感がない。技術的な詳細については、ファイナルがZE3000の製品ページで豊富な情報を提供しています。

Bluetoothの機能

Final ZE3000は一度ペアリングすると、ケースからイヤーピースを取り出すと自動的にiPhoneやdapsに接続されます。キッチンカウンターの上にiPhoneやDAPを置き、2000平方フィートの自宅内を走り回っていますが、通信に問題はありません。うまくいきました。私はaptXコーデックを使用しています。

音律と技巧

確かに、私は一般的にTWSのイヤホンが好きではありません…使い捨てのバッテリー、したがって計画的陳腐化を考えると、なんと無駄なことでしょう。しかし、私はそれをぼかさなければならないのです。私はこのfinal ze3000が大好きです! 信じられないような音です。イメージングが素晴らしく、バランスとまとまりも素晴らしく、ステージングも素晴らしく、音楽を音楽のように聴かせてくれます。突き刺すような音もなく、分析的で無菌的な音もなく、音楽は限りなく自然に聞こえます。そして、それは私たちが望むものではないのでしょうか。全体的に暖かく、絹のように滑らかなサウンドが特徴です。

Final ZE3000は、周波数特性グラフの限界と、その上に成り立つ意見・観念を示すもう一つの好例である。部分的な話や不完全な説明であなたを混乱させるパイドパイパーに従う必要はありません。ZE3000は全体的に素晴らしく、没入感のある魅力的なリスニングを実現してくれます。もう何週間も24時間体制で使い続けています。特に魅力的なのは、滑らかなリードエッジで、アタックが飽きずにちょうど良い感じです。ヘッドルームも大きいです。バンドやオーケストラと一緒にスタジオにいるような感覚です

もういいですか？では、「低音、中音、高音」という、誰もがやるような豆知識を披露しましょう。低音、重低音、うん、素晴らしい伸びだ。中低音にハンチングがないので、私の敏感な鼓膜には危険はない。しかも、パンチが効いていて、ローエンドが乾いた音になるほど深くはない。うまく配置されている。ちょうどいい。そして、中音域がにじまない程度に遠くにあるのです。もう少しタイトでもいいのですが、小難しいことを言うのはやめましょう。

中音域はあるべきところにある…V字型ではなく、声は前に出ていて、良い重さと鮮明さがあり、よりシルキーな面もある。ギターの悲鳴はありません。1000ドルの有線イヤホンであれば、エッジがもっとはっきりしているはずですが、Final ZE3000は心地よく、納得のいくサウンドです。この滑らかさは、例えばFinal A3000から知っています。.

高音域は中音域の周りにシームレスに配置され（というか、中音域の上に乗っている）、伸びは最大ではありませんが（TWSの特徴）、シンバルは適度によく彫られていますが、少し「軽い」面もあり、自然な減衰を示しています。

もし弱点があるとすれば、それはFinalの入力ではなくBluetooth技術に起因するものです。パンチやスラミングは、良いアンプを搭載した有線の高級イヤホンほどハードではありません…ZE3000のイヤホンのDAC/アンプは小型ですから、ご存知の通りです。でも、それでも十分硬いです。

ステージは深く、広く、高く、分離も良く、レイヤーも良い。ダイナミクスとマイクロダイナミクスは素晴らしい。ジャジーやクラシックの繊細なパッセージのアクセントやニュアンスも抜群だ。

このチューニングの結果、Final ZE3000を最大に上げても鼓膜が破れることはない。そして、何と言われようとも、私が1980年代に所有していた日本製のハイファイコンポーネントは、小さなアパートでもスムースに音が出るように設計されていたことを考えると、これは日本らしいチューニングだと思います…今でもラックスマンのL-410アンプを所有していますが、これは1986年から私のワークホースになっています。

ZE3000の比較

199ユーロのEarsonics Aeroもまた、異なる製造哲学に従った非V字型サウンドのTWSイヤホンです。Final ZE3000の球根のような形状とは対照的に、Earsonicsは細長くスリムな形状をしています。私の耳孔を塞ぐには、かなり深く挿入する必要があります。Aeroは、ゆったりとした演奏のZE3000に比べ、スラミングが硬く、低音がタイトなので、攻撃的で「重い」音楽に向いています。ボーカルもよりシャープに再現され、全体的により「たくましい」音になりました。Final ZE3000は、ステージが大きく広く（深みというより幅が広い）、リードエッジがソフトな印象です。どちらのイヤホンも良いのですが、私はFinalの方が好きです。

149ドルのFinal UX3000（レビュー保留）はヘッドフォンだが、それにもかかわらず、どちらも同価格のTWSであるため、ZE3000と比較される可能性がある。UX3000は、3D描写やヘッドルームなどの演出やイメージングにおいて、ZE3000やAeroに勝っている。また、音量や華やかさも増し、全体的に充実したサウンドになっています。そして、35時間のバッテリーライフと、きちんとしたANCを提供します。ですから、もしあなたが大陸間飛行にこれらの製品のいずれかを持ち込もうとするならば、選択肢はあります。シャツのポケットに入るイヤホンとしての利便性と、大きなデバイスのANCやバッテリー駆動時間の比較です。両方、あるいは3つとも手に入れたほうがいいでしょう。）

まとめ

ZE3000は、ファイナルオーディオデザインのもう一つの勝者です。この製品は、日本では飛ぶように売れるかもしれませんが、他の国ではインターネットの「専門家」やインフルエンサーに無視されるかもしれません。この製品は、音楽をありのままに聴き、楽しむ人のためのものです。美食家のための、そして美食家のための製品ではありません。

次回まで…聴き続けてください。

Gallery

The post Final Audio Design ZE3000 レビュー – 日本で大活躍。 appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Pros — Rich, mature, refined sound; decent screen; dedicated line outs for balanced and single-ended; drives full-sized cans easily; huge 4500 mAh battery; great haptic; complete accessories; excellent value.

Cons — Does not pair well with with fringe iems (“current hogs”); only 16 GB onboard storage and a single SD card slot; volume knob a bit flimsy; computer performance mediocre.

Introduction

Tempotec has been delighting us with budget dongles in the past. The $40 TempoTec HD Pro may have stuck out as the best accessorized budget DAC/amp with all cables included (including Lightning cable for Apple devices). We also analyzed their BHD and Sonata HD II/Sonata E35 budget models.

The $279 (early bird; MRSP $399) TempoTec Variations V6 DSD512 Android HIFI Music Player is the company’s first mid-price digital analog player “dap”, and it is surprisingly way above the company’s usual budget realm. This raises the question whether the TempoTec can design a mature mid-tier player without the usual toothing issues.

What we don’t want to hear is reviewers saying “it is a good first effort, I am looking forward to the follow-up”…which would mean: stay away, save your $$$, and wait for something better.

Fortunately, this is not the case. The V6 is good, very good to be concise…and certainly good enough for me.

Specifications TempoTec V6

Physicals and Features

I am not known for my love of window dressing but the TempoTec V6 is presented impressively. In the box are:

1 x TempoTec V6 Digital Audio Player
1 x USB Type A to USB Type-C Cable
1 x Leather Case
1 x Screen Protectors
1 x Paperwork (Warranty card, Quick Start Guide, Manual, etc.)

A second screen protector is already (flawlessly) installed. Take this, Apple! The quality leather case is thick and robust, but a cut out above the microSD card slot would have been handy.

The player feels substantial in my hand. Great haptic, just like a much more expensive device. The button mechanisms are solid, just the combined on/off and volume knob has a bit of play owing to its spring mechanism.

Functionality and Operation

What it does

• plays music through single-ended and balanced headphone circuits
• has dedicated line outs for both single-ended and balanced circuits
• works as wired DAC with computer and cellphones
• features bi-directional Bluetooth 5.0
• accepts one micro SD card up to 2 TB
• offers unique sound adjustments through “MSEB”
• supports 3rd party apps

What it does not

• 16 GB onboard storage is small
• has no 2nd microSD card slot

Hardware

The TempoTec Variations V6 DSD512 Android HIFI Music Player is essentially a phone without sim card, microphone, and loudspeaker, but with an audio component on steroids. The company scaled the computer part back in order to keep cost down. It features a basic Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 CPU and a 4.2″ 720 dpi screen.

The CPU is more than good enough for playing music, but not for playing games. The screen is fine for its intended use, too. It has a slightly warm tinge and is easy on the eye. The V6 features an accurate digital clock for removing phase noise in order to optimize sound quality.

In terms of DAC chips, the V6 sports two AK4493SEQ (no, the chips do not tell us anything about the sound, despite what the echo chamber in the blogosphere claims). The sound is produced by the DAC’s output stage and the amplifier.

TempoTec were initially not happy with the bass response and raised mid bass – which produces a slight bass boost and deviated the sound from neutral to mildly warm, still with good transparency.

