There are things big smartphone companies do that make no real sense – removing the 3.5mm socket is one of them. But unfortunately for us the consumer, we don’t really get to say much about it. What we do get to say however, is whether you want to utilize the wired or the wireless option to connect your headphone back to the smartphone. With streaming fast becoming the dominant form of music consumption - the pig-tail style, minimalistic high quality sound adapters have suddenly grows enormously popular among audiophiles who still want to use their old expensive headphones with their new smartphone but don’t want to carry a full-sized DAC/amp, or perhaps just the idea of “lossy” Bluetooth audio is enough to push them to the wired camp. Regardless, as one of those who is reluctant but nevertheless being forced to settle in this new age without 3.5mm socket, here are the impression of the few Type-C adapters that I have gotten my hands on:
Sony EC260
GMMYEE Type-C adapter (generic Qualcomm WCD9375 variance)
Audirect / hiliDAC Atom Pro
Audirect / hiliDAC Beam 2
From left: Audirect HiliDAC Beam 2, atom Pro, GMMYEE and EC260
Spec
Sony EC260
Headset supported
PC’’s USB DAC not supported
MSRP: n/a (*free with smartphone purchase)
GMMYEE Type-C adapter
DAC: Qualcomm WCD9375
PCM up to 32/384, DSD64, and DSD128 supported
SNR >122dB
THD+N: -105dBFS (0.0003%)
Crosstalk: -100dBFS
Power Consumption: 19~29mA (average 23mA)
Headset supported
PC’s USB DAC supported
MSRP: US$16
Audirect / hiliDAC Atom Pro
DAC: ESS ES9281C PRO
Output: 60mW @ 32ohm
PCM up to 32/384, DSD64, DSD128 and MQA supported
Output Impedance < 1 ohm
SNR: 118dB
THD+N: 0.0003%
Headset supported
PC’s USB DAC supported
MSRP: US$70
Audirect / hiliDAC Beam 2
DAC: Dual ESS ES9281C PRO
Dual Output: Single-ended 3.5mm (110mW @ 32 ohm) + Balanced 2.5mm (240mW @ 32ohm)
PCM up to 32/384, DSD64, DSD128 and MQA supported
Output Impedance < 1 ohm
SNR: 118dB
THD+N: 0.0003%
Headset not supported
PC’s USB DAC supported
MSRP: US140
Prelude
Sony EC260 is the stock Type-C adapter that comes with my Xperia 5. Testing reveals that it is the only adapter tested here that can’t be used as a USB DAC on PC, and only supports the few Sony Xperia smartphone that doesn’t have a 3.5mm socket and nothing else. It is likely Sony is using its own codec chips inside the EC260, which results in very limited compatibility.
GMMYEE Type-C adapter is one of many variances of Type-C adapter coming out of China. Most of the really cheap one use Realtek codec chips (ALC40xx variances) that are only half decent sounding. The reason I picked this particular adapter is because it uses the rarer Qualcomm codec (WCD9375), which generally regarded as better than Realtek. Unless specified, most of these adapter tend to stick to their reference design and thus if you get another Qualcomm WCD9375 based adapter from another Chinese brands, SQ is likely going to be similar if not identical. Same goes for Reaktek based adapter as well.
Both Audirect adapters use ESS ES9281C Pro as their codec chips, though Beam 2 employ a dual chips setup for a full balanced output, plus dual opamp to further increase its output power. The downside is that Beam 2 can only be used as a DAC/amp and doesn’t support mic input (and thus doesn’t support headset). Atom Pro on the other hand can be used with headset and supports mic input, acting more like a normal Type-C adapter but doesn’t quite have the same level of output power as Beam 2 (more on this later). While I used both as Type-C adapter, note that atom Pro also comes in Lightning connector version that you can used with iOS devices. Beam 2 on the other hand has removable cable design and already come with microUSB and Lightning cable, besides Type-C.
Measurement and Sound
As usual, my evaluation started with some basic measurements. Since these adapter are all powered by the smartphone itself, you can imagine a higher output will definitely draw more power from the smartphone’s battery. For power draw test, I used a Type-C-to-Type-C pass-through voltage/current meter as well as a 47ohm dummy load, max volume with a 1kHz sine wave test tone on my Xperia 5. The result, while not the most accurate, should provide some reference: Sony EC260 draws so little current (< 12mA) that the meter didn’t even register a reading. It should have close-to-minimal impact (*if any, compared to the dual speaker on my Xperia 5) on battery life. GMMYEE draws close to 100mW, atom Pro draws around 390mW and Beam 2 draws around 560mW with single-ended output and around 660mW with balanced output, pretty much close to the edge of what USB device can draw from a low power USB port (*meaning if it draws more power than that, compatibility with portable sources, i.e. smartphones, will become a problem). These number also in a way indicates the output power of the adapter.
