Executive Summary

Not all (premium) dongles are equal – and not all are equally useful for the consumer. A real dilemma. This note discusses the applicability of the different kinds for everybody’s unique needs.

Introduction

There have been hot discussions of dongles (battery-less, source-driven DAC/amps) lately. Two principal endmembers exist, the AudioQuest DragonFly type that minimizes current draw, and the Luxury & Precision W2 type, that draws multiple times the DragonFly’s current, but maximizes power output.

All dongles have their small form factor in common, which is aiming for portable use. Computer applications are not considered in this article (there are additional choices), neither are sound qualities of the individual models, and we focus on the more upscale models.

Technical Aspects

I had already discussed the limitations of low-current-draw dongles in detail in this article.

Co-blogger Alberto Pittaluga writes: price aside, it technically boils down to…little power/current draw = limited output power & quality. 

So pick your poison:

a) If low power/battery preservation is your top priority (i.e.: don’t want to buy a different phone, want minuscule size, etc. —> you have to accept sound and/or pairing compromises)

b) If output power/quality is your top priority (“need” to drive cans, low sensitivity IEMs, planars, etc.) you need phones with bigger batteries.

Both together is *not* (technically) possible, whatever marketing says. And – let’s face it, any device that is limited by its small form factor and without a battery can only be a compromise.

Little current draw/power = limited output power/quality but longer battery life

Which User Type are You?

The participants in the discussion come from three principal groups and therefore from different angles: Android users, iPhone users, and DAP users. All phone users use dongles to improve their device’s sound quality and/or to run iems/headphones not driven by the integrated audio circuits or the basic stock dongles.

iPhone Users

These have the least choice as iPhones throttle current consumption to 100 mA. They are limited to low-current dongles of the DragonFly type. They are also restricted in their pairings but get lots of use between charges.

Android Users

These phones have typically no current-draw limitations and host large batteries as big as 5000 mAh. They can therefore operate the W2-type dongles, too. And whereas these W2-types are the most powerful dongles, they still do not drive power-hungry headphones perfectly well, according to Headphonesty. The price to pay is much higher battery consumption.

DAP Users (downgrading to phone)

Whereas dongles are upgrades for all phone users, they are damage limitation for the sonically indulged DAP crowd. Some people sold their DAPs to go with the powerful W2-type dongle which comes sonically closest to their DAP.

Concluding Remarks

Since no dongle does everything we want, it comes down to need of what it should do for us, depending on our perspective. And all the points of the different user groups are valid. But what works for the goose may not work for the gander in this case, for technical reasons.

The consumer has choices: some want small and powerful, some small and low current, others don’t mind strapping an internally powered monster to their phone, and the rest wants DAPs. Before buying, we may want to define our requirements in order to get full enjoyment out of our new device.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

This article is a summary of discussions with co-bloggers Kazi Muhbab Mutakabbir, Alberto Pittaluga, and members of our marvellous Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/audioreviews.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post The #1Dongle Dilemma – Power Vs. Compatiblity appeared first on Audio Reviews.

What Is…

“Dongle” is the casual term for a tiny portable USB DAC/amp that is sourced by its host device (phone/tablet, dap, computer). It is derived from software keys of this kind of shape.

Early Steps

The idea of a small, portable DAC/amp in the shape of a USB “thumb drive” goes back to a conversation between some industry reps and consulting audio engineer Gordon Rankin at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2010. Gordon had been designing DACs since the early 2000s and had lots of experience with asynchronous code, needed to minimize timing errors (“jitter”) that compromise an USB-audio signal. You find details of the dongle inception in my AudioQuest Dragonfly Red review.

The device was designed for larger headphones and with iPhone portability in mind – but iPhone limits the current draw to 100 mA to protect battery life. One of the challenges was therefore to minimize current draw, which, unfortunately, limits performance as we will see below.

