There is a quite a lot of people who are on Apple devices, so it is still real problem. Your "just an Apple problem" makes it sound like it is not relevant.
I feel like the point of bigger dac amps is having versatility of different inputs and out puts. I use my element iii to switch from headphones to speakers and that’s abt it. It also has the the NOB tho.
While not as convenient, you can get around the volume increment issue by using the on-screen volume slider, which moves smoothly and offers precise adjustment.
Give or take a couple years and Moondrop will have an incredible value dongle like this (albeit slightly less powerful) around the 50 dollar mark. At least that's my prediction :)
Yes. I bought my mom a pair of Starfields for Mother's Day, she absolutely loves them and I'm hoping to get myself a Blessing 2 by the end of the summer.
To add to what you said it also can be used wired and wirelessly, has built in battery so you’re not draining your phones battery to power it either, and mic pass through so you can use it to wirelessly use headphones with mic as a headset.
OMG just received this little Magic , to compared my IFI Zen AMP DAC - this is already phenominal , after playing a little whiie connected with my Samsung Note 20 Ultra the 3.5mm connection was under power with low volume then switched to 4.4mm Balance output my ear can go bleed so be careful not going MAX may became deaf over time . with the ZEN it has more features with Gain control -can push more vocal forward and Bass boost- a lovely feature but the MoonRiver is next level , rounded off the edgy sound , smoother , more energy n power ,separation and clarity are better , this could be the only amp dac for most Audiophile needs , most importantly it sounds with no colour , it's so natural and enjoyable for listening your music . another surprise was it even improved my Wharefedale EVO 4.2 it's peaky aggresive sound , now it became more smooth n controlled in better clarity as well , so in summary , it's well worth for it's price value , regards it's volume control , it increase / decrease in 10% , to me it's a plus ,so it's quicker for me adjusting it's volume and actually i love this handy adjustment. the only feature that i wish is bring in the bass boost like IFI Zen quality bass boost would be ideal but i still able using my phone equaliser for more bass, This is a no brainer for anyone investing so little money in such incredible performance amp dac with best flexibility portable mini size , now i can go anywhere with the best of the best sound from my PHONE n another PLUS is improved all my other speakers performance by 20% from my NAD 758 , Emit 20 , Ikon 7 , Polk A9 , KLH Albany, today is my most satisfying AUDIOPHILE Journey over 25 years , happy listening n lastly Thanks this channel so ,so much for bringing all the best HIFI Gears For Us the HIFI community , JOSHUA VALOUR you are the champion in the world , very much liked your honest opinions and reviews Thank You !
I would stick with the full-size desktop device purely for ergonomics. I prefer the experience of plugging my headphones into something solid and having tactile knobs and buttons to interact with while I enjoy my tunes.
Trust me, if you replace the original OTG cable, this stuff improve clarity, detil, staging larger, layering deeper....I replace to DDHFI OTG c to c...its amazing improvement...👍
I'd prefer a full size setup for sure. Lots of reasons for preferring the full size setup but mostly the pre-outs for speakers(with a remote control for volume), nice feeling volume knob for fine adjustments and the overall aesthetic of the bigger equipment on a desk.
I’ve blind ABX tested people with my $600 desktop stack vs my $120 dongle dac/amp… not a single person can tell one from the other. larger desktop units don’t sound better. they offer more flexibility. and often much more power… but from a pure sound quality standpoint the little dongles are amazing.
First, volume on Mac use “shift + option” when using the volume keys and you get 4 or 5 more semi-steps for volume. Also you can use the slider in the control center or in the menu bar for more fine grained control than the up and down volume keys. The nano versus desktop for DAC / AMP… I have a iFi Signature paired DAC and Amp on my desk, but 90% of the time I’m plugging in my DT 1990s to a Dragonfly Colbalt as I move my MacBook Pro from desktop, to sofa, to bedroom, and out to coffee shops (not that is sort of doable again). I do this because the difference is minor but the added mobility is a great advantage. If I had a more permanent setup near my sofa and another on my desk, I may not use my portable DAC / AMP as much. This week the iFi DAC Go Bar released and its quiet floor is similar to this MoonRiver 2, but also has MQA (this is something I like having for Tidal). I looked at the small THX Dragonfly sized, option, but a couple friends that picked it up didn’t find it that different from the Cobalt. If MoonRiver 2 had MQA I’d definitely go for it. But, I’m really curious about the iFi Go Bar at the moment as well.
@@ThomasVanderWal It doesn’t bother you that on the objective side that people have shown you are hearing distortion if any difference at all? I’m genuinely curious why this appeals to anyone at this point.
You can get tiny increments of volume in Mac by holding shift+option while pressing the volume up or down key. (for example, if you usually hold Fn key and then VolumeUp, press Fn+Shift+Option and then VolumeUp)
Recently released dongles have been interesting like the this, Cayin RU-6, iBasso DC06, etc. On the-go, sticking with TWS for convenience or bring my iFi iDSD Signature on that rare occasion.
You can adjust ios volume very granurarly if you put your finger on the volume slider and drag it Much much better. Also on Android phones you can use volume apps or also drag it stock
I don't use speakers or any other input sources, so this is convenient to use not just in my PC but in plenty of devices. The quality is really good so I prefer this over a bulky DAC, it competes with them and that's what makes this product fascinating. Moondrop is one of the best audio companies at the moment and they fill all the checkmarks with the moonriver 2. The information you gave about how the power goes through the device is confusing though, I had no idea what you were talking about
After watching this review for the second time I ordered the Moonriver 2. It’s the only device you’ve reviewed with no weird “buts” and straight forward explanation of its capabilities without saying “for the price”.
+1 for the S9 pro. For just €130 it's a DAC/AMP with impressive specs and small size. The fade-in issue at the beginning of playback is pretty annoying though.
I just tried Moonriver 2 Ti and Fosi Audio DS1 - while they are vastly different in price - when driving the Austrian Audio Hx60 with it - the Fosi Audio DS1 won by far. The sound was better. For me it felt like I got more detail out of the DS1 than the Moonriver 2 Ti when both had the same volume. I noticed that the Moonriver gives more power, but Fosi will give you the better sound signature. More bass and more goose bump feeling in the mids. This may not be the same for you - since it heavily depends on what you are driving - My Hx60 from Austrian Audio are only 25 Ohms.
Hello Josh I was about to purchase the Topping DX3 PRO+ … and then I saw this review. I’m a big fan of Moondrop (cause of the aria and starfield) so in your honest opinion which should I get. I like good bass and sound staging.
Missed a prime comparison to the Qudelix 5k. I leave it plugged into my MacBook on my desk, while also connected by Bluetooth to my iPad and iPhone. I “just hit play” on the device I’d like to play from and it works flawlessly, with integrated PEQ across all sources, and wireless portability. It’s also $110, though not always available.
