Instead of first impressions, we offer completely flavour-neutral optical treatments before following up with our exhaustive reviews of the products’ performances.

Current Photography

1. BQEYZ Autumn vs. BEQYZ Summer (Jürgen Kraus)
2. Hidizs MM2 (Jürgen Kraus)
3. IKKO OH2 vs. IKKO OH1S (Jürgen Kraus)

Vintage Photography (prior to March 2022)

1. AME Custom Argent Hybrid Electrostatic (Jürgen Kraus)
2. Anew X-One (Jürgen Kraus)
3. Blon BL-05 Beta (Jürgen Kraus)
4. Blon BL-05 Beta (Jürgen Kraus)
5. Blon BL-05 MKI & MKII (Jürgen Kraus)
6. BQEYZ Spring 1 (Jürgen Kraus)
7. BQEYZ Spring 2 (Durwood)
8. CCA CA16 (Durwood)
9. Drop + JVC HA-FXD1 (Jürgen Kraus)
10. Fidue A65/A66 (Jürgen Kraus)
11. FiiO FD1 (Jürgen Kraus)
12. FiiO FHs1 (Jürgen Kraus)
13. Hill Audio Altair • RA (Jürgen Kraus)
14. iBasso IT01 V2 (Jürgen Kraus)
15. Hilidac Atom Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
16. Ikko OH1 (Jürgen Kraus)
17. KBEAR Believe (Jürgen Kraus)
18. KBEAR Diamond (Jürgen Kraus)
19. KBEAR hi7 (Jürgen Kraus)
20. KBEAR KB04 (Jürgen Kraus)
21. KBEAR Lark (Jürgen Kraus)
22. Kinboofi MK4 (Jürgen Kraus)
23. KZ ASX (Jürgen Kraus)
24. KZ ZSN Pro (Slater)
25. Moondrop Crescent (Jürgen Kraus)
26. Moondrop Illumination (Jürgen Kraus)
27. Moondrop Kanas Pro Edition (Jürgen Kraus)
28. Moondrop SSP (Jürgen Kraus)
29. Moondrop SSR (Jürgen Kraus)
30. Moondrop Starfield (Jürgen Kraus)
31. NiceHCK Blocc 5N Litz UPOCC OCC Copper Earphone Cable
32. NiceHCK Litz 4N Pure Silver Earphone Cable (Jürgen Kraus)
33. NiceHCK NX7 (Jürgen Kraus)
34. NiceHCK NX7 Pro (Jürgen Kraus)
35. Queen of Audio Pink Lady (Jürgen Kraus)
36. Revonext QT5 (Slater)
37. SeeAudio Yume (Jürgen Kraus)
38. Senfer DT6 (Slater)
39. Sennheiser IE 300
40. Sennheiser IE 500 PRO
41. Shozy Form 1.1 and Shozy Form 1.4
42. Shozy Form 1.4 (Jürgen Kraus)
43. Shozy Rouge (Jürgen Kraus)
44. Simgot EM2 (Jürgen Kraus)
45. Simgot EN700 Pro (Slater)
46. Smabat ST-10 (Jürgen Kraus)
47. Tin Hifi T2 Plus (Jürgen Kraus)
48. Tin-Hifi T4 (Jürgen Kraus)
49. TRN-STM (Jürgen Kraus)
50. TRN V90 (Jürgen Kraus
51. TRN-VX (Jürgen Kraus)
52. Whizzer Kylin HE01 (Jürgen Kraus)

The post Photography appeared first on Audio Reviews.

INTRO

Thanks to Whizzer for giving us a chance to check out the new Whizzer Kylin HE03D, they did not arrive in a whiz or a jif as expected, but got hung up in the delays our ongoing pandemic has created. Like the similar named Whizzer roller-coaster at the local Six Flags, they provided me with some form of entertainment watching the tracking and perusing their product page on Aliexpress.

The original HE03 was a 3 driver hybrid. Instead these are a $199 ($159 pre-order price) DLC (Diamond Like Coating) 12mm dynamic driver with premium styled packaging, nice “vegan” leather case and 3 different types of easy eartips promising to accentuate various aspects of the earphones. Satisfyingly, they did provide the enhancements they promised so off to a good start.

While I find no enjoyment removing things from boxes and rarely critique packaging, I can see they wanted the unboxing experience to feel premium, with magnetic flaps that satisfyingly snap shut including the manual nicely tucked behind another magnetic flap in an envelope labled “Work of Whiz”.

Upon opening it reveals a jewel like faceplate presentation. The Diamond Starburst is reflected by the 3D curved glass surface in a very beautiful artsy aesthetic. They are correct that different angles catch the luster of the Starburst design by J.IDEA+ Studio.

These attention grabbing solid construction flagship earphones focus on a tight boosted mid-bass reproduction with a neutral middle and an unassuming wobbly top end and an array of eartips for simple tuning. This has to be the longest intro I have ever written.

Disclaimer: Provided free from Whizzer with the only stipulation to review them by February 9^th, unfortunately shipping delays forced me to fail at the only request. I don’t blame others though so pretend this is February 9th as you read this.

GOOD TRAITS

• Feels premium, materials are all top notch
• Varying eartip designs that alter the sound in easily definable ways
• Tight controlled bass due the Helmholz resonator M.D.B.S Denisity System
• Relaxed sound signature non-fatiguing

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

• Can sound a little dark with the reference eartips, sharp with the soundstage tips
• Resolution impacted by the wobbly treble
• Sounds crowded on a smart phone, amplification helps
• Bass hump higher in frequency impacting sub-bass reproduction

DESIGN

The Whizzer Kylin HE03D sports a full metal shell with tight fitting 6N OCC 2 pin cables marked only one side with a red dot that matches the red dot on the right shell, no other markings to indicate the channel.

Inside there a 5^th generation 12mm DLC dynamic controlled by a Multiple Damping Balance System (M.D.B.S) Density system aka Helmholz resonator to control the airflow in and out of the cavity, while taming offensive resonant frequencies of the cavity of the shell. This is said that in combination of the front cavity pressure damping, it better controls the overtones and noise.

Since this is more of a semi-open system rather than typical venting designs with smaller vents, the Whizzer Kylin HE03D isolation is below average. This is the fourth generation of the Kylin series so I guess maybe that is where the “D” comes from in the naming convention.

PACKAGE CONTENTS

Case

The Vegan leather case is fits the jeweled nature of look they were going for, although just as I found with the TinHifi T4 case, feels a bit too bulging in my pocket. It snaps closed via magnets, just like the rest of their packaging

Easy Eartips

Like Goldilocks, I set out to test the ear-tips, first the “Reference” tips with a large protrusion, they tend to darken them up too much for me, sucking the top end life out allowing the user to focus more on the warmth of the low to middle range. They went on the nozzle and fit well.

Next up was my typical large mouth “soundstage” marked tips I usually go for that included 4 pairs, while the other two kinds only had the typical 3 pair sizing. These caused sharpness and metallic timbre to jump out of the shadows. Again the diameter fit well with the nozzle sizing.

Surprisingly, I preferred the final narrow opening “vocal” tips as it balanced out the traits I picked up with the widebores. The diameter of the vocal tips are smaller, so it takes some finesse to attach. The rest of the review will be based on the vocal tips.

SOUND

Tested with LG V30, Sony NW-A55, Liquid Spark Dac + JDS Labs Atom

To quickly describe the sound, it is warm W absent of sub bass with an emphasis in midrange over upper treble. Right away it was clear the Whizzer Kylin HE03D focused a lot of energy on a tight controlled bass probably due to lows falling off a cliff, with warmth into the lower midrange to add fullness to female vocals.

Sort of similar to open back headphones with a quick fall off. The bass hump is so wide that the bleed is not noticeable, but the lack of sub-bass is disappointing for me.

Treble is subdued but avoids sounding dark unless you choose the reference tips. I liken it to using a fullrange driver to cover midrange and treble- it does a pretty good job at covering the range, but you loose some dynamics that a separate midrange tweeter combo achieves.

Electric guitars take front and center stage with this type of tuning, but I find cymbals to be lacking some shimmer due to the W roller coaster. There will be fans of this type of tuning, but others might find it a little dull and washed out sounding on some instruments.

TECHNICALITIES

I find the Whizzer Kylin HE03D narrow sounding even with the soundstaging tips, I blame it strictly on the lack of upper end extension. As a result of the narrow stage, instrument spacing takes a hit as well.

The resolution is there, clarity is good, but sparkle would aide to bring it up a notch. Phasing is good, but timbre sounds a little metallic.

COMPARISONS

Shozy Form 1.4 ($189)

The Shozy Form 1.4 and the Whizzer Kylin HE03D share a similar warm subdued treble tuning, the Whizzer has a tighter dead bass feel, more focus in the vocal department, the Shozy Form 1.4 sounds sharper due the tight peak in the treble along with a bit more sparkle and luscious more elevated bass. The Shozy Form also comes off as less congested, but it s also a 5 driver hybrid.

Moondrop Kato ($189)

The Moondrop Kato sounds thinner in the bass department given that the bass elevation resides in the sub-bass region compared to the midbass centric Whizzer Kylin HE03D. The Whizzer bass has some more overtones than the Moondrops, but transient speed is fairly close.

Given the Moondrop Kato includes sub bass the winner is the Kato. Hoping back and forth, the VSDF tuning on the Moondrop will sound edgier and more forward in the vocals compared to the Whizzer.

Those who like more focus on the midrange sound will prefer the Whizzer, but at the expense of clarity, vividness, and just the right amount of sparkle to make things interesting that the Moondrop brings to the table.

Tforce YuanLi ($119)

Originally I was going to compare to another Moondrop (Kanas Pro), but chose the Tforce Yuanli instead since it is also a DLC driver albeit a 10mm vs the 12mm of the Whizzer Kylin HE03D. The Whizzer bass is better articulated, but both carry a similar warmth.

The soundstage is less recessed on the Whizzer, whereas the Tforce has more manufactured depth as a result of the V tuning. The Tforce also exhibits a sharpness in the treble, but it messes with the timbre. So while it sparkles more, the boost is too narrow and the Whizzer sounds more balanced in that regard.

I would rather see a broad lift instead of the Tforce’s narrow treble peak. While the Tforce Yuanli is a more exciting tuning, I would prefer the mellow tuning of the Whizzer Kylin HE03D for longer listening sessions.

OUTRO

The build quality and look is a stunner for the Whizzer Kylin HE03D, the tuning is great for those who don’t want the emphasis to be on the treble or the sub bass. Fit is great, feels very smooth, but are also on the larger heavier side. Nice range of eartips and a fancy looking carrying case fit well in this price bracket.

Personally I would prefer more treble extension and a slight lift while pushing the bass peak lower to bring in sub-bass to round out the tuning and give it more pizzazz, but that might not have been the goal.

I cannot comment on how this fourth generation Kylin model compares with some of the earlier models, but from a design standpoint it is very gorgeous to ogle at. It has tough competition in this mid-tier price bracket, and it is not going to be a majority crowd pleaser, not that there is anything wrong with that.

SPECIFICATIONS

GRAPHS

• Left vs Right
• Eartip Plots
• Whizzer Kylin HE03D, Moondrop Kato, Tforce YuanLi Overlays

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

Get it from the official Aliexpress Store, or various distributors of your liking.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

The post Whizzer Kylin HE03D (Review 1) – Can Anybody Beat The Whiz!? appeared first on Audio Reviews.

INTRO

Lately there seems to be more and more flat driver tech infiltrating the in ear headphone market. Flat drivers differ in how they produce sound in comparison to dynamic drivers. Flat diaphragm driver like planars rely on the bending characteristics of the material itself to produce sound waves, whereas in direct opposite the dynamic driver tries to maintain it’s shape through various geometries and materials to stiffen it up so that it can act as a piston and minimize bending waves. These two concepts are transverse (planar bending) and longitudinal waves (dynamic piston).

