[music4mhell]

Can i use the output of the PDV2 dac to a balanced Amp.. like from 2.5 balanced to 2 XLR balanced for input of balanced dac ?

 

[Tysun]

Can i use the output of the PDV2 dac to a balanced Amp.. like from 2.5 balanced to 2 XLR balanced for input of balanced dac ?

Not straightforward. need to ground the GND pin on those dual XLR. Reserved for seasoned DIY-er who knows what they are doing. If you need to ask how to do it - better don't. (neither do I, so I have no plan to do so). Some users have reported having their DAC fried by doing so.
Please read post #2 FAQ. [LINK]

 

[music4mhell]

ok let me wait for unbalanced version then

 

[Alboxing]

ok let me wait for unbalanced version then

yeah it's better to wait a bit, should be released in a matter of days or weeks at most. Apparently power output will be equal to the balanced one, which I think is really impressive

 

[Lohb]

PDV2 same way to switch output modes...interrupt startup phase ?
...looks like it has no sensitive IEM mode like new 9038 V2...

 

[Tysun]

PDV2 same way to switch output modes...interrupt startup phase ?
...looks like it has no sensitive IEM mode like new 9038 V2...

PDV2 no output mode selections. You select the infinite adjustment through companion BT mobile app HPToy. Also, no IEM mode, volume slider is used instead, from -81db to 0db slider.

 

[Lohb]

Anyone got MOJO to compare to PDV2 etc ?

 

[Lohb]

I am really interested in E1DA's dacs, as soon as 9038D is out imma buy it together with the powerdac.

Can somebody with the 9038S tell me if it has the typical ESS sound signature? And by "ESS sound" I mean thin, cold and overly analytic.

That's the only thing that worries me, I remember reading E1DA himself saying the 9038S type of sound is not his personal favourite, he said it was "too clean".
Some people have said that Sabre 9038 can sound full and musical when well implemented (some people described the KTB as full and "analog" sounding) but others still complained it is cold and thin...so many contraddicting infos out there.

The new 9038 DACs are a step up from previous generations of Sabre, but I'd personally only have richer/euphonic gear in front of them...not a cold monitor style....kind of yinyang principle I use for mid-fi and below gear.

 

[Lidson Mendes Br]

Awaiting the launch of the 9038D, I just bought a 3.5mm cable for the Kxxs.

 

[Charlie Norwood]

They both sound like great products, which makes deciding between difficult. Do you think it is worth getting both PDV2 and 9038s? Or do you find you actually tend to use one more than the other? Thanks.

The PDV2 I consider the E1DA flagship, even at the lower price, so if you are only going to get one, that's what I would recommend. I also currently use it more than the 9038S - though that might be because I'm mostly listening with to the TinHiFi P1 right now and the 9038S doesn't quite have enough juice for them IMO.

But the 9038s is great because it's so portable (though still needs a powerbank when connected to most phones) and it's super clean and has a good amount of power. I think it can also depend on your set up and how you EQ things. If you EQ on your computer or phone and already have that set up to your liking, then the 9038S might be the best option. If you don't EQ much on your source, then 9038S might be too clean - not to mention you need to use software volume on your source to adjust volume with 9038S - which can cause issues with phones/apps that only use hardware/global volume, and can be dangerous if you're using really sensitive IEMs.

So I think if you are looking for overall versatility and the most power, the PDV2 is the way to go.

If you're looking for a super transparent DAC that can power many headphones on its own but also provides a really clean balanced signal for a pair-able amp, then 9038S is great. If you want the DAC but not balanced output, wait for the 9038D.

 

[Alboxing]

The new 9038 DACs are a step up from previous generations of Sabre, but I'd personally only have richer/euphonic gear in front of them...not a cold monitor style....kind of yinyang principle I use for mid-fi and below gear.

yeah that is SO true.... in this hobby, components matching is EVERYTHING.

just days ago I had a "aha moment" while using my Sabaj da3 dac ( dual sabre 9018 ). I had put it aside for a while because I considered it too bright/analytical for my taste, and recently I had been using a sennheiser HD559 (which is kinda boomy, low mids are thick and lacks high mids/treble).

So I tried this combo and I was like "man this dac sounds hella good", seemed to give this hd559 all the clarity and top end that it normally lacks on most other sources but without making it harsh or sibilant.
So I was kinda re-evaluating the ESS dacs in a positive light.

But now I tried my da3 with other headphones that are objectively much more neutral and man I was immediately reminded of why I had put it aside!

It was immediately apparent the "classic" ESS presentation : cold and thin and not realistic at all to me.