Answer - I go for the normal sized desktop DAC or regular sized amplifiers purely for the variety of inputs and outputs functionality…. Dongles are just stopgap devices to compensate for the awful quality of those mobile build-in dac and low powered amplifications. Better question would be how about mobile phone producers incorporate better DACS with power efficiency into their phones and therefore eliminate completely the need or necessity for an external dongle DACs
LG was really the last company who really took audio seriously. The V-series phones where audio powerhouses. Sadly companies water down their devices to appeal to the masses.
Sales on tws is to good so that will never happen but at least the sound quality has become much better but im still waiting for tws to have a higher volume output. Bluetooth 6 or an improved version of ldac is definitely the future I cant wait to see.
@@Kingjay814 and to pad their profit margin ….. how much would it cost for APPLE to incorporate the APPLE DAC dongle back into their mobiles and increase the Z-height by another 1 mm ? Practically zero cost to their BOM, but then their whole range of Bluetooth headphones will be trashed ! Yet none of them are able to play nice with their own APPLE LOSSLESS HIGH-RES MUSIC. How irony !
You might want to review the Cayin RU6, the world's only USB dongle with an R-2R DAC, designed by Cayin. It's somewhat more expensive than the Moondrop ($250) and has (on paper) a little less power, 213 mW from the 4.4mm output (Cayin is frank that the 4.4 output is technically not balanced, but it puts out significantly more power than its 3.5mm output). You also get a small OLED display, choice of OS or NOS modes, and a much better volume solution than Moondrop--it has a 99-step discrete hardware volume control that makes it easy to dial in very precise adjustments (it's recommended to set your PC/phone/tablet at max volume and control volume from the dongle). While I have used it on the go, I mainly use it in my apartment for convenience with IEMs, Thieaudio Monarch MK II and Fiio FH9. (I don't have 4.4mm cables for any of my full size headphones and have not yet tried them on the RU6.) The sound is very impressive for its size and price. Nonetheless, I do detect some improvement with the balanced 4.4 output from my Gustard X16/H16 stack, particularly a bit stronger bass and imaging. But the RU6 is competitive. iFi just released an even more expensive ($329) USB dongle with almost 500 mw, a full MQA decoder and other interesting features. I'm anxious to see reviews.
Well, more love for dongles is always appreciated #donglemadness Btw, the dac chips used in this dongle (Cirrus Logic CS43198) is also used on Topping D30 Pro
Hi Josh, can you check the iFi version of a mini dac-amp, the iFi go bar? Considering iFi is a bit more accessible in different parts of the world than Moondrop it would also be interesting to se a comparison between those 2.
I have 3 dongle dacs that I bought for mobile using it outside and for commuting, and for walks, sitting outside, and in my car. Desktops I use for indoors.
It would be interesting to hear a follow-up comparing this to the Moondrop Dawn 4.4 balanced. I think the 3.5 might be a tad more convenient but also less power.
I think that thermals can be challenging on smaller high-powered DAC's. That said, my Fiio BTR3K delivers quite a punch as well, and never gets warm. It's almost spooky how cool it stays under high load. I should also say that considering the price, I'm very happy with it.
I have the BTR5, which is similar but with more power, and it is the same. About the only time it gets warm is when I am using it and charging at the same time, but any device has that problem.
@@JohnClarkW I had an original (not 2021) version of the BTR5 and it used to get noticeably warm (USB mode, charging disabled + balanced output) and it actually had an impact on the sound. That was one of the problems that made me ditch it in favour of a standalone DAP (Shanling M3X). The BTR5 (in it's optimal state, i.e. not warmed up and/or low on battery) sounded better to me, though.
I'm not gonna lie, I used to be snobby about the "type" of equipment I deemed minimally sufficient to produce great sound. Now i stream my flac encoded music collection from my S22 Ultra into this thing and then into my balanced Sony Z1R's iem's and I'm not sure if thousands of dollars are worth it trying to get much better than this. (For IEM's mostly)
That’s a really really dope setup you have, and I don’t see it getting much better, but you will want to branch out and my advice is to do so sideways and don’t chase any improvements in source. I think if you have to ask if chasing improvements is worth it, it’s almost never worth it.
@Aunchient Pistol While I do consider them excellent and agree the headphones aren't cheap, price wise they're in the middle of the current "Audiophile" grade IEM's market. Also I was more referring to the actual amplification and the DAC. This thing is great for High fidelity sound in a tiny package. Coupled with UAPP app on Android, lossless files sound really good.
I'm interesting about your view. What dacs have you used for your ier z1R? I'd like to know what's the best for Desktop use, and if 4.4 is recommended. What has been your experience?
@@OptLab The best desktop amp/DAC I've used for them is Sony ta zh1es. Its kind of pricey and you can get similar results from cheaper schiit magni 3 or similar
You should explore more about the dongle dac/amp section, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are Cayin ru6 (word first r2r dongle dac), Shanling Ua5 (balanced ess/ricore amp with built in battery), Luxury & Precision W2 (dual CS43131 dac) and so on..
I’d be more interested in the comparison with larger portables than all the way to the extreme of a desktop dac. By that I mean, how does this fare against Ifi option such as a hip dac 2, Gryphon or Signature Blue, and equally curious with a mojo 2.
Was using E1DA 9038d as a dac feeding a magni 3+… sold the magni and using the dongle only, powering t50rp argon and k240monitor 600 ohm without any issue. So, to reply to your question: YES
I like these small ones because I can permanently attach them to my HD650 and make them USB-C headphones. Then I really have the versatility of using them everywhere.
There are so many dongles right now….and even portable dac/amps that are smaller in design - Questyle CMA18 and the Quloos Mub1. These are getting crazy good. A comparison video is more instructive.
nice review. on mac, hidizs s9 pro (100mw @32ohm) needs to be set at a higher volume than an apple type c dongle (30mw @32ohm). on an android phone, the apple dongle needs to be turned up all the way to drive moondrop variations unlike the s9 pro at half volume. This is clearly a driver issue on the s9 pro with apple devices as these devices when connected to a full sized usb port use more power,
These products ARE the future of the market in general. While there are many people in the comment section that would prefer a full desktop DAC/AMP combo instead of a Dongle DAC, many people don't have a dedicated area for their laptop or they just use their phone / tablet to work. The usage of phones as audio source is huge and people are constantly moving. While not everyone's using Hi-Res files, there are some people that do and would love a product like this for their IEMs and to listen to something with great sound quality. Other options between $50.00 and $200.00: -xDuoo Link2 Bal (very similar to Moondrop Moon River 2) -TempoTec Sonata E44 (4.4 mm) -Kadhas Tea -Hidizs S9 Pro -Cayin RU6 -Ovidius B1 -Questyle M15 -Shanling UA5 -FiiO KA3
Samsung Galaxy phones have an advanced volume setting to be turned on. With this you get 100 volume steps. Very good for external dac-amps and IEMs. Thanks for good reviews!
