TempoTec V1-A
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Tempotec V1A Variations - Full Featured DAPy
V1A Variations has a complicated name, but a simple function. It is a DAP or Digital Audio Player, and it has a ton of features, comes straight out of China, and it is priced at 110 USD at the moment of writing this full written review. This means that I'll be comparing it to Hiby R2, FiiO M3PRO, and Shanling M2x. The pairing list will include Lime Ears Aether R, Jomo Audio P3, and Ollo S4X.
Introduction
Tempotec has been for a long while the OEM producer for Hidizs, and recently they started making and marketing their own products. This meant that Hiby had to reach for other OEMs, but that's pretty much for the better, because now both companies evolved in different, yet good directions. Tempotec is mainly sold on Aliexpress, but you can find their products on Amazon and Linsoul. The warranty is covered by the store selling them, and I think you have the best chance of getting them in good condition and getting a good warranty by purchasing from the shop you trust the most and which is the closest to you physically (to pay less shipping if something goes wrong).
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Tempotec. I'd like to thank Tempotec for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with Tempotec V1A Variations. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Tempotec V1A Variations find their next music companion.
Packaging
First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:
The package vor V1A is fairly simple, but it keeps it safe. There's a cable included with the DAP, and it made me smile to see that they used a type-C USB cable, but there's not much else.
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Functionality
The build quality of V1A is excellent, it is a DAP with a touchscreen, but it is a pretty smol one. It has two microSD slots, volume buttons, and is mostly made of metal, except for an area in the upper back where the antennas are.
In terms of overall size, it is not much larger than the ACMEE MF-01, and pretty much the same size, but much thinner. It weighs just 80 grams, which is excellent, and it feels solid in hand. Regardless of how strong I press on the display, it doesn't deform under pressure. The display covers only part of the front, and despite the whole front having a glass protector, only about 40% of it is a display.
Having a Type-C and a 3.5mm output at the bottom feels nice and fresh, but I kinda wish they implemented a balanced output too. V1A works as a USB DAC, and it runs on a AKM4377, being able to decide high resolution files, along with DSD files.
The driving power is ok, at 60mW per channel at 16 OHM, so mostly good for IEMs and sensitive headphones. It supports 2-Way LDAC, aptX, and BT 4.0. This is backed by a battery of 1200mAh which powers it for 15 hours on paper, and up to 14 in actual practice. And this is at the highest volume, since I do not listen very quietly usually.
The DAP can get hot during charging, and it takes a pretty long while to charge, up to two hours for a full battery charge.
The overall GUI is simple, and it is made by Hiby, and it has MSEB EQ too! You can use it as a USB DAC, as a DAP, it can replace BTR5 and work as a full time Bluetooth Receiver, and all of those at 110 USD. It has some minor bugs here and there, with some words in Chinese or non-capitalised, but it works and for all the stuff I did with it, I couldn't make it go "brrr blue screen". I did update it to the latest firmware, and it is possible that
Video Review
Sound Quality
Despite it not having a balanced output, and despite it having a pretty limited power output, the sound actually surprised me. When I saw it so full of features and running so many awesome things, I thought that it was going to be a failure sonically, but it actually is a total win. The sound is slightly smooth, slightly dark, with excellent clarity. The MSEB comes in really useful for it, and it is the sole feature that makes me want to recommend it. There's no hissing, and it works perfectly for any IEM, and the soundstage is excellent for this price.
The bass is well extended down to the lowest registers, and is a more continuous slower type of bass. It has less focus on definition and transparency and more emphasis on thump, on impact and on having a longer trail. This makes the V1A a good pair for only-BA IEMs like Etymotic ER4XR, but it is not a proper basshead DAP, and especially with headphones it doesn't have the most thunderous presentation. This being said, the control is good, and there is no bleed into the mids, and the bass is clean / clear. It kind of makes me feel like my old Cowon J3 was a joke when it came to its bass, which was bloated, slow and insufficient on many songs.
The midrange is slightly forward, presented really wide, with excellent detail and micro detail. There's very little depth and layering takes a hit, but the tonality is slightly warm, ever so slightly dark, but with excellent resolution. If we weren't talking about 110 USD, I would probably think twice before saying those things, but at this price, it is in the top 3 DAPs I heard for the pricey. Especially comparing it to M3 PRO, which I considered the most detail-focused DAP in this price range, V1A is at least as detailed, but has the advantage of having more and better bass, and a wider soundstage.
The treble is smoother, slightly warmer, but has good extension. The stage is wide, and as a result, it comes through as holographic sounding. V1A lacks the overall edge and sparkle that some more neutral DAPs like Shanling M2X have, but in return it is a fatigue-free DAP that you can enjoy for hours. Despite the very low quoted driving power, I had no trouble powering high-end IEMs like Final Audio A8000, and still enjoying the sound.
Comparisons
For the main comparisons part of this review, I picked FiiO M3 PRO, Hiby R2, and Shanling M2X.
We also captured V1A together with ACMEE MF-01 in many photos, and it makes a good comparison, but from the start, if you need any extra features, you should go V1A, it is much better. If you're using IEMs, V1A is better. For headphones, the MF-01 should be a bit better thanks to its larger driving power.
Tempotec V1A vs FiiO M3 PRO (110 USD vs 80 USD) - FiiO M3 PRO has less features than V1A, and it has a more analytic sound. By comparison, V1A has a better EQ, is more rich in features, has a Bluetooth Receiver function. The sound is more dynamic, warmer, more colored, smoother in the treble, and the midrange is slightly less forward, having a wider soundstage. M3 PRO has slightly less driving power in actual usage, and needs more sensitive IEMs, while V1A is mostly ok even for many headphones.
Tempotec V1A vs Hiby R2 (110 USD vs 100 USD) - R2 is the type of DAP that also has many features, and I prefer its build quality and design over that of V1A. The overall sound is slightly more open, with more detail and more clarity on V1A. There's a better sense of dynamics on R2, with slightly more control and authority. V1A works better for brighter IEMs, and analytic ones, while R2 works universally well for anything you apir it with.
Tempotec V1A vs Shanling M2X (110 USD vs 160 USD) - M2X is the kind of DAP that has a brighter sound, and less features than V1A. This being said, it has more driving power and won't struggle with headphones, even harder to drive ones. M2X sounds more brittle, more bright, more open, has better depth, and more detail. V1A sounds darker, warmer, more colored, but also has a wider soundstage, more bass, and is smoother, easier to listen to and presents less listening fatigue.
Pairing
For the pairing part of this review, I went with Ollo S4X, Jomo Audio P3, and Lime Ears Aether R.
Those are all to test where the limits of V1A are, and in general I would recommend it for brighter or more linear IEMs, and I would also recommend it if you plan on having Single Ended IEMs only, since it doesn't have a balanced output.
Tempotec V1A + Jomo Audio P3 (110 USD + 425 USD) - P3 has a warmer sound, so it is not a perfect pair for V1A right off the bat. This being said, it shows that V1A has zero background hissing, and it also shows nicely how much impact V1A has. I love the pairing for Rap and EDM, while for Rock it is a bit too smooth for my tastes.
Tempotec V1A + Ollo S4X (110 USD + 400 USD) - Ollo S4X is already both a bit warm and a bit smooth, so the final sound shouldn't be too good. It also is not the easiest to drive around, but it has a beautiful presentation with V1A. The overall sound is detailed, clean, clear, has good instrument separation and is really easy to listen to.
Tempotec V1A + Lime Ears Aether R (110 USD + 1400 USD) - The stage is really good with Aether R. I also noticed that V1A has good detail and micro-detail, despite its rather pocket-friendly price point. There's a good sense of dynamics, and the sound is slightly smoother and warmer than with most sources, but it is really enjoyable for both rock, pop, and also for EDM. It is interesting to see V1A being able to drive Aether R and having enough detail to not dull them.
Value and Conclusion
Tempotec V1A has an excellent overall value, with a lot of fun stuff going on for it. It has more features than most DAPs in this price range, beats most of the competition, and the largest issue would be with build quality issues that Tempotec faced in the past, and with the Warranty.
To avoid any issues, I strongly encourage you to purchase their DAPs from authorised sellers, and local sellers who can get your warranty and a new unit in no time. Purchasing directly from China doesn't mean you have no warranty, but the shipping will cost a bit, and the fixing times will be rather high.
At the end of Today's Review, if you're looking for one of the best DAPs in the entire world, and if you need something with a fair amount of driving power, something with MSEB, and something that can work both as a USB DAC, but also a Bluetooth Receiver, with a natural, slightly warm sound, and no background noise, the V1A from Tempotec should be right at the top of your list, because it really rocks.
--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---
Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality are all revealed by those songs. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music!
If you have a dime to spare (donate), it would make my day much brighter, as it would help me improve things around the website and increase the frequency of my posts.
Youtube Playlist
[embedyt]
Tidal Playlist
https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b
V1A Variations has a complicated name, but a simple function. It is a DAP or Digital Audio Player, and it has a ton of features, comes straight out of China, and it is priced at 110 USD at the moment of writing this full written review. This means that I'll be comparing it to Hiby R2, FiiO M3PRO, and Shanling M2x. The pairing list will include Lime Ears Aether R, Jomo Audio P3, and Ollo S4X.
Introduction
Tempotec has been for a long while the OEM producer for Hidizs, and recently they started making and marketing their own products. This meant that Hiby had to reach for other OEMs, but that's pretty much for the better, because now both companies evolved in different, yet good directions. Tempotec is mainly sold on Aliexpress, but you can find their products on Amazon and Linsoul. The warranty is covered by the store selling them, and I think you have the best chance of getting them in good condition and getting a good warranty by purchasing from the shop you trust the most and which is the closest to you physically (to pay less shipping if something goes wrong).
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Tempotec. I'd like to thank Tempotec for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with Tempotec V1A Variations. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Tempotec V1A Variations find their next music companion.
Packaging
First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:
The package vor V1A is fairly simple, but it keeps it safe. There's a cable included with the DAP, and it made me smile to see that they used a type-C USB cable, but there's not much else.
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Functionality
The build quality of V1A is excellent, it is a DAP with a touchscreen, but it is a pretty smol one. It has two microSD slots, volume buttons, and is mostly made of metal, except for an area in the upper back where the antennas are.
In terms of overall size, it is not much larger than the ACMEE MF-01, and pretty much the same size, but much thinner. It weighs just 80 grams, which is excellent, and it feels solid in hand. Regardless of how strong I press on the display, it doesn't deform under pressure. The display covers only part of the front, and despite the whole front having a glass protector, only about 40% of it is a display.
Having a Type-C and a 3.5mm output at the bottom feels nice and fresh, but I kinda wish they implemented a balanced output too. V1A works as a USB DAC, and it runs on a AKM4377, being able to decide high resolution files, along with DSD files.
The driving power is ok, at 60mW per channel at 16 OHM, so mostly good for IEMs and sensitive headphones. It supports 2-Way LDAC, aptX, and BT 4.0. This is backed by a battery of 1200mAh which powers it for 15 hours on paper, and up to 14 in actual practice. And this is at the highest volume, since I do not listen very quietly usually.
The DAP can get hot during charging, and it takes a pretty long while to charge, up to two hours for a full battery charge.
The overall GUI is simple, and it is made by Hiby, and it has MSEB EQ too! You can use it as a USB DAC, as a DAP, it can replace BTR5 and work as a full time Bluetooth Receiver, and all of those at 110 USD. It has some minor bugs here and there, with some words in Chinese or non-capitalised, but it works and for all the stuff I did with it, I couldn't make it go "brrr blue screen". I did update it to the latest firmware, and it is possible that
Video Review
Sound Quality
Despite it not having a balanced output, and despite it having a pretty limited power output, the sound actually surprised me. When I saw it so full of features and running so many awesome things, I thought that it was going to be a failure sonically, but it actually is a total win. The sound is slightly smooth, slightly dark, with excellent clarity. The MSEB comes in really useful for it, and it is the sole feature that makes me want to recommend it. There's no hissing, and it works perfectly for any IEM, and the soundstage is excellent for this price.
The bass is well extended down to the lowest registers, and is a more continuous slower type of bass. It has less focus on definition and transparency and more emphasis on thump, on impact and on having a longer trail. This makes the V1A a good pair for only-BA IEMs like Etymotic ER4XR, but it is not a proper basshead DAP, and especially with headphones it doesn't have the most thunderous presentation. This being said, the control is good, and there is no bleed into the mids, and the bass is clean / clear. It kind of makes me feel like my old Cowon J3 was a joke when it came to its bass, which was bloated, slow and insufficient on many songs.
The midrange is slightly forward, presented really wide, with excellent detail and micro detail. There's very little depth and layering takes a hit, but the tonality is slightly warm, ever so slightly dark, but with excellent resolution. If we weren't talking about 110 USD, I would probably think twice before saying those things, but at this price, it is in the top 3 DAPs I heard for the pricey. Especially comparing it to M3 PRO, which I considered the most detail-focused DAP in this price range, V1A is at least as detailed, but has the advantage of having more and better bass, and a wider soundstage.
The treble is smoother, slightly warmer, but has good extension. The stage is wide, and as a result, it comes through as holographic sounding. V1A lacks the overall edge and sparkle that some more neutral DAPs like Shanling M2X have, but in return it is a fatigue-free DAP that you can enjoy for hours. Despite the very low quoted driving power, I had no trouble powering high-end IEMs like Final Audio A8000, and still enjoying the sound.
Comparisons
For the main comparisons part of this review, I picked FiiO M3 PRO, Hiby R2, and Shanling M2X.
We also captured V1A together with ACMEE MF-01 in many photos, and it makes a good comparison, but from the start, if you need any extra features, you should go V1A, it is much better. If you're using IEMs, V1A is better. For headphones, the MF-01 should be a bit better thanks to its larger driving power.