The two dedicated line outs, one for balanced and the other for single-ended are a great feature that is usually reserved for expensive daps. I could handily connect the V6 to my desktop amp.

Software (Android 8.1; HiBy 3.0…)

Since the TempoTec V6 is essentially a small computer hosting the Android operating system, it can run (almost) any app from the Google Play store (and other sources). Due to the limitation imposed by the HiBy 3.0 player, the V6 runs 5-year old Android 8.1, whereas the current version is 12.

This could cause compatibility issues with some current apps, which is a problem for essentially ALL digital analog players – including the expensive ones. Another common problem is the lack of compatibility between Android and Apple. Mac users like me struggle with data transfer.

Bi-directional Bluetooth 5.0 is up to speed. As an internet device, the V6 was a bit slow on my mesh network (50 mbps download speed out of 150 possible on the 5 GHz band, Kazi reports 100/100 mbps on his single router; it also works at 50 mbps in the 2.4 GHz band) but this would be still more than adequate for streaming.

The HiBy 3.0 app is one of the standards across the board. Unique to HiBy 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.

Battery Performance

The TempoTec V6 hosts a 4500 mAh battery, bigger than in most phones. Interpreting battery drain is difficult as it depends on many factors additional to music playing, such as gain (high/low), equalizer use, volume, screen use, internet, Bluetooth, volume etc. After 12 hrs of continuous play with the 16 ohm/105 dB sensitivity Sonorous III headphone (low gain, with internet and Bluetooth switched off) at medium volume, there was 12% of battery capacity left.

I then charged it – and forgot – when checking after 4 hours the device was fully charged. After being switched off for almost a week, the charge was still at 98%.

Sound

The TempoTec’s sound can be characterized as slightly coloured, triggered by its somewhat boosted mid bass and its rather smooth, mellow/polite attack – which results in an analogish sonic perception with a timbre as close to natural as it gets.

Its balanced circuit delivers a big stage with a rather large headroom and an astonishing spatial reconstruction. The signature is very forgiving to aggressive recordings. I found the mature and balanced, well-dosed sound impressive from the first minute independent of pricing. It shows that TempoTec have obviously invested in their tuning.

The mid bass has more body than, let’s say, the discontinued $950 Questyle QP1R, but the V6 does not have that crisp leading edge. The V6’s notes are better rounded in comparison, the QP1R’s notes are better defined. The Questyle also offers more microdetail and better microdynamics.

In turn, the TempoTec V6 beats the QP1R in terms of staging and imaging. Which player is better is difficult to say as both are different beasts. Compared to cheaper alternatives, the V6 plays a league above my beloved $220 Sony NW-A55 and $180 Hidisz AP80 Pro-X in terms of refined presentation.

Where the V6 has problems is with “marginal” iems, such as current-hungry Final E5000, which results in a rather uncontrolled, muddy bass performance. Testing the TempoTec’s 4.4 mm balanced circuit with the 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 600 yielded great results. Swapping the HD 600 between V6 and MacBook Air/Fidelia player with Questyle M15 (balanced, high gain) came very close, sound wise.

Comparing the V6’s and QP1R’s DACs using the Burson Funk as amplification reveals the V6’s limits. The Questyle sounds more articulate with sharper notes, the V6 plays richer but not as detailed…though still pretty good.

In summary, the TempoTec V6 sounds enjoyable to my ears and we may have to pay a lot more to top it.

Concluding Remarks

The TempoTec V6 is a mature and impressive product. It is a fully fledged Android (internet) device, essentially a phone without sim card, speaker, and microphone. It may have a somewhat basic computer performance (to keep cost down), but it sounds very good, has impressive audio features (including dedicated line outs), and comes with complete accessories (e.g. quality leather case, installed screen protector).

At its very modest price, the TempoTec V6 is in its own class and will sell like hotcakes.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

The Tempotec V6 was provided unsolicited by the company – and I thank them for that. You can buy it from Kickstarter.com. This is not an affiliate link.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post TempoTec V6 Review (1) – Good, Better, V6! appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — Questyle CMA FIfteen lacks balanced/XLR line-in
– Sparse accessories
– Gain switches hard to reach
– Not the best pairing with very bright headphones

INTRODUCTION

Questyle has slowly become one of the most consistent manufacturers around. Nearly all of their releases are either excellent, or extremely competitive at their respective price-tier.

I have been using the Questyle CMA-400i for the past two years, using it as a reference desktop source. The Questyle CMA Twelve, meanwhile, has managed a place at our Wall of Excellence as one of the best TOTL DAC-Amps around.

Naturally the CMA Fifteen has to bear the weight of high expectations. Anything short of excellence in terms of sonic performance is a letdown. Let’s see if Questyle can maintain the track record with their latest flagship.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. Questyle was kind enough to send me the CMA Fifteen as part of the Review Tour. The unit was sent to the next reviewer afterwards.

Headphones and IEMs used: Final Sonorous III, Sennheiser HD650/HD820/HD560S, HiFiMAN HE-6se V2/HE-400i/Deva Pro, Meze 99 Classics, Dunu Zen, Earsonics Onyx
Price, while reviewed: $2400. Can be bought from HiFiGo.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

Questyle does not provide a lot in terms of accessories. A remote, a power cord, the CMA Fifteen itself, and that’s about it. The remote is pretty handy esp for volume adjustment and muting, but many of the buttons do not really work (since this is a universal remote for all Questyle products).

BUILD QUALITY

In one word: excellent. The machined aluminium chassis has a solid, dense feeling. The top panel can be unscrewed by removing the 8 screws (do note the differing lengths of the screws at corners). There’s an option to replace the top aluminium panel with a plexiglass panel but I recommend against it since heat dissipation becomes worse that way.

The front of the unit is full of knobs and lights. Some might find it too busy, and I agree. Having four different logos/trademarks do not help either. Questyle does a far better job with the CMA-400i front panel (where additional logos are shifted to the top panel) so I wonder why they did not choose so here.

Most of the controls on the front panel are self-explanatory. The “Function” button switches between using the CMA Fifteen as a DAC-Amp or a DAC-Preamp. This is a very useful function as with a flip of a switch I can go from my headphones to my powered speakers, for example.

The “bias control” switch meanwhile turns the High Bias mode on or off. More on this later. Also note that all three of the front panel outputs are active at the same time, so I’d advise against keeping sensitive IEMs or headphones plugged in alongside hard-to-drive ones (as once you push the volume for the inefficient ones, the efficient ones will get progressively louder as well).

The volume knob has a cool trick: it rotates accordingly when changing the volume via the remote. The feel and quality of the volume knob is also improved over the previous Questyle DAC/AMps e.g. my Quesytle CMA-400i knob got loose over time. I could fix it by tightening the screw inside again, but it needed some fiddling.

Looking at the back of the device, you have all the expected inputs and outputs. Questyle has a type-C and regular USB type-B input to keep up with modern standards. The USB inputs get the highest priority, but of course you can switch to other inputs with the switch at the front.

The surprising (for Questyle) inclusion is the RCA input. Previous Questyle all-in-ones lacked an analogue input and this made it impossible to use the amp section alone. That’s not the case anymore with the CMA Fifteen, though I’d have preferred an XLR input as well (though space constraint could’ve been a reason for excluding that).

Then we find the stereo outputs and this time XLR-out is available. The line-out can have fixed or variable voltage, and the line-out level can also be adjusted between 14dBu and 20dBu. Lastly, we find the BT module (with LDAC support), a button to pair the DAC-Amp with a BT device, a voltage switch (110V or 220V), and the power input with a fuse underneath.

My only gripe: the gain switch at the bottom. There are four separate DIP switches and you have to individually switch them to the desired gain level. The procedure is annoying as it’s not easy to switch gain on the fly for sensitive stuff. You have to flip the entire unit to gain access. Given that vertical mount does not work here like CMA-400i, you have to fiddle with the unit at times if you intend to use sensitive IEMs and power-hungry planars.

TECH INSIDE THE CMA FIFTEEN

Questyle is known for their clean PCB design and the use of high quality components, and the CMA Fifteen is no exception. The space on the PCB is well-utilized with the DAC, Amp, and PSU components having their separate “grouping”. The components themselves are sourced from reputed brands, e.g. WIMA film caps, Nichicon Fine Gold series caps, DALE resistors, Plitron/Noratel toroidal transformer etc.

The USB controller sits on top the motherboard on a separate “daughterboard” and is connected to the main PCB via a ribbon interface. It’s an XMOS controller, as is the norm nowadays (apart from Schiit who make their own controller).

Another interesting inclusion is the Linear PSU within the unit itself. The CMA-400i lacked this while the CMA Twelve/Twelve Master included a linear PSU as well (though smaller in size). As a result, you won’t have to shell out extra money on external PSUs or “noise filtering” devices.

