Using a dongle DAC on a DAP?

[JimiMack]

I hoping for a little assistance in better understanding what I am experiencing.

I have a Samsung S20 which I have been using a Meizu MasterHIFI Audio D/A Converter Headphone Amplifier – USB Dongle which has 30mw of power per channel at 32ohm with my IEM’s and Headphones, nothing above 64ohm on a SE connection. I tried plugging the dongle into a Hiby R5 I have, which has like 140mw at 32ohm and noticed a huge jump in power and sound from the Hiby while using the attached dongle on the USB connection of the Hiby, as opposed to the the built in SE connection on the unit. To have the same volume sounding, the Hiby needs to be on a 75 volume when using the SE then while the dac dongle attached it is at 15 volume setting for the same sound level.

My question is what happening here, why such a power jump when using the USB dongle on the DAP as opposed to the built in SE connection. I assume the dongle is bypassing the built-in components, but I was not expecting to hear such a difference in favor a 30mw dac dongle compared to the 140mw DAP.

Thank you for helping a beginner.

 

[buke9]

Why would you use a dongle withe the R5 that makes no sense. It has much more power than the dongle.

 

[HipHopScribe]

At high gain or low gain on the R5?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I hoping for a little assistance in better understanding what I am experiencing.

I have a Samsung S20 which I have been using a Meizu MasterHIFI Audio D/A Converter Headphone Amplifier – USB Dongle which has 30mw of power per channel at 32ohm with my IEM’s and Headphones, nothing above 64ohm on a SE connection. I tried plugging the dongle into a Hiby R5 I have, which has like 140mw at 32ohm and noticed a huge jump in power and sound from the Hiby while using the attached dongle on the USB connection of the Hiby, as opposed to the the built in SE connection on the unit. To have the same volume sounding, the Hiby needs to be on a 75 volume when using the SE then while the dac dongle attached it is at 15 volume setting for the same sound level.

My question is what happening here, why such a power jump when using the USB dongle on the DAP as opposed to the built in SE connection. I assume the dongle is bypassing the built-in components, but I was not expecting to hear such a difference in favor a 30mw dac dongle compared to the 140mw DAP.

Thank you for helping a beginner.

That's because that's not about power, it's about gain.

Your HiBy has a lot of power but the gain is set lower so that

1) Noisefloor is kept lower. This also increases the higher you push an amp circuit, and thus more noticeable when you have a high enough gain on an efficient enough load.

2) You don't go from "almost there" to "OMFGTURNITDOWNTURNITDOWNTURNITDOWN!!!" when driving a very efficient load (like an IEM driver).

In short this is like stating that a Nissan Altima that runs faster around the parking lot as you take your foot off the brake and gets moving on the street with less gas pedal depression seems to have more power than a Ferrari F550 that requires you to get your left foot off the clutch just right and then push the gas pedal just to get out of your parking spot then requiring moving the gas pedal more when

1. The F550 has to account for a lead foot that can send that car crashing into the other cars in the parking lot

2. That F550 has two banks with 6cylinders each with their own throttles and air filters hooked up to a cold air intake in the front airdam

3. It has a manual transmission instead of a robot moving the clutch for you just right

4. It doesn't need as tall a gear ratio on first gear because it has 3X the cylinders and 2.2X the displacement to make more power, not to mention that each car's and engine's gear ratios need to be matched well so you don't for example end up having to shift to 3rd just before you hit 60mph on 2nd at wide open throttle (ie, how they get tested by journalists, how people driving that 550 might use it on weekends, etc).

 

[JimiMack]

Thanks, I followed until you brought the Nissan in....

 

[JimiMack]

Why would you use a dongle withe the R5 that makes no sense. It has much more power than the dongle.

I did it just to see what I was going to get from it, I expected a similar sound to what I get off it from my S20 but was surprised and confused on why it was so much louder on the USB dongle as apposed to the direct 3.5 connection.