I got MoonRiver2 from watching moondrop channel an how passionate they where with it sold me. Had the Kato already an pairs excellent with it, the manual has a picture of an anime drawing with her wereing the katos. Also ordered the upgraded wire the line K for the Kato with 4.4 balance an find it very balanced an can go to an uncomfortable loudness but with little to no distortion. Tried them with tipsy ttroms an bass hits great with them as there a more playfully cheaper item. My sennheiser hd 560s only 3.5 connection or 6.35 an are much better with my pc dac/Amp. Not going to bother getting a 4.4 cable for it as they don't leave the room.
I actually just got this dac/amp because of your review and its honestly amazing. Over the past 5 years, the portable market has been improving fast. I would take this thing any day over a BTR5 or a Shanling piece, even Xduoo's options I tried don't really sound quite as well rounded as the moon river. It doesn't really quite compete with much higher end desktop setups still, but if this was all I had, I'd be happy. Its good enough that if you are thinking about spending only 200-400$ ish on a desktop setup, you might as well save the money and the hassle to get something more versatile like this. Rumor has it Xduoo's newer link 2 balanced device uses the same brand dac chips and similar power output, evidently sounds nearly identical for 40$ less.
I'm using one of these Moondrops, but I found it sounds best using a DDC and a Linear Power Supply, with a large back pack and a long enough power cord it's an ideal portable solution.
I just got into HIFI and bought a Hifiman Sundara with an ifi Hip DAC 2, which is a great combo to start out with imo. I think it's sounds great, at least for me. Since I have not heard the high end stuff I'm pretty satisfied for now. The portability of this combo is also a real plus. I can use it at dask or in my bed. A full sized amp which is sitting at a desk would be a thing to keep in mind for me, since im used to always having the HipDAC with. So i would always go with a portable solition if a had the choice!
Hi Josh, interesting post like usual! 👏(although i like the ambiance sound when you were at the previous studio) This dongle tech is much interesting than full on dac/amp especially when people can be mobile with the so called audiophile
I highly recommend you check out the qudilix 5k. At 110$, it has a pretty good dac, great power for it's size at 4v rms, LDAC bluetooth, and full built in 10 band PEQ with autoeq presets. I think it's a pretty insane value, if you can manage to find one
For the form factor it’s pretty impressive so I think I’ll pick it up but I will certainly not hold my breath when comparing to the power capability of the FiiO Q3. The Q3 can provide more amperage to drive lower sensitivity planars. This thing would for sure be better at driving a higher ohm DD like my 6XX so I’ll be excited to see.
For me these tiny dongles serve a different propose from desktop dac/amps. I got one of each and I'm always using the desktop solution at home because it's not consuming any power off my phone. Then when commuting or traveling the dongle is a fantastic option to get audiophile quality on the move. Of course for someone listening to music at home on a laptop, then the dongle makes plenty of sense.
Joshua, Not sure I understand the issue with too large volume adjustments, but wonder if it would help to use Option-Shift-Volume on the Mac for small increments (1/4 usual) rather than using the Nano's volume adjustment. Hope this is clear. I appreciate the wide range of audiophile equipment you review.
You said the power on this thing is pretty sufficient, but the wattage is low you can't have a device with sufficient power and low "wattage" they are the same thing. Power is measured in Watts: EMF (volts) x resistance (ohms) = power (watts). Love your videos ;)
Very insightful review! I feel like the target demographic of these portable dac/amps are people who want hifi sound on the go. I would personally use a bigger desktop set-up for headphones and the full listening experience, while using a small dac/amp device with iems while outside.
These dongle or even the size of a better designed mojo is definitely the future of music for such,you can take them out and about without breaking sweat and still use them in any room,kitchen and garden at home. I have the Tk2 amp and lotoo s1 dongle, l use the s1 more,tk2 is collecting dust in the drawer,even with all that power on tap.Yes,l still prefer the sound of my shanling m3x but that is nit picking territory. Anything that improves on lotoo s1 dongle will definitely give most high end equipment a competition.Looking at ifi go bar, might be a definite improvement on s1 not sure.
I prefer small DAC/AMP combo's like this one. I don't have desk space to spare. And I do not want to add any more clutter to my desk, nor cable clutter that goes behind it (extra wall wart, maybe even cables between separate DAC and AMP). Also, portability as an added option is objectively a good thing. For input, I use my PC and my phone. My Hidizs S9 Pro has both balanced and unbalanced output, very good specs, and ample power for the headphones I have. It has everything that I want.
Pro tip for Mac users: press Alt+shift alongside your regular volume buttons for incremental change in the volume. Works even better than Windows machines.
Don´t really need a huge ass DAC/AMP on my desk honestly, so I rather have something smaller. If you want to connect speakers and so on then this looks different but just for headphones I would clearly prefer a smaller setup. I am using right now the "ifi zen DAC V2 + Zen can Signature HFM" - that's an okay size and the Quality feels valuable.
Cool dongle! Did you run all headphones through the 4.4mm output? I was waiting to hear more about the difference between the 3.5 and 4.4 outputs but had to look elsewhere for that. Thanks Josh!
Measurements on S/N and THD are usually inaccurate on these things. They frequently just cite the stats from the DAC chip manufacturer and assume the amp does nothing to the numbers.
Lols... if you are impressed with this dongle, try ''Centrance Dacport HD'' with a mighty 775mW of power output. I stopped using desktop dac/amps for my Ananda after having this super powerful dongle with the analog volume rocker, so there is no issue with volume adjustments. Please make a blind test with ur desktop set up and post your honest opinion.
Sadly, the headphone jack on smartphones is pretty much dead, except for Sony, Asus and a few others. LG left the smartphone industry, and no one but Asus is still implementing DAC chips on their phones. If all manufacturers made at least ONE of their variants have a headphone jack/DAC chip/expandable storage, then we wouldn't need a DAC dongle at all...
@@wadimek116 I guess the THX sounds better because it is a dedicated pricey dongle. On the other hand, I think it must be hard to put a DAC chip inside a phone with little to no room, and not to mention it is surrounded by all other phone chips, potentially resulting in interference.
@@realgrilledsushi well, let me change my comment up a bit. If MORE manufacturers (etc)... Listening to music is not all I use my phone for, in fact I probably listen to music 1hr a day tops. And I don't really like carrying two devices in my pocket just for that purpose. I COULD technically keep my LG V60 for years but they will end support soon and the tech will be old just in a few short years.
I was a Dragonfly fan but I’ve noticed on my newer Hifiman XS cans there are some issues at higher volumes I don’t enjoy. Going to check this baby out now to see if it helps. Thanks!!
@@hartyewh1 I wouldn't say that's what I have noticed or at least it hasn't bothered me. It's more that if I push it to max volume or close to, especially when plugged into my iPhone, the low end actually gets a muddy as hell and I can hear static or light crackling in loud portions of songs. I don't think it's the headphones because they sound incredible at low or moderate volume and it gets better when plugged into a laptop. I have to imagine its the limitations in power or sound processing from the Cobalt.
