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

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

Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Specifications Moondrop DISCDREAM

Physical Things

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

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

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

Check the product page for further details.

Functionality and Operation

The DISCDREAM does

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

It does not

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

Interface

Front Panel

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

See here for operational details

[collapse]

Side Panels

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

Back Panel

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

Playing Music from CD, SD Card, and PC

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

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

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

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

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

Amplification and Power

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

Sound

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

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

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

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

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

Real-Life Use

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

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

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

Concluding Remarks

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

What a very good idea you had, Moondrop.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

Our generic standard disclaimer.

Gallery

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

The 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 $469 SMSL DO200 MKII is a versatile and very-good-sounding DAC with additional inputs and lots of sound options.

The $469 SMSL DO200 MKII was kindly provided by AOSHIDA Audio for my review – and I thank them for that.

Introduction

Foshang ShuangMuSanLin Electronics company, or short “SMSL” out of Shenzhen, China have specialized in developing and marketing DACs, headphone amplifiers, and power amplifiers since 2009. SMSL offer a broad selection of model for all wallet sizes – which make selection of the right one difficult.

Over at Audio Science Reviews (ASR), essentially every one of SMSL products measures so well with SINAD that people believe, without listening, they sound great…and that all SMSL DACs models essentially sound the same (as they measure the same).

We are rather skeptical as correlation between SINAD measurements and sound quality has yet to be established. In fact, some devices that are designed to measure well with steady-state sine waves may sound harsh when playing music.

Luckily, this discrepancy appears not to be the case for SMSL products. In fact, Loomis and Durwood are SMSL junkies – there is hardly any space on their desks for anything else…I am sure :). They have collectively tested these models:

Therefore, in the SMSL case, we have rare agreements between ASR and us, which reconciles the views of “objecticists” and “subjectivists”. A win win situation. So good for you, the reader.

But we still differ in that point that low-end DACs and premium DACs do not sound the same. For this reason, SMSL offer a range of devices for all wallets and expectations.

I’m an SMSL newbie, and, to my confusion, there are (too) many models to choose from, ranging from $200 to $1000. How should I know which one is right for my setup – and for yours? Aoshida Audio kindly asked me to analyze the SMSL DO200 MKII, which is in the company’s midrange.

Specifications SMSL DO200 MKII

What’s in a DAC?

As we know, a digital to analog converter “DAC” transforms a digital data stream, called bits, as small voltage fluctuations into an analog signal. Although its analog output stage does some of the amplification, a DAC mainly delivers sonic quality not quantity. And despite what some people tell us, the quality fo a DAC is as important as the pickup on your record player: garbage in, garbage out.

I had a $400 CAD NAD CD player connected to my home stereo for many years. And I was happy with it. At the time of purchase, CD players had made a great step forward, and the NAD was (kind of) competing with a $2000 Cambridge Audio player. 10 years later, I replaced the NAD with the $1300 CAD Marantz SA8005 – the rest of the stereo system remained the same.

The difference was immediately obvious: the Marantz delivered a much richer, fuller sound. Gone was that lean lower midrange I had falsely attributed to the speakers. No A/B-ing necessary.

The only big change in this stereo system was the DAC. So much to voices who claim DACs do not make a difference.

Technology/Architecture

The SMSL DO200 MKII features two ES9068AS DAC chips for decoding, characterized by MQA data handling in both USB and SPDIF (coaxial, optical) and low power drain.

Five OPA1612A opamps can be found the analog output stage. The microcontroller is a XMOS XU-316 chip, which is standard in higher-end devices.

Qualtech’s latest Bluetooth 5.0 chip supports SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC codecs.

Firmware is upgradeable through the USB port.

Physical Things

In the package are the DAC, a detachable power cord, a USB cable, the screw-on Bluetooth antenna, a remote, the warranty card and the manual [download]. The actual square box with rounded corners is of mid size (21 cm wide, 18.5 cm deep, and 4.8 cm tall) and requires quite a bit of desk space.

Its shell is made of high-quality CNC-machined aluminum for shielding the interior from magnetic interference. SMSL pride themselves of their excellent workmanship and love to detail.

It also features a tempered IPS glass display panel. The low-noise power supply is integrated in the chassis – and shielded. The included remote is pretty standard, made of plastic, and requires 2 AA batteries.

Functionality and Operation

The SMSL DO200 MKII works as a DAC and pre-amp, single ended and balanced. It can be controlled by a knob and a remote control.

Interface

Front panel and back panels are clearly laid out. All connectivity is in the rear.

Front Panel

The front panel features the high resolution glass panel display and a function knob. The know shares its functionalities with the remote. The display can be dimmed and switched off with the frontal knob and the remote.

Back Panel: I/O

The SMSL DO200 MKII is a superstar when it comes to inputs. Apart from the usual USB, coaxial, and optical, it also offers I²S, and AES/EBU. The outputs are fairly standard: RCA for single-ended and XLR for balanced.

Remote

The ergonomic RC-8C remote handles all functionality with a variety of buttons. It is straight forward to comprehend.

Settings

The SMSL DO200 MKII offers the user a plethora of choices in terms of functionality and sound. The DAC can be set to Pre-amp mode, the inputs and outputs are selectable, I²S mode, I²S iDSD channel, audio phase, and you can change screen brightness or turn it off. You can even change some of the remote’s functionality (“FN key”).

In terms of sound, you can set PCM filters, sound colour and DPLL yielding 450 possible combinations for each input.

The most important setting are explained as follows.

PCM Filters

The SMSL DO200 MKII offers three PCM filters (and no DSD filters), aiming to remove sonic artifacts from the output signal: “Fast Linear”, “Slow Minimum”, and “Minimum Phase”. They operate above 20 kHz, that is above the audible frequencies. But none of them is ideal, each of these has pros and cons, and the opinions about them are as far apart as theory and reality.

In theory, when you read Alberto’s detailed article on digital filters, you would prefer the “Minimum Phase” filter, as it has no “pre-ringing” (an unwanted echo effect before the actual signal). Others consider this pre-ringing as inaudible and prefer “Fast Linear”, as it is the most technically accurate, and claims pre-ringing is generally inaudible.

Then again, there are more variables that contribute to individual sound preferences, so that some prefer one type of filter in one DAC, and another kind in another model.

Try it out for yourself and start with the default.

