The ACMEE Magic Sound 4X Dongle
Redcarmoose Land October 20th, 2024
It is safe to say the ACMEE company has been around the block a few times. With a quick internet search we see a few ACMEE Dongles and they all very much look the same. The casework has stayed the same, and if you truly study the case, I mean what else would you ever change it to? Meaning the casework is absolutely gorgeous! While in the electronics world they keep printing up new DAC chips and printed circuit boards just like magazines. And even amplifier stages keep getting refined and changed on a regular basis.
Since July of 2022 I have been sent 11 of these funny little Dongles here at Redcarmoose Land. And that’s not counting the tiny extra (low power) (Apple Dongle like) Dongles they give you with IEMs now. Still after doing the reviews I still don't consider myself a Dongle expert, I can only take pictures and hope to describe the tone and technicalities, the features and how the buttons work? What I'm trying to say is I'm really a DAP listener…..and I never asked for these devices to be sent over, they just were? But as life is when you start to become inundated with anything, you become interested and at least try to understand how and why each one is different and unique. The reason I say this is each device has its own standout points of interest and while at times they are close to the same (especially with the exact same DAC chips) at times they are farther apart. This romance with sound decoding and amplifying toys starts to become fascinating as each and every one is truly unique to itself, like a miniature creation alive and living life its own special way.
.............and no the bright shining clover never changes color to delineate different bit-rates or anything, it just shows the device has power and you're lucky to own it.
What sets the ACMEE 4X apart from the previous model, the 4S is a new DAC. The 4S has the ES09018K2M DAC and this new 4X model has the ES9038Q2M DAC chip in it. The ACMEE Magic Sound series started with the Magic Sound 1 way back in 2014.
Probably the greatest feature here is that the 4X gets loud and does not run hot, only slightly above room temperature. I have not heard any of the previous models yet on paper the 4X is at Balanced 720mW at 32ohm, and the 4S is at Balanced 500mW at 32ohm! That is quite a difference, and sure there are lots of other single ended specification differences, but you get the message, this sucker owns more juice! While truly I don't know much about how this was done as both amplifiers inside use the same exact RT6863 amplifier chip? But the way I understand it is ACMEE puts 14 different chips and 72 different capacitors all inside the 4X by utilizing 3 layers of (PCB) Printed Circuit Board material. When this is combined with the low-noise DCDC power supply the 4X energy consumption has been reduced by 30% enabling the device to run at 96.8 degrees Fahrenheit once it gets up to temp. A new ACMEE 4X SA series USB chipset addition from the last 4S model. The 4X additional upgrades from the 4S continue on as new KDS crystal oscillator chips, new style USB port, and optimized high-speed lines to improve time base and JITTER accuracy.
So that makes 5 major 4S to ACMEE 4X improvements!
This list is in addition to a volume gain from 500mW to 720mW (balanced) increase in driving power output, and 30% reduction energy draw improvements, thus lower temperature.
1) ES9018K2M to ES9038Q2M
2) New SA series USB chipset
3) New KDS crystal oscillators
4) Improved different model USB port (more firm supposedly)
5) New high-speed PCB routing, which improves the timing jitter accuracy
While I have not heard the prior models of ACMEE Magic Sound, I will put the 4X up against a few audio devices and report on sound quality and operational use.
Left to right: Sony WM1Z, HiBy R3 II, Shanling UA3 and SIMGOT AUDIO DEW4X
Above: Night Oblivion Butastur and Penon Pyramid VI cable
First tests:
Here I will compare the Sony WM1A DAP, the Hiby R3 II mini-DAP, the Shanling UA3 and the little SIMGOT AUDIO DEW4X. I will be using the $599.00 Night Oblivion Butastur and Penon Pyramid VI cable:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/night-oblivion-butastur.26677/reviews#review-33869
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-pyramid-vi.27607/reviews#review-35834
The Sony WM1A v the ACMEE 4X:
Here the first question comes to mind as to why I'm even comparing a $1200.00 Sony WM1A (with aftermarket software) against a $79.00 Dongle. Sure this is a little silly but the Sony WM1A is my reference, so in a way I'm out-to-sea without at least doing some direct side-by-sides to get familiar grounding here. Plus remember the two devices have totally different uses. To where if at some remote location you may take the 4X to hook to your laptop and simply the Sony WM1A would be a hair too much. Also I don't even need to explain how different the 4X is from standard laptop audio output, in fact it is so different that I'm not even going to extrapolate any ideas on paper today!