My daily listen is the iBasso DX220 with Amp 8, and UM Mest IEMs. When I updated my phone, I lost the headphone jack and needed a dongle for the odd time I needed to use headphones/earphones. I went with the Ovidius B1. I am embarassed at how close that dongle performs compared to my DAP. A little cheaper than the MoonRiver. Now, of course, I'm wondering if I should grab a MoonRiver as well!!!!
ddhifi tc09s usb-c cable can help if mainly use your phone. Bit pricey at 69 but liked the number an my stock usb-c cable stopped working. Was going to go for Fiio but had a ddhifi 3.5 to 4.4 adapter an wanted to support emm again as it was top notch quality
One draw back with small devices in general, at least for me, is they often have no volume knob. I love how the Fiio BTR5 and Qudelix 5K sound, but there's no knob. It makes them kinda tricky to use. I also have a Hip DAC and Hip DAC 2, which I like for that reason. I'm glad this review came out! I had been looking at this product online recently, compared to the Xduoo Link2 Bal, etc. Do you know of any audio meets or stores in the Seattle area, BTW?
On a desktop, I want that big smooth (or tech-clicky) volume knob. But everywhere else around or outside the home, nano is the way to go. I’m eyeing the Shanling UA5. My OPPO HA2 is long in the tooth now.
you should specify that the thing has 4V output in balanced mode with a 4.4mm jack and obviously phones that support it...otherwise single ended is max 2V which for 32 ohm is about 130mW
The Shanling UA5 is even better - more natural bass representation, especially for kick drums, and better sense of space. Moonriver has slightly more detail in the treble / crispier leading edges, but it's a bit brittle sounding and the Moonriver needs a bit more bass (and I'm someone who doesn't like a lot of bass). Moonriver sounds a bit too dry and congested
I would still go for a desktop amp -- I currently run three sources in parallel on my desktop amp and can switch between them with just the press of a button. And even if I would not need multiple sources, having a physical volume wheel that is at a fixed position on my desk which I can blindly find and adjust the volume from is worth the big box on my desk. (Currently a FiiO K9 Pro)
Small device would take up less space and be cleaner in terms of cable management but a bigger device would have the physical volume and surface are for a "user interface" i.e. knobs, buttons, status display, leds I/O
If it has the outputs one needs, a smaller dac amp would be preferred for me Desk space is at a bit of a premium for me, having a Nad 3020A (the old one from the 70's to early 80's), bookshelf speakers (also from the 80's) and a separate dac/amp (ifi zen dac v2) for headphones If I can save on desk space and keep the sound quality, while having the needed outputs, I'll take the one that takes up less desk space every time
When I’m not using the Topping DX3 Pro Plus on my desk I’m using a Helm Audio Bolt on the go and I’m super happy with it! For sub £100 I think it’s great value for the performance
It also depends of how resolving your iem is. A the pricer the dac, the better the sound by up to 25%. But with a low resolving iem, the improvement will be a few if not nothing changed.
As someone whose entire setup is iems run off a laptop and phone with the apple dongle products like these fit my use case. I do a lot of moving around, and essentially have no permanent desk space, so a full size dac/amp would be really inconvenient for me to have to lug around lol
I would really like you to review some other well reviewed USB dongles like iFi Audio Go Bar, Questyle M15, Shanling UA5 and FiiO KA3. Would like to know which one is the best for hard to drive headphones like some of the Hifiman's cans
The old school headphone amp such as fiio k5 pro or thx 789 still has its place due to the volume knob. This dongle is dangerous in use with a laptop or pc because they provide too much power to the dongle even at 5 % volume its very loud. So it can only be used with smartphones because they don't provide enough power to the dongle, keeping you safe from hearing loss.
The volume increment problem you mentioned is just an Apple problem. Android and UAPP you can change the volume increment size.
It still depends on the device. Many TWS for example don't have proper increments even if you set Android to 150 steps.
There is a quite a lot of people who are on Apple devices, so it is still real problem. Your "just an Apple problem" makes it sound like it is not relevant.
@@taidee well, it's not as if these manufacturers could step in and fix this particular iOS problem...
It's something for apple to address.
@@taidee Yeah exactly. But it's not a device issue it's an iOS or OSX issue. Apple needs to address it.
Use Siri.
I feel like the point of bigger dac amps is having versatility of different inputs and out puts. I use my element iii to switch from headphones to speakers and that’s abt it. It also has the the NOB tho.
(As Duke nukem) I like the big KNOB.
Tech companies should contract JDS to make them smooth knobs. The best knob ever. Even for washing machines and stuff, a great knob is a great knob.
Yeah I guess power output has nothing to do with it at all
@I am here he does interact but he posts alot and there are a butt ton of comments. He can't reply to every single one
@I am here you just did comment... Twice lol.
While not as convenient, you can get around the volume increment issue by using the on-screen volume slider, which moves smoothly and offers precise adjustment.
Yep
Or with the PowerAmp app. You can have 1% increments
Volume is a plus feature for speedy adjustment , i received mine today , it's very handy n powerful with 4.4mm output cheers.
You have great intro music EVERYTIME. love your production quality
Give or take a couple years and Moondrop will have an incredible value dongle like this (albeit slightly less powerful) around the 50 dollar mark. At least that's my prediction :)
Yep
Of course man. It's moondrop, what else do you expect
Yes. I bought my mom a pair of Starfields for Mother's Day, she absolutely loves them and I'm hoping to get myself a Blessing 2 by the end of the summer.
@I am here and idk why haters like you bother to watch his videos on the first place
It needs to have a battery and to be a bluetooth receiver. Without this its usefulness will remain very limited
Qudelix 5k exists and has auto EQ built in to oratory / Harman target.
That is a much better buy.
Qudelix is sold out everywhere and AFAIK they aren't in production anymore.
@@TonkyTronicus they're probably working on a new version. The question is what are they going to call it. The 6k?
To add to what you said it also can be used wired and wirelessly, has built in battery so you’re not draining your phones battery to power it either, and mic pass through so you can use it to wirelessly use headphones with mic as a headset.
@@kyron42 Whatever they call it, I'm here for it.
The Qudelix also has more power output. 6.4V producing around 350mW at 16 Ohms. Drives my DCA Aeons fine.
Moondrop is killing it right now, my moondrop blessing 2’s are easily my favorite audiophile purchase so far.