In 2015, Apogee released their famous “Groove“, a very powerful and large device that draws 340 mA, and it has an output impedance of 20 Ω. This is not a dongle sensu stricto as it only works with computers and mainly with high-impedance headphones (with some exceptions).

It took until 2016 until the first USB devices had a current draw small enough to work with iPhone: AudioQuest’s DragonFly Black v.1.5 and DragonFly Red. Timing was right as Apple removed the headphone jack in the same year, as of iPhone 7. And most Android phones followed suit.

Apple offers a decent low-priced dongle of their own that is good value but is limited in power. My review of the “Apple Audio Adapter” is one of the evergreens of our blog.

The DragonFlys have an output impedance of <1 Ω, which makes them work well with headphones and iems alike. They do not have any physical controls and are operated through their host devices.

DragonFlys Black and Red still lead the pack in terms of low-current drain (if exempting the Apple Audio Adapter). You find drain comparisons between some models here.

Most dongles need a Windows driver, but all of them are plug’n’play with phones , tablets, and Apple computers.

From Thumb Drive to Dongle

The very first external iPhone DAC/amp, the Apple Audio Adapter, was physically a true dongle, and a seamless headphone/earphone cable extension.

The first non-Apple devices (the AudioQuest DragonFlys) had/have a USB-A plug and resemble a thumb drive. The USB-A pug works seamlessly with the Apple camera adapter and any computer. Android phones had no preference with developers as they had no standardized socket at the time and still do not produce music bit perfect (they resample a 44.1 kHz signal to 48 kHz).

Most of the Android devices had micro-USB ports until the USB-C port (finalized in 2014) was slowly spreading starting in 2015. Today, there are more than 100 dongles on the market, most of them featuring a USB-C port. And so do the latest Macs.

DAC/amp and music/power source are connected by a short USB-C to USB-C cable, most of them coming with an additional USB-A adapter. None of these has a USB-C plug, probably for the purpose of stability (the USB-C plug could break off easily). But the need for this additional cable turned the original thumb-drive into a true “dongle”.

Some devices have a fixed USB-C cable, and iPhone users are horrified by the snakes they produce when connected to the Apple camera adapter. Third-party USB-C to lightning cables may come in handy, but their MFI chip draws “healthy” additional current.

Technology – What makes a Dongle’s Sound?

There are many variables that contribute to the sound, such as the dac implementation which includes software coding and filtering, the analog output stage, and the amp design and implementation.

Therefore, same dac chip does not mean same sound in different devices. In my case, The Khadas Tone2 Pro, EarMen TR-amp, Hizids S9 Pro, Shanling UA2, and DragonFly Cobalt feature the ESS ES9038Q2M dac chip – and they do not sound even remotely close.

So it does not surprise that some high-end dacs and some budget dongles have the same dac chip, which are a relatively cheap ingredient. Some high-end manufacturers therefore do not disclose the dac-chip used in their specifications.

Characteristic Chip Sound?

Since buyers cannot audition dongles in most cases, many buying decisions are based on chip brand and model. Descriptions of characteristic sonic signatures based on chips by certain manufacturers echo through the blogosphere. Co-audioreviewer KopiOkaya summarizes them for us:

1. ESS Sabre (US/China) – neutral to neutral-cool, analytical, detailed, fast punchy bass, great dynamics, impressive soundstage and separation. Modern sound. “ESS glare”.

2. AKM (Japan) – neutral to neutral-warm, vocal-centric, laid-back/mellow, bodied. Can sound forward on some models. Some dislike the “AKM Velvet Sound” claiming that it sounds flat and lifeless. Modern sound with a classic twist.

3. Burr Brown/Texas Instruments (US): Natural tone with very good music texture. Generally sound neutral to neutral-warm. Their earlier multibit models (for example: PCM1704UK, PCM63P, etc.) sound extremely musical and dynamic at the same time. Can sound forward with average soundstage on some models. Traditional analog “solid-state” sound.

