7Hz Artemis 39
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7𝑯𝒛 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒔39 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘: “𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒚”
|| 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ||
The popularity of Bluetooth receiver solutions had been on a steady rise after having more mainstays like FIIO and even iFi having their own offerings. This in turn sparked a demand for such devices that is eventually provided by other manufacturers that even sell them at cheaper prices
The one that we will be looking at today is 7hz’s entry into the Bluetooth receiver space with the Artemis39. Priced at around $149 during the time of writing and equipped with ES9039Q2M for the DAC component, and nicely undercuts the popular FIIO BTR7 and iFi GO BLU.
|| 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 ||
I don’t fancy confusing lingo, therefore, the reviews will simple without too much confusing terminologies
This set is sent in exchange for an honest review. There is no material or financial incentive for me to do this review and I guarantee no exchange has been done by both parties to influence or sway our opinions on this product.
My thoughts and opinions are of my own. My experience will entirely differ from everybody else. The contents of this review should not be considered factual as this hobby heavily leans on subjectivity. YMMV.
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𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝟳𝗛𝘇 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆.
𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 Linsoul Audio 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁. 𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀.
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| 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗨𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 |
It comes in a basic white hard box that has an illustration of the product itself and your typical information and branding printed all over.
Sliding off the cover, and another cardboard box will reveal the Artemis39 with a plastic over and is encased in foam. Underneath is just the included Type-C to Type-C cable.
Accessories-wise, it is really sparse, cheaper alternatives have some sort of clip or case included but the Artemis39 is barebones as it gets. I would like to mention that the cable they decide to include is very reminiscent of the 7Hz Sonus cable with it being made with the same material and is also made to be flat.
| 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱,𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘀, & 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 |
The Artemis39 is built mostly out of metal with the front and back of it made out of glass. One side has a 7Hz logo only visible when the sampling rate light indicator is on whilst the other side has an Artemis39 typography.
They come in either Red or Black but both still contain the gold accent for the buttons. The design overall is pretty industrial-looking. Some of the corners are chamfered to avoid discomfort along with adding a bit of flavor to the otherwise bland design.
There are 5 buttons in total, all of which (except the skip and rewind buttons) share a different click and hold functions based on the icons indicated. The power button uses its primary use of on/off when held but acts as a play/pause or call end button when clicked once. Skip and rewind buttons are only used for said purpose and the volume rocker has a mute function when pressing the volume + key and a gain mode switcher when holding down the volume - key.
One big issue I have with the buttons on the Artemis39 is the lack of feedback. I often find myself doubting if I really press a button because of how non-existent the feedback is if you press normally. I found out that you can feel a bit of feedback if you really hone done and basically use your nail to press it.
Opposite side of the buttons is where a hole for the mic and a small circular light indicator is located to communicate to the user which filter between the 8 available they are on using light blinks.
1 - Minimum phase
2 - Linear phase apodizing fast roll-off
3 -Linear phase fast roll-off
4 - Linear phase fast roll-off low ripple
5 - Linear phase slow roll-off
6 -Minimum phase fast roll-off
7 - Minimum phase slow roll-off
8 - Minimum phase slow roll-off low dispersion
I find that even though the Artemis39 has this feature, communication which filter you are on using this method leaves more to be desired. I definitely was quite annoying whenever I was traversing the available modes
7Hz packed the Artemis39 with a 4.4mm balanced out along with a 3.5mm single-ended audio jack which is quite versatile. Near those ports is one of the holes that houses the mic of the Artemis39. Parallel to that side are the dual Type-C sockets that divide the charging and audio transmission so that you can use it as a desktop solution.
Equipped with the ES9039Q2M DAC and QCC5125N Bluetooth chip, the Artemis can handle up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD256 files. It supports codecs such as LDAC, APTX-HD, APTX-LL, APTX, AAC and SBC.
Straight of the connection with my iPhone 11 is pretty good at handling physical obstacles in the way of transmission but doesn’t have the widest of range.
Using the Artemis39 on battery was able to give me quite a long time before having to charge. I did not get an opportunity to lab test the actual battery numbers but it was quite a while before it ran out of juice.
One glaring issue I find is that the Artemis39 seems to be really picky with the type of power you are feeding it. I tried using my Type-C charger but it outright didn’t charge and had to resort to slower charging with the provided cable.
| 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 |
Even using planar magnetic headphones IEMs is just an easy feat for the Artemis39. I was able to reach a satisfying amount of volume with having to max out the power
|| 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 ||
I find that without any of the filters, the Artemis39 was able to reproduce a somewhat uncolored sound. Some sets was more obvious than others but it just adds a miniscule amount of warm and smoothness whilst not hampering on the technicalities
Onto the DAC modes of the Artemis39. I find that if anything that only thing it audibly affects is the low-end whilst not affecting the overall sound signature of the gear. This reminds me of the filter modes present on the Hiby FC6.
|| 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 ||
In terms of sound, the Artemis39 is great in all aspects. It provides a somewhat uncolored sound with a touch of smoothness and the filter modes actually have an effect although just a slight bit of change which is still welcome.
However, for things other than sound, the Artemis39 kind trips over its head. The ease of use on traversing the filter modes, weird controls being stacked on one button and the lack of satisfying feedback from said buttons and the picky nature of the Artemis39 when it comes to charging can be a dealbreaker for some.
At the current asking price, the Artemis39 is definitely sandwich between two prominent competitors with their premiere line of receivers, but then again this is somewhat still cheaper than those
|| 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ||
The popularity of Bluetooth receiver solutions had been on a steady rise after having more mainstays like FIIO and even iFi having their own offerings. This in turn sparked a demand for such devices that is eventually provided by other manufacturers that even sell them at cheaper prices
The one that we will be looking at today is 7hz’s entry into the Bluetooth receiver space with the Artemis39. Priced at around $149 during the time of writing and equipped with ES9039Q2M for the DAC component, and nicely undercuts the popular FIIO BTR7 and iFi GO BLU.
|| 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 ||
I don’t fancy confusing lingo, therefore, the reviews will simple without too much confusing terminologies
This set is sent in exchange for an honest review. There is no material or financial incentive for me to do this review and I guarantee no exchange has been done by both parties to influence or sway our opinions on this product.
