Muse HIFI M3 II

Introduction

There's always a first time and today it's a double first time. From AliExpress shop Angeldac Audio Store, today I have the pleasure to review a Muse HiFi dongle. Shenzhen Yunke Acoustic Technology Co., Ltd. is an innovative technology company that integrates research and development, production and sales of HiFi audio equipment. The company's purpose is to pursue the ultimate in the ultimate and to discover simplicity in the simple. To their credit they have different IEMS and other dongles. In this case I am going to review the second version of their M3 dongle, the M3 II. It is a dongle based on the classic Dual DAC CS43131 that contains two SIP amplifier modules to guarantee a powerful output with a clear and noise-free background. It has very low harmonic distortion as well as low power consumption, thanks to the TOREX management engine. As is normal for this type of device, the Muse II has two 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL headphone outputs. In addition, it integrates particular operating modes: the Muse Space mode for great musical representation, the virtual surround mode suitable for movies, music and games and the exclusive DSD mode. It has a dual knob for independent volume control and gain change (low or high). Muse has added several low-noise LDOs and high-precision femtosecond crystal oscillators that promise class-leading SNR and DNR performance. Let's see how all these features translate into practice in this review.



Specifications

• DAC: Dual CS43131.
• Input interface: USB Type C.
• Headphone outputs: 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL.
• Buttons: Vol +/ Vol -/Pause/Gain mode switch.
• Maximum decoding: 32bit/384KHZ DSD256
• THD+N: -103dB(4.4mm)/-100dB(3.5mm).
• SNR: 130dB(4.4mm)/125dB(3.5mm).
• Suitable impedance: 16Ω-600Ω.
• Weight: approx. 50g.
• Size: 59.5x29.5x29.5x15.5mm.

Packaging

The Muse M3 II comes in a medium-sized, elongated case with dimensions 159x80x49mm. The colour is predominantly black and the main face is glossy. It has a three-dimensional, glazed X above the brand name in purple lettering. Above it is the product name, as if handwritten in silver ink and capital letters. At the top left are several logos: the brand logo, the Muse Space logo, the Cirrus Logic logo and the Angeldac logo. At the top right, the Muse Space logo is repeated and at the bottom of this side there is a product presentation. On the back, the logos are repeated, this time located at the top right. The rest is filled with the specifications, the brand name, the web address and the logos of the certifications it holds. The box opens sideways thanks to a black fabric loop, which allows the inner boot to slide to the left. Inside is a black presentation cardboard and the instruction manual. Underneath, the M3 II is housed in a dense black foam mould. Underneath is another layer with the rest of the accessories. In summary, the complete contents are as follows:

• The Muse HiFi M3 II.
• A black presentation card.
• One instruction manual.
• One short USB Type-C to Type-C cable.
• One USB 3.0 Type-C female to Type-A male adapter.
• One short USB Type-C to Lighting cable.

The packaging is large for a dongle. The product is very well protected and the extensive instruction manual is appreciated.



Construction and Design

The M3 II is on the heavy and relatively large side among the dongles I own. Normally, almost all of them have a narrower, lighter rectangular shape. The M3 II is more oval, with the USB side narrower than the headphone output side. It has a double rocker button on one side, next to an RGB LED. On the other side is a legend with the product name and a product description. On the upper side there is a wave that divides the face into two levels. On the high side, on the side of the USB connection is the brand logo. The low side extends to the sides, creating a smooth, almost ergonomic irregularity for the buttons. The entire casing is a smooth, matte metal part, while the USB and headphone output ends are both slightly rougher, shiny, mirror-effect oval metal faces. The 4.4m BAL output is gold-plated, while the 3.5mm SE is black. There's not much special about the USB Type-C connection.
The USB adapter cable is made of mixed hybrid wire of high-purity monocrystalline copper and silver-plated copper.
It is clear that the design of the M3 II is distinctive, but it is the same as the previous version only in a different colour.
The high weight of the unit and the solid metal of the outer casing are surprisingly heavy.