Laptop audio: "I really don't intend to be a snob"
If you must know, the different amp stages of the ACMEE 4X offer a blacker background than the 3.5mm output of your laptop. In addition to a wider stage and more power for starters. Then the audiophile decoding chips allow for simply more (hi-res) information to be found inside your digital files. Sounds are simply bigger, more detailed and more 3D than the basic laptop output.
The Sony WM1A v ACMEE 4X:
https://suldusk-northernsilence.bandcamp.com/track/the-elm
Timestamps only refer to digital file not the YouTube video
Suldusk
Lunar Falls
The Elm
44.1kHz - 16bit
ACMEE 4X:
Here we are met with singer-songwriter sensibilities. I'm using the 3.1 TypeC USB digital output of the Hiby R3 II for juice and digital happenings. And sure I should spill the beans here, this is one of the songs that makes the most of the 4X event! There is a naturalness to Emily Highfield’s voice, that and accompanied by broad acoustic guitar placements way off to the sides.
It is the complexity of harmonics that I first noticed in the guitar.
At 01:10 the drums finally make themselves known. Yet really to speak of the obvious here, the stage is bigger than I remember any dongle to have? Obviously we will test other Dongles later, but that is why we do side-by-sides; to overcome the curiosity which occurs at times. Those drums…….well that’s the party trick here, the deepness in bass of the drums is slightly subdued holding a more mid-bass effect than sub-bass. Now this effect may read on paper like a deficit when in reality it is not and I will promise you that! It is the magic that seems to add clarity to the whole Kit and Kaboodle. It makes these drum actions fast and quickly demonstrating that we don't want any more Hz to occur, we are fine in our bed of sonics here, and better than fine!
It really can't get better than this…..can it? Those are my true emotions here.
The Sony WM1A:
Here of course it is better, but no where near 12X better in difference. Of course the cable and IEMs have a tiny part of this outcome.
But to get real here, the 1A bass is only a slight tad deeper, this takes place because the 1A is really a mid-pushed device. There is a slight spread-out of the vocals more and slight bit of filled-in detail, but truly not that much different….not at all 12X more anything. Obviously the stage is happening into a slightly more airy influx of expanded happenstance. And sure if you look for them there are tiny added details that the 4X leaves out, still none of that affects the songs drama of musical information, and by that I can say the 4X nails it. None of that brittle digital sounding hog-wash approaching stridence like some other digital devices do! Perfectly smooth as butter, yet still holding provocative details!
There is a guitar string slide sound that I always hear at exactly the 01:00 mark. Though it is of notice as it sounds like a faint dog bark. When I write these reviews I share a room with three small dogs, so you could imagine how a tiny sound could sound like a dog barking outside of the IEM sound reproduction. The point? Get to the point, quit talking about dogs, no one cares about your dogs…………..OK with the ACMEE 4X that exact sound was actually thicker and held more forwardness, with the WM1A we are continuing to find sonic objects which seem to drift slightly farther outward into the stage. The 4X is a little more direct yet still displays every nuance of what works in this song, having me become totally curious if it’s just the song today or the equipment in use? It is these guitar harmonics that while the 1A has them slightly more spread out into the stage, the ACMEE 4X is not messing around either showing a slightly denser yet fully great sounding style of rendition, and just like the dog bark sound in the sliding of guitar strings (in comparison to the Sony WM1A) that sound is a little closer and even 4X deeper to boot!
The HiBy R3 II v the ACMEE 4X:
You know this comparison was super easy to do, because the song file is on the HiBy R3II whereas the ACMEE 4X is simply put into the HiBy’s USB port and away we go! Same song, same 44.1kHz - 16bit song file.
The dual ESS ES9219C chips of the R3 II are making a slightly softer tone over our ACMEE 4X.
