[mainguy]

Just gone back to an iPhone as a Music Source (iPhone 13 mini 256GB) and decided to try the cheap Apple dongle. Using for streaming Audio Apps, currently Spotify, Tidal and trial of Apple music.

Had Mojo and Hugo2 for a while but only drive easy IEMS and found the Fiio BRT5 excellent wired & wireless (balanced) so just use that normally. Previously/recently had the Sony ZX507 too.

IEMS's used for listening test Noble K10U, Shure SE846, Fiio FD7.

To summarise my feelings (no demanding IEM's or headphones):

• As good as any built in phone 3.5mm including the LG V30 I had.
• Also had a Dragonfly Red & Cobalt, why? For more power only I'd suggest
• Sound signature is bright compared to ZX507 or BTR5, clean neutral, not as musical.
• Zero background noise, decent sound stage, wide enough. Plenty of clean impactful bass. Highs can get a bit shrill on some tracks.
• Does justice to all three of my high to very high level IEM's but still think the BTR5 has the edge mostly down to my listening preference of slightly warm & Musical.
• Obviously limited to 24/48 max and no native DSD but I can rarely tell difference with 88/96/192 vs 24/48 anyway.

For some reason Spotify and my FD7's sounds particularly good with it

Apple dongle is great. made me ditch my mojo as it still sounds fab and is easy to live with

 

[psikey]

Apple dongle is great. made me ditch my mojo as it still sounds fab and is easy to live with

Seems so if your happy maxing out at 24/48 and don't drive demanding headphones.

My journey has taken me up the audiophile/cost ladder but coming back down again to more reasonable cost and a greater emphasis on usability, not just sound quality. The IEM's/Headphones have by far the biggest impact anyway from my experience, followed by DAC/DAP components/tuning and a tiny bit due to cable so long as cables are all well made.

I've gone the balanced cable route last couple years but now realising a well produced DAC/DAP with 3.5mm is just as good as a balanced if designed well and not driving demanding kit.

My 54yo ears will likely not be as resolving as the younger members. If I was a Headphone user and still had the Sen HD800's (plus others) I would still be sticking with the Hugo 2, but just don't find wearing headphones comfy.

The solid silver cable that came with the FD7 with interchangeable 3.5/2.5/4.4mm ends is simply perfect and I've spent £200 on Sony Kimber cables in the past! Cables are more about design/comfort for me these days. I have a solid silver Litz for my K10U but use it for its lightness/comfort not so much improvement it sound (some difference due to cable resistivity).

Saying all above, I still had the upcoming Sony 1A (Japanese import) and a DX240 and Mojo2 in a store basket few times before cancelling

Its all "handbags & shoes" but for mostly men wanting to treat themselves I think. Little sounds better once you get to a certain level, just a bit different IMO. Of course, that will be different for others hearing.

Note: I'm using iPhone 13 mini purely as a music player mostly with offline files in airplane mode. Still use big screen Android as my actual phone. Battery life is great using it this way (did same with original iPhone SE 128GB previously). Only trying the Tea DAC/AMP as only £120 and a perfect fit with the iPhone (not due to me until May).

Best surprise I've had recently was buying a used (but mint) pair of Fiio FD7 for £300 out of curiosity with its single large Beryllium drivers and being really impressed with everything about it! Different enough to my treasured SE846's and also the K10U. And also some KEF LS50W2 speakers

 

[chesebert]

Lol..if you all like Apple dongle, you will $hit your pants when you hear headphone output from the new MBP 16in - unlike the dongle, MBP 16 is actually decent and can compete in the sub $1k all in one solution category

 

[psikey]

Lol..if you all like Apple dongle, you will $hit your pants when you hear headphone output from the new MBP 16in - unlike the dongle, MBP 16 is actually decent and can compete in the sub $1k all in one solution category

lol

Glad you like though

 

[chesebert]

lol

Glad you like though

God no. I don’t actually like MBP headphone output. It’s just competitive with budget fi stuff

 

[mainguy]

God no. I don’t actually like MBP headphone output. It’s just competitive with budget fi stuff

I mean Ive got a Hugo for when im jn the house. I know what a good DAC can bring to the table lol.

But when im out and about id rather use a dongle

 

[chesebert]

I mean Ive got a Hugo for when im jn the house. I know what a good DAC can bring to the table lol.