Finally, let’s have a look at the discrete four-channel current-mode amp section. The voltage-rail caps are on the right whereas the individual amp channels have the DIP switches directly coupled with them at the bottom. This is why you have to switch four different switches just to go from low to high gain, or vice-versa. On the left, you see the ES9038Pro DAC chip, which is the highest performing Sabre chip on the market right now. To learn more about Current-mode amplification, have a look here.

Speaking of the DAC chip, Questyle picked the ES9038Pro since it’s a current-mode DAC chip, and coupled with Questyle’s Current-mode Amp topology, this system can negate the need of IV conversion between the DAC and the Amp, resulting in a more direct signal path. Does this improve the sound quality? Well, that’s hard to gauge, but this is cool from an engineering perspective anyway.

Finally, a list of the technical spec, taken straight out of Questyle’s CMA Fifteen page:

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

Listening setup: Questyle CMA Fifteen connected directly to a desktop gaming PC and alternatively an Apple Macbook Pro (M1 Max). The Macbook Pro ran on battery during listening test. There was no noticeable difference between sound or noise level between these systems, proving that the noise filtering on the CMA Fifteen is doing a good job.

To describe the tonality in one word: Super-transparent. I’ll describe some general traits here, and then move on to pairing with several headphones/IEMs since when talking about sources, pairings are the only way to judge them properly.

The mids are intoxicating, every slight nuance of vocal delivery or guitar strumming being vividly portrayed. The highs are very resolving without a hint of edginess or grain. Notes are slightly rounded but not overly so.

Soundstage is engulfing and stage depth is exemplary. Imaging is precise and differs slightly from most DACs in terms of panning from center to left or right. It’s hard to describe but center imaging is better on the CMA Fifteen than most solid-state DAC-Amps I’ve tried in the TOTL space.

Bass is not as spectacular as the rest of the stuff, given the uncolored, neutral presentation on that front. That being said, even on headphones with relatively “poor” bass e.g. HD650 the mid-bass punch and note delivery was spot-on. Bass is mostly focused on the dexterity of the delivery rather than having a rich, dense bass response.

This highly resolving signature comes at the cost of one detriment: CMA Fifteen is unforgiving to poor mastering or recording flaws. Moreover, peaks and dips in the frequency response of IEMs and headphones are laid bare to the listener. If you want your source to be on the forgiving side, CMA Fifteen ain’t it.

MQA hardware decoding works, and MQA tracks sounded somewhat better with the HW decoding turned on than off (in the desktop Tidal app). Make of that what you will, but I did a blind A/B and it was that.

PAIRING NOTES

Let’s address the noise level first. There is very faint hiss with the likes of Andromeda or Final FI-BA-SS. Most IEMs are hiss-free and has excellent dynamics. Generally, the CMA Fifteen pairs especially well with planars and high-impedance dynamic drivers (with high bias on). Note that the high bias mode ensures a longer operation in pure class-A mode.

with Sennheiser HD650

One potential issue I found was that the HD650 would sound slightly shouty in Standard bias mode. Turning on high bias solved that for me (and I did a blind A/B testing just to be sure it’s not a placebo). This was the only time when high bias mode made a very noticeable difference, so I think other high impedance headphones might benefit from this mode as well.

Other than that: exceptionally balanced sound from the HD650. The mids were intoxicating in high bias mode, and the treble was extended without being too subdued or up-front. The bass roll-off isn’t addressed, and bass is the weakest link here (to fix that you really need an OTL amp with the HD650). As far as solid-state pairings go, CMA Fifteen drive and pair with the HD650 as well as anything out there.

with Final Sonorous III

The Final Sonorous III are quite susceptible to source changes, and also very efficient to drive so it’s easy to “over-drive” them on a source that’s just all about grunt and little about “finesse”. The CMA Fifteen handles low impedance loads very well, Sonorous III did not have any edginess in the treble (which appears on subpar sources or when being over-driven). As an aside: Meze 99 Classics also paired extremely well with the CMA Fifteen with the bass being less bloomy and bloated than out of an iFi Zen Can, for example.

with HiFiMAN HE-6se V2

The HiFiMAN HE-6se V2 are notoriously difficult to drive with a sensitivity of only 83dB/mW. People are often using speaker amps to drive them (at times in a monoblock config which is nuts) so the CMA Fifteen are up for a challenge.

And fortunately, they pass that challenge with aplomb. The bass slams hard, with the treble being bright and sparkly but not grainy or super-aggressive (which is the case when the HE-6se V2 are underpowered). Staging was improved noticeably over my CMA-400i and the SMSL SP-400. All of this without having to go past the 12 o’clock position in the volume knob (which is very loud for me).

If you own planar magnetic headphones, very few DAC-Amps will perform as well as the CMA Fifteen.

with Dunu Zen

Dunu Zen is a single dynamic driver IEM that’s very susceptible to background hiss/high noise-floor on the source side. Fortunately, CMA Fifteen has a mostly quiet background, with subtle “hum” being evident when no music is playing. Once the music starts playing even that fades away.

In terms of sound, the Zen had excellent dynamics and also benefitted from the midrange transparency that the CMA Fifteen offers. I do find the pairing with Cayin C9 to be even better when it comes to Zen, but that is a different class of device altogether.

SELECT COMPARISONS

vs Questyle CMA-400i

Being my daily driver, I am fairly accustomed to the CMA-400i sound signature. To summarize, the CMA-400i is less resolving, with the mids being not as engaging. The staging is less expansive as well, though imaging is largely similar.

The bass has slightly more weight on the CMA-400i though faster bass sections are better rendered on the CMA Fifteen. Output power is also noticeably higher on the CMA Fifteen with nearly double the current. CMA-400i also has more background hiss with sensitive IEMs.

Overall, the CMA Fifteen is an upgrade over the CMA-400i, though the 3x increase in price make the CMA-400i an even better value-for-money.

vs Questyle CMA Twelve

In terms of feature-set and output power, these two DAC-Amps are largely similar. The CMA Fifteen have analog input which is a plus.

As for sound, CMA Twelve has slightly more warmth and less expansive stage, and the treble is a bit more rounded. The bass has more weight and slam on the CMA Twelve, but the CMA Fifteen can give the sensation of better “separation” between notes. Mids are also more engaging on the CMA Twelve with even better transparency.

In essence, the CMA Twelve is not too far off the performance of the Fifteen. It’s mostly the stage size and the space between instruments that are larger, grander on the CMA Fifteen, and the bass being more nimble than weighty.

vs iFi Pro iDSD SIgnature

The iFi Pro iDSD Signature has more tuning options and better output selection but it sounds less resolving with a more intimate presentation. Separation of instruments are also not as outlined as the CMA Fifteen. Moreover, planars fared better with the CMA Fifteen, with the HE-6 having more slam on the CMA Fifteen while sounding somewhat anemic on the Pro iDSD Signature in default configuration (no bass boost engaged).

That being said, with the right pairing e.g. bright headphones, the Pro iDSD can sound magnificent. Also the bass boost and tube modes are really well-implemented, so if you are into tweaking the sound of your headphones, Pro iDSD Signature has more to offer there.

CONCLUSION

Questyle CMA Fifteen is a solid all-rounder. It sounds great with almost any headphones and IEMs out there, and it sounds exceptional with planar magnetic headphones. The build is very good, the output power is more than enough for almost any headphones, and the size of the unit is petite enough to be put on the desk alongside your PC and powered monitors.

The only complaint I have is the crowded front-panel, a lack of XLR input, and perhaps a way to apply analog tone-control, something iFi Pro iDSD Signature offers. Other than that – nothing, really.

It’s rare that I come across a device so complete, and something that may stop you from purchasing further gears because it does everything so well. The Questyle CMA Fifteen earns my highest recommendation, and also gets a place in our Wall of Excellence, replacing the previous CMA Twelve Master.

Job well done, Questyle!

MY VERDICT

4.75/5

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

Get it from HiFiGo

Our generic standard disclaimer.

PHOTOGRAPHY

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

The post Questyle CMA Fifteen Review – The Great Sequel appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Cons — The Gryphon can feel unwieldy when paired with large phones
– Not powerful enough to drive planars
– Slight hiss with extremely sensitive IEMs (without IEMatch)
– Not the best battery life when driving power-hungry cans
– High recharge times

INTRODUCTION

iFi Audio has been hard at work lately as they are continually refreshing their existing models whereas throwing in a new model or two to further flesh out their lineup.

The iFi xDSD Gryphon is their latest portable DAC-Amp and in terms of pricing it sits below the venerable micro iDSD Signature. In terms of features and use-case though, the Gryphon seem to be an evolved xCAN. Moreover, the circuitry has similarities with the desktop all-in-one iFi Neo iDSD (reviewed here).