Sound Color

There are 10 settings for “Sound Color”: standard, 3 “Rich”, 3 “Tube, and 3 “Crystal” by introducing different “harmonic distortions”. Again, you choose the one according to your preference. A good way of adapting the sound to your room.

DPLL

The “Digital Phase-Locked Loop” (DPLL) is a proprietary setting by the chip manufacturer ESS. It is some kind of correction for poorly timed input signal – to avoid signal interruptions. Particularly useful if a TV is the source.

I²S Mode and Audio Phase

The DO200 MKII has rare I²S “eye-squared-ess” inputs in the shape of an HDMI port. I²S is just another electrical serial bus interface standard used for connecting digital audio devices together. This give you the options to match different I²S standards and reverse channels if they are incorrect when streaming DSD.

Audio Phase can be set to normal and inverted. This is useful for correcting phase issues that affect sound.

Sound

I was once invited for an A/B test between two multibit dacs, the $249 chip-based Schiit Modi and the $899 resistor-ladder (R-2R) Soekris dac1421 (both now discontinued) each of them connected to a stereo system with loudspeakers. This in response to a forum discussion according to which some heard a sonic difference – and others didn’t.

At casual listening, there was initially hardly any difference, but with increasing duration, the Soekris revealed better imaging, resolution, and a more organic sound. This was most clearly audible in cymbals, which were much harsher and less natural in the Schiit.

I auditioned the SMSL DO200 MKII for 2 months.

w. Stereo System

The SMSL DO200 MKII offers 450 different settings (3 PCM filters, 10 sound signatures, and 15 DPLL settings). Using two different inputs/cable types (Toslink and coax) yields a total of 900 choices. For time constraints, I therefore used the default settings (“fast linear filter”, standard signature, and standard DPLL). And I A/B/C-ed the DO200 MkII on the fly with the Marantz’s internal Cirrus DAC – and the $799 EarMen Tradutto (also swapping Toslink and coax between the two external DACs back and forth).

Nevertheless, a 100% consisted comparison is not possible because of the use of different variables: cables, filters, and sound preferences (“harmonic distortions”) etc.

I spent a few partial afternoons on this – and report that the differences are rather subtle. The SMSL DO200 MKII performed well to my ears, with good extension on both ends, great composure, great detail, and no harshness whatsoever (no “robotic” cymbals, though it may be a bit more technical up there than the Marantz). It worked just fine with this stereo system. Corners were a bit more rounded with the Toslink compared to the coax – I hope jitter is not the reason for this. But using different inputs made a bigger difference than changing the PCM filters.

Comparing to the Marantz and Tradutto was rather difficult. The Marantz sounds a bit more organic and richer in bass and midrange, but also looser, less composed, and therefore cruder. The SMSL is a technically better, cleaner performer with a superior resolution and separation, but it is also more constrained and flatter in terms of space/stage – and leaner in the bass and midrange.

The almost double-priced Tradutto was also a bit more organic and fuller in the midrange, and more visceral sounding than the SMSL DO200 MKII. SMSL is more enclosed/encapsulated, and Tradutto is more outgoing and more immersive with a bit more depth. But it took some time to figure it out – and you can file this under “diminishing return”.

As alluded to, the differences were not instantly obvious, it takes some time for the ears to pick them up. I double checked all this with the Sennheiser HD 600 headphones plugged into the Luxman amp.

I also checked the SMSL’s timbre extensively with several recordings of J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg concertos. It sounded as natural as any good DAC.

Over the holidays, I ran the SMSL DO200 MKII 24/7 with Christmas music (jazz, classical, acoustic rock, pop)…and really enjoyed it.

In everyday application does the SMSL do complete justice to any upper mid price $$$$ stereo system. The small differences between the three DACs tested may answer our question why SMSL offers DACs in essentially every price category. Unfortunately, the potential buyer has the issue of making the right choice for their system. Good luck!

w. Headphone Amp

The headphone test confirmed my findings with the big stereo system. The SMSL DO200 MKII harmonized with the warm >$1000 Burson Funk (price includes Super Charger and opamps) very well. Resolution and extension were very good, there was no hint of harshness, the timbre was organic. And while I was really enjoying this combo, swapping the USB cables made zero difference. I think the two (SMSL and Funk) are a really great combination.

Replacing the DO200 MKII with the EarMen Tradutto resulted essentially in the same difference as experienced with the stereo system: the Tradutto had a bit more depth and a richer midrange, but it took a while until my ears could clearly distinguish the two.

In summary, the transducers made the biggest difference in my tests, that is the loudspeakers and the headphones. None of the DACs used changed the sonic characteristics much. The SMSL DO200 MKII is a fine DAC for my purposes. Unfortunately, I did not have a budget DAC for comparison, but I expect it produces a cruder and harsher sound.

Bluetooth

I tested the Bluetooth sound my the large stereo, A/B-ing two iPhones with the same playlist: one hardwired to the DO200 MKII, the other per TWS. Bluetooth was still very good sounding but not quite as “audiophile” as trough coax and optical cables. The basic characteristics were the same, but the Bluetooth sound has some corners knocked off: a bit less extension at both ends, a bit less dynamics and clarity, and a bit less fullness and depth. The listening experience remained, however, enjoyable.

Bluetooth connectivity was great, no dropouts, and I could walk with my iphone in almost every corner to my 2000 sq ft house without losing the signal.

In the end, the Bluetooth sound is prefabricated by Qualcomm’s SoC (System on Chip), and would be identical between DAC using the same SoC. Bluetooth functionality should therefore neither be a dealmaker or a dealbreaker.

SMSL DO200 MKII vs. SMSL SU-9Pro

SMSL offers a number of DAC models, and the SU-9Pro is just $30 higher priced than the DO200 MKII. While I doubt that there are significant sonic differences (I have not tested the SU-9Pro but I am sure they have a similar if not the same analog output state), there are certainly differences in functionality.

First, the SU-9Pro lacks two of DO200 MKII’s inputs: AES/EBU and I²S.

Second, both have different DAC architectures. The DO200 MK II features two ES9068AS chips with 5 OPA1612 opamps, and the SU-9Pro a single ES9039MSPRO D/A chip with 11 OPA1612 opamps. The difference in opamp numbers is probably a function of the chipsets. The ES9039MSPRO D/A takes over the tasks of 2 conventional DAC chips. Both architectures result in different data handling and functionalities.