The ACMEE 4X is simply more forward and this stance of authority could be interpreted and lesser by chip standards and maybe even detail standards, but no, there is a very special tuning found here with the ACMEE 4X that is wonderfully bewildering and making this job of side-by-sides fun, and almost easy. You see once you mentally latch onto a sound you keep looking for it again and again and I have lost count how many times I have gone back-and-forth between these two units. You see this HiBy R3 II M shaped response is in a way much like the sub-bass recessed……..hence (mid-bass) ACMEE 4X ideas. Where it is the lower midrange where possibly the ESS ES9219C X 2 chips make a more harmonically full idea of rhythm guitars, yet at the same time the ACMEE 4X ES9038Q2M DAC chip sounds just like you would think one chip would sound in comparison to two. Still while being less frilly in style the ACMEE 4 X is more direct……and I will stop here, and it is a descent into madness. But let me point out this slightly stripped down version of one chip sound is still full and satisfying to the point of being a non-issue in this review. This comes about by the closeness and clarity openly offered by the ACMEE 4X. The ACMEE 4X is a tad less airy than the HiBy R3II, but so what, air isn't everything. And yes, the stage is maybe a hair larger with the HiBy, maybe? But the advantages this gives the ACMEE 4X is it is in reality more forward and vivid in contrasts…..and I like that. The ACMEE 4X is $79.00 and the Hiby R3 II is $179.00, and while the R3 works as a Dongle too from a laptop, in phone use really the size/form of the ACMEE 4X seems to be preferred………..as it is smaller. The difference here is that the Hiby R3 II does hold memory cards and can playback music on its own, and the ACMEE 4 can not. Still this sonic comparison would be maybe not so different if you didn't have the two devices side-by-side, actually I'm sure of that!
The Shanling UA3 v the ACMEE 4X:
I have a soft spot in my heart for the Shanling UA3 as it was my first Dongle. I also like it as it is low power and has a very analog bass. Wait, what……you like the fact that it is low power? HAHA. Even though later in the review full-size headphones will show up to make the question of power ability important, there is a feature of tone that beats out with IEM usage. There is just this romantic fluid low-end (actually fuzzy) the way the Shanling goes about its day……….not even caring that it is a couple of years old, it just doesn't give a damn.
First off this volume attitude of the UA3 only getting so loud is noticeable, but since at near max we are still styling with the Night Oblivion Butastur. Where here there may be even more bass but that bass is also mid bass, but there is a definite extra flow of it. And the Shanling is known for simply being very analog and smooth, and yes, today it is a tad smoother than the Night Oblivion Butastur and ACMEE 4X. Yet there is a slight drawback to that smoothness, in that the ACMEE 4X holds a more robust and vivid style of playback, waging war on lesser resolutions of Dongle life out there. Still there is a natural and complete sound this UA3 has that has me keep coming back to it. I would say they are equal, each holding their own splendid character personality just as humans you may be lucky enough to find out there. But where the UA3 issues start to arise is when you attempt to use full-size headphones, as it really is the lowest power amplifier………second only to the new ant-power HeartField R1 Dongle that just came in.
Finally (till the next round) the SIMGOT AUDIO DEW4X:
OHH? Another use of the 4X name? At the beginning of 2024 or late in 2023 SIMGOT AUDIO released this little guy, when in fact it was the fourth Dongle to be released by SIMGOT but first Dongle in the US market! The SIMGOT AUDIO DEW 3 is not shown in the chart here. Coincidentally DEW4X has a $79.99 price tag and another which sports dual chips with 2X CS43198 chips. CIRRUS LOGIC CS43198 are used often at times using just one, or in this case 2.
The Kiwi Ears Allegro
So even though we are now entering a new brand of Cirrus Logic decoder chip I tend to group the DEW4X, the ACMEE 4X and the Kiwi ears Allegro (which we haven’t got to yet) together sounding similar. Though I'm about to drop a bomb here. This is probably the most important two paragraphs in the review. The ACMEE 4X is noticeably a wider stage and has more power with IEMs. There I said it, yep if it was my money the ACMEE 4X would get it (all my dough) no questions asked. The Allegro also gets way loud louder than the DEW4X, but the main thing is the Allegro also sounds a little thinner (think thinner toned) in stature thus coming-into the back of the pack, while still good, and very much equal to the ACMEE 4X in driving full-size headphones.