OMG just received this little Magic , to compared my IFI Zen AMP DAC - this is already phenominal , after playing a little whiie connected with my Samsung Note 20 Ultra the 3.5mm connection was under power with low volume then switched to 4.4mm Balance output my ear can go bleed so be careful not going MAX may became deaf over time . with the ZEN it has more features with Gain control -can push more vocal forward and Bass boost- a lovely feature but the MoonRiver is next level , rounded off the edgy sound , smoother , more energy n power ,separation and clarity are better , this could be the only amp dac for most Audiophile needs , most importantly it sounds with no colour , it's so natural and enjoyable for listening your music .
another surprise was it even improved my Wharefedale EVO 4.2 it's peaky aggresive sound , now it became more smooth n controlled in better clarity as well , so in summary , it's well worth for it's price value ,
regards it's volume control , it increase / decrease in 10% , to me it's a plus ,so it's quicker for me adjusting it's volume and actually i love this handy adjustment.
the only feature that i wish is bring in the bass boost like IFI Zen quality bass boost would be ideal but i still able using my phone equaliser for more bass,
This is a no brainer for anyone investing so little money in such incredible performance amp dac with best flexibility portable mini size , now i can go anywhere with the best of the best sound from my PHONE n another PLUS is improved all my other speakers performance by 20% from my NAD 758 , Emit 20 , Ikon 7 , Polk A9 , KLH Albany, today is my most satisfying AUDIOPHILE Journey over 25 years , happy listening n lastly Thanks this channel so ,so much for bringing all the best HIFI Gears For Us the HIFI community , JOSHUA VALOUR you are the champion in the world , very much liked your honest opinions and reviews Thank You !
I would stick with the full-size desktop device purely for ergonomics. I prefer the experience of plugging my headphones into something solid and having tactile knobs and buttons to interact with while I enjoy my tunes.
This is exactly what kids call "copium drug".
Trust me, if you replace the original OTG cable, this stuff improve clarity, detil, staging larger, layering deeper....I replace to DDHFI OTG c to c...its amazing improvement...👍
I'd prefer a full size setup for sure. Lots of reasons for preferring the full size setup but mostly the pre-outs for speakers(with a remote control for volume), nice feeling volume knob for fine adjustments and the overall aesthetic of the bigger equipment on a desk.
Jon you should get one for portability , you;ll be surprise what it can do if not , you'll missed a lot !
I’ve blind ABX tested people with my $600 desktop stack vs my $120 dongle dac/amp… not a single person can tell one from the other. larger desktop units don’t sound better. they offer more flexibility. and often much more power… but from a pure sound quality standpoint the little dongles are amazing.
First, volume on Mac use “shift + option” when using the volume keys and you get 4 or 5 more semi-steps for volume. Also you can use the slider in the control center or in the menu bar for more fine grained control than the up and down volume keys.
The nano versus desktop for DAC / AMP… I have a iFi Signature paired DAC and Amp on my desk, but 90% of the time I’m plugging in my DT 1990s to a Dragonfly Colbalt as I move my MacBook Pro from desktop, to sofa, to bedroom, and out to coffee shops (not that is sort of doable again). I do this because the difference is minor but the added mobility is a great advantage. If I had a more permanent setup near my sofa and another on my desk, I may not use my portable DAC / AMP as much.
This week the iFi DAC Go Bar released and its quiet floor is similar to this MoonRiver 2, but also has MQA (this is something I like having for Tidal). I looked at the small THX Dragonfly sized, option, but a couple friends that picked it up didn’t find it that different from the Cobalt. If MoonRiver 2 had MQA I’d definitely go for it. But, I’m really curious about the iFi Go Bar at the moment as well.
and u really hear MQA is something better?
@@adamdunovsky5670 I do! If all I had was 24/96 I’d be good, but that is limited still.
@@ThomasVanderWal not many people are talking about the ifi go bar or reviewing it i wonder why 🤔
@@ThomasVanderWal
It doesn’t bother you that on the objective side that people have shown you are hearing distortion if any difference at all? I’m genuinely curious why this appeals to anyone at this point.
The design is spot on. Splendid detail inscribing the design on the back!
Very curious about it.
it's the best , no doubt about it , buy one try it out ,very powerful 4.4 balance output deaf loudness for iem.
Hidizs S3 Pro and IEMs replaced my entire headfi bench. The ‘rollable’ firmware also helps with different headphones. Definitely try it out.
You can get tiny increments of volume in Mac by holding shift+option while pressing the volume up or down key. (for example, if you usually hold Fn key and then VolumeUp, press Fn+Shift+Option and then VolumeUp)
Recently released dongles have been interesting like the this, Cayin RU-6, iBasso DC06, etc. On the-go, sticking with TWS for convenience or bring my iFi iDSD Signature on that rare occasion.
You can adjust ios volume very granurarly if you put your finger on the volume slider and drag it
Much much better.
Also on Android phones you can use volume apps or also drag it stock
Look inside a lot of DAC amps these days and you find large metal chassis with very little inside them! Thanks, good video.
I don't use speakers or any other input sources, so this is convenient to use not just in my PC but in plenty of devices.
The quality is really good so I prefer this over a bulky DAC, it competes with them and that's what makes this product fascinating.
Moondrop is one of the best audio companies at the moment and they fill all the checkmarks with the moonriver 2.
The information you gave about how the power goes through the device is confusing though, I had no idea what you were talking about
After watching this review for the second time I ordered the Moonriver 2. It’s the only device you’ve reviewed with no weird “buts” and straight forward explanation of its capabilities without saying “for the price”.
Portability is the key. I use a Hidizs S9 Pro and I'm very impressed.
I'd like to try out this unit also, I love Moondrop products.
+1 for the S9 pro. For just €130 it's a DAC/AMP with impressive specs and small size. The fade-in issue at the beginning of playback is pretty annoying though.
I just tried Moonriver 2 Ti and Fosi Audio DS1 - while they are vastly different in price - when driving the Austrian Audio Hx60 with it - the Fosi Audio DS1 won by far. The sound was better. For me it felt like I got more detail out of the DS1 than the Moonriver 2 Ti when both had the same volume. I noticed that the Moonriver gives more power, but Fosi will give you the better sound signature. More bass and more goose bump feeling in the mids. This may not be the same for you - since it heavily depends on what you are driving - My Hx60 from Austrian Audio are only 25 Ohms.
Hello Josh I was about to purchase the Topping DX3 PRO+ … and then I saw this review. I’m a big fan of Moondrop (cause of the aria and starfield) so in your honest opinion which should I get.
I like good bass and sound staging.
Damn that intro music went hard.
edit: track name for anyone interested:
"Paid Marketing" by Ooyy
Missed a prime comparison to the Qudelix 5k. I leave it plugged into my MacBook on my desk, while also connected by Bluetooth to my iPad and iPhone. I “just hit play” on the device I’d like to play from and it works flawlessly, with integrated PEQ across all sources, and wireless portability. It’s also $110, though not always available.
Answer - I go for the normal sized desktop DAC or regular sized amplifiers purely for the variety of inputs and outputs functionality…. Dongles are just stopgap devices to compensate for the awful quality of those mobile build-in dac and low powered amplifications.
Better question would be how about mobile phone producers incorporate better DACS with power efficiency into their phones and therefore eliminate completely the need or necessity for an external dongle DACs
The average consumer doesn't care to pay the $5 that a $50 DAC+amp would cost to put in a phone. Sad, but true.