Tempotec V1A vs FiiO M3 PRO (110 USD vs 80 USD) - FiiO M3 PRO has less features than V1A, and it has a more analytic sound. By comparison, V1A has a better EQ, is more rich in features, has a Bluetooth Receiver function. The sound is more dynamic, warmer, more colored, smoother in the treble, and the midrange is slightly less forward, having a wider soundstage. M3 PRO has slightly less driving power in actual usage, and needs more sensitive IEMs, while V1A is mostly ok even for many headphones.
Tempotec V1A vs Hiby R2 (110 USD vs 100 USD) - R2 is the type of DAP that also has many features, and I prefer its build quality and design over that of V1A. The overall sound is slightly more open, with more detail and more clarity on V1A. There's a better sense of dynamics on R2, with slightly more control and authority. V1A works better for brighter IEMs, and analytic ones, while R2 works universally well for anything you apir it with.
Tempotec V1A vs Shanling M2X (110 USD vs 160 USD) - M2X is the kind of DAP that has a brighter sound, and less features than V1A. This being said, it has more driving power and won't struggle with headphones, even harder to drive ones. M2X sounds more brittle, more bright, more open, has better depth, and more detail. V1A sounds darker, warmer, more colored, but also has a wider soundstage, more bass, and is smoother, easier to listen to and presents less listening fatigue.
Pairing
For the pairing part of this review, I went with Ollo S4X, Jomo Audio P3, and Lime Ears Aether R.
Those are all to test where the limits of V1A are, and in general I would recommend it for brighter or more linear IEMs, and I would also recommend it if you plan on having Single Ended IEMs only, since it doesn't have a balanced output.
Tempotec V1A + Jomo Audio P3 (110 USD + 425 USD) - P3 has a warmer sound, so it is not a perfect pair for V1A right off the bat. This being said, it shows that V1A has zero background hissing, and it also shows nicely how much impact V1A has. I love the pairing for Rap and EDM, while for Rock it is a bit too smooth for my tastes.
Tempotec V1A + Ollo S4X (110 USD + 400 USD) - Ollo S4X is already both a bit warm and a bit smooth, so the final sound shouldn't be too good. It also is not the easiest to drive around, but it has a beautiful presentation with V1A. The overall sound is detailed, clean, clear, has good instrument separation and is really easy to listen to.
Tempotec V1A + Lime Ears Aether R (110 USD + 1400 USD) - The stage is really good with Aether R. I also noticed that V1A has good detail and micro-detail, despite its rather pocket-friendly price point. There's a good sense of dynamics, and the sound is slightly smoother and warmer than with most sources, but it is really enjoyable for both rock, pop, and also for EDM. It is interesting to see V1A being able to drive Aether R and having enough detail to not dull them.
Value and Conclusion
Tempotec V1A has an excellent overall value, with a lot of fun stuff going on for it. It has more features than most DAPs in this price range, beats most of the competition, and the largest issue would be with build quality issues that Tempotec faced in the past, and with the Warranty.
To avoid any issues, I strongly encourage you to purchase their DAPs from authorised sellers, and local sellers who can get your warranty and a new unit in no time. Purchasing directly from China doesn't mean you have no warranty, but the shipping will cost a bit, and the fixing times will be rather high.
At the end of Today's Review, if you're looking for one of the best DAPs in the entire world, and if you need something with a fair amount of driving power, something with MSEB, and something that can work both as a USB DAC, but also a Bluetooth Receiver, with a natural, slightly warm sound, and no background noise, the V1A from Tempotec should be right at the top of your list, because it really rocks.
--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---
Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality are all revealed by those songs. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music!
If you have a dime to spare (donate), it would make my day much brighter, as it would help me improve things around the website and increase the frequency of my posts.
Youtube Playlist
[embedyt]
Tidal Playlist
https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b
Packaging:
Box is really tiny. Inside the box you'll find the player itself wrapped in a protective plastic. There is a white box which contains the charging cable and a USB adapter type-C to micro-B. There is also another thin box, inside the box, there is the warranty card and a user manual.
Build quality :
Build quality of this device is really impressive. Made out of solid block of aluminum, no rattling, nothing to complain about.
A screen protector was pre-applied. On the bottom, there is a type c port and a 3.5mm audio jack. That 3.5mm jack was awkwardly tight. I was afraid it might broke. but it will get loose within time (it did after a week).
On the left side there are two volume buttons (+, -), two SD cards slots and on the right side next, pause and previous button.
Buttons are nice and tactile. On the top side, power button and there is a led indicator for notifying charging and music running on the background. On the front panel (under the glass) a hi-res logo and "V1" text is printed.
Display :
Display is perfectly okay for this type of device.
Good colors and viewing angles are great
Better than shanling m0. It can display more information. Album arts look sharp. touch response is okay, same goes for accuracy. Brightness is enough for operating it outdoor.
UI :
It's running hiby os.
On the home screen you’ll find 8 icons (browser, catagory, Bluetooth, MSEB, equalizer, play settings, settings and about) .
There is a playlist option, you can create custom playlist with custom name on it with on-screen keyboard. Brightness can be adjusted 1%-100% smoothly.
MSEB tuning is a great feature.
You can fine tuning your audio settings by your liking. total 10 options (overall temperature, bass extensions, bass texture, note thickness, vocals, female overtones, sibilance LF, sibilance HF, impulse response and air). There is an option for customizing the color accent of the interface, you can chose any color you can imagine. Font size can be change (large, medium, small)
Undoubtedly best ui experience in this price
There is also and option for Hiby Link. With hiby link you can control the player with your phone.
Power :
Power can be disappointing for some people. as it has only 60mw of output at 16 ohms of load. But it is more than enough for me because I used it with low impedance iems with high sensitivity.
Bluetooth :
It has two way Bluetooth connection. You can also use it as a Bluetooth receiver. Supported codes are ( sbc, aptx, aac, ldac). Didn't faced any connection dropping issue. Bluetooth works like a charm.
Technical specifications :
Dimensions : 80X45X12 mm
AKM 4377ECB dac chip with velvet sound technology.
768KHz/32bit
60mW output @ 16 ohm (each channel)
80gm weight
2A type c charging port (USB 2.0)
3.5mm audio jack
1200mah battery capacity
Bluetooth 4.0.
Sound:
Now let's talk about the main thing,
the sound quality.
It is a warm sounding dap. Good amount of transparency with good micro details
I've used it with some sensitive iems. I didn't notice any kind of noise during music playback. I can assure you there is no hissing or white noise. Soundstage is above average.
Bass:
I've found lows are good but not the greatest, If you are a bass head, you might get little upset. But lows have enough details and impact. You will feel the depth. Bass is fast, well controlled,dark background. Bass resolution is good, good layering and excellent depth, above average sub-bass. I found mid-bass is fairly neutral.
Mids:
I've mixed feelings about the mids. In some songs, it produced excellent mids, but on some other songs not that great. Mids are slightly forward which I personally enjoyed very much. Transparent with good resolution. Vocals sounded very clean. Overall mids are very satisfactory.
Treble :
Because of the warm sound signature, highs are not that extended. you'll feel that the highs ar slightly rolled off. Highs have a nice presentation. It has enough details.
as it has built-in MSEB (mage sound eight ball tuning) and 10band equalizer
you can make it sound as your liking.
Battery life :
Battery life is great for this tiny device. 20+ hours on Bluetooth and 12+ hours on wired headphones.
Things i liked :
inline remote works perfectly. just like smartphone.
color theme options
battery life
build quality
dual SD card slot
Bluetooth receiver mode
type c audio output (even with receiver mode)
two SD card slots
Things i don't like :
it gets hot during charging,
charging takes about 2 hours.
Conclusion :
I think tempotec did a great job here. It is a feature packed device, good sound quality, great battery life, strong Bluetooth connection, great for digital source.
For this price, you can't go wrong, definitely recommend.
tracks I've mainly used :
Metallica - nothing else matters, master of puppets, enter the sandman.
Europe - the final countdown.
Guns and Roses - november rain, sweet child o' mine.
Pink Floyd - comfortably numb.
Linkin Park - lost in the eco, crawling, heavy. castle of glass.
Eminem - recovery (full album)
Madona - papa don't preach, into the groove
Lady gaga - million reasons, marry the night, telephone
Box is really tiny. Inside the box you'll find the player itself wrapped in a protective plastic. There is a white box which contains the charging cable and a USB adapter type-C to micro-B. There is also another thin box, inside the box, there is the warranty card and a user manual.
Build quality :
Build quality of this device is really impressive. Made out of solid block of aluminum, no rattling, nothing to complain about.
A screen protector was pre-applied. On the bottom, there is a type c port and a 3.5mm audio jack. That 3.5mm jack was awkwardly tight. I was afraid it might broke. but it will get loose within time (it did after a week).
On the left side there are two volume buttons (+, -), two SD cards slots and on the right side next, pause and previous button.
Buttons are nice and tactile. On the top side, power button and there is a led indicator for notifying charging and music running on the background. On the front panel (under the glass) a hi-res logo and "V1" text is printed.
Display :
Display is perfectly okay for this type of device.
Good colors and viewing angles are great
Better than shanling m0. It can display more information. Album arts look sharp. touch response is okay, same goes for accuracy. Brightness is enough for operating it outdoor.
UI :
It's running hiby os.
THIS THING IS REALLY A FEATURE PACKED DEVICE. THERE ARE TONES OF OPTIONS TO PLAY WITH.
UI is fast and responsive.On the home screen you’ll find 8 icons (browser, catagory, Bluetooth, MSEB, equalizer, play settings, settings and about) .
There is a playlist option, you can create custom playlist with custom name on it with on-screen keyboard. Brightness can be adjusted 1%-100% smoothly.
MSEB tuning is a great feature.
You can fine tuning your audio settings by your liking. total 10 options (overall temperature, bass extensions, bass texture, note thickness, vocals, female overtones, sibilance LF, sibilance HF, impulse response and air). There is an option for customizing the color accent of the interface, you can chose any color you can imagine. Font size can be change (large, medium, small)
Undoubtedly best ui experience in this price
There is also and option for Hiby Link. With hiby link you can control the player with your phone.
custom playlist
MSEB
control center
color accent
Power :
Power can be disappointing for some people. as it has only 60mw of output at 16 ohms of load. But it is more than enough for me because I used it with low impedance iems with high sensitivity.
Bluetooth :
It has two way Bluetooth connection. You can also use it as a Bluetooth receiver. Supported codes are ( sbc, aptx, aac, ldac). Didn't faced any connection dropping issue. Bluetooth works like a charm.
Technical specifications :
Dimensions : 80X45X12 mm
AKM 4377ECB dac chip with velvet sound technology.
768KHz/32bit
60mW output @ 16 ohm (each channel)
80gm weight
2A type c charging port (USB 2.0)
3.5mm audio jack
1200mah battery capacity
Bluetooth 4.0.
Sound:
Now let's talk about the main thing,
the sound quality.
It is a warm sounding dap. Good amount of transparency with good micro details
I've used it with some sensitive iems. I didn't notice any kind of noise during music playback. I can assure you there is no hissing or white noise. Soundstage is above average.
Bass:
I've found lows are good but not the greatest, If you are a bass head, you might get little upset. But lows have enough details and impact. You will feel the depth. Bass is fast, well controlled,dark background. Bass resolution is good, good layering and excellent depth, above average sub-bass. I found mid-bass is fairly neutral.
Mids:
I've mixed feelings about the mids. In some songs, it produced excellent mids, but on some other songs not that great. Mids are slightly forward which I personally enjoyed very much. Transparent with good resolution. Vocals sounded very clean. Overall mids are very satisfactory.
Treble :
Because of the warm sound signature, highs are not that extended. you'll feel that the highs ar slightly rolled off. Highs have a nice presentation. It has enough details.
as it has built-in MSEB (mage sound eight ball tuning) and 10band equalizer
you can make it sound as your liking.
Battery life :
Battery life is great for this tiny device. 20+ hours on Bluetooth and 12+ hours on wired headphones.
Things i liked :
inline remote works perfectly. just like smartphone.
color theme options
battery life
build quality
dual SD card slot
Bluetooth receiver mode
type c audio output (even with receiver mode)
two SD card slots
Things i don't like :
it gets hot during charging,
charging takes about 2 hours.
after 1.5 update
ui is more responsive than ever
there is no dsd playback lag (even on dsd 256)
sound just got better
treble extension is now wider
Soundstage is bigger now
battery life is around 13 hours on full charge
power output has been increased (imo)
ui is more responsive than ever
there is no dsd playback lag (even on dsd 256)
sound just got better
treble extension is now wider
Soundstage is bigger now
battery life is around 13 hours on full charge
power output has been increased (imo)
Conclusion :
I think tempotec did a great job here. It is a feature packed device, good sound quality, great battery life, strong Bluetooth connection, great for digital source.
For this price, you can't go wrong, definitely recommend.
tracks I've mainly used :
Metallica - nothing else matters, master of puppets, enter the sandman.
Europe - the final countdown.
Guns and Roses - november rain, sweet child o' mine.
Pink Floyd - comfortably numb.
Linkin Park - lost in the eco, crawling, heavy. castle of glass.
Eminem - recovery (full album)
Madona - papa don't preach, into the groove
Lady gaga - million reasons, marry the night, telephone
Attachments
Javed
Thank you
Lokiiami
Great review! Does it comes with a built in mic for calls?
