I ordered this from Amazon and tried it today. I do hear an improvement with the iBasso DC06 Pro. Sounds like a blacker background and perhaps a bit more clarity. It does make me curious to hear something like a DC Elite with this setup.
Moondrop looks the best spec wise (balanced 4.4mm, which for now I will not be using), Fiio looks powerfull and robust, easy to handle on the go.
Are moondrop and shanling more for desktop use, does somebody using these dacs on the go, how is the cable? Fiio BTR5 is always upluging, and it is only usable on bluetooth, I don't want same with new dac.
I am using Shanling UA1 Plus on the go and the cable is holding nicely, never had disconnection issues or else. Now I have replaced the cable with a ddHiFi so to have more flexibility to put phone and UA1 in my pocket ..
It pairs well with my preferred IEMs and sounds just amazing
The Cayin RU6 with step-down switching power supply (hub) and adequate amplification (RA2BFE) reaches very high levels. Once its limits (supply-amplification) are removed it becomes pure musical poetry...
So I don't know how many out here are users of the iphone 15 with USB C, Dongles, and want to enjoy DoP of DSD files. It has been hard to do until now. The beta of IOS 17.4 enables this behavior with Neutron Player and at least the Cayin RU7. With the second public beta of 17.4, it appears that the FIIO Q3-MQA can decode DSD from the iphone but with DoP turned off. I am guessing this invokes some kind of native DSD mode.
Both the Shanling UA4 and the new FiiO KA17 share the ESS ES9069Q (two in the case of the FiiO) it would be nice if someone who owns both could do a comparison between the two. Obviously the power will inevitably be in favor of the FiiO (desktop mode) but which do you prefer in terms of audio quality and tone? Thank you.
This is a dongle DAC/AMP that disproves the adage "does size matter"?
Looking past its Lilliputian frame, and despite only having a single-ended 3.5 mm port, this dongle pumps out 200 mW at 32Ω, probably the most powerful dongle I've encountered in this small profile.
The "APPLE DONGLE IS ALL YOU NEED" gang can gnash their teeth and bang their heads on the table all they want - but the KA11 definitely kills the Apple Dongle in sheer output power.
Anyway, the KA11 is a warmish dongle with note weight on the slightly thicker side, treble extension is still good. Very decent technicalities for the $29 USD asking price (I bought this from Aliexpress BTW).
So on testing one of the hardest to drive IEMs (Final E5000 at 93 dB/mW sensitivity), I am surprised that the KA11 can drive it to adequate dynamics, with a relatively textured bass. Definitely desktop grade sources will do a better job, but some way pricier portable sources are not able to drive it, with the E5000 sounding one-noted and flabby in the bass as such.
Output impedance is also < 0.7 ohms, which makes it a suitable pairing with fussy customers.
There seems to be some DAC filters that can be accessed on the Fiio app too. Early days, will do more testing against other cheaper dongles and report back. But this dongle is definitely a mighty mouse, a pocket rocket.
Looking past its Lilliputian frame, and despite only having a single-ended 3.5 mm port, this dongle pumps out 200 mW at 32Ω, probably the most powerful dongle I've encountered in this small profile.
I have included a "general" comparison section because the Yuki is slightly different sounding from all op-amp based USB DACs. There is more heft and substance to the sound, timbre is more natural, the feeling is more organic and analog. How say it, with the Yuki the music sounds more like real music. Technicalities and transparency are not that impressive when compared to the champions of the category, like the DC04PRO but it is not lacking either.
Hi,
If you ever wanted to know about digital filters, especially but not limited in its usefulness to Hiby filters, this is your read. Also, should update your FC6 to the 1.07 firmware if you have not done so already.
When you're at home and want to get the most out of your dongles, try using this to power them and give them the power they need to express themselves to the fullest... it's cheap but it will transform all your dongles into something extraordinary. In addition to physically separating the signal from the current, it will prevent your mobile phone from discharging but it will not charge it either, avoiding damaging the battery (obviously it can also be used with a computer USB) and will provide all your dongles with unimaginable current and so power.
Thank you for flagging this one ... it is proving to be a pleasant find!
Was delivered this morning and I just tried it out.. it is as bulky as I imagined it, surprisingly is sucks up the same amount of energy as the Shangling UA2 (that runs on a dual ES9038 and has about twice output power) [I am surprised, was expecting worse] but sounds really good to my ears ...
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