For me, you are the most credible IEM reviewer out there, easy to understand, never over exaggerate on anything like "this iem need 500kWh dongle to drive it bla bla bla", and last, spent hours, literally hours analyzing IEMs and dongles. Great work Andy! 🔥 And again, this is pure my subjective preference, go ahead to disagree.
You are the best in what you do, thanks for all the shared wisdom. All the way from Colombia ill be waiting to see whats next in the path of Andy's Audio Vault.
End of an era. You have done a great service to people looking to buy a dongle. I stopped watching your dongle videos after Onix, which I bought. I needed 1, made my choice, and I'm happy with it. And won't buy a new 1 unless the Onix blows up. So good luck with your future endeavours. And thanks for all your reviews. It's been a trip.
Hi Andy- I really appreciate this video and your approach to Evaluating these amazing devices as they come of age. Your amazing work and effort has changed the way many of us study, research, and discover sound for ourselves. Your efforts and criteria are invaluable. I have really enjoyed listening to your detailed and honest listening reviews and I hope that you continue to post as the tech gets into its razor-sharp stage.
The amount of work you put into this project is both crazy and very much appreciated! I especially dwell in the budget range and have enjoyed those comparisons especially. Thanks for all you have done, and I look forward to whatever perspective you bring into the future. Thanks much Andy!
Phew I thought you were going to scrap your reviews! Your reviews are great: informative, clear and enjoyable. Perhaps there's a different way of comparing rather than relative rankings. For example using spider/radar diagrams which several dimensions for comparison but that's a lot of work! I got the Onix alpha after listening to your review (I have the chord mojo 2 which I prefer for it's versatility and sound but the alpha is great and smaller - and provides something different compared to the chord mojo 2. And love your IEM reviews, I hope these continue! I keep thinking about the Sviga Nightingale and even keeping an eye out for a second hand Shure kse (I had the Shure 846 for over 10 years and absolutely loved them).
Excited to know what else in store Totally agree on your point that finding those minute details sometimes is a headache, especially when you have multiple review units lying around and 10 in mail. Whatever you bring will be great I’m pretty sure 🙌🏼
Initially i was kinda surprised to see the video's title, but i was laughing and watching it and in the end, i totally feel you. It makes sense and i agree with you. But please keep reviewing the iems and headphones (wired and wireless)! And thank you for the great effort you've put in #donglemadness 💯
Ranking system including IEMs and HEADPHONEs with different frequency response with a particular DAC sounds perfect. We are looking forward for the new ranking system.
I am always happy to see your reviews for dongles especially and iem next. The note for new video make my day really! Even if I know that the changes can be minor. But I believe that also that dongles needs improvements in some areas that can be reviewed. Such as more sound knob such as DC07 PRO, and more power especially to 3.5mm, so especially power performance especially at 3.5mm is a factor for me. Also the EQ ability that dongles can offer. So the Ranking system can change such as to this of the iems, I can say that your ranking system if can be made more advanced it would be grateful for all of us! I would love to see comparison with dongle and headphones synergy. And I would like also very much to see you review over ear headphones and not only iems. And how can be really be driven from dongles. That is my biggest hope. So as to see how much improvement has been made so as to have a dongle to drive our Over ear headphones. Thanks you for all! And keep going!
I totally understand. I stopped reviewing on head-fi many years ago because I did not like assigning numeric scores to portable gear that some people would like and other people would not like. Instead I did some UA-cam reviews for a while where I tried my hardest to describe the audio gear and say who I thought it was for. Maybe you can take a similar tact because your views are much appreciated in the community
it's a best decision. Now days dongles are raining from sky and price is also very competitive. hardware and sound quality are very much similar or close to each other. So eventually it comes to the budget price for everyone's pocket to buy which is more budget friendly to one.
I respect the decision, and still respect your opinions and impressions of gear! Things don't have to have numerical rankings, but reporting on generally well implemented sound, features, and being bug-free are good things to know for consumers. Cheers Andy
Andy, thank you for the work you did, it was very difficult, we understand you. Such parameters as richness of sound, details, it is very difficult to determine when dealing with almost the same thing. Dongles have reached a new higher level, it's true. Many of them sound like players from $ 300 to $ 700 and even they differ from each other very slightly
I agree 100%, because there were some errors on the ranking, where some really good dongles which measure extremely well, were rated lower than I had expected.