The SU-9Pro offers therefore 5 more PCM filters and also 4 DSD filters. Outputs, sound colour, DPLL, and Audio Phase options remain the same between the two models.

Concluding Remarks

The SMSL DO200 MKII is a competent DAC with all bells & whistles, including a great selection of inputs and all sorts of sonic adjustment options. It performed very well in my tests and I will happily use it in the future. I am sure, somebody will measure it and attest it great results on that front, too [UPDATE: exactly this happened 1 month later].

While the SMSL DO200 MKII works well for me, it is up to you to find out how it pairs with your equipment.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The SMSL DO200 MKII was kindly supplied by AOSHIDA Audio.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

The post SMSL DO200 MKII DAC Review – Four Wheel Drive appeared first on Music For The Masses.

I purchased some of these cables myself, and later AudioQuest where kind enough to match them with different-length/connectors ones. Thank you very much. You find more information on AudioQuest’s website.

Introduction: digital Christmas in New Orleans

It all started on one Christmas eve, in a hotel in downtown New Orleans, LA. Our first visit to the city, we had just checked in and I was nervously awaiting the delivery of my first AudioQuest (digital) cable at the lobby: Cinnamon, 16-pin for connecting iPod Classic to Marantz SACD8005. It was not available (anymore) back home in Canada – and time was running out. If it was not delivered within the next few hours, the holidays would have started – and we would have left town before the postal service had resumed. Last chance that afternoon. Now or never!

I nervously checked tracking: St. Louis, MO, at noon. We inspected our room…and found a bottle of champagne in a cooler, some fancy strawberry parfait, and a personal note…but not to us. I called the hotel lobby, they told us to consume the goodies anyway and without regret…and also that the cable had arrived.

It was our day in the end. Merry Christmas, New Orleans.

My next Encounter, analog

I don’t believe in snake oil, I am a scientist, but I also have a classical music training. I am aware that ears don’t rely on measurements outside an otolaryngologist’s office (that would shift me towards the engineering corner). And I know about the claims AudioQuest, Kimber, and Co. make about some of their cables.

No, I am pragmatic, use my ears, and try to define value for myself applying criteria exceeding mere sound quality. In the case of the Cinnamon 16-pin cable, it was certainly more than that. I had a beautiful Hifi system, a number of stylish iPods…and a cheap looking, optically and haptically little appealing Apple cable, made by the hundreds of millions. So why not an eye-catching, well-built, and somewhat unique cable…which provides pleasure every time I look at/handle it.

My next encounter with AudioQuest cables happened more recently. And in contrast to the New Orleans event, it was with analog cables. I had ordered a set of Evergreen analog RCA connectors to connect devices to my Magni 2 Uber headphone amp. I had used a sturdy >15 year-old Monster cable – but I really liked the Evergreen’s green colour and braided textile jacket. After all, cables are also jewelry. Don’t call me shallow.

But when I unpacked the light Evergreen interconnects, I wanted to instantly return the cable, as the less fancy Monsters felt much more substantial. This changed when I tried the Evergreens out. I had been listening to Chopin cello suites (cello and piano), and it sounded ok with the Monsters.

But when I plugged the Evergreen connectors in, the effect was sharpening a picture that had been slightly out of focus. The cello and piano became clearer, better contoured, and more natural sounding. With the Monster cables, the sound was washed out in comparison.

This difference was actually rather large. Co-blogger Larry let me know that Monster cables, in his experience, had been known for this lack of focus.

I was truly surprised. And the Evergreens fulfilled another one of my requirements for investing in a cable: it must make a substantial sonic difference (beyond haptic and looks) to fork out good money for an upgrade.

The Problem with Cable Manufacturers/Reviews/Reviewers

Premium cables both digital and analog typically polarize music enthusiasts. Some hear distinct sonic differences, others consider them as being snake oil. The snake oil is based on sometimes esoteric claims by the manufacturers hidden behind fancy cable optics to justify outrageous prices. But optics and sound quality are not correlated. There’s frequently clearly marketing departments spreading misconceptions.

Nevetheless, reviewers taking on cables almost always report universal sonic improvements, independent of the gear these are connected to. Many of these reviewers want to stay on the manufacturers’ gravy train by playing the extension of their marketing departments, or simply to cash in on their affiliate links.

All of these contribute to a terrible reputation of cables for some.

The Problem with Science: Observations vs. Interpretations

As you may have noted by now, there are two kinds of cables: digital and analog. It is well known that digital cables transport bits as ones and zeros – and hence it is argued there is no audible difference between them. But nobody ever bothers what ones and zeros in reality are…they are small voltage fluctuations.

True is that any cable delivers bit-perfect results, but any of these bits may also contain stuff we don’t want – which deteriorates the signal: jitter, timing, and noise. A digital cable cannot fix these contaminations, however a poorly made one can exacerbate these issues and therefore further deteriorate sound.

A good cable minimizes sonic deterioration – and it does not have to be expensive. On the other hand, Gordon Rankin, pioneer of digital audio, reported “bad” expensive USB cables to me. Therefore snake oil does exist, however not every pricier cable is snake oil.

But here we are talking analog cables. There are different wire materials (copper, silver etc.), material purities, and wire structures that cooperate differently with speakers/headphones at the receiving end. Certain cable properties can be measured, for example impedance, but the results are of limited use.

Some analysts, however, conclude from their measurements whether a cable “sounds good” or not. But since most cable measure essentially the same, many followers believe there is no sonic difference between them. And none of these really bothers listening.

In summary, their observations may be correct, but their interpretations are irrelevant. In reality, no scientific link exists between a SINAD (or similar measurements) and sound characteristic. It remains trial and error to find the right sonic fit between electronics and cables.

Physicals of the Evergreen and Golden Gate Interconnects

Both models belong to AudioQuest’s “Bridges and Falls” series and are available with different connectors. Their prices vary with plugs and length, but run broadly between $70 and $140 (0.6 m to 2 m). You find details in AudioQuest’s 2022 North American retail price book.

The lower-priced Evergreen features a “solid long-grain copper structure” and the more premium Golden Gate “solid perfect surface copper”. Bother feature braided jackets and cold-plated gold-plated terminations.