My thoughts and opinions are of my own. My experience will entirely differ from everybody else. The contents of this review should not be considered factual as this hobby heavily leans on subjectivity. YMMV.
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𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝟳𝗛𝘇 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆.
𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 Linsoul Audio 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁. 𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀.
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| 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗨𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 |
It comes in a basic white hard box that has an illustration of the product itself and your typical information and branding printed all over.
Sliding off the cover, and another cardboard box will reveal the Artemis39 with a plastic over and is encased in foam. Underneath is just the included Type-C to Type-C cable.
Accessories-wise, it is really sparse, cheaper alternatives have some sort of clip or case included but the Artemis39 is barebones as it gets. I would like to mention that the cable they decide to include is very reminiscent of the 7Hz Sonus cable with it being made with the same material and is also made to be flat.
| 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱,𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘀, & 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 |
The Artemis39 is built mostly out of metal with the front and back of it made out of glass. One side has a 7Hz logo only visible when the sampling rate light indicator is on whilst the other side has an Artemis39 typography.
They come in either Red or Black but both still contain the gold accent for the buttons. The design overall is pretty industrial-looking. Some of the corners are chamfered to avoid discomfort along with adding a bit of flavor to the otherwise bland design.
There are 5 buttons in total, all of which (except the skip and rewind buttons) share a different click and hold functions based on the icons indicated. The power button uses its primary use of on/off when held but acts as a play/pause or call end button when clicked once. Skip and rewind buttons are only used for said purpose and the volume rocker has a mute function when pressing the volume + key and a gain mode switcher when holding down the volume - key.
One big issue I have with the buttons on the Artemis39 is the lack of feedback. I often find myself doubting if I really press a button because of how non-existent the feedback is if you press normally. I found out that you can feel a bit of feedback if you really hone done and basically use your nail to press it.
Opposite side of the buttons is where a hole for the mic and a small circular light indicator is located to communicate to the user which filter between the 8 available they are on using light blinks.
1 - Minimum phase
2 - Linear phase apodizing fast roll-off
3 -Linear phase fast roll-off
4 - Linear phase fast roll-off low ripple
5 - Linear phase slow roll-off
6 -Minimum phase fast roll-off
7 - Minimum phase slow roll-off
8 - Minimum phase slow roll-off low dispersion
I find that even though the Artemis39 has this feature, communication which filter you are on using this method leaves more to be desired. I definitely was quite annoying whenever I was traversing the available modes
7Hz packed the Artemis39 with a 4.4mm balanced out along with a 3.5mm single-ended audio jack which is quite versatile. Near those ports is one of the holes that houses the mic of the Artemis39. Parallel to that side are the dual Type-C sockets that divide the charging and audio transmission so that you can use it as a desktop solution.
Equipped with the ES9039Q2M DAC and QCC5125N Bluetooth chip, the Artemis can handle up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD256 files. It supports codecs such as LDAC, APTX-HD, APTX-LL, APTX, AAC and SBC.
Straight of the connection with my iPhone 11 is pretty good at handling physical obstacles in the way of transmission but doesn’t have the widest of range.
Using the Artemis39 on battery was able to give me quite a long time before having to charge. I did not get an opportunity to lab test the actual battery numbers but it was quite a while before it ran out of juice.
One glaring issue I find is that the Artemis39 seems to be really picky with the type of power you are feeding it. I tried using my Type-C charger but it outright didn’t charge and had to resort to slower charging with the provided cable.
| 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 |
Even using planar magnetic headphones IEMs is just an easy feat for the Artemis39. I was able to reach a satisfying amount of volume with having to max out the power
|| 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 ||
I find that without any of the filters, the Artemis39 was able to reproduce a somewhat uncolored sound. Some sets was more obvious than others but it just adds a miniscule amount of warm and smoothness whilst not hampering on the technicalities
Onto the DAC modes of the Artemis39. I find that if anything that only thing it audibly affects is the low-end whilst not affecting the overall sound signature of the gear. This reminds me of the filter modes present on the Hiby FC6.
|| 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 ||
In terms of sound, the Artemis39 is great in all aspects. It provides a somewhat uncolored sound with a touch of smoothness and the filter modes actually have an effect although just a slight bit of change which is still welcome.
However, for things other than sound, the Artemis39 kind trips over its head. The ease of use on traversing the filter modes, weird controls being stacked on one button and the lack of satisfying feedback from said buttons and the picky nature of the Artemis39 when it comes to charging can be a dealbreaker for some.
At the current asking price, the Artemis39 is definitely sandwich between two prominent competitors with their premiere line of receivers, but then again this is somewhat still cheaper than those
Attachments
General/Build/Packaging
7Hz is a brand that needs no further introduction. I have tested and reviewed several products from the brand and I have good experience with their products in general. I have their latest “dongle” with me today, the Artemis39 which houses ESS’s 9039Q2M. The build quality is very solid and premium looking, front and back glasses, the only nitpick that i have is, it came without a protector pre-applied which made it prone to scratches. The rear glass has the Artemis39’s working whereas the front has the 7Hz’s logo lit up when it is in use. The buttons has very good tactile feedback to it and they’re not wobbly. The volume down button also acts as a button to switch the DAC filters, the amount of flashing from the blue led will indicate which filter you are currently at.