This year I had considered the PMV PP flat planar but then 7hz exploded onto the scene with the 7Hz Timeless 14.2mm flat planar IEM with much fanfare. I succumbed to the temptation and bought a pair to see if this hype was warranted. By now this is probably the 101^th review of these, so I took my time to get on board. 7Hz Timeless dazzles with it’s resolving sub-bass infused Harman tuning or U signature, with analytic grace.

Disclaimer: I had some Amazon gift cards burning a hole in my pocket so I purchased during the 11.11 weekend sale from Hifigo on Amazon. We buy our own stuff sometimes believe it or not.

GOOD TRAITS

• Generous eartip selection
• Clarity, Resolution
• Above average isolation
• Lightweight

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

• Bass is tuned very low, the transient speed does not match
• Not the prettiest of the bunch
• Channel matching throughout the treble
• Needs more than a smart phone to shine.
• Missing holographic elements

PHYSICAL / PACKAGE

The shape is interesting, the flat round faceplate hides a rather simple shell. The flatness and grooves provide a simple and painless way to insert them into your ears. With rounded shells, I find myself fiddling and losing my grip sometimes.

An unassuming silver twist detachable cable with a simple earhook comes with the 7Hz Timeless. It coils well, and does a good job of avoiding microphonics. They took my favorite qualities except for one, the mmcx connection. Cable snobs will find it boring looking.

The carrying box seems overly large and heavy, looks awesome sitting on my desk and could be used as a defense mechanism in a pinch by chucking at ones head. Surprisingly it doesn’t appear much larger than the Moondrop Kato case and will definitely allow you to know if you forgot to put it into your pocket.

PACKAGE CONTENTS

• Detachable MMCX Silver cable
• Metal carrying case
• 3 sets of S/M/L eartips -Medium Bore, Small Bore, Bowl shaped medium bore with carrying cases

SOUND

Tested with LG G8, Sony NW-A55 and Liquid Spark DAC+JDS Labs Atom

First the very noticeable sub-bass is front and center and the fact it goes so low and is boosted causes some speed issue for me given the rest of the quick and precise nature of the 7hz Timeless. The lift in the bottom end really lets upright bass and bass drums fill your head with extreme lows, but not in the basshead ear tickling ways. Since the slight boost is pushed so low, there is no bass bleed into the lower midrange.

Velvety smooth vocals complement the rise into the upper midrange, there is excellent darkness that allows the midrange to feel the space or environment of the recording. Horns and present flare and sharpness that provides realism, these are not for relaxed listening but instead for enjoying the nuances of the music and deep listening sessions.

Acoustic guitar plucks are rendered with such resolution as to not get lost in the macro details. Snares, cymbals crash through with sharp well defined precision. Sibilance is non-existent unless purposely in the recording, and there is plenty of airiness to make these a lively set.

TECHNICALITIES

Resolution and transparency is outstanding for the 7Hz Timeless. Width and depth are equally balanced and height information comes through as well. It is really hard to find any faults other than they need some power to extract their full potential. On the sensitivity topic, the LG G8 did just ok but I found myself at the higher volume range.

The Sony NW-A55 was a better fit so this is probably one of the bigger shortcomings given IEM’s are normally geared for mobile use. Given their extreme analytic qualities, I find longer listening sessions can be fatiguing because the 7Hz Timeless really demands your attention.

COMPARISONS

Shozy Form 1.4 ($180) vs 7Hz Timeless ($180-$220)

Warmer bass, damped treble, thicker vocals is what stands out when swapping to the Shozy Form 1.4, my go to IEM these days. It offers a more relaxed presentation for nights when I want to wind down. The 7Hz Timeless instead offers a thinner lower midrange with deeper bass registers and more sparkle and more cymbal shimmer. The Timeless invites a more critical listening experience due to the flat soundstage. The Shozy Form 1.4 shell feels more premium, and might add a subliminal cue despite being near the same price bracket.

BQEYZ Spring 2 ($140-170)

Presence region is enhanced on the 7Hz Timeless, just more shimmer and air compared the BQEYZ Spring 2. The Spring 2 sounds warmer with fuller vocals due to the higher frequency bass hump veering towards midbass, it lacks the control of the Timeless as well. The treble enhancement on the 7Hz Timeless gives the appearance of more resolution and clarity but both are solid performers. Transient speed is quicker on the Timeless.

Moondrop Kato ($190)

7Hz Timeless has a flatter soundstage and a U shaped signature vs VSDF signature on the Kato. Bass on the Kato has a 2 channel stereo large tower vibe while the Timeless is rocking a 2 channel system with an audible subwoofer. The Moondrop Kato is more forward and brighter, while the Timeless has an enhanced cymbal linger. Weight is also a factor, both the cable and shell of the Moondrop Kato offer a more premium feel due to the heft factor, but it is also more noticeable compared to the lighter and nimble 7Hz Timeless. The cable on the Kato is approaching lamp cord thickness boundaries. The eartips on Moondrop Kato are superior and have that Alza Xelastec stickiness feel, while the Timeless offers a generous pick of off the shelf tips. Read up on Jurgen Kraus’s detailed review of the Moondrop Kato for more info.

WRAP UP

Given the many glowing reviews for the 7Hz Timeless I have to agree the praise is real for available planer IEM options despite it’s flat sounding 2D staging. Another purchase I whole heartily feel was “worth it” and “nice to have”. For those that enjoy squeezing out extra resolution from the first and last octaves or U shaped signature, put these on your short list.

Finally a planar IEM that we have been waiting and hoping for. In comparison to value, there are better options if non-planar IEM’s are factored in, such as the Moondrop Kato that provides better technical abilities and an overall whole premium package. By the time this is published another planar follows very closely in the footsteps of the 7Hz Timeless, so they did something right.

SPECIFICATIONS

GRAPHS

• Left vs Right
• 7Hz Timeless vs Moondrop Kato
• 7Hz Timeless vs BQEYZ Spring 2

Contact us!

DISCLAIMER

They can be purchased at various sellers. Mine were purchased specifically from Hifigo on Amazon here.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.

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

The post 7Hz Timeless Review (2) – Planar Power! appeared first on Audio Reviews.

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.

We are currently experimenting with generic advertisements to recover our operating cost (Paypal does not work at all)…any money raised will go back into the blog. We remain non commercial.

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:

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Cons — Elevated upper midrange may require micropore tape, not the greatest bass extension, a bit analytical; short nozzles/potential fit issue, mediocre cable.

Executive Summary

The Unique Melody 3DT is a gently U-shaped, marginally warm-bright sounding triple-DD earphone of excellent articulation that will appeal to most of us.

Introduction

Unique Melody from Guandong Province of China have been around since 2007. In these almost 15 years, they have built a reputation of designing audio products of the highest quality. This is my first encounter with the brand. And since I am a dynamic-driver aficionado, the 3DT with its three independent dynamic drivers is a most interesting model for me to analyze.

Yep, the Unique Melody 3DT is innovative in that its largest (!) 10 mm CNT (carbon nanotube) driver is responsible for the treble and mids, and their two smaller 7 mm compound drivers are covering the low end. The idea behind the tri-dynamic design is minimizing distortion. And it works as we will see.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the retail box are:

• Unique Melody x Dignis case x1
• Unique Melody 3DT x1
• 2-pin 0.78mm silver cable x1
• Warranty card x1
• Ear tips x8
• Unique Melody-branded cleaning cloth x1

The shells are 3D printed and their outer material is “stablized wood”, a mixture of soft, porous wood and resin, which results in a dense, impervious material. Each of the shells is unique in appearance and therefore has a custom look.

The shells are bulbous and somewhat big but also light, very similar to the Shozy 1.4’s. They are therefore rather comfortable – and insulation is excellent. I did not find them to be fingerprint magnets so that the included cleaning cloth is a bonus.

The nozzles are found being too short by some, which can provide fit problems. This is easily fixed by replacing the short-stemmed stock tips with long-stemmed ones (Azla SednaEarfit Light, long stemmed, worked well for me). Unique Melody could have included a long-stemmed set at this price.

The cable…well…it works well, has no microphonics and there is nothing really wrong with it…in fact, it is almost identical to the one that comes with the $600 Sennheiser IE 500 PRO. But it is tightly braided with a rather hard-shell material so that is appears somewhat brittle. It is certainly not the most pliable one. And it tangles easily.

The zippered storage case is pure luxury. Very nice.

Tonality and Technicalities

Equipment used: Questyle QP1R; Sony NW-A55; MacBook Air & AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt/Astell & Kern PEE51; Azla SednaEarfit Light silicone eartips (long stemmed).

TL;DR: The 3DT’s overall signature is “well timbred”, marginally warm with a bright tilt, wrapped into a gentle U with slightly recessed vocals, and an overall excellent articulation and technical capabilities. All three drivers are rather nimble. Overall presentation is cohesive.

The low end is rather speedy for a dynamic-driver iem. The two 7 mm drivers create a controlled, well-textured bass that does not reach down as deep as some wished. This results in a subtle rumble at the bottom. A thumpy mid-bass hump is avoided – something my ears would not appreciated anyway. There is enough punch for me, decay is rather quick for a dynamic driver. I’d call the low end well dosed, articulate, and it does not smear upwards into the midrange.

This articulation continues into the midrange and treble. Vocals are a bit recessed and neither thick or thin but somewhere in between. They are well defined and sculptured and NOT aggressive, although they receive some energy from a boosted upper midrange. This elevation introduces some brightness to the overall warm signature. A mod is offered in the next chapter to mitigate this.

Treble extension and resolution are very good. There is great definition and body at the top end. The highest piano and violin notes are hit with accuracy, and cymbals sound rock solid. There is no sibilance.

Soundstage is rather wide and not so deep (but deep enough), and may not be the tallest. But it makes for good spatial cues. Note definition is great, note weight is intermediate. Timbre is excellent and layering and separation are good. The image could have some more air, however.

If I had a personal criticism it would be the driver speed pushing the signature towards analytical – it could be a tad more engaging. The three drivers interact flawlessly without an transition creating a coherent image.

Unique Melody 3DT modded

The 3DT’s 3-5 kHz area range may be a bit “spicy” for sensitive ears (but only a bit). Taping the nozzle screens off with surgical 3M micropore tape (don’t use Johnson & Johnson) removes some energy from this area without altering the bottom end. It also does not affect technicalities such as resolution and staging negatively.

The resulting frequency response is much more palatable to most ears and should have been implemented by the manufacturer. We have offered this technique for many earphone models and even dedicated an article to it. This mod is cheap, easy to do, and fully reversible.

Unique Melody 3DT Compared

I compare the Unique Melody 3DT to two single dynamic drivers, the $250 JVC HA-FDX1 and the $190 Moondrop KATO. The JVCs come sonically close to the 3DT but are a tad behind with a narrower stage, less clarity in the lower midrange, and not as tight a bass. The 3DT are slightly punchier with better spatial cues. These differences are, however, relatively small.

The Moondrop KATO are “fatter” and warmer sounding than the first two, which stems from their comparatively looser bass and a richer lower midrange. Vocals in the KATO sound fuller and more analog, but at the expense of note definition and midrange clarity. The 3DT sound more analytical and technical compared to the more relaxed and “casual” sounding KATO. An analogy would be a BMW M3 sportscar with a tight suspension vs. a Jeep Cherokee.

Concluding Remarks

The Unique Melody 3DT is a most interesting, innovate triple dynamic driver design packed in 3D-printed “stabilized wood” shells, with an articulate, organic sonic signature that will appeal to most listeners. It has no deal-breaking weaknesses and, unsurprisingly, comes with the recommendation of some audio forums.

As the company’s first offering to my ears, and considering their good reputation, my high expectations were met in full. The 3DT is one of these rare “Can’t-Go-Wrong” products. Very enjoyable.