4. Cirrus-Logic/Wolfson (US/India/UK) – A staple of Apple products since their first generation iPod. Natural tone with warmth and body. Vocal-centric with good dynamics and music texture. Earlier Wolfson DACs can sound wooly and lacks resolution. Traditional analog “tube” sound.

As KopiOkaya points out to me, this does not consider the jitter-reduction and error-correction clock, LPF/IV stages, and power supply.

DragonFly creator (and therefore “dongle inventor”) Gordon Rankin told me that these four points are “totally off“, and “you could not classify these brands that way. There is too many factors to pigeon hole a sound for any DAC: power, filters, analog design, digital design, software etc.”. And that’s what I experienced with my devices featuring the ESS ES9038Q2M dac chip.

According to Gordon, “the difference [for example] between DragonFly Red and Cobalt is more than the dac chip. Power, filtering and new controller make up a big part of the difference in sound. More so than the dac chip itself“.

So, maybe the four points above apply to poorly implement dac chips?

Technical Limitations and Realistic Expectations

The dongle DAC/amps are limited by their (portable) source – and by Ohm’s law. Transducers are moved by current. Such devices that are optimized for low current drain/little battery consumption do not work well with low impedance/low sensitivity iems/headphones, as such require a lot of current.

Dongles optimized for low-current draw lack certain features: for example high-speed USB and balanced circuits that would add to the current draw.

If the required current cannot be provided, the iems/headphones start distorting, which first becomes evident at the low end as it needs the most current. The right pairing is therefore important and I am surprised that some experienced testers ignore this.

It’s the current, stupid (and not the power)!

Such dongles that draw lots of current from the host device may provide more amplification power and less distortion (and balanced outputs etc.), but they will drain your phone’s battery in no time – or don’t work with some phones at all.

Examples of popular powerful dongles are the Shanling UA2 and Hidizs S9 Pro, that consume twice as much battery as the DragonFly Red – which defies the idea of portability. You find a power drain comparison between selected models here.

The real current hogs are limited to operation with a computer, but what is the point of a small form factor for stationary use?

Not every small device is portable!

Decoding Acrobatics

Most dongles decode MQA, which is apparently a useless format. And even the cheaper models manage sample rates up to PCM 32-bit 384 kHz and DSD128 (DoP), as offered by some streaming services.

This may be interesting for $$$$ desktop DAC/amps, but why does anybody need such sample rates in a $50-100 device with limited sound quality to begin with – while forking out that monthly subscription fee? Sounds like a “gimmick” to me.

Most renowned reviewers such as Steve Guttenberg are perfectly happy with CD quality, even on their $$$$ devices. Works for me, too.

Rigour in Dongle Evaluations

Dongles underlie the same standard evaluation criteria as self-powered DAC/amps when it comes to sound quality, but there are some special considerations adherent to their lack of battery. As they were designed to drive headphones from smartphones on the go, portability is the main criterium. And portability is defined by size/weight and synergy with the host device. Not every small device is portable.

There are compromises between:

• small size and performance
• source’s battery consumption and dongle performance

The small form factor limits the size of the logic board and therefore the space for electrical components – which requires shortcuts that take away from performance (but add to the price).

The other compromise comes from the aforementioned current limitation that restricts technical features, amplification power, and headphone pairing.

Such devices that are not designed with energy conservation (and hence portability) in mind do not work well or not at all with phones. They are not (very) portable and essentially restricted to computers.

In this case, their small form factor is pointless and even disadvantageous, as these dongles have to stand comparison with self-powered, larger DAC/amps that offer better performance at similar prices – and therefore better value.

Since dongles have limited power, much of their value lies in the sound quality.

In summary, when evaluating dongles, the analyst must have a good understanding of what these devices are supposed to do and how they achieve it.

Consumer Choices

As elaborated on above, the user has choices: either low-battery drain or high power and additional features – but not both. Many popular powerful dongles with lots of features are rather useless with a phone, and many low-current dongles are problematic with current-hungry transducers.