The packaging itself is good and nothing to complain about, a high quality USB C cable is included, sadly, there isn’t any case included. Let’s take a look at the specifications below:
Specifications (grabbed from Linsoul)
IEMs/Headphones/Equipments used for this review
- 7Hz Aero
- Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM
- Fiio FT3
- Macbook Air M2 -> 7Hz Artemis39 -> Tidal
- Macbook Air M2 -> 7Hz Artemis39 -> foobar 2k (tracks ranging from 16-44 to 24-192)
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far
Features
Battery Life
- Normally i take the battery life claim from the manufacturer with a pinch of salt, but the Artemis39 does surprised me and the battery life is actually very good
- On bluetooth mode, the claimed battery life is 8-10 hours and i am getting roughly 8 hours+ with my iPhone 15 on average listening volume level, 5/10, iPhone is using only AAC hence if you are using it with Android device with Aptx or LDAC, the battery life might varies
- Separate power and data port is convenient if you want to use and charge at the same time
Artemis39 supports various common bluetooth codecs including the LDAC, the range is also quite good and i did not encounter any drop out within 10 metre between my phone and the Artemis39
- LDAC
- APTX-HD
- APTX-LL
- APTX
- AAC
- SBC
There are 8 digital filters to cycle through, and to be frank, i personally can’t tell much difference in between the filters, hence i am leaving it on default which is filter 1 throughout this entire review
- Minimum phase
- Linear phase apodizing fast roll-off
- Linear phase fast roll-off
- Linear phase fasat roll-off low ripple
- Linear phase slow roll-off
- Minimum phase fast roll-off
- Minimum phase slow roll-off
- Minimum phase slow roll-off low dispersion
The Artemis39 has been aged for approximately 50 hours prior to writing this impression. The sound profile of Artemis39 is fairly uncolored and transparent, dead silent background, zero noise. I’m not saying it will make a bad sounding/ badly tuned IEM turn good, it simply makes what is already good a step further and eeking out every bit of hidden potential your IEM/headphone have.
Soundstage is largely dependent on the transducers and mastering of the songs, but Artemis39 does render the soundstage very open and let you have a good perception on the stage size in terms of depth, width and height.
Imaging is good with good separation and layering, instruments can be pinpointed easily and they sound like they each have a space of their own and not mushed together.
Pairings
7Hz Aero
- Pairing the Aero with the Artemis39 is nothing but fun, the bass is well controlled without much elevation, it has more punch now and better extension, it is tight and the texture is good as well, all these without messing with the mids and highs, this is evident when listening to Gojira’s Amazonia, the double paddle especially has more punch
- The mids are slightly forward and doesn’t sound that recessed
- There are people who will always say ESS does have that hot treble, but let me just be clear that it is the implementation on the analog stage(amp section) rather than the DAC itself, the treble here is clean without harshness and sibilance
- Soundstage and imaging remains more or less similar
- The Twin Pulse is neutral with slight warmth on its own, based on my listening impression pairing it with Artemis39, the soundstage is definitely “bigger” than before, imaging that is already good has been taken a step further with excellent separation as well as layering,
- Bass is slightly faster, but the rendered texture is also improved
- Not much changes on the mids
- The overall characteristics of Twin Pulse IEM became a little bit more dynamic with this pairing, also being a isobaric with BE coated dd, it does benefit from the additional power from the Artemis39
- Bass has better control and tighter, while retaining the punch,
- Not much changes on the detail retrieval, treble seems to sound a tiny bit smoother
- Soundstage has very good width and depth to it and seems to image better as well
- Uses different DAC chip (Dual CS43198) and has lesser power output compared to Artemis39
- Different sound signature compared to Artemis39, more coloured sounding compared to Artemis39, Warmish and musical signature
- In terms of size, Yuki is smaller and shorter, but the volume button’s placement is positioned at a rather awkward position
- Feature wise, Yuki does not have Bluetooth but it does have gain setting, namely the high and low gain
- Artemis39 definitely has more power compared to Yuki
- Having used both and swapping around for A/B test, both are good in their own way, not to mention the sound signature is also different as well, in terms of pricing, Yuki is priced slightly higher and also lacking BT feature as well as built in battery and microphone, ultimately, it depends on your use case as well as preference
Having tested and used the Artemis39 for quite some time prior to publishing this review, Artemis39 definitely has what it takes to make the statement in the fast moving market with various competition. Artemis39 is a very versatile product and I find the use case is very suitable for portable users and also headphone users that don't use overly power hungry headphones, not to mention it does have the bluetooth function that allows you to use it wireless when you are on the move if you prefer not to lug your DAP around, it can also be used for meeting as it does have a built in microphone.
The power output is definitely sufficient for most IEMs out there and also headphones that aren’t overly power hungry (Tested with the headphones which I owned, Hifiman Sundara Open Back, Hifiman Edition XS, Hifiman Sundara Closed Back, as well as Aune AR5000). In terms of sound, it is quite uncolored and the note weights aren’t thin,I personally enjoyed it and find it rather easy to pair with most transducers. The only gripe that i have with it is, its a fingerprint magnet. All in all, if you enjoy a dynamic sound yet you don’t like an overly colored signature, Artemis39 is definitely recommended!
*A big thanks to Linsoul for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support.
Head over to their official Store if you are interested in getting one:
7Hz Artemis39 Linsoul - Non Affiliated
7Hz Artemis39
HI-RES BLUETOOTH DIGITAL AUDIO DECODER
Redcarmoose Labs, August 13th, 2024
Surprisingly the last two years I have had the opportunity to review a few Dongles. I still don’t consider myself an expert with only the ifi Audio GO blu……..as my single other review of a BT Dongle. Yet as an inspired enthusiast I will go ahead to do my very best to disclose what this dual function amplifier/decoder/bluetooth device is, and test it with a range of headphones.
The internet shows only one other Dongle as being made by 7Hz, it is the 7Hz SEVENHERTZ 71. As such 7Hz makes/has made 14 IEMs and 2 Dongles, with the $35 SEVENHERTZ 71 being way simpler and of a lesser cost first Dongle attempt.
Coming in at $149.00 the 7Hz Artemis39 is one of the most powerful Dongles I have yet to test. Also it comes in your choice of red or black encasements. The metal part of the case is really something to behold, showcasing gold buttons and small hole openings on three sides to view the main HiRes quality indicator positioned in the center of the top glass panel. One of those same holes holds the microphone! After a week of use I only have one single issue with the device, the glass panels are great for BT connectivity, but can scratch easily. Offering both 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs, the only other included thing in the box-opening experience was the characteristic 7Hz “flat-cable”. Yet this is a TypeC to TypeC affair which can be used in the data input port to hardwire the Dongle, or placed into the other input to charge the device. A red light (next to the charging port) goes on to show the Artemis39 is accepting a charge, and goes out (dark) when fully charged. Besides the top Hi-Rez indicator (on-top) the side panel shows a single red (or blue) LED inside a window. This small red light goes to show which volume level the device will be at when turned on. Flashing different series to alert as to the set volume level. Such a light turns blue to show going into line-out mode.