So, the Gryphon appears to be a mish-mash of several past and present iFi products and seem to have taken the best bits from them, at least on paper. Let’s see if the real-world performance stacks up accordingly.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. iFi Audio was kind enough to send me the xDSD Gryphon as a loaner via WOD Audio.

Earphones/Headphones used: Dunu Zen, Earsonics ONYX, Campfire Audio Holocene, Sennheiser HD650, ZMF Atrium, Final Sonorous III.
Firmware versions: 1.45
Price, while reviewed: 600 euros. Can be bought from WOD Audio.

PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

iFi Audio went for a minimalist package with the Gryphon. You get the essentials: a USB type-C to type-C cable (for connecting to phones), a USB type-C to lightning cable (for connecting with iPhones), and a type-C to USB type-A cable for charging. Alongside, you also get a felt carrying pouch.

BUILD QUALITY

Build quality of the xDSD Gryphon is excellent. The housing is sandblasted aluminum with a wavy pattern on top. The volume pot is also color-matched and has distinct “steps” when rotated.

There are two buttons on the right side of the volume pot (xBass II/xSpace switch, and input selector respectively) and two headphone outputs on the left side (4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended). The volume pot has good feedback when rotated but the press feedback is a bit mushy.

The bottom of the device is extremely busy. From the left, first up is the XBass II adjusting switch. You can tweak the sound of the bass boost or the stage expansion here. Then, there are two type-C ports, one for charging and another for connecting to external devices. Underneath the charging port is a charge indicator LED.

Next to that is the coaxial/optical input, which is rare to find in device of such class nowadays. Finally, there are the 4.4mm and 3.5mm analog input/line-output. It is a variable line-out, which means voltage needs to be adjusted via the volume pot. You can use the Gryphon as a standalone DAC and pre-amp if needed.

The volume pot also acts as a power button and has an LED on top to indicate a range of SPLs (Sound Pressure Level). Another LED on the side also shows the current sample rate and file format. The following image shows all the colors and their corresponding sample rate or format.

Engaging either xBass II or PowerMatch lights up the tiny white LEDs beside the button. At the bottom there is the IEMatch switch that can select between the single-ended or balanced output. Finally, at the top faceplate resides the SilentLine OLED display which can be used to modify settings and cycle between inputs etc.

Overall, excellent build quality with no noticeable room for improvement.

HANDLING

The xDSD Gryphon, at 215 g, is not too substantial in terms of weight. However, due to the 75mm width can be awkward to hold in hand. This becomes more noticeable when you’re stacking the DAC/Amp with a large phone (most modern phones are large anyway).

As a result, I preferred to use the Gryphon with my laptop in wired mode, and while on-the-go, I paired via Bluetooth with my phone. Fortunately, the aluminium chassis provides decent amount of grip, so stacking is possible.

BATTERY LIFE

Clocking at around 8hrs of playback time, the battery life on the Gryphon is decent if unremarkable. This figure goes down further if you drive high impedance dynamics or use it over BT for long periods.

The 3600mAh battery pack could have been increased for higher playback times, but then the device would become thicker. Recharging takes about 5 hours on a typical phone charger, which is extremely high. I wish iFi employed a fast charging circuit because this recharge time means you can’t just quickly top it off once the battery empties.

INTERNAL HARDWARE

iFi Audio are most comfortable with using the BurrBrown chipset and here it appears again on the xDSD Gryphon. This is the same DAC chip that appears in the flagship Pro iDSD Signature (albeit in a quad-DAC config). The BB DSD1793 chipset offers native DSD encoding and with the updated XMOS controller can now decode MQA files at a hardware level. This feature, admittedly, is of little use to non-TIdal HiFi users but it doesn’t hurt to have an extra feature.

The potentiometer is fully analog, thus not facing some of the limitations that digital potentiometers may have. However, being analog in nature, it may degrade over time. The switches used are all from ALPS, . The amp sections remains unchanged on paper, with quad JFET OV4627 op-amps (customized for iFi Audio). The amp circuit also uses a dual-mono design for the balanced output.

Other extras include the xBass feature which is an analog EQ and mostly aims to “fix” the sub-bass roll-off issue on open-back headphones. In reality, many open-back headphones suffer from distortion in those regions and applying an EQ might cause further distortion and clipping. The other feature is the iEMatch switch that adds additional resistance to the signal path for highly sensitive IEMs, blocking hiss in the process.

As for the xSpace, it adds a sense of space to the sound that doesn’t sound artificial or overdone. I found the implementation to be tasteful with IEMs especially so give that one a try. The BT5.1 is one of the highlights of the product and has LDAC support. iFi also uses a new proprietary PureWave topology where they go for a dual-mono setup with shorter signal paths than their previous designs.

Speaking of power outputs, the xDSD Gryphon outputs 1W @ 32ohms from the balanced out and 320mW @ 32ohms from the single-ended output (which also supports their proprietary S-balanced tech). The voltage swing can go as high as 6.7Vrms from the balanced out (with a 600ohm load) and this comes handy when driving high impedance dynamic driver headphones. Output impedance is lower than 1ohm on both (with IEMatch turned off).

The internal components are all high quality as expected. TDK/Murata/Panasonic/Kemet caps, and FET-based switching to mute those annoying “pops” you encounter on some DAC/Amps. The PCB design is excellent and the components are high quality so I have no qualms about the internals of the Gryphon.

XDSD GRYPHON TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

The general sound of the iFi xDSD Gryphon can be summarized as warm-neutral. It has the characteristic iFi Audio warmth with smooth treble and an engaging, transparent midrange. The bass is mostly neutral but can be pushed higher with the xBass switch. Depending on the xBass mode, the bass can sound atmospheric (with slight bloom and reverb) or mostly focus on increasing punch and slam.

Staging and imaging is excellent on the xDSD Gryphon. No, they won’t rival their desk counterparts, but given the portability it is better than most DAPs in this range. Treble also doesn’t exhibit the rather common “glare” you find in many dongles these days. There is a sense of naturalness to the signature that can be addicting. Despite this slight laid-back delivery, the Gryphon is very resolving, bringing out subtle nuances from tracks and doing justice to flagship IEMs with their detail retrieval capacity.

One thing to note is that changing the firmware can bring subtle changes to the sound due to changes in reconstruction filter. I used both the GTO and non-GTO firmwares. The latter had a more laid-back treble and had a slightly wider stage, while the former had slightly more up-front mids and more macrodynamic punch. Biggest difference happens with MQA files on the GTO firmware, so if you are using Tidal, this is the recommended one.

Overall transparency and resolution was very good, with no noticeable roll-off in the upper-treble frequencies. Separation was very good as well, though the likes of Chord Mojo2 does that better. The background hiss with sensitive IEMs is also not distracting, as once the music starts playing you don’t even notice it. Moreover, there is IEMatch to take care of hiss, though that tends to modify the frequency response of some multi-BA IEMs so keep that in mind.

PAIRING NOTES

Sennheiser HD650

The Sennheiser HD650 is one of the few headphones that scale according to the source quality. On paper, the xDSD Gryphon has the required voltage swing to power it, and it does sound good. The HD650 got loud from the balanced out and had some of the dynamics it can display on a more powerful amp. Separation was good as well.

However, you still don’t quite get the “magic” that happens when you connect the HD650 to OTL amps like Feliks Euforia. Granted, that thing is a behemoth and costs over 3 grands. For the size and price, I think the Gryphon did a good job with the HD650, but those headphones can scale higher.

Final Sonorous III

Final Sonorous III is a closed back pair of headphones and are very efficient. Despite the efficiency they are quite transparent to source quality. The Gryphon drove them excellently with no loss in dynamics and the bass was quite pleasant. The mids were transparent, with no evident peaks in the upper mids that tends to creep up on some sources.

I would call the xDSD Gryphon an excellent pairing for efficient dynamic driver headphones.

ZMF Atrium

The ZMF Atrium is a similarly high impedance dynamic driver as the HD650. Their pairing with the Gryphon was surprisingly good. I got great separation, the bass was not loose and had good amount of punch, and the staging was excellent.

The Atrium can scale much higher (with the aforementioned Feliks Euforia for example) but for portable use, the Gryphon are absolutely adequate. Just make sure you use the balanced out.

Hifiman HE-6se V2

On the planar magnetic side, we have the Hifiman HE-6se V2. With 82dB @ 50 ohms efficiency, these are one of the hardest to drive headphones in the entire planet. The Gryphon failed to get them loud enough to be enjoyable, even from the balanced output. These headphones are notorious for bringing amps to their knees and sadly xDSD Gryphon isn’t designed for such workloads.