Sound with the Evergreen and Golden Gate Interconnects

I did initially not perform A/B listening tests comparing the Evergreen and Golden Gate (and with other cables) as I could not be bothered. This is difficult anyway as my auditory memory does not hold well over the time it takes to change cables. All I can say is that both cables worked well with my electronics over a long time. Well enough that they are still on there to the present day.

In the end, I did a quick one connecting my Questyle QP1R dap through its dedicated line out to the Burson Funk amp. As described above, I had issues with A/B-ing owing to the time it takes to exchange the cables. This means, the difference between the two is not that obvious (it was a different story for two Burson power supplies – one made a huge difference over the other).

Perhaps the Golden Gate offered a tad more bass, which raises the question which of the cables transfers the low frequencies more authentically – considering all other factors such as headphone cable, operational amp (I used the less bassy Burson V6 classic) etc. You tell me…

Comparing the two AudioQuest cables with a generic one revealed a more obvious sonic difference (to my ears): music through the generic one lacked presence, dynamics and clarity in comparison…though it was still not outright bad. Some may find this difference subtle, others substantial. That’s where the snake oil claims come in as many will not hear any difference at all…or they do not bother.

I belong more to the “substantial” fraction as this difference is cumulative: it is there all the time, whenever music is running.

In summary, the two AudioQuest cables tested were better than the generic one, and you have to decide for yourself whether connecting electronics of value $$$$ is worth the price $$ of a cable. In my case, dap and amp added up to $1800, and the generic cable was $4.

Even $100 would not be extravagant! After all, a cable is a potential bottleneck.

Concluding Remarks

So, am I shilling AudioQuest cables? Hardly, as I have used these for almost two years. The company never asked me to write a review – and I could not be bothered doing sophisticated listening tests telling the world how much better these are (or not). These cables fit my electronics, budget wise, and they work for me sonically, haptically, and optically.

And that’s all I want.

With this experience with AudioQuest products, I recently purchased a Forest USB-B to USB-A cable to connect a DAC to my Mac. Very satisfied with this one, too! Wasn’t dirt cheap but also did not break the bank.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

The post AudioQuest Evergreen vs. Golden Gate Analog Interconnects – A Christmas Carol 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.

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.

Introduction

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

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

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

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

Power Supplies and Noise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

USB Noise

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

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

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

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

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

Compatiblity

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

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

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

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

Physicals

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

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

What Changes are expected?

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

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

Test Setup

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

My complete test setup was:

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

Test Results

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

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

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

Value: should I…?

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

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

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

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

Concluding Remarks

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

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

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

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

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

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The post Burson Super Charger 3A Review – Superman’s Big Sister appeared first on Music For The Masses.

Executive Summary

The Burson V6 Classic opamps are a valid alternative to the V6 Vivid opamps for those who prefer a leaner, wider, and better resolving sound. The V6 Classic work particularly well with acoustic pieces and jazz, but also with sources too warm for the V6 Vivid.

Introduction

Burson Audio is a >20-year old innovative company from Australia that produce high-quality DACs and amps. They started their business with opamps and other audio parts before dipping into complete devices.

I have exhaustively analyzed their lowest-priced amp, the Burson Funk, which, in its “Deluxe Package”, comes with a pair of Burson’s flagship V6 Vivid opamps that produce an energetic and dynamic sound. But the company offers another set of flagship opamps separately, the V6 Classic, which generate an alternative sound signature.

Both V6 Classic and V6 Vivid retailed at $85 per piece/$145 per pair at the time of this review. You can order them from Burson. Both models are based on 12 years of research and carry a life-long warranty. V6 stands for Version 6 (or 6th generation). You can learn about their internals here.

What are Opamps?

Operational amps (“opamps”) are one of the building blocks of analog electronics circuits, used for sound optimization and customization. Opamps fine tune the’s sonic signature and help tailor the sound to the listener’s preference – similar to tubes in tube amps.

Opamps are universally deployable across different amps independent of brand. They are easily plugged into/pulled out of an amp’s logic board.

Caution, “opamp rolling” can be addictive!

Physicals and Installation

In the box are two opamps and two adapters. You don’t need the adapters when plugging the opamps into a Burson amp. If using them with amps of other brands, make sure there is enough space in the enclosure. Considering that most other opamps are these flat spider-like things, the Burson opamps are little skyscrapers.

You install the opamps by opening the enclosure (Allen keys included), align them according to manual, and stick them into the dedicated slots on the logic board. The Burson Funk, for example, has 2 such slots, one for speakers, and the other for headphones.

And if you align the opamps incorrectly, Burson’s unique “reverse voltage protection” prevents them from getting damaged.

The Burson Funk holds two opamps, one for the headphone circuit and the other for the speaker circuit. You can use a different opamp in each signal path. Many users prefer the V6 Classic for headphone use and the V6 Vivid for speakers.

Test Setup

I tested both opamp models, the V6 Classic and the V6 Vivid with the Burson Funk and different headphones/earphones. I used a neutral and a warm source to establish a possible source dependence for the performance of these opamps. After all, you’d expect the warm V6 Classic to pair better with a neutral source and the V6 Vivid to harmonize best with a warm source.

Neutral source setup: Questyle QP1R as DAC via AudioQuest Golden Gate RCA interconnects into Burson Funk amp. Warm source setup: Questyle QP1R as transport via Lifatec USA optical cable into EarMen Tradutto DAC and via AudioQuest Golden Gate RCA interconnects into Burson Funk amp; Sennheiser HD 600 headphones, JVC HA-FDX1 and Final E5000 iems.

Sound

Previously, I had tested the V6 Vivid opamps for my exhaustive Burson Funk review. What became evident to me was how the Burson Funk with the V6 Vivid opamps replaces the neutral signature of the Questyle’s own Class A amp with a slight warmth and an overall subtle tone colour. Sound is quite natural and definitely not digitally artificial.

Replacing the Vivid with the V6 Classic changes the Funk’s sound substantially — similar to exchanging the pickup of a record player or the eartips on an iem.

To give you the helicopter view: the Classic make the Funk’s sound sound wider, more open, leaner, more neutral, and flatter, but also faster. In contrast, the V6 Vivid create a thicker, bassier/warmer, deeper, more dynamic but also narrower sound.

