TempoTec March V - fully discrete Class A 2W DAC/AMP

[HiFiRobot]

New device. Personally I am slightly sceptical regarding if this is really fully discrete and true class A. But lets see if Tempotec can deliver on their claims. Pricing looks decent.

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TempoTec MARCH V Series Dual DAC chips, true balance, fully discrete Class A high output power DAC&Headphone AMP integrated audio device
- Accurate and efficient digital integration technology
- FPGA Dual Audio Clock System
- M5 uses two AK4493SEQ DAC chips
- Current drive capability of a fully discrete Class A headphone amplifier
- USB, optical, coax input
- 2xRCA out
- 2xXLR out
- Bluetooth w. LDAC option

M5
$178

M5 Bluetooth
32@Single-end 6.35mm: 425mW + 425mW
32@Balanced 4.4mm: 1750mW + 1750mW
$198

M5 Limited
32@Single-end 6.35mm: 500mW + 500mW
32@Balanced 4.4mm: 2050mW + 2050mW
$268

https://www.tempotec.net/products/tempotec-march-v

 

[HiFiRobot]

First review in English.
XLRs seems to be volume controlled. So it can be used as a preamp and will be useful for active speakers. But it seems no option to volume bypass on the XLRs. Which probably some will want for pure line out from the DAC to an AMP.

 

[orangensaft]

Hi guys,

I have the special edition of this device now for one week and i thought i share some impressions. I bought the special edition because of the cool looks even i couldn't find anything if there was something changed beside the look. After one hour of listening it seemed pretty bright to me and i couldn keep listening anymore without my ears starting to hurt. I listened about 30mins with a Sennheiser HD650 and about 30mins through the balanced xlr out into Aiyimia Monos with Dynaudio Speakers. Both had the same bright sound.
I then let the device play some music without listening in hope of getting some improvement with warming the device up but it didnt change anything. I still listened everyday for atleast an hour in hope of some improvements or me getting used to the sound but it always sounded too bright for my taste.
The online pictures of the inside of the device showed some easy to swap OP amps therefore today i thought i give it a try because it could get worse anyway. After opening the device i was pretty perplexed to see that the special edition had 2 Muse02 Op Amps and 1 NE5532 Op Amp installed. I have the Muse02 Op Amps allready installed in my Aiyima Monos and there they wont sound bright at all. The NE5532 Op Amp also had total different looking print on the top side than the standard NE5532 Op Amps from Aiyima Monos. I swapped the 2 Muse Op Amps in the March V for the old NE5532 from my Aiyimas and the one NE5532 from the March V i swapped with an oraclell-02 lying around here.
Now im listening since more than 1 hour without any ears hurting. The brightness is gone and i like it listening throught the XLR and the 4,4mm output and I'm looking forward getting even some better OP Amps to improve audio quality even more.
greetings orangensaft

 

[cleg]

My video about March V



In short — device with an outstanding value. Powerful class A amp, swappable op-amps, great sound, remote, tons of inputs-outputs, Bluetooth, and that all for just $200