Using the same test rig as above, output impedance is measured to be - Sony EC260: 10 ohm; GMMYEE: < 1 ohm; atom Pro: 15.5 ohm; Beam 2 SE: 1.2 ohm / BAL: 1.7 ohm. The result is somewhat surprising for the atom Pro with the worst number (*measured twice to confirm). This won’t be a problem for most single driver headset or headphone, but definitely isn’t good news for most multi-drivers.
RMAA test is done via Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 (1st Gen.) and 16 ohm dummy load on PC. I didn’t test EC260 as it can’t be used as an USB DAC, though in all likeliness it won’t measure well. GMMYEE result is mediocre at best: Big roll-off (-3dB) around 11~12kHz, relatively high noise and distortion with half-decent crosstalk. Both the Audirect on the other hand measured quite well: perfectly flat frequency response, very low noise and distortion (*slightly worst THD on Beam 2 balanced output but still a well-respected number nonetheless) and good crosstalk figures (*plus exceptional good number on Beam 2 balanced output, as expected).
Last but not least on measurement - at this point I think it is clear that the listed spec of all the adapters don't quite match up with the measured result, with atom Pro and Beam 2 closer to spec while GMMYEE all over the place. So the take home point is that, don't take spec as it is.
Subjective impression wise, EC260 doesn’t sound any better than what you will expect from most smartphone’s 3.5mm – it is a dull sound tilting toward warmth, nothing much to write home about except that it comes free with the smartphone (*I won’t really recommend anyone to buy one). I can almost max the volume out with my Etymotic ER4S - and judging from the measurement out of the dummy load, it probably has single digit output power (and probably at the lower single digit range too).
GMMYEE on the other hand does sound half-decent despite not particularly great measurement result. It has a clean and mostly neutral sound signature - slightly lacking in sparkle (*no double caused by the roll-off), a little grainy in texture but with a decent soundstage. Overall, I will compare it to a decent lower end DAP, which is not too bad for the $16 that I paid for it.
Audirect atom Pro is on a whole different level in listening compared to the previous two: It is slightly on the cold side of presentation, crisp and sparkly with a big emphasis on an airy soundstage (*which isn’t that far off from my previous experience with other ESS DAC chips). If not for the colder presentation, it could have been a very grand sounding DAC/amp. Regardless, it really does impressed me on first listening. It is a properly good sounding Type-C adapter that has the SQ to appeal to audiophiles
The first thing to note for the Audirect Beam 2 is that the max 3.5mm output volume is actually a little less than atom Pro, where the 2.5mm balanced volume is a bit more. Having double up with the same ESS codec chip as atom Pro, Beam 2’s sound signature remains fairly similar to that of atom Pro, with an overall neutral and airy presentation that is ever so slightly on the colder side, though not nearly as obvious as atom Pro. In a sense, Beam 2 is tonally more balanced than atom Pro. This observation is true for both single-ended as well as balanced output, with balanced output having an even bigger and airier soundstage. It truly does transforms any smartphone into an audiophile’s source.
[UPDATE] Impression on atom Pro and Beam 2 on new firmware at here.
Last but not least, let’s talk about MQA – I tested a few MQA samples using UAPP on both Audirect, though I can’t be 100% certain whether the MQA certified DAC inside both Audirect has done the 2nd unfolding or not as it looked to me that UAPP might have just done the 1st unfolding. The LED indicator on both Audirect isn’t exactly useful either. I wish there is more color on the LED to clearly indicate hardware level MQA unfolding. In any case, regardless where it is 1st or 2nd unfold, I can’t say I have heard any distinct difference between MQA and non-MQA sample music – though it could be of many reasons. Maybe I just didn’t have the right sample for testing. In any case, I don’t really subscript to any streaming service that offers MQA so it isn’t a main concern for me, but more like a bonus feature as both Audirect are already plenty good sounding on their own.
Sum-up
Can’t really recommend the Sony EC260, though it also doesn’t need to be recommended for something that is supposed to be free. GMMYEE on the other hand is not a bad buy for $16, but obviously it has its limitation. Still, it is cheap enough to have around as a half-decent backup. Atom Pro is really the first good sound Type-C adapter I ever tested, and the $70 asking price is still quite acceptable. My only gripe with it is its rather high output impedance. I use mostly single driver headphones so it is fine for me, but it isn’t going to be ideal for those with multi-drivers. Beam 2 on the other hand does everything just about right – well, could have be better with both 2.5mm and 3.5mm sockets pointing downward instead of to the side, though I do understand Audirect probably designed it that way to keep the footprint to a minimum. The asking price however does seem a bit high and probably would have been more competitive if it was around $120 or less. Then again, it does offer both single-end as well as balanced output, not to mention MQA support – those are rare features to find on one single Type-C adapter.