Introduction
Autumn and new product to revision, Again, from the competent brand Tempotec. This time it is a small DAP, which has really reduced dimensions and weight. It is also tactile and has a 2-inch IPS panel. It also has physical buttons for the main functions. It has a large battery that provides up to 25h of autonomy in playback mode via Bluetooth, or up to 15h in direct mode. Another important detail is that it has double slot for memory cards, something almost unthinkable for such a small product. It should be noted that its interface is Hiby OS, which gives an idea of its tremendous simplicity and number of options it has. Finally, the DAC it uses is an evolution, two in one, of the AKM brand. This is the decoder chip and amplifier AKM4377ECB (768khz/32bit), capable of delivering 60mW to 16Ω, which is just over 1V RMS, a figure totally sufficient for IEMS and earbuds.
Specifications
Packaging
The first thing that attracts attention is the small size of the box. Its dimensions are: 131x98x25. On the main side, there is a photo of the player, the brand and the model. On the back, again comes the brand and model, plus some specifications and warnings.
Inside there is:
The DAP has the Hi-Res Audio seal, screen-printed in the lower left corner. In the lower right corner you can see the V1 model.
The presentation is sober, almost minimal, but with a good degree of protection.
The accessories are also minimal, but of great quality.
Construction, Design and Comfort
The body of the DAP appears to be made of light metal. The whole front face is a panel, but the screen is only at the top, whose size is 2 inches. The sides are rounded, while the lower and upper faces are flat. On the right side there are three buttons, located in the area above. The highest button is the back button, the middle button, the play/pause button, and the last button is the forward button. On the left side, in the upper zone, there are two volume buttons, the "more" is up, the "less" is down. In the lower zone, there are two slots for microSD cards. On the bottom side, on the left side, is the USB type C connector. To the right, the 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. On the right side of the top face, there is a round button, to turn on/off the DAP. Next to it, there is a small two-color LED, in blue indicates operation, red load. On this side is the Bluetooth transmitter/receiver.
On the front panel, in the lower left corner, the "Hi-Res Audio" logo is printed. In the lower right corner is the name of the V1 model.
The construction is solid and because of its density, it can be seen that it is robust. The design is very functional, ergonomics and comfort improves, thanks to its rounded sides. Both the size and the shape are very suitable; the whole is manageable and easy to store.
Both the buttons and the display respond quickly. I would have preferred the volume buttons on the right, as they are located in many other DAPS.
Use and Handling
The Hiby OS is the differential element of this small DAP. The main menu has 8 icons:
When you enter a menu, to go back, an arrow is shown at the top left of the screen.
While in the main menu, if there is a file playing, it is shown in a lower bar, along with the cover page.
The number of options it has is overwhelming. People who like to play with them will be entertained for a while. It's great that it's Gapless.
The MSEB is a very particular equalizer, which allows to modify the sound in a totally alternative way. Each parameter (Overall Temperature, Bass extension, Bass Texture, Note Thickness, Vocals, Female Overtones, Sibilance LF, Sibilance HF, Impulse Response, Air), modifies a particular section of the sound. Not all are equally drastic. But it is true that some work very well and adjust to what they indicate. On the other hand, custom settings can be saved. The scales can be adjusted from -20 to 20, from -40 to 40 and from -100 to 100, giving an idea of the excellent customization ratio it allows. The MSEB is an advantage that allows you to experiment with sound, offering a large number of variations, until you can leave it to your own taste.
The classic equalizer has 10 bands and moves in octaves, from 31Hz to 16kHz. Of course, it has 8 presets and the possibility to adjust it to our will.
On the playback screen, there are many small options: playback modes can be chosen from an icon at the top left. Below, to the right, there is a heart to add the current song to favorites. There is a "+" at the top right, which, after pressing it, shows an additional list of functions: access the list of songs, the album, delete the file, add to playlist, equalizer ... Of course, from the bottom bar, you can change song, access a specific point of it, also pause and resume. If you slide your finger upwards, a small menu is shown, with options to change the brightness of the screen, the volume, the gain... By double clicking on the screen, the lyrics of the song are shown, in case you have it. The upper part shows the volume, the status, the time, the output and the battery.
To switch the device on/off, press the upper button long. If you press the short button once, it unlocks the screen.
The general use of DAP is very pleasant, although there are small options on the screen, which can be complicated to access, depending on the size of the fingers.
The operation is smooth, without delay, but sometimes, in the passage of screens, the movement is blocked. Clicking on the upper button, you get out of this situation. I suppose that in future updates these small inconveniences will be disappearing.
The battery life is the one that promises, above all it can be extended, using the “Low Power Mode”. All a great advantage.
As you can see, the use and the amount of options are extraordinary. There are so many that to list them all it would be necessary to dedicate a great amount of time and space. The result is an alance management of very few DAPs in this price range.
Measurements
The measurements, without reaching maximum power, with several impedances connected, are shown below:
This implies that the output impedance is around 0.5 Ω, something completely extraordinary.
Performing the power calculation, assuming, by approximation, that it gives 0.99V to 16Ω, the output power would be the specified => 0.99²/16 = 61mW. With this, it is clear that the specifications do not lie. Although 1V may seem small, it is a fairly common figure in DAPs in this price range or below, enough to move low or medium impedance IEMs or earbuds.
Sound
Profile
The profile of the Tempotec V1-A is balanced, with a slight mid-centric tendency and inclination towards the sub-bass, without subtracting presence in treble. But it does give an idea of its clean and clear sound.
For the description of the sound, both the MSEB and the equalizer have been deactivated.
Bass
From the lower zone, you can already see the clean and effective look of the V1-A, vivid, with a well-defined and soft texture, the trademark of the AKM house. In my opinion, the V1-A has a predilection for the sub-bass area: the lower part receives a special treatment, which gives the range great depth and a particular energy. It does not enjoy a pretentious punch, but possesses the deepest and most sensory narcotic virtue of bass. On the other hand, the impact of bass is fast, controlled, dark background. They are picked up at good speed, giving the area a characteristic timbre, sweet, nothing rough, but with a very singular vibration, marked, something digital. As I said, the range has excellent depth, remarkable lamination, good ability to recreate layers and comes very, very low, without decay. The overall definition is quite good, as is the resolution. All these parameters provide the bass with that dark and deep colour, with a very perceptible and descriptive sub-bass, neutral middle bass and nothing bulky, as well as a great control, totally permissive with the rest of the frequencies.
Mids
The mids are perceived with great naturalness, equilibrated, well balanced; also close and near, vivid and frontal. The voices enjoy a soft and velvety timbre, which AKM proclaims so much. On this occasion, the V1-A is more AKM than ever. This generates a large dose of transparency, a very coherent and pleasant midrange, slightly warm, but without falling into a loss of resolution, definition, or darkness. The mids are far from analytical, as they sound more organic and dynamic than ultra detailed and profiled. Even so, those details are very well recreated and highly descriptive, based on that sensation of liquid sound, almost creamy and well threaded that it possesses.
Treble
The softness reigns in the sound of the V1-A, one could not expect anything else than high frequencies according to the realistic profile that this DAP possesses. If I said before, that the low zone had a digital aftertaste, the highs sound much more analogical, but with no trace of trimming, with a beautiful invoice, of very natural timbre and neutral color. They have a good dose of transparency, but without being analytical, despite the good resolution they distill. The high zone is quite expressive, with a good capacity of recreation of micro details, but without overdoing it, allowing a pleasant listening always. It is not a brilliant DAP, but it is precious.
Soundstage, Separation
The cleanliness, the naturalness and the sweetness of the sound, mark the profile of the V1-A. It enjoys remarkable separation, a clean background, but not abyssal. The scene is very realistic, natural, as it could not be otherwise. But not excessive or big. The sound is not lost at the ends, but is collected so as not to lose its velvety base. Globally, the stage feels more round than wide, more frontal than enveloping, easy to follow, with a good location and a certain origin, without ever losing the emitting focus. There is no remoteness, the sound is always well directed, with no trace of cloudiness, haze or cloudy focus.
Comparisons
xDuoo X3II
Tempotec V1-A outperforms xDuoo X3II in smaller size, better manageability, longer battery life and number of options. But not in sound or power. The X3II has a complete AK4490, its sound is simply bigger. It is initially appreciated in its greater scene and separation. The bass is tighter, has more forcefulness and a higher degree of energy in the X3II, while the V1-A is more concrete, with less air, extension and depth. The existing air is also a differential feature in the highs: the xDuoo has a more ethereal and extended presentation in the upper zone. Tempotec has more focused and marked trebles. The middle zone, above all the voices, benefit from the more frontal and nearer focus than the V1-A, a treatment of approximation and greater sweetness, as opposed to the greater dispersion existing in the midrange of the X3II, which dilutes a little its sound in this zone. The greater concretion that the V1-A has in the middle zone, makes it more enjoyable, close, full and forceful for this range. While the xDuoo sounds farther away, more relaxed and less dynamic.
In general, the sound of the V1-A is more limited and focused, given the freedom and space proposed by xDuoo with its X3II.
ACMEE MF-01
The MF-01 is a DAP that has bet practically everything on the sound section, leaving the handling to be something minimal and very simple. In this respect, the V1-A is light years away in versatility from what the ACMEE offers. The MF-01, is bigger, heavier, its screen is minimal, the battery lasts half...But, it is undeniable that it possesses a very particular charm. And that's not just reflected in the sound. The V1-A has a minimum output impedance, while on the MF-01, it is high. The power is not comparable either, in favor of ACMEE.
The main difference is the forcefulness of the sound: the MF-01 possesses more energy in all ranges, including the mid-range, something that the V1-A can't provide. The dynamics are also greater, but at the sound profile level, the differences are not so great. Both have a marked, focused and concrete sound profile, with good definition. The upper part of the MF-01 is more ethereal, but it is more extensive in the V1-A, although the definition of both is different, with a sharper, somewhat more tense point in the V1-A and sweeter and softer in the MF-01.
Bass are wider on the MF-01, although both sub-bass have a good amount of energy. I consider the lower part of the MF-01 more complete than the V1-A, with a harsher, rougher texture, but with that special colour I love, plus an extra dose of depth.
In the middle zone there is more transparency and depth in the MF-01, in front of the more direct and closer sound of the V1-A, something that is particularly appreciated in the voices. The ACMEE offers greater width also in this range, demonstrating that dose of extra softness, a more relaxed sound, but not so vivid and close. But it is true that both DAPs possess a very approximate realism and naturalness treatment, with a similar path, which possesses greater refinement in the MF-01.
The scene in the V1-A is more limited than in the ACMEE, given its nearer, closer, more vivid and direct sound. The MF-01 has a more backward presentation, which favours space, a more airy and wide recreation, with greater depth, a little more height and separation. But, really, what is gained on one side is lost on the other, especially in the midrange.
Conclusion
Perfection can be reached from many different paths. Tempotec has taken the path of ideal handling, to reach the heart of the most audacious audiophiles, those who do not want to give up the best use and performance, to obtain excellence in sound. And this brand has achieved it: there are very few DAPS on the market, that with their price, combine stellar performance, with a remarkable sound and excellent versatility. But that's not all. Thanks to its very low impedance, the V1-A is fully capable of perfectly matching all the IEMs on the market, extracting the best virtues from each one. Anybody give more? May another brand prove it.
Headphones Used During Analysis
Ratings
Purchase link
https://penonaudio.com/tempotec-v1-a.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33032441868.html
You can read the full review in Spanish here:
https://hiendportable.com/2019/10/29/tempotec-variations-v1-a-review/
Autumn and new product to revision, Again, from the competent brand Tempotec. This time it is a small DAP, which has really reduced dimensions and weight. It is also tactile and has a 2-inch IPS panel. It also has physical buttons for the main functions. It has a large battery that provides up to 25h of autonomy in playback mode via Bluetooth, or up to 15h in direct mode. Another important detail is that it has double slot for memory cards, something almost unthinkable for such a small product. It should be noted that its interface is Hiby OS, which gives an idea of its tremendous simplicity and number of options it has. Finally, the DAC it uses is an evolution, two in one, of the AKM brand. This is the decoder chip and amplifier AKM4377ECB (768khz/32bit), capable of delivering 60mW to 16Ω, which is just over 1V RMS, a figure totally sufficient for IEMS and earbuds.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 81x45x12.7mm
- Weight: 80gr
- SNR: 125dB
- Output power: 60mW/16Ω (mono channel)
- Output impedance: < 1Ω
- USB: Type-C (USB2.0)
- Double memory card slot.
- Maximum storage capacity: 256GB x 2
- Battery: 1200mA
- Battery life: 15h in direct mode.
- Charging time: 2.5h (off).
- Power supply: DC5V.
- Jack Connector: 3.5mm Audio.
Packaging
The first thing that attracts attention is the small size of the box. Its dimensions are: 131x98x25. On the main side, there is a photo of the player, the brand and the model. On the back, again comes the brand and model, plus some specifications and warnings.
Inside there is:
- The DAP, wrapped in a whitish plastic, embedded in a foam mold.
- A white box, containing the charging cable and a USB adapter type C to micro-B.
- A white cardboard envelope containing the warranty certificate, warranty card and instructions.
- The screen of the DAP has a protector, which in turn is protected by a removable transparent plastic sheet.
The DAP has the Hi-Res Audio seal, screen-printed in the lower left corner. In the lower right corner you can see the V1 model.
The presentation is sober, almost minimal, but with a good degree of protection.
The accessories are also minimal, but of great quality.
Construction, Design and Comfort
The body of the DAP appears to be made of light metal. The whole front face is a panel, but the screen is only at the top, whose size is 2 inches. The sides are rounded, while the lower and upper faces are flat. On the right side there are three buttons, located in the area above. The highest button is the back button, the middle button, the play/pause button, and the last button is the forward button. On the left side, in the upper zone, there are two volume buttons, the "more" is up, the "less" is down. In the lower zone, there are two slots for microSD cards. On the bottom side, on the left side, is the USB type C connector. To the right, the 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. On the right side of the top face, there is a round button, to turn on/off the DAP. Next to it, there is a small two-color LED, in blue indicates operation, red load. On this side is the Bluetooth transmitter/receiver.