Interesting Andy, you seem honest to me. You have helped many people, including myself, when selecting or buying a dongle. Normal users cannot afford to buy everything, which is why your advice is so welcome. I hope you find the "formula" to continue reporting in this impartial way Andy. I understand that there are many commercial interests in the way of many reviewers, I hope you do not abandon us and continue with this hobby and giving us good references of products from our community, thank you very much.
it is v.difficult to comeup with a rating system today. This grouping system you have adopted is also nice. for reviewing it is important to test the equipment with neutral test equipment, testing the synergy with different popular gear is a bonus. and very important is the subjective factor, i give it a lot importance when the testers preference are know. so yes your work has gotten harder but with the such experience you can keep on evolving your ranking system.
Creo que ya llegaste al punto donde caemos muchos audiofilos (me incluyo), llegar al punto donde visualizas una meta, un reto y ningun dongle te satisface, ahora todo te suena igual y cada uno tiene lo que el otro necesita, se que es frustante, pero empieza de cero, y en cada cambio de auriculares, pausa en silencio total por un o unos minutos. Toma en cuenta que tus oidos ya crearon memoria y tambien se cansan. Dales un tiempo para descansar a tus oidos. Exelentes tus videos y tus reviciones, me estan ayudando a elegir un buen dongle. (que aun estoy buscando para unos Bayerdinamic 770 pro, 32ohm.). Saludos y felicidades por tu canal.
Realest video boss. I bought the VE Megatron because of your review on WordPress. Amazing unit, powers my BAs and Planars well. #donglemadness never dies 🗣️🗣️🗣️‼️‼️‼️
I respect your decision Andy, with how many dongles are competitively priced nowadays that I find it difficult to pick which one would work the best for my own use case. I think that is a good problem though
Sorting or describing products by their characteristics would be sufficient for me. I recently bought the DUNU DTC480 based on your review. I wanted at simple, natural sounding dongle that's more efficient than my others. Genre related choices are helpful too. I enjoyed your video on dongles for metal music. In fact, it'd be interesting to learn about your music tastes and collection too. Of course, cameos of Geoff and Oreo are always welcome. Thanks, Andy!!
i have bought dc03 dc04 onix-alpha mp145 and 80% of my audio gear based on your video. and never regret it. your honest-unbiased opinion is really needed in this hobby. thank you for all your review andy
@@blupantat3678 thank you for the response. I do like analogue but not overly warm. What is your favorite pairing with the onix alpha if i may ask this final question?
I respect your decision Andy! Although I haven't reviewed nearly 1/5th of the dongles you have reviewed. I completely agree with you as to how the dongle DACs nowadays are so good! That even the most decent one is really good. And this is also the reason I dont have an official ranking for dongle DACs and even iems 🙂
It is good news when Tools to do a specific job, all perform so exceedingly well that to tell the difference between one or the other is based on one's own subjective preferences.
my suggestion is to make a video compiling dac dongles that you have that support inline microphone. Not all manufacturers clearly inform if they support a mic or not maybe make a series about budget microphones since is kinda crazy how some cheap microphones or inline mics can sound pretty decent for the price
Ok. Well, Andy, it’s ok. You are correct. I’ll cry for a few days. Please supply the tissues. I’ll be sick too. But in the end, I’ll use my hands and feet. So thank you for all your effort. ❤
Andy the ranking system helps alot Trust me dont delete it or remove it keep it and keep evaluating on its spectrum It helps alot Dont worry about the bad dongles or everything is 10/10 some region have some company wwhile others dont so the comparision works thats why every dongle you review gets views Every one knows game is subjective and sound is subjective and spectrum shows analog or hifi sound gives the end user idea what he wants and what he want to get in the end every user would want to get the highest ranking stuff but thats how everything works usually in every industry Relax everything is perfect and works thats why you have views IT HELPS
Good job andy, i strongly agree about synergy, what the user can ear is the synergy magic iem plus dongle today. I feel the same for iems ranking that can behave very differently depending on the source, with the extra variable of the music genre. Very honest decision you took.
I agree with you Andy. Overall, $50 dongles are good and ones using the same DAC sound very similar if not identical to each other. You don't need to spend much time testing them but it's still helpful if you may classify them as analog sounding or digital sounding or halfway. That's the main difference between them as I think. $10 dongles are also acceptable but they are not safe blind buys due to compatibility issues as I have encountered.