This is the very newest ESS chip with incredible transparency, fully uncolored and even hiss free. Never too warm sounding, just middle of the road, really the pure reference sound for a source device!
Bluetooth sound is slightly compromised, still I found ways around this with certain warmer IEMs, which I will get to later. That said, wired offers an upgrade in low-end buttery smoothness and low-end detail, even with the relatively sonicly flat ESS chipset!
Technical Details:
DAC ES9039Q2M
USB Chip SA9137L
Bluetooth Chip QCC5125N
Bluetooth Protocols LDAC, APTX-HD, APTX-LL, APTX, AAC, SBC
USB DAC Rate 32bit/384kHz, DSD256
Headphone Amp Chip ESS9603Q
Pin Type 0.78
DAC Filters Eight DAC filters, built-in microphone, supports calls
Signal-to-Noise Ratio 129dB (Wired Mode)
THD+N 0.0002% (Wired Mode)
Power Output 320mW @ 32Ω (3.5mm), 405mW @ 32Ω (4.4mm)
Dimensions 78 x 39 x 14mm
Weight 63g
Battery 1100 mAh
Filter choices are indicated by a side LED which will show by flashing 1-8 times which filter is in use.
- Minimum phase
- Linear phase apodizing fast roll-off
- Linear phase fast roll-off
- Linear phase fast roll-off low ripple
- Linear phase slow roll-off
- Minimum phase fast roll-off
- Minimum phase slow roll-off
- Minimum phase slow roll-off low dispersion
The 7Hz Logo atop the device will indicate sample rate and show BT connection success or not.
White: Power On (in reality light blue)
Blue: 44.1 kHz - 48 kHz
Green: 88.2 kHz - 96 kHz
Yellow: 176.4 kHz - 192 kHz
Cyan: 352.8 kHz - 384 kHz
Red: DSD
Testing the Sony MDR-Z1R:
Laughably I took this photo right after sonically testing the Sony MDR-Z1R, and found when setting up the photograph it was still fully hooked-up and playing……..I love that. And sure the extra bass emphasis kind-of goes to add any bass the BT signal could be missing. Really for me the star of the show here was the power output. Not that I would ever use it all.......ever, but just having such power on hand was impressive and could fall-into use with harder to drive full-size headphones. But in-testing the Artemis39 (hardwired to a computer) was really a contrast to learning the discovery of the sonic capabilities. At least with the full-size headphones. Meaning even with the pleasant low-end the MDR-Z1R performs normally...........wired was a noticeable improvement.
Testing the HiBy R3 II DAP:
I went and switched from the HiBy R3 II output to the Artemis39 output wired to see just how the amplifiers compared. And sure at $179.00 you get not only a DAC/amplifier with the HiBy R3 II, but you get a way to playback files too. The HiBy can function as a Dongle too! Yet they sounded identical………..I wonder why? Oh, look they both have ESS chipsets! That’s why! The HiBy R3 II uses an ESS ES9219C dual chipset. With the Artemis39 using the ES9039Q2M. No wonder they were indistinguishable! Yet the Artemis39 gets way, way louder in use. I had to take the Sonys off my head and listen to try this out, and while both get way too loud with the efficient MDR-Z1R, the Artemis39 got about 1/3 louder, believe it or not.
Testing IEMs:
The Shozy P20 Planar IEM:
Really while I keep the Sony MDR-Z1R around for reference, I’m really all about IEM use. Part of the fun was finding the Planar Shozy P20 to be the ultimate way to add thickness to the BT output. Yep, the Shozy P20 went and filled-in the deepness in bass, that and kind-of buttered-up the smoothness lacking in BT. If fact I was actually really surprised just how thick and complete this sounded, somehow ticking all boxes to really really work-out here? The sound was authoritative and full, bass laden and fun, with any all music genre choices. Just the right levels of weight and density making me stop this review and take time-off to listen, I simply could not put this combination down? The more I listened, the better it got, way to good for what it was? I guess this is what they call synergy in the end?
The Noble Audio K-10 Encore 10 BA IEM:
Still though an unexpected thrill was also using the Noble Encore K-10 to kind-of actualize the treble spacial abilities for a night. Just that the Noble offers a flat low-end, yet seems to work here for a whole bunch of different reasons. It was just that there was enough detail and stage which offered a nice level of finesse and imaging, to make a night of entertainment fun, with zero harshness.
And finally the TANGZU Fudu:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tangzu-audio-fu-du.26581/reviews#review-31833
I could have chosen a few IEMs to prove my point here. Except the Fudu only got a four star review, not a five from me. You know why? Because an IEM like the SIMGOT AUDIO SuperMix4 sounds stellar from a regular 3.5mm phone output, or computer output. The Fudu does not. And that’s why you’re buying a Dongle/BT amp, to get the very most out of your gear. Here the Artemis39 is supplying the power to make the TANGZU Fudu come alive. Most of this improvement comes from the low-end. I mean the Fudu now has a reputation of providing superb low-end once it is fed right. Get the Fudu the juice and watch the bass become clear, separated and hold magnificent pace from the neutral ESS DAC!
Packaging:
You get the Dongle, a TypeC to TypeC cable, and a guidebook.
Buttons:
Look, I love buttons. Just look at how nice they are here. In fact not only do they look nice, the buttons function very well for what they are. And my experience with Dongles is each one holds a different button personality. To where here maybe the very first thing you notice is while small.......the gold color makes them easily seen. 1)The far right button in this photograph allows you to take calls and functions as an on and off button for the device. It also acts as a pause and play button when music is playing. 2 and 3)The next button acts as the previous, or next track toggle. Finally 4 and 5) Toggle to both act as volume up/mute. And volume down and filter selection.
