[Nivalof]

Then TBH, probably you won't get much benefit from amplification. Even a sub $10 apple dongle should suffice for your needs.

However, some dongles do colour the sound (ie they are perhaps warmer or bassier) and some consumers desire this colouration. Also, some dongles have high output impedance, and may not be suitable for gear with low impedance (rule of 8ths). Otherwise, the more powerful dongles probably might benefit you if you are using gear with low sensitivity or high impedance, in terms of tightening bass, increasing dynamics/soundstage.

Thanks for the detailed answer!
So I understand that I won't hear any difference between my current gear and the dongle, if I focus on dongles that don't color the sound, right?

Also, could you please elaborate on the 8 ohm rule?

 

[baskingshark]

Thanks for the detailed answer!
So I understand that I won't hear any difference between my current gear and the dongle, if I focus on dongles that don't color the sound, right?

Also, could you please elaborate on the 8 ohm rule?

Based on the rule of eights for audiophiles, divide the impedance of your IEM by 8, and that's the max value of the output impedance of the source that you should accept.

So if your IEM has 16 ohm impedance, the max source output impedance you should accept is 2 ohm. Anything higher might skew the frequency response. Most modern day sources like dongles generally should have less than 2 ohm, so not an issue unless you are using outlier IEMs which have 9 ohms or less.

 

[Nivalof]

Based on the rule of eights for audiophiles, divide the impedance of your IEM by 8, and that's the max value of the output impedance of the source that you should accept.

So if your IEM has 16 ohm impedance, the max source output impedance you should accept is 2 ohm. Anything higher might skew the frequency response. Most modern day sources like dongles generally should have less than 2 ohm, so not an issue unless you are using outlier IEMs which have 9 ohms or less.

Thanks!
And that rule only applies to IEMs, right?

 

[baskingshark]

Thanks!
And that rule only applies to IEMs, right?

Nope it applies to headphones and earbuds too. But IEMs are generally the ones with the lower impedances compared to the other transducers.

 

[Nivalof]

Nope it applies to headphones and earbuds too. But IEMs are generally the ones with the lower impedances compared to the other transducers.

Wow, so for example EPZ TP20 which has an output impedance of 32 ohms will not fit my earbuds?

 

[baskingshark]

Wow, so for example EPZ TP20 which has an output impedance of 32 ohms will not fit my earbuds?

Are there any independetly measured output impedance (OI) specs for this device? Their specs of 32 ohm OI seems too suspiciously high. It will not be compatible with most IEMs if so.

From the Headfi review page, the reviewer also thinks the specs are wrong. I suspect they meant 1 ohm OI, if you multiply it by 32 ohm after connecting a 32 ohm headset in.

 

[Nivalof]

To be honest, I only focused on their description on aliexpress. And I gave it as an example precisely because it memorized to me the output impedance. I didn't read any third-party reviews.
Anyway, thank you for your detailed answers!

 

[originalsnuffy]

How are people feeling today about various families of chipsets? Thinking Cirrus, ESS, AKM, Rohm (spelling?), R2R, custom FPGA, etc.

How many people look closely at the chipsets when buying?

 

[Fourier transformer]

it would be very helpful if the reviewers could test the CS43198 and CS43131 dongles for the "micro-clicks" issue since the manufacturer never answer the question

more info here : https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/demo-cs131.php#gsc.tab=0

 

[ApaucalyptiK]

I just discovered something sorta dongle related so i'm going to share it in case it could be useful to someone :
If you have a Samsung smartphone you can download "Sound Assitant" on the Galaxy Store, among other things it allows you to set how big the volume steps are. By default Android offers 15 steps and with Samsung Sound Assitant installed you can make it up to 150 ! Plus you can add a number indicator to the volume bar to know precisely where you're at. All this is transparent, you set it one time and you don't need to launch the app or use a widget or whatever, it's integrated to standard Android volume control so you just use your volume buttons as usual and tadaaaa up to 150 clicks ! Volume control is now gone from my must have features list for dongles (looking at you sweet sweet ddHifi TC44PRO )

 

[Matias]

Brilliant, just did the same here. Thanks a lot!

 

[dacari]

I just discovered something sorta dongle related so i'm going to share it in case it could be useful to someone :
If you have a Samsung smartphone you can download "Sound Assitant" on the Galaxy Store, among other things it allows you to set how big the volume steps are. By default Android offers 15 steps and with Samsung Sound Assitant installed you can make it up to 150 ! Plus you can add a number indicator to the volume bar to know precisely where you're at. All this is transparent, you set it one time and you don't need to launch the app or use a widget or whatever, it's integrated to standard Android volume control so you just use your volume buttons as usual and tadaaaa up to 150 clicks ! Volume control is now gone from my must have features list for dongles (looking at you sweet sweet ddHifi TC44PRO )

I discovered it some months ago, this is the way to go or via dedicated app.
I don't understand why Android not let you to modify volume steps (at least under Developer Options) definitely 15 are useless.

 

[laleeee]

My take of the iBasso DC04PRO

Pros: *sound
*Application
*Power
Cons: *nothing

Prelude. iBasso is not idle, releasing new series of mobile DAC/AMP like new collections of clothes. And so, with the end of winter, the phenomenal DC06 left, and its place was taken by the improved DC04 with the pro note. Does pro mean better? By definition, it should be so, but as the world has shown more than once, it is not so obvious. Quite recently I wrote to you about a great metamorphosis, which was the unrivaled DAC/AMP DC03PRO at the price of 69 USD. Today I will review and analyze the DC06’s direct successor.