Note: when I started this review, the Unique Melody 3DT was priced at $350, but the price had dropped to a rather competitive $259 at the time of publication.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The Unique Melody 3DT was kindly provided by the manufacturer through MusikTeck – and I thank them for that.

Get the Unique Melody 3DT from MusicTeck

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Easy to drive with a mobile, although amping with a modest dongle better controls the slightly tubby midbass region and gives these a bit more crispness. Somewhat tip-sensitive, with narrower silicons giving ‘em a bit more subbass depth.

My more learned colleague describes the Tforce’s tuning as  “diffuse field near neutral” (I would have called it balanced), which isn’t to say it’s flat—there’s some added emphasis in the midrange which pushes vocals forward and provides for good clarity.

Coherent, in the manner of good single DDs, with clean instrument separation; tonality is slightly warm and pretty natural, without shrillness or artifacts, while resolution is likewise good though missing some low-level detail and subtleties in drumbeats and acoustic guitar strings.

Analyzed aspect-by-aspect, it’s hard to find fault with the Yuan Li—it’s a capable, professionally-executed phone. However, my visceral reaction is that it opts for safety over excitement—compared to peers like Moondrop Starfield or the Shozy 1.1/1.4, the Yuan Li lacks a bit of high end extension and  sizzle and come off not so much as dull but as unengaging.

The Yuan Li would make a good entry drug for someone looking to enter this IEM rabbit hole—it does very little wrong and much right. However, you’d hope that subsequent releases from its maker will amp up the PRAT.

Disclaimer: Borrowed from Durwood who received them free of charge from HifiGo which sells them on their website here and also on Amazon.

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Cons — Uninspiring bassy sound.

Executive Summary

The LZ A2 Pro offers a warm, bassy sonic signature but deserves more overall refinement.

Introduction

Lao Zhong Audio, better known as LZ Hifi Audio, is a Chinese company that specializes in in-ear monitors. Their versatile A7 model was highly acclaimed by reviewers and customers alike, and we are no exception.

The A2 Pro follows the tradition of the classic A2 series, now with a triple-driver hybrid configuration.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the earpieces, the cable, two sets of eartips (S/M/L) in a nice plastic case, a metal storage box, and the paperwork. The earpieces are made of resin and are therefore light, however bulky, and reminiscent of the Shozy Form 1.4 and Unique Melody 3DT. The relatively short nozzles feature a lip.

The hybrid earphone cable features 8 strands consisting of 4N oxygen-free copper “OFC” (99.99% pure) and silver-plated OFC cores. It has 2 pin/0.78 connectors and a 3.5 mm plug. The soft PVC outer material makes it extremely soft and pliable.

Despite the short nozzles, the earpieces fit me very well with the blue-stemmed stock tips. Comfort is great, isolation is not. The LZ A2 Pro is easily driven with a phone.

Tonality and Technicalities

Equipment used: MacBook Air; Earstudio HUD100, blue stock tips.

That graph tries to to tell us two things: a “healthy” bass and something weird going on in the midrange (and perhaps in the treble). When listening, that midrange peak is not of concern, at least not to the extent one would expect it.

But the low end dominates the sonic reproduction, although it is not outright basshead material (yet). Lots of rumble from a good extension, which helps characterizing the LZ A2 as a warm earphone. Unfortunately, the low end is a bit crude and uncontrolled for an iem at this price. Bass is punchy, rubbery, thumpy, and somewhat fuzzy, it deserves a bit more contorl/refinement and finesse. And it bleeds shamelessly up into the lower midrange.

This pushes male vocals back and cuts into midrange clarity and resolution. Note weight in the lower midrange is lean. Male and female voice sound somewhat “breathy”/overly airy and not very robust, in cases hollow and nasal. And they are steadily attacked by the low end. All this makes for a somewhat congested and hollow midrange. Bass and midrange appear as a single goo.

Treble is reasonably well extended, however that 8-9 kHz peak causes some weird tizziness.

Soundstage is deep but rather narrow caused by the dominant low end. I feel I am sitting in a tunnel. Dynamics is very powerful, there is a good heft. Timbre is somewhat off so that classical music sounds unrealistic.

Concluding Remarks

I wished I could sugarcoat this, but I can’t. We have experienced the LZ A2 Pro 100 times before. They are poorly tuned, overly bassy and unbalanced, and therefore uninspiring. You could get a much better earphone for cheaper, for example the Moondrop Aria at $80. A fancy faceplate is the only interesting feature of this earphone. In the overcrowded market, there are simply better options.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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The LZ A2 Pro was supplied unsolicited by NiceHCK Audio Store for my review and I thank them for that.

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

If it ain’t here, WE don’t want it!

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

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

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

In-Ear Monitors

Past excellences, now discontinued or superseded

Headphones

Digital Audio Players (“DAPs”)

Desktop Amplifiers

Desktop DACs

Desktop Integrated Headphone DAC/AMPs

Portable Headphone Amplifiers

Portable Integrated Headphone DAC/AMPs

Headphone DAC/AMP “Dongles”

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

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Geek Wold GK10 is currently being hyped like no other, I actually jumped on these when I saw piezo hybrid prior to seeing any hype. Air and sparkle can be fun so they seemed interesting enough especially at their price tag.

You don’t see too many piezo hybrids sub $70 (Nicehck NX7 is the most inexpensive I know) this particular IEM is a 2DD, 1BA and 2 piezo hybrid. The titanium dynamic driver handles the bass, graphene (coated?) handles the mids, BA the lower treble and the ceramic piezo the upper treble.

The promoters set my expectations high, but is the Geek Wold GK10 a main act or the opening act? I suggest having a read through our past reviews of the Nicehck NX7 and BQEYZ Spring 2 to familiarize with what other acts might be competing for the top spot in the piezo hybrids.

Since the Olympics just wrapped up, I equate the Geek Wold GK10 to a long distance track runner with short legs, working real hard to keep up with the more majestic stride of the smoother runner.

It’s fun to watch but ultimately not going to end up on the podium. The reference here though is a $170 IEM to a <$50 IEM so it needs to be taken in context. Now that the real expectations are set, please have a look.

GEEK WOLD GK10 SPECIFICATIONS

• 1 balanced armature for high frequency
• 2 piezoelectric ceramic for ultra-high frequency
• 7mm graphene diaphragm dynamic for middle frequency
• 8mm dome titanium diaphragm dynamic for bass
• Panel: stable wood
• Shell material: ABS+PC
• Impedance: 8Ω
• Sensitivity: 106dB
• Frequency response range: 20-30kHz
• Cable material: 8-strand silver-plated
• Connector: 2pin 0.78mm
• Cable length: 1.2m

OUT OF THE BOX CONFESSIONS

Some of these are hard to classify as a pro or a con, so you get to decide.

• Connectors were hard to push in, made a creaking sound when I finally used enough force to insert the 2 pin. Afterwards there didn’t seem to be any issue removing and reinserting.
• Shells are on the lighter thinner plastic side, reminds me of some of TRN’s budget models IM series. It sacrifices premium build feel for a more practical lightweight disappears in your ears concept.
• Eartips, I had to go up a size from my usual medium and then the midbass nature makes an appearance.
• 6 ohms on the box, 8ohm listed on the web. Measurement below confirms 6 ohm if not closer to 5 ohm. High output impedance sources beware.
• The wood faceplate is unique as a snowflake and yes they are heart shaped. Love at first sight? The wood faceplate is offest, I did a double take thinking the faceplates had come off in shipment.
• The cable is of the tight twisted variety it is not afraid to show it’s kinky side.
• They stay put in my ears, but isolation is average.

PROS

• Unique wood faceplate
• Stays in my ear YMMV
• Smooth piezo tweeter implementation

CONS

• Low Impedance makes it susceptible to cable impedance and source output impedance
• Average isolation
• Bass tuning is centered high and wide
• Left vs Right level differences

GEEK WOLD GK10 PACKAGE CONTENTS

• Removable 2 pin cable
• 2 sets of eartips S/M/L
• Carrying Pouch

THE IMPORTANT SOUND STUFF

Equipment Sources LG V30 / Liquid Spark + JDS Labs Atom

The Geek Wold GK10 is a V shaped signature with bright treble and peaky bass centered in the midbass region. It roughly outlines the Harman curve expect for a few peaks in the response. I have seen the controversy about graphs and perceptions…more on that in a bit. I can only comment on the set received.

The bass has a quick decay but at the same time boomy and thick sounding. Lower registers drop quickly off only to come in later with a slight lack of control, be prepared for all vocals to sound boxy. But wait you say, my set doesn’t sound like that so yours must be defective? The plausible idea is that there is glue covering the vent hole altering the tuning giving them a unit to unit inconsistency.

The other possibility is something I have come across now twice recently, using certain sized tips the shell prevents deep penetration to get that seal needed for proper bass reproduction. What you end up with is a loose seal that helps mask the peakiness of the bass hump. The same result can be achieved by sticking something between the stem of the eartip and nozzle so that it “leaks”.

If comparing the other piezo hybrids, the Nicehck NX7 wins hands down with it’s sub-centric non-bleeding bass, while the BQEYZ Spring 2 comes in second only due to less quantity of the wide hump.

There is a third possibility, consider the fact the hump covers the whole lower octaves similar to trekking up a very long gradual hill to only realize later how tall that hill actually gets. Our brains work very well in relative terms, not so much in absolutes, in others words this rise can be masked.

Mids on the Geek Wold GK10 are pushed into the background with rockiness in the waters presenting some audible grain consistent with IEM’s in this price bracket. Females and male vocalists sound rather chesty as expected with such a midbass hump. I am also picking up some ever slight edginess as we move into the upper mids. The BQEYZ Spring 2 excel in the midrange over the Nicehck NX7 and the Geek Wold GK10 coming in third.

The upper mids and treble come in hot and heavy giving the old noggin a lot to process. They are lively and energetic with a peak near 5khz. Snares are soft and cymbals have no real wincing impact that can easily occur with the Nicehck NX7 leaving just the splash at the end-think shhh instead of catshhh.

The BQEYZ Spring 2 is cleaner and more cohesive. It’s easy to see the treble is the star of the show since it is not offensive. Many IEM’s in this price bracket have trouble controlling treble to extent that it is either piercing or subdued. It’s a tough call here, I prefer the BQEYZ Spring 2, but others might decide the softer presentation of the Geek Wold GK10 might be preferred. The Nicehck NX7 looses terribly unless you want to chase away a wild pack of wolves.

TECHNICALITIES

The Geek Wold GK 10 presents a wide stage with medium depth with only vocals sitting in the background. Separation of instruments is acceptable but easily bested by the 3 times as expensive BQEYZ Spring 2. I get the feeling there might be no crossover in these relying solely on driver overlap and natural roll off of the drivers.

I pick up smearing throughout the midrange so this is perhaps the reason. I might be mistaken but I did not find any literature that mentions a crossover division of frequencies. Geek Wold might want to mention that if it exists. If you didn’t want to spring for the Spring 2, this is an alternative with a recessed midrange in comparison.

Soundstage does present nice width and height with only a minor dip in depth through the mids. The piezo super tweeter adds some ambiance to give some air, but not to the level of the BQEYZ Spring 1 or 2.

OUTRO

The Geek Wold GK10 will enjoy the 15 minutes of fame until the next shiny toy comes out, there is currently no one else offering a hybrid with a ceramic piezo super tweeter at this price range. I have to be realistic, it is not a giant killer or something that can compete in higher price brackets.

Enjoy it for what it is, a sub $50 hybrid and pretty to look at less smooth Harmon tuned IEM heavy on the midbass. After some brain burn re-calibration, I have to let my hearing adjust back to my daily favorite, the Shozy Form 1.4.

GRAPHS

• Geek Wold GK10 Left vs Right
• Geek Wold GK10 vs BQEYZ Spring 2 vs Nicehck NX7
• Geek Wold GK10 Impedance Plot

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Hifigo kindly provided this set for no charge, for everyone else they can be found on Amazon on Hifigo’s store page. No affliate kickbacks, I pinky promise.