Dunu Zen and Dunu Zen Pro

The Dunu Zen and Zen Pro both exhibited slight hiss from the balanced out of the xDSD Gryphon. However, the overall sound was quite pleasant. The pairing was very resolving without being “on-your-face”. I especially liked how the Gryphon took some edge off of the OG Zen, which can be a bit peaky near the upper-mids.

In general, the xDSD Gryphon pairs really well with most if not all IEMs. The warm-neutral yet transparent signature complements somewhat analytical headphones and even works well with warmer sounding gear. On the other hand, I would not recommend it for power-hungry planar magnetic headphones, or very high impedance dynamic driver headphones due to the relatively lower voltage swing.

SELECT COMPARISONS

vs iFi micro iDSD Signature

The micro iDSD Signature (reviewed here by Alberto) is priced slightly higher than the xDSD Gryphon, but has a much more powerful amp section and a Dual-DAC implementation.

In terms of physical appearance and handling, the iDSD Signature is noticeably larger and heavier. It’s also more of a transportable DAC-Amp than a portable one. The xBass implementation on the Gryphon is better and offers more fine-tuning. The display is also handy.

Meanwhile, the micro iDSD can replace some desktop amps with the incredible 4W @ 16ohms output. This one is meant to drive full-size cans and apart from the likes of Hifiman HE-6se V2 and Abyss 1266TC, it can drive most headphones including some planars.

On the other hand, the Gryphon offers more flexible connectivity and pairs better with IEMs, which are easily over-driven by the micro iDSD Signature. Background hiss was also comparatively lower on the xDSD Gryphon. Soundwise, the micro iDSD Signature goes for a meatier, denser presentation, whereas Gryphon has better clarity and somewhat laid-back signature.

In short: if your primary use-case is IEMs, then go for the Gryphon. It’s more portable, easier to pair with phones, and there is lower chance of over-driving the earphones. For headphone usage the micro iDSD will be a better fit.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The iFi xDSD Gryphon offers a lot of bells and whistles, and in a sense is more versatile than their desktop DAC-Amp, the Neo iDSD. iFi managed to miniaturize the circuitry in a pocket form, while offering the same output power. That’s remarkable indeed. I wish the Gryphon offered a fixed-voltage line-out but that’s a minor nitpick.

The biggest gripe, for me, would be the slow recharge time. For such a moderate-capacity battery I expected lower recharge time. I had to charge the Gryphon every 3 days during review, and if I forgot to charge it overnight then I couldn’t take it out during commute. Bummer.

Nonetheless, those looking for a battery-powered DAC/Amp for all-purpose use via BT or USB, the xDSD Gryphon is pretty much one of the best under $1000. You do not get absolute output power for headphones, but you get excellent transparency in the sound and fantastic pairing with IEMs irrespective of tuning of driver config. Recommended.

MY VERDICT

4.5/5

One of the best portable DAC-Amps in its price-class for powering IEMs and moderately efficient headphones.

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

Get it from WOD Audio.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

PHOTOGRAPHY

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

The post iFi Audio xDSD Gryphon Review (1) – Swiss Army Knife appeared first on Music For The Masses.

The new version of iFi’s recently discontinued hip-dac, amongst the few low cost mobile dac-amps featured of our Wall of Excellence, is marketed at a very similar price (€ 189,00) compared to its precedessor.

At the end of the day, my opinion about hip-dac2 could be condensed in a simple one-liner: as good as Hip Dac, so very good for this price point, with the addition of a higher MQA reconstruction quality.

As I never published an article about original hip-dac I will take this opportunity to deliver an extended article on the “hip-dac franchise”, so to call it. I will clearly mark the differences between hip-dac2 and hip-dac within the text. Let’s go through it.

At-a-glance Card

Product analysis

Key features and general description

hip-dac2 (like its precedessor hip-dac) is a battery-equipped slim-bodied easily pocketable USB DAC-AMP.

Size-, weight- and shape-wise it’s just wonderful. The full metal shell is sturdy, greatly pocketable, and at the same time superbly stylish from the shape and finishing points of view. It “pairs” very well with an average smartphone when used in conjunction with that.

Sole audio input is the USB data port.  The input connector is the “usual” iFi USB-A recessed male plug. A USB-A(f) to USB-C and a USB-A(f) to USB-A(m) short cables are supplied free. No UBS-A(f) to micro-USB nor USB-A(f) to Apple Lightning are offered in the package.

No coax, optical nor analog input available. hip-dac2 (or hip-dac) can’t be used as a pure amplifier.

Two phone outputs are available: single ended (S-balanced, actually – more on this below) 3.5mm and balanced 4.4 mm.

No line-out analog output is available, which means that hip-dac2 (or hip-dac) can’t be used as a “pure DAC”, plugged into a downstream amp device. It still can be further amplified but the internal amp section will anyhow be involved as a “pre-amp”.

The internal battery cannot be charged via the digital input USB port. A separate charge-only USB-C port is dedicated to charging (a short USB-A to USB-C cable is included in the package). This is good as it cuts on much of the source-incoming noise typically carried by an active VBUS line. On the other hand it means that even when USB-connected to (say) a laptop the hip-dac2 / hip-dac will always only take power from its internal battery, and will eventually run out of juice.

Battery autonomy as always depends on usage (highres files and high volume listening consume more of course) but you can count on some good 6-7 hours of “common spec” listening. A full recharge takes like 3 hours.

When referring to similarly priced portable DAC-AMP devices, hip-dac2 / hip-dac’s power specifications are nominally impressively high vs high impedance loads (6.2V vs 600 ohm, just wow!) and a good step above average vs mid impedance loads (400mW vs 32 ohm).

iFi doesn’t table specs vs low impedance loads (< 16ohm) though, nor hip-dac2 / hip-dac’s output impedance on either of its phone out ports is declared.

Similar to what happens for most if not all of their devices, iFi offers a selection of easily user-installable firmware alternatives for Hip Dac 2 – ultimately yielding into alternative choices in terms of digital reconstruction filters.

Lastly, the device offers a manual High Gain button (labelled “Power Match”) and an XBass+ button. More on these later.

How does it sound: DAC performance

Considering hip-dac2 / hip-dac lack a proper Line Out, DAC performances are only partially assessable as some will be influenced by the integrated amp stage.

It is nevertheless quite evident that hip-dac2 / hip-dac’s voicing is very good when looking at pretty much any other similar portable DAC-AMP on this level of budget. Auditioned from its Balanced output port (more on why later) range is very well extended both towards the bass and the highs. Bass notes are well bodied, not particularly enhanced. Treble is smooth while more than nicely airy, and mids are quite evidently the best developed section.

There’s a quite evident warm tonality – difficult if not impossible to say which section (DAC and/or AMP) contributes to that most. But it’s there. If I have to compare with my experience with other iFi devices offering Line Out options (Nano iDSD Black Label, Micro iDSD Signature) I am ready to bet this is mostly AMP-related but again… it’s a guess.

Good DAC performance doesn’t come by chance. iFi adopts high-standard components even inside their budget products like hip-dac2 / hip-dac, and this is surely one good first step – but this often happens on many chi-fi devices, which on even or very similar “internal stuff list” condition in the end sound apparently much worse. The real key is engineering competence, really – and that can’t be so easily “cloned”.

One aspect: a fundamental requisite to obtain good performances from a DAC device is avoiding interferences on the incoming digital data. Not talking about human-audible interferences, of course. You might want to read this other article of mine to get a flavour of what I’m talking about. As already mentioned above, hip-dac2 / hip-dac don’t take power from the USB data cable, this way apriori cutting a lot in terms of noise “collection”.

Another aspect: unlike the overwhelming majority of the other budget mobile devices, hip-dac2 / hip-dac offer an analog volume control, not a digital one. The reason why this is way better for DAC performances is quite technical (check here for a good, reasonabe vulgarly-explained article) but putting it very simply: digital volume controls act upon the digital stream before it reaches the DAC, and deliver a “integral” digital data to the DAC only at their end-scale position (so at “100% volume” position); intermediate volume levels are realized by applying attenuatin to the digital data which de facto corresponds to reducing their digital resolution.

An analog-volume device like hip-dac2 / hip-dac always feeds its DAC chip at full digital resolution, and attenuates the analog output aposteriori only. Why not every device has this ? Quite simply because analogue volume controls are more expensive to implement and more complicated to design

Firmware options

Like most if not all other iFi DAC devices, hip-dac2 / hip-dac can run a range of firmware variants, each offering different features or optimisations. Firmware packages and the apps required to flash them are freely available on iFi’s web site, here.  The flashing process is really easy and straightforward, at least on Windows platform.