I had the luxury of moving to a city that has an audio store with lots of dongles/DACs/Amps available to try out, and I found it almost impossible to tell the differences between dongles anymore. Using the most resolving headphones I have (the heddphone 2), I feel like I'm sometimes just imagining the differences (assuming they have enough power). For iems especially, I feel like it really doesn't matter anymore; just get something with a good build quality and a mic-input if needed.
I bought the ONIX Alpha XI1 based on your review & recommendation. I'm very satisfied with it & happy with it's performance! I'd say I trust your judgment & taste. Cheers bud😊
I understand your point and i think you are right, you have to know that your reviews are not just reviews, this is kind of way of life for you and for us, thats hobby, i bought few dongles because of your reviews, like onyx, or hiby fc7 and i love them, im only trying to point that your opinion matter a lot for many of us, i cannot buy every gear and test it by myself so i really value opinion of someone who know what he is doing, try to stay with us if you can, im sending you much love, brother, also i want to thank you for what you have done already
ONIX has caught my interest because of its filters that noticeably change sound. This could be a great universal dongle that with specific settings could bring out the most of each IEM.
Not at all. I've used 2 dongles so far, with mid-range IEMs. Started with Onix, then went to Cayin RU7. Everything about the RU7 is better, especially the soundstage. The Onix felt small and flat, while the RU7 felt expansive. It's not even close. It's not the best dongle of 2024. I think with all these subjective rankings on setups that only share one thing (the dongle), it just simply isn't useful.
It's been a few months since I last contributed a comment to the discussion. However, I've hardly missed anything under the "donglemadness" heading since the beginning of the year, and I've read a few discussion posts from time to time. I've been most interested in reviews of models ranging from the Questyle M12i to the current Akliam. I hereby thank Andy for his really comprehensive reviews, which I have always looked at with great interest!!! My experience with debaters' questions to Andy is that they are primarily about comparing models to each other. And because of this, Andy's Ranking system was excellent, but apparently not everyone "grasped" it properly, not paying enough attention to the review itself and overly perceiving only the numbers. This is evidenced by the nature of the questions.. often Andy answered several people with stoic calmness to the same question! This is absolutely insane.. Hypothetically, if Andy were to completely do away with the Ranking system, I fear an exponential increase in just this type of question (which of the two models has the better sound etc..). Personally, I put most emphasis on the passage where Andy verbally describes the sound characteristics with different types of headphones. I will then put this in context with the final Ranking. It's also useful to look at other reviewers, put the whole thing in context and eventually I'll answer that imaginary question myself and not have to bother Andy with it. Otherwise, at the end of the day, some discussant will come along with the fact that Cayin's RU7 "stomps" the iBasso DC07Pro under the black ground... In this case, it's good to remember that comparing the sonic qualities of two models is not so much about an instant subjective conclusion that I like some sound better, but rather about knowing the recording perfectly for the sake of distinguishing reality from coloration. This is what gives Andy the most to work with, and where I see the greatest added value of his reviews. The form of the post is also important... personal experience with a particular type of headphones instead of a clear conviction that one of Andy's dongles with the same ranking is sonically much better... Such a post is in my opinion instant and unserious!!! I don't want to influence Andy, I just think this Ranking system was good and sophisticated. But then again, I'm sure if Andy wants to redesign it, it will be worth it!🤞👍
Perhaps switch to a rating system of performance divided by price. This brings VALUE back to the foreground since outright performance is starting to narrow.
Oh no ! We don't want to live anymore . (not really) I'm sure you will evolve into a new world. Andy , would you please review the Onix Overture XM5 . I need your expert opinion . It's looking good to me . Thanks for everything Andy . You're awesome !
Sad, but I understand why you are stopping the ranking. Hope to see the videos on dongles still. I have had total 3 dongles so far, and all have been recommended by you. I'm happy with my purchases. I'd like to come to your videos again for future purchases as well. Thank you for the information!
Youre right andy.. even the simple 7hz 71 sounds great on certain iems.. likewise the onix.. must be the tuning of the dongle thats matches with the tuning of the iem..but for me the fc6 still sounds as good as the others. Just my opinion.