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About my measurements.

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Cons — Sound is strongly eartips dependent, can be bright.

Executive Summary

The Whizzer Kylin HE03AL is a cohesive warm-bright, nimble earphone that scores in almost all aspects.

Introduction

With the abundance of multidriver earphones in the last few years, the size of the earpieces appears to have increased exponentially. This may be a consequence of the number of drivers packed into the shells, but even single-dynamic driver earphones appear to have grown. Apart from that, many shells appear to approach a few uniform designs. The listener has to stuff huge cherries into their ears and almost nobody appears to find anything wrong with that.

When choosing my earphones for the day, comfort, and therefore size, shape, and weight play a big role. A good example are my infamous, now discontinued UE 900S that feature four balanced armature drivers in very tiny shells.

Whizzer shows that it can be done. The company is currently having success with the highly rated $80 HE01, an articulate and fun-tuned single dynamic-driver iem. The earpieces come in a unique teardrop shape that provide an excellent fit. While the roségold design may polarize the audio enthusiasts, it stands out from the large uniform fraction of the rest.

Whizzer carried this principal shape over to their new HE03AL (not 100%), a 1+2 iem, which distinguish themselves from their competition through their appearance.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

The earpieces come in a very high-quality blue leather case, which may not be the most portable one. The earpieces are made of high-grade magnesium-aluminium alloy, and their haptic is as good as it can be. They are not only small but also light, and their nozzles are relatively long with two lips.

The 5N silver-plated copper cable is reminiscent of the ones that come with some Moondrop models: it is silver-white, with a round cross section, and is not too rubbery, rather light, drapes well around my body, and the connectors are made of metal. The earhooks are relatively elastic and do not strangle my ears. There is minor microphonics. Whizzer want to sell you their $79 GSC5N upgrade cable, but I find the stock cable just fine for me, as it is light. Works.

Also in the box are two sets of silicone eartips, black wide-bores, and whitish narrow-bores. The accessories are completed by a little soft brush and the usual paperwork.

Ergonomics is very good, the small earpieces with their long nozzles fit my ears like a glove. Very comfortable for many hours of listening pleasure. Isolation is not the greatest, but this may vary between sets of ears.

Tonality and Technicalities

Equipment used: MacBook Air/iPhone SE with AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt; EarMen Eagle with AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ, Earstudio HUD100, ifi Audio iDSD Nano BL; stock tips.

A sonic characterization of the HE03AL is somewhat tricky, as the sound is rather tip dependent. But independent of tips, I’d characterize the HE03AL as cohesive and moderately warm, organic, and musical, closer to a “clean” single dynamic driver than a BA multi. This, combined with its small, light, ergonomic and therefore well fitting earpieces make for a pleasant, fatigue-free listening over longer periods.

The stock tips worked best for me. I also tried tip rolling but had no luck: SpinFit CP145 and CP500 did not improve anything and the Azla SednaEarfit introduced a muffled upper bass.

The white narrow-bore “reference” tips are bulbous in shape and rather long, and they have the thicker membrane of the two stock sets. They are made for deep insertion. The black wide-bore “soundstage” tips are rather short and wide. They are stitting shallower in your ear canals. Both kinds are short-stemmed and work well with the long nozzles.

Sonically the white tips dial the low end back and move the vocals forward. As a side-effect, this brings the upper midrange out and some may perceive the sound bright. Paradoxically, these “reference” tips create the better 3-D scene.

The black tips add to the bass and move the vocals back into the trough of a U-shape. That bass balances the upper midrange elevation, which essentially switches the midrange glare off and avoids shoutiness.

Different strokes for different folks.

All this is not reflected in my measurements, for two reasons: first, I always use the same standard tips for all earphones, and second, I could not get consistent results with the black tip as the coupler refused to work with the thin membane.

However, measurements with my standard tis show a 13 dB pinna gain from 1 to 2 kHz is followed by a 4 kHz peak, resulting in a broad upper midrange plateau. The elevated 4-5 kHz region can introduce grain and harshness to many ears, but can be mitigated with eartips, as seen above.

Independent of tips, the low end is well dosed with a natural decay. Extension into the sub-bass is good but not the greatest, neither is slam, although there is a good rumble with the black tips. Call it “relaxed”.

If you want a healthy bass kick, the HE03AL offer a more natural sounding solution instead. Fast bass lines are clean, precise, but subtle. “Composed” is the best fitting term for the low end, and more so with the white tips than with the black ones. Bass is thumpier and punchier with the black tips.

Vocals in the lower midrange are very nicely rendered and brighter with the white tips. Note weight does not suffer from the upper midrange glare with the white tips. Black tips cause some bass bleed that enhance the recessed male vocals. Note definition is very good and there is plenty of air.

The lower treble drops somewhat off with cymbals in the 7 kHz are being recessed and subtle, but still well defined and crisp. This does not really compromise the treble experience much as the 10 kHz comes to help. Treble resolution and details very good and there is no danger that the upper treble is fatiguing to anybody.

According to the subtle low end, soundstage is not as immersive as in the Dunu Zen, for example. the baser black tips make the stage deeper and limited in width, and the white tips cause the opposite.

Spatial cues is good, you can pinpoint musicians on the stage nicely. Resolution and microdynamics are average, and macrodynamics benefits from amplification. Resolution suffers when the stage is crowded.

Timbre is astonishingly natural but can be coated with a film of brightness, depending on tips. The BAs do not introduce that “glassy” BA timbre.

Whizzer Kylin HE03AL Compared

The $240 NiceHCK Lofty single DD has more depth and weight, is bassier, but is overall much less coherent and balanced. The $220 Akoustyx R-220 has a significantly flatter, neutral tuning with a much lesser low end that comes very close to Etymotic’s tuning. The $200 Shozy Form 1.4 sounds less organic but is technically better.

Concluding Remarks

With the HE03AL, Whizzer have released an iem that distinguishes itself from its competition already by its appearance. I would classify this iem as a great allrounder: it is attractive looking and feeling, well-made, comfortable, and it sounds musical, engaging, and pleasant. All little wheels work well together, the wow effect may come later. And it will…

I’d recommend the HE03AL to people who have saved their money for ONE earphone in the $200-250 class. For you, it will cover all the bases. And I assign some longevity to it. It is good enough to still serve you well 3 years down the road.

My wife has had a single earphone, the Hifiman RE-400. I gave her the HE03AL as an upgrade. The perfect iem for somebody like her.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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The Whizzer Kylin HE03AL was provided from Whizzer for my review and I thank them for that.

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Cons — Dirt attractors: need regular washing; can get out of shape and need to be re-shaped in hot water; not for short-nozzles iems; pricey.

Distinctive Features — Best fitting of all eartips I have used; enhances vocals in many earphones.

Executive Summary

The Azla Xelastec are completely unique short-stemmed wide-bore eartips in that they provide the perfect fit through their incredible grip AND move vocals forward in many earphones.

Introduction

Azla is a company out of Korea that offers two earphones, an amplifier, and lots of different silicone eartips. Their most famous product has been the Azla SednaEarFit Original Series, consisting of four models, two of them long-stemmed, two of them short-stemmed, all of them wide-bores.

These are very popular with audio enthusiasts, typically hard to get outside of Asia, and mostly sold out. The designs are based on the analysis of almost 800 ear shapes. All Azla products are manufactured in the Republic of Korea.

Xelastec Design

Azla have recently added the Xelastec eartips to their portfolio, short-stemmed wide-bores made of German Kraiburg TPE different to any other earphone on the market.

TPE is short for Thermoplastic Elastomers, also known as thermoplastic rubbers, a class of copolymers or a physical mix of polymers (usually a plastic and a rubber) that consist of materials with both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties.

The benefit of using thermoplastic elastomers is the ability to stretch to moderate elongations and return to its near original shape creating a longer life and better physical range than other materials [see Wikipedia].

The material is extremely grippy and also extremely deformable. The umbrella moulds perfectly into the shape of one’s ear canal. Fit, hold, seal, and isolation of the Xelastec are therefore perfect.

And when the eartips retain their deformed shape, the original shape can be restored in a bath of warm to hot water (but not too hot; rinsed off with cold water). The TPE is unfortunately a dirt attractor, but can be washed easily with water.

In terms of earphone fit, the short stems require a certain nozzle length. The inner stem diameter of 3.6 mm is stretchable enough to fit standard 4.5 mm nozzles. All Azlas come in 6 different umbrella sizes (see size chart above) to fit any ear canal. Be aware that their sizes are unusual: Azla’s L corresponds to other company’s XL. Check your numbers before ordering.

Sound?

I typically do not give sonic descriptions of eartips, as different designs yield different results depending on earphone and individual ear canal. The Azla Xelastec are somewhat of an exception as they have a tendency to work well with more iems than other makes models in my experience.

I have not found many earphones the Xelastec did not make a difference to the better. Their risk of failure/dissatifaction is smaller, but you pay for it.

In my experience (almost 1 year of testing them), the Xelastec show the biggest improvements with V-shaped sound profiles. They move the vocals forward and therefore, passively, the bass backward, considering the human ear hears the whole frequency spectrum in context. Bass boom was decreased or disappeared altogether.

This worked well for me with the Meze RAI Solo, Shozy Form 1.4, Shozy Form 1.1, Shozy Rouge, and NiceHCK NX7 Mk3, in less so with the KBEAR Believe.

In comparison, the Azla SednaEarfit (Original Series) Light, shortstemmed, boost the bass and move the vocals back in many iems. The difference is substantial.

What KopiOkaya says

Co-blogger Larry Fulton alias KopiOkaya summarizes the main characteristics of the leading third-party eartips in his famous eartips guide, including the Azla Xelastec. His professional opinion is as follows:

Azla SednaEarFit XELASTEC
Bore size: regular
Stem length: regular
Feel: soft, grippy and sticky
Bass: 4.0
Midrange: 5.0
Treble: 3.75
Soundstage: 3.50
Vocal presence: 5.0

The most expensive eartip in my collection. Isolation is impeccable. If you love vocals, THIS IS IT! Vocal presence is extremely 3D. Best of all it doesn’t affect bass and treble. Projects soundstage a bit narrower than regular SednaEarFit.

Concluding Remarks

The Azla Xelastec are probably the best and most versatile eartips on the market – and unfortunately the most expensive. They work well with most earphones and have a higher rate of success “fixing” an iem’s sound than the competition I have tested, particularly when addressing the vocals department. Yes, they are pricey but they need to be in the “tips box” of every audio enthusiast.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The Azla Xelastec eartips were kindly provided by Azla in Gangnam almost a year ago. And I thank them for that.

Get more information from Azla’s Xelastec product page.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

The post Azla SednaEarfit Xelastec Eartips Review – Vocals Enhancer appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — No balanced circuit; limited Hi Res decoding; no “DragonTail” adapter included. 

Executive Summary

The AudioQuest DragonFly Red is a dynamic and natural sounding miniature headphone amp (dac/pre-amp). As the more vivid sibling of the relaxed DragonFly Cobalt, it is sourced by phones or computers with minimal battery drain.

Introduction

AudioQuest is primarily a cable company, established in 1980, but they also invented this type of small, source-powered portable dac-amp. The concept goes back to a meeting at the 2010 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest between DragonFly’s designer Gordon Rankin, Joe Harley (AQ’s former Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Development), Steve Silberman (AQ’s former VP of Marketing), and Bill Low (AQ’s founder and CEO). Steve had asked to create a USB cable with an in-line converter with RCA cables coming out of one end.

Looking at a USB stick, Gordon said, “You know, we can make it like this. It could have a USB-A plug at one end and a 3.5mm output jack at the other.” Gordon Rankin had a lot of experience to offer. He had designed his first dac (the Cosecant) in 2003 and simultaneously started working on asynchronous code. He is one of the pioneers of computer audio.

