Prelude:
HIFIMAN needs no introduction, they have proven many times how much they can achieve and if I wrote that they fail, I would have to lie. After the great success of the EF400, they decided to present the EF600, a versatile DAC and AMP with several additional functions. The structure was built in such a way that it can also be used as a stand for headphones, which I really like. On board we have two DACs from the himalaya pro series on R2R and a solid amplifier with a power of 5.12 Watts per channel at 32 Ohm load and 1.8 Watts per channel after the SE output. Unfortunately, we only have two headphone outputs: balanced XLR and unbalanced 6.5mm. There are also two low and high gain levels and two digital filters, OS and NOS. On the back we have a USB C and USB B input, additionally two balanced XLR outputs and the same inputs, a coaxial input and an RCA input and output. The device itself also has a high-quality toroidal power supply and full Bluetooth support, including APTX, APTX HD, LDAC codecs, so we have everything except network functions and all for USD 799. The form factor ensures low space requirements and the ability to use the device instead of a separate headphone stand.
UNBOXING:
Unpacking in this case is not something particularly exciting – it is a standard hifiman packaging, which contains only a cable for the power supply and the device itself, there is a voltage switch at the bottom so we can use our amplifier both in Europe and in other parts of the world. Using the EF600 is very simple, there are two switches and that’s it.
Synergy:
The signature represented by the EF600 is extremely natural, with a huge separation of instruments and channels, so I did not notice any problems, and even headphones as difficult to drive properly as the very bass R9 from hifimnan sound really amazing in combination with the EF600, which proves to me how much this combo can do, providing excellent sound. And this is both using a wired connection and Bluetooth, and even in the case of an aptx connection with Windows.
Sound:
BASS: The low tones are extremely flexible, with great dynamics and a delightfully warm and natural presentation – a bass with a light and pleasant character. You can hear the presence of the R2R system here because the low tones sound extremely light and clear. The songs are very realistic, both when used as a DAC/AMP and as a DAC after the line output. Overall, the DAC section is the strongest point of the EF600 and after the line output the whole thing sounds stunningly good. The resolution and range of the lower registers is one of the best I could expect.
Diameter: What I like most is the natural and very transparent presentation. The separation of instruments and the tonal range are truly impressive. This is due to the excellent separation between the right and left channels. This provides a sense of enormous tonal range and distributes individual instruments around the head. The stage generated by the EF600 is really large, both in depth and width. Vocals sound transparent and very natural, they are also slightly warmed, but overall they sound very good. The midrange is undoubtedly the strong point of this presentation.
Treble: They are resolved and transparent, have the right amount of shine and a lot of information. The midrange is soft and pleasant. The amount of high tones is very good, and their timbre is pleasant and very clear. This is one of the most natural DAC/AMPs I know. We will also have a large amount of information and detailed and colorful sound. This approach to high frequencies makes us listen with pleasure and full involvement.
Bluetooth:
Wirelessly, the EF600 plays very similarly to a USB connection, the connection stability is very good and I haven’t noticed any problems. Searching for and adding new devices is intuitive and works very well. I also did not notice that the sound after LDAC differed in quality from the USB section, which proves a very good implementation.
DAC:
As I have already mentioned, the EF600 DAC is impressive and impresses with its excellent naturalness and realism, with excellent channel separation and an excellent amount of information. Here I really have to admit that HIFIMAN is absolutely right in saying that HIMALAYA PRO is a very well-thought-out DAC circuit. Delightful in terms of the correctness and purity of the presented content. Honestly, this is one of my favorite DAC circuits.
AMP:
As an amplifier, the EF600 works well, has a lot of power and responds perfectly to the nature of the source we connect to it. It handled models such as Sundara, Edition XS and Aria Organic perfectly and had no problems with driving them.
Comparisons:
EF600 ($799) VS XDUOO TUBE AMP ($100-500)
When comparing the EF600 with XDUOO tube products, the dynamics and purity of the sound are definitely an advantage for the EF600, while using the EF600 as a DAC for a good-class tube amplifier, you can see the huge potential that hifiman has included in this device.
Summary:
Hifiman constantly follows the trends it sets and this is also the case with the EF600, it is an excellent DAC and a great amplifier enriched with a fully functional Bluetooth receiver. The only thing missing was a 4.4mm output, luckily we have XLR and can use an appropriate adapter. As an AMP it also performs very well, there is a lot of power and the signal purity is exemplary. In the case of models such as EDITION XS, ARIA ORGANIC or sundara closed, the synergy was amazing. This is a very good product worth the entire price we have to pay for it. Although the amplifier section is good and has excellent dynamics, the greatest potential in the EF600 can be found in the DAC section with even better quality amplifiers, you can clearly feel the increase in quality provided by R2R in this system. Therefore, overall, I think that the EF600 is a very well-priced DAC and headphone AMP at USD 799, with great possibilities in the amplifier section and very large possibilities in the DAC section. I will venture to say that it is worth buying it even as an external DAC because it is difficult to look for such naturalism and realism in sound. in competitor products. So I must say, great work by hifiman, excellent product and quality of workmanship adequate to the budget.