I agree 100%. This hobby is very subjective and synergy between gear is definitely something worth consideration. I feel like technology has reached its limit when it comes to sound production. When an $80 dongle sounds almost as good as a desktop amp nowadays there is no point giving them a numerical rating. Better pay attention to features, efficiency, size and weight.
IMO you need to get better headphones. The Sundara isn't special these days. If you got an HE1000se, for example, considering that's the easiest to drive egg-shaped planar while ALSO being the most resolving (seriously, it's known to be an audio stethoscope), that will tell you a lot about any dongle you plug it into. Heck, even an Ananda Nano will do a decent job. I mean, I'm not gonna say that the HD 600 is bad, but in terms of technicalities it's like a Ford Model T versus the HE1000se being a BMW 850 or something like that, with perhaps timbre being the only exception. Also, if you plug them into your PC, you get a lot of noise and jitter from it. I found that there's a big jump in SQ if you plug them into a USB power filter. Look up Goldensound, he showed this to be the case. Another interesting thing is that I also have an NR200. I got rid of popping, and a slightly noise floor with USB DACs (including dongles) by putting in an SF 750 instead of the previous CM V850 SF. Better filtering, I imagine.
I choose HD600 and Sundara because they are a lot more common and relatable to many people. I can get HE1000se but how many have them, to own a Sundara to many people are already a luxury, so when I describe my experiences with the sound I heard from Sundara or HD600, the audiences can relate more and get better perspectives from that standpoint because they know HD600 or Sundara sound, but less likely the majority would know or can afford to own HE1000SE
Hi Andy, I recently discovered your excellent channel, really appreciate all your work in these great reviews. It's unfortunate the ratings won't continue but your reasons are understandable. I wanted to ask, do you have an estimate of when the review will be out for the Dunu DTC800 dongle? Very eager to buy this but wanted to wait for your review. Also will you be reviewing the Shanling/Onix XM5 Overture? It sounds like Onix has really delivered amazing sound on it. I think I have pretty much the same sound preferences as you and the two devices I mentioned above look awesome, and I may get both at some point. I was initially looking into the Onix Alpha XL1 but it's a bit bulky and seems to drain more battery, and then I found the Dunu DTC800! Cheers
My own DTC800 is yet to be shipped to me so I have no idea exactly when. In the mean while try updating your ONIX Alpha to the latest newly released FW and see if that will help. My own ONIX Alpha lasted 10 hours on my Xiaomi Mi9T (4000 mAH battery) running local FLAC playback and 8-9 hours for Tidal streaming, I assume that you are getting less than that which sounds not right to me
@@donglemadness Sorry for the confusion I don't have the Onix Alpha, I was looking at some reviews but I think I'd prefer something a bit smaller (for travelling), so I've now ordered the Dunu DTC800 instead. Do you by any chance have plans to review the Onix XM5 Overture?
Hah. The moment has came 🙃 Sorry to hear you come to such difficult situation. Maybe you can do just kinda unboxing and impressions and not extensive review and probably people come in here to see what’s new and they want to see the aesthetic the built and feature (take some aesthetic shots) of it and just end the video by a chop [Approve by The Dongleman] Or unless maybe you have bigger plans 😉. Hope to see your up and coming surprises.
I agree, dongles have become too good to rank properly. In the end you just end up with a list of your preferences, not rankings. And that's kinda pointless for others.
Still useful ranking for me :D. I need a PC dongle for my laptop when I travel and I can get the Onix for cheapest, then the yuki then the cayin RU6 and finally the most expensive is the Hiby. I like the look of the yuki the most :D.
As measurements show, most modern DACs/amplifiers have a flat frequency response and extremely low distortion, much lower than the human audible level. Therefore, they will all sound the same, and audible differences arise due to the imperfection of the human hearing system. Changes in blood pressure, fatigue, and so on can affect the listening result. And what sounds different in reality are headphones/iem...
It's kinda shock that technologycally makes the standard literally high and makes every dongle kinda same (which is the bad thing by mean stagnant era might be coming). btw i see ifi go kensei in the one you didnt yet review, will wait for it.
Dongle Madness ended, Crinacle stopped reviewing stuff. Truly an end of an era. But it will be a new era for audio for sure since basically everyone can create decent dongle for any budget and regardless of tuning.
Yeah my heart dropped. But it seems like you have a plan and I will be right here for you no matter what!