LG was really the last company who really took audio seriously. The V-series phones where audio powerhouses. Sadly companies water down their devices to appeal to the masses.
Sales on tws is to good so that will never happen but at least the sound quality has become much better but im still waiting for tws to have a higher volume output. Bluetooth 6 or an improved version of ldac is definitely the future I cant wait to see.
@@hartyewh1 agreed
@@Kingjay814 and to pad their profit margin ….. how much would it cost for APPLE to incorporate the APPLE DAC dongle back into their mobiles and increase the Z-height by another 1 mm ? Practically zero cost to their BOM, but then their whole range of Bluetooth headphones will be trashed ! Yet none of them are able to play nice with their own APPLE LOSSLESS HIGH-RES MUSIC. How irony !
You might want to review the Cayin RU6, the world's only USB dongle with an R-2R DAC, designed by Cayin. It's somewhat more expensive than the Moondrop ($250) and has (on paper) a little less power, 213 mW from the 4.4mm output (Cayin is frank that the 4.4 output is technically not balanced, but it puts out significantly more power than its 3.5mm output). You also get a small OLED display, choice of OS or NOS modes, and a much better volume solution than Moondrop--it has a 99-step discrete hardware volume control that makes it easy to dial in very precise adjustments (it's recommended to set your PC/phone/tablet at max volume and control volume from the dongle).
While I have used it on the go, I mainly use it in my apartment for convenience with IEMs, Thieaudio Monarch MK II and Fiio FH9. (I don't have 4.4mm cables for any of my full size headphones and have not yet tried them on the RU6.) The sound is very impressive for its size and price. Nonetheless, I do detect some improvement with the balanced 4.4 output from my Gustard X16/H16 stack, particularly a bit stronger bass and imaging. But the RU6 is competitive. iFi just released an even more expensive ($329) USB dongle with almost 500 mw, a full MQA decoder and other interesting features. I'm anxious to see reviews.
Well, more love for dongles is always appreciated #donglemadness
Btw, the dac chips used in this dongle (Cirrus Logic CS43198) is also used on Topping D30 Pro
Hi Josh, can you check the iFi version of a mini dac-amp, the iFi go bar? Considering iFi is a bit more accessible in different parts of the world than Moondrop it would also be interesting to se a comparison between those 2.
I have 3 dongle dacs that I bought for mobile using it outside and for commuting, and for walks, sitting outside, and in my car. Desktops I use for indoors.
I’ll go for the mini dac amp for sure! Portability with high quality, you can’t beat that for me.
Ih, olha quem tá aqui! 😁
@@MINDTHEHEADPHONE tou aqui tameeeem 😉
It would be interesting to hear a follow-up comparing this to the Moondrop Dawn 4.4 balanced. I think the 3.5 might be a tad more convenient but also less power.
Yes please
I think that thermals can be challenging on smaller high-powered DAC's.
That said, my Fiio BTR3K delivers quite a punch as well, and never gets warm. It's almost spooky how cool it stays under high load.
I should also say that considering the price, I'm very happy with it.
I have the BTR5, which is similar but with more power, and it is the same. About the only time it gets warm is when I am using it and charging at the same time, but any device has that problem.
@@JohnClarkW I had an original (not 2021) version of the BTR5 and it used to get noticeably warm (USB mode, charging disabled + balanced output) and it actually had an impact on the sound. That was one of the problems that made me ditch it in favour of a standalone DAP (Shanling M3X). The BTR5 (in it's optimal state, i.e. not warmed up and/or low on battery) sounded better to me, though.
I'm not gonna lie, I used to be snobby about the "type" of equipment I deemed minimally sufficient to produce great sound. Now i stream my flac encoded music collection from my S22 Ultra into this thing and then into my balanced Sony Z1R's iem's and I'm not sure if thousands of dollars are worth it trying to get much better than this. (For IEM's mostly)
That’s a really really dope setup you have, and I don’t see it getting much better, but you will want to branch out and my advice is to do so sideways and don’t chase any improvements in source. I think if you have to ask if chasing improvements is worth it, it’s almost never worth it.
@Aunchient Pistol While I do consider them excellent and agree the headphones aren't cheap, price wise they're in the middle of the current "Audiophile" grade IEM's market. Also I was more referring to the actual amplification and the DAC. This thing is great for High fidelity sound in a tiny package. Coupled with UAPP app on Android, lossless files sound really good.
I'm interesting about your view. What dacs have you used for your ier z1R? I'd like to know what's the best for Desktop use, and if 4.4 is recommended. What has been your experience?
@@OptLab The best desktop amp/DAC I've used for them is Sony ta zh1es. Its kind of pricey and you can get similar results from cheaper
schiit magni 3 or similar
You should explore more about the dongle dac/amp section, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are Cayin ru6 (word first r2r dongle dac), Shanling Ua5 (balanced ess/ricore amp with built in battery), Luxury & Precision W2 (dual CS43131 dac) and so on..
Questsyle, AK are also going to release their new dongle at this price point.
I’d be more interested in the comparison with larger portables than all the way to the extreme of a desktop dac. By that I mean, how does this fare against Ifi option such as a hip dac 2, Gryphon or Signature Blue, and equally curious with a mojo 2.
I had the same thought during his Macbook Amp Video
Mojo 2 sounds way superior than ifi .
Was using E1DA 9038d as a dac feeding a magni 3+… sold the magni and using the dongle only, powering t50rp argon and k240monitor 600 ohm without any issue. So, to reply to your question: YES
Portability is really important me, with a laptop on the go this form factor and interface is fantastic.
Thanks for the review.
I'd definitely take the smaller DAC/amp if the pricing was the same.
I like these small ones because I can permanently attach them to my HD650 and make them USB-C headphones. Then I really have the versatility of using them everywhere.
There are so many dongles right now….and even portable dac/amps that are smaller in design - Questyle CMA18 and the Quloos Mub1. These are getting crazy good. A comparison video is more instructive.
Moondrop 2 compared to Mojo 2?
nice review. on mac, hidizs s9 pro (100mw @32ohm) needs to be set at a higher volume than an apple type c dongle (30mw @32ohm). on an android phone, the apple dongle needs to be turned up all the way to drive moondrop variations unlike the s9 pro at half volume. This is clearly a driver issue on the s9 pro with apple devices as these devices when connected to a full sized usb port use more power,
These products ARE the future of the market in general. While there are many people in the comment section that would prefer a full desktop DAC/AMP combo instead of a Dongle DAC, many people don't have a dedicated area for their laptop or they just use their phone / tablet to work. The usage of phones as audio source is huge and people are constantly moving. While not everyone's using Hi-Res files, there are some people that do and would love a product like this for their IEMs and to listen to something with great sound quality.