The ifi GO blu:
In comparison to the ifi GO blu:
Go blu Specification:
Chipset : Qualcomm QCC 5100 Series
Inputs Wireless : Bluetooth 5.1 ( AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, LDAC, LHDC/HWA Codec)
Input Wired : USB-C up to 24/96kHz
Headphone Outputs : Balanced 4.4MM and SE 3.5MM
Power Output Balanced : 245mW @ 32Ω; 5.6V @ 600Ω
Power Output SE : 165mW @ 32Ω; 2.8V @ 600Ω
Output Impedance Balanced : <1Ω
Output Impedance SE : <1Ω
SNR Balanced : 111dBA
SNR SE : 106.5dBA
DNR : 120dB(A) (BAL/UnBAL)
THD + N Balanced : <0.009% (6.5mW/2.0V @ 600Ω)/
THD + N SE : <0.03% (100mW/1.27V @ 16Ω)
The ifi GO blu price is $199.00:
So the first notable thing is the Artemis39 power……..there is way, way more. If power is an issue with the IEMs or full-size that would be a thing to take note of. The next thing is the GO blu supports only 4 sample rates. Now to be fair that is not a big deal to me, but you need to take note of that. Where the Artemis39 supports 8. The battery on the GO blu is 450 mAh for 8 hours run-time in comparison to the Artemis39 1100 mAh…..running 8-10 hours. But really the two main differences are the size between the two units and the Atremis39 power at 320mW at 32Ω (3.5mm) and 405mW at 32Ω (4.4mm). The devices are really different in that the GO blu fits into your shirt front pocket being the size of a 9V battery, whereas the Atremis39 is 2X that size or larger. The Artemis39 ES9039Q2M chipset and Qualcomm QCC 5100 chipset. Where weight is 63 grams for the Atremis39, and 27 grams for the GO blu………..lets see how they sound in comparison. Also instead of tempered glass like the Artemis39 has, the GO blu is made entirely from a rubber like material which transfers BT. There is a brushed aluminum top faceplate and one sideplate, but the GO blu does not scratch like the Artemis39.
ifi GO blu v 7Hz Artemis39:
Wired:
Really between the two both were fine, though the GO blu Qualcomm QCC 5100 Series chipset showed itself to be slight setback holding a slightly warmer approach, where the ESS ES9039Q2M showed itself to be ever so slightly upfront and holding a more resolute, yet brittle style of playback………..veering away from as much thickness. This GO blu warmth was saturating the entire response, traveling from the bass all the way up to the treble. While seemingly a hair less in up-front detail, had just as much entertainment at hand. Really this would be splitting hairs to a point, unless you had full-size headphones which demanded the Artemis39 offered extra power.
Bluetooth:
Amazingly, within seconds I could activate both in BT. Where the Artemis39 again offered a tighter all business bass department, the Artemis39 was also slightly more up-front in BT mode. More forward bass and overall warmer than the forwardness found in the Artemis39, the GO blu slightly pulled back, almost coming off like less detail, yet more musical and organic. Yet if I wasn’t comparing these two back-to-back I wouldn’t maybe even know this style of comparison. Here I’m using the OS849 cable which thickens up the bass, as well as the Shozy P20 which was the ultimate at making BT just so warm, filled-out and fun!
Music used:
Snoop Dogg
Bush
California Roll
44.1 kHz - 16 bit
Baby, you could be a movie star, hey (in Los Angeles)
Get yourself a medical card, yeah (in Los Angeles)
'Cause that's how California rolls
They do the fingers like that Fonz, hey (in Los Angeles)
You can make it on a light blue box, yeah! (In Los Angeles)
'Cause that's how California rolls, yeah!
Say, when I pass you that weed and I ask you can you roll?
You say roll, don't you know that I'm from 'round here?
Well, girl, I like the way you roll
Even though you from the ghetto, you belong in a home in the mountains
Not talking 'bout the view
I'm talking 'bout me and you
So if you wanna go to Melrose
Let's hit Adidas, 'cause, girl, we got our own shell toes
And then we'll go to Venice
You roll so good, you might as well let me hit it
For like fifteen minutes
Girl, you never gon' forget it
And if you wanna go around town
I could show you where all the real get it
And if you wanna go downtown
You might as well roll with a real nigga
I'm not talking 'bout them fools
I'm talking 'bout me and you
Baby, you could be a movie star, hey (in Los Angeles)
Get yourself a medical card, yeah (in Los Angeles)
'Cause that's how California rolls
They do the fingers like that Fonz, hey (in Los Angeles)
You can make it on a light blue box, yeah! (In Los Angeles)
'Cause that's how California rolls, yeah!
And when I hand you that weed and I ask if you can roll?
You say no, let me show you around here
Cowgirl wanna roll with a winner
Rodeo with a winner, Rodeo loud yeah
Ain't got nothing to lose
I'm talking 'bout me and you
And girl, I got a home in that valley, in a rose in that valley
Just tell 'em what my name is
You heard about me, you heard all about me
Mean you heard all the hittas that I'm with gangbanging
But I ain't talking 'bout the news
Girl, you know that I'm talking 'bout you
Let me show you all around
I could show you where all the real get it
And if you wanna go downtown
You might as well roll with a real nigga
I'm not talking bout them fools
I'm talking 'bout me and you
Baby, you could be a movie star, hey (in Los Angeles)
Get yourself a medical card, yeah (in Los Angeles)
'Cause that's how California rolls
They do the fingers like that Fonz, hey (in Los Angeles)
You can make it on a light blue box, yeah! (In Los Angeles)
'Cause that's how California rolls, yeah!
L.A
L.A
Conclusion:
This is by far one of my favorite Dongles, if you could call this a Dongle having its own battery? One of my favorites in the Dongle dept. because of sound quality, especially in wired mode. Still I couldn’t help but enjoy BT as a way to enjoy files I had on my phone. The Artemis39 decodes 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8 and 384kHz. Plus the size and button placement mean that you could attach the Artemis39 to the back of your phone and enjoy a makeshift DAP of sorts, though you probably need a smaller TypeC to TypeC cable?
MacBook Air with Colibri 2.0.2 Native Lossless Audio
The Artemis39 performs at any usable output volume, and doesn’t even break a sweat! I’m sure there are harder to drive headphones out there, but I don’t own any of them? The Artemis39 looks great, it seems to go on in Bluetooth easily with no hiccups, and is glitch-free in daily operations. I mean, what else do you want? A case would have been nice, but the value here is in sound quality and functions. I have an assortment of Dongles that simply aren’t this elegant, I have an assortment of Dongles that aren’t this neutral sounding. Here exists a portable that offers us clarity, transparency, and a vibrant ESS punchiness that is unarguable, not only is it unarguable it is valuable. Sure I have a collection of warmer Dongles, and Dongles that are not so warm, but I have come to respect the ESS sound for being generally free of color and going with a wide range of IEMs. Somehow the Artemis39 went with my bright Noble K-10 Encore as well as my darker Shozy P20. The only way I can understand such an output is because the Artemis39 is very neutral and color free? But besides that it was the emotionally involving details...........that took any ideas about color of tone and bypassed them by generating full imaging amusements. Such display of stage was really maybe what I care the most for, that the stage wasn’t narrow or confined in both BT or wired, and that is one of the main reasons the Artemis39 gets my full recommendation.
