Moondrop Dawn DAC Review – Juice to Get Loose
In this Article
INTRO
The DAC dongle jungle continues to add contenders such as the Moondrop Dawn. Built off the CS43131 Cirrus logic DAC chip they give us a balanced output only model at $70 or a single-ended 3.5mm option at $65. It’s hard not to be a Moondrop fan as they crank out excellent earphones and now they are branching out to include some DACs. The 4.4 balanced version is a wonderfully neutral and powerful dongle with some specific requirements for use.
Disclaimer: This was provided graciously free of charge and without influence for review from HifiGo.
GOOD TRAITS
- Powerful
- Neutral
- No sharp edges
- Output voltage setting for Android users
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
- Power hungry
- Smart phone might require HiBy app, works better with computer seems to be power consumption related
- Fixed input cable
PACKAGE CONTENTS
The Moondrop Dawn requires an USB-C connection, but it also comes with an adapter for USB-A. The fixed cable could be considered a pro or con as fixed means less of a chance of losing the cable and it should be more reliable. Others might claim they prefer a replaceable cable in the event of failure. I bet by the time anything fails there will be something new to entice us anyway.
COMMENTARY
Upon first connection to my LG G8, the Moondrop Dawn seemed to exhibit extra noise at lower volume similar to resampling noise. I was using Poweramp with developer options enabled and output set to 44.1khz. I tried various output settings with no improvement. This happens to all the dongles I have to be fair.
Instead I switched over to the HiBy music app and once I enabled full control the noise went away and everything cleared up. I suspect maybe a power limitation was causing it because even at louder volumes it was still adding noise. After full control was enabled the phone indicated it was in high drain mode and noise was nonexistent.
Other features supported by the Moondrop include PCM 32bit decoding up to 768khz and DSD 256. Note that it can be used with a usb-c lightning adapter for an Iphone but you are limited to 1V/31.25mW output. There is also a stated high/low gain setting from within the software app called Moondrop Link only available for Android phones. The Link app allows users to change the 5 filter settings on the dongle, switch between 2V and 4V output, and turn the indicator light on or off as well as updating firmware.
Moondrop Dawn SOUND
Tested using my LG G8 and computer with the Moondrop Kato and Kinera IDUN 2.0
As music poured out of the Moondrop Dawn everything sounded wonderfully controlled and powerful. Almost too powerful for sensitive IEMs because it only takes a few clicks to reach comfortable listening levels.
The signature is neutral and well defined. Bass is strong, midrange has excellent blackness and clarity. The treble sounds even and un-colored with excellent resolution. The improved crosstalk isolation of the balanced output seems to add a bit of separation between instruments.
In comparison to my LG G8 built in Hifi dac, the Moondrop Dawn has improved bass control and an overall cleaner less gritty feeling on the midrange and treble. Compared to the similar DAC dongle TempoTec Sonata E35, the Moondrop Dawn sounds more even and a fuller bass. The Tempotec Sonata E35 on the other hand seems to have a slight emphasis in the midrange to treble section, and a smidget thinner bass. It would be interesting to compare the more similar Tempotec BHD (2.5mm balanced) that was previously reviewed or the even more similar Tempotec E44.
FINAL REMARKS
The Moondrop Dawn requires a bit of specific settings to properly use it, and there is additional power drain on a phone. It does tend to run cooler than the similar single-ended Tempotec Sonata E35, and bass feels a bit stronger as well for the Moondrop Dawn.
It is one of the few dongles that offers a output voltage gain setting only for Android users giving it a leg up on the competition. It also requires the use of a 4.4 mm balanced earphone only if that is your jam. There is a 3.5 mm single-ended option for $5 less if that fits your desires instead. I dig it.
SPECIFICATIONS
- DAC Chips: Dual CS43131.
- DNR: 132dB.
- THD+N: 0.00017%.
- Decoding: PCM up to 32-Bit/768kHz, Native DSD256.
- Output Power: 230mW@32Ω, 54mW@300Ω.
- Line-Out: 4Vrms(High-Gain), 2Vrms(Low)
- Purchase Link: HifiGo
DISCLAIMER
Get it from Hifigo Store.
Our generic standard disclaimer.