On the front panel, in the lower left corner, the "Hi-Res Audio" logo is printed. In the lower right corner is the name of the V1 model.
The construction is solid and because of its density, it can be seen that it is robust. The design is very functional, ergonomics and comfort improves, thanks to its rounded sides. Both the size and the shape are very suitable; the whole is manageable and easy to store.
Both the buttons and the display respond quickly. I would have preferred the volume buttons on the right, as they are located in many other DAPS.
Use and Handling
The Hiby OS is the differential element of this small DAP. The main menu has 8 icons:
- Browse: Navigator of folders of the two memory slots. You can even connect a storage unit, via USB.
- Category: Organization of music files via TAGS.
- Bluetooth: Activation of this function
- MSEB: Non-frequential equalizer, which allows the sound to be modified based on parameters such as temperature, bass extension, bass texture, etc.
- Equalizer: 10-band equalizer
- Play Settings: Multitude of playback functions, including activation of Gapless Playback
- Settings: Screen settings, font size, themes, buttons customization...and a long etcetera.
- About: Firmware v1.2
When you enter a menu, to go back, an arrow is shown at the top left of the screen.
While in the main menu, if there is a file playing, it is shown in a lower bar, along with the cover page.
The number of options it has is overwhelming. People who like to play with them will be entertained for a while. It's great that it's Gapless.
The MSEB is a very particular equalizer, which allows to modify the sound in a totally alternative way. Each parameter (Overall Temperature, Bass extension, Bass Texture, Note Thickness, Vocals, Female Overtones, Sibilance LF, Sibilance HF, Impulse Response, Air), modifies a particular section of the sound. Not all are equally drastic. But it is true that some work very well and adjust to what they indicate. On the other hand, custom settings can be saved. The scales can be adjusted from -20 to 20, from -40 to 40 and from -100 to 100, giving an idea of the excellent customization ratio it allows. The MSEB is an advantage that allows you to experiment with sound, offering a large number of variations, until you can leave it to your own taste.
The classic equalizer has 10 bands and moves in octaves, from 31Hz to 16kHz. Of course, it has 8 presets and the possibility to adjust it to our will.
On the playback screen, there are many small options: playback modes can be chosen from an icon at the top left. Below, to the right, there is a heart to add the current song to favorites. There is a "+" at the top right, which, after pressing it, shows an additional list of functions: access the list of songs, the album, delete the file, add to playlist, equalizer ... Of course, from the bottom bar, you can change song, access a specific point of it, also pause and resume. If you slide your finger upwards, a small menu is shown, with options to change the brightness of the screen, the volume, the gain... By double clicking on the screen, the lyrics of the song are shown, in case you have it. The upper part shows the volume, the status, the time, the output and the battery.
To switch the device on/off, press the upper button long. If you press the short button once, it unlocks the screen.
The general use of DAP is very pleasant, although there are small options on the screen, which can be complicated to access, depending on the size of the fingers.
The operation is smooth, without delay, but sometimes, in the passage of screens, the movement is blocked. Clicking on the upper button, you get out of this situation. I suppose that in future updates these small inconveniences will be disappearing.
The battery life is the one that promises, above all it can be extended, using the “Low Power Mode”. All a great advantage.
As you can see, the use and the amount of options are extraordinary. There are so many that to list them all it would be necessary to dedicate a great amount of time and space. The result is an alance management of very few DAPs in this price range.
Measurements
The measurements, without reaching maximum power, with several impedances connected, are shown below:
- No load 1.012V
- 32 Ω 0.995V
- 100 Ω 1.007V
- 240 Ω 1.01V
This implies that the output impedance is around 0.5 Ω, something completely extraordinary.
Performing the power calculation, assuming, by approximation, that it gives 0.99V to 16Ω, the output power would be the specified => 0.99²/16 = 61mW. With this, it is clear that the specifications do not lie. Although 1V may seem small, it is a fairly common figure in DAPs in this price range or below, enough to move low or medium impedance IEMs or earbuds.
Sound
Profile
The profile of the Tempotec V1-A is balanced, with a slight mid-centric tendency and inclination towards the sub-bass, without subtracting presence in treble. But it does give an idea of its clean and clear sound.
For the description of the sound, both the MSEB and the equalizer have been deactivated.
Bass
From the lower zone, you can already see the clean and effective look of the V1-A, vivid, with a well-defined and soft texture, the trademark of the AKM house. In my opinion, the V1-A has a predilection for the sub-bass area: the lower part receives a special treatment, which gives the range great depth and a particular energy. It does not enjoy a pretentious punch, but possesses the deepest and most sensory narcotic virtue of bass. On the other hand, the impact of bass is fast, controlled, dark background. They are picked up at good speed, giving the area a characteristic timbre, sweet, nothing rough, but with a very singular vibration, marked, something digital. As I said, the range has excellent depth, remarkable lamination, good ability to recreate layers and comes very, very low, without decay. The overall definition is quite good, as is the resolution. All these parameters provide the bass with that dark and deep colour, with a very perceptible and descriptive sub-bass, neutral middle bass and nothing bulky, as well as a great control, totally permissive with the rest of the frequencies.
Mids
The mids are perceived with great naturalness, equilibrated, well balanced; also close and near, vivid and frontal. The voices enjoy a soft and velvety timbre, which AKM proclaims so much. On this occasion, the V1-A is more AKM than ever. This generates a large dose of transparency, a very coherent and pleasant midrange, slightly warm, but without falling into a loss of resolution, definition, or darkness. The mids are far from analytical, as they sound more organic and dynamic than ultra detailed and profiled. Even so, those details are very well recreated and highly descriptive, based on that sensation of liquid sound, almost creamy and well threaded that it possesses.
Treble
The softness reigns in the sound of the V1-A, one could not expect anything else than high frequencies according to the realistic profile that this DAP possesses. If I said before, that the low zone had a digital aftertaste, the highs sound much more analogical, but with no trace of trimming, with a beautiful invoice, of very natural timbre and neutral color. They have a good dose of transparency, but without being analytical, despite the good resolution they distill. The high zone is quite expressive, with a good capacity of recreation of micro details, but without overdoing it, allowing a pleasant listening always. It is not a brilliant DAP, but it is precious.
Soundstage, Separation
The cleanliness, the naturalness and the sweetness of the sound, mark the profile of the V1-A. It enjoys remarkable separation, a clean background, but not abyssal. The scene is very realistic, natural, as it could not be otherwise. But not excessive or big. The sound is not lost at the ends, but is collected so as not to lose its velvety base. Globally, the stage feels more round than wide, more frontal than enveloping, easy to follow, with a good location and a certain origin, without ever losing the emitting focus. There is no remoteness, the sound is always well directed, with no trace of cloudiness, haze or cloudy focus.
Comparisons
xDuoo X3II
Tempotec V1-A outperforms xDuoo X3II in smaller size, better manageability, longer battery life and number of options. But not in sound or power. The X3II has a complete AK4490, its sound is simply bigger. It is initially appreciated in its greater scene and separation. The bass is tighter, has more forcefulness and a higher degree of energy in the X3II, while the V1-A is more concrete, with less air, extension and depth. The existing air is also a differential feature in the highs: the xDuoo has a more ethereal and extended presentation in the upper zone. Tempotec has more focused and marked trebles. The middle zone, above all the voices, benefit from the more frontal and nearer focus than the V1-A, a treatment of approximation and greater sweetness, as opposed to the greater dispersion existing in the midrange of the X3II, which dilutes a little its sound in this zone. The greater concretion that the V1-A has in the middle zone, makes it more enjoyable, close, full and forceful for this range. While the xDuoo sounds farther away, more relaxed and less dynamic.
In general, the sound of the V1-A is more limited and focused, given the freedom and space proposed by xDuoo with its X3II.
ACMEE MF-01
The MF-01 is a DAP that has bet practically everything on the sound section, leaving the handling to be something minimal and very simple. In this respect, the V1-A is light years away in versatility from what the ACMEE offers. The MF-01, is bigger, heavier, its screen is minimal, the battery lasts half...But, it is undeniable that it possesses a very particular charm. And that's not just reflected in the sound. The V1-A has a minimum output impedance, while on the MF-01, it is high. The power is not comparable either, in favor of ACMEE.
The main difference is the forcefulness of the sound: the MF-01 possesses more energy in all ranges, including the mid-range, something that the V1-A can't provide. The dynamics are also greater, but at the sound profile level, the differences are not so great. Both have a marked, focused and concrete sound profile, with good definition. The upper part of the MF-01 is more ethereal, but it is more extensive in the V1-A, although the definition of both is different, with a sharper, somewhat more tense point in the V1-A and sweeter and softer in the MF-01.
Bass are wider on the MF-01, although both sub-bass have a good amount of energy. I consider the lower part of the MF-01 more complete than the V1-A, with a harsher, rougher texture, but with that special colour I love, plus an extra dose of depth.
In the middle zone there is more transparency and depth in the MF-01, in front of the more direct and closer sound of the V1-A, something that is particularly appreciated in the voices. The ACMEE offers greater width also in this range, demonstrating that dose of extra softness, a more relaxed sound, but not so vivid and close. But it is true that both DAPs possess a very approximate realism and naturalness treatment, with a similar path, which possesses greater refinement in the MF-01.
The scene in the V1-A is more limited than in the ACMEE, given its nearer, closer, more vivid and direct sound. The MF-01 has a more backward presentation, which favours space, a more airy and wide recreation, with greater depth, a little more height and separation. But, really, what is gained on one side is lost on the other, especially in the midrange.
Conclusion
Perfection can be reached from many different paths. Tempotec has taken the path of ideal handling, to reach the heart of the most audacious audiophiles, those who do not want to give up the best use and performance, to obtain excellence in sound. And this brand has achieved it: there are very few DAPS on the market, that with their price, combine stellar performance, with a remarkable sound and excellent versatility. But that's not all. Thanks to its very low impedance, the V1-A is fully capable of perfectly matching all the IEMs on the market, extracting the best virtues from each one. Anybody give more? May another brand prove it.
Headphones Used During Analysis
- TFZ No.3
- Tansio Mirai TSMR-2
- BGVP ArtMagic DH3
- TFZ My Love III
- DB Monroe
- OurArt QJ21
Ratings
- Packaging: 75
- Construction, Design and Comfort: 92
- Use and Handling: 95
- Sound: 85
- Quality/Price: 90
Purchase link
https://penonaudio.com/tempotec-v1-a.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33032441868.html
You can read the full review in Spanish here:
https://hiendportable.com/2019/10/29/tempotec-variations-v1-a-review/
Rated From a scale from 1 to 10:
8.0
Tempotec V1a variations
The product was provided to me free of charge for the review purpose in exchange for my honest and fair opinion.
First of all, I have to thank Tempotec for believing in me and let me review the tempotec V1a variations. You can buy it directly from their page.
-Technicall specifications
Dimension: 80x45x12mm
Weight: 80g
Power Supply: DC5V
Type C usb port
Chargin time abour 2.5 hrs.
Battery capacity: 1200 mah
None storage on board
Double micro sd card slot (up to 256gb each slot)
3,5 firmly headphone Jack
Dac: Akm4377ECB
2.0 Touch ips screen
15 hours of music with the 3,5mm headphone jack
Bluetooth 4.0: Aptx, Ldac, aac
Hiby Os
Hi-Res audio certificate
About Tempotec
It´s a newly established Company that is an OEM manufacturing and engineering of some Hidizs products. They decide to produce this type of device that comes to compete in the big leagues along with Fiio, Hiby, Hidizs and Cayin. Tempotec is not new in the audio world and they have been focusing in the past years in the Pc audio field (like sound cards), headphones amplifiers, bundle Type C adaptor, portable headphone amplifiers and beyond.
Tempotec has two decades in the audio business and it seems that they will not stop producing this type of good audio portable products.
Unboxing and physical appreciation (photos)
Pre-installed screen protector, hi-res logo on the screen (not a sticker), nice Premium feel (I think it´s metal), physical buttons (backwards, stop/pause, forward) and a power botton. It Feels very good in the hand, it´s compact and the 2.0 touch screen is small for big hands like mine but I got used to it. Also, it comes with a micro usb type c to micro usb and a type c cable.
About sound
Let´s talk about the sound of this little device and I´m sure that many people will doubt that if it is worth buying this type of dap at this price or if you are better off keeping your phone as a dap. For me the answer is yes. The V1A justifies its price and sound when you first plug it in with a warm sound and a good amount of soundstage (one of the best for its price). You can feel a good amount of dynamics and a good pounch in the center of the music presentation, without bledding to the other frequencies and separating the vocals in a good mature way redundant. The tempo is just right there making the musical presentation coherent (not as the hiby r3 sometimes) and fun to listen to with a good 3d sound atmosphere that isn´t attacking you all the time, letting you enjoy all the spectrum of the music with (what I call) “stadium effect”. All this alongside with that safe tuning that the v1a adopts.
About the equalizer and MSEB feature both work very well and encompass all the frequencies. With this feature (thanks to Hiby Os) you can perfectly match your iem as you like but I never use this type of features (just digital antialiasing filters that comes as a preset that is always activated in the Hiby R3 for example)
The first impressions are almost the best to analyze (if you are not used to a permanent gear, because you are adapted to that soundsignature, this is not my case). Its characteristics, for me it was the soundstage, instrument separation and the bass department that impressed me. Sometimes in certain songs like Rain when i die (alice in chains) you can feel a nice little rumble and growling from the bass, adding a nice texture (abviously not the bass texture of a ibasso dx200) but you can feel it a little and it is only this type of bass that i came across with this little “growling” in this price section under 150 usd.