The choice is yours, but my dongles have to be as portable as possible.

Concluding Remarks

OK, “1001 Facts” may be an exaggeration, but now you probably have a better idea what dongles are about. I personally use a phone with dongle as I do not want to carry a dap, and because the small DAC/amp can be swapped between my current and future devices.

Over time, my dongles may have a higher life expectancy than my phone and also battery-operated DAC-amps such as the hip-dac or ifi Nano BL.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

Disclaimer

My knowledge of these devices benefitted greatly from discussions with the USB-audio pioneer Gordon Rankin of Wavelength Audio Ltd., co-bloggers Alberto Pittaluga & KopiOkaya & Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir & Biodegraded, and Chiqui Vásquez from hiendportable.com. AudioQuest’s Stephen Mejias provided the historical details. I thank them all.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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

The post 1001 Critical Facts About Dongles (Source-Powered Portable DAC/Amps) appeared first on Audio Reviews.

Introduction

The world of portable music changed forever with the arrival of the first iPod in 2001. But it took earphone manufacturers beyond the 2008 release of the first iPhone to offer some premium alternatives to the stock buds at a grand scale. And where are we today in terms of iems? Yes, more or less saturated.

With the advent of the AudioQuest DragonFly Black v1.5 portable headphone amp/dac in 2016, any smartphone could be upgraded to a premium music player (albeit some dap fans may disagree). v1.5 was the first “dongle” to draw so little current that it could be sourced by a phone’s battery (and it still leads the pack in this respect, jointly with the Dragonfly Red).

Again, it took a while for manufacturers catch on, but the market is currently flooded with tens of models so that it is difficult to keep the overview.

Purpose of this Guide

This writeup is foremost a small encyclopedia for my own comparison purposes and will always be work in progress. Feel free to bookmark this page and come back from time to time. I do not claim that it offers complete information – and it is highly subjective as it caters to my personal preferences.

In the future, I will not only add more models but also update and refine the individual entries. I hope it will grow into a representative database with time.

In Q1 2020, mostly by coincidence, I started having a closer look at dongles – and analyzed some. I focused on listening while ignoring tech specs and chip models as manufacturers report amplification power inconsistently…and not always correctly. All of the models tested work even with my power hungry 300 Ω Sennheiser HD 600 headphones, so the details are irrelevant for my daily usage.

In this guide, I also do not worry about special features offered in the individual models, build, drivers, digital filters, Hi Res decoding, or operation…which is your homework. All I focus on in my descriptions is perceived sound quality. But I care about battery consumption – we don’t want to run out of “juice” on the road – which is listed independently below.

Note: when looking at a dongle, don’t forget one of its main purposes: preserving portability. Fixed cables (typically with USB-c connector) can be awkward for use with iPhones and may result in cable snakes. And good adapters are pricey and cumbersome. I am hesitant with dongles featuring fixed cables – and for good reasons.

If you have tested these models and arrive at a different opinion, please drop a line in the comments section.

Spoiler alert: I identified clear trends in my results that are not surprising:

• The pricier models sound better, sorry for the lack of fantasy. No, they may not have stronger amplification or better features but they sound better.
• It is the other way round with value: the cheaper models offer better bang for the buck.

But to keep you happy: all of the models currently tested are very good in their own way and and each one of them is worthy to be used even with premium iems. Yep, I am mainly evaluating these dongles with iems (and not headphones): both are most portable.

When it comes to value, I intuitively compare to what you get in terms of iem for your money…and feel the dongles fare generally better. Nevertheless do many believe, a good dongle should not cost more than $100.

Equipment used: MacBook Air; BQEYZ Summer (32 Ω), Sennnheiser IE300/400 (16Ω)…this list will also grow to consolidate my findings.

The Lineup

I have no humour and arrange my list according to price from high to low.

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt ($300)

US design. The smoothie of the dongle world and the dongle with the best sound quality by a long shot. Has simply the biggest note weight, most natural/organic sonic reproduction, and best musicality. It is not its power or resolution or staging that puts it ahead (by $100), it just sounds better. Voices are richer and fuller compared to the other models below.

