Preamble:
Before I start with my review, I’d like to thank Shozy (
http://www.shozy-hk.com/lancea/) for arranging a sample unit of the Lancea DAC in exchange for my honest evaluation.
Please note that this review reflects my actual thoughts and I am not affiliated with Shozy or Cozoy International in any way.
A group of engineers and designers has worked as OEM developers and producers for audio products, acting in the background, until 2012, when they decided to found a company for audio products for hi-fi enthusiasts under their own name. And that’s how Shozy, a registered trademark of Cozoy International, was born.
Technical Specifications:
Decoding rate 16/44.1 (20/44.1bit design)
System power current 10mA - 70mA max.
Power input 1.8V-3.3V+-10%
Output gain level step 3dB/step; 16 steps
Supported connectors Lightning, micro - micro usb, usb 2.0
Delivery Content:
The tiny DAC comes in a small packaging with modern design that has got a Shozy logo along with a nice printed multi-coloured atripe on its top. On the sides are the words “Lancea” and “Hi-Res Audio Amplifier” as well as the information that the USB-DAC is compatible with products from Apple. On the bottom side, there are general guidelines, the technical specifications, a description of what is inside the box and last but not least a picture of the DAC.
Taking off the lid, one will find the gold-coloured DAC, which has got a really nice surface that harmonically matches the colour of the newer gold-coloured iPhone generations. Behind, there are the other accessories, which consist of three interconnection cables which allow the user to use the Lancea with computers, recent Apple devices and Android smartphones or tables without the need of further adapters.
Looks, Feels, Build Quality:
The DAC is really small in size and has pretty much the outer dimensions of a regular USB-stick. The gold-coloured metal chassis is CNC-milled and extremely sturdy. On the top, the “Shozy” logo is engraved, along with engraved lines on the top and bottom, which I personally really like design-wise. The front- and rear-sides where the 3.5 mm audio output and micro-USB input jacks are located are screwed with silver Torx screws and have got silver-coloured bezels which add a nice contrast to the golden colour.
The interconnection cables look and feel like the ones from Apple; the micro-USB plugs of all three cables snap in securely, wherefore a good connection is ensured.
Features, Connectors:
Shozy decided to keep the Lancea as simple as possible and therefore makes it as easy to operate as possible, wherefore there are no connectors or other gimmicks other than the digital input and analogue output (that acts as line-out when the volume is maxed).
With 16 bit/44.1 kHz (max. 20 bit/44.1 kHz), the DAC encodes standard CDs, but no Hi-Res music files. For some, it could be not enough, but it is more than good enough for me, as I wasn’t able to tell the difference between Hi-Res files that were converted into standard-resolution files and the original file when I made a blinded test some time ago, and I bet > 99% of the other audiophiles wouldn’t be able to detect a difference in a blinded test either.
Use with a PC:
Using the Lancea with a Windows computer is extremely easy, as it doesn’t require any drivers, but it can just be plugged in and be used after selecting it in the system settings (-> “plug & play”). The volume control is made in the Windows mixer, but should be handled with care, as the DAC is very powerful with sensitive IEMs.
Use with iOS Devices:
Connection with my iPhone worked fluently and the DAC was recognised pretty quick. The iOS devices’ 16 volume steps attenuate level in 3 dB per click, although finer adjustment is possible when using the virtual volume slider on the screen.
With older iOS devices with a 30 pin dock, using the Lancea is also possible and works without any restrictions with the Camera Connection Kit, although a USB hub (not necessarily a powered one) has to be connected as well.
Use with Android Devices:
As with for most USB-DACs, the Android device has to support USB Audio Out to ensure native application. Though, alternative apps like “USB Audio Player Pro” allow you to use the DAC with most other devices that actually wouldn’t be compatible.
Generally, with all devices, I sometimes missed a status LED, wherefore it wasn’t always clear whether the DAC was recognised and connected or not.
Sound:
Lancea’s sound was tested with many different IEMs of my collection (full list on my profile), whereof the Shure SE846, Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10 and Brainwavz S3 were used most of the time. Sometimes (and especially with all multi-driver IEMs), I also connected my Leckerton UHA-6S MKII as amplifier to the Lancea’s DAC.
Frequency Response, Output Impedance:
Here’s a picture of the frequency response without any connected load (= without headphones):
The measurement procedure is free of any errors or mistakes and shows the Lancea’s real output, which seems to use a mild permanent equalizer that unfortunately can’t be disabled.
The changes of the equalizer of not more than maximum 2 dB are quite gentle, but enough to alter the sound on purpose into a smoother direction. Two paragraphs further below, I’m going more in-depth and will be describing what effect these EQ-changes in the frequency response have on sound perception and how they correlate with the notes I took down when first listening to the DAC.