I do, it will take some time to work out
For me, you are the most credible IEM reviewer out there, easy to understand, never over exaggerate on anything like "this iem need 500kWh dongle to drive it bla bla bla", and last, spent hours, literally hours analyzing IEMs and dongles.
Great work Andy! 🔥
And again, this is pure my subjective preference, go ahead to disagree.
Agreed 100 %❤
Okay I respect your decision Andy..but don't stop ranking of iem please 🙏🥺
the honest and the most credible reviewer in my opinion!!!
respect your decision champ! 🙏
You are the best in what you do, thanks for all the shared wisdom. All the way from Colombia ill be waiting to see whats next in the path of Andy's Audio Vault.
Thank you for your help over the last few years! You have guided me and I love the sound of my system. Your time is very much appreciated!
Thanks alot Andy. Very much for all of a lot useful information from you. Much appreciated 💜 💜💜
My pleasure!
I have brought UA4 & tpz 50 from your recommendations, and it didn't disappoint me. Thank you
End of an era. You have done a great service to people looking to buy a dongle. I stopped watching your dongle videos after Onix, which I bought. I needed 1, made my choice, and I'm happy with it. And won't buy a new 1 unless the Onix blows up. So good luck with your future endeavours. And thanks for all your reviews. It's been a trip.
Hi Andy- I really appreciate this video and your approach to Evaluating these amazing devices as they come of age. Your amazing work and effort has changed the way many of us study, research, and discover sound for ourselves. Your efforts and criteria are invaluable. I have really enjoyed listening to your detailed and honest listening reviews and I hope that you continue to post as the tech gets into its razor-sharp stage.
Thanks Recardo. Support from folks like you is the reason I am energized to keep going. 🙌
Dear Andy , thank you for your precious work and all the help you gave us in choosing the perfect dongle! Kind regards!
The amount of work you put into this project is both crazy and very much appreciated! I especially dwell in the budget range and have enjoyed those comparisons especially. Thanks for all you have done, and I look forward to whatever perspective you bring into the future. Thanks much Andy!
Phew I thought you were going to scrap your reviews!
Your reviews are great: informative, clear and enjoyable.
Perhaps there's a different way of comparing rather than relative rankings. For example using spider/radar diagrams which several dimensions for comparison but that's a lot of work!
I got the Onix alpha after listening to your review (I have the chord mojo 2 which I prefer for it's versatility and sound but the alpha is great and smaller - and provides something different compared to the chord mojo 2.
And love your IEM reviews, I hope these continue!
I keep thinking about the Sviga Nightingale and even keeping an eye out for a second hand Shure kse (I had the Shure 846 for over 10 years and absolutely loved them).
Excited to know what else in store
Totally agree on your point that finding those minute details sometimes is a headache, especially when you have multiple review units lying around and 10 in mail.
Whatever you bring will be great I’m pretty sure 🙌🏼
Initially i was kinda surprised to see the video's title, but i was laughing and watching it and in the end, i totally feel you. It makes sense and i agree with you. But please keep reviewing the iems and headphones (wired and wireless)! And thank you for the great effort you've put in #donglemadness 💯
Ranking system including IEMs and HEADPHONEs with different frequency response with a particular DAC sounds perfect. We are looking forward for the new ranking system.
I am always happy to see your reviews for dongles especially and iem next. The note for new video make my day really! Even if I know that the changes can be minor.
But I believe that also that dongles needs improvements in some areas that can be reviewed. Such as more sound knob such as DC07 PRO, and more power especially to 3.5mm, so especially power performance especially at 3.5mm is a factor for me. Also the EQ ability that dongles can offer. So the Ranking system can change such as to this of the iems, I can say that your ranking system if can be made more advanced it would be grateful for all of us!
I would love to see comparison with dongle and headphones synergy.
And I would like also very much to see you review over ear headphones and not only iems. And how can be really be driven from dongles. That is my biggest hope. So as to see how much improvement has been made so as to have a dongle to drive our Over ear headphones.
Thanks you for all! And keep going!
I totally understand. I stopped reviewing on head-fi many years ago because I did not like assigning numeric scores to portable gear that some people would like and other people would not like. Instead I did some UA-cam reviews for a while where I tried my hardest to describe the audio gear and say who I thought it was for. Maybe you can take a similar tact because your views are much appreciated in the community
You are the best Andy! I can't wait to see what you have in store for us in the future...
