[Barusu Lamperouge]

The battery issue is definitely a caveat and only partially ameliorated by going for a budget phone but with a large (5000mah) battery like my Moto. It comes down to the inability to charge and listen at the same time, and I've tried to make that happen using this dongle to no avail. 256GB and larger microSD cards help with the second issue, but that does require one to get a phone with that feature.

I will always maintain that if one likes to carry around a large library, a smartphone is going to be the best way to flip through albums on the go as even an inexpensive smartphone would be more fluid in performance than the fastest Android DAP.

It is definitely a tossup between the convenience of a one-piece solution and the value for money that can be had with dongles and DAC/amps. In the latter case, the bill of materials goes entirely to the sound reproduction bits rather than being split with the interface part. I'm perfectly happy with the Tempotec right now but if I were to upgrade, I'd definitely be looking at something like the ifi Hipdac - more power, more capability and moving up to a real stack

Don't know where you are based, in case you're in Asia i.e. near India and China there are many budget smartphones which have large ass battery (5000maH+) and inbuilt storage of 128gb expandable upto 256gb with good processing power for as little as $300. Also, I agree smartphone does provide best portable library solution as opposed to a DAP from performance standpoint. BT dongles pair up nicely with smartphones and nowadays they are available in all price brackets. Great sound quality with maximum convenience. You should check them out

 

[boost3d]

LG phones can be had for cheap. For whatever reason they depreciate like no other. I'm talking previous gen flagships.

 

[xilon]

Q140's sound is addictive to say the least. To my ears they sound so natural (but not exactly neutral) bass, mids and treble are balanced and don't bloat each other. The bass kicks with punch and power when needed. Treble is crystalline but sometimes gets very sparkly but never sibilant with good amount of details..female voices are fantastic. Soundstage is also decently large. These things sound good with every genre. They've become my favs..amongst the cheapest these are true giants killer!

 

[JEHL]

Are https://www.aliexpress.com/i/4000541099253.html and https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000789472494.html good for a KPH30i mod?

Edit: Thought I was on the cable thread. Derp.

 

[baskingshark]

I was considering the Sonata HD Pro as my first dongle until a few people on FB reported QC issues with their units.



Glad to hear all the good things about E3000. Mine should arrive in about a week's time. Can't wait.

QC problems are endemic in CHIFI I guess, it's a lottery sometimes for QC. Though I've used the Sonata HD Pro daily for around 2 - 3 months and have no problems whatsoever, and I bring them everywhere and don't treat them with kid's gloves, I dump them in pockets and bags without casings. YMMV.

Look forward to yours and @boost3d 's E3000 review.

 

[fonkepala]

QC problems are endemic in CHIFI I guess, it's a lottery sometimes for QC. Though I've used the Sonata HD Pro daily for around 2 - 3 months and have no problems whatsoever, and I bring them everywhere and don't treat them with kid's gloves, I dump them in pockets and bags without casings. YMMV.

Look forward to yours and @boost3d 's E3000 review.

Yup, I guess. Pretty much a lottery. But the guy on FB bought another Sonata HD Pro after the first one had problems and the second unit failed too. He must've been on a *very* unlucky streak.

Since I bought the Qudelix 5K I've been happy with it. Tiny (not as small as a dongle, sure) but can be used wirelessly & also connected via USB to my phone. Has a really well implemented parametric EQ. It works a treat. So I think I'm pretty much set & no need for me to go the dongle route for now.

Have you tried the VE Odyssey? If yes, what are your thoughts on them?

 

[baskingshark]

Yup, I guess. Pretty much a lottery. But the guy on FB bought another Sonata HD Pro after the first one had problems and the second unit failed too. He must've been on a *very* unlucky streak.

Since I bought the Qudelix 5K I've been happy with it. Tiny (not as small as a dongle, sure) but can be used wirelessly & also connected via USB to my phone. Has a really well implemented parametric EQ. It works a treat. So I think I'm pretty much set & no need for me to go the dongle route for now.