You can find also some warm mids with good separation that came across with their soundstage. But sometimes in some songs that have not so much transparency (old ones like led zeppelin or bad recorded ones) you can find it a little dullness repeated without so much definition that is totally normal in this type of daps because most of them lack this feature in this price range but thanks to the soundstage of this dap discern a little better those micro details (can be better distinguished)
Moving to the treble región (highs) you can feel slight roll off that you can adjust with the equalizer section or the MSEB feature, this a good or bad feature depending on the gear you use. because if you use a warm headphone or in ear you will find it dull in the upper mids and upper treble and the lack of details can be overwhelming at times) if you have a warm signature iem. But this is a safe tunning due to all sensitive iems that are coming lately (like kz iems) that pair really well.
Pair up (that you can take advantage with this little roll off in the treble)
-Sennheisser Ie40pro match
For me is that finally I can hear in a good way alongside with the spinfit cp240 without feeling it harsh in cymbals or that treble peak that sometimes comes across in certain songs adding a more focused cymbals, better bass texture and that slight roll off are just delightfull in that Sharp highs that the ie40pro have, really enjoying them.
-Takstar pro82 match
A neutral headphone that is very versatile with anything you throw at it. Improving the soundstage, separation, 3d felling, more dynamic, airy and you can fell that the earcup is more surrounded with music. A win for the Budget audiophile.
-Brainwavz b400 match
Good 3d soundstage and separation, adds that little “growling bass” missing in these iems. But this is a analitycal warm iem that sometimes sounds dull because of the lack of the mids details but thankfully the b400 has a lot of mids but those microdetails are litlle bit missing (that are totally understandable in these daps).
-Kz zs10pro match
Nice texture in those warm mids and since the zs10 pro has a nice bass quantity now it growls a little: adding a better texture and definition. It is very easy to get a nice volumen (I´m playing around 35). The separation improves alongside with a better positioning of the male and female vocals making it a really fun set that most people will like.
Comparisons with other daps in its price range
Vs cayin n3
The Cayin n3 is a more neutraly warm dap. This means that it has better micro detail, better mids separation as for example in each guitar chord (more texture). But is totally understandable because of that better dac chip (akm4490) and it didnt have that slight roll off but you know what is better? That little bass growling that is very addictive adding a better texture that you cant find in the N3 and the V1a has a little bit better soundstage when the mids take part in the sides of the iem.
Vs Fiio x1 second generation
I actually find the V1a a lot better. Better separation, better firmware, better features as a usb dac, bluetooth receiver. I have always felt the x1 ll dull in the details and the v1a manages them better. But (the X1 II) has a little better width but for me is a win for the V1a. Also with a the pocket friendly feature
Vs Hiby r3
Im going to talk about the 3,5 headphone Jack in this case, because as i hear, the 2,5 balanced has nothing to do with the sound of the 3,5mm headphone Jack and also the tempotec lacks this feature.
The r3 is bommy and lacks the bass texture of the V1a, making it sometimes incoherent in the music presentation (the bass is the rockstar in most of the songs) but it has better transparent mids, better bass impact,and also the v1a lacks tidal and wifi features (as dna). if we talk about the sound of the balanced headphone Jack is different story, the r3 is better in all the frecuencies as is obviously expected.
Conclusion
I totally recommend this little device that surprised me the first time I listen to it alongside with those tons of features that I really didn´t have any faith in the sound and also in the firmware because in these days when a lot of unknow or newly manufacturers put out a new dap without good sound or firmware (that are the most out there) only a few can be highlighted in these both important features and also a reminder that it seems that hiby OS is a win for any dap in the market right now with that fluid and intituive interface that can carry a lot of music easily in your device with tons of features. Im really waiting for a new Tempotec dap in the future, with better dac chip, 2,5 balanced headphone and maybe who knows, some music streaming feature as tidal, spotify, etc. Surely a win for tempotec with their first dap!
Gear that I used for this review:
- Brainwavz b400 matched with spinfit cp100 and oc studio cable Zeus unlimited edition silver cable
- Takstar pro 82
- Kz zs10 pro, zs7, zsn, zsn pro
- sennheisser ie40pro with spinfit cp240
- Cayin n3
- Hiby r3
- Fiio x1 ll
- Walnut f1 as amplifier
Music for comparing:
Slash (all albums really for testing mids primarily)
Metallica (death magnetic)
Incubus (morning view)
Alice in chains (dirt album)
Red hot chili peppers (stadium arcadium) mostly songs like hey, she looks to me, strip my mind
Porcupine tree (halo song)
Tool (fear inoculum)
I didn’t use more technicall songs or bands for me as you need a better micro detail dap for really scratch that sound and really enjoy in other way those bands and songs, as Radiohead for example or steven wilson.
8.0
Tempotec V1a variations
The product was provided to me free of charge for the review purpose in exchange for my honest and fair opinion.
First of all, I have to thank Tempotec for believing in me and let me review the tempotec V1a variations. You can buy it directly from their page.
-Technicall specifications
Dimension: 80x45x12mm
Weight: 80g
Power Supply: DC5V
Type C usb port
Chargin time abour 2.5 hrs.
Battery capacity: 1200 mah
None storage on board
Double micro sd card slot (up to 256gb each slot)
3,5 firmly headphone Jack
Dac: Akm4377ECB
2.0 Touch ips screen
15 hours of music with the 3,5mm headphone jack
Bluetooth 4.0: Aptx, Ldac, aac
Hiby Os
Hi-Res audio certificate
About Tempotec
It´s a newly established Company that is an OEM manufacturing and engineering of some Hidizs products. They decide to produce this type of device that comes to compete in the big leagues along with Fiio, Hiby, Hidizs and Cayin. Tempotec is not new in the audio world and they have been focusing in the past years in the Pc audio field (like sound cards), headphones amplifiers, bundle Type C adaptor, portable headphone amplifiers and beyond.
Tempotec has two decades in the audio business and it seems that they will not stop producing this type of good audio portable products.
Unboxing and physical appreciation (photos)
Pre-installed screen protector, hi-res logo on the screen (not a sticker), nice Premium feel (I think it´s metal), physical buttons (backwards, stop/pause, forward) and a power botton. It Feels very good in the hand, it´s compact and the 2.0 touch screen is small for big hands like mine but I got used to it. Also, it comes with a micro usb type c to micro usb and a type c cable.
About sound
Let´s talk about the sound of this little device and I´m sure that many people will doubt that if it is worth buying this type of dap at this price or if you are better off keeping your phone as a dap. For me the answer is yes. The V1A justifies its price and sound when you first plug it in with a warm sound and a good amount of soundstage (one of the best for its price). You can feel a good amount of dynamics and a good pounch in the center of the music presentation, without bledding to the other frequencies and separating the vocals in a good mature way redundant. The tempo is just right there making the musical presentation coherent (not as the hiby r3 sometimes) and fun to listen to with a good 3d sound atmosphere that isn´t attacking you all the time, letting you enjoy all the spectrum of the music with (what I call) “stadium effect”. All this alongside with that safe tuning that the v1a adopts.
About the equalizer and MSEB feature both work very well and encompass all the frequencies. With this feature (thanks to Hiby Os) you can perfectly match your iem as you like but I never use this type of features (just digital antialiasing filters that comes as a preset that is always activated in the Hiby R3 for example)
The first impressions are almost the best to analyze (if you are not used to a permanent gear, because you are adapted to that soundsignature, this is not my case). Its characteristics, for me it was the soundstage, instrument separation and the bass department that impressed me. Sometimes in certain songs like Rain when i die (alice in chains) you can feel a nice little rumble and growling from the bass, adding a nice texture (abviously not the bass texture of a ibasso dx200) but you can feel it a little and it is only this type of bass that i came across with this little “growling” in this price section under 150 usd.
You can find also some warm mids with good separation that came across with their soundstage. But sometimes in some songs that have not so much transparency (old ones like led zeppelin or bad recorded ones) you can find it a little dullness repeated without so much definition that is totally normal in this type of daps because most of them lack this feature in this price range but thanks to the soundstage of this dap discern a little better those micro details (can be better distinguished)
Moving to the treble región (highs) you can feel slight roll off that you can adjust with the equalizer section or the MSEB feature, this a good or bad feature depending on the gear you use. because if you use a warm headphone or in ear you will find it dull in the upper mids and upper treble and the lack of details can be overwhelming at times) if you have a warm signature iem. But this is a safe tunning due to all sensitive iems that are coming lately (like kz iems) that pair really well.
Pair up (that you can take advantage with this little roll off in the treble)
-Sennheisser Ie40pro match
For me is that finally I can hear in a good way alongside with the spinfit cp240 without feeling it harsh in cymbals or that treble peak that sometimes comes across in certain songs adding a more focused cymbals, better bass texture and that slight roll off are just delightfull in that Sharp highs that the ie40pro have, really enjoying them.
-Takstar pro82 match
A neutral headphone that is very versatile with anything you throw at it. Improving the soundstage, separation, 3d felling, more dynamic, airy and you can fell that the earcup is more surrounded with music. A win for the Budget audiophile.
-Brainwavz b400 match
Good 3d soundstage and separation, adds that little “growling bass” missing in these iems. But this is a analitycal warm iem that sometimes sounds dull because of the lack of the mids details but thankfully the b400 has a lot of mids but those microdetails are litlle bit missing (that are totally understandable in these daps).
-Kz zs10pro match
Nice texture in those warm mids and since the zs10 pro has a nice bass quantity now it growls a little: adding a better texture and definition. It is very easy to get a nice volumen (I´m playing around 35). The separation improves alongside with a better positioning of the male and female vocals making it a really fun set that most people will like.
Comparisons with other daps in its price range
Vs cayin n3
The Cayin n3 is a more neutraly warm dap. This means that it has better micro detail, better mids separation as for example in each guitar chord (more texture). But is totally understandable because of that better dac chip (akm4490) and it didnt have that slight roll off but you know what is better? That little bass growling that is very addictive adding a better texture that you cant find in the N3 and the V1a has a little bit better soundstage when the mids take part in the sides of the iem.
Vs Fiio x1 second generation
I actually find the V1a a lot better. Better separation, better firmware, better features as a usb dac, bluetooth receiver. I have always felt the x1 ll dull in the details and the v1a manages them better. But (the X1 II) has a little better width but for me is a win for the V1a. Also with a the pocket friendly feature
Vs Hiby r3
Im going to talk about the 3,5 headphone Jack in this case, because as i hear, the 2,5 balanced has nothing to do with the sound of the 3,5mm headphone Jack and also the tempotec lacks this feature.
The r3 is bommy and lacks the bass texture of the V1a, making it sometimes incoherent in the music presentation (the bass is the rockstar in most of the songs) but it has better transparent mids, better bass impact,and also the v1a lacks tidal and wifi features (as dna). if we talk about the sound of the balanced headphone Jack is different story, the r3 is better in all the frecuencies as is obviously expected.
Conclusion
I totally recommend this little device that surprised me the first time I listen to it alongside with those tons of features that I really didn´t have any faith in the sound and also in the firmware because in these days when a lot of unknow or newly manufacturers put out a new dap without good sound or firmware (that are the most out there) only a few can be highlighted in these both important features and also a reminder that it seems that hiby OS is a win for any dap in the market right now with that fluid and intituive interface that can carry a lot of music easily in your device with tons of features. Im really waiting for a new Tempotec dap in the future, with better dac chip, 2,5 balanced headphone and maybe who knows, some music streaming feature as tidal, spotify, etc. Surely a win for tempotec with their first dap!
Gear that I used for this review:
- Brainwavz b400 matched with spinfit cp100 and oc studio cable Zeus unlimited edition silver cable
- Takstar pro 82
- Kz zs10 pro, zs7, zsn, zsn pro
- sennheisser ie40pro with spinfit cp240
- Cayin n3
- Hiby r3
- Fiio x1 ll
- Walnut f1 as amplifier
Music for comparing:
Slash (all albums really for testing mids primarily)
Metallica (death magnetic)
Incubus (morning view)
Alice in chains (dirt album)
Red hot chili peppers (stadium arcadium) mostly songs like hey, she looks to me, strip my mind
Porcupine tree (halo song)
Tool (fear inoculum)
I didn’t use more technicall songs or bands for me as you need a better micro detail dap for really scratch that sound and really enjoy in other way those bands and songs, as Radiohead for example or steven wilson.
kagesama2411
Awesome review! I'm close to having one of this bad boy! 
One thing, does this unit support the in-line control from a headset like play/pause or volume up/down? Would really love it if this have that too. Thanks in advance man!
One thing, does this unit support the in-line control from a headset like play/pause or volume up/down? Would really love it if this have that too. Thanks in advance man!
masterchile
Just the button in the middle can be used. For play/pause and skipping songs
Your welcome mate
Your welcome mate
TEMPOTEC V1-A (+ V-1 Digital Only model) REVIEW:
SOUND: 7.5/10
INTERFACE: 9/10
FEATURES: 10/10
CONSRUCTION: 8.5/10
DESIGN: 10/10
BATTERY LIFE: 8.5/10
VALUE: 9/10
TEMPOTEC is known for being the OEM manufacturing and engineering company of some HIDIZ audio product, like the Hidiz Sonata and Serenade. Lately, they decide to create their own unique products, so we cannot confuse it with Hidiz ones. The Tempotec V1 was firstly lauch and V1-A follow.
V1 is a Digital ONLY music player, wich is different than a Digital AUDIO player because it do not have any audio output and it serve only as a portable music station that can send audio trough bluetooth as well as USB C cables. This might feel like an odd device, but in fact its an extremely usefull one for those that have one or more DAC-AMP, should it be the Type C to 3.5mm output little Sonata DAC-AMP, the Audirect BEAM, Radsone ES100 or Xduoo XD-05 or whatever other strange DAC-AMP you have likemy beloved DIY dac-amp collection, V1 will transform them into DAP. The V1 do not have 3.5mm audio output but a coaxial output.