There is an extra level of harmonic richness that the ACMEE 4 does above and beyond the SIMGOT DEW4X and above the Kiwi ears Allegro. This is the whole review in a sentence! This conclusion was so profound and so darn condescending to the other two Dongles here, that I had to do these comparisons multiple times, just to make sure I wasn’t missing a thing in my conclusions! Now the thing is every Dongle plays great music and in many aspects all of them would be a miracle if we brought them back in time to a 2013 Head-Fi meet-up. And I actually hate to spill the beans, but the ACMEE 4X is simply more lush in the mids and not as dry as the DEW4X or Allegro. Though take note the Allegro and the ACMEE 4X have the same power for driving full-size headphones.
Full-size:
Here we are blessed with tons of output power which enables the diaphragm to be better controlled with full-size transducers. Here the Sony MDR-Z1R goes the extra mile to showcase such driving abilities. Now to be honest the ACMEE 4X extra full-midrange tone was not as noticeable in the MDR-Z1R as it was with the Night Oblivion Butastur. Somehow the Sony MDR-Z1R was already lush and even found to be toned bottom heavy. Still both Dongles were fun to try out, though it should be noted I'm really more of an IEM listener now and do these full-size comparisons mainly for completeness, and just in case a full-size listener is reading this. Yet to get down to it, the ACMEE 4X was slightly smoother in use with the MDR-Z1R, with the Kiwi ears Allegro gaining points for offering an added faster yet thinner stage, but utilizing those extra details for what seemed like clarity? And I mean sure that lush midrange could most definitely be found with other full-size headphones………….it is just if anyone knows the MDR-Z1R the midrange is the least of its emphasis.
Build:
Showcasing a beautiful blue substantial 6060 aluminum shell, the small green clover light does not ever change to show bit-rate but simply lets you know the device is getting power. The volume is actually a small toggle switch that allows up or down of 50 different volume adjustments depending on which side of the switch you choose. At 20 grams the 4X is neither light weight nor heavy.
ES9038Q2M DAC chip
RT6863 High fidelity headphone amplifier chip
384kHz/32BIT
DSD256 hard resolution
4.4mm Balanced 720mw
Pure land structure
4+4 audio PCB
14pcs chips
72pcs capacitors
4.4mm/3.5mm Output Ports
Independent 2-way volume button
Packaging:
The extras include a small simple manual, a warranty card and two TypeC USB cables. The regular TypeC to TypeC is included, then a very different than I have come across 2 foot long TypeC to TypeA USB cable.
Conclusion:
Wow, what can I say that I already didn't say? I mean a week ago I got clues as to the special midrange and stage held with-in the ACMEE 4X. There was a romantic midrange that was even more emphasized by the way the low-end was represented. This style of tuning is not altogether different from a few Dongles already out there. Except the subtle extra fluidity that holds each and every midrange note, that fluidity then takes part in being found inside the extra midrange stage that is presented. The fact that the lows come-in to increase the notability of this midrange phenomenon. That the highs too are silky and smooth being connected to these illustrious mids. That the added mid-bass seems to increase the perceived pace, not to subdue such antics. Not weighted down by a heavy sub-bass is really asking for clarity found on all levels here. I like the look, I like the usability that my MacBook found and used the ACMEE 4X with no additional drivers. Just the fact that the ACMEE 4X didn't get hot nor draw a lot of power per output volume was a treat. And the size and weight at just 20 grams meant it could go anywhere and not take-up too much space.
Though from testing in side-by-sides we learned that the gleaming blue ACMEE 4X is not the highest in resolution. That the signal from the 12X more expensive Sony WM1A seemed to offer the listener finer refined amusement. That the $100.00 more HiBy R3 II with its dual ESS ES9219C chips even showed the effects of slightly more detail, or at least a softer and airier nature. Still these technicalities can’t fight the remarkable midrange positioning into the stage, and the vibrant harmonic complexity……….that upon listening takes first notice………..and with continued listening is a source of great pleasure and satisfaction. Why? Because tone normally wins out over technicalities presented.
The saddest part of this review was that it beat out the SIMGOT AUDIO DEW4X and Kiwi ears Allegro (a review I haven’t even written yet) but that’s the facts in the Dongle game, that there will be winners and still good devices but slightly not as good for the money. And sure a few may question my findings………let them. Those who question my findings may say that I put too much importance on a harmonically rich midrange and lush stage? To that my response would be silence, with a slight smile.