In detail, the V6 Classic deliver a tighter, faster, more composed bass compared to the V6 Vivid’s thicker, richer, and warmer low end with a better sub-bass extension, which contributes to the V6 Vivid’s deeper soundstage. On the other hand, the V6 Classic’s more forward treble makes for a wider, more open but also flatter stage. Due to the lesser warmth from the bass, the V6 Classic’s mids are leaner, cleaner, and clearer, as opposed to the Vivid’s richer, smoother, softer, and more rounded notes. This results in a better midrange resolution, transparency, and spatial cues in the V6 Classic.

Saxophones, cellos, and vocals sound leaner and “sharper” with the V6 Classic and smoother/richer/thicker with the Vivid. The advantage of the V6 Classic’s leaner presentation is “more space between notes and musicians on stage” and therefore better instrument separation and placement. A symphony orchestra on stage becomes easier congested with the V6 Vivid than with the V6 Classic.

On the other hand, the V6 Vivid have more dynamics and therefore a punchier sound.

V6 Classic: the right Choice for You?

The question is not which opamp is better, but which source and music fit better to which. I find the better resolving, “wider” V6 Classic better suited for acoustic pieces, classical music, and jazz. The more dynamic, punchier Vivid are better working for rock music and electronic…or anything noisy.

But that’s my observation for my combination of neutral source and neutral iems/headphones. If you have a warm source, you may overthicken your music with the Vivid, the same accounts for warm headphones and earphones. So you may have to balance the temperatures of source and headphones/earphones against the choice of opamps.

Concluding Remarks

My analysis shows that the performance of the V6 Classic (and V6 Vivid) opamps are to some extent source and output dependent. Whilst, admittedly, the V6 Vivid is more universally deployable, the V6 Classic caters to the listening to acoustic/classical/jazzy pieces and such who want to cool their coloured source.

In the end, the opamp choice relies on personal preference and savvy aficionados collect them all. Opamp rolling is not any different from tip rolling (and cable rolling) with earphones/headphones, it is just another enjoyable addiction for audio junkies.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

The V6 Classic opamps were provided by Burson – and I thank them for that.

Get the Burson opamps HERE.

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

The post Burson V6 Classic Opamp Review – Carnegie Hall appeared first on Music For The Masses.

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

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

Zusammenfassung

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

Einführung

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

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

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

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

Spezifikationen

Öffnen Sie hier für vollständige Spezifikationen

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

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Technologie/Architektur

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Physische Aspekte

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

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

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

Funktionalität und Bedienung

Das tut er

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

Das tut er nicht

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

Vorderseite

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

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

Rückseite

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

Fernbedienung

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

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

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

Klang

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

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

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

mit Kopfhörern

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

mit Stereoanlage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bluetooth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abschließende Bemerkungen

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

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

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

Bis zum nächsten Mal….keep on listening!

Contact us!

HAFTUNGSAUSSCHLUSS

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

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

Galerie

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

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

Executive Summary

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

Introduction

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

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

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

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

Specifications

Unfold for Full Specifications

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

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Technology/Architecture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Physical Things

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

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

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

Functionality and Operation

It does

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

It does not

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

Front Panel

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

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

Back Panel

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

Remote

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

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

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

Sound

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

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

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

w. Headphones

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

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

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

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

Dynamics is naturally dosed, never overwhelming or too polite.

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

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

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

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

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

In summary, none of these DACs sound alike.

w. Stereo System

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bluetooth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Concluding Remarks

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

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

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

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

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

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

Gallery

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

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.

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

Executive Summary

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

Introduction

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

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

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

Specifications

Physical Things

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

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

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

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

Rectangles with rounded corners are everywhere!  Steve Jobs.

Features

What it does:

What it does not:

Operation

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

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

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

Amplification

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

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

MCPS Power Supply

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

Opamps

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

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

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

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

Caution, “opamp rolling” can be addictive!

Sound

Headphones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speakers

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

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

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

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

Concluding Remarks

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

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

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

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

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

Get the Burson Funk HERE.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

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

21-11-21 Jürgen

Our Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/audioreviews finally cleared 9,800 members. It was established on 1 Jan 2020 and its growth has been stalling lately. Will we have 10,000 members by Christmas?

21-11-19 Jürgen

More drama ahead? I published me take on the $5 VE Monk Pro earbud. They finally got the impedance down from 64 ohm to 32 ohm to present a truly “portable” earbud. I think my writeup is reasonably entertaining.

21-11-19 Jürgen

We have been playing with Google Adsense in order to try out whether Google prefers their clients in their listings. We put the settings on “autopilot”…after 203 days, this angry guys showed up. Sign of things to come? We’ll monitor this.

21-11-17 Jürgen

This “drama” over this Facebook post generated quite some outrage. What some people did not understand was that I don’t see a relationship between the hype and the quality of this iem. If you read between the lines, you’ll see my subtle criticism of peer pressure and compulsive buying triggered by pied pipers. 8000 views: goal achieved :).

21-11-17 Jürgen

Durwood posts his review of the $1500 Questyle CMA Twelve DAC/amp combo…endgame for many.

21-11-15 Jürgen

Loomis publishes his Sennheiser CX 400BT review.

21-11-13 Jürgen

Baskingshark’s IKKO Zerda ITM1 review now published. I see some KZ reviews being presently worked on. In the immediate line-up are a Sennheiser TWS and a premium Questyle amp.

21-11-13 Kazi

Received the Fearless Barcelona recently for review. It is the cheapest Fearless IEM till now and the design belies the price tag. I love how they’ve designed the face-plate here.

Sadly, they sound horrible. Not recommended at all. Too much bass, highly recessed mids, zero treble extension. Get something else this holiday.

21-11-12 Alberto

Yesterday I received my new/old Cowon Plenue 2 and of course the very first impression is imprinted over my experience with QP1R. At first listen the P2 on its balanced output is quite nice, nicely extended and with a very good note weight. While less clean / revealing / detailed compared to the QP1R (whose single ended output is a quite good proof of why balanced is more a marketing name for decent quality output than anything else) on the other hand it offers a huge host of sound finetuning options, commencing from selectable reconstruction filters, to a very good “tweakable” graphical EQ module (not a true PEQ but close) and some further DSPs. Connectivity options are null / nil / zero – like QP1R. There’s not even BT – and that’s perfectly fine

21-11-12 Jürgen

Singles day is over…as the name implies, I didn’t buy a single thing. Our blog stats are surprising: 70% of our traffic stems from Google searches, and only 15% from Facebook. It is therefore not worth posting across FB groups…which is uncool anyway.