V1-A is the very same device, but it can be use as a USB (or OTG) DAC-AMP and have a 3.5mm output so its a Do-it-All type of DAP, one that have so much features its near overwhelming.
Respectively priced 89$ and 109$, this very unknow audio device sure offer tremendous value and are thinked for ultimate portability, they are among the smallest DAP i own and guess what? They have a very responsive and fancy looking touch screen as well. Now, let’s see if its a solid contender with a mature firmware that can deal with this numerous features they have.
I will do here a 2 in 1 review because 95% of content is the same, the exception being sound impressions section for the V1-A, V1 will have a section about DAC-AMP pairing, but this features is cover by V1-A as well.
TEMPOTEC V1-A is sell only at PENON store as well as official Aliexpress Tempotec STORE
To note that Tempotec store often make sale, and right now both the V1 and V1-A have 10$ discount!
DISCLAIMER: I wanna thanks TEMPOTEC for sending me this reviews samples free of charge in exchange of my honnest review. As always, I'm as sincere as possible and as severe as possible about overall value of these products.
INFO-SPECS:
TempoTec Variations V1-A AK4377ECB DSD256 Bluetooth APTX USB DAC HiFi DAP
Description
1200mah battery capacity
High precision crystal oscillator
Low noise PLL technology reduce jitter
Exclusive USB driver
Dual direction Bluetooth
MSEB Mixer
AAC
DSD direct stream digital
LDAC
AKM4377ECB
Hiby OS
ASIO
HiByLink
Colorful theme
AKM4377ECB Well-performing built-in DAC
768khz/32bit advanced audio headphone DAC, AK4377, the advanced audio devices have been specifically optimized for portable audio.
Smooth cohesion between aluminum alloy shell and 2.5D tempered glass front panel
Exquisite components, Exclusive MCU
Just for excellent sound quality
Highly reproduce the original music
Digital mixer-MSEB makes you an excellent tuner
Bluetooth base station
Dual direction AAC, Apt-X, LDAC, Bluetooth 4.0
Be either a Bluetooth or a Bluetooth decoder 。
Time of Duration
Playing by Bluetooth: 25h
Playing music directly or as a Bluetooth receiver: 15h
Excellent Control Feel
2.0 inches multipoint process capacitor screen
Full perspective IPS screen
Smooth control
Specification
Dimension: 80*45*12mm
Weight: 80g
SNR:125DB
Output power:60MW/16ohm(mono channel)
Power Supply: DC5V
2A/Type-C USB port
Charging time: 2.5 hours around (power off)
Last time: 15 hours
Battery capacity: 1200mA
Storage: Double TF card slot
MAX storage capacity: 256GB*2
USB: Type-C (USB2.0)
Analog Out: 3.5mm headphone jack
Package
V1A DAP
USB cable
ACCESSORIES, CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN:
ACCESSORIES is very minimalist. With the V1 you have pre installed protective screen sticker, a usb to usb c cable and Usb c to micro usb cable. With the V1-A its a Usb to usb c and thats it. This cable is both use for charging or using usb DAC. It would have been nice to have usb c to usb c as well because most phone use this type of cable and V1-A dac-amp is very fun to use. Unobxing is nothing to write about, a little box with an instruction manual etc. Both device use same box....I hope they will make a V1-A box because I think this will be the device that will be the more popular of both.
CONSTRUCTION at first sight is very very nice, but as we said ‘’devil hide in the details’’ and well, only flaw about cosntruction I can find is the rather cheaply glued touch screen that can worry for futur durability, anyway, after 2 months of use of V1 I do not encounter problem or any ungluing, is just for perfection freak and the fact this player look very beautifull and this little details stole someof its pristine craftmanship splendor.
So, we have the touch screen that take about half of the screen size but is cover by a resin plastic that look like glass. If it was glass, i would be more worried about dropping it on the ground so its a wise choice of material and do not affect very bright image. Rest of body is made of metal, a nice maten black alloy that is very similar to Xduoo D3 or X3ii, it feel high quality and good in hand. Buttons are made of nice quality plastic. All in all, construction feel very good and have as well good weight to it, that comfirm its not a cheap empty body at all.
DESIGN is sweet and sleek, it will fit any pocket even from the tighest pair of pants you own, just don’t slide it in your speedo or bikini because it isnt waterproof. Even if most control is made trough touch screen, you have volume control at left side and track changing, fast-back fowards, play pause 3 butons at right side, at the top its power on-off, screen on-off buton. The button are well so you dont mix them up and press them by error, for example it have a little bump on the play-pause buton that is in the middle of 3 control playing buton, so you can easily blind change track or pause-play it. Again, they were lot of thinking for user interface hardware design and it proof Tempotec isn’t new in this game. At left side we have as well 2 micro sd slot and for once, and its well made one that do not let a part of you card exposed. TOUCH SCREEN isnt as cheap as one would have expect at this price and especially this size, no, its very responsive and very similar to my LG G6, the lightest touch will be enough and well, you can do lot of thing with this screen, but I will cover this subject in next section of this review.
FEATURES :
You are spoiled with an Overwhelming number of interesting features with both the V1 and V1-A with the difference that V1-A have an audio output using AK dac and can be use as USB DAC too, making it even more interesting than V1. What impress with this device is how everything can be customize to your taste, should it be Bluetooth preference, play setting, sound setting or EQ, the numbers of options is just mind blowing.
OVERALL INTERFACE IMPRESSIONS :
I wasn’t expecting a so much refined DAP in term of features and control, i was thinking that the control will be clumsy, minimalist with a basic touch screen and that the small sizze will make it barely usable. I was wrong, very wrong. The touch screen is fast and super responsive, you do not need to press the screen, as well, the interface is very intuitive and well thinked because even when the screen is close you can control everything you need like changing track, pausing, fowarding, play with volume. Tempotec really work hard on the firmware and touch perfection in term of versatile control, unlike other touchscreen DAP, you aren’t dependant on touch screen even if the interface is flawless this way too.
TOUCH SCREEN INTERFACE:
Even if the screen is quite small, I find the touch screen easy to use and very responsive. I can imagine that the size will be problematic for people with big fingers, but I use it with my thumbs without problem. Menu can be scrolled smoothly and you can even swipe from right to left to go next options pages. As well, when you in Home page, a left swipe will make appear playing song with album cover and playing options. This is a very well made interface, intuitive even if it have a lot of options to play with.
As well, when the screen is off, you can still change track, play-pause them and fowards-backlwards themusing physical side butons. Nope a phone can’t do that.
Still, this is a Browser based DAP, and it would have been wiser to use the touch screen more appropriately than having to explorer folder. I like to be able to choose from album covers like we find in most phone music app or Ipod, but here its the list of albums name that you will have to scroll wich is less intuitive.
BI-DIRECTIONAL BLUETOOTH:
Oh, man, I love so much this features wich I only find in Bluetooth receiver likethe Radsone ES100 before i fall in love with this Tempotec V1-A genius. Bi-directional bluetooth mean you can transmit or receive bluetooth. This transform the V1-A into a Bluetooth DAC-AMP receiver so you can hook your phone by distant and play Spotify or any streaming apps on it. Playing LDAC, you got highest quality possible wich mean there no sound degradation at all. I just cannot stop being wowed by the V1-A, I mean...you have 2 type of DAC-AMP with it, usb or bluetooth, but you can hook any DAC-AMP too...so fascinating to have such audio freedom!! As well, you can use you phone to control the V1-A via bluetooth, so if hooked on a sound system you now have a remote control.
BLUETOOTH :
Again, this is not your normal minimalist Bluetooth that just sent standard quality signal, with Tempotec you can choose between LDAC (quality priority, standard or auto), APTX and SBC depending of your connection compatibility. About signal stability, its excellent and i do not occur sound clipping or cutting at any distance under 10 meter.
PLAY SETTINGS :
No need to be worry about any lack of features with the Tempotec, it cover it all. Gapless playback (even with extra crossfade if you want) : check. Resume play fro last track or position : check. All type of play mode from shuffle to loop list or single : check. DSD Output mode : check. Play trough folders or albums : check. Max volume setting, Fixed power on volume or memory, gain, balance : all check as well.
USB MODE :
You have 3 usb mode to choose from wich is Storage, Audio and Dock. This do not affect the 3.5mm audio output and will be use for file transfer, usb digital out and audio dac. All work perfectly.
USB DAC is plug and play and it work with anything I plug it too. No driver needed.
DOCK mode is to use OTG DAC-AMP connected to the device, wich both V1 and V1-A can do.
STORAGE MODE is to have acces to inner micro sd card when you plug it in you Laptop.
HIBY LINK:
Yes, the V1 and V1-A have the nice Hiby link wich work perfectly for dual bluetooth connection. You can use you phone as a remote control for you music, seing every cover albums.
MSEB (DSP MIXER (Sound customizing special EQ)) :
For fan of EQ and sound tweaking, the Hiby MSEB (Mage sound Eight ball tuning) will be a very welcome feature. Its a combination of multiple algorythm based on parametric EQ (PEQ) and sound filed adjustement to enhance particular sound signature for your earphones. Some work better than other, but the very intuitive interface is quite precise and really can modify sound rendering in all direction. There 10 (20) sound change you can make, all with +100 or -100 control.
Overall Temperature for adding brightness or warmnest
Bass extension for making bass lighter or deeper
Bass texture for making the bass more thumpy-softer or Faster-dryier
Note thickness for more crips sharpness or thick weightness
Vocals for making them more dark and recessed or fowarded with added noresence
Female overtone for rounding up upper mids and presence or adding upper mids and brighness
Sibilance Low frequencies to add softness warmnest or cripsnest texture
Sibilance High frequencies for extra softness or crispness
Impulse response to add slower dynamic musicality or faster harder brighter tone
Air to add play with soundstage by stoling or adding some air and clarity
To my ears, some parameter work better than otther, like adding brightness can really improve details, Vocal can really be push foward, Sibilance can tame upper mids sibilance and Air expend soundstage. The MSEB have its own purpose and can be add to the other 10 bands EQ if your a sound tweaking freak. Anyway, i find this way more interesting than EQ preset and it can be use more easily and intuitively for tweaking specific soundsignature.
10 BAND EQUALIZER :
From 31Hz to 16khz you can add or lower gain with 12 steps and tweak frequencies range as you want from the tips of your finger with the touch screen, making this EQ extremely precise and fast too use. The use of touch screen is excellent for this EQ, compared to the Xduoo X20 or other DAP EQ that take very long to set with butons, you will be able to achieve perfect customize tuning in less than a minute. And yes, it can positvely change the sound and do not tame or veil it like some other bad EQ I try. With this EQ i can add highs sparkle to my Brainwavz B400 or make my too bassy iem more controled and U shape one more punchy etc.
CATEGORY:
I do not realy use this option, but yes, you can make PLAYLIST with the V1-A, you can even load them. You can make Favorites list too. You can choose by Genres, Artist or Album too. As said, Tempotec think about EVRYTHING FOR EVERYONE!!
BATTERY LIFE :
Tough battery life is stated at 25hours, it all depend of the use you have. With V1 its way lower than this depending the type of DAC-AMP you use. If its powered, it will drown the battery slower, but still, you will not have more than 8H, with very power hungry dac-amp that aren’t powered like the Doug Audio USB Dac-AMP with dual TDA dac, battery hold about 2H max, but this is similar than when using with my phone. With Audirect Beam, wich isnt powered too, it hold easily 8H. What i say here, its that battery life isn’t previsible in otg DAC-AMP mode.
Using 3.5mm output from V1-A, battery hold quite long, but again, not 25H if you listen at high volume like me, and due to the fact this DAP isn’t the most powerfull you need to crank up the volume higher with it. So I got about 10-15H depending type of music files I play, higher is the quality, lower is the battery life.
For Bluetooth, I feel battery hold longer, wich is strange as Tempotec state the opposite. Anyway, I prefer my cabled iem so its not a big plus for me.
CHARGING in another hand is quite impressively fast because you can use fast USB C charger and in about 30 minutes its fully charge. Yep, another big plus.
OVERALL FEATURES IMPRESSIONS:
I just can't cover every features this DO-IT-ALL marvel offer, I mean, it even have the hour....the right one..magically. I don't understand, but this little feature is really rare in DAP world. All is in details, and the engineer of this DAP are so perfectionnist it deserve sincere admiration! I test more than 30 DAP in my life and never encounter one like this TempoTec V1-A, it just came from the futur. For example, when you swipe the screen from down to up, you have easy acces to option like BT, Gain, USB mode or sleep time. On the Play screen you can choose shuffle, repeat etc. Just a press on + and it show whole list of option like Add playlist, EQ, View album, properties of track and Delete. Say like this it look confusing but it ISN't its very intuitive and well thinked. Its pure GENIUS. I don't even talk about Low power mode, wich extend batetry life. DSD output mode, nope, haven't even tested. The TempoTec is a fascinating DAP that need LOT of time to discover but not to enjoy.
V1-A SOUND IMPRESSIONS :
I mostly use easy to drive iem like the Brainwavz B400, Audiosense T300 and KZ ZS10PRO to test the sound of V1-A, because with high impendance or low sensitivity iem like the Final Audio E5000 it tend to sound dull and lack dynamic.
BUT with the right pairing, the V1-A proof to be a very capable DAP with quite low distortion, clean smooth sound, natural timbre and good transparency.
This is pure (and even softened) AKM DAC soundsignature : smooth, velvety, natural, buttery with a laid back musicality, unlike AK4490 dac, the bass is smoother and whole sound more neutral with a slight treble roll off that avoid any harshness and sibilance. This can be boring with too warm iem, or a healing for brightess or upper mids peaks.