Connectivity

The M3 II comes with USB Type-C 3.0 connection and is compatible with Android, iOS and Windows. It can be used with PC's, mobiles, tablets, etc. It comes standard with USB Type-C cables and converters to Type-A and Lighting.
For Windows it is not necessary to use drivers, but I have found that it is compatible with some drivers that I have installed on my PC. It recognises it as if it were the Hidizs XO and the compatible ASIO driver is BRAVO-HD.
On the other hand, I have not found native drivers from the brand itself.



Operativity

IMPORTANT: The Muse M3 II does not turn on after USB connection, you will need to connect headphones to any of the headphone outputs to turn it on. It will also turn on if any 3.5mm or 4.4mm SE connector/adapter is connected. So it's not an impedance identifier, just a switch that is activated by the physical connection.
And I say this is important because when I connected the M3 II to my PC after opening the package and seeing that the light didn't come on I thought it was broken. Then I remembered that there are some dongles where the headphone port connection is required to turn it on and it did.
I must confess that I don't like this feature, but I understand that it can be useful in order to save power on battery-powered devices. Maybe that's because of that TOREX power management circuitry, among other abilities I don't know about.
As I said, the M3 II is on the heavy side of the dongles. Its surface is smooth and ergonomic, but you can feel the density and weight of the product. This can limit its portable use, as can its slightly larger size than the competition.
It has two rocker mode buttons and an RGB LED. A single press on each end is for volume up/down. A 2-second long press on the + end is used to pause/start playback. A 2-second long press on the - end is used to toggle the gain mode.
The advertising keeps talking about the M3 II having a unique automatic DSD mode recognition. As far as I understand it, in low gain mode the system enters an adaptive mode that identifies music mode or game mode, entering an immersive, three-dimensional mode. In high gain mode it enters a lossless analytical mode that makes the sound more transparent.
In normal mode the LED is white. In DSD-only mode the LED is green. In high gain mode the LED lights red.
In Windows, the volume steps are 50. But the M3 II has a defect: sometimes, when the volume control + is pressed several times, the system enters an unwanted mode which raises the volume to the maximum without being able to stop it. This blocking, if it happens in case of high gain, could destroy the connected IEMS. So in order to increase the volume, you have to press the + button little by little, so that it does not lock unduly. Actually, this behaviour is very dangerous and undesirable. Moreover, it occurs quite easily even if you are careful with the volume + button.
On the other hand, I could not identify the Muse Space mode for games as I have not used it in this context. I have, however, used it for listening to series and films.



Measures

The M3 II is the classic 2V SE / 4V BAL dongle with the possibility of using low gain and limiting its output to just half.
I have been able to check the output impedance in SE and BAL, being less than 1Ω in both cases.
In the last volume range, the output does not change even if the steps are increased and when it goes up, it does so with a relatively large voltage jump. It is clear that the volume control is no longer suitable for a device in this price range.

No load SE

2V RMS over the entire frequency range.



15 Ω SE

The voltage at 1kHz is 1,235V, which means a power of 100mV and just over 82mA, close to the psychological barrier of 90mA.



33 Ω SE

The voltage at 1kHz is 1.571, a power of 75mW and 48mA. I expected more, given the current reserve the device seems to have.



100 Ω SE

Another small disappointment, with 100 Ω connected at maximum volume the frequency response shows a slight distortion. Still, the voltage is close to 2V which is 40mW and 20mA.



No Load BAL

4V RMS over the entire frequency range.



15 Ω BAL

The voltage at 1kHz is 1.245V, which means a power of 100mV and 83mA. Same values as for SE.



33 Ω BAL

It seems that the balanced output of the M3 II offers a significantly higher voltage than the SE. The voltage at 1kHz is 2.512V, a power of 190mW and 76mA. These are more than adequate values for such a device. A little more would have been nice, though.



100 Ω BAL

The M3 II doesn't reach 4V at 100 Ω and stays at 3,573, offering 130mW and 36mA. Again, I expected more.



