[rocketron]

There doesn't seem to be much love or coverage of the AK HC3 around. They finally became available here last week and I picked one up. Great sound, pity I sold the PEE51 some time ago so can't do a direct comparison (although I do have the HC2, but it's hard to compare directly given the different outputs on each).

For me it's love at first listen. Great deep thump to kick drums, smooth and enticing vocals, and nothing fatiguing or too prominent to take away from the experience. It seems fairly powerful - I'm only using it with B&W P7s, which are easy to drive, but I have the volume set a bit lower than usual compared to other SE dongles I've tried. I measure the power draw as around 570-580 mW, which is actually the highest out of the dongles I've tested (Chronos, Questyle M12 & M15, Shanling UA3, DC04 Pro).

How does it compare sound wise against the Questyle M15 and Ibasso DC04 Pro?

 

[Jet Black]

.

 

[Jet Black]

For those interested in seeing the actual production unit of HIBY FC6 DARWIN, check this YouTube footage:
The only R2R dongle to exist after Cayin RU6, expected to be released soon.

I am anxiously waiting for the full review of this and compare it to the top dogs cayin ru6 and ibasso dc03 pro

 

[OspreyAndy]

I am anxiously waiting for the full review of this and compare it to the top dogs cayin ru6 and ibasso dc03 pro

I plan to complete it this Friday

 

[backdrifter]

Finally received my Tanchjim Space. I spent like 1 hour using it with the Dusk, and swapping with the TempoTec Sonata E44 listening to different songs to compare. Even though both are 4.4 mm balanced, 2 x CS43131 chip, independent volume controls and great measuring, still I think the Space wins with a tiny bit more resolution and textures on instruments. And the E44 is no slouch at all, so that is very impressive from Space. Highly recommended.

I just got mine recently and I can second this. I'm very impressed with it.

 

[someyoungguy]

How does it compare sound wise against the Questyle M15 and Ibasso DC04 Pro?

I've only had the DC04Pro for a bit over a week or so, and feel like I still need some time with it. I've seen others talk of the DC03 Pro as being colored, maybe slightly V-shaped, and what I hear from the DC04 Pro seems to fit that same mold. But I did some brief comparisons today going back and forth with the same tracks, comparing the single-ended output on each with my B&W P7s. Here's a few listening notes:

Ibasso DC04 Pro:
Full-bodied, deep bass. Slightly v-shaped sound; more emphasis on bass and treble notes or instruments, such as hi-hats and cymbals, than my other dongles. There's "sharper" edges to notes, for lack of a better word, but after a minute my brain gets used to it and it's not too harsh at all. Certainly for the price a great sounding device, amazing how much you get for the money these days. Given this is just the SE output, that makes me think the DC03 Pro would be a steal.

M15:
The M15 is so good I re-bought it after selling it earlier on There's something about the current amplification that gives it a different character. Generally it does very well with complex arrangements and music where there's a need for conveying gradations in dynamics and volume, such as classical etc. But those characteristics also make it great for my favorite genre - metal \m/. Compared to the others here it is slightly "softer" and thicker sounding (from the single-ended), even though it is still precise, quick and detailed.

Chronos:
The Chronos doesn't seem to have that many fans, but it's one of my favorites. The sound is 'brighter' at first listen, but it's not due to emphasized treble and it isn't edgy or sibilant; the impression instead comes from a very clear, spacious presentation in the mids and lower treble. There's less bass than the others here, but once your brain adjusts, the bass is fine. The Chronos gives a slight sweetness to guitar tones and makes it (for me) very listenable, and it also has great start-stop transients and ability to be the right amount of punchy without going overboard and sounding fatiguing. Compared to the others, the stage isn't as large, but there's still a good placement and imaging of instruments within that smaller space.

A&K HC3:
This has possibly the best separation and clarity of instruments of the bunch. It's punchy, the bass goes deep, and it can do busy without sounding as thick. Intensity and dynamics are great and it captures the emotion in vocals well. It's early days but I can see this becoming a favorite. I also have the HC2 but it never grabbed me the same; it has a slightly brighter, more detailed or analytical tuning, and the HC3 is more my style.

In all honesty, each of these dongles is good, and it will take me a bit more time to get used to their differences over long term listening, but hopefully these initial thoughts are useful. So far I do feel you get a bit more finesse and subtlety of tuning when you spend more, but it's very much the case that you don't get 'twice' the dongle, for example, for spending twice the amount.

 

[dgjl]

There doesn't seem to be much love or coverage of the AK HC3 around. They finally became available here last week and I picked one up. Great sound, pity I sold the PEE51 some time ago so can't do a direct comparison (although I do have the HC2, but it's hard to compare directly given the different outputs on each).

How does the HC2 compare to the PEE51, based on your memory. I really like the PEE51, but I mostly use 4.4 cables for DAP compatibility these days so am intrigued by the HC2.

 

[khtd]

I've only had the DC04Pro for a bit over a week or so, and feel like I still need some time with it. I've seen others talk of the DC03 Pro as being colored

Does your review refer to DC04Pro or to DC3Pro? Those are different models, but you use both names interchangeably throughout the post in a way that sound (to me, at least) as if you are talking about the same unit (I am more inclined to understand that you are talking about DC3Pro, since you say that it has only SE output, while DC04Pro has both SE & balanced outputs).

 

[someyoungguy]

Does your review refer to DC04Pro or to DC3Pro? Those are different models, but you use both names interchangeably throughout the post in a way that sound (to me, at least) as if you are talking about the same unit (I am more inclined to understand that you are talking about DC3Pro, since you say that it has only SE output, while DC04Pro has both SE & balanced outputs).

Ah sorry for the confusion, I only have the DC04 Pro and haven’t heard the DC03 Pro. The above impressions were using the 3.5mm output of the DC04 Pro, since I was using my B&W P7s which are cabled for single ended use and the Chronos and HC3 are also only 3.5mm outputs. I’ll have to pull out my HD58X and try the 4.4mm output some more.

 

[someyoungguy]

How does the HC2 compare to the PEE51, based on your memory. I really like the PEE51, but I mostly use 4.4 cables for DAP compatibility these days so am intrigued by the HC2.

It’s been a while since I had the PEE51, but I really liked it too. I mainly only sold it as I have an iPhone and could only use the PEE51 with my computer.

But I’d be fairly confident in saying the HC2 would be more detailed. It has great dynamics too, although I do find it a bit fatiguing with the HD58X - which is currently the only headphone I have that can cross balanced. That could just be a question of poor synergy though.

I keep thinking I should just get a second pair of P7s and modify them for balanced wiring since I love that headphone so much

 

[Ichos]

Hey guys, do you know the Zorloo ZuperDac Max?

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/zorloo-zuperdac-max.26359/review/30256/

Absolutely fantastic!!!

Super lightweight and compact sized, very powerful and good sound.

Deserves it's own thread.

 

[toge]

I've just received my Sonata MHD but no idea how to use the ESS audio device flasher. does the flasher auto detect my MHD and i just hit burn?

 

[Ultrainferno]

Today we check out the iBasso DC03PRO on Headfonia. An article by @nanotechnos

https://www.headfonia.com/ibasso-dc03pro-review/

 

[mobbaddict]

I got a USB dongle from Hakugei and it's crackling sometimes when I'm using on an Android phone. Even worse, the volume blew up twice with unbearable noise when I was commuting in the subway. It really caught me by surprise. Any idea what's going on here? Is it the USB connector picking up 4G interferences maybe?

 

[hafsblau]

Any cheap dongle that has as good as or better mic input (ADC) quality than the Apple dongle?