[a-LeXx]

Impedance shouldn‘t be an issue. DFC has been measured to have 0.1-0.2Ohm output impedance. It should be actually the same as with DFR, because exactly the same output stage is being used...

 

[soufiaj]

I have both DFR and DFC, to me the DFC for sure sounded much relaxed and less harsh on the highs. Also there were no hiss with my SE846 + ALO Ref 8 cable.

ONLY...

...after 5 month of use (NOT EVERYDAY)... the DFC starts developing wiggle. I am always babying it since the day it is unboxed and felt so lucky to have the non-wiggle unit. Of course the sound is not cutting out intermittently like OP have mentioned but this is pretty scary for a long run!

Now since I just have got spare FiiO BTR5, it is another beast on it’s own league IMO and it is so much cheaper than the DFC.

Only I have yet to decide if I should stay with the BTR5 or DFC... hmmmm wiggle wiggle wiggle.

 

[Chikolad]

Well, after 2 weeks of having the DFC in an online cart, battling with myself whether I should or shouldn't, I finally pulled the trigger!
Here's hoping I find the purchase justified after I get it

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

Hello, I have a question to anyone that owns a E1DA 9038s Gen 2. I have it and it's so far my portable end game I even use it heaps when at home as it is more convenient than my Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies Gen 2. I also own the Dragonfly Red and can easily say the 9038s is a massive step up sq wise. The E1DA 9038s has much better extension on both ends, more neutral tonality, the mids are crystal clear and have heaps of detail and clarity is much more improved as well with dynamics and texture. I got the dragonfly red in a bundle when I bought myself a Focal Elegia, so the dragonfly red is being used every now and then but I much prefer the sound of the 9038s. I am curious though if anyone has heard the Cobalt and 9038s and can do a comparison of the two. The 9038s is a bargain and I have read it measures better than the Cobalt but measurements does not mean it sounds better. Some people have said the 9038s sounds better, I for one can say it can fight against my Fiio Q5s with AM3d module, the Q5S with the module does have a slightly bigger soundstage, a touch more clarity but detail feels the same while the E1DA 9038s has a touch more low end and dynamics feel slightly quicker. I'm just curious how it stacks up to the Cobalt as I havent heard it. And I do like collecting dacs but if the E1DA 9038s gen 2 and Fiio Q5s sound better, I'll skip the Cobalt. I use the E1DA 9038s on mode 1 ( Normal mode ) but when I want to push it, performance mode is my choice but drains the battery more but performs extremely close to the Fiio Q5s in terms of clarity and soundstage. It's that good

 

[a-LeXx]

My DFC is here. First check, no wiggle... Good.
Second check, SE846. The background is not absolutely black, but barely noticeable faint hiss, negligible. Night and day difference to DFR (which I still have and will continue using in a different setup).
So, because of much better background noise with SE846 the DFC is already a clear upgrade vs DFR for me.
To the sound - I didn't do any comparisons DFR<->DFC. Overall, a familiar sound signature that I'm used to, maybe DFC has a bit better soundstage from the first listen, anyway I'm not disappointed. Maybe will do some critical listening and comparison between DFR/DFC later but most likely not. I like the sound, and I prefer listening to music and enjoying it over testing, which I do enough for living...

 

[a-LeXx]

Just a short comment after few albums: DFC is doing exactly what I was expecting it to do and is a perfect match for an SE846 (I use white filters).
Sound quality seems to be better than DFR, as I measure it in amount of shivers per album I'm getting when listening to music, and with DFC and SE846 it's so far more than with DFR. Albums that already sounded good with DFR sound better with DFC, it is somehow more transparent, maybe a bit less midbass as well, very clean but not clinical sound.
For those who like female vocals I can only recommend Karen Souza "Velvet Vault" album. Was not bad with DFR neither, but with DFC and SE846 I'm getting an impression like she is siting on my lap whispering into my ears

 

[a-LeXx]

Another short update: listened to DFC with my T5p.2. Very nice. I liked my T5p.2 on DFR, hated it on Apple‘s dongle (too digital and harsh). On DFC, the main sound signature is similar to DFR, with a bit softer presentation, and a bit less midbass. I like this, as T5p.2 for my ears has a bitt too much of midbass, and a bit softer presentation is also nice with this headphone which is not known for being gentle in a treble department.

I will continue using DFR as a DAC for my HD600 setup, as HD600 actually benefits from a bit more energetic presentation given by DFR, and due to separate amplification I‘m using in that setup the extra ‚air‘ of DFC would be getting lost to some extent anyway.