21-11-11 Jürgen

Today is 11/11 Asian Singles day. Not many exciting deals as far as I can see…but our blog experiences lots of views. In the meantime we published reviews of the FIIL CC2 and Oneodio Pro C reviews.

21-11-07 Jürgen

Burson Funk review out now. A fantastic headphone amp it is.

21-11-04 Jürgen

Working on the Burson Funk amp to hit the weekend deadline. Fantastic, powerful amp that works for headphones and speakers alike.

21-11-03 Jürgen

Published the Tin Hifi T2 EVO review. Kazi and I ordered a Final A3000 as found on our Wall of Excellence.

21-11-02 Jürgen

Re-dressed the blog’s right sidebar and added useful information. Meet your 8 authors, Wall of Excellence etc. Just look to the right.

21-11-01 Jürgen

Alberto’s iBasso IT04 review published. 283 iem reviews altogether now. Solved a caching problem, which affected our Google indexing. Thanks to the support of rankmath.com SEO plugin.

21-10-31 Jürgen

Finally got the Shanling UA1 review published. It is currently in Biodegraded’s hands for a 2nd review. Will have to finish the NiceHCK T2 EVO next week, and work on the Astell & Kern PEE51 dongle.

21-10-30 Alberto

Got my Hip Dac 2 review loaner unit in yesterday. First thing I noticed it came equipped with firmware 7.3 installed. The odd part is that on IFI’s website the 7.3 firmware is not listed under Hip Dac 2’s eligible downloads. Which means I could not recupe any “release info” about what’s different in 7.3 vs 7.2

While I was there, I also checked under Micro iDSD Signature’s section, and apparently firmware version 7.x has been removed from there too. Odd, at least. I put a question into IFI to get more info.

21-10-29 Jürgen

Published my Venture Electronics BIE Pro review on the blog. Submitted link to VE Clan Facebook group, where it got stuck in censorship, but was eventually posted after approval. That was only intermittent, I think I was tacitly expelled from that group after mentioning censorship. Be prepared that VE Clan Facebook group is manipulative as it presents cherry-picked information.

On another note, Loomis Johnson submitted his review of the Sennheiser CX-400BT True Wireless Earphones for publication.

21-10-28 Kazi

Received KZ ZEX. Their naming convention is making me go bad. Graphed it and labeled the graph wrong because these names all sound similar (ZAX/ZEX/ZSX). Either way, not too impressed with the sound. Kinda peaky in the mid-treble. Graphs show that as well.

21-10-27 Jürgen

Behind with some reviews, e.g. Unique Melody 3DT and Tin Hifi T2 Evo.

21-10-26 Jürgen

Blog received a few more tweaks, including a new site map.

21-10-25 Jürgen’s 10 Day Roundup

In the last 2 weeks, we published reviews of 2 totally underrated Final Audio headphones (Sonorous II+III) including some update earpads.

We identified some good TWS iems for the office in the Elevoc Clear.

We further think the Moondrop Kato is a winner (but need a second set for our European crew).

And we had a couple of second opinions of the GeekWold GK10, Tforce Yuan Li, SeeAudio Bravery, and Tanchjim Tanya.

We currently offer 281 earphone reviews.

21-10-25 Kazi

Received the iFi Hip DAC2 today, and the copper colorway will surely steal some glances. The sound isn’t changed much from the original Hip DAC (if at all) but it didn’t need to since the OG was one of the best DAC/Amps out there under $200. Full review in the works.

21-10-25 Jürgen

Worked on search engine optimization “SEO” all weekend after some trouble with Google. Also subscribed to webmaster tools of Bing and Yandex search engines. You can analyze the SEO of your own site here: https://rankmath.com/tools/seo-analyzer/

21-10-24 Kazi

Slow weekend, nice weather. Went out mostly to enjoy the fall colors. Also did some random photoshoot for the upcoming reviews. Also received the VE Monk SM recently. Not a fan. Shrill, sharp sound and technicalities are middling even for the $20 price bracket. At least it looks and feels nice in hand.

In other news, A&K released the SR25 mk. 2. Not a fan of the design at all. The tilted makes no usability sense. Also it’s basically the original SR25 with just a 4.4mm jack added. Meh.

21-10-23 Jürgen

Our blog has currently problems with Google indexing. I re-created the sitemaps. It would help if you linked to it from your site. Thanks.

21-10-23 Jürgen

The ongoing power crisis in China has led to increased operating costs as well as to price hikes of raw materials. Expect delays and price increases for your Christmas shopping.

Have not heard of 11/11 deals this year…strange.

21-10-22 Jürgen

Coming next on the blog (tonight my time) is Baskingshark’s review of the SeeAudio Bravery. We have a few more ready ones such as a tech article on “System on Chip” (SoC), that is dac and amp on the same chip. Another tech post will be an elaboration on the 1/8 rule on the example of the Apogee Groove.

Alberto will be offering reviews of the iBasso IT04, the Kinera Leyding earphone cable, and the Tanchjim Tanya in the very near future. These are ready. He is still working on a couple of Fearless models among others.

Also almost ready to go are reviews of the Shanling UA1 dongle, the VE Bonus Pro iem, and the VE Monk Go.

21-10-21 Biodegraded

Behind in evaluating various dongles sent by Jürgen for second opinions: Helm Bolt, Shanling UA 1, Earmen Sparrow, Tempotec Sonata BHD. So far, I’m surprised by the contrast between the Bolt and UA 1 (both use the same ESS DAC/Amp chip but yes, they sound a lot different) and by the bal vs SE contrast from the Sparrow. Comparisons will be made to the Audioquest DragonFly Black and ifi nano iDSD Black Label.

I’m also considering a winter project building this Pass Labs class A solid-state headphone amp to complement my tube hybrid and little USB- or battery-powered desktop/portable things. Much swearing will no doubt ensue. Right now though, have to clean the scratchies from the volume pot of an integrated amp that needs to be moved on.

2021-10-21 Kazi

Have had quite a hectic October, so couldn’t manage to publish anything. However, look forward to the “Review Extravaganza” over the coming two weeks or so. At least four articles are in the works and shall be published withing quick succession including:

• FIIL CC2 (a pretty good TWS)
• Moondrop Quarks
• Campfire Audio Holocene
• Campfire Audio Honeydew
• Final A4000
• Shanling Q1
• Cayin Fantasy

And just to close out, one of the photos I shot today (I think it came out pretty good). See you on the other side.

