991 Carrera 4S
100+ Head-Fier
hifi-passion.de has it with free shipping within EU.
https://hifi-passion.de/en/portable-audio/bluetooth-dac-amp/1259/qudelix-5k
USB-C to 3.5mm adapters (DAC) - Let's find the best
hifi-passion.de has it with free shipping within EU.
https://hifi-passion.de/en/portable-audio/bluetooth-dac-amp/1259/qudelix-5k
D1N0
100+ Head-Fier
Ow now I know that.. I disregarded it because on Amazon.nl is is a 100 more and the reseller Amazon.de wouldn't ship to the Netherlands.
Oh if only I knew, I mean BTR5 is nice, but probably would have gotten 5K instead, especially as people say it is more efficient/have better battery. Of course I got BTR5 almost 3 years ago and 5K was really hard to find in EU with international shipping. Might be time for 5K, as battery on my BTR5 is not so fresh anymore.
^i kept 5k over btr7, it's that good. anyway, back to "dongles", usb - not battery - powered dac/amps.
I always wanted to try e1da. Cool brand story. Owner very transparent in communication when it comes to design, measurements, and bugs, Shenzhen brands should take note. Recently got the latest release 9038D6K aka D6000 (“DAC contains 6000uF capacitance of the power filter”).
Measurements and all aside, it sounds very good. It’s definitely dry and neutral, but in a good way. It doesn’t sound hollow and disconnected. Crisp control over the frequency range. Deep extension both ways. Best sub bass extension and control I’ve heard in a dongle, along with thx onyx. But onyx sounds edgy and digital, unlike 9038D6K.
Jvc ha-fwx1 can get stuffy and clammy fast, but 9038D6K tightens decay and separation across the board allowing the grand woodie sound to come through neater.
It’s not very powerful by any means so no hard to drive stuff but output is so incredibly clean I will be testing 9038D6K in a stack with NX7 which is very powerful and has a similar tonality.
I always wanted to try e1da. Cool brand story. Owner very transparent in communication when it comes to design, measurements, and bugs, Shenzhen brands should take note. Recently got the latest release 9038D6K aka D6000 (“DAC contains 6000uF capacitance of the power filter”).
Measurements and all aside, it sounds very good. It’s definitely dry and neutral, but in a good way. It doesn’t sound hollow and disconnected. Crisp control over the frequency range. Deep extension both ways. Best sub bass extension and control I’ve heard in a dongle, along with thx onyx. But onyx sounds edgy and digital, unlike 9038D6K.
Jvc ha-fwx1 can get stuffy and clammy fast, but 9038D6K tightens decay and separation across the board allowing the grand woodie sound to come through neater.
It’s not very powerful by any means so no hard to drive stuff but output is so incredibly clean I will be testing 9038D6K in a stack with NX7 which is very powerful and has a similar tonality.
Attachments
Also tried a couple of dongles recently that I did not end up keeping.
-Violectric Chronos is a pleasure to hold in hand and it draws low power in practice (reported not by me 40mA, vs 120mA on W2). Sounds wise, it’s close to W2’s single-ended output yet slightly worse technically and colored with a tinge of brightness. I think they use same chips. It pissed me off how it looses connection each time iem is disconnected which forces to re-plug usb as well once new iem is connected. Definitely overpriced, this is a luxury toy for someone who wants to show off a beautiful dongle in public while not straining their battery that much.
- Mad Catz freq dac-L has a cool feature whereas there different “7.1” dsp eq modes can be enabled with a touch of on-board button. This is a consumer/gaming not “audiophile” dongle however do not discard these just in that regard. E.g. creative sxfi amp dongle is very good. Back to freq dac-L, chip is not disclosed, just rated 24/192 hires. With a good, revealing item you could tell quickly the dac is a little dark and not transparent sounding. But it does get fun trying dsp modes with different items. While staging and timbre take a sacrifice, imaging and dynamics are improved. Gaming and movie mode sound interesting, even with some music. Getting multiple onboard dsp presets in $25 dongle is very impressive, and not something available from run-of-the-mill aliexpress dongles. This is a cool toy to play around with especially for someone who consumes a lot of different sound content, not just music.
-Violectric Chronos is a pleasure to hold in hand and it draws low power in practice (reported not by me 40mA, vs 120mA on W2). Sounds wise, it’s close to W2’s single-ended output yet slightly worse technically and colored with a tinge of brightness. I think they use same chips. It pissed me off how it looses connection each time iem is disconnected which forces to re-plug usb as well once new iem is connected. Definitely overpriced, this is a luxury toy for someone who wants to show off a beautiful dongle in public while not straining their battery that much.