$149.00
https://www.linsoul.com/products/7hz-artemis39
Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Linsoul for the Artemis39 review sample.
Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.
Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C
Equipment Used:
Samsung Phone 3.5mm and Bluetooth
HiBy R3 II DAP 4.4mm balanced and TypeC wired feed to the Artemis39
Apple MacBook Air 3.5mm output and wired feed to the Artemis39
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank Linsoul for providing this review unit.
The 7Hz Artemis 39 can be gotten here: https://www.linsoul.com/products/7hz-artemis39 (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS/COMPATIBILITY
Tested at: $149 USD
The Artemis 39 is a plug-and-play dongle. I did not need to install external drivers for Windows 10 devices and above. As I'm not an Apple ecosystem user, I can't vouch for its compatibility with Apple products.
ACCESSORIES
Other than the dongle, the packaging includes a sole USB-C to USB-C cable.
For a $100ish dongle, the accessories are admittedly underwhelming, with no inclusion of Apple or USB-C to USB-A adapters or even a case.
Nevertheless, this USB-C to USB-C cable is well-braided and supple, and is on the longer side to assist with practicality during usage.
DESIGN/FUNCTION
The Artemis 39 is fashioned from metal, with tempered glass panels on the front and back. It is built robustly for sure. During ordering, one can choose between a black or red-hued variant.
The glass panels are beautiful: the back panel has the Artemis 39 namesake emblazoned on, whereas the front flashes a 7Hz backlight logo when it is turned on. Sadly we don't have a full-fledged touch-screen, as the light only reflects the sample rate.
This dongle weighs 63 g and measures 78 x 39 x 14 mm, so it may be bigger than some competitor dongles. However, this dongle packs other goodies - we will read more in detail below - so the larger size is a minor compromise for the host of value-add benefits it brings to the table.
On one end of the chassis, we have two USB-C ports for charging and data. This 2nd port is extremely useful for external power, in case one doesn't desire the battery drain on a connected smartphone, and it also functions to charge the dongle for Bluetooth usage. This dongle can be powered off just the data port too, but that's assuming the connected phone does not cap the output (cough cough looking at you iPhones!)
The opposite side houses a 3.5 mm (single-ended) and 4.4 mm (balanced) port, which are both nicely gold-plated for reliability. The 4.4 mm port also has a line-out function, for consumers who want to daisy-chain this dongle.
The lateral side of the dongle sports the power button (also doubling up as a Bluetooth and call answer switch), volume tabs cum DAC filter button, and skip buttons. The hardware buttons are extremely useful, with many modern day dongles not even having skip buttons, let alone volume controls. I'm glad to report that the Artemis 39's volume controls are independent with fine steps, and the skip buttons work well in Bluetooth mode.
The + volume button doubles as a mute button if held longer, while holding the - button for longer toggles amongst the 8 DAC filters.
An LED light on the other side of this dongle will flash blue between 1 - 8 times depending on which filter is used. These 8 filters are subtle sonic-wise, but on paying close attention, some filters provide a bit of a shaved-off top end, while others are crisper with faster transients. Do explore to see what suits your needs, and these are the filters:
Pressing the + and - buttons simultaneously for 2 seconds enters the line out mode.
The Artemis 39 unfortunately has no PEQ, app or screen to tap. Thankfully, it supports a mic for phone calls and video meetings, which is convenient for work. I tried this dongle for a work call, with feedback from participants saying the vocals were quite intelligible and not too muffled.
INTERNALS/BATTERY
The Artemis 39's engine is a ES9039Q2M DAC. It can support up to 32 bit/384 kHz and DSD256 files.
It has a 1100 mAh battery that is marketed to provide 8 - 10 hours playback for Bluetooth. On field tests, I can get thereabouts in terms of battery-life, but this is also dependent on volume used at, Bluetooth codec, type of files etc. Do bear in mind that with repeated charge cycles, battery health is expected to go down, but for ~ 10 hours in a new product, this is not bad, with some modern day DAPs giving only half of that!
BLUETOOTH
The Artemis 39's Bluetooth processor is a QCC5125N chip, and it supports multiple codecs, including:
Bluetooth connectivity is solid. It can hit about 15 metres with no obstructions, or 8 metres with obstructions. I only had a couple of drop outs on-the-go, and this is a solid implementation of Bluetooth by the company.
WIRED SOUND/PERFORMANCE
I tested the Artemis 39 with Android phones and Windows laptops and PCs. Once again, as I am not an Apple ecosystem user, I can't vouch for its performance with Apple devices.
On phones, I used the HiBy Music Player, with USB bit perfect OTG activated. I cannot vouch for usage with other USB exclusive music apps.
The testing below will be with FLAC/WAV files on DAC filter 1.
Tonally, with this DAC filter, the Artemis 39 is quite neutral and transparent, in keeping with the archetypal ESS signature. We hear a very clean and uncoloured soundscape, and it lets the connected transducer do the imbuement. This will suit purists to a tee!
Technicalities are good, with the Artemis 39 showcasing above average soundstage, and a nice capturing of micro-details. Imaging and instrument separation are likewise solid.
Power-wise, the Artemis 39 pumps out 320 mW (at 32 Ω) and 405 mW (at 32 Ω) on the single-ended and balanced ports respectively. This is quite respectable, and it should be able to drive most gear other than outliers.
My acid tests for source evaluation include 3 of my hardest to drive gear:
1) Final Audio E5000 (low sensitivity at 93dB/mW)
2) Sennheiser HD650 (high impedance at 300ohm)
3) Yinman 600 ohm (600 ohm impedance and 87db/mW sensitivity)
The E5000 was easily handled on the 4.4 mm port, with good bass control and up-to-mark dynamics on show. The HD650 was driven to optimal headroom, with decent control, though we could do with a touch better dynamics and soundstaging.