For people who do not want to make compromises. Received criticism for being overpriced by people looking at the specs/measurements only. You pay for the sound quality, not sound quantity. Output is the same as in the DragonFly Red. Review.

AudioQuest DragonFly Red ($200)

Is somewhat more dynamic and edgier than the Cobalt. In fact, it is the most dynamic dongle I have tested. The most visceral of this lineup. Both DragonFlys have a slight bass boost compared to the other models. Vocals are still richer and fuller than in the Sparrow and HUD 100, but not as smooth as in the Cobalt, which is simply richer sounding. Has by far the smallest battery draw of the lineup. Review.

EarMen Sparrow ($200)

European design. Features two circuits (3.5 mm single ended and 2.5 mm balanced) of which the balanced excels and offers the widest staging and biggest headroom of the competition, beating both DragonFlys in this respect (you need a balanced cable to use this circuit). But the midrange reproduction is not quite a rich as in the DragonFly Red…though pretty impressive. Natural sound.

The Sparrow is more linear, less bassy, and less punchy than the Red and cleaner through the whole frequency range. Review.

EarMen Eagle ($130)

Features essentially the same sound as the Sparrow’s single-ended circuit. Less bassy and with slightly leaner vocals department than the DragonFly Red. Comes close to the “Red” in terms of sound quality, but has a substantially higher battery drain. Natural sound. The lowest-price premium sounding dongle imo. Review.

Earstudio HUD100 ($120)

Korean design. Offers two single-ended circuits with different output powers and three digital filters (I used the “bypass” filter for testing). A bit less dynamic than the Sparrow but very linear with no elevations and a nice wide, stage.

The HUD100 is the most polite of the lot, which is a good thing for taming punchy iems. Received a lot of flack on drop.com for being overpriced, which is simply not warranted. It is the best deal of this selection and worth every penny imo.

Gains richness and depth with the AudioQuest Jitterbug FMJ. HUD100 Review.

This is only a start. There are some upscale favourites that were highly recommended to me such as the Luxury & Precision W2 and the Lotoo Paw S1…but I have yet to get my hands on these. Co-blogger KopiOkaya auditioned these and let me know that they sound technically good but not musically good , and that the DragonFly Cobalt (he bought one in Q1 2021) sounds more natural.

Power Consumption

This is an important aspect when using the dongle on the go. The DragonFly Red wins the “power saving” contest comfortably.

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.

[collapse]

Sneak Peak into the <$100 Realm

That’s where the biggest crowding is, currently, although it appears to shift toward the $150 – $200 category with the recent releases by interesting companies (Astell & Kern, Razer…). Of the sub-$100 dongles I can really only offer the Shanling UA2 right now, which is not any less powerful than the >$100 models listed above, sounds natural, features a second balanced circuit and the same dac chip as the DragonFly Cobalt (and even more power).

But where it falls short in comparison even to the (admittedly much pricier) Earstudio HUD 100 is its less linear response, particularly its leaner, sharper midrange and elevated bass.

This is in line with my observations that the more expensive models offer a richer, thicker, fuller, smoother sound. That said the Shanling UA2 offers tremendous value alone for its natural sound. Review.

Concluding Remarks

My preliminary observations (based on the few available data points) appear to correlate somewhat with desktop equipment: more money buys you a better sounding dac. But where it does not compare well is the amp part, at least in terms of power. You can get a lot for less in this respect. Your choice will depend on your budget and personal preference.

Oh, and the EarMen Eagle is about to arrive for analysis. And the Helm Bolt is also somewhere in limbo.

Until next time…keep on listening!

Contact us!

The post A Simplified Personal Guide To Small Portable Headphone DAC/Amps ($100-300) v0.9 appeared first on Audio Reviews.

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.

[collapse]

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!

Contact us!

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.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

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.