Other options between $50.00 and $200.00:
-xDuoo Link2 Bal (very similar to Moondrop Moon River 2)
-TempoTec Sonata E44 (4.4 mm)
-Kadhas Tea
-Hidizs S9 Pro
-Cayin RU6
-Ovidius B1
-Questyle M15
-Shanling UA5
-FiiO KA3
Mac volume tip: *Shift* + *option/Alt* + *volume buttons* = 1/4-increment steps
Samsung Galaxy phones have an advanced volume setting to be turned on. With this you get 100 volume steps. Very good for external dac-amps and IEMs. Thanks for good reviews!
I got MoonRiver2 from watching moondrop channel an how passionate they where with it sold me.
Had the Kato already an pairs excellent with it, the manual has a picture of an anime drawing with her wereing the katos.
Also ordered the upgraded wire the line K for the Kato with 4.4 balance an find it very balanced an can go to an uncomfortable loudness but with little to no distortion.
Tried them with tipsy ttroms an bass hits great with them as there a more playfully cheaper item. My sennheiser hd 560s only 3.5 connection or 6.35 an are much better with my pc dac/Amp.
Not going to bother getting a 4.4 cable for it as they don't leave the room.
I actually just got this dac/amp because of your review and its honestly amazing. Over the past 5 years, the portable market has been improving fast. I would take this thing any day over a BTR5 or a Shanling piece, even Xduoo's options I tried don't really sound quite as well rounded as the moon river. It doesn't really quite compete with much higher end desktop setups still, but if this was all I had, I'd be happy. Its good enough that if you are thinking about spending only 200-400$ ish on a desktop setup, you might as well save the money and the hassle to get something more versatile like this. Rumor has it Xduoo's newer link 2 balanced device uses the same brand dac chips and similar power output, evidently sounds nearly identical for 40$ less.
I'm using one of these Moondrops, but I found it sounds best using a DDC and a Linear Power Supply, with a large back pack and a long enough power cord it's an ideal portable solution.
try for your hifi amp , it's so good sounded more naturalism.
Now products like this show how tech should be. Going smaller, more efficient and more affordable.
Truthear Shio next pleaseee
I just got into HIFI and bought a Hifiman Sundara with an ifi Hip DAC 2, which is a great combo to start out with imo. I think it's sounds great, at least for me. Since I have not heard the high end stuff I'm pretty satisfied for now. The portability of this combo is also a real plus. I can use it at dask or in my bed. A full sized amp which is sitting at a desk would be a thing to keep in mind for me, since im used to always having the HipDAC with. So i would always go with a portable solition if a had the choice!
I think it would be great to have great tiny gadgets when they can really delivery comparable performance to desk based solutions.
Hi Josh, interesting post like usual! 👏(although i like the ambiance sound when you were at the previous studio)
This dongle tech is much interesting than full on dac/amp especially when people can be mobile with the so called audiophile
I highly recommend you check out the qudilix 5k. At 110$, it has a pretty good dac, great power for it's size at 4v rms, LDAC bluetooth, and full built in 10 band PEQ with autoeq presets. I think it's a pretty insane value, if you can manage to find one
For the form factor it’s pretty impressive so I think I’ll pick it up but I will certainly not hold my breath when comparing to the power capability of the FiiO Q3. The Q3 can provide more amperage to drive lower sensitivity planars. This thing would for sure be better at driving a higher ohm DD like my 6XX so I’ll be excited to see.
Dear Joshua, review any of the Hidizs dongle dacs. The S3 actually looks promising for IEMs for price-performance ratio
For me these tiny dongles serve a different propose from desktop dac/amps. I got one of each and I'm always using the desktop solution at home because it's not consuming any power off my phone. Then when commuting or traveling the dongle is a fantastic option to get audiophile quality on the move. Of course for someone listening to music at home on a laptop, then the dongle makes plenty of sense.
i'm listening to this video on a moondrop variations with this dac, and it sounds fenomenal! probably my end game dac for a couple months haha
I have a btr5, I will never give up the bluetooth functionality for beeing out and about
Joshua, Not sure I understand the issue with too large volume adjustments, but wonder if it would help to use Option-Shift-Volume on the Mac for small increments (1/4 usual) rather than using the Nano's volume adjustment. Hope this is clear.
I appreciate the wide range of audiophile equipment you review.
You said the power on this thing is pretty sufficient, but the wattage is low you can't have a device with sufficient power and low "wattage" they are the same thing. Power is measured in Watts: EMF (volts) x resistance (ohms) = power (watts). Love your videos ;)
Very insightful review! I feel like the target demographic of these portable dac/amps are people who want hifi sound on the go. I would personally use a bigger desktop set-up for headphones and the full listening experience, while using a small dac/amp device with iems while outside.
Full setup for me. A more powerful Fioo k9 or a delicious cayin. Or perhaps a more powerful jds labs element, for da knOb
These dongle or even the size of a better designed mojo is definitely the future of music for such,you can take them out and about without breaking sweat and still use them in any room,kitchen and garden at home. I have the Tk2 amp and lotoo s1 dongle, l use the s1 more,tk2 is collecting dust in the drawer,even with all that power on tap.Yes,l still prefer the sound of my shanling m3x but that is nit picking territory. Anything that improves on lotoo s1 dongle will definitely give most high end equipment a competition.Looking at ifi go bar, might be a definite improvement on s1 not sure.
I prefer small DAC/AMP combo's like this one.
I don't have desk space to spare. And I do not want to add any more clutter to my desk, nor cable clutter that goes behind it (extra wall wart, maybe even cables between separate DAC and AMP). Also, portability as an added option is objectively a good thing.
For input, I use my PC and my phone. My Hidizs S9 Pro has both balanced and unbalanced output, very good specs, and ample power for the headphones I have. It has everything that I want.
Pro tip for Mac users: press Alt+shift alongside your regular volume buttons for incremental change in the volume. Works even better than Windows machines.
Don´t really need a huge ass DAC/AMP on my desk honestly, so I rather have something smaller. If you want to connect speakers and so on then this looks different but just for headphones I would clearly prefer a smaller setup. I am using right now the "ifi zen DAC V2 + Zen can Signature HFM" - that's an okay size and the Quality feels valuable.
Cool dongle! Did you run all headphones through the 4.4mm output? I was waiting to hear more about the difference between the 3.5 and 4.4 outputs but had to look elsewhere for that. Thanks Josh!
Measurements on S/N and THD are usually inaccurate on these things. They frequently just cite the stats from the DAC chip manufacturer and assume the amp does nothing to the numbers.
If you check out their product page, they show data from APx555 measurements.
If something so small can match something like schiit stack then I’m all for it.
EDIT : I just got mine and WOOOOOOOW
Lols... if you are impressed with this dongle, try ''Centrance Dacport HD'' with a mighty 775mW of power output. I stopped using desktop dac/amps for my Ananda after having this super powerful dongle with the analog volume rocker, so there is no issue with volume adjustments. Please make a blind test with ur desktop set up and post your honest opinion.