The final boss - the Yinman 600 ohm with an ultra-low sensitivity and super-high impedance - is not properly driven by the majority of portable sources or even expensive DAPs. On 4.4 mm, this flathead is juiced well by the Artemis 39 in terms of headroom, with nice bass texturing and dynamics, though soundstage was a tinge compressed. It is no shame though - this is a valiant fight from a portable source - with generally only desktop grade amps doing a better job with the Yinmans.
This DAC/AMP does not hiss with high sensitivity IEMs. We do not have any data on output impedance specs, but I surmise it should be relatively low, as fussy low impedance gear that I paired with it didn't sound too skewed in the frequency response.
During usage, the Artemis 39 gets slightly warm but never hot. There is a mild "pop" on removing or connecting sensitive transducers, but this isn't as egregious as some other sources I've encountered.
COMPARISONS
Once again, the testing below will be with FLAC/WAV files via DAC filter 1
Questyle M15
The M15 is another neutral dongle. It has no app, no PEQ, no filters, no Bluetooth, no buttons and no screen, so it is very no-frills compared to the more practical Artemis 39.
The M15 is weaker in terms of power, and can't drive very demanding transducers.
Technically, the M15 is a step behind, having worse imaging, soundstage and micro-detailing.
Fiio KA17
The KA17 has a screen and an app for Android to toggle PEQ settings, so it is more versatile. It does not have Bluetooth though, so convenience for wireless usage goes to the Artemis 39.
In stock form, the KA17 is neutral with a touch of warmth, and it also has a 2nd USB-C port to feed power, as the desktop mode on the KA17 is a battery hog. The KA17 outputs 650 mW on desktop mode on balanced, which is a bit better than the Artemis 39's, but the KA17 runs much hotter.
On desktop mode, the KA17 has a slightly better soundstage and layering, though the Artemis 39 has a hair better micro-detailing.
CONCLUSIONS
The 7Hz Artemis 39 is an all-rounder portable source that scores well in most areas.
It is built solidly, with an elegant glass enclosure and gold-plated jacks. It does not heat up during use, and has no hiss with sensitive IEMs. Uncommonly for a dongle, it comes with a 2nd USB-C port for charging/power, which is a useful option for folks who do not want to drain their phone's battery. With good power on tap, the Artemis 39 should be able to tackle most transducers out there, other than outlier behemoths.
While there is no app or PEQ available, the Artemis 39 has 8 DAC filters to play with - and it even has a mic for calls - so it makes a suitable companion for work or meetings. The multiple hardware buttons allow track skipping for example - and the volume steps are independent with fine spacing, when some modern day dongles do not even have volume buttons!
Espousing a clean neutral soundscape, this dongle lets the connected transducer do the colouring. With good technicalities showcased, this DAC/AMP will be a joy for the purists or technically-inclined. Other than doing wired functions well, this dongle does not neglect our wireless consumers - which is arguably the bigger market share - and it boasts of stable Bluetooth range and connectivity, with support for a multitude of Bluetooth codecs.
The Artemis 39 could have been better accessorized, and it does lie on the larger side, with a slight "POP" noted on removing sensitive IEMs, but by-and-large, this portable source is a good consideration for wired, wireless and even work processes, being a Swiss army knife for many case usages.
I would like to thank Linsoul for providing this review unit.
The 7Hz Artemis 39 can be gotten here: https://www.linsoul.com/products/7hz-artemis39 (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS/COMPATIBILITY
Tested at: $149 USD
The Artemis 39 is a plug-and-play dongle. I did not need to install external drivers for Windows 10 devices and above. As I'm not an Apple ecosystem user, I can't vouch for its compatibility with Apple products.
ACCESSORIES
Other than the dongle, the packaging includes a sole USB-C to USB-C cable.
For a $100ish dongle, the accessories are admittedly underwhelming, with no inclusion of Apple or USB-C to USB-A adapters or even a case.
Nevertheless, this USB-C to USB-C cable is well-braided and supple, and is on the longer side to assist with practicality during usage.
DESIGN/FUNCTION
The Artemis 39 is fashioned from metal, with tempered glass panels on the front and back. It is built robustly for sure. During ordering, one can choose between a black or red-hued variant.
The glass panels are beautiful: the back panel has the Artemis 39 namesake emblazoned on, whereas the front flashes a 7Hz backlight logo when it is turned on. Sadly we don't have a full-fledged touch-screen, as the light only reflects the sample rate.
This dongle weighs 63 g and measures 78 x 39 x 14 mm, so it may be bigger than some competitor dongles. However, this dongle packs other goodies - we will read more in detail below - so the larger size is a minor compromise for the host of value-add benefits it brings to the table.
On one end of the chassis, we have two USB-C ports for charging and data. This 2nd port is extremely useful for external power, in case one doesn't desire the battery drain on a connected smartphone, and it also functions to charge the dongle for Bluetooth usage. This dongle can be powered off just the data port too, but that's assuming the connected phone does not cap the output (cough cough looking at you iPhones!)
The opposite side houses a 3.5 mm (single-ended) and 4.4 mm (balanced) port, which are both nicely gold-plated for reliability. The 4.4 mm port also has a line-out function, for consumers who want to daisy-chain this dongle.
The lateral side of the dongle sports the power button (also doubling up as a Bluetooth and call answer switch), volume tabs cum DAC filter button, and skip buttons. The hardware buttons are extremely useful, with many modern day dongles not even having skip buttons, let alone volume controls. I'm glad to report that the Artemis 39's volume controls are independent with fine steps, and the skip buttons work well in Bluetooth mode.
The + volume button doubles as a mute button if held longer, while holding the - button for longer toggles amongst the 8 DAC filters.
An LED light on the other side of this dongle will flash blue between 1 - 8 times depending on which filter is used. These 8 filters are subtle sonic-wise, but on paying close attention, some filters provide a bit of a shaved-off top end, while others are crisper with faster transients. Do explore to see what suits your needs, and these are the filters:
- Minimum phase
- Linear phase apodizing fast roll-off
- Linear phase fast roll-off
- Linear phase fasat roll-off low ripple
- Linear phase slow roll-off
- Minimum phase fast roll-off
- Minimum phase slow roll-off
- Minimum phase slow roll-off low dispersion
Pressing the + and - buttons simultaneously for 2 seconds enters the line out mode.