2021-10-21 Jürgen

Sitting currently on review units of Burson Funk amp and two Allo power supplies that may take some time. Almost ready is a review of the Unique Melody 3DT iem whereas the IKKO OH10 still needs some work. Overdue are reviews of several VE Electronics items as well as some ddHiFi accessories.

That famous Hidizs S9 Pro Copper edition dongle (limited to 500 copies) has been on its way from Calgary to Bologna for a good week now. Let’s see how fast Air Mail is.

Currently looking for a second Moondrop Kato review unit for our European chapter. After all, a single opinion is not sufficient for an item to qualify for our Wall of Excellence.

2021-10-21 Jürgen

This page was established to report our progress (but also some observations and opinions) within audioreviews.org. All our authors with WordPress accounts have access.

2021-10-20 Jürgen

Android Brick alas audioreviews.news is using our good name to attract traffic to his fake reviews. This may be legally correct but it is not ethical. He was shamed and left our Facebook group.

Beware of imitations!

This is https://www.audioreviews.org/news/

No marketing!

No sugarcoating!

Just genuine analyses!

The post Our News appeared first on Music For The Masses.

IT07 is iBasso’s flagship featuring 1 DD + 6 BA, costs a pretty penny – $899,00 – and was released some 3 years after IT04 (1 DD+3 BA), which I also will publish a review for in the next days.

I did not get the entire package so I couldn’t properly assess some secondary elements like the black and gold nozzles or the stock tips, but I reckon what I got is more than enough to form a solidly educated opinion on what we are talking about. Here we go.

At-a-glance Card

Full Device Card

Test setup

Sources: Apogee Groove + Burson FUN + IEMatch / Apogee Groove + iBasso T3 / Sony NW-A55 mrWalkman – Sedna Earfit Light Short tips – Stock High Purity Silver Litz cable – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC tracks.

Signature analysis

Technicalities

Physicals

Specifications (declared)

Some quick comparisons worth mentioning

iBasso IT04 ($499,00)

The key here is not being mislead by model naming: IT07 are not the direct upgrade to IT04, their intendend tuning and presentation being different. IT07 is indeed “technically superior” to IT04 on a few aspects, vis-a-vis an 80% higher price of course, but the tonal profiles are very obviously not the same and make up for two very different musical outputs.

IT04 is a warm-balanced open-V, instead of a dry-neutral W. IT04 has slower, meatier and more flowery bass, vs more elevated, more extended and way faster and punchier bass on IT07. Mids on IT04 are tonally more organic then on IT07, where they are better detailed though. Most of all, IT04’s trebles are combed, relaxed, very carefully finetuned to always come accross perfectly coherent with the DD in charge of the bass part, while oppositely IT07 features livelier, sparklier, way more detailed and airier trebles, indeed presenting a timbral incoherence with their DD for the purists though.

IKKO OH10 ($199,00)

Of course the comparison is totally unfair on the technical proficiency level – and better be, considering a 4.5X price gap! – but I’m mentioning OH10 precisely due to their almost identical tuning compared to IT07.

As a matter of fact, OH10 can easily be called “less expensive IT07” by anyone looking for a powerful, engaging, and most of all unforgivingly dry, ubleeding bass, paired with very lively and well tuned highmids and trebles. Mids are dry and slim on OH10 as on IT07, but they go as far as being “lean” on OH10 in comparison. OH10 are equipped with a single not-TOTL Knowles BA so we can’t reasonably expect the same IT07 proficiency in rendering anything above 1000hz, nor on detail retrieval – it being understood however that, conversely speaking, OH10 does wonders on those registers for the exact same reason! IT07 technicalities are also obviously more refined and downright “better” than OH10, while OH10 comes out a bit better in terms of timbre coherence between their DD and their (sole) BA compared to IT07’s 1+6 scenario.

DUNU ZEN ($699,00)

IT07 extract more highmids and treble thin details; cymbals are crystally adamant when they need to be, unlike on ZEN where they are somewhat “polished”, “matte” in a sense. Midbass are equivalently articulated on either, while perceivably oomphier on IT07, which is not necessarily better depending on taste and track. On ZEN mids are obviously airier, more bodied and totally organic. Piano notes offer the impression of spreading in an infinite space on ZEN. On IT07 mids are defintely slimmer, bringing them to the edge of unrealism, and sort of confined inside a room – a big room at that, but I do perceive the space as “finite”, whereas it is almost not on ZEN. Finally, ZEN offers a totally coherent timbre accross the entire spectrum, unlike IT07 as detailed above. Such very last point is what keeps me personally from granting IT07 360° “Excellent” status, but that’s a millimetric flaw when cast against the full product panorama.

Conclusions

IT07 impressed me a lot. I guess it comes from me liking OH10 tuning so much that my ear and brain really rejoyced in hearing that presentation’s direct evolution and sustantial refinement on the IT07.

IT07 offer a literally spectacular, energetic and at the same time very refined musical experience. While one may count their slight internal timbral mismatch as a coloration, which it is, the practical result is nothing short of lovable, and I’m up to strongly recommending it as a high-end driver ideal for a wide extension of different genres.

As mentioned above the sample I auditioned was loaned to me by a private owner, who paid for it off his own pocket.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

The post iBasso IT07 Review – Lovable Incoherence appeared first on Music For The Masses.

All our DAC & Amp Related Articles

ALL OUR REVIEWS (headphones, earphones, dacs/amps, daps, bluetooth, clean power & USB, microphones, cables/adapters, eartips, earpads, noise insulation): here

Model labelled with “*” are on our Wall of Excellence.