BASS isn’t emphased or colored, have good control and natural tone, a very tranparent timbre. It do not have lot of impact due to a restrain dynamic amping. Still, it can dig lower not and do not hide anything, just a gentle and innoffensive way of presentation.
MID RANGE is the best part of V1-A, its clean, transparent, have natural buttery timbre and quite wide presentation of vocal. Layering is better than imaging, in the sens it have an intimate way of presenting wholemid range instruments in a cohesive way. Its warm mids without offensive attack or upper mids emphasis, i feel their even a slight dip in this region wich will tame sibilance to most vocal harshness, for example the ZS10PRO sound smoother and more natural with the V1-A, timbre is more polished.
TREBLE isn’t particularly analytical and will not help your smooth iem to crave more microdetails, as well, background isn’t the blackest one even if their aren’t lot of hissing. Still, yes, their some with very sensible iem. Again, its softened, perhaps even tamed treble, the opposite of a Sabre ES dac but kind of similar to Xduoo X3ii sound presentation.
Timbre is natural with thick transparence, hint of texture, no grain at all and some lushness. Definition is polished and ‘’sandy’’ wich do not help for imaging clarity, as if the ‘’sands’’ of instrument definition mix togheter gently.
Overall sound is on the WARM side, with slight emphasis on bass and mids range and just enough treble to permit good resolution. Attack-decay and clarity are all average for the price.
COMPARAISONS :
VS AUDIRECT BEAM (100$) :
Firstly, the BEAM is a little less powerfull than V1-A but i’m suspecting it have lower background noise floor, especially for very sensible IEM like the 9ohm Audiosense T800. This is perhaps normal as the beam use a different Sabre DAC know for its high level of clarity and low THD. Anyway, for this review I will match both volume at same level and use very same IEM for comparaison, wich are the Audiosense T800, KZ ZS10PRO and Final Audio E2000.
SOUNDTSTAGE is wider with the V1-A while the BEAM have a more intimate feel to it with slightly deeper clearer background.
IMAGING is more accurate and sharp with the BEAM, but the layering is less transparent.
BASS is more roll of with the BEAM, wich give a drier, thinner presentation, where the V1-A have more roundness and thickess but less details and well defin attack-decay.
MID RANGE have more presence with the V1-A, and vocal feel wider and more foward, the BEAM win in term of accuracy, attack and definition, the clarity is better but overall presentation is brighter and more intimate.
TREBLE is notably more extended with the BEAM, highs have more sparkle and decay, we hear more micro details, but to the cost of having a metallic taste to it and slightly cold sound. V1-A sound warmer and more natural with the right pairing, while the BEAM can give you details freak wow effect.
VS Xduoo X3 (100$):
The X3 is among my favorite 100$ DAP but it isn’t as fully packed with features like the V1-A, it do not have Bluetooth, cannot be use as USB DAC and even less as portable digital DAC-AMP player. Still, it have dedicated line out and an indestructable construction with an easily DIY changeable battery (if you got basic DIY skill). It make 5 years I own mine and it still work very well, only the battery need to be changed as it now hold 2 hours only. I don’t expect V1-A to last as long, but who know. Anyway, in term of features V1-A sure feel from a futuristic device. In term of power tough, the X3 is a little more powerfull.
Sound is night and day and very opposite, due to the excellent Cirrus CS4398 dac chip of X3, the sound is more refined and lively.
BASS is tigher, faster, more detailsed as well as weightier, the separation from low end and mid bass is better too, sharper than more mixed up warmer slower and softer bass of V1-A.
MID RANGE again is more lively and have better separation, while V1-A vocal feel stick above other layers of sound, X3 have more space and deepnest due to better clarity and lower THD. Attack have more grip and timbre is brighter, wich do not tame upper mids sibilance unlike the V1-A.
TREBLE is more emphased and refined, it dig more texture to upper range instrument as well as microdetails in background of music.
VS Xduoo X3ii :
Now, we have more similar DAP, both using AKM dac, but the X3ii use higher end AK4490eq. Still it do not have as much features like Hiby link or the possibily to hook any otg dac-amp to it. As well, the battery life is lower, but the output power is higher and construction look slightly more durable due to the fact it do not have touch screen.
In term of sound, these are pretty similar, but the X3ii is more refined and musical than warmer less accurate V1-A.
BASS is more transparent, controled and smooth with X3II while V1-A is thicker bassier but with less accuracy in separation from low to mid bass.
MIDS are clearer with X3ii, and have better separation but the vocal are a little less fowards than V1-A.
TREBLE is more delicate and airy with X3ii, you will hear more micro details than V1-A.
DAC-AMP DOCKING:
Whatever I plug into the V1-A or V1 work perfectly! Its really plug and play and get recognize easily with stable connection that do not produce any clicking wich can happen with my LG G6 phone when for example I plug the Audirect BEAM. Should it be the Radsone ES100, the beam, the Xduoo XD-05 or even my strange collection of DIY DAC-AMP it work GREAT! One very important things to note is that if you plug a battery free device that is very power hungry like the one you see in the picture above, well, battery life can drown very very fast. 1 hours for some device. Still, its incredible that everything work!
CONCLUSION:
TEMPOTEC proove to be a great audio company to look at, and I can't wait for their next creation. If they can do another DAP with higher end dac as well as dedicated line out this would sure take audio world by storm. The number of features they could fitin such a tiny device is just insane, and even more the fact the firmware is very stable and that I never encounter any bugs with it.
Interface is intuitive, touch screen responsive, number of features are overwhelming in a good way, battery life is great, the sound is quite nice and if you don't like it you can hook any DAC-AMP you have it will work. Man, i'm really in admiration of this genius DAP!
If you search for the one and only DO-IT-ALL-THINK-IT-ALL DAP that have bluetooth, hiby link, diverse high end EQ, plenty of customization possibilities, docking DAC-AMP station, USB DAC, ultra portable size, great battery life and more, the TEMPOTEC V1-A is the only one to choose because unlike other DAP, he is unique and Unbeatable in term of price-features value.
For more audio reviews, please give a look at my BLOG
SOUND: 7.5/10
INTERFACE: 9/10
FEATURES: 10/10
CONSRUCTION: 8.5/10
DESIGN: 10/10
BATTERY LIFE: 8.5/10
VALUE: 9/10
TEMPOTEC is known for being the OEM manufacturing and engineering company of some HIDIZ audio product, like the Hidiz Sonata and Serenade. Lately, they decide to create their own unique products, so we cannot confuse it with Hidiz ones. The Tempotec V1 was firstly lauch and V1-A follow.
V1 is a Digital ONLY music player, wich is different than a Digital AUDIO player because it do not have any audio output and it serve only as a portable music station that can send audio trough bluetooth as well as USB C cables. This might feel like an odd device, but in fact its an extremely usefull one for those that have one or more DAC-AMP, should it be the Type C to 3.5mm output little Sonata DAC-AMP, the Audirect BEAM, Radsone ES100 or Xduoo XD-05 or whatever other strange DAC-AMP you have likemy beloved DIY dac-amp collection, V1 will transform them into DAP. The V1 do not have 3.5mm audio output but a coaxial output.
V1-A is the very same device, but it can be use as a USB (or OTG) DAC-AMP and have a 3.5mm output so its a Do-it-All type of DAP, one that have so much features its near overwhelming.
Respectively priced 89$ and 109$, this very unknow audio device sure offer tremendous value and are thinked for ultimate portability, they are among the smallest DAP i own and guess what? They have a very responsive and fancy looking touch screen as well. Now, let’s see if its a solid contender with a mature firmware that can deal with this numerous features they have.
I will do here a 2 in 1 review because 95% of content is the same, the exception being sound impressions section for the V1-A, V1 will have a section about DAC-AMP pairing, but this features is cover by V1-A as well.
TEMPOTEC V1-A is sell only at PENON store as well as official Aliexpress Tempotec STORE
To note that Tempotec store often make sale, and right now both the V1 and V1-A have 10$ discount!
DISCLAIMER: I wanna thanks TEMPOTEC for sending me this reviews samples free of charge in exchange of my honnest review. As always, I'm as sincere as possible and as severe as possible about overall value of these products.
INFO-SPECS:
TempoTec Variations V1-A AK4377ECB DSD256 Bluetooth APTX USB DAC HiFi DAP
Description
1200mah battery capacity
High precision crystal oscillator
Low noise PLL technology reduce jitter
Exclusive USB driver
Dual direction Bluetooth
MSEB Mixer
AAC
DSD direct stream digital
LDAC
AKM4377ECB
Hiby OS
ASIO
HiByLink
Colorful theme
AKM4377ECB Well-performing built-in DAC
768khz/32bit advanced audio headphone DAC, AK4377, the advanced audio devices have been specifically optimized for portable audio.
Smooth cohesion between aluminum alloy shell and 2.5D tempered glass front panel
Exquisite components, Exclusive MCU
Just for excellent sound quality
Highly reproduce the original music
Digital mixer-MSEB makes you an excellent tuner
Bluetooth base station
Dual direction AAC, Apt-X, LDAC, Bluetooth 4.0
Be either a Bluetooth or a Bluetooth decoder 。
Time of Duration
Playing by Bluetooth: 25h
Playing music directly or as a Bluetooth receiver: 15h
Excellent Control Feel
2.0 inches multipoint process capacitor screen
Full perspective IPS screen
Smooth control
Specification
Dimension: 80*45*12mm
Weight: 80g
SNR:125DB
Output power:60MW/16ohm(mono channel)
Power Supply: DC5V
2A/Type-C USB port
Charging time: 2.5 hours around (power off)
Last time: 15 hours
Battery capacity: 1200mA
Storage: Double TF card slot
MAX storage capacity: 256GB*2
USB: Type-C (USB2.0)
Analog Out: 3.5mm headphone jack
Package
V1A DAP
USB cable
ACCESSORIES, CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN:
ACCESSORIES is very minimalist. With the V1 you have pre installed protective screen sticker, a usb to usb c cable and Usb c to micro usb cable. With the V1-A its a Usb to usb c and thats it. This cable is both use for charging or using usb DAC. It would have been nice to have usb c to usb c as well because most phone use this type of cable and V1-A dac-amp is very fun to use. Unobxing is nothing to write about, a little box with an instruction manual etc. Both device use same box....I hope they will make a V1-A box because I think this will be the device that will be the more popular of both.
CONSTRUCTION at first sight is very very nice, but as we said ‘’devil hide in the details’’ and well, only flaw about cosntruction I can find is the rather cheaply glued touch screen that can worry for futur durability, anyway, after 2 months of use of V1 I do not encounter problem or any ungluing, is just for perfection freak and the fact this player look very beautifull and this little details stole someof its pristine craftmanship splendor.
So, we have the touch screen that take about half of the screen size but is cover by a resin plastic that look like glass. If it was glass, i would be more worried about dropping it on the ground so its a wise choice of material and do not affect very bright image. Rest of body is made of metal, a nice maten black alloy that is very similar to Xduoo D3 or X3ii, it feel high quality and good in hand. Buttons are made of nice quality plastic. All in all, construction feel very good and have as well good weight to it, that comfirm its not a cheap empty body at all.
DESIGN is sweet and sleek, it will fit any pocket even from the tighest pair of pants you own, just don’t slide it in your speedo or bikini because it isnt waterproof. Even if most control is made trough touch screen, you have volume control at left side and track changing, fast-back fowards, play pause 3 butons at right side, at the top its power on-off, screen on-off buton. The button are well so you dont mix them up and press them by error, for example it have a little bump on the play-pause buton that is in the middle of 3 control playing buton, so you can easily blind change track or pause-play it. Again, they were lot of thinking for user interface hardware design and it proof Tempotec isn’t new in this game. At left side we have as well 2 micro sd slot and for once, and its well made one that do not let a part of you card exposed. TOUCH SCREEN isnt as cheap as one would have expect at this price and especially this size, no, its very responsive and very similar to my LG G6, the lightest touch will be enough and well, you can do lot of thing with this screen, but I will cover this subject in next section of this review.
FEATURES :
You are spoiled with an Overwhelming number of interesting features with both the V1 and V1-A with the difference that V1-A have an audio output using AK dac and can be use as USB DAC too, making it even more interesting than V1. What impress with this device is how everything can be customize to your taste, should it be Bluetooth preference, play setting, sound setting or EQ, the numbers of options is just mind blowing.
OVERALL INTERFACE IMPRESSIONS :
I wasn’t expecting a so much refined DAP in term of features and control, i was thinking that the control will be clumsy, minimalist with a basic touch screen and that the small sizze will make it barely usable. I was wrong, very wrong. The touch screen is fast and super responsive, you do not need to press the screen, as well, the interface is very intuitive and well thinked because even when the screen is close you can control everything you need like changing track, pausing, fowarding, play with volume. Tempotec really work hard on the firmware and touch perfection in term of versatile control, unlike other touchscreen DAP, you aren’t dependant on touch screen even if the interface is flawless this way too.
TOUCH SCREEN INTERFACE:
Even if the screen is quite small, I find the touch screen easy to use and very responsive. I can imagine that the size will be problematic for people with big fingers, but I use it with my thumbs without problem. Menu can be scrolled smoothly and you can even swipe from right to left to go next options pages. As well, when you in Home page, a left swipe will make appear playing song with album cover and playing options. This is a very well made interface, intuitive even if it have a lot of options to play with.
As well, when the screen is off, you can still change track, play-pause them and fowards-backlwards themusing physical side butons. Nope a phone can’t do that.
Still, this is a Browser based DAP, and it would have been wiser to use the touch screen more appropriately than having to explorer folder. I like to be able to choose from album covers like we find in most phone music app or Ipod, but here its the list of albums name that you will have to scroll wich is less intuitive.