Unboxing: The packaging looks familiar, a piece of plastic, specifications, a detachable usb type-c cable and the device itself. This time we don’t have MQA, instead we have a great chip from Cirrus Logic known from devices such as iBasso DX170 or xDuoo link 2bal and its double implementation was used. The technical parameters are impressive. In addition, two headphone outputs 3.5 and 4.4 mm. But that was already done, iBasso decided on two very important aspects for me, taking the example of devices such as lotoo paw s1 or luxury w1/w2. Finally, a hardware volume control and a fully functional application in which we can freely tune our device have been added.

Sound:

Bass: In the case of the iBasso DC04pro presentation, I can describe the lower bands as springy and very tight, closer to accurate and punctual hits than to a loose and slow rhythm. They have a very good speed, despite a slight boost, they do not impose themselves on the listener. It’s actually a classic iBasso sound-house. We will not be disappointed by the texture and the really low extension of the sub-bass. At times, despite the great linearity and balance in the presentation, I had the feeling that the drums or the bass guitar, and especially the electronic music literally „makes me dizzy”, which in this context is, however, a compliment.

Diameter: Vocals are getting more and more stunning in iBasso products with each edition, we have here a really neutral and realistic presentation. The voices are engaging and not colored, although they are brought to the fore in a very deliberate way. Which works great with different types of headphones, showing their natural character thanks to the amazing linearity in the DC04PRO. The instruments, in turn, are realistic, especially when it comes to imaging and the amount of information, they are not artificially inflated and plastic, it’s more of a live concert than another disco-polo show. The micro dynamics are on a pleasant and not exaggerated level. And if we take into account really good macro-dynamics, which goes well beyond the price of 119 USD (549 PLN in Poland), then we can pick our jaw up from the floor.

Treble: They are neutral and safe, they do not peak as high as in the DC06, but they are not lacking in any case. We have great stretch and a very large amount of air. Everything is properly separated from each other and well placed in time and space. I liked the naturalness of the presentation, even though the treble is a bit sharper than, for example, in xDuoo link 2 bal or lotoo paw s1. I had no problems with her excessive loudness, which I really liked.

Stage: Here we have excellent width and much improved depth and height compared to the DC06. Which gives you the feeling of communing with slightly more expensive equipment, and yet the price is the same as in the case of its predecessor.

Power: We certainly won’t run out of power on either the SE or the 4.4mm balanced output. iBasso DC04PRO is able to easily drive most mobile headphones.

Comparison:

DC04PRO($119) VS DC03PRO($69)

As for the sonic signature, it is similar, but there is more detail in the DC04PRO, especially in the higher tones. The presence of a balanced output also significantly increases the soundstage and power of the device (almost 3 times 280mW vs 92mW). We get a slightly more technical and resolving product, which justifies the USD 50 surcharge.

DC04PRO($119) VS DC06($119)

The DC04 PRO is not a rival, but a direct successor to the DC06. It abandons MQA for a number of improvements. The DC06 is less natural and has more power. DC04PRO wins with functionality and sound realism. Both products are great and I still love my DC06, but the DC04PRO is a great improvement on its predecessor. I wish a bit that the MQA decoding option was added to the DC04PRO, but it is not noticeable in everyday use. The DC04PRO also puts more emphasis on the midrange and linearity of the transmission.

Noise: The iBasso DC04Pro has a perfectly black background and we have absolutely no noise here.

Summary: iBasso DC04PRO is another novelty in my dongle portfolio. Added hardware volume control, fully programmable FPGA, with the ability to fine-tune parameters in the application. The purity of the signal and the power section has been improved even further. Significantly reduced energy consumption. On top of that, an efficient, very competitive dongle with a detachable cable was created for a price that is downright indecent. Of the minuses, I can definitely include the fingering glass on the housing and the lack of a dedicated case. I hope iBasso will include such an accessory as xDuoo did with the link2 bal model. In addition, I would prefer the ability to change settings from the PC application. However, the whole is very coherent and the build quality is impeccable. If someone is looking for a natural sound with emphasized low end and neutral midrange, then this is the DC04PRO. In addition, the linearity and natural / neutral timbre throughout the tonal range put the DC04PRO very high on the technical and resolving level. Actually, at the price of USD 119 (PLN 549), I can say that this is a very high bar. As in the case of the DUNU DTC-500, I am shocked at how much budget equipment can be refined and I have great respect for such a philosophy. DC04PRO joins my dongle collection and ranks in the top five. He also had no problems with driving most headphones, whether they were very sensitive softears volume headphones or quite demanding ones. Tin p1 was able to cope with them. This is due to the low output impedance. The energy consumption was really optimal for the power. In my tests, I used dense files from the TIDALA DC04PRO, it was great with their resolution and was able to use their potential.

 

[dbull12]

Does anyone have any impressions of the Moondrop Dawn Pro? I'd be especially interested to hear if it comes near the SQ of the iBasso DC04 Pro

 

[Ttvetjanu]

Long time member here with suboptimal activity in the forums over the past 15 years.

Long story short, stumbled upon this thread when looking at alternatives for Dongles for my recently ordered IE600 and would appreaciate what the hive-mind has come up with. Somewhat complicated by my location in europe as we don't have quite as good access to some chi-fi vendors. Basically I want to occasionally connect my IE600s to my android phone and am looking for the best bang-for-the-buck in a (pocketable) as small as possible form factor, preferrably sub 100€ but if well motivated I can stretch it a little.

I am less interested in the apple dongle as I have previously worn down a few and don't want the hassle with the volume incompability with android. Is there much benefit going for something like a moondrop dawn instead of a generic (ugreen) dongle from amazon?

Balanced or 3.5mm both work for me since the IE600 will have a balanced cable.