The 3 significant versions to choose from for hip-dac2 are:

For the original hip-dac a very similar option is available although it may be interesting to note here that there have been two hip-dac sub-versions, one tagged with serial numbers beginning with 54010 and the other with serial numbers beginning with 54040. The latter generation accepts the same 7-generation firmware packages as hip-dac2 (labelled respectively 7.2, 7.2c and 7.2b), while the former older generation accepts older versions of the same packages ( labelled respectively 5.3, 5.3c and 5.2).

DSD is a very interesting standard but I don’t de facto currently own nor plan to own music files sampled above DSD 256, so the two options which get my attention are 7.3 and 7.3c.

Their fundamental difference is one only but a significant one at that: with 7.3c iFi’s own GTO (Gibbs Transient Optimised) filter replaces Burr Brown’s native reconstruction filters.

I strongly recommend you read iFi’s whitepaper about why and how this may be technically desireable, or not.

The paper focuses on throughly illustrating GTO’s output features while leaving another important aspect in the background: with 7.3c hip-dac2 will systematically upsample all digital input coming from the USB port up to 32 bit / 384KHz resolution prior to feeding the DAC chips. For what I seem to have understood this is fundamentally required for the GTO filter itself to work as intended.

I already experienced iFi’s GTO implementation in conjunction with Micro iDSD Signature and Nano iDSD Black Label. Simply put: on Nano iDSD BL the GTO option “sounds worse” than the native ones – for my tastes at least. Oppositely, GTO performance on Micro iDSD Signature is very significant, offering important analog reconstruction improvements on redbook-standard (16bit / 44.1KHz) tracks compared to the non-GTO firmware option.

Very similar is my experience on hip-dac2 / hip-dac, and this is one of the few notable differences between the two generations.

hip-dac2 GTO implementation (fw 7.3c) offers a very good alternative option compared to non-GTO (fw 7.3).

Oppositely, when I tested this on a first-version (ser# 54010xxxxx) original hip-dac I got a very similar result as the one I got with the Nano iDSD BL: GTO firmware is basically not worth for me. I didn’t have an opportunity to test a latter-generation hip-dac (ser# 54040xxxxx).

MQA

This is quite evidently the most important aspect about which hip-dac2 represents a significant upgrade from hip-dac: MQA reconstruction performance is evidently better.

MQA royalties and consulting fees apart, as one may easily imagine different enabling hardware makes a big difference on such a computing intensive process as MQA unfolding. Newer generation iFi models (hip-dac2, Diablo, ZEN DAC v2 etc) carry a 16 core XMOS chip with a much higher capacity and computing power (2X the clock speed, 4X the internal memory, latest USB standards compliance) so – simply put – it can “do more at the same time” than the predecessor model.

The improvement in the audible result is quite evident, and totally in line with theory. When applied to MQA-authenticated tracks hip-dac2 reconstructs a much airier, defined and detailed sound compared to the job done by hip-dac as mere Renderer on the very same tracks.

On the other hand, though, I think it’s worthwhile here to remember that – like it or not – MQA is not any sort of magical way to make a DAC sound better then it technically could when applied to a non-MQA, full resolution version of the same track.

A very easy comparison example for me is with Apogee Groove. While of course hip-dac2 will reconstruct/reproduce an MQA-master track at a higher level of audible detail and resolution compared to what Groove will do when connected as a non-MQA DAC on the same track, on the other hand Groove’s range extension, dynamic range, bass and treble control stay on a superior level even in such an “handicap-started” race. Even more evident is the DAC reconstruction quality difference of course when applying hip-dac2 to a given MQA-authenticated track, and Groove to a high-res non-MQA version of the very same track.

Long story short, I guess it all boils down to a quite trivial conclusion: MQA is no magic wand, it’s got no “hardware upgrade power”. Of course.

How does it sound: AMP performance

Based on experience I stopped expecting that low budget devices offer similar amping quality results from both their single and balanced ended outputs. It fundamentally never happens.

The fact is that in these cases balanced amping architecture is primarily adopted as an inexpensive, easy-implementable way for many manufacturers to offer a decent or above-decent output quality (cleanness, transparency, dynamic range) off of apriori difficult situations such as small / ultrasmall and low price tier pocketable devices.

Clean amping is mostly dependent on high quality power management, and in a small and/or relatively inexpensive “box” there is little “room” (physical and virtual) to fit appropriate power management circuitry. Clean power is a challange on amps of any size, and a very steep one the smaller the form factor and the budget get.

As size & cost go up it starts to be possible to encounter devices e.g. the Micro iDSD Signature whereon Single Ended and Balanced phone outs present a power difference, but negligible quality differences. Below that size and budget, I just encountered white flys. Groove, to name one, which Single Ended output is a few times over cleaner, more transparent and dynamic-extended than any other Balanced-equipped device below $300 I happened to hear. Another good case is Sony NW-A55. I have a serious hard time naming a third.

From this point of view, hip-dac2 / hip-dac follow the mainstream. Do not expect wonders from their Single Ended outputs, as in facts you won’t get any. The other way around is rather true: hip-dac2 / hip-dac’s Single Ended output is unimpressive – dull, compressed, closed-in. This, in spite of the good deeds of their S-Balanced tech.

Different story for the Balanced Ended 4.4mm output, which comes accross evidently airier, better bilaterally extended, with a very good level of control on bass and smooth trebles, and most of all a quite nice dynamic range and good microdynamic rendering. In a word, the solid impression is that on hip-dac2 / hip-dac BE out is the sole one with enough cleanness and transparency as to offer some justice to the preceding DAC stage.

As I already mentioned above, there’s a distinct warm coloration. Is this coming from the DAC or the AMP? Difficult to determine as hip-dac2 / hip-dac don’t offer a pure Line Out option, and thus a chance to use a third-party amp like it happens on other iFi models like Nano iDSD BL or Micro iDSD Signature is precluded.

A small difference can also be identified between hip-dac2 and hip-dac’s overall output quality, namely the former being a bit more sparkly in the highs, and just a whiff less intimate as far as soundstage goes.

I didn’t mention soundstage yet, which is definitely not a shiny aspect for hip-dac2 nor hip-dac. Quite narrow, really. Is this due to scarce spatial reconstruction skills at the DAC level or due to unclean AMPing? Again, impossible to say due to the lack of a Line Out option – and after all useless to know either, as it’s not something the user can do anything about.

Lastly, I think it’s worth noting that some hiss is picked by very sensitive loads (CA Andromeda, anyone? ). While definitely an imperfection taken per se, I guess it should be conceded to hip-dac2 / hip-dac that it’s a very common one, almost irregardlessly of the device budget.

Extra features

There are two toggle-buttons beside hip-dac2 / hip-dac’s volume knob, named Power Match and XBass.

Power Match is nice attempt at a layman-friendly naming for a Gain switch. Activating Power Match puts hip-dac2 / hip-dac in High Gain mode, which is of course recommended (only) when a low-sensitivity driver is connected. Attention though: on low-sensitivity and low-impedance devices the suggestion is flipped – Low Gain is typically a much better option.

XBass behaves like what an EQ expert would call a low shelf positive filter. By ear it pushes lows up by 2dB-ish from 100Hz down. Might occasionally turn out to be handy to help some bass-shy drivers, or as a compromise to compensate for some drivers requiring a higher level of current delivery than what hip-dac2 / hip-dac can deliver to express their best on their bass lines.

Notable pairings

You find some significant pairing impressions reported in Kazi’s article, which I already mentioned above.

I find myself totally in line with what Kazi wrote when referring to final Sonorous-III and Dunu ZEN / ZEN Pro which I also had a chance to directly test with hip-dac2 and hip-dac. Ditto for my experience with a pair of high-impedance cans, which is HD600 in my case – ultimately showing that hip-dac2 / hip-dac’s nominal 6V @ 600ohm spec is less effective than it may seem when put to the real work.

Let me just add a few other experiences here.

final E3000

Biasing-wise the pair is technically good, insofar as hip-dac2 and hip-dac both definitely deliver enough current to E3000 to open them up properly, keeping their bass transients controlled and delivering a good sense of space. The unavoidable down side is that due to E3000’s fixed cable it’s impossible to exploit hip-dac2 / hip-dac’s best amping output (the Balanced one) so the forced-single-ended pair is bound to unavoidably suffer from some dullness and lack of dynamics.

final E5000

Even when paired on the Balanced output hip-dac2 and hip-dac don’t seem to deliver enough current soon enough to brighten-up E5000’s bass line. The result is an overly thick presentation which is what very commonly one gets on E5000 from budget-tier sources.