In 2012, the first DragonFly was released, with the “Red” following in 2016. My analysis of the DragonFly Red obviously comes 5 years late so that there has been ample time for reviewers and audio enthusiasts to establish its place in the audio community.

What was new as of 2016, is that all DragonFlys had small enough power consumption to be operated by a phone’s battery. Not having a battery of their own increases their lifespan quasi infinitely over the bulkier transportable dac-amps with non-serviceable batteries (facing planned obsolescence).

I only received the “Red” recently, but had purchased the $99 DragonFly Black v1.5 back in 2016, which has been my goto until now. And I recently reviewed the $299 DragonFly Cobalt, released in 2019, that features very similar (but not quite the same) specs as the “Red” (which can be a bit confusing for the potential buyer).

In the last 2-3 years, Gordon Rankin’s idea of small portable dac-amps has been adapted by many manufacturers, mainly from the Far East, who are currently flooding the market with countless models priced between $10 and $400, with the sweet spot between $80 and $150.

Two main questions arise and will be addressed in this review. First, how do the DragonFlys Red and Cobalt compare? Second, is the 2016 DragonFly Red still current or have the competitors overtaken Gordon Rankin’s innovation?

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

Just like the other DragonFly models, the “Red” comes with AudioQuest’s obligatory storage sheath and the “flight manual“. And, like the Cobalt, the Red is lacquered with car varnish. Guess its colour!

The DragonFly Red has a nominal output of 2.1 V (like the DragonFly Cobalt). This is no more than average in its category. Hobbyist Archimago measured a very low output impedance of 0.53 Ω. You find other detailed measurements by Stereophile and ASR (beware of overinterpretations).

Measurements, even if performed unbiased and correctly, cannot characterize a dac-amp sufficiently. They only give us half the story as there is no linear correlation between graphs and musical enjoyment/listening pleasure, sonic character/appeal, synergy, soundstage, separation, timbre, sense of ease etc. A correlation between electromagnetic and acoustic waves does not exist in physics. We need to deploy our ears for the ultimate test. There are plenty of examples where a “well-measuring device” does not impress sonically. Measurements are more important for product design than for practical testing. Alarm bells may only go up if measurements are “really bad”.

The DragonFly Red streams Tidal masters (MQA) and Qobuz, and works with all the non-audiophile streaming services such as Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud etc. And it is firmware upgradeable.

For DragonFly Red, the status indicator produces the following colors: standby (Red), 44.1kHz (Green), 48kHz (Blue), 88.2kHz (Amber), 96kHz (Magenta), MQA (Purple).

All DragonFlys can be sourced by a computer (no Windows driver required) or Android/iOS devices…and used as dac-amp with headphones/earphones, or as pre-amp with a dedicated amplifier. Their functionality is described in detail in my Cobalt review.

Amplification and Power Management

There is enough power to drive my 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 headphone. The Red also operated all my iems and the mid-sized 70 Ω Sennheiser HD 25 or 60 Ω Koss Porta Pro with ease.

In my 3h battery drain test of several dongles, the DragonFly Red (and Black) had the lowest consumption on my iPhone 5S, the DragonFly Cobalt consumed about a third more, which placed it in the midfield. All DragonFlys stayed pretty cool during operation. But it could have done far worse than that….see the detailed results. In this respect, the DragonFly Red/Black are the clear winners and therefore most useful on the road.

Power Consumption Test: Parameters and Raw Results

I tested the power consumption of several portable headphone amps connected to my iPhone 5S. The conditions were as identical as possible: 3 h test, volume calibrated to 85 dB  ± 0.5 dB white noise with Dayton microphone, no sim card, BT off, no other apps open; network on, 32 ohm Blon BL-03 iem, Genesis’s Supper’s Ready (from the Seconds Out album) played in an endless loop.

The iPhone’s battery was fully charged at the start of the test and the remaining charge was measured thereafter. The result is shown in the table below. Since the tests were performed at different times and considering the ongoing battery deterioration, the results have to be seen with a grain of salt.

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Sound Comparisons

Equipment used: Macbook Air/iPhone SE first generation; Sennheiser HD 600, Sennheiser HD 25, Koss Porta Pro; Cayin Fantasy, JVA HA-FDX1, Sennheiser IE 300, Sennheiser IE 400 PRO, BQEYZ Summer, Meze RAI Solo, Moondrop Aria, Shozy Form 1.4.

The AudioQuest DragonFly Red’s sonic qualities have been known for the last 5 years. But how does it hold up against its competition today?

In my perception, the DragonFly Red offers a rather vivid, organic sound with good extensions at both ends resulting in a marginally warm, immersive listening being off strictly linear. The slightly elevated bass contributes to a good depth but takes a bit away from the stage width, which results in a good three-dimensionality.

The Red is the most dynamic dongle I have tested. It has superb separation of good note weight, and is a bit edgy at the top end. The presentation is rather musical (as opposed to analytical) with good PRAT.

The DragonFlys are musical… The rest just gives you sound. Co-blogger and Red/Cobalt owner KopiOkaya.

The DragonFly Red is ahead of its immediate (external) competition listed here in terms of dynamics, microdynamics, and microdetail.

The equally priced and also natural sounding EarMen Sparrow offers an additional balanced circuit. The Sparrow is flatter, less vivid and less (micro)detailed than the DragonFly Red with a shallower but wider and taller soundstage (balanced circuit only). It is more powerful, and has a much higher battery draw.

The $129 EarMen Eagle was hailed by some reviewers to best the DragonFly Red. Eagle is more linear, less bassy, has a wider but flatter stage. Most importantly, it is leaner sounding not quite reaching the Red’s midrange body, dynamics, and resolution. But it has the DragonFly’s USB-A plug.

The $119 Earstudio HUD100 is the flattest/most linear of the lot, and also the least lively, which qualifies it for earphone testing and for use with very thick sounding (bassy) iems. The $119 Hizids S9 PRO is sonically almost indistinguishable from the HUD100. The $85 Shanling UA2 has rather warm and bassy signature. These three models lack midrange body and note weight, and vocals are rather thin compared to the Red.

DragonFly Red’s real challenger is the $299 DragonFly Cobalt. Most specs are identical between the two models. But the Cobalt has a more expensive dac chip, a different receiver chip, and some JitterBug USB-cleaning technology.

Both have different sonic signatures that broadly correspond to their shapes and colour: smoothly rounded in subtle blue vs. edgier in the louder red.

It is the exuberance and the lively treble that distinguishes the DragonFly Red from the smoother, more relaxed sounding, more composed and mature Cobalt. The Cobalt’s notes are more rounded and weightier, vocals have an unparalleled richness, smoothness, and naturalness in the dongle world.

The Red is more spectacular, more forward into your face/ears especially at the top end, where the Cobalt is easing off a bit. The Red’s liveliness works particularly well with powerful music such as rock, pop, EDM, anything that needs a good punch. The Cobalt plays its strength out in acoustic and jazzy music with emphasis on detail, microdynamics, and timbre.

You experience the principal differences between the two models best when having hightened sensitivity be it through a cold or hangover, or simply early in the morning.

JitterBug FMJ adds body and depth to the Red’s presentation, and it rounds the top off. Separate review of the “Bug” is here.

Is the DragonFly Red still relevant?

This question is frequently discussed in audio forums. The Red is very relevant to me. It depends how you look at it.

The present trends are: maxed out Hi RES (PCM: support up to 768kHz/32Bit; DSD: native DSD64/128/256/512), swappable sound profiles, maximum power, an additional balanced circuit, and perfect measurements. All that at a low price. If that’s what you are after, all DragonFlys are outdated.

If you don’t want to handle Windows drivers, they are not. And if you judge by sound quality, the Red has yet to find a challenger (beside the Cobalt).

The competing devices I have tested do not match the Red in terms of note weight, dynamics, and detail resolution. You may get more sound but not more musicality from the competition. There is still catching up to do with dac chip implementation, which is particularly evident in lean vocals reproduction and timbre.

So, what is the point of decoding super HI RES with a mediocre dac – and/or pairing it with a premium earphone?

The DragonFly Red also clearly leads the pack in power management: its low battery drain results an always cool (as opposed to hot) device.

And whereas the Red has had a long shelf life without any necessary re-issues (though it is software upgradable), the competition keeps pushing improved “Pro” versions of their products.

Another advantage of all DragonFlys is the USB-A plug, which makes it equally practical for Android and iOS devices. The new dongle generations mainly feature USB-C plugs or fixed USB-C cables, which result in cumbersome snakes when combined with the Apple camera adapter.

Sure, there are third-party lightning cables to connect to a USB-C socket, but their MFI chips are not optimized for Apple’s power management, which results in unreasonably high additional battery drains.

There are a few products that incorporate such ingenuity that they remain current and relevant over many years. Other examples are the Apogee Groove and Chord Mojo dac-amps, both unmatched since 2015. Gordon Rankin’s experience must have made this sustained difference in the DragonFlys’ case.

Vorsprung durch Technik?

What I use

Ok ok, everybody has different preferences. I am a phone guy who does not want to carry a second device (“dap”) around – and who wants to use the dac-amp between different devices. I don’t listen on my desktop computer so that my stack is catching dust. And my Shanling M0 dap, too.

Since 2016, my go-to has been the DragonFly Black, but in the last 4-5 months, it has been replaced by: the DragonFly Cobalt for acoustic/classical/jazzy music, the DragonFly Red for Rock/Pop and for on the road (low battery drain), and the EarMen Eagle for thick sounding/bassy earphones and headphones. And I am very happy with this.

On top of that, I am having a lot of fun experimenting with the AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ (I also had purchased the original JitterBug upon its release in 2016) and the ifi Audio iSilencer. More about these USB cleaners is coming soon.

Concluding Remarks

Considering its organic timbre and its rich midrange, the Red could be the best-sounding portable dac-amp I have tested. But it is not as the DragonFly Cobalt is one step ahead and takes over the title “Lord of the Flies” (apologies to William Golding). The DragonFly Red comes in second best, but it is also $100 cheaper.

My investigations have shown that the external competitors (I have tested) have yet to match the DragonFly Red in terms of sound quality, which, quite frankly, surprises me, too. They may impress with added features, balanced circuits, and amplification, but there is obviously still some room to catch up with the experience in asynchronous coding and the other nitty gritty that make your earphone/headphone sound “good”.

So, yes, the old “Lady in Red” is sonically still on top of the $200 class imo.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

The DragonFly Red was kindly provided by AudioQuest up my request and I thank them for that.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

Gallery

The post AudioQuest DragonFly Red USB DAC + Preamp + Headphone Amp Review – Still Lord Of The Flies? appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — No storage case.

Executive Summary

The $129 EarMen Eagle is a rather refined sounding dac & amp that beats it immediate peers in terms of sound quality. It is the lowest priced dongle offering premium sound quality (of all the ones I have tested) imo.

Introduction

EarMen may be a rather young company that released their first products in 2020, but they have the very experienced premium manufacturer Auris Audio behind them. They are registered in Chicago but produce in Serbia, so you get an American-European product. Their first releases into the world of combined dac-amps were the excellent $199 Sparrow dongle and the $249 TR-amp, both receiving undeservedly little attention by consumers on our YouTube channel (You find the Sparrow video here and the TR-amp video there). But both products received high praises by reviewers.

The Sparrow is special in that it features a balanced circuit on top of the single-ended one, which appears to put the Eagle in its shadow, but undeservedly so, as we will find out. EarMen asked me to compare their Eagle to the AudioQuest DragonFly Red – which some reviewers have done already.

In this review, I will demonstrate that a comparison with the DragonFly Red is somewhat irrelevant and why I prefer the Eagle over the Sparrow. The Eagle simply has its very own merits and deserves to fly high above the radar of the dongle universe.