I've never forgotten watching and participating in your live and q&a and it's very comfortable talking with you
it's a best decision. Now days dongles are raining from sky and price is also very competitive. hardware and sound quality are very much similar or close to each other. So eventually it comes to the budget price for everyone's pocket to buy which is more budget friendly to one.
I respect the decision, and still respect your opinions and impressions of gear! Things don't have to have numerical rankings, but reporting on generally well implemented sound, features, and being bug-free are good things to know for consumers. Cheers Andy
I will respect whatever decision you make , Thank you Andy. ❤😊
Keep up the good work Andy, you're the best !
Thank you for putting in the time for testing them all. I hope you had some fun along the way
I really appreciate your candor in regard to this subject and your expereinces. Your integrity sets a a positive example.
Thanks Andy for sharing your knowledge and experience!
Andy, thank you for the work you did, it was very difficult, we understand you. Such parameters as richness of sound, details, it is very difficult to determine when dealing with almost the same thing. Dongles have reached a new higher level, it's true. Many of them sound like players from $ 300 to $ 700 and even they differ from each other very slightly
Your ranking sytem was the best. You are the most dependable reviewer in yt. Respect your decision and wish you all the best ❤
Hey Andy, I'm with you, respect your decision and I will always be your spectator no matter what comes next. Tank you Sir.
Can't wait to see/hear about your new approach. It would be a shame to lose your insight on dongles totally so I'm guessing you have a plan!
Thanks for your work 👏
My pleasure
Thank you for your work & integrity Andy. A job well done.
I agree 100%, because there were some errors on the ranking, where some really good dongles which measure extremely well, were rated lower than I had expected.
Interesting Andy, you seem honest to me. You have helped many people, including myself, when selecting or buying a dongle. Normal users cannot afford to buy everything, which is why your advice is so welcome. I hope you find the "formula" to continue reporting in this impartial way Andy. I understand that there are many commercial interests in the way of many reviewers, I hope you do not abandon us and continue with this hobby and giving us good references of products from our community, thank you very much.
Andy, thank you - you are a major dude - doing what you do - Mn
@@michaelnorelli4280 🙏
it is v.difficult to comeup with a rating system today. This grouping system you have adopted is also nice. for reviewing it is important to test the equipment with neutral test equipment, testing the synergy with different popular gear is a bonus. and very important is the subjective factor, i give it a lot importance when the testers preference are know. so yes your work has gotten harder but with the such experience you can keep on evolving your ranking system.
Creo que ya llegaste al punto donde caemos muchos audiofilos (me incluyo), llegar al punto donde visualizas una meta, un reto y ningun dongle te satisface, ahora todo te suena igual y cada uno tiene lo que el otro necesita, se que es frustante, pero empieza de cero, y en cada cambio de auriculares, pausa en silencio total por un o unos minutos. Toma en cuenta que tus oidos ya crearon memoria y tambien se cansan. Dales un tiempo para descansar a tus oidos. Exelentes tus videos y tus reviciones, me estan ayudando a elegir un buen dongle. (que aun estoy buscando para unos Bayerdinamic 770 pro, 32ohm.). Saludos y felicidades por tu canal.
Muchas gracias por el sólido consejo. Se lo agradezco mucho. ¡Que tengáis un gran fin de semana allí!
Feel for you mate. Thank you for your amazing hard work.
Realest video boss. I bought the VE Megatron because of your review on WordPress. Amazing unit, powers my BAs and Planars well. #donglemadness never dies 🗣️🗣️🗣️‼️‼️‼️
I love watching your reviews.
I respect your decision Andy, with how many dongles are competitively priced nowadays that I find it difficult to pick which one would work the best for my own use case. I think that is a good problem though
Sorting or describing products by their characteristics would be sufficient for me. I recently bought the DUNU DTC480 based on your review. I wanted at simple, natural sounding dongle that's more efficient than my others. Genre related choices are helpful too. I enjoyed your video on dongles for metal music. In fact, it'd be interesting to learn about your music tastes and collection too. Of course, cameos of Geoff and Oreo are always welcome. Thanks, Andy!!
I do respect your decision. You are the guy. Cheers
Andy Regardless of your decision, keep up the excellent review work! 👏
i have bought dc03 dc04 onix-alpha mp145 and 80% of my audio gear based on your video. and never regret it.
your honest-unbiased opinion is really needed in this hobby. thank you for all your review andy
Nice collection! Is the onix alpha better than dc04 in your experience?