$79.00
https://penonaudio.com/ACMEE-Magic-Sound-4X
Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the ACMEE 4X review sample.
Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.
Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm balanced
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03 4.4mm balanced
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
HiBy R3 II DAP 4.4mm balanced and 3.1 TypeC USB digital feed
Bonus IEM:
Here at Redcarmoose Land I'm really not sure how short or how long my reviews should be? So in awareness of such things I will at times have an extra add-on at the end because I figure, no one is forcing anyone to read anything, that you can check-out any time you want, but you can never leave Head-Fi. So in trade of simply going to a new and different product review, you can (if interested) go and read about one single more comparison IEM. What I'm doing here is simply trying a new and different IEM to continue to judge the effectiveness of the ACMEE 4X for musical enjoyment.
The Kiwi ears Quartet comes in at $109.00 unless you get the (extra) $50.00 Custom faceplate or complete (extra $150.00) CIEM build. Every build contains 2 isobaric configuration DDs and 2 custom BA drivers. My set-up for the day is exactly like shown in the photograph, the ACMEE 4X hooked to the Pyramid VI hooked to the Kiwi ears Quartet.
This set-up is not new today, as I have been trying this exact set-up for a few days. Is using a $419.00 cable is kinda silly? Sure, but I’ve done more silly antics in life. The great part is both the Pyramid VI and Quartet have a full week of burn-in to guarantee smoothness and tonal maturity found. What can I say, this is a winner of a combo. This is the style of IEM that makes you wonder just how grand a CIEM of it would be? Common a $109.00 IEM made into a CIEM? Yep it is that good. The next part that is good has to do with what approach the ACMEE 4X is taking here. No one told the ACMEE 4X that couldn’t be great…….sure $79.00 is not the most you can spend on a source. And sure you can hook-up the ACMEE 4X to pretty much anything with a TypeC port. But to reiterate on the phenomenon I have in front of me here, it is of the grandest stage, and of the most composite style of vocals……..even for a Hybrid. This is easy listening……long term silky smooth easy listening.
Suldusk
Lunar Falls
The Elm
44.1kHz - 16bit
Now do you remember the part of the review when I described the guitar slide that had me take notice as it sounded like one of my dogs barking from a distance? The sound is almost buried here. Why? Probably because there are only 2 custom BAs responsible, not an elaborate 10BA IEM. Yet all this talk of a darker idea has me questioning the vocals and the total ability I'm hearing inside the wonderful stage.
Vocals:
What I'm trying to say is the vocals are better with the Quartet than even the new 2X more money Kiwi ears KE4. Not only that but we are smack-dab in the middle of this warm and fluid stage that is caressing you like your mother used to do.........to fall asleep as a child. Obviously I'm going to talk about balance here, that there is one. But I have not even started this Quartet review. Though I do know one thing, that the ACMEE 4X will be at my side and one of the best additions to arriving at what became a surprise dose of synergy! And that very last sentence should be proof enough for you or anyone that the ACMEE 4X is reference material, reference Dongle material in a world overly-filled with (same priced) Dongles.
Cable silliness:
Many may study the balance of cost to this set-up and question my sanity. A $419.00 cable joined to a $79.00 Dongle, powering a $109.00 IEM? Truly many enthusiasts would argue that to shift the cost ratio towards spending more money on the IEM, and less waste on the cable purchase would be in order. And once more I would stay quiet and calmly smile. In many ways this Quartet is from the exact same school of thought as is the ACMEE 4X. It is using washes on tone to smitten the audiophile, as obtaining extra points on the darker tonal curve, yet charming you with unarguable musicality. The complete set-up here has this ability to expand the set-up stage in the most curious of ways………..adding the stage character of the ACMEE 4X to the stage character found inside the Pyramid VI…….and finally the stage activated inside the Quartet. And this stage enlargement is not without its fall-out, the separation adding visibility to the sculpted imaging. I would like to introduce the term stage synergy…….as I have no other word for the spectacle going on here? The fact that the vocals are just right, being full and thick and sitting atop this isobaric wall of low-end. All somehow in its place, still holding a grooving pace off into infinity.