However I do know that the sound of a device is way more complex that just the dac chip used, hence why I am willing to buy the 9038 made by E1DA.

 

[Alboxing]

The PDV2 I consider the E1DA flagship, even at the lower price, so if you are only going to get one, that's what I would recommend. I also currently use it more than the 9038S - though that might be because I'm mostly listening with to the TinHiFi P1 right now and the 9038S doesn't quite have enough juice for them IMO.

But the 9038s is great because it's so portable (though still needs a powerbank when connected to most phones) and it's super clean and has a good amount of power. I think it can also depend on your set up and how you EQ things. If you EQ on your computer or phone and already have that set up to your liking, then the 9038S might be the best option. If you don't EQ much on your source, then 9038S might be too clean - not to mention you need to use software volume on your source to adjust volume with 9038S - which can cause issues with phones/apps that only use hardware/global volume, and can be dangerous if you're using really sensitive IEMs.

So I think if you are looking for overall versatility and the most power, the PDV2 is the way to go.

If you're looking for a super transparent DAC that can power many headphones on its own but also provides a really clean balanced signal for a pair-able amp, then 9038S is great. If you want the DAC but not balanced output, wait for the 9038D.

May I ask you a question?

I just noticed in your sig that you have an iDSD micro BL, which is said to sound very "analog", how does the powerdac sound compared to it?

 

[Isloo]

The PDV2 I consider the E1DA flagship, even at the lower price, so if you are only going to get one, that's what I would recommend. I also currently use it more than the 9038S - though that might be because I'm mostly listening with to the TinHiFi P1 right now and the 9038S doesn't quite have enough juice for them IMO.

But the 9038s is great because it's so portable (though still needs a powerbank when connected to most phones) and it's super clean and has a good amount of power. I think it can also depend on your set up and how you EQ things. If you EQ on your computer or phone and already have that set up to your liking, then the 9038S might be the best option. If you don't EQ much on your source, then 9038S might be too clean - not to mention you need to use software volume on your source to adjust volume with 9038S - which can cause issues with phones/apps that only use hardware/global volume, and can be dangerous if you're using really sensitive IEMs.

So I think if you are looking for overall versatility and the most power, the PDV2 is the way to go.

If you're looking for a super transparent DAC that can power many headphones on its own but also provides a really clean balanced signal for a pair-able amp, then 9038S is great. If you want the DAC but not balanced output, wait for the 9038D.

Thank you very much for the feedback. I was thinking of getting both, but from what you say, I now think I will order PDV2 first and see wait for an iteration of the 9038 that has a volume control. Also, i’m not really looking for the most transparent source. It was the better portability of the 9038 that was appealing. Thanks again.

 

[Lohb]

Think I'll get PDV2 asap...one for cans, one for IEMs.
Both a steal.

 

[bobbooo]

The PDV2 I consider the E1DA flagship, even at the lower price, so if you are only going to get one, that's what I would recommend. I also currently use it more than the 9038S - though that might be because I'm mostly listening with to the TinHiFi P1 right now and the 9038S doesn't quite have enough juice for them IMO.

But the 9038s is great because it's so portable (though still needs a powerbank when connected to most phones) and it's super clean and has a good amount of power. I think it can also depend on your set up and how you EQ things. If you EQ on your computer or phone and already have that set up to your liking, then the 9038S might be the best option. If you don't EQ much on your source, then 9038S might be too clean - not to mention you need to use software volume on your source to adjust volume with 9038S - which can cause issues with phones/apps that only use hardware/global volume, and can be dangerous if you're using really sensitive IEMs.

So I think if you are looking for overall versatility and the most power, the PDV2 is the way to go.

If you're looking for a super transparent DAC that can power many headphones on its own but also provides a really clean balanced signal for a pair-able amp, then 9038S is great. If you want the DAC but not balanced output, wait for the 9038D.

I wouldn't say the PDv2 is the flagship, as it has higher distortion and lower signal to noise ratio than the 9038S.

See the PDv2 measurements here: https://e1dashz.wixsite.com/index/pdv2

And the 9038S here: https://e1dashz.wixsite.com/index/9038s

I don't know how any DAC/amp can be considered too clean. If you want to hear the music as the artist and audio engineers intended when they mastered it, you want a DAC and amp that are completely audibly transparent, and the 9038S is that. The PDv2 is not, as it has audible distortion. The hardware parametric EQ is a great feature to have though, but if you want that without comprimising on distortion levels and so degrading the music, I would think miniDSP's IL-DSP would be a better option (it also has a 10-band EQ to the PDv2's 7-band), see here: https://www.minidsp.com/products/plate-amplifiers/il-dsp-headphone-amp