As mentioned before, I have written an extensive review of the EarMen Sparrow and both are overlapping in terms of functionality. I will therefore focus on my new findings with my experience in “dongle-itis” gained and rather focus on how the EarMen Eagle fits into the big picture.

Specifications

Download Manual: EarMen Eagle

Purchase Link: EarMen Shop

Tested at: $129

Visit mqa.co.uk for more information.

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the EarMen Eagle, the warranty card, and a USB-A female to USB-C male adapter cable. This allows the Eagle to connect to Apple and Android phones/tablets, and any Windows/Mac computers. It features the ESS Sabre ESS ES9280 C PRO dac chip – which is well implemented.

As you may be well aware, the chip does not matter much for the sound as it is only one of many components. More important are its implementation (including filtering), the analog output stage, as well as the amp design and amp implementation. Therefore, devices with the same das chip may sound totally differently. One ingredient does not make a great meal, experienced chefs are needed. Luckily, they have good cooks at EarMen.

In contrast to its Sparrow sibling, the Eagle features a USB-A connector, a rarity outside the AudioQuest models. The EarMen Eagle therefore works with iOS devices (but requires the Apple Camera Adapter) without creating a “monster dongle snake”. And that’s why I prefer the Eagle over the Sparrow.

The actual EarMen Eagle is as sturdy and filigree CnC machined aluminium construction with top and bottom covered by glass…although I wished it had come with a sheath to protect it from being scratched. It has the same build and dimensions as the Sparrow.

The EarMen logo is illuminated depending on input:

• White – Connected
• Green – PCM/DXD/DSD
• Magenta – MQA
• Red – Not Connected

Functionality and Operation

A Summary Of What It Does

• Can be connected to Windows/Mac computers or Android/iOS sources
• USB-A connector works well with iPhone and Android alike (with included OTG cable)
• Works as a pre-amplifier or dac when connected to a dedicated headphone amplifier
• Drives small loudspeakers through its 3.5 mm output

AND Of What It Does Not

• …has no physical controls
• …needs no battery; draws power from source…and lots of it
• …is not driverless: needs a USB driver for Window computer
• …needs an Apple camera adapter or other third-party lightning cable for connecting to an iOS device
• …does not like driving power-hungry headphones, let’s say my 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600, is pushing it

Well, the first fail of most dongle manufacturers (imo) is the choice of a USB-C connector, be it a socket or a fixed cable. While this is mildly beneficial for Android users, it adds inconvenience to iOS users as they need to chain two cables together: an OTG one and the Apple Camera adapter, which results in a cumbersome “snake”. Yes, you can get third party lightning cables to connect to a USB-C socket, but their MFI chips are not optimized for Apple’s power management, which results in unreasonably high additional battery drains.

The EarMen Eagle contains no battery and is powered by the source device. It works plug ‘n’ play with computers, tablets, and phones (Windows/Mac/Android/iOS). And it requires adjusting the respective sound panel settings in Mac and Windows computers (and a Windows driver).

Volume is controlled from the source device – there are no buttons on the EarMen Sparrow. It is as easy as that. The EarMen Eagle decodes all 32bit/384kHz formats: PCM, DoP, DSD64, DSD128 and MQA. 

Amplification and Power Consumption

You have to give it to EarMen that they disclose detailed power ratings (see specifications above). The Eagle drives any iem and mid-sized headphone such as the 70 Ω Sennheiser HD 25 very well, but starts losing heft at the more power-hungry, full-sized cans such as the 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600.

In my 3h battery drain test of several dongles, the Dragonfly Black and Red had the lowest consumption on my iPhone 5S, the EarMen consumed about a third more, which placed it in the midfield. But it could have done far worse than that….see the detailed results. I would call the Eagle’s battery consumption acceptable but not outstanding.

Power Consumption Test: Parameters and Raw Results

I tested the power consumption of several portable headphone amps connected to my iPhone 5S. The conditions were as identical as possible: 3 h test, volume calibrated to 85 dB  ± 0.5 dB white noise with Dayton microphone, no sim card, BT off, no other apps open; network on, 32 ohm Blon BL-03 iem, Genesis’s Supper’s Ready (from the Seconds Out album) played in an endless loop.

The iPhone’s battery was fully charged at the start of the test and the remaining charge was measured thereafter. The result is shown in the table below. Since the tests were performed at different times and considering the ongoing battery deterioration, the results have to be seen with a grain of salt.

[collapse]

Sound

Equipment used: MaBook Air/iPhone Se (1st gen.); Sennheiser HD 25; Cayin Fantasy, Sennheiser IE 300, Sennheiser IE 400 PRO, Moondrop Aria, Shozy Form 1.4.

The EarMen Eagle sounds essentially like the single-ended circuit of its sibling EarMen Sparrow. It is marginally off neutral with a bit of warmth added. Warm enough to work well with natural earphones, and neutral enough to work with warm sounding earphones. This makes it flexible with earphone/headphone pairings. It has a rather wide soundstage and a very pleasant, natural timbre, without any harshness or grain.

Voices are smooth, the imaging has some sense of ease, timbre is organic, transparency and clarity are good. The overall presentation is very musical, nothing is analytical or sterile. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Eagle, sonically, but rather everything right.

EarMen Eagle Compared

With tens of dongles on the market, it has become impossible for a single reviewer to keep the overview. As a rule of thumb, pricier models do NOT have necessarily more amplification but a better dac (implementation) in my experience, which translates to better sound. The Eagle’s money is not so much in the amplification but in the sound quality.

“Better sound” in this context means richer/fuller, with better microdynamics (“the small things”) and macrodynamics. It also means more organic/natural as opposed to digital. These improvements result in better musicality. This is not different with your desktop stacks.

I was asked to compare the EarMen Eagle with the $199 AudioQuest DragonFly Red. And the Red shows the Eagle’s limits, which is no surprise as it is 50% more expensive. The Red is bassier, punchier, and more agile & dynamic, it has more note weight and better note definition, and better detail retrieval. It is a bit fuller, richer, and smoother sounding. Vocals are more forward.

The Eagle has a wider but flatter stage. It is overall leaner sounding than the Red but also a bit clearer in the midrange. The Eagle is overall more polite. These differences are only obvious when A/B-ing. What plays into the Eagle’s hands is its more linear signature: the Red does not pair as well with thick sounding/bassy earphones, that’s where the Eagle excels.

Compared to the $85 Shanling UA2 and $109 Hidizs S9 PRO, the Eagle is ahead in terms of timbre. It sounds more natural and even, and it is fuller in the midrange. UA2 is the bassiest and warmest of the three. The UA2/S9 PRO feature an additional balanced circuit and more power. You have the choice: features or sound quality. Quantity vs. quality.

The Eagle’s closest competitor, sound wise, could be the $119 Earstudio HUD100, which is less dynamic but more linear than the Eagle. I prefer the HUD100 for earphone analyses and the Eagle for recreational listening.

In summary, I would draw a line in the sand and claim that the Eagle is the lowest-priced dongle with true premium sound. This is, of course, subjective.

Concluding Remarks

The EarMen Eagle (and the Sparrow) are the company’s first foray into source-powered portable amp/DACs. And it is a very good one. The Eagle sounds great without any major weakness, has excellent build, and it is practical with its USB-A connector. And that’s why I personally prefer it over the more expensive Sparrow. Of all the dongles I have tested, the Eagle is the lowest-priced one that offers premium sound quality imo, and it is worth pairing with the most expensive iems.

In the meantime, I have mailed the EarMen Sparrow to Biodegraded for a second opinion/review.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

The EarMen Eagle was provided by EarMen for my review and I thank them for that. You can get the Eagle at the EarMen shop.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post EarMen Eagle Review – Most Affordable Premium Sound appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — Balanced circuit only adds power but not headroom; two headphone sockets too close together; very high power consumption (on phone).

Executive Summary

The $109 Hidizs S9 Pro is a very powerful, linear, and good sounding portable headphone DAC & amp that features single-ended and balanced circuits.

Introduction

Ever since Gordon Rankin introduced the 2016 versions of the AudioQuest DragonFly Black/Red that could be used with a phone because of their intelligent power management, companies have jumped on that bandwagon. Many of them. After all, such devices are flexible in that you can use them with your computer and your phone…and you can migrate them to new devices should you replace the old ones. With no battery of their own, such dongles have an almost infinite life.

Some protagonists already predict the end of the dap as more and more listeners don’t want to have two devices in their pocket. I personally have been a huge dongle fan since 2016, whereas my dap is catching dust in the drawer.

Hidizs have been very active in the portable DAC-amp category lately, and co-blogger Loomis Johnson covered the original Hidizs S9. The S9 PRO is an upgrade in that it offers a different dac chip and two circuits, a balanced and a single-ended one.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

There is a little LED light between them indicating

Functionality and Operation

The Hidizs S9 PRO works like so many dongles of its kind. You connect it to your phone or computer, it is source-powered and operated, and therefore does not contain any on-board controls.

A Summary of what it does

• Can be connected to Windows/Mac computers or Android/iOS sources
• Works as a pre-amplifier or dac when connected to a dedicated headphone amplifier
• Features two circuits: 3.5 mm single ended and 2.5 mm balanced
• Drives small loudspeakers through its 3.5 mm output
• Handles even power-hungry headphones well, imo up to 300 Ω

…and of what it does not

• …has no physical controls
• …needs no battery; draws power from source…and lots of it
• …both sockets are too close together to operate simultaneously
• …is not driverless: needs a USB driver for Window computer
• …needs an Apple camera adapter or other third-party lightning cable for connecting to an iOS device

Amplification and Power Consumption

Amplification is stellar. CqTek of the Hi End Portable Blog measured the Hidizs S9 Pro with an oscilloscope. His results exceed the manufacturer’s claims. Hidizs recommends their S9 Pro to handle power-hungry headphones with impedances up to 300 Ω. And it drives my Sennheiser HD 600 well.

In my 3h battery drain test of several dongles, the DragonFly Red had the lowest consumption on my iPhone 5S, the Hidizs S9 consumed about 2-3 times as much, which placed it last.

Power Consumption Test: Parameters and Raw Results

I tested the power consumption of several portable headphone amps connected to my iPhone 5S. The conditions were as identical as possible: 3 h test, volume calibrated to 85 dB  ± 0.5 dB white noise with Dayton microphone, no sim card, BT off, no other apps open; network on, 32 ohm Blon BL-03 iem, Genesis’s Supper’s Ready (from the Seconds Out album) played in an endless loop.

The iPhone’s battery was fully charged at the start of the test and the remaining charge was measured thereafter. The result is shown in the table below. Since the tests were performed at different times and considering the ongoing battery deterioration, the results have to be seen with a grain of salt.

[collapse]

Sound

Equipment used: Macbook Air/iPhone SE first generation; Sennheiser HD 600 & HD 25, Sennheiser IE 300, Sennheiser IE 400 PRO, Moondrop Aria, Shozy Form 1.4; AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ.

TL;DR: I have been testing and testing and testing dongles lately, until I got dizzy. The Hidizs S9 PRO does not disappoint, it sounds good even when you use more expensive dongles as reference, and it has no deal-breaking flaws. It shows a strictly linear and neutral signature across the frequency spectrum and sounds rather natural. Fortunately, it does not have the metallic, analytical, sterile sound of some budget dongles, as reported to some extent for the original S9, for example.

This linearity creates clarity in the midrange which makes for good spatial cues but voices are a bit leaner than with pricier dongles. The bass is as crisp and tight as it should be. Macrodynamics and soundstage are average in its class. There is essentially no difference in headroom or soundstage between the single-ended and balanced circuits.

Using the Hidizs S9 PRO with the AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ (phone and computer alike) added substance (richness), depth, and smoothness to the sound.

Hidizs S9 PRO compared

Considering the selection of dongles on the market, it has become impossible to compare all of them. As a rule of thumb, pricier models do NOT have necessarily more amplification but a better dac in my experience, which translates to better sound. So your money really is in the sound quality.