@@wtfgebeurdmij2991 dc04 is technical, clean, detail. onix is the opposite, its warm, chill, bassy with large soundstage
@@blupantat3678 thank you for the response. I do like analogue but not overly warm. What is your favorite pairing with the onix alpha if i may ask this final question?
@@wtfgebeurdmij2991 i use it with mp145, already wide soundstage and plus onix became really big stage, also make the vocal more forward
Wow! Tough decision to deal with. The upside is you can concentrate on other things you like.
Hey Andy, I agree with you, mate! But keep up the good work with the IEM and Headphones, huh? 😊
Respect to all your hard work Sir!
I respect your decision Andy!
Although I haven't reviewed nearly 1/5th of the dongles you have reviewed. I completely agree with you as to how the dongle DACs nowadays are so good! That even the most decent one is really good. And this is also the reason I dont have an official ranking for dongle DACs and even iems 🙂
Great fair reviewer. I love that you are open about this.
I look forward to going with you on this new journey!
It is good news when Tools to do a specific job, all perform so exceedingly well that to tell the difference between one or the other is based on one's own subjective preferences.
my suggestion is to make a video compiling dac dongles that you have that support inline microphone. Not all manufacturers clearly inform if they support a mic or not
maybe make a series about budget microphones since is kinda crazy how some cheap microphones or inline mics can sound pretty decent for the price
Ok. Well, Andy, it’s ok. You are correct. I’ll cry for a few days. Please supply the tissues. I’ll be sick too. But in the end, I’ll use my hands and feet. So thank you for all your effort. ❤
Hi Andy! I'm also looking forward to IEM collaborations between you and IEM makers. Please make it happen! Also, regards to Geoff!
Geoff AND Oreo send you their love 😻😻
Wouldn't be more logical for andy to have a dongle collab🤔
Thanks for all your reviews!
Andy the ranking system helps alot
Trust me dont delete it or remove it keep it and keep evaluating on its spectrum
It helps alot
Dont worry about the bad dongles or everything is 10/10 some region have some company wwhile others dont so the comparision works thats why every dongle you review gets views
Every one knows game is subjective and sound is subjective and spectrum shows analog or hifi sound gives the end user idea what he wants and what he want to get in the end every user would want to get the highest ranking stuff but thats how everything works usually in every industry
Relax everything is perfect and works thats why you have views
IT HELPS
Agree. Save your precious time. Well done up yo this point. Great rimesbto b in the hobby. ❤
Lots of respect for your decision.
Dang, I was hoping you would review the ifI go blu with cs chipset..? Thank you for the update.
Wish all the best for you Mr. Andy, I already got the best dongle thanks to you 🤝
Good job andy, i strongly agree about synergy, what the user can ear is the synergy magic iem plus dongle today. I feel the same for iems ranking that can behave very differently depending on the source, with the extra variable of the music genre. Very honest decision you took.
I agree with you Andy. Overall, $50 dongles are good and ones using the same DAC sound very similar if not identical to each other. You don't need to spend much time testing them but it's still helpful if you may classify them as analog sounding or digital sounding or halfway. That's the main difference between them as I think. $10 dongles are also acceptable but they are not safe blind buys due to compatibility issues as I have encountered.
I had the luxury of moving to a city that has an audio store with lots of dongles/DACs/Amps available to try out, and I found it almost impossible to tell the differences between dongles anymore. Using the most resolving headphones I have (the heddphone 2), I feel like I'm sometimes just imagining the differences (assuming they have enough power). For iems especially, I feel like it really doesn't matter anymore; just get something with a good build quality and a mic-input if needed.
I bought the ONIX Alpha XI1 based on your review & recommendation. I'm very satisfied with it & happy with it's performance! I'd say I trust your judgment & taste. Cheers bud😊
Thank you so much Andy for your madness❗️✌️btw I still love the apple dongle😆 just taking it for vacation to Greece with Dita Project M..🙋♂️❤️
I understand your point and i think you are right, you have to know that your reviews are not just reviews, this is kind of way of life for you and for us, thats hobby, i bought few dongles because of your reviews, like onyx, or hiby fc7 and i love them, im only trying to point that your opinion matter a lot for many of us, i cannot buy every gear and test it by myself so i really value opinion of someone who know what he is doing, try to stay with us if you can, im sending you much love, brother, also i want to thank you for what you have done already
I hope you can review the Alba. Just ordered DC07 Pro.