Frequency Response

The M3 II has a flat frequency response that reaches up to 40kHz without decay. It offers a very slight dip at the low end, but below 20Hz.



Sound

The M3 II has a gain switch, plus an adaptive mode that adjusts depending on the situation, called Muse Space. It identifies the music mode by adapting to a lossless mode and the game mode generates a more three-dimensional and immersive space. To tell you the truth, I have not been able to enter this game mode because I don't have any games, although I have used it with series and movies. But I haven't noticed any change in this respect.
There is some difference between the low and high gain modes, where the bass is rougher at low gain, while at high gain the sound is more reliable and refined. The following opinion has been written using high gain. However, graphically there is no difference in output response between high and low gain, even compared to my reference player, the Burson Audio Playmate I, which can be seen in the graph below.



The CS43131 is a D/A converter with integrated headphone amplifier. It is clear that the output offered by this SOC is not very high and requires additional amplifiers to reach the standard values. In reality, it is a widely used DAC, often in dual mode, as is the case with the M3 II. There are many dongles with this arrangement and the differences in sound must be in this additional stage.
It is common for the sound of a dual CS43131 to be neutral but with a hint of warmth. The M3 II does not escape this profile.
In the lower range there is very good control and cleanness when it comes to generating bass lines. The bass hits are compact, relatively smooth, tight and with a good level of darkness. It is reliable in reproducing pure, very low frequency tones and behaves naturally in such tests. It is deep and slick, capable of reproducing heavy lines and unfiltered bass, being able to handle these situations without problems, offering the most capable headphones a great performance.
In the midrange you feel that subtle warmth and the male vocals have that broader, juicier base that gives it an extra lushness and richness. The instrumentation is neat, clean, crisp, with a certain tendency towards a soft, but pleasant, subtly analogue darkness. The attacks are fast, as are the transients. In this way, details are easily appreciated and only depend on the connected headphones to show them off. Although, this is not an analytical dongle, it is rich enough to offer a good catalogue of detail.
Female vocals retain equal parts sweetness and fullness, as well as feeling softened and honeyed thanks to the warmth of the system.
The upper range is expressive, broad and expansive. Its fullness is demonstrated by the smoothness of the frequency range. But, admittedly, its colour is not overly bright and the neutral, subtly warm tone is welcome, bringing a great deal of naturalness as well as descriptive richness to the high notes reproduced with the M3 II.
The soundstage is remarkably wide and the Muse Space may bring an extra point in this respect. I'm not sure it works in high gain mode, though. But it does have good density, depth, separation and spaciousness as standard.



Comparisons

TempoTec Sonata BHD Pro

The most logical thing to do would have been to compare the M3 II with the xDuoo Link 2 Bal because of their similar price range. However, both share the same ASIO driver making a quick comparison very difficult. So I have opted for a more recent dongle I have, which uses the same Dual DAC CS43131. It is the Tempotec BHD Pro. It is almost half the price. It is smaller, lighter and more manageable, has volume control, but no gain control. It has SE and BAL outputs and the same voltage. For SE the power values are almost identical. However, the BAL output for impedances of 15 and 33 Ω is below what the M3 II delivers, while for 100 Ω it is completely equal.
The low end of both dongles is very similar and their behaviour is very similar. Although I find that the bass is a bit more compact, darker and heavier in the M3 II. It seems a bit rounder and also extended, with a bit more volume. In addition, the M3 II's bass seems to be more complex, something that gives it more richness in bass line detail and better resolution when recreating layers.
In the midrange, the M3 II offers a bit more density, something that gives it a bit more grounding on male vocals. In addition, there is a certain level of superior drive that gives it a slight descriptive superiority. That slightly denser sound offers more of a sense of openness and spatiality. It seems that the high gain mode offers a little more drive to the notes, an extra punch that asserts presence.
The treble of the M3 II is slightly more defined, more vivid and expressive, generating a point of superior bite, but without losing refinement.
The volume of the M3 II is slightly higher, there is a little more projection and separation. The M3 II generates more space, but the level of refinement is not much greater and both dongles are very capable at describing detail. Perhaps that extra distance gives the M3 II the edge in this respect. However, the price difference is high. Under Windows it seems that the volume control of the M3 II is tighter, which is also superior, thanks to the gain control. This makes it more precise in certain situations. However, when connected to another DAP device or smartphone, this advantage seems to disappear, except for the gain control.
The BHD Pro achieves a very high percentage of the sound of the M3 II, with a very similar look and feel. It has the ability to alter its sound via firmware, is smaller and more manageable. In terms of power it is only inferior at low impedances per BAL, although I think this could be fixed in future firmwares. The M3 II has a better construction, although it is heavier and larger. It has that extra density and spatiality, with a bit more separation, amplitude, bite and weight. But that difference is more than paid for.