Ikko OH-1S and Tanchjim Oxygen

Although different, the two IEMs react very similarly to hip-dac2 / hip-dac pair. Both get turned on very nicely by the balanced output, delivering much of their competence in terms of technicality. Both get “warmed up” by hip-dac2 / hip-dac’s coloration, which may be a welcome variation to many in comparison to their otherwise slightly-bright/neutral tonality. Hip-dac2 pushes both’s highmids up, luckily without passing the glare limit. Nice ones.

final Sonorous-II

Similarly to what happens on Sonorous-III, the pair has lights and shadows. Good is bass (a case where the XBass switch delivers a pleasant alternative at the user’s fingertip), and microdynamics. Less good is high-mids which get a bit too hot.

Shure SRH-1840

This is a really good pair. Power available on Low Gain is already more than enough to make SRH-1840 sing pretty well, and there’s no overdoing on the high-mids. Some treble extension is lacking. General warmth may be considered bearable in this case due to the fundamental pure neutrality of the phones taken on their own. Too bad for the narrow stage, but at this price level I’ve yet to find a better pair for SRH-1840 if I exclude Groove.

Notable comparisons

Again, some notable comparisons are already mentioned on Kazi’s article, which I once again encourage you to read. I do share his opinion about hip-dac2 vs hip-dac entirely.

vs Apogee Groove

The comparison is apriori dishomogeneous as Groove is a high-power-demanding dongle with a unique, not-general-purpose amping architecture while hip-dac2 and hip-dac are designed with full-horizontal applicability in mind. Performance differences found between the two devices should be put in the correct perspective.

That said, Groove’s DAC and AMP refinements, where applicable, are significantly better compared to hip-dac2 / hip-dac.

Hip-dac2’s DAC reconstruction prowess does challenge Groove’s resolving power exclusively when applied to MQA-authenticated tracks. On such very tracks, hip-dac2’s Full Decoder capabilities deliver superior resolution and air, while on the other hand still falling short vs Groove on range extension, bass control and treble vividness. On non-MQA material there’s no game instead.

vs Hidizs S9 Pro

Another dishomogeneous therefore “unfair” comparison, which I’m mentioning basically only due to S9 Pro’s popularity. Similarly to Groove, Hidizs S9 Pro is a battery-less dongle featuring a high host-power demand. Different from Groove, it carries a general-purpose amping architecture free from apriori pairing limitations.

Like hip-dac2 / hip-dac, S9 Pro also comes with dual phone outputs (Single Ended and Balanced Ended), and again similarly in both cases the Single Ended option, well, might also be omitted, for how underwhelming they are compared to their Balanced Ended alternatives.

That said, the sound quality difference between the two devices is nothing short of dramatic. Hip-dac2 / hip-dac are better resolving, have better estension, better dynamics and better features. Last but not least, when connected to a “noisy” host (e.g a laptop) S9 Pro degrades its cleanness and spatial reconstruction performance quite evidently, and benefits of a noise filter adoption (e.g. an iFi iSilencer or an AudioQuest Jitter Bug), while hip-dac2 / hip-dac is much more resilient off the bat.

S9 Pro costs 35% less than hip-dac2, that must be noted, too.

vs iFi Nano iDSD Black Label

Similarly priced and after all not so differently-sized, the two devices do behave similarly.

Overall, hip-dac2 comes out ahead when used as a complete (DAC+AMP) system, even more so if applied to MQA material as Nano iDSD Black label is a mere Renderer not a Full Decoder. On the flip side, Nano iDSD Black Label offers a pure Line Out option which is the big “missing bit” from hip-dac2 / hip-dac, which allows the user to “upgrade” the device with an external amp – possibly a desktop one? – and fully exploit the really nice quality of its internal DAC.

Considerations & conclusions

Hip-dac2 is an outstanding device, quite evidently the best sub-200$ battery powered pocketable DAC-AMP on the market today. It delivers very good DAC reconstruction capabilities, significant amping power, and remarkable cleannes, dynamics and air from its Balanced Ended headphone output.

Compared to its preceding version, hip-dac2 offers MQA Full Decoding which represent a solid further improvement for Tidal fans. Apart from that, its features are identical and its sound quality are so close to the preceding version that a current hip-dac owner may safely hold on to his existing investment in case Tidal Master is not his streaming service of choice.

Disclaimer

As always, a big thank you to iFi for the continued opportunity they offer me to keep assessing their products.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

The post iFi hip-dac2 Review (2) – Still The Best appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Gear of the Year: 2021 marks the blog’s third year and the second with 8 contributors. We collectively published almost 200 articles, mainly product reviews, but also technical information. Apart from receiving review units from manufacturers and sellers, we also purchased a lot…and we borrowed from audiophile friends and colleagues.

We are a heterogeneous bunch not pressed into templates by commercialism. Each of us enjoys maximum freedom. None of us gets paid. And it is this variety that makes this blog interesting. Two of us, Baskingshark and Kazi, have been drafted to also write for Headphonesty, which gives them more exposure and also access to very interesting gear.

Our main focus has traditionally been on earphones – we have reviewed almost 300 – but particularly DACs and amps also caught our attention this year.

As at the end of the previous years, we list our our personal favourites of 2021 – the portable audio we personally enjoyed most. There are no rules, we just tell you what we like. After all, the gear we use most is our best. And we attached some of this gear to our newly created Wall of Excellence, which averages all our opinions.

Enjoy this read and we wish you a happy and successful 2023!

We thank

Most of our reviews would have not been possible without our 2021 cooperating partners. We thank:

ADV, Allo, Apos Audio, Astell & Kern, AudioQuest, Azla, Blon, BQEYZ, Burson Audio, Campfire Audio, Cayin, CCA, Dekoni, Dunu, ddHiFi, EarMen, Easy Earphones, Fiil, Helm Audio, Hidizs, HifiGo, ifi Audio, IKKO Audio, KBEAR/TRI Audio, Keephifi, Khadas, Knowledge Zenith, Meze, Moondrop, Musicteck, NiceHCK, OneOdio, Penon Official Store, Pergear, Sennheiser, Shanling, Shenzhenaudio, Smabat, Snake Oil Sound, SpinFit, Tempotec, Tin Hifi, TRN Official Store, Unique Melody, Venture Electronics, Whizzer Official Store, Yaotiger Hifi Audio Store. Don’tkillusifweforgotyoujustsendusanotandwefixit. 

For the companies: you can check for your products/yourself in the search field on the right-hand side.

We also thank the private sources that supplied us with loaners.

And here we go…that’s what we enjoyed in 2021…

Alberto Pittaluga…Bologna, ITALY

I’ve come accross quite a few interesting pieces of gear in 2021, mixed / hidden amongst piles of shameful crap. Nothing new, is it ? I’ll try to make a succint list of the most significant stuff I auditioned here. Most of these devices are also now part of my operative audio gear.

IEMS

Dunu ZEN (discountinued, was $ 699,00) : beyond spectacular microdynamics, resolution, layering and technicalities in general. A masterpiece.

iBasso IT07 ($899) : the sole real “direct upgrade” to Ikko OH10 I encountered as of yet. Same presentation, twice the refinement, at more than four times the price.

Oriolus Isabellae ($ 599) : somewhat “more V-shaped” alternative to Zen, delivering very similar technical prowess.

Ikko OH1S ($143) : a potential new join into the our World of Excellence roster as a sub-200$ allrounder

Headphones

Final Sonorous-II  (€ 300) : arguably by far the best neutral-tuned closebacks in their price category, staging and imaging easily compete with many lower tier openback alternatives.

Sennheiser HD600 (€ 310) : not a novelty for anybody but me, I’m sure. Quite simply: I got my first HD600 pair in 2021 and that’s why I’m listing it here. I presume no one needs a description. Do you?

Earbuds

Rose Mojito ($259) : superbly neutral-tuned high end earbuds with strong bilateral extention, beyond spectacular mids and vivid, refined highs in a fully holographic stage, with plenty of resolution and dynamics.

K’s Earphone Bell-LBS (€ 59,25) : mid centric buds delivering superbly organic vocals – both male and female – and very good trebles

K’s Earphone K300 (€ 28,59) : unreal sub-bass extension for an earbud, they deliver a very nice V shaped presentation while drawing an incredibly sizeable 3D stage. Presentation remembers a bit Ikko OH10, but in earbud form.

DAC/AMPs

Ifi Micro iDSD Signature (€ 749) : top sub-$1K mobile dac-amp. Very high quality DAC reconstruction paired with superbly transparent amping stage with power to spare for the most demanding planars and power deflation options to optimise low impedance IEM biasing. Truly a full step ahead of the competitors’ pack.

DAPs

Cowon Plenue 2 MK-I (€ 835) : hopped on this recently when I found a impossible to turndown openbox deal. Starting from my direct experience proving that there’s pretty much no game between proprietary-OS DAPs vs commercial-OS (read Android) DAPs, the former being in by far better position to achieve superior output sound quality, Plenue 2 represents a great companion to my QP1R offering a different / alternative optimal pairing opportunity for a few of my preferred IEM drivers.