What I like in DFC is that it is really representing a shortest signal path to the ES9038 DAC. No big amplification stages, no volume control, just a sabre headphone amp, which is actually nothing more than a low-noise buffer. That makes the sound on low-impedance easy-to-drive headphones very transparent and airy. Any additional amplification stage, even the best one, will introduce it‘s own distortions/sound signature and remove a bit of that ‚air‘.

To the reasons why a DFC is a better option for me than any other DAC on the market (in no particular order):
1. Compact size.
2. Doesn't drain iPhone's battery too much. Any other similar chifi implementation is using a different USB tranceiver chip which either doesn't run off iPhone at all or is draining the battery too fast.
3. Almost dead silent with SE846
4. I can check the actual bit rate based on the LED color
5. MQA
6. Very short signal path
7. Sounds good
8. Line-out with 2V

I don't know of any other device on the market that would cover all mentioned points.

 

[118900]

My DFC is here. First check, no wiggle... Good.
Second check, SE846. The background is not absolutely black, but barely noticeable faint hiss, negligible. Night and day difference to DFR (which I still have and will continue using in a different setup).
So, because of much better background noise with SE846 the DFC is already a clear upgrade vs DFR for me.
To the sound - I didn't do any comparisons DFR<->DFC. Overall, a familiar sound signature that I'm used to, maybe DFC has a bit better soundstage from the first listen, anyway I'm not disappointed. Maybe will do some critical listening and comparison between DFR/DFC later but most likely not. I like the sound, and I prefer listening to music and enjoying it to testing, which I do enough for living...

very glad you're pleased with it!

Just a short comment after few albums: DFC is doing exactly what I was expecting it to do and is a perfect match for an SE846 (I use white filters).
Sound quality seems to be better than DFR, as I measure it in amount of shivers per album I'm getting when listening to music, and with DFC and SE846 it's so far more than with DFR. Albums that already sounded good with DFR sound better with DFC, it is somehow more transparent, maybe a bit less midbass as well, very clean but not clinical sound.
For those who like female vocals I can only recommend Karen Souza "Velvet Vault" album. Was not bad with DFR neither, but with DFC and SE846 I'm getting an impression like she is siting on my lap whispering into my ears

where you using the white filters with the DFR as well?

 

[a-LeXx]

very glad you're pleased with it!

where you using the white filters with the DFR as well?

sure

 

[118900]

sure

ok, just wanted to double check. I love the DFC for the same reasons you listed. its perfect for travelling too

 

[edisonwu]

I am using below Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter to connect the COBALT with my iPhone.
https://www.apple.com/ca/shop/product/MK0W2AM/A/lightning-to-usb-3-camera-adapter

I have found that if I put an additonal powersupply from a USB to the lightning plug on the adapter, the sound becomes sturdier and gives slightly more punch.
Anyone else the same as me?

 

[a-LeXx]

I am using below Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter to connect the COBALT with my iPhone.
https://www.apple.com/ca/shop/product/MK0W2AM/A/lightning-to-usb-3-camera-adapter

I have found that if I put an additonal powersupply from a USB to the lightning plug on the adapter, the sound becomes sturdier and gives slightly more punch.
Anyone else the same as me?

I don't hear this...

 

[118900]

I don't hear this...

I have to say I don't either (I have both the CCK lightning to USB, one with and one without the additional lightning socket) and cannot hear any difference between them.

I know that Audioquest state on their website that the "simple" version can sometimes have sound quality issues with their Dragonflies (occasional random clicks etc), however this was identified as an iOS issue and after apple updated the iOS a couple of years ago these issues disappeared (from mine at least).

 

[stereonerd]

Hoping to hear a review of the EarMen Sparrow - Which looks very promising for the price, $100 lower than the cobalt. Anyone have any information? https://earmen-shop.com/products/sparrow

 

[a-LeXx]

Hoping to hear a review of the EarMen Sparrow - Which looks very promising for the price, $100 lower than the cobalt. Anyone have any information? https://earmen-shop.com/products/sparrow

Actually overpriced. For dragonflies, the developers had at least to put together 3 main components (USB tranceiver implemented with an mcu, DAC and an amp), do some coding for the mcu and so on. Sparrow is a single chip implementation, actually a student could design this one, as it combines literally everything in one chip. So, asking $200 for this is WAY too much, this is a chip intended for usage in smartphones and similar devices...

I think later this year we will see lots of similar devices from China for $50-$70, as it‘s a very simple design not even requiring any real engineering, difficult to screw. Add a bit of power filtering - and you are basically done, everything else is already in a package...