“Better” in this context means richer/fuller, with better microdynamics (“the small things”) and macrodynamics. It also means more organic/natural as opposed to digital. These improvements result in a better musicality. Cheap dongles may produce sound, expensive ones may product music. It is similar to your desktop stacks.

The Hidizs S9 PRO has essentially the same specifications as the $85 Shanling UA2 and both feature single-ended and balanced circuits. Although amplification power is practically identical, sound is slightly different. The Shanling has a thicker, boosted low end, a smoother lower midrange and a less edgy top end. Vocals are more rounded but are also more prone to be covered up by the mid-bass. The coin toss between the two is whether you like it warmer/bassier or more neutral but the general quality is the same.

All dongles mentioned below vary in features, I mainly focus on sound quality.

The $300 AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt offers a richer and more intimate midrange and an organic smoothness across the frequency range, while not being as powerful. All three models mentioned so far feature the same dac chip and the Cobalt offers the best implementation by far. In the end, you pay a premium for sound quality and not for amplification power or features. The Cobalt is sound wise above anything I have tested but it is also the by far most expensive. It is definitely diminishing return and you get better value in the Hidizs S9 Pro.

The Hidizs S9 PRO is not as dynamic (“punchy”) as the $200 DragonFly Red, and it also cannot offer the Red’s full midrange (which is also a bit behind the Cobalt’s). The Red’s midrange is also more forward but it has no balanced circuit and weaker amplification..

The $129 EarMen Eagle is power wise also behind the Hidizs S9 PRO, does not feature a balanced circuit, but it is more organic, more dynamic, and a bit richer in the midrange. And it has a wider soundstage and better separation but is overall still behind the DragonFly Red. However the differences to the Hidizs S9 PRO are nuances and not earth shattering. Your tradeoff is the lack of a balanced circuit and amplification.

The $120 Earstudio HUD 100 is also 100% linear. Both HS9 PRO and HUD 100 are very close in terms of sound and I may actually fail a blind test between them. Because of its neutrality, the HUD 100 has been my go to for earphone reviewing and tuning.

In summary, you get the sound quality you pay for but some amplification for free. DAC quality (which is largely independent of chip) and therefore sound quality are broadly correlated with price, whereas features and amplification power are not. The more expensive dongles simply sound fuller and more dynamic in analogy to desktop dacs.

The diminishing return probably starts at below $100. It really comes down to personal preferences, expectations, and wallet which one to pick, but pairing a $50 iem with a $300 dongle is as futile as pairing a $1000 iem with a $100 dongle.

Concluding Remarks

The Hidizs S9 PRO joins the gigantic pool of portable, source-powered dac-amps first introduced in phone-compatible versions by AudioQuest in 2016. It offers powerful amplification, single-ended and balanced circuits, low output impedance, and a good sound quality at $100. And the price is right. But it also drains your phone’s battery fast.

Some reviewers put the S9 Pro ahead of the pack even compared to pricier dongles. I cannot really comment as I don’t know all competitors but am not surprised.

It is amazing, how dongle prices have dropped and you have the agony of choice to pick the one that’s best for you. The Hidizs S9 PRO is one of the $100 options to consider. You get a lot for your money. And it works for me, too.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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The Hidizs S9 PRO was kindly provided by Hidizs for my review and I thank them for that.

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Shiny aluminum casing looks premium, and the color-changing LED (which indicates bitrate) is a neat gimmick. Its rated output power of 30mW/16ohm, 7mW/600ohm seems modest on paper, but in practice it had considerably more oomph than my unamped LG V50 (in high impedance mode) and drove my 150ohm buds adequately, although it showed better bass control on lower-impedance phones. As with most such devices, it runs a bit warm, but power draw is surprisingly low (my LG was still at 94% after an hour of use).

Unlike neutral-sounding peers like the Cozoy Takt-C, the Atom 2 imparts a definite tonal signature—a warm, formal presentation which tends to thicken notes, enhance midrange presence and take some of the edge off the high end. This works well with brighter IEMs and source material, but does have a tendency to blur some detail—cymbal hits and vocal nuances sound smoothed out and less crisp.

Overall effect is to impart richness, especially in the midrange and to widen the soundstage. A leaner phone like the NiceHCK NX7 or Tin T4 seemed to benefit from the pairing, with more overall oomph and a warmer, less clinical sound, while fuller-sounding pieces like the Moondrop Starfield or the Shozy 1.4 sounded better sans the Atom, with better detail and more instrument separation. 

The Atom’s tonality is actually  quite similar to the Tempotec Sonata, a $50  dongle much praised by Jürgen—both have a forward, beefy sound which imparts a slight warmth, although the Atom comes across as the less grainy and more refined of the two. The $109 Hidizs S9  shares the Atom’s aggressive nature, but is brighter and more detailed; the S9 also sounds more powerful and is better-suited to less efficient phones. 

Overall, the Atom 2  is something like auditory Tabasco—it enlivens dull-sounding IEMs while somewhat masking the nuances of more lively ones. It’s a quality piece, and registers as good value, though you’ll need to be careful with pairing and devotees of transparency will look elsewhere. 

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This unit was sent to me for review by hilidac, whose website is accessible here: https://www.hilidac.com/product-page/atom-pro

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Cons — Midrange attenuation; high battery drain from phone.

Executive Summary

The Shanling UA2 is a slightly off-neutral, rather natural sounding, and very powerful portable DAC/amp with good dynamics that features single-ended and balanced outputs at a budget pice. Compared to some of its much more expensive rivals, the UA2 has a leaner midrange while being competitive in terms of power.

Introduction

Shanling is a Chinese HiFi company established in 1988. They hit the western markets in the early 2000s with premium amplifiers at very competitive prices. At the time, while working in China, I talked to them about getting a 110 V version of one of their famous tube CD-players manufactured. This, unfortunately, failed because of export regulations.

More than half a generation later – Shanling has long established itself as a quality player and brand name around the world – I finally try my first Shanling product, the UA2 Portable USB DAC/Amp. And TL;DR, it is a good one.

Shanling is currently joining an army of companies populating the market with portable dac/amps that turn you phone into a dap. In this ever more crowded field, where the potential buyer cannot try before buying, reviewers like me have to provide the overview. But since it is impossible to test all interesting products, you have to check out a few qualified opinions before pulling the trigger.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

In the box are the UA2, a USB-C to USB-C cable, and a USB-C to USB-A adapter. The UA2 body is made of metal and its coating feels smooth and appealing between my fingers.

In contrast to most other dongles does the UA2 offers two different circuits: a single-ended output through a standard 3.5 mm socket and a balanced output through a 2.5 mm socket. Both outputs/sockets work simultaneously. And it is the balanced output that makes the UA2 particularly attractive.

The two headphone sockets are on end, a USB-C port on one the other: the 3.5 mm single-ended socket is reinforced with a thick metal ring in expectation of the higher usage of the two.

There is a little LED light between them indicating sampling rate and connection to a gaming console.

Functionality and Operation

A summary of what it does

• Can be connected to Windows/Mac computers or Android/iOS sources
• Works as a pre-amplifier or dac when connected to a dedicated headphone amplifier
• Features two circuits: 3.5 mm single ended and 2.5 mm balanced
• Drives two earphones/headphones simultaneously through its two outputs
• Drives small loudspeakers through its 3.5 mm output
• Handles even power-hungry headphones well, imo up to 300 Ω

…and of what it does not

• …needs no battery; draws power from source…and lots of it
• …is not driverless: needs a USB driver for Window computer (download)
• …needs an Apple camera adapter or other third-party lightning cable for connecting to an iOS device

The Shanling UA2 has only a single button that serves the purpose of enabling a connected gaming console. It is powered and operated from the source device and decodes Hi Res up to 32 bit/768 kHz and DSD 512.

Shanling are offering their free Eddict player companion app that allows fine tuning the UA2 (and other Shanling products) with Android and iOS devices.

Amplification and Power Management

The Shanling UA2 is powerful. It delivers 125mW @ 32 ohm (single ended) and 195mW @ 32 ohm (balanced) according to the manufacturer. Even the single-ended circuit drives my 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 600 reasonably well.

But the UA2 consumes a lot of battery – twice as much as the AudioQuest DragonFly Black/Red. This makes it less beneficial for mobile use. You certainly need a big battery.

Power Consumption Test: Parameters and Results

I tested the power consumption of several portable headphone amps connected to my iPhone 5S. The conditions were as identical as possible: 3 h test, volume calibrated to 85 dB  ± 0.5 dB white noise with Dayton microphone, no sim card, BT off, no other apps open; network on, 32 ohm Blon BL-03 iem, Genesis’s Supper’s Ready (from the Seconds Out album) played in an endless loop.

The iPhone’s battery was fully charged at the start of the test and the remaining charge was measured thereafter. The result is shown in the table below. Since the tests were performed at different times and considering the ongoing battery deterioration, the results have to be seen with a grain of salt.

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But hold the horses. This is not as bad as you think. Co-blogger Alberto Pittaluga actually likes this drain. But why? For him it is a matter of choices. The Shanling UA2 pushes more current than its competition, which drives low-impedance and low-sensitivity headphones and iems better. After all, transducers are moved by current.

Sound

Equipment used: Macbook Air/iPhone SE first generation; Sennheiser HD 600 / HD 25, Shozy Form 1.4, Meze RAI Solo, BQEYZ Summer.

The Shanling UA2 offers a relatively natural, well rounded, dynamic, appealing sound, but could deserve a richer midrange.

Its sound is slightly off linear and off neutral by a slight bass boost that improves the sound of anemic earphones/headphones, keeps the sound away from sterile, and it adds depth. But, in some earphones, it can also narrow the soundstage and smear into the lower midrange/vocals, which adversely affects separation. The bass rumble becomes weaker under higher impedance loads.

What distinguishes the UA2 from its more expensive competition is not its amplification power…it is its attenuated, recessed, thin and occasionally sharp midrange (in comparison) that is evident in both single-ended and balanced circuits.

Vocals are set back in the UA2 but they are also a bit lean and pointy, they could be smoother, richer, and more intimate. This attenuation may exacerbate shoutiness in some earphones and moves the bass into focus.

But this is very-high level criticism with perfection as reference. The overall sound is dynamic with a good punch, it is not edgy at the upper end and comes off as pleasant during normal recreational listening (I was listening “analytically” for this review).

I assign good musicality and liveliness to the Shanling UA2, it is not technical, sterile, or boring sounding. Overall, the UA2 is more homogenous and natural sounding than the $40 Tempotec Sonata HD PRO or the $70 Tempotec BHD.

The UA2’s balanced circuit does not only deliver more power than the single-ended one, but also a marginally wider and deeper soundstage, improved dynamics and separation, and more intimacy. But it is still affected by the lean midrange.

When comparing the UA2 – I only had more expensive models available – they all rank sonically according to their price. The $120 Earstudio HUD 100 was more linear and cleaner at the bottom end with a wider stage and a headroom similar to the UA2’s balanced circuit’s. This also applied to the $199 EarMen Sparrow (balanced circuit) and $199 Audioquest DragonFly Red but with improved resolution added. The DragonFly Red reproduced voices richer, cleaner, and more intimate.

None of the higher-priced models with single-ended outputs has less headroom than the UA2’s balanced circuit – but also not necessarily more power. This also applies to the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, the smoothest and most natural of them all. More in this video:

Concluding Remarks

To pack my testing results in a single sentence: the $85 Shanling UA2 is a $200 dongle with a thinner midrange. No it does not quite rival, let’s say, the more homogenous DragonFly Red or the EarMen Sparrow sonically, but it offers better value while still sounding very good.

I heard it. Can’t get anything better for $85. Larry Fulton, co-blogger.