Disclaimer: Audirect atom Pro and Beam 2 are provided to me for free by HifiGo / Audirect for review purpose.
Sony EC260
GMMYEE Type-C adapter (generic Qualcomm WCD9375 variance)
Audirect / hiliDAC Atom Pro
Audirect / hiliDAC Beam 2
From left: Audirect HiliDAC Beam 2, atom Pro, GMMYEE and EC260
Spec
Sony EC260
Headset supported
PC’’s USB DAC not supported
MSRP: n/a (*free with smartphone purchase)
GMMYEE Type-C adapter
DAC: Qualcomm WCD9375
PCM up to 32/384, DSD64, and DSD128 supported
SNR >122dB
THD+N: -105dBFS (0.0003%)
Crosstalk: -100dBFS
Power Consumption: 19~29mA (average 23mA)
Headset supported
PC’s USB DAC supported
MSRP: US$16
Audirect / hiliDAC Atom Pro
DAC: ESS ES9281C PRO
Output: 60mW @ 32ohm
PCM up to 32/384, DSD64, DSD128 and MQA supported
Output Impedance < 1 ohm
SNR: 118dB
THD+N: 0.0003%
Headset supported
PC’s USB DAC supported
MSRP: US$70
Audirect / hiliDAC Beam 2
DAC: Dual ESS ES9281C PRO
Dual Output: Single-ended 3.5mm (110mW @ 32 ohm) + Balanced 2.5mm (240mW @ 32ohm)
PCM up to 32/384, DSD64, DSD128 and MQA supported
Output Impedance < 1 ohm
SNR: 118dB
THD+N: 0.0003%
Headset not supported
PC’s USB DAC supported
MSRP: US140
Prelude
Sony EC260 is the stock Type-C adapter that comes with my Xperia 5. Testing reveals that it is the only adapter tested here that can’t be used as a USB DAC on PC, and only supports the few Sony Xperia smartphone that doesn’t have a 3.5mm socket and nothing else. It is likely Sony is using its own codec chips inside the EC260, which results in very limited compatibility.
GMMYEE Type-C adapter is one of many variances of Type-C adapter coming out of China. Most of the really cheap one use Realtek codec chips (ALC40xx variances) that are only half decent sounding. The reason I picked this particular adapter is because it uses the rarer Qualcomm codec (WCD9375), which generally regarded as better than Realtek. Unless specified, most of these adapter tend to stick to their reference design and thus if you get another Qualcomm WCD9375 based adapter from another Chinese brands, SQ is likely going to be similar if not identical. Same goes for Reaktek based adapter as well.
Both Audirect adapters use ESS ES9281C Pro as their codec chips, though Beam 2 employ a dual chips setup for a full balanced output, plus dual opamp to further increase its output power. The downside is that Beam 2 can only be used as a DAC/amp and doesn’t support mic input (and thus doesn’t support headset). Atom Pro on the other hand can be used with headset and supports mic input, acting more like a normal Type-C adapter but doesn’t quite have the same level of output power as Beam 2 (more on this later). While I used both as Type-C adapter, note that atom Pro also comes in Lightning connector version that you can used with iOS devices. Beam 2 on the other hand has removable cable design and already come with microUSB and Lightning cable, besides Type-C.
Measurement and Sound
As usual, my evaluation started with some basic measurements. Since these adapter are all powered by the smartphone itself, you can imagine a higher output will definitely draw more power from the smartphone’s battery. For power draw test, I used a Type-C-to-Type-C pass-through voltage/current meter as well as a 47ohm dummy load, max volume with a 1kHz sine wave test tone on my Xperia 5. The result, while not the most accurate, should provide some reference: Sony EC260 draws so little current (< 12mA) that the meter didn’t even register a reading. It should have close-to-minimal impact (*if any, compared to the dual speaker on my Xperia 5) on battery life. GMMYEE draws close to 100mW, atom Pro draws around 390mW and Beam 2 draws around 560mW with single-ended output and around 660mW with balanced output, pretty much close to the edge of what USB device can draw from a low power USB port (*meaning if it draws more power than that, compatibility with portable sources, i.e. smartphones, will become a problem). These number also in a way indicates the output power of the adapter.
Using the same test rig as above, output impedance is measured to be - Sony EC260: 10 ohm; GMMYEE: < 1 ohm; atom Pro: 15.5 ohm; Beam 2 SE: 1.2 ohm / BAL: 1.7 ohm. The result is somewhat surprising for the atom Pro with the worst number (*measured twice to confirm). This won’t be a problem for most single driver headset or headphone, but definitely isn’t good news for most multi-drivers.
