Just received my ONIX yesterday, and wow it's big and pretty heavy for a dongle. As expected, it didn't work with my samsung A52 5G unless I power it with a power bank (with a ugreen splitter). I'm thinking of getting a light 2000-3000mAh power bank, but for now it's my PC usb dac.
My first impressions (using iem QDC 8SL at volume 9 low gain, low latency fast filter, and out of desktop PC):
It is a neutral sounding (not warm or cold) dongle, with a smooth sound that tames the treble but does not emphasise the lower-mid/mid-bass frequencies. Laid back sound. Most similar dongle I've heard is iBasso DC04pro.
What I like:
Very inoffensive sound signature, nothing sounds harsh, even when increasing the volume beyond my usual listening level
Impressive imaging and stage width & depth. Placement of instruments tend to not come near.
Good sense of impact, (eg bass/vocals jump forward during louder segments, more so than other dongles that disperse the impact even when increasing volume)
Details are clearly heard despite the smooth sound signature
SubBass rumble can really be felt over a large area in the headspace
No hiss for sensitive iem, no pop upon insertion and removal from usb port
What I don't really like:
Lack of coloration also means lack of euphoria/emotion in some songs. I prefer some colour, Tanchjim space and tempotec BHDpro do better in this regard
Shares some of the weakness of iBasso DC04pro, being overly smooth sometimes so there is lack of texture, though not as bad as DC04pro (Using low latency fast filter and increasing the volume circumvents this to an extent)
Does not have the best dynamic range. DC04pro def beats this in dynamic range (the volume range and impact in classical music is insane on DC04pro)
Though my opinion could change upon further listening, just like how DC04pro was the best dongle for me initially but ended up being put aside for the lower ranked Tanchjim space and Tempotec BHDpro
My first impressions (using iem QDC 8SL at volume 9 low gain, low latency fast filter, and out of desktop PC):
It is a neutral sounding (not warm or cold) dongle, with a smooth sound that tames the treble but does not emphasise the lower-mid/mid-bass frequencies. Laid back sound. Most similar dongle I've heard is iBasso DC04pro.
What I like:
Very inoffensive sound signature, nothing sounds harsh, even when increasing the volume beyond my usual listening level
Impressive imaging and stage width & depth. Placement of instruments tend to not come near.
Good sense of impact, (eg bass/vocals jump forward during louder segments, more so than other dongles that disperse the impact even when increasing volume)
Details are clearly heard despite the smooth sound signature
SubBass rumble can really be felt over a large area in the headspace
No hiss for sensitive iem, no pop upon insertion and removal from usb port
What I don't really like:
Lack of coloration also means lack of euphoria/emotion in some songs. I prefer some colour, Tanchjim space and tempotec BHDpro do better in this regard
Shares some of the weakness of iBasso DC04pro, being overly smooth sometimes so there is lack of texture, though not as bad as DC04pro (Using low latency fast filter and increasing the volume circumvents this to an extent)
Does not have the best dynamic range. DC04pro def beats this in dynamic range (the volume range and impact in classical music is insane on DC04pro)
Though my opinion could change upon further listening, just like how DC04pro was the best dongle for me initially but ended up being put aside for the lower ranked Tanchjim space and Tempotec BHDpro
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