DAC/AMP Dongles

This year’s experience proved to me that exclusively higher-tier (and price) dongles are able to deliver sound qualities worth the comparison with battery-equipped alternatives. Simply put: pretty much nothing until an Apogee Groove ($200) is really worth the price difference compared to the super-cheap Apple Dongle ($9), and even on the Groove some caveats apply (power needs, amp stage competibility).  That said, I really had pick one device “in the midfield” I’d pick the :

Questyle M12 ($139,99): while still not worth an inclusion on our Wall of Excellence, yet M12 runs circles around pretty much all similar or lower priced competitors I assessed in terms of extension, note weight, clarity and technicalities.

Biodegraded…Vancouver, CANADA

Doesn’t have anything to report this year.

Durwood…Chicago, USA

Shozy Form 1.4 has still been my go to earphone due to it’s warm inviting nature, great technical abilities and it feels great in my ears.

7Hz Timeless is another good buy late in the year for me, it’s a little more sub-bass plus analytical counterpart to the Shozy that has nudged the BQEYZ Spring 2 out of the way. A more detailed review is coming.

I rediscovered the Senfer UES for a quick throw around set, was hoping the Senfer DT9 was a slight improvement, but alas the Senfer UES sticks around instead. Sony MH755 is also perfect for quick on the go usage where I don’t need the universal fit in-ears.

Tempotec impressed me enough to consider the Sonata E35 for when good phone DAP’s are finally dead. Other than that, dongles are not my thing, and I have issues with some of Sony’s GUI decisions on the NW-A55 mainly related to playlist creation and long text support.

Lastly, the Questyle CMA Twelve would be an awesome DAC/amp combo to have, but my needs are more mobile. Perhaps when life slows down, but there are other bucket list items such as the Burson Playmate 2, RebelAmp, the Ruebert Neve RNHP, or RME ADI-2 that look interesting as well. Maybe someone will loan me one in 2022?

Jürgen Kraus…Calgary, CANADA

Earphones have traditionally been our main trade and there’s not many that stuck with me this year. First and foremost, I was impressed by the immersive and engaging sound of the single DD Dunu Zen that further excel in microdynamics. They are still very popular within our team.

Moondrop finally got it right with their tuning in the smooth and very pleasant sounding Moondrop KATO single dynamic driver. This model is generally well received. The JVC HA-FDX1 are still my standard iems for equipment testing, and an honourable mention goes to the Unique Melody 3DT for the clean implementation of 3 (!) dynamic drivers.

Another iem that fascinated me is the Japanese Final E5000. On the market since 2018, and very source demanding, this iem can produce a bass texture beyond belief. I have become a bit of a Final fanboy, as their products are unpretentious and natural sounding…and they fit my ears very well. I also purchased the Final E1000, E3000, and A3000…which get a lot of usage. No surprise that our Wall of Excellence is decorated like a Christmas tree by quite a few of these Japanese earphones and headphones.

Expanding my horizon into other devices, the Sony NW-A55 is a user-friendly digital audio player with great sonic characteristics and signature-altering 3rd party firmware options. But, most of all, it updates its music library within a minute or two. For the ultimate portable enjoyment, I discovered the Questyle QP1R dap...sounds simply amazing with the Final E5000. Found the dap on Canuck Audio Mart.

Dongles, battery-less headphone DAC/amps that turn any cheap phone into a decent music player, were big in 2021. Around since 2016, the market caught on to these devices. But out of the mass of dongles tested, the 2019 AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt was the most musical to my ears. I also like the AudioQuest DragonFly Red and the EarMen Eagle (replacing the EarMen Sparrow which I sent to Biodegraded). For earphone testing (and bigger cans), I still use the excellent Earstudio HUD100.

For my full-sized headphone needs with my notebook, I discovered the powerful Apogee Groove, a current-hungry dongle DAC/amp that has been around since 2015. I am even portable around the house. As to headphones themselves, I am still happy with the Sennheiser HD 600 and HD 25, but also with the Koss Porta Pro.

For my desktop setup, I identified the EarMen Tradutto as being a fantastic DAC in combination with the Burson Funk amp. Currently testing the Tradutto with my big stereo system.

In summary, I learnt a lot in 2021…

My Take Home this Year

• The latest is barely the greatest…many old brooms get better into the corners
• Influencers are not always right (…to say it nicely)
• Measurements are overrated
• Timbre (degree of naturalness of sound) is underrated
• Source is super important and also underrated
• Group pressure through hype may become a sobering experience
• That groomed YouTube stuff is boring

Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir…Munich, GERMANY

This year was very educational for me when it came to audiophilia. I got the chance to try out truly summit-fi setups and realized how good a system can sound. This also resulted in a sense of yearning where you keep comparing the gears you own with the ones you cannot own, at least not yet. Nonetheless, without further ado.

Headphones: The one headphone that has stuck with me throughout the year is the Hifiman Susvara. They won’t flatter anyone with the build quality but when paired with the right amp they sound astonishing. One of the most natural sounding headphones out there with exceptional timbre. A must listen.

Honorable mention goes to the Final D8000. Supreme bass that’s pretty much unmatched. On the budget side, I really liked the Final Sonorous-III. They are underrated and under-appreciated.

IEMs: When it comes to in-ear monitors, I have a hard time picking any single one of them as all of them fall short in one area or another. Nonetheless, the one IEM I’ve used the most throughout the year is the Dunu Zen. There is something truly addicting about their sound that makes me come back to them time and again.

However, the Zen is not the best IEM that I have heard throughout the year. That would probably be the Sony IER-Z1R or the 64Audio U12t. In the relatively budget realm, the 7Hz Timeless took me by surprise with their planar speed and excellent bass slam.

Source: Instead of going with separate sections for amps, DACs and such, I will just consolidate them into one.

Best desktop amp I’ve tried: Accuphase E380. One of those rare speaker amps that sound great with headphones.

Best portable amp I’ve tried: Cayin C9. It is the only review loaner in the past year that I have wanted to buy with my own money. I probably will, soon, budget permitting.

Best DAP: Lotoo PAW 6000, even though it can’t power difficult loads.

Best dongle: L&P W2. The only dongle that I found to be good enough to replace some DAPs.

Best DAC: Holo May L2. The price is extremely high but so is the sound quality. Exceptionally natural and neutral tuning. Another must listen.

And that’s a wrap. Have a great Christmas, and see you on the other side!

KopiOkaya…SINGAPORE

Too many lists…I focus on eartips…

Best EARTIPS of 2021

Most versatile eartips: SpinFit CP-100+
Best budget eartips: Audiosense S400
Best eartips for bass: FAudio “Instrument” Premium Silicone Earphone Tips
Best eartips for vocal: Azla SednaEarFit Crystal (Standard)
Best eartips for treble: BGVP S01
Best eartips for soundstage: Whizzer Easytips SS20
Most comfortable eartips: EarrBond New Hybrid Design

Loomis Johnson…Chicago, USA

Gear of the Year (and other Favorite Things)

SMSL SU-9 DAC/Preamp—one of those pieces that makes you seriously question why anyone would spend more. A seriously good DAC which is even better as digital preamp.

Hidisz S3 Pro DAC/Dongle—lacks the juice to power challenging loads, but has an uncanny knack for enlivening and improving more efficient phones. Very refined, with impeccable bass control.

Cambridge Melomania TWS—ancient by TWS standards, and its rivals have more features and tech, but this may still be the best-sounding TWS you can buy.

Shozy Rouge IEM—like a really hot girl you get smitten by the beauty before you even delve into the substance. Properly driven, however, these sound just as good as they look, with estimable staging and clarity.

The Beatles, “Get Back” Documentary—as probably the only person on earth who hasn’t seen Lord of the Rings I was gobsmacked by how brilliant this film looked and sounded. The real surprise for me, however, was how natural  a musician John was—unburdened by technique, but soulful and  exploratory.  Poor George invokes your pity—a good writer forced to compete with two great ones– while Ringo wins the award for Best Attitude.

Bob Dylan, “Desolation Row”—I always found the lyrics impenetrable and a bit sophomoric, but the Spanish-influenced lead guitar part is incredible, with scarcely a phrase repeated throughout the full 11 minutes. I’d always assumed it was Mike Bloomfield, but it’s actually the harmonica virtuoso Charlie McCoy, who also plays the trumpet part of “Rainy Day Women”.

Reds, Pinks and Purples, “Uncommon Weather” In hope of finding something genuinely fresh I dutifully listened to the most-touted 2021 releases before fixating on this one, which (predictably) sounds exactly like 80s Flying Nun and Sarah bands.

And This Was The Previous Year:

The post Gear Of The Year 2021 – Our Personal Favourites appeared first on Music For The Masses.