Conclusion

The Muse M3 II comes as a Dual DAC CS43131 dongle that features a host of unique benefits such as Muse Space Ship, a unique DSD auto-recognition mode, plus a Virtual Surround mode. This is joined by a gain control and a powerful power control called Torex. It's built like a tank, a little heavy and a little bigger than the competition, with a curved, ergonomic design, which distances it from the classic rectangular pickups of the other brands.
It's true that the Muse Space mode, Virtual Surround and adaptive gaming mode are somewhat mysterious to me, as they can't be activated manually. Thus, it is difficult to see the differences. However, it seems that the high gain mode does offer a point of refinement, a somewhat more discernible sense of openness, distance and separation. On the other hand, the sound does not stray from the baseline offered by the Dual CS43131, nor does it go beyond it in power. But it is true that the extra weight is noticeable, as well as a little more volume and a larger footprint.
I would have preferred it if these extra abilities of the Muse M3 II could be activated manually, in order to see the differences to the competition. But this is not the case. So these supposed differences do not seem to clearly generate an added value compared to the competition that would justify the price. A newer DAC, more controls and a lighter weight might be more attractive in the current state of the art.



Earphones and Sources Used During Analysis

• Hidizs MP145 Golden Titanium
• BQEYZ Wind.
• Letshuoer S15.
• Tanchjim Kara.
• Rose Martini.
• Rose QT9 MK2s.
• NiceHCK F1 Pro
• Simgot EA1000 Fermat.
• Hidizs AP80 PRO-X Red Copper LE
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

Purchase Link



You can read the full review in Spanish here

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank the AngelDAC Audio store for providing this unit.
This Muse HIFI M3 II can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005842194604.html (no affiliate links).




SPECIFICATIONS/COMPATIBILITY

- DAC chip: dual CS43131
- Two SIP amplification modules
- Weight: ~ 50 g
- Dimensions: 59.5 x 29.5 x 15.5 mm
- Supported audio formats: up to PCM 32bit/384KHZ, DSD256
- USB connector: Type-C USB
- Output interface: 3.5 mm (single-ended) and 4.4 mm (balanced)
- 2 gain modes; DSD exclusive mode; gaming mode
- THD+N：-103dB @ 4.4 mm/4 Vrms , -100dB @ 3.5 mm/2 Vrms
- Signal-to-noise ratio/output：130 dB @ 4.4 mm/4 Vrms, 125 dB @ 3.5 mm/2 Vrms
- Output impedance: no info; but rated for 16 Ω - 600 Ω transducers
- Power specs: no info
- Tested at $169 USD

The M3 II supports various file types and sampling rates up to:
- PCM: 32bit/384KHZ
- DSD256

It is a plug-and-play device, with no need for the installation on additional drivers. I'm not an Apple user, but the M3 II was immediately recognized on various Android devices and DAPs I connected it to. It has no DAC filters, apps or internal EQ software to play with unfortunately.


ACCESSORIES



Other than the M3 II dongle, these are included:
- 1 x USB-A to USB-C adapter
- 1 x USB-C to USB-C cable
- 1 x lightning to USB-C cable



The accessories are generous and practical. Many dongles do not include lightning adapters, so our Apple users will be pleased to note about the inclusion of a lightning adapter. Essentially, other than legacy phones that use micro-USB ports, most other Android and Apple phones and laptops should be compatible with this dongle.