The Artemis 39 unfortunately has no PEQ, app or screen to tap. Thankfully, it supports a mic for phone calls and video meetings, which is convenient for work. I tried this dongle for a work call, with feedback from participants saying the vocals were quite intelligible and not too muffled.
INTERNALS/BATTERY
The Artemis 39's engine is a ES9039Q2M DAC. It can support up to 32 bit/384 kHz and DSD256 files.
It has a 1100 mAh battery that is marketed to provide 8 - 10 hours playback for Bluetooth. On field tests, I can get thereabouts in terms of battery-life, but this is also dependent on volume used at, Bluetooth codec, type of files etc. Do bear in mind that with repeated charge cycles, battery health is expected to go down, but for ~ 10 hours in a new product, this is not bad, with some modern day DAPs giving only half of that!
BLUETOOTH
The Artemis 39's Bluetooth processor is a QCC5125N chip, and it supports multiple codecs, including:
- LDAC
- APTX-HD
- APTX-LL
- APTX
- AAC
- SBC
Bluetooth connectivity is solid. It can hit about 15 metres with no obstructions, or 8 metres with obstructions. I only had a couple of drop outs on-the-go, and this is a solid implementation of Bluetooth by the company.
WIRED SOUND/PERFORMANCE
I tested the Artemis 39 with Android phones and Windows laptops and PCs. Once again, as I am not an Apple ecosystem user, I can't vouch for its performance with Apple devices.
On phones, I used the HiBy Music Player, with USB bit perfect OTG activated. I cannot vouch for usage with other USB exclusive music apps.
The testing below will be with FLAC/WAV files on DAC filter 1.
Tonally, with this DAC filter, the Artemis 39 is quite neutral and transparent, in keeping with the archetypal ESS signature. We hear a very clean and uncoloured soundscape, and it lets the connected transducer do the imbuement. This will suit purists to a tee!
Technicalities are good, with the Artemis 39 showcasing above average soundstage, and a nice capturing of micro-details. Imaging and instrument separation are likewise solid.
Power-wise, the Artemis 39 pumps out 320 mW (at 32 Ω) and 405 mW (at 32 Ω) on the single-ended and balanced ports respectively. This is quite respectable, and it should be able to drive most gear other than outliers.
My acid tests for source evaluation include 3 of my hardest to drive gear:
1) Final Audio E5000 (low sensitivity at 93dB/mW)
2) Sennheiser HD650 (high impedance at 300ohm)
3) Yinman 600 ohm (600 ohm impedance and 87db/mW sensitivity)
The E5000 was easily handled on the 4.4 mm port, with good bass control and up-to-mark dynamics on show. The HD650 was driven to optimal headroom, with decent control, though we could do with a touch better dynamics and soundstaging.
The final boss - the Yinman 600 ohm with an ultra-low sensitivity and super-high impedance - is not properly driven by the majority of portable sources or even expensive DAPs. On 4.4 mm, this flathead is juiced well by the Artemis 39 in terms of headroom, with nice bass texturing and dynamics, though soundstage was a tinge compressed. It is no shame though - this is a valiant fight from a portable source - with generally only desktop grade amps doing a better job with the Yinmans.
This DAC/AMP does not hiss with high sensitivity IEMs. We do not have any data on output impedance specs, but I surmise it should be relatively low, as fussy low impedance gear that I paired with it didn't sound too skewed in the frequency response.
During usage, the Artemis 39 gets slightly warm but never hot. There is a mild "pop" on removing or connecting sensitive transducers, but this isn't as egregious as some other sources I've encountered.
COMPARISONS
Once again, the testing below will be with FLAC/WAV files via DAC filter 1
Questyle M15
The M15 is another neutral dongle. It has no app, no PEQ, no filters, no Bluetooth, no buttons and no screen, so it is very no-frills compared to the more practical Artemis 39.
The M15 is weaker in terms of power, and can't drive very demanding transducers.
Technically, the M15 is a step behind, having worse imaging, soundstage and micro-detailing.
Fiio KA17
The KA17 has a screen and an app for Android to toggle PEQ settings, so it is more versatile. It does not have Bluetooth though, so convenience for wireless usage goes to the Artemis 39.
In stock form, the KA17 is neutral with a touch of warmth, and it also has a 2nd USB-C port to feed power, as the desktop mode on the KA17 is a battery hog. The KA17 outputs 650 mW on desktop mode on balanced, which is a bit better than the Artemis 39's, but the KA17 runs much hotter.
On desktop mode, the KA17 has a slightly better soundstage and layering, though the Artemis 39 has a hair better micro-detailing.
CONCLUSIONS
The 7Hz Artemis 39 is an all-rounder portable source that scores well in most areas.
It is built solidly, with an elegant glass enclosure and gold-plated jacks. It does not heat up during use, and has no hiss with sensitive IEMs. Uncommonly for a dongle, it comes with a 2nd USB-C port for charging/power, which is a useful option for folks who do not want to drain their phone's battery. With good power on tap, the Artemis 39 should be able to tackle most transducers out there, other than outlier behemoths.
While there is no app or PEQ available, the Artemis 39 has 8 DAC filters to play with - and it even has a mic for calls - so it makes a suitable companion for work or meetings. The multiple hardware buttons allow track skipping for example - and the volume steps are independent with fine spacing, when some modern day dongles do not even have volume buttons!
Espousing a clean neutral soundscape, this dongle lets the connected transducer do the colouring. With good technicalities showcased, this DAC/AMP will be a joy for the purists or technically-inclined. Other than doing wired functions well, this dongle does not neglect our wireless consumers - which is arguably the bigger market share - and it boasts of stable Bluetooth range and connectivity, with support for a multitude of Bluetooth codecs.
The Artemis 39 could have been better accessorized, and it does lie on the larger side, with a slight "POP" noted on removing sensitive IEMs, but by-and-large, this portable source is a good consideration for wired, wireless and even work processes, being a Swiss army knife for many case usages.