BI-DIRECTIONAL BLUETOOTH:
Oh, man, I love so much this features wich I only find in Bluetooth receiver likethe Radsone ES100 before i fall in love with this Tempotec V1-A genius. Bi-directional bluetooth mean you can transmit or receive bluetooth. This transform the V1-A into a Bluetooth DAC-AMP receiver so you can hook your phone by distant and play Spotify or any streaming apps on it. Playing LDAC, you got highest quality possible wich mean there no sound degradation at all. I just cannot stop being wowed by the V1-A, I mean...you have 2 type of DAC-AMP with it, usb or bluetooth, but you can hook any DAC-AMP too...so fascinating to have such audio freedom!! As well, you can use you phone to control the V1-A via bluetooth, so if hooked on a sound system you now have a remote control.
BLUETOOTH :
Again, this is not your normal minimalist Bluetooth that just sent standard quality signal, with Tempotec you can choose between LDAC (quality priority, standard or auto), APTX and SBC depending of your connection compatibility. About signal stability, its excellent and i do not occur sound clipping or cutting at any distance under 10 meter.
PLAY SETTINGS :
No need to be worry about any lack of features with the Tempotec, it cover it all. Gapless playback (even with extra crossfade if you want) : check. Resume play fro last track or position : check. All type of play mode from shuffle to loop list or single : check. DSD Output mode : check. Play trough folders or albums : check. Max volume setting, Fixed power on volume or memory, gain, balance : all check as well.
USB MODE :
You have 3 usb mode to choose from wich is Storage, Audio and Dock. This do not affect the 3.5mm audio output and will be use for file transfer, usb digital out and audio dac. All work perfectly.
USB DAC is plug and play and it work with anything I plug it too. No driver needed.
DOCK mode is to use OTG DAC-AMP connected to the device, wich both V1 and V1-A can do.
STORAGE MODE is to have acces to inner micro sd card when you plug it in you Laptop.
HIBY LINK:
Yes, the V1 and V1-A have the nice Hiby link wich work perfectly for dual bluetooth connection. You can use you phone as a remote control for you music, seing every cover albums.
MSEB (DSP MIXER (Sound customizing special EQ)) :
For fan of EQ and sound tweaking, the Hiby MSEB (Mage sound Eight ball tuning) will be a very welcome feature. Its a combination of multiple algorythm based on parametric EQ (PEQ) and sound filed adjustement to enhance particular sound signature for your earphones. Some work better than other, but the very intuitive interface is quite precise and really can modify sound rendering in all direction. There 10 (20) sound change you can make, all with +100 or -100 control.
Overall Temperature for adding brightness or warmnest
Bass extension for making bass lighter or deeper
Bass texture for making the bass more thumpy-softer or Faster-dryier
Note thickness for more crips sharpness or thick weightness
Vocals for making them more dark and recessed or fowarded with added noresence
Female overtone for rounding up upper mids and presence or adding upper mids and brighness
Sibilance Low frequencies to add softness warmnest or cripsnest texture
Sibilance High frequencies for extra softness or crispness
Impulse response to add slower dynamic musicality or faster harder brighter tone
Air to add play with soundstage by stoling or adding some air and clarity
To my ears, some parameter work better than otther, like adding brightness can really improve details, Vocal can really be push foward, Sibilance can tame upper mids sibilance and Air expend soundstage. The MSEB have its own purpose and can be add to the other 10 bands EQ if your a sound tweaking freak. Anyway, i find this way more interesting than EQ preset and it can be use more easily and intuitively for tweaking specific soundsignature.
10 BAND EQUALIZER :
From 31Hz to 16khz you can add or lower gain with 12 steps and tweak frequencies range as you want from the tips of your finger with the touch screen, making this EQ extremely precise and fast too use. The use of touch screen is excellent for this EQ, compared to the Xduoo X20 or other DAP EQ that take very long to set with butons, you will be able to achieve perfect customize tuning in less than a minute. And yes, it can positvely change the sound and do not tame or veil it like some other bad EQ I try. With this EQ i can add highs sparkle to my Brainwavz B400 or make my too bassy iem more controled and U shape one more punchy etc.
CATEGORY:
I do not realy use this option, but yes, you can make PLAYLIST with the V1-A, you can even load them. You can make Favorites list too. You can choose by Genres, Artist or Album too. As said, Tempotec think about EVRYTHING FOR EVERYONE!!
BATTERY LIFE :
Tough battery life is stated at 25hours, it all depend of the use you have. With V1 its way lower than this depending the type of DAC-AMP you use. If its powered, it will drown the battery slower, but still, you will not have more than 8H, with very power hungry dac-amp that aren’t powered like the Doug Audio USB Dac-AMP with dual TDA dac, battery hold about 2H max, but this is similar than when using with my phone. With Audirect Beam, wich isnt powered too, it hold easily 8H. What i say here, its that battery life isn’t previsible in otg DAC-AMP mode.
Using 3.5mm output from V1-A, battery hold quite long, but again, not 25H if you listen at high volume like me, and due to the fact this DAP isn’t the most powerfull you need to crank up the volume higher with it. So I got about 10-15H depending type of music files I play, higher is the quality, lower is the battery life.
For Bluetooth, I feel battery hold longer, wich is strange as Tempotec state the opposite. Anyway, I prefer my cabled iem so its not a big plus for me.
CHARGING in another hand is quite impressively fast because you can use fast USB C charger and in about 30 minutes its fully charge. Yep, another big plus.
OVERALL FEATURES IMPRESSIONS:
I just can't cover every features this DO-IT-ALL marvel offer, I mean, it even have the hour....the right one..magically. I don't understand, but this little feature is really rare in DAP world. All is in details, and the engineer of this DAP are so perfectionnist it deserve sincere admiration! I test more than 30 DAP in my life and never encounter one like this TempoTec V1-A, it just came from the futur. For example, when you swipe the screen from down to up, you have easy acces to option like BT, Gain, USB mode or sleep time. On the Play screen you can choose shuffle, repeat etc. Just a press on + and it show whole list of option like Add playlist, EQ, View album, properties of track and Delete. Say like this it look confusing but it ISN't its very intuitive and well thinked. Its pure GENIUS. I don't even talk about Low power mode, wich extend batetry life. DSD output mode, nope, haven't even tested. The TempoTec is a fascinating DAP that need LOT of time to discover but not to enjoy.
V1-A SOUND IMPRESSIONS :
I mostly use easy to drive iem like the Brainwavz B400, Audiosense T300 and KZ ZS10PRO to test the sound of V1-A, because with high impendance or low sensitivity iem like the Final Audio E5000 it tend to sound dull and lack dynamic.
BUT with the right pairing, the V1-A proof to be a very capable DAP with quite low distortion, clean smooth sound, natural timbre and good transparency.
This is pure (and even softened) AKM DAC soundsignature : smooth, velvety, natural, buttery with a laid back musicality, unlike AK4490 dac, the bass is smoother and whole sound more neutral with a slight treble roll off that avoid any harshness and sibilance. This can be boring with too warm iem, or a healing for brightess or upper mids peaks.
BASS isn’t emphased or colored, have good control and natural tone, a very tranparent timbre. It do not have lot of impact due to a restrain dynamic amping. Still, it can dig lower not and do not hide anything, just a gentle and innoffensive way of presentation.
MID RANGE is the best part of V1-A, its clean, transparent, have natural buttery timbre and quite wide presentation of vocal. Layering is better than imaging, in the sens it have an intimate way of presenting wholemid range instruments in a cohesive way. Its warm mids without offensive attack or upper mids emphasis, i feel their even a slight dip in this region wich will tame sibilance to most vocal harshness, for example the ZS10PRO sound smoother and more natural with the V1-A, timbre is more polished.
TREBLE isn’t particularly analytical and will not help your smooth iem to crave more microdetails, as well, background isn’t the blackest one even if their aren’t lot of hissing. Still, yes, their some with very sensible iem. Again, its softened, perhaps even tamed treble, the opposite of a Sabre ES dac but kind of similar to Xduoo X3ii sound presentation.
Timbre is natural with thick transparence, hint of texture, no grain at all and some lushness. Definition is polished and ‘’sandy’’ wich do not help for imaging clarity, as if the ‘’sands’’ of instrument definition mix togheter gently.
Overall sound is on the WARM side, with slight emphasis on bass and mids range and just enough treble to permit good resolution. Attack-decay and clarity are all average for the price.
COMPARAISONS :
VS AUDIRECT BEAM (100$) :
Firstly, the BEAM is a little less powerfull than V1-A but i’m suspecting it have lower background noise floor, especially for very sensible IEM like the 9ohm Audiosense T800. This is perhaps normal as the beam use a different Sabre DAC know for its high level of clarity and low THD. Anyway, for this review I will match both volume at same level and use very same IEM for comparaison, wich are the Audiosense T800, KZ ZS10PRO and Final Audio E2000.
SOUNDTSTAGE is wider with the V1-A while the BEAM have a more intimate feel to it with slightly deeper clearer background.
IMAGING is more accurate and sharp with the BEAM, but the layering is less transparent.
BASS is more roll of with the BEAM, wich give a drier, thinner presentation, where the V1-A have more roundness and thickess but less details and well defin attack-decay.
MID RANGE have more presence with the V1-A, and vocal feel wider and more foward, the BEAM win in term of accuracy, attack and definition, the clarity is better but overall presentation is brighter and more intimate.
TREBLE is notably more extended with the BEAM, highs have more sparkle and decay, we hear more micro details, but to the cost of having a metallic taste to it and slightly cold sound. V1-A sound warmer and more natural with the right pairing, while the BEAM can give you details freak wow effect.
VS Xduoo X3 (100$):
The X3 is among my favorite 100$ DAP but it isn’t as fully packed with features like the V1-A, it do not have Bluetooth, cannot be use as USB DAC and even less as portable digital DAC-AMP player. Still, it have dedicated line out and an indestructable construction with an easily DIY changeable battery (if you got basic DIY skill). It make 5 years I own mine and it still work very well, only the battery need to be changed as it now hold 2 hours only. I don’t expect V1-A to last as long, but who know. Anyway, in term of features V1-A sure feel from a futuristic device. In term of power tough, the X3 is a little more powerfull.
Sound is night and day and very opposite, due to the excellent Cirrus CS4398 dac chip of X3, the sound is more refined and lively.
BASS is tigher, faster, more detailsed as well as weightier, the separation from low end and mid bass is better too, sharper than more mixed up warmer slower and softer bass of V1-A.
MID RANGE again is more lively and have better separation, while V1-A vocal feel stick above other layers of sound, X3 have more space and deepnest due to better clarity and lower THD. Attack have more grip and timbre is brighter, wich do not tame upper mids sibilance unlike the V1-A.
TREBLE is more emphased and refined, it dig more texture to upper range instrument as well as microdetails in background of music.
VS Xduoo X3ii :
Now, we have more similar DAP, both using AKM dac, but the X3ii use higher end AK4490eq. Still it do not have as much features like Hiby link or the possibily to hook any otg dac-amp to it. As well, the battery life is lower, but the output power is higher and construction look slightly more durable due to the fact it do not have touch screen.
In term of sound, these are pretty similar, but the X3ii is more refined and musical than warmer less accurate V1-A.
BASS is more transparent, controled and smooth with X3II while V1-A is thicker bassier but with less accuracy in separation from low to mid bass.
MIDS are clearer with X3ii, and have better separation but the vocal are a little less fowards than V1-A.
TREBLE is more delicate and airy with X3ii, you will hear more micro details than V1-A.
DAC-AMP DOCKING:
Whatever I plug into the V1-A or V1 work perfectly! Its really plug and play and get recognize easily with stable connection that do not produce any clicking wich can happen with my LG G6 phone when for example I plug the Audirect BEAM. Should it be the Radsone ES100, the beam, the Xduoo XD-05 or even my strange collection of DIY DAC-AMP it work GREAT! One very important things to note is that if you plug a battery free device that is very power hungry like the one you see in the picture above, well, battery life can drown very very fast. 1 hours for some device. Still, its incredible that everything work!
CONCLUSION:
TEMPOTEC proove to be a great audio company to look at, and I can't wait for their next creation. If they can do another DAP with higher end dac as well as dedicated line out this would sure take audio world by storm. The number of features they could fitin such a tiny device is just insane, and even more the fact the firmware is very stable and that I never encounter any bugs with it.
Interface is intuitive, touch screen responsive, number of features are overwhelming in a good way, battery life is great, the sound is quite nice and if you don't like it you can hook any DAC-AMP you have it will work. Man, i'm really in admiration of this genius DAP!
If you search for the one and only DO-IT-ALL-THINK-IT-ALL DAP that have bluetooth, hiby link, diverse high end EQ, plenty of customization possibilities, docking DAC-AMP station, USB DAC, ultra portable size, great battery life and more, the TEMPOTEC V1-A is the only one to choose because unlike other DAP, he is unique and Unbeatable in term of price-features value.
For more audio reviews, please give a look at my BLOG
Attachments
LostnAmerica
Thanks for the quick reply and info. That seems like an excellent idea. A little more “busy” with the various devices, but maybe worth the sound? I love your webpage also, getting more than my share of information there 
Thx. again
Cheers
Thx. again
Cheers
nipunsdaddy
From what i read, Xduoo X3ii supports Hiby Link and OTG DAC.
Am I missing something here? Please clarify.
No offense, sir.
I'm just a newbie making a decision to buy the best DAP for my budget.
Appreciate your Nice in-depth review. KUTGW.
From what i read, Xduoo X3ii supports Hiby Link and OTG DAC.
Am I missing something here? Please clarify.
No offense, sir.
I'm just a newbie making a decision to buy the best DAP for my budget.
Appreciate your Nice in-depth review. KUTGW.