Integrated DAC/amps

Simplified Guide to Small Portable DAC/amps (Jürgen Kraus)

Apple Computer’s Internal Audio Circuit [iMac, MacBooks] (Jürgen Kraus)

Apogee Groove* (Alberto Pittaluga)

Apogee Groove: Technical Considerations (Jürgen Kraus)

Apogee Groove Anniversary Edition (Alberto Pittaluga)

Apple Audio Adapter* (Jürgen Kraus)

Appleオーディオアダプタ（Lightning版、USB-C版とも）* (Jürgen Kraus)

Apple Kopfhöreranschluss Adapter* (Jürgen Kraus)

Astell & Kern PEE51 (Jürgen Kraus)

Audirect Atom 2 (Loomis Johnson)

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt* (1) (Jürgen Kraus)

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt* (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)

AudioQuest DragonFly Red (Jürgen Kraus)

BGVP T01s (Loomis Johnson)

Colorfly CDA-1MP (Durwood)

Colorfly CDA-M2 (Jürgen Kraus)

Conexant (CX-Pro) CX31993 (Loomis Johnson)

Cozoy Takt-C (1) (Jürgen Kraus)

Cozoy Takt-C (2) (Durwood)

E1DA 9038SG3 and 9038D (Alberto Pittaluga)

ddHifi TC35i (Jürgen Kraus)

EarMen Angel (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)

EarMen Eagle (Jürgen Kraus)

EarMen Sparrow* (1) (Jürgen Kraus)

EarMen Sparrow* (2) (Biodegraded)

EarMen TR-Amp* (Jürgen Kraus)

Earstudio HUD100 (Jürgen Kraus)

Helm Audio Bolt (Jürgen Kraus)

Helm Bolt and Shanling UA1 compared (Biodegraded)

Hidizs S2 (Loomis Johnson)

Hidizs S3 Pro (Loomis Johnson)

Hidisz S-9, Cozoy Takt-C and Meizu MasterHifi USB Dac/Amps (Loomis Johnson)

Hidizs S9 PRO (Jürgen Kraus)

Hidizs XO (1) (Jürgen Kraus)

Hidizs XO (2) (Durwood)

Hidizs XO (3) (Loomis Johnson)

Hilidac Audirect Atom Pro (Jürgen Kraus)

Hilidac Audirect Beam 2SE (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)

iBasso DC-05 DAC/amp (Loomis Johnson)

ifi Audio Go bar (1) (Alberto Pittaluga)

ifi Audio Go bar (2) Jürgen Kraus)

ifi Audio Go bar (Deutsch) Jürgen Kraus)

ifi Audio GO blu (Alberto Pittaluga)

ifi Audio GO link (1) (Alberto Pittaluga)

ifi Audio GO link (2) (Jürgen Kraus)

ifi Audio Gryphon (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)

ifi Audio hip-dac* (Jürgen Kraus)

ifi Audio hip-dac2 (1) (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)

ifi Audio hip-dac2 (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)

ifi Neo IDSD2 (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)

iFi Audio Micro iDSD Signature* (Alberto Pittaluga)

ifi Audio nano iDSD Black Label (Alberto Pittaluga)

ifi Audio Neo iDSD (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)

iKKO Heimdalir ITB03 (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)

IKKO ITM1 Zerda (1) (Baskingshark)

IKKO ITM1 Zerda (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)

IKKO ITM02 Zerda (Loomis Johnson)

Khadas Tone2 Pro (Jürgen Kraus)

Moondrop Dawn (Durwood)

Questyle CMA Fifteen* (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)

Questyle CMA Twelve (Durwood)

Questyle M15* (1) (Jürgen Kraus)

Questyle M15* (2) (Alberto Pittaluga)

Questyle M15* (3) Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir

Qudelix-5K* (Jürgen Kraus)

Shanling UA1 (Jürgen Kraus)

Shanling UA1 and Helm Bolt compared (Biodegraded)

Shanling UA2 (Jürgen Kraus)

Shanling UA2 Plus (1) (Durwood

Shanling UA2 Plus (2) (Loomis Johnson)

Shanling UA3 (Durwood)

Shanling UP4 (Durwood)

SMSL C200 (Durwood)

SMSL DO400 (1) (Loomis Johnson)

SMSL DO400 (2) (Durwood)

TempoTec March III M3 (Jürgen Kraus)

TempoTec Serenade X Digital Desktop Player (Jürgen Kraus)

Tempotec Sonata BHD (Jürgen Kraus)

Tempotec Sonata HD Pro (1) (Jürgen Kraus)

Tempotec Sonata HD Pro (2) (Baskingshark)

Tempotec Sonata HD II vs Tempotec Sonata E35 (Durwood)

TRI TK-2 (KopiOkaya)

Truthear SHIO (1) (Durwood)

Truthhear SHIO (2) (Loomis Johnson)

Venture Electronics Odyssey HD (Jürgen Kraus)

Xumee USB-C DAC (Loomis Johnson)

Digital Analog Converters (DACs)

EarMen Tradutto (Jürgen Kraus)

EarMen Tradutto (Deutsch) (Jürgen Kraus)

SMSL C100 (Loomis Johnson)

SMSL DO100 (Durwood)

SMSL DO200 MKII (Jürgen Kraus)

SMSL DO300 (Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir)

SMSL SU-6 (Loomis Johnson)

SMSL SU-9 DAC/Preamp I (Loomis Johnson)

SMSL SU-9 DAC/Preamp II (Durwood)

Headphone/Power Amplifiers

Ampapa A1 (Durwood)

Burson Funk (Jürgen Kraus)

Burson V6 Classic (vs. V6 Vivid) opamps (Jürgen Kraus)

Cayin C9 Portable Amplifier (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)

EarMen CH-Amp (Jürgen Kraus)

EarMen CH-Amp (Deutsch) (Jürgen Kraus)

Fosi Audio BT30D Pro (Durwood)

Fosi Audio P3 (Durwood)

Fosi Audio TB10D (upgraded) (Durwood)

Fosi V3 Amplifier (1) (Durwood)

Fosi V3 Amplifier (2) (Loomis Johnson)

Fosi Audio ZA3 (Durwood)

Helm DB12 AAAMP Portable Headphone Amp (Jürgen Kraus)

ifi Audio Zen Can Amplifier (Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir)

ifi Audio Zen Can Amplifier (Alberto Pittaluga)

ifi Audio Zen Phono RIAA Preamplifier (Biodegraded) 

Pairing the JVC HA-FDX1 earphone with the Earstudio HUD100, ifi Hip Dac, and Tempotec Sonata HD PRO

SMSL AO200MKII (Loomis Johnson)

SMSL A300 Power Amplifier (Loomis Johnson)

SMSL HO100 (Durwood)

SMSL SH-6 (Loomis Johnson)

SMSL SH-9 Balanced Headphone Amp (1) (Loomis Johnson)

SMSL SH-9 Balanced Headphone Amp (2) (Durwood)

The post Our 118 DAC & Amp Reviews appeared first on Music For The Masses.