I talked to the developers at Shozy about that, and they told me that those gentle DSP-based frequency response tweaks (which they are, as up to 2 dB really aren’t that much) were applied in order to sweeten some areas to achieve a more organic and analogue-like sound that resembles their house-tuning that all of their products have to make them sound less sterile. In my opinion, the result is successful, as sound really gets more analogue-like while remaining detailed, though I’ll write more about Lancea’s sound quality further below.
Although (except for the permanent equalizer) the frequency response is flat with dynamic IEMs and full-sized headphones, it gets audibly altered with IEMs that have a varying impedance response over their frequency range (= all multi-driver IEMs), as can be seen below with the Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10 as connected load:
This leads to the conclusion that the Lancea’s output impedance is rather high, wherefore it should only be used as DAC with multi-driver IEMs if a low-impedance headphone amplifier is connected between the Lancea and the IEMs to bypass the effect of frequency deviation due to the high output impedance.
With in-ears that have got dynamic transducers, the Lancea is fully usable without any frequency deviation that are caused by varying impedance response, as dynamic IEMs generally have got a pretty ruler-flat impedance response (except for few models).
Hiss:
Joyfully, Lancea’s hiss is pretty low even with extremely sensitive IEMs like the Shure SE846 which is one of the most hiss-revealing models in my collection. It is lower than on the Geek Out IEM 100, HiFime 9018d or iPhone 4 and about on the same level as the first generation of the FiiO X3 or even a bit lower.
Resolution, Precision, Soundstage:
Regarding resolution, precision and soundstage, the Lancea is a sublime portable DAC and can compete well with the Geek Out IEM 100.
Shozy’s Lancea has got an excellent soundstage with plenty of spatial depth and lateral expansion at the same time. Lows are very arid, precise and can compete with the GO IEM 100’s lows, with a very clean and punchy impact. Overall sound character is smooth, yet detailed and powerful at the same time.
The gently smooth character is generated by Lancea’s frequency response. Although the deviations are not huge at all, they are audible in a smoother, de-fused sound when listening to music and can be heard when using a sine generator: the dip at 200 Hz takes mightiness from the upper kick-bass/lower ground-tone; the following emphasis at 400 Hz adds smoothness and warmth to the lower mids/upper ground-tone. With the dip at 1 kHz, intrusive voices are toned down; treble peaks are somewhat reduced by the dip located at 7 kHz.
Although Lancea’s actual sound is sublime, I can’t approve the use of a permanent EQ to achieve a smooth sound from an
objective approach. Rather, the frequency response of a DAC should be ruler-flat to allow the consumer to use a software EQ on his source device
if he wants to.
After my conversation with the developers that I mentioned above in the “frequency response” paragraph, I can understand why they added those gentle DSP tweaks to the frequency response, although it deviates from the ideal response.
Compared to the Geek Out, the Lancea sounds a bit brighter and has got the wider soundstage. Depth is about the same and excellent on both devices. Shozy’s character is more direct than the LH Labs’, although both are comparable in terms of resolution and control and on a high level. The Geek Out appears to be higher defining in the treble, although the Shozy has got lower hiss, but also the higher output impedance.
Conclusion:
Regarding my résumé, I am a little split – on one hand, Shozy’s Lancea has got sublime build quality with a modern and valuable design, a high-resolving, spacious and precise sound with rather low hiss, but on the other hand, from an
objective approach, I just feel a bit bad about the use of a permanent equalizer/DSP, as it gently alters and colours the frequency response. For sure, it was made to achieve a less digital house-sound, but let’s just take an IEM or headphone with recessed mids: combined with the Lancea, it will have even slightly more reduced mids.
For IEMs with varying impedance response (-> all multi-driver in-ears), output impedance is a bit too high, wherefore those should be used with an additional headphone amplifier connected to the Lancea, but as Shozy told me about that the DAC was mainly designed for higher impedance and harder to drive headphones, it is a bit less “tragic”, as the tiny Lancea really has got surprising power and dynamics for the size.
As I generally try to give my reviews a more or less objective approach and try to leave personal preferences out, I can only give the Lancea 3 out of 5 stars (which would translate in at least 60%) because its frequency response is gently sweetened in order to achieve a more analogue and organic house-sound, although it sounds otherwise fantastic.
If there was any way to turn the DSP off, the Lancea would be an excellent product from an objective point of view as well and would easily get 4 to 5 stars from me.
(Notes on rating: -0.75 stars for altered frequency response; -1 star for high output impedance; -0.25 stars for little things like the lack of a status indicator = 3/5 stars.)
I stiull think both these units has their strengths and weaknesses and are performing on a similar level, just different.
You can also use the Lancea's 3,5 mm output as a LO by maximum the volume on your device. I prefer to use it this way hooked up to an amp when using it at home.