Check out the Violectric Chronos. It has comparable specs and is made in Germany. It was $250 when I bought it. Weird nobody even knows it exists.
Sadly, the headphone jack on smartphones is pretty much dead, except for Sony, Asus and a few others. LG left the smartphone industry, and no one but Asus is still implementing DAC chips on their phones. If all manufacturers made at least ONE of their variants have a headphone jack/DAC chip/expandable storage, then we wouldn't need a DAC dongle at all...
Every smartphone model, every year? Why not just stick with what you have now if only just for listening songs?
I got asus rog 5 which got quite good dac but difference between it and thx onyx is quite big.
@@wadimek116 I guess the THX sounds better because it is a dedicated pricey dongle. On the other hand, I think it must be hard to put a DAC chip inside a phone with little to no room, and not to mention it is surrounded by all other phone chips, potentially resulting in interference.
@@natevirtual The dongle still makes huge difference compared to any phone I heard. Its definitely way better than apple
@@realgrilledsushi well, let me change my comment up a bit. If MORE manufacturers (etc)...
Listening to music is not all I use my phone for, in fact I probably listen to music 1hr a day tops. And I don't really like carrying two devices in my pocket just for that purpose.
I COULD technically keep my LG V60 for years but they will end support soon and the tech will be old just in a few short years.
UAPP has a volume step option up to 250 steps.
I was a Dragonfly fan but I’ve noticed on my newer Hifiman XS cans there are some issues at higher volumes I don’t enjoy. Going to check this baby out now to see if it helps. Thanks!!
Don't they have a small, but noticeable spike in the treble? EQ would fix that while the source shouldn't.
@@hartyewh1 I wouldn't say that's what I have noticed or at least it hasn't bothered me. It's more that if I push it to max volume or close to, especially when plugged into my iPhone, the low end actually gets a muddy as hell and I can hear static or light crackling in loud portions of songs. I don't think it's the headphones because they sound incredible at low or moderate volume and it gets better when plugged into a laptop. I have to imagine its the limitations in power or sound processing from the Cobalt.
My daily listen is the iBasso DX220 with Amp 8, and UM Mest IEMs. When I updated my phone, I lost the headphone jack and needed a dongle for the odd time I needed to use headphones/earphones. I went with the Ovidius B1. I am embarassed at how close that dongle performs compared to my DAP. A little cheaper than the MoonRiver.
Now, of course, I'm wondering if I should grab a MoonRiver as well!!!!
Can’t hurt to try (except your pocketbook 😂)
@@davidcoons89 Haha! The audiophile's mantra!!!!
ddhifi tc09s usb-c cable can help if mainly use your phone.
Bit pricey at 69 but liked the number an my stock usb-c cable stopped working.
Was going to go for Fiio but had a ddhifi 3.5 to 4.4 adapter an wanted to support emm again as it was top notch quality
One draw back with small devices in general, at least for me, is they often have no volume knob. I love how the Fiio BTR5 and Qudelix 5K sound, but there's no knob. It makes them kinda tricky to use. I also have a Hip DAC and Hip DAC 2, which I like for that reason.
I'm glad this review came out! I had been looking at this product online recently, compared to the Xduoo Link2 Bal, etc.
Do you know of any audio meets or stores in the Seattle area, BTW?
this is more precise the buttons are solid for control, loved it a lot , the best i ever used .
Dongles are particularly popular in Audio groups on Facebook. #DongleMadness
I got improve moon river 2 in tonal and technical by replacing type C cable to DD HIFI TC03, seriously..
On a desktop, I want that big smooth (or tech-clicky) volume knob. But everywhere else around or outside the home, nano is the way to go. I’m eyeing the Shanling UA5. My OPPO HA2 is long in the tooth now.
Awesome review. Thanks for referencing and comparing to the Apple dongle.
you should specify that the thing has 4V output in balanced mode with a 4.4mm jack and obviously phones that support it...otherwise single ended is max 2V which for 32 ohm is about 130mW
The Shanling UA5 is even better - more natural bass representation, especially for kick drums, and better sense of space. Moonriver has slightly more detail in the treble / crispier leading edges, but it's a bit brittle sounding and the Moonriver needs a bit more bass (and I'm someone who doesn't like a lot of bass). Moonriver sounds a bit too dry and congested
I would still go for a desktop amp -- I currently run three sources in parallel on my desktop amp and can switch between them with just the press of a button. And even if I would not need multiple sources, having a physical volume wheel that is at a fixed position on my desk which I can blindly find and adjust the volume from is worth the big box on my desk. (Currently a FiiO K9 Pro)
it's worth getting it for portability , it's as good as all your component set up , why not ?
Thank you for comparison with FullSize DACAMP
For the volume issue on Samsung phones, soundassistant app from the Samsung store let you set the volume increments.
what is the other portable dac amp that he said was cheaper but might have equal performance?
Small device would take up less space and be cleaner in terms of cable management but a bigger device would have the physical volume and surface are for a "user interface" i.e. knobs, buttons, status display, leds I/O
If it has the outputs one needs, a smaller dac amp would be preferred for me
Desk space is at a bit of a premium for me, having a Nad 3020A (the old one from the 70's to early 80's), bookshelf speakers (also from the 80's) and a separate dac/amp (ifi zen dac v2) for headphones
If I can save on desk space and keep the sound quality, while having the needed outputs, I'll take the one that takes up less desk space every time
spot on , buy one now , it's more powerful than Zen better in clarity , control , separation , don't missed this superb device.
When I’m not using the Topping DX3 Pro Plus on my desk I’m using a Helm Audio Bolt on the go and I’m super happy with it! For sub £100 I think it’s great value for the performance
Excellent review! I'd go for the portable one so that I can carry any headphones or earphones I like.
How about on Modhouse T60 Argon's? Enough juice?
is there any dongle you would suggest for iems ? maybe one focused on the DAC rather than the amplifier. thanks
It also depends of how resolving your iem is. A the pricer the dac, the better the sound by up to 25%. But with a low resolving iem, the improvement will be a few if not nothing changed.
As someone whose entire setup is iems run off a laptop and phone with the apple dongle products like these fit my use case. I do a lot of moving around, and essentially have no permanent desk space, so a full size dac/amp would be really inconvenient for me to have to lug around lol
hey josh! you can try pressing option+shift+volume up/down on macbook for finer volume adjustment. maybe that’ll help
I would really like you to review some other well reviewed USB dongles like iFi Audio Go Bar, Questyle M15, Shanling UA5 and FiiO KA3. Would like to know which one is the best for hard to drive headphones like some of the Hifiman's cans
The old school headphone amp such as fiio k5 pro or thx 789 still has its place due to the volume knob. This dongle is dangerous in use with a laptop or pc because they provide too much power to the dongle even at 5 % volume its very loud. So it can only be used with smartphones because they don't provide enough power to the dongle, keeping you safe from hearing loss.
I was thinking of picking up the THX Onyx but i think i may give this a shot based on the review.