The stock cables are a single crystal copper silver-plated mix, and are sheathed and shielded well, with negligible microphonics.


DESIGN/FUNCTION



The M3 II reminds me of a cigarette lighter, with a classy silver all-metal chassis, with rounded edges. It is literally built like a tank!

Measuring 59.5 x 29.5 x 15.5 mm, and weighing a hefty 50 g, this dongle is on the heavier side. Dangling it from a phone may put wear and tear on the jacks to be honest, so portability may be an issue. I would personally prefer to keep the M3 II tethered to a laptop or desktop, unless you have something to tie it down to when out-on-the-go with a phone.

The M3 II has no screen display. On one end of the fuselage, we have the 3.5 mm (single-ended) and 4.4 mm (balanced) ports, with the latter having gold-plated reinforcement.



On the opposite end, we have the USB-C port, which doubles as a powering port and a data line.

On one side, we have the volume controller. Sadly, this is not an independent volume controller, and the volume steps are quite far apart. I do hope that Muse HIFI can perhaps address this area with a future firmware update.



Long-pressing the minus volume (volume -) button will toggle the high gain function. For our gaming friends, Muse HIFI markets that activating this long-pressed minus volume button when connected to a newer gaming console will trigger an Esports mode, whereby 3D imaging and soundstage is improved. Apologies I'm not a gamer, so I do not have consoles to put this to the test. For our DSD aficionados, this dongle has an automatic DSD exclusive mode for this file type.

Indeed, along the same lateral side of the body, is an LED light, which displays the following info:
- White - normal usage
- Green - DSD exclusive mode
- Red - high gain mode


SOUND/PERFORMANCE

I tested the Muse HIFI M3 II with Android phones and on Windows laptops and PCs. Apologies, as I am not an Apple user, I can't vouch for their performance with Apple devices.

This DAC/Amp's engine is an independent dual CS43131 DAC chip with two SIP amplification modules, via a 4-channel signal decoding setup.



This dongle is tuned warm-neutral; it is thick in note weight, with a boost in the lower mids and mid-bass. This endows a euphonic and somewhat coloured signature, that is pleasant and inviting. This makes a great pairing with brighter or edgier transducers to take the edge off the upper end.

The aforementioned mid-bass boosted area adds heft to the lower frequencies. The sub-bass rumbles deeply, especially on bassier transducers. We hear a luxuriant and syrupy midrange, though listeners who want a very transparent midrange might need to look elsewhere. This is a musical dongle that gives beefy overtones, though without overly lacking in treble extension or veering to a darkish signature. It is relatively sibilant-free. Timbre is rich and dense.

With regards to technicalities, the M3 II is one of the most spacious-sounding dongles. Soundstage is its forte - we hear music propagated beyond the ears, with nice height and depth. It is probably a dongle with one of the widest soundstages I've tried. Imaging is not exactly pin-point but is relatively accurate. In view of the rolled-off treble, the M3 II is not class-leading in micro-details, but instrument separation and layering are solid. Edge definition is slightly blunted, but that furnishes a fatigue-free soundscape.



Unfortunately, the company has not given us detailed specs for the power output. Nevertheless, from actual listening, power seems pretty respectable for a dongle, which we will dive into below. The high gain function definitely adds more power on tap, for harder to drive gear.

My crucibles for source testing 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 above were tested with the 4.4 mm (balanced) port, on high gain.

Volume was not an issue with these 3 tricky customers, with lots of headroom to spare. The E5000 was driven acceptably, with solid dynamics, though bass tightness could be a tinge sloppy compared to more powerful sources like desktop-level amps. The HD650 was juiced nicely, it didn't sound boring or anemic unlike from weaker sources, without claustrophobia. The final boss Yinman 600 ohm was powered decently - legit desktop devices would arguably have provided more authoritative dynamics, though the bass was still quite well controlled for a dongle.