Considering the current uber offer of portable DAC/amps in the $100 category, I surely will be asked how the UA2 compares to X, Y, and Z at a similar price. While I cannot answer this question, I speculate its sound quality is hard to beat in its class, and claim that the UA2 is a great choice.

It feels good, is well accessorized, sounds organic, it has two powerful circuits – and also works with portable gaming consoles. And it is a brand-name product with R&D behind it. Is it the new $100 one to beat? Time will tell.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The UA2 was provided by Shanling and I think them for that. Shanling also kindly included a third-party USB-C to lightning adapter.

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

The post Shanling UA2 Portable USB DAC/Amp Review – Crazy For You appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Cons — No balanced circuit; limited Hi Res decoding; pricey.

Executive Summary

The AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt is a natural sounding miniature headphone amp (dac/pre-amp), that even drives power-hungry headphones. It is sourced and powered by phones or computers. For people who don’t want to compromise sound quality.

Introduction

First was the DragonFly, which It hit the market in 2012. I purchased its 2016 re-incarnation DragonFly Black v1.5 upon its release. The DragonFly was the first “thumbdrive” dac of its kind, and v1.5 was the first that worked with smartphones because of its low power drain. And whereas many other companies have copied AudioQuest’s pioneering ideas since, the Black (jointly with the DragonFly Red) still has the lowest battery consumption of all I have tested with my iPhone. See below.

The “Black” has been my go to since it is a workhorse that has accompanied me and my iPhones around the world, from Egypt to Brazil. What I like about the “Black” apart from its power management, is its small form factor, and, of course, its good sound.

AudioQuest added the more powerful DragonFly Red in 2016, and the DragonFly Cobalt in 2019. All DragonFlies all have male USB-A connectors that makes them the only dongles that are actually sticks (“thumbdrives”), when connected to a computer’s USB-A port.

Today, there are portable dac/amps like sand on the beach it seems. They start at below $20, and many of the cheaper ones are pure power-draining ornaments that add nothing to the iPhone’s sound. I tested quite a few of the better ones up to $200, including the DragonFly Red, and TL;DR, the DragonFly Cobalt is the by far best sounding of them all, albeit not the strongest amplifying one.

Specifications

Physical Things and Usability

The DragonFly Cobalt comes with the obligatory travel sheath and the “DragonTail”, a USB-C male to USB-A female adapter (“OTG cable”) to connect to Android devices and newer MacBooks (ever attempted to attach the tail of a dragon to a dragonfly? Works only in this case). The device is attractively lacquered with car varnish – and you may wax it occasionally to preserve its looks :). It feels really good in my hand…

Functionality and Operation

The plug’n’play AudioQuest DragonFly connects to your computer’s USB port (Windows, Mac) and, via “DragonTail” or Apple camera adapter to your Android/iOS device, respectively. It converts the digital signal to analog and amplifies it. The volume is controlled from the source device, which essentially acts as a pre-amp.

The DragonFly has no battery, which is good and bad. Good in that it will not fall victim to planned obsolescence and work for a long time. Bad in that it draws power from your phone and therefore shortens the period between charges.

The DragonFly Cobalt streams Tidal masters (MQA) and Qobuz, and works with all the non-audiophile streaming services such as Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud etc. And it is firmware upgradeable.

The dragonfly-shaped LED is lit in different colours according to status or sample rate: red: (standby),  green (44.1kHz),  blue (48kHz), yellow (88.2mkHz),  light blue (96 kHz),  purple (MQA).

Apart from its use as a headphone amplifier, the DragonFly Cobalt can be used as a dac in combination with a dedicated (desktop) headphone amp. For this purpose, its volume should be cranked up to close to but not quite to 100% (100% which would cause distortion and ringing according to Archimago’s measurements). This worked well with my Schiit Magni 2U.

The downside of the driverless technology is that the microchip’s USB receiver limits resolution to 96kHz PCM on Hi Res audio…which is not that important as it only affects 5% of audio files. I personally do not have any such Hi Res files.

What distinguishes the DragonFly Cobalt from most dongles (including the other two DragonFlys) is its dac functionality including its sophisticated USB noise filtering (any computer or phone is a source of electromagnetic interferences that deteriorates the audio signal).

Yes, many more devices feature the same ESS ES9038Q2M dac chip (costs $12 or less when purchased in large amounts), and people WRONGLY go by chip and amplification power when selecting a dongle. This is inherent to the fact that most of these devices are sold by mail order, which excludes the possibility of trying them out first.

But it takes more than that to produce good sound and therefore to define value: it is the dac chip + dac implementation (including filtering) + analogue output stage of the dac + the amp design…many variables.

It is therefore not surprising that my four devices featuring the ESS ES9038Q2M dac chip, that is the Cobalt, Shanling UA2, the Khadas Tone2 Pro, and the EarMen TR-amp, all sound completely different.

As to noise suppression, the DragonFly Cobalt borrows some of the AudioQuest JitterBug’s filtering by deploying an “extremely low-noise power supply” and a single low-jitter clock that minimizes timing errors. This is claimed to result in optimal signal-to-noise ratios and to resolution. You find the nitty gritty technical details on the product page , in the manual and the DragonFly comparison sheet.

Amplification and Power Management

The DragonFly Cobalt has a nominal output of 2.1 V (like the DragonFly Red). This places the Cobalt into the midfield of the countless $100 to $300 headphone dac/amps. Hobbyist Archimago measured a slightly higher voltage of 2.23 V at an output impedance of 0.4 Ω. John Atkinson of Stereophile measured 2.16 V at 0.45 Ω.

This is enough power to drive my 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 headphone sourced by my MacBook Air (the DragonFly Black with 1.2 V output worked, too, but was reaching its limits).

I had mentioned that DragonFly series does not have an internal battery but draws power from the source. This is of little relevance for a computer, but important for mobile use with a phone.

Power Consumption Comparison: Parameters and Raw Results

I tested the power consumption of several portable headphone amps connected to my iPhone 5S. The conditions were as identical as possible: 3h test, volume calibrated to 85 dB  ± 0.5 dB white noise with Dayton microphone, no sim card, BT off, no other apps open; network on, 32 ohm Blon BL-03 iem, Genesis’s Supper’s Ready (from the Seconds Out album) played in an endless loop.

The iPhone’s battery was fully charged at the start of the test and the remaining charge was measured thereafter. The result is shown in the table below. Since the tests were performed at different times and considering the iPhone’s ongoing battery deterioration, the results have to be seen with a grain of salt.

[collapse]

In a 3h battery-drain test of several dongles with my iPhone 5S, the DragonFly Black and Red had the lowest consumption, the DragonFly Cobalt needed about a third more, which placed it in the midfield of my test candidates. But it could have done far worse than that….see the detailed results. I would call the Cobalt’s battery consumption ok but not outstanding. In this respect, the DragonFly Red is the winner….of all the more powerful models tested.

AudioQuest DragonFly Red USB DAC + Preamp + Headphone Amp Review – Still Lord Of The Flies?

Sound

Equipment used: Macbook Air/iphone SE first generation; Sennheiser HD 600 / HD 25, Triaudio TRI3, Shozy Form 1.4, Dunu Zen; Schiit Magni 2 Uber.

Upon plugging the DragonFly Cobalt into my Mac for the first time, it sounded instantly better to my ears than my familiar DragonFly Black and all the other dongles I had tested – actually MUCH better – and it has stayed like that since…which makes the Cobalt most appealing to my ears.

The Cobalt sounds more natural and analog, and therefore smoother than the rest…it has this sense of lightness, there are no corners. The smoothness and refinement is particularly evident at the top end where the DragonFly Red, for example, is more forward and edgier. The Cobalt’s presentation is linear without elevated bass or top end.

Another aspect the Cobalt excels in is micro- and macrodynamics. While a rock band or an orchestra delivers a good punch, the Cobalt distinguishes small details around a single instrument or the interplay between two, for example oboe and harpsichord. This works for both, electric rock music and classical music. It brought the best out of the $700 Dunu Zen earphone.

The sonic image was like an analog photo: atmospheric, with a good depth of field, never overpixelated or oversharpened.

In terms of headroom, I don’t find it inferior to the dongles with a second, balanced circuit such as the $200 EarMen Sparrow or the $85 Shanling UA2. So no reason to fiddle with different headphone cables – one problem less. I never had the impression I just had a little stick in my MacBook but a desktop sized integrated dac-amp. Using the Cobalt as a dac with the Schiit Magni amp worked well and underlined its sonic quality.

The Shanling UA2, in comparison has a less linear response with a boosted and bumpier sounding bass, and thinner mids lacking the Cobalt’s creamier texture, sense of lightness/relaxation, and great midrange clarity. It also features a more powerful balanced output. The Shanling UA2 is a severe power drain on your mobile device.

Value – It’s the Dac, Stupid

At $299, the DragonFly Cobalt does not come cheap compared to its competitors, but, does it, really? The Cobalt was initially marketed as a dac, at a time when most competition was company internal; and it is the dac where its money is. The dac is the “voice” (sound quality), and the amplification makes it louder (sound quantity). Louder does not mean a better sound. Garbage in, garbage out…you know that.

Audiophiles pay $$$$ for a good dac for their home system, and they may add sophisticated USB noise filtering and re-clockers that add more $$$$. The DragonFly Cobalt has a bit of each built in – the competition, including the DragonFly Red, does not – and it shows in terms of sound quality. So, what you get for your money is – duhhh – better sound quality.

Therefore, if you get satisfaction from not having made compromises to sound quality, the Cobalt is for you. If you get satisfaction from a bang for your buck, get the Red or something similar.

YouTube Video

Concluding Remarks

The DragonFly Cobalt is a “piece-of-mind” product. It has its price but you cannot go wrong as it offers the best compromise between sound quality, amplification, and power consumption. Its value is mainly defined by sound quality combined with its long-term usability (without consumable built-in battery). I have treasured my DragonFly Black for over 5 years now, and for good reasons. And it will not be different with the superior DragonFly Cobalt.

The lesson learnt from reviewing dongles in the last year is that there are large differences in sound quality at similar specs. And the Cobalt leads the pack.

Quite frankly, I had not expected the DragonFly Cobalt to sound this good. Considering its qualities, the Cobalt is my new standard for miniature portable dac/amps.

Until next time…keep on listening!

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Disclaimer

The DragonFly Cobalt was kindly provided by AudioQuest upon my request and I thank them for that.

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

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Soundwise, the SONY WF-1000XM3 present a sort of reverse-L signature, with boosted subwoofer-type bass which retains pretty good definition despite a tendency to sound a bit boomy; the low end does tend to dominate the proceeding although it doesn’t smear or bleed into the higher frequencies. As with the over-ears, the SONY WF-1000XM3 has a warm tonality with a rich note texture and a wide soundstage, albeit with limited height and depth; well-placed performers sound like they’re playing in a large, low-ceilinged hall. Mids are full-bodied and clear, while high end is smooth, with limited extension—these are clearly tuned to avoid harshness and grain, such that some microdetail and sheen is missing on cymbals and acoustic guitar strings.  (Note that some have complained about the lack of AptX and LDAC codecs). I found these very listenable overall—less detailed but also beefier and less-compressed sounding than the Galaxy Buds +. Purely on sonic merits, I still prefer the Cambridge Melomania, which offers the same warm, analogue quality but better-integrated bass and a bit more sparkle. Comparison to the Liberty Pro 2 is closer—the Sony has a more natural timbre, while the Pro 2 has better-behaved, less obtrusive bass and more high-end extension.  However, neither holds up to good comparably-priced wired IEMs like the Shozy Form 1.4 or the KBear Believe, which have a significantly higher level of resolution and present more information and nuance.

At the end of the day, I’d rate these as a very good example of the TWS genre, which is to say they’re very well designed, work well for calls and media, and more than serviceable for non-critical music listening. Especially if noise cancellation is a priority, these are easy to recommend.

Disclaimer: borrowed from Durwood, who bought ‘em with his own hard-earned trust funds. 

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