ddHiFi M120B

This is a brief review of the ddHiFi M120B Lightning / USB-C Earphone Upgrade Cable with Microphone and DAC. You can read the full review in my website.

Sound performance

The ddHiFi M120B offers an instant sound quality upgrade over all generic 3.5mm phone outputs unless you own something with a dedicated audio circuit. The sound it produces is surprisingly crystal clear and noise free with great transparency for an entry level DAC. The M102B doesn’t add any coloration to the sound and it pairs well with all earphones.

The sound is balanced, musical and very enjoyable with good technicalities for the category. The bass is extended, weighty and quite dynamic with sufficient control and definition. The mid-range is spacious and open sounding with timbre realism and fine articulation. The treble, which is not rolled off, is not offensive but is not lacking in excitement while resolution and detail retrieval are satisfying for the category.

The power output is lower than what larger sized USB DAC dongles can produce but is enough for driving sensitive earphones while the M102B has the benefit of the very low power consumption which results in minimal impact on the phone’s battery duration.

What we should always remember is that the ddHiFi M102B is not supposed to compete and replace higher quality USB DAC dongles like the ddHiFi TC44C or the iBasso DC03 Pro .This is an entry level solution designed with portability and less bulk in mind and as such it successfully does the job with a performance that surpassed all my expectations.

Verdict

The ddHiFi M102B is a smartly designed product for upgrading the audio performance of your phone and allowing the use of earphones if it comes without a 3.5mm jack. Very well made, lightweight and minimalistic it offers great sound quality for the size and it also adds microphone and in-line controls to all your favorite earphones.