This dongle doesn't hiss even with fussy high sensitivity IEMs, but I suspect the output impedance of this dongle is on the higher side. It is marketed to be suitable for 16 Ω - 600 Ω transducers, so based on the audiophile rules of 8ths, if we divide the 16 by 8, that gives a 2 Ω output impedance. As such, low impedance gear may possibly be skewed in sound (if there is a variable impedance response), and the M3 II probably will not be a kindred spirit with stuff such as the infamous Campfire Andromeda.

Something different from the predecessor (original M3), would be a lower power consumption (and less heat generated), due to a TOREX power management engine installed inside the M3 II. Indeed, despite using the M3 II for hours with harder to drive gear, it doesn't heat up much, and remains relatively cool, unlike some other rival dongles.

I didn't like that there was a small "pop" sound heard when disconnecting transducers from this dongle, even when sound was muted or at zero.


COMPARISONS

Comparisons were made with other dongles above the $100 USD mark.



Questyle M15

The M15 is a more neutral dongle, sporting an ESS ES9281AC DAC chip. It is not as coloured as the M3 II, and is "reference" sounding, with a not so much thickened bass. Bass is however tighter and more controlled on the M15, but not as rumbly.

The M15 doesn't have an independent volume control too, though the volume steps are more refined. In technical aspects, the M15 has a smaller soundstage, but better imaging and micro-detailing. It runs cool and doesn't draw much power too.


E1DA 9038D

The E1DA 9038D houses an ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M chip. It is dead neutral and more sterile in note weight. The E1DA is harsher and more sibilant in the treble, with less bass.

The E1DA has quite a lot on power on tap for a single-ended source (200 mW @ 40ohm), though it doesn't have as much headroom as on the M3 II on single-ended. The E1DA also gets noticeably much hotter than the M3 II during usage.

The E1DA unfortunately does not have a volume controller on its body, and comes only with a 3.5 mm port. There is a firmware mod to modify the sound, in addition to giving it a tube-like sound variant, so perhaps it may be more versatile for folks who want to play with the mods.

In technical aspects, the E1DA has a smaller soundstage, and sounds more compressed, with inferior instrument separation and layering.


Cayin RU7

The RU7 is a 1bit dongle, that also has a warm soundscape. It is darker and more analoguish sounding, though with a less pronounced mid-bass.

The RU7 gets noticeably warmer during usage. The RU7 is slightly less wide in soundstage (though still quite good for a dongle). The RU7 has poorer imaging but is a bit more natural in timbre.

The RU7 is a more expensive dongle, but has a LED screen display with 3 filter modes for DSD filtering to vary the sonics a bit. The RU7 has some soft clicking sound in between tracks or when switching songs - this is the DSD conversion in play, whereas the M3 II is more silent.


CONCLUSIONS



The Muse HIFI M3 II is a warm-neutral source, which offers dulcet and smooth tones, what with its thicker note weight and coloured bass. It is a great match for brighter or edgier transducers, and the conference of a lush midrange is one of its plus points. The M3 II has one of the most expansive soundstages I've heard in a dongle, and that is definitely my favourite part of the sound.

It is solidly built - though some might say, too solid, with its heavy weight and size perhaps precluding portability. Thankfully, it is well-accessorized, and has no hiss with the usual high sensitivity suspects, nor does it get hot during usage. Power output is also respectable. Our gaming friends or DSD users might also appreciate the added exclusive modes.

The M3 II unfortunately does not have independent volume controls, and the volume steps are not the most accurate. The output impedance also probably lies on the higher side, and it might not be the cup of tea for purists who yearn for a dead neutral source.

The M3 II releases into an awkward price range, as it is not a sub-$100 dongle, but it is actually reasonably competitive against some pricier benchmarks like the Questyle M15 and Cayin RU7 in some aspects. Though not perfect, for dongle-lovers who want something warmish and exuberant - with a humongous soundstage - the M3 II is certainly special.