RMAA test is done via Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 (1st Gen.) and 16 ohm dummy load on PC. I didn’t test EC260 as it can’t be used as an USB DAC, though in all likeliness it won’t measure well. GMMYEE result is mediocre at best: Big roll-off (-3dB) around 11~12kHz, relatively high noise and distortion with half-decent crosstalk. Both the Audirect on the other hand measured quite well: perfectly flat frequency response, very low noise and distortion (*slightly worst THD on Beam 2 balanced output but still a well-respected number nonetheless) and good crosstalk figures (*plus exceptional good number on Beam 2 balanced output, as expected).
Last but not least on measurement - at this point I think it is clear that the listed spec of all the adapters don't quite match up with the measured result, with atom Pro and Beam 2 closer to spec while GMMYEE all over the place. So the take home point is that, don't take spec as it is.
Subjective impression wise, EC260 doesn’t sound any better than what you will expect from most smartphone’s 3.5mm – it is a dull sound tilting toward warmth, nothing much to write home about except that it comes free with the smartphone (*I won’t really recommend anyone to buy one). I can almost max the volume out with my Etymotic ER4S - and judging from the measurement out of the dummy load, it probably has single digit output power (and probably at the lower single digit range too).
GMMYEE on the other hand does sound half-decent despite not particularly great measurement result. It has a clean and mostly neutral sound signature - slightly lacking in sparkle (*no double caused by the roll-off), a little grainy in texture but with a decent soundstage. Overall, I will compare it to a decent lower end DAP, which is not too bad for the $16 that I paid for it.
Audirect atom Pro is on a whole different level in listening compared to the previous two: It is slightly on the cold side of presentation, crisp and sparkly with a big emphasis on an airy soundstage (*which isn’t that far off from my previous experience with other ESS DAC chips). If not for the colder presentation, it could have been a very grand sounding DAC/amp. Regardless, it really does impressed me on first listening. It is a properly good sounding Type-C adapter that has the SQ to appeal to audiophiles
The first thing to note for the Audirect Beam 2 is that the max 3.5mm output volume is actually a little less than atom Pro, where the 2.5mm balanced volume is a bit more. Having double up with the same ESS codec chip as atom Pro, Beam 2’s sound signature remains fairly similar to that of atom Pro, with an overall neutral and airy presentation that is ever so slightly on the colder side, though not nearly as obvious as atom Pro. In a sense, Beam 2 is tonally more balanced than atom Pro. This observation is true for both single-ended as well as balanced output, with balanced output having an even bigger and airier soundstage. It truly does transforms any smartphone into an audiophile’s source.
[UPDATE] Impression on atom Pro and Beam 2 on new firmware at here.
Last but not least, let’s talk about MQA – I tested a few MQA samples using UAPP on both Audirect, though I can’t be 100% certain whether the MQA certified DAC inside both Audirect has done the 2nd unfolding or not as it looked to me that UAPP might have just done the 1st unfolding. The LED indicator on both Audirect isn’t exactly useful either. I wish there is more color on the LED to clearly indicate hardware level MQA unfolding. In any case, regardless where it is 1st or 2nd unfold, I can’t say I have heard any distinct difference between MQA and non-MQA sample music – though it could be of many reasons. Maybe I just didn’t have the right sample for testing. In any case, I don’t really subscript to any streaming service that offers MQA so it isn’t a main concern for me, but more like a bonus feature as both Audirect are already plenty good sounding on their own.
Sum-up
Can’t really recommend the Sony EC260, though it also doesn’t need to be recommended for something that is supposed to be free. GMMYEE on the other hand is not a bad buy for $16, but obviously it has its limitation. Still, it is cheap enough to have around as a half-decent backup. Atom Pro is really the first good sound Type-C adapter I ever tested, and the $70 asking price is still quite acceptable. My only gripe with it is its rather high output impedance. I use mostly single driver headphones so it is fine for me, but it isn’t going to be ideal for those with multi-drivers. Beam 2 on the other hand does everything just about right – well, could have be better with both 2.5mm and 3.5mm sockets pointing downward instead of to the side, though I do understand Audirect probably designed it that way to keep the footprint to a minimum. The asking price however does seem a bit high and probably would have been more competitive if it was around $120 or less. Then again, it does offer both single-end as well as balanced output, not to mention MQA support – those are rare features to find on one single Type-C adapter.
Disclaimer: Audirect atom Pro and Beam 2 are provided to me for free by HifiGo / Audirect for review purpose.
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