Have you tried the VE Odyssey? If yes, what are your thoughts on them?

Sorry haven't tried the VE Odyssey, but read quite good reviews on them, hope the others who have tried it can advise.

The Qudelix 5K looks awesome, hope to try it one day.

 

[JEHL]

Sorry haven't tried the VE Odyssey, but read quite good reviews on them, hope the others who have tried it can advise.

The Qudelix 5K looks awesome, hope to try it one day.

I'd love to see impressions on it since... I don't think I've ever seen an impression of the VE Odyssey nor the Odyssey HD for that matter.

After some search I found an impressions thread of the Odyssey HD... With a single impression on it so far... May as well be a blind buy at this point, but then again at $10 what do we have to lose. Right?

 

[fonkepala]

I'd love to see impressions on it since... I don't think I've ever seen an impression of the VE Odyssey nor the Odyssey HD for that matter.

After some search I found an impressions thread of the Odyssey HD... With a single impression on it so far... May as well be a blind buy at this point, but then again at $10 what do we have to lose. Right?

Yes there seems to be a dearth of detailed reviews on the VE Odyssey/HD, I wonder why. I've seen a few on Shopee Philippines but that's pretty limited.

 

[baskingshark]

Yes there seems to be a dearth of detailed reviews on the VE Odyssey/HD, I wonder why. I've seen a few on Shopee Philippines but that's pretty limited.

The reviews I see are mostly on shoppee and some FB audio sites of actual users who bought them, most seem to like it. Yeah $10 is worth a punt, though I'm very happy with the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro and Sabre HIFI DAC (ESS ES9280C PRO).

I think u can try your luck to ask the others in this thread about the Odyssey: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-c-to-3-5mm-adapters-dac-lets-find-the-best.908839/

 

[jeejack]

The reviews I see are mostly on shoppee and some FB audio sites of actual users who bought them, most seem to like it. Yeah $10 is worth a punt, though I'm very happy with the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro and Sabre HIFI DAC (ESS ES9280C PRO).

I think u can try your luck to ask the others in this thread about the Odyssey: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-c-to-3-5mm-adapters-dac-lets-find-the-best.908839/

What Sabre HIFI DAC ?
Thx

 

[baskingshark]

What Sabre HIFI DAC ?
Thx

I bought this at the Aliexpress Anniversary Sale: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000898095947.html for $25 USD. The computers I use recognizes it as a "Sabre HIFI DAC". The shop claims it is a ES9280C PRO chip from ESS.




Pros of ES9280C PRO ESS
- clean background, no hiss, no clicking.
- plug and play, no need driver installation.
- much more juice to drive higher impedance stuff than Tempotec Sonata HD Pro, can drive 600 ohm gear based on specs.
- double thickness in cable braiding than Tempotec Sonata HD Pro, feels more sturdy for cable bending.
- very low output impedance, low THD.
- compatible with mic.
- very musical and dynamic sounding.

Cons:
- more coloured than Tempotec Sonata HD Pro.
- soundstage is narrower than Sonata HD Pro, with lesser details, clarity, instrument separation than Sonata HD Pro.
- heats up quite a lot with use, very warm to touch, unlike Tempotec Sonata HD Pro.
- no volume controller.

I like the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro more, but Sonata HD Pro can't drive 300 ohm stuff well or planars well. Maybe if one wants a less analytical DAC and just wants to chill and listen to something more coloured, this is an option.

Anyways apologies to the others and so as not to derail this thread, I think we can discuss more about all these dongle thingies here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-c-to-3-5mm-adapters-dac-lets-find-the-best.908839/

 

[Slater]

Very nice!

 

[ShaneyMac]

Very nice!

Finally! This is what I was waiting for since SSR was out. Are they already available on Ali?

 

[Slater]

Finally! This is what I waiting for since SSR was out. Are they already available on Ali?

No, this is my own creation. Custom faceplates, polished stainless bolts, tweaked tuning...