But when im out and about id rather use a dongle

Absolutely. I don’t use anything but AirPods when I am traveling. Less stuff the better when I travel. Computational audio via AirPods is good enough for me when I am outside.

 

[psikey]

Absolutely. I don’t use anything but AirPods when I am traveling. Less stuff the better when I travel. Computational audio via AirPods is good enough for me when I am outside.

Sony XM4 buds with LDAC Bluetooth. Really nice SQ for what they are. Would please many.

 

[Jmop]

Anything else compatible with iOS these days? Could be a dongle or a bigger dac/amp with an external battery. Definitely want something low hiss for iems.

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

In case you were wondering the removal of the headphone jack had nothing to do with marketing department, 99% related to increasing the water resistance of the iPhone. Too many people were dropping their iPhone into water.

I think you mean, water = toilet.

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

I heard from a friend that this Akliam iOS dongle is even better then the stock Apple one.

C$ 36.29 10%OFF | AkLIAM Type C iOS Headphone Amplifier Sound DAC Phones to 3.5mm/2.5mm/4.4mm Balanced Headset Adapter https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOtygiy

 

[Jmop]

I heard from a friend that this Akliam iOS dongle is even better then the stock Apple one.

C$ 36.29 10%OFF | AkLIAM Type C iOS Headphone Amplifier Sound DAC Phones to 3.5mm/2.5mm/4.4mm Balanced Headset Adapter https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOtygiy

Lol that thing is wild, love how they do one angled one straight.

 

[Jmop]

Actually might grab one..

 

[gregorio]

I didn’t have a way of volume matching electronically, still it didn’t matter. Someone may say that the Dongle was the straight signal and the DACMagic Plus had embellished tone?

Nope, both the dongle and the DACMagic have a virtually ruler flat/linear response.

Not sure how or what was embellished, except the DACMagic Plus was emotional and immensely superior. It was not even funny.

Nothing was “embellished” except obviously the DACMagic has a much higher voltage output, which you apparently didn’t compensate for.

The real DAC had volumes of soundstage and imaging where the Dongle was a compressed over all image.

Again nope, there is no compression of any audio property with the dongle, unless of course you are adding some before the data gets to the DAC.

The Dongle has less bass texture as well as the highs were thin and contained less detail. If this is from source, or amp line level in the DAC, don’t know?

And again, there are no differences in bass or highs, both DACs have a flat/linear frequency response. Unless of course you’re changing the response prior to the DAC (with EQ for example) or you haven’t volume matched, which would give the (false) impression of less bass texture and thin highs.

It’s a fantastic value at $9 (I got 2 of these) but it’s not even entry level audiophile quality.

That’s true, it is fantastic value and assuming we are talking about sound quality (fidelity), then it’s not entry level audiophile quality, it’s much better than entry level audiophile quality. In fact, it’s better than some mid/high level audiophile quality.

Lol..if you all like Apple dongle, you will $hit your pants when you hear headphone output from the new MBP 16in - unlike the dongle, MBP 16 is actually decent and can compete in the sub $1k all in one solution category

If the MBP 16 is actually decent then it would be “unlike the dongle” because the dongle is much better than decent. Doubt I would $hit my pants over it though because the difference (apart from voltage level output of course) is almost certainly inaudible.

G

 

[Redcarmoose]

Nope, both the dongle and the DACMagic have a virtually ruler flat/linear response.

Nothing was “embellished” except obviously the DACMagic has a much higher voltage output, which you apparently didn’t compensate for.

Again nope, there is no compression of any audio property with the dongle, unless of course you are adding some before the data gets to the DAC.

And again, there are no differences in bass or highs, both DACs have a flat/linear frequency response. Unless of course you’re changing the response prior to the DAC (with EQ for example) or you haven’t volume matched, which would give the (false) impression of less bass texture and thin highs.

That’s true, it is fantastic value and assuming we are talking about sound quality (fidelity), then it’s not entry level audiophile quality, it’s much better than entry level audiophile quality. In fact, it’s better than some mid/high level audiophile quality.

If the MBP 16 is actually decent then it would be “unlike the dongle” because the dongle is much better than decent. Doubt I would $hit my pants over it though because the difference (apart from voltage level output of course) is almost certainly inaudible.

G

Nope.....totally different sound signatures.