- Mad Catz freq dac-L has a cool feature whereas there different “7.1” dsp eq modes can be enabled with a touch of on-board button. This is a consumer/gaming not “audiophile” dongle however do not discard these just in that regard. E.g. creative sxfi amp dongle is very good. Back to freq dac-L, chip is not disclosed, just rated 24/192 hires. With a good, revealing item you could tell quickly the dac is a little dark and not transparent sounding. But it does get fun trying dsp modes with different items. While staging and timbre take a sacrifice, imaging and dynamics are improved. Gaming and movie mode sound interesting, even with some music. Getting multiple onboard dsp presets in $25 dongle is very impressive, and not something available from run-of-the-mill aliexpress dongles. This is a cool toy to play around with especially for someone who consumes a lot of different sound content, not just music.
Shane D
Headphoneus Supremus
Got my order in today. They are both SO tiny! I put in a pic next to my HD660S2's, which are pretty small over ear headphones.
I won't be playing with these for a few days as I just got in a new to me headphone and I am running it through all of my amps.
But next week, I will be setting these up. As a guy that likes efficient headphones, wouldn't it be wild if I fell in love with dongles and sold off all my desktop gear?
Could they be that good for a headphone guy?
The Fosi is twice the weight of the FiiO. But I like it. Feels like a little gold bar.
The Fosi is definitely a little more low tech with no screen, but I love the look and the feel. It feels like a superior value and I hope the sound can match the looks.
I won't be playing with these for a few days as I just got in a new to me headphone and I am running it through all of my amps.
But next week, I will be setting these up. As a guy that likes efficient headphones, wouldn't it be wild if I fell in love with dongles and sold off all my desktop gear?
Could they be that good for a headphone guy?
The Fosi is twice the weight of the FiiO. But I like it. Feels like a little gold bar.
The Fosi is definitely a little more low tech with no screen, but I love the look and the feel. It feels like a superior value and I hope the sound can match the looks.
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ApaucalyptiK
100+ Head-Fier
The Fosi is twice the weight of the FiiO. But I like it. Feels like a little gold bar.
That being said, it's heavier than the GO bar (28.5g) but still lighter than the GOld bar (64g)
Tis Morbin Time
New Head-Fier
Would the Quedelix 5K be powerful enough for the KZ x HBB PR2?
D1N0
100+ Head-Fier
Those are 15 Ohm iems. That should be no problem at al.
PhonoPhi
Headphoneus Supremus
To power to make a sound at appreciably loud levels - sure!
To power to sound the best - both 15 Ohm and 94 dB offer challenges, and of almost opposing nature to compound it.
At the very least, a well powered source is needed.
bithalver
100+ Head-Fier
It is. Testing it right now with Master of Puppets for S&M album.
If you want it really loud, you need to go up to about -10dB (I can not stand -6 dB
).Performance mode, 1VRMS, 3.5SE connection (original cheap cable for PR2).
Hey guys,
Has anybody tried this? I have a balanced 4.4 cable for my TH909 and I would like to use them occasionaly with my phone.
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/port...-44mm-hi-res-32bit-384khz-dsd256-p-15204.html
Has anybody tried this? I have a balanced 4.4 cable for my TH909 and I would like to use them occasionaly with my phone.
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/port...-44mm-hi-res-32bit-384khz-dsd256-p-15204.html
ApaucalyptiK
100+ Head-Fier
If this is the form factor you want (non detachable cable, no volume control, 4.4mm output) i would rather go with the FiiO KA2 if i were you, it's currently on sale on Aliexpress : https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005004578408209.html
Edit : i don't need it, but i couldn't resist and i just bought one to compare to other stuff
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D1N0
100+ Head-Fier
The Moondrop Dawn also fits the bill
glpsace
100+ Head-Fier
I have owned the RU6 and the Ibasso DC03 Pro in the past, both used with my iPhone 13 mini.
I loved the RU6 but it would just drain my Iphone battery very quickly.
I also enjoyed the Ibasso but the lack of app for apple phones and therefore being stuck with the default configuration would piss me off.
So I´m now looking for another dongle that drains little power, delivers a good sound and does not rely on apps to change its configuration.
The Violectric Chronos came to mind. If only it was a tad cheaper. I'm not sure if it is worth the 200€ price tag.
Any other recommendation?
Cheers.
I loved the RU6 but it would just drain my Iphone battery very quickly.
I also enjoyed the Ibasso but the lack of app for apple phones and therefore being stuck with the default configuration would piss me off.
So I´m now looking for another dongle that drains little power, delivers a good sound and does not rely on apps to change its configuration.
The Violectric Chronos came to mind. If only it was a tad cheaper. I'm not sure if it is worth the 200€ price tag.
Any other recommendation?
Cheers.
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