ddHiFi TC44Pro

The packaging is minimal and responsible as always from ddhifi.

Specifications
DAC chips: Dual Cirrus Logic CS43131
Output power: 120mW (4.4Bal. 3252)
SNR: >125dB
Dynamic range: >120dB
THD+N: <-110dB
PCM decoding capability: Up to 32bit/384kHz
DSD decoding capability. Native DSD64/DSD128/DSD256
Dimensions: 30×18×12.5 (mm)
Weight. About 9g


The TC44pro performed well, it has no detectable noise and provided a nutral-ish sound with a little warmth.
Presentation was mostly transparent with a noticeable increase in clarity and volume, it had little effect on battery compared to other dongles.

Gear used for testing.
Pixel 7a
Samsung A72 5G
Motorolla G stylist

Philips X2HR, OKCSC Ash, Grado SR80x and AKG M220 pro
Kinera Hodur, IDUN Golden 2.0 and QOA Gimlet
Kiwi ears orchestra lite and Cadenza
Hidizs MS5, MD4 and MS1
KZ Krilla, AS24 and CCA Duo

General/Packaging/Build
ddHifi is a brand that I believe needs no introduction. Most of the audiophiles should be familiar with their adapters as well as cables. The brand produces a wide range of products ranging from adapters, cables, portable dongle dac/amp, and even IEM. Packaging is taking on the minimalist approach, very straightforward yet premium looking at the same time. The box contains the dongle itself as well as a mini lanyard.

Specifications

• DAC chips: Dual Cirrus Logic CS43131
• Output power: 120mW (4.4Bal. 3252)
• SNR: >125dB
• Dynamic range: >120dB
• THD+N: <-110dB
• PCM decoding capability: Up to 32bit/384kHz
• DSD decoding capability. Native DSD64/DSD128/DSD256
• Dimensions: 30×18×12.5 (mm)
• Weight. About 9g

Gears used for this review

• Thieaudio Hype 2
• 7Hz Legato
• iKKO OH5
• TC44 Pro -> Google Pixel 5 -> UAPP (Tidal)
• Macbook Air M2

Foreword
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

Battery Drain

• TC44 Pro is quite power efficient based on my test, i did not specifically measure the power draw but based on my observation
• BHD Pro is connected to Pixel 5 at 100% battery, the volume is being set at +- 40% and 7Hz’s Legato is hooked to the 4.4 out and let it loop through the playlist from 10pm until the next morning 9am (UAPP Pro on exclusive mode)
• That’s about 11 hours and the battery on Pixel 5 is at 50% when i checked the battery%, that is quite efficient in my opinion based on my observation
• Also take into consideration that i’m streaming Tidal via UAPP as it doesn’t support offline download for UAPP

Sound Impression
Tonality wise, The TC44Pro doesn’t add much coloration to the signature, i would say it is quite neutral with a slight hint of warmth for the signature. I have tested several dongles with CS41313 but they don’t sound the same at all. That pretty much explains implementation and tuning is the key.

Listening Impression with the following gears
Thieaudio Hype 2

• Bass is punchy and tight, mid bass especially
• Sub bass has slightly better extension
• Mids are slightly being pushed forward instead of sounding slightly recessed prior to pairing with TC44 Pro
• Male vocal has slightly thicker texture and sounds fuller
• Female vocal is full sounding as well
• Not so much changes in terms of detail retrieval
• Overall, a very good synergy pairing the Hype2 with TC44Pro

7Hz Legato

• Legato is a bassy and warm IEM, aimed at delivering analog-ish speaker sound
• The mids are slightly recessed, but when paired with , the mids doesn’t sound that recessed anymore and it sounded a little bit more forward, both male and female vocal also have better texture and body to it
• Bass on the other hand sounds a little tame, the sub bass doesn’t rumble that much, but mid bass is still punchy, a very refreshing experience if you ask me, still very fun sounding
• Not much changes on the detail retrieval as well
• Soundstage is slightly better in terms of better height,depth and width perception
• Legato is not hard to drive, on paper, TC44Pro may seem like it is very lacking in terms of power output, but it is actually more than enough for most IEMs out there

Comparison (Truthear Shio)

• Shio sounds warmer to my ears
• The low end is way more elevated compared to TC44Pro
• Treble is more or less similar
• It does have a low/high gain mode which can be toggled by pressing a certain button combination
• Although sporting different DAC, they difference are actually very minimal, the 43131 on TC44Pro is a DAC chip with built in amp section, where as on the Shio’s 43198, it is a DAC only setup and the amp section is designed/implemented separately

Final Thoughts
After weeks of using the TC44Pro, i’m actually very happy with the performance and the size of it, there’s no additional cable dangling around and the dongle is directly attached to my mobile, although the headphone out port is positioned on the side, i just switch the position of my phone in the pocket to face other direction and problem solved, or just put it in the ddHifi C2023 bag and walk about with it.
While the specs on paper may not please the crowd, however, the sound and the power output is actually very sufficient for most IEMs out there, when i’m using it with the Hidizs MS5 and MS3, both which are quite sensitive and prone to hissing, there’s none, the background is dark and no audible hiss.
The tech within the dongle and the asking price, i’d say it's fair and i have no issue recommending this dongle if you’re in search of a dongle that has good performance and very portable without breaking the bank.

*A big thanks to ddHifi for sending this over for this review. I thank them for the support as always.
Head over to their official AliExpress Store and official website if you are interested in getting one:

ddHifi TC44Pro - Non affiliated

Introduction

I recently purchased the new 3rd generation ddHiFi TC44 series DAC/amp, the TC44Pro ($80). I’ve been wanting a product like this to use with my iPhone SE, and when I first found out about it I really liked the small size and design.

I’ve purchased a few ddHiFi adaptors in the past and was very pleased with their build quality and performance, so ddHiFi has been on my radar for a few years.



Performance

Given DACs generally perform their best after extended use, I burned in the TC44Pro for a week before I did any critical listening and I was pleased by the results. The TC44Pro has a very nice tone coupled with an expansive soundstage, especially in regards to depth and width.

The TC44Pro comes in four different versions: there is the USB-C version which can be ordered either with a 3.5mm connector or a 4.4mm. There is also a Lightning version with the same connector options. Unlike dongles that generally have both 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs thereby being larger to accommodate such connectivity, I like that DDHiFi chose to use a single output design in order to save space and make the TC44Pro as small as it is. Since I only use 4.4mm cables, I chose this option and am using my FiR Krypton 5 as my default IEM. Its own character works quite well with the TC44Pro in my view.

I really have to applaud ddHiFi for choosing the Cirrus CS43131 DACs (dual DAC design), its flagship model and one that is quite popular with other affordably priced dongles and DAPs. All this tech for a very reasonable price!

Conclusion

I've written over 30 reviews on Head-Fi, but never one on such an attractively priced product, generally because I have a flagship collection of IEMs and I opt for better source gear with my purchases, but I'm really happy with this purchase and strongly recommend it for those who want to improve the sound of their phone's output without breaking the bank.