Hail for Kingdoms of Dongs. Hail Andy
ONIX has caught my interest because of its filters that noticeably change sound. This could be a great universal dongle that with specific settings could bring out the most of each IEM.
Not at all. I've used 2 dongles so far, with mid-range IEMs. Started with Onix, then went to Cayin RU7. Everything about the RU7 is better, especially the soundstage. The Onix felt small and flat, while the RU7 felt expansive. It's not even close. It's not the best dongle of 2024. I think with all these subjective rankings on setups that only share one thing (the dongle), it just simply isn't useful.
Subbed for the dongle but stayed for Andy. 🙌
🤘
Thanks!
You have my utmost gratitude!
It's been a few months since I last contributed a comment to the discussion. However, I've hardly missed anything under the "donglemadness" heading since the beginning of the year, and I've read a few discussion posts from time to time. I've been most interested in reviews of models ranging from the Questyle M12i to the current Akliam. I hereby thank Andy for his really comprehensive reviews, which I have always looked at with great interest!!!
My experience with debaters' questions to Andy is that they are primarily about comparing models to each other. And because of this, Andy's Ranking system was excellent, but apparently not everyone "grasped" it properly, not paying enough attention to the review itself and overly perceiving only the numbers. This is evidenced by the nature of the questions.. often Andy answered several people with stoic calmness to the same question! This is absolutely insane..
Hypothetically, if Andy were to completely do away with the Ranking system, I fear an exponential increase in just this type of question (which of the two models has the better sound etc..).
Personally, I put most emphasis on the passage where Andy verbally describes the sound characteristics with different types of headphones. I will then put this in context with the final Ranking. It's also useful to look at other reviewers, put the whole thing in context and eventually I'll answer that imaginary question myself and not have to bother Andy with it.
Otherwise, at the end of the day, some discussant will come along with the fact that Cayin's RU7 "stomps" the iBasso DC07Pro under the black ground... In this case, it's good to remember that comparing the sonic qualities of two models is not so much about an instant subjective conclusion that I like some sound better, but rather about knowing the recording perfectly for the sake of distinguishing reality from coloration. This is what gives Andy the most to work with, and where I see the greatest added value of his reviews.
The form of the post is also important... personal experience with a particular type of headphones instead of a clear conviction that one of Andy's dongles with the same ranking is sonically much better... Such a post is in my opinion instant and unserious!!!
I don't want to influence Andy, I just think this Ranking system was good and sophisticated. But then again, I'm sure if Andy wants to redesign it, it will be worth it!🤞👍
And nobody has mentioned the cinematography... Gaddayum! that aside, Synergy is what most music lover and audiophiles are chasing.
lol, I have been trying like mad to shift into a more cinematic stuffs with 24P, to hear this from you, damm I feel vindicated. THANK YOU!!!!
Very good decision Andy and you are right.
Perhaps switch to a rating system of performance divided by price. This brings VALUE back to the foreground since outright performance is starting to narrow.
No Andy, sigue es tu trabajo y pasión, por ti he decidido que dongle comprar, eres muy analitico en tus revisiones como ninguno.
Oh no ! We don't want to live anymore . (not really) I'm sure you will evolve into a new world. Andy , would you please review the Onix Overture XM5 . I need your expert opinion . It's looking good to me . Thanks for everything Andy . You're awesome !
Sad, but I understand why you are stopping the ranking. Hope to see the videos on dongles still.
I have had total 3 dongles so far, and all have been recommended by you. I'm happy with my purchases. I'd like to come to your videos again for future purchases as well. Thank you for the information!
It's Your world boss..... Please keep sharing your
Opinions on IEMs. Take care and God bless 💖😇
This is madness, dongle madness.
You started with a heart attack 💔😢
😅
Thanks for convincing me to buy the DC04 Pro. After a lot of dongles, it still has the best synergy with my Dunu SA6.
🙌
Youre right andy.. even the simple 7hz 71 sounds great on certain iems.. likewise the onix.. must be the tuning of the dongle thats matches with the tuning of the iem..but for me the fc6 still sounds as good as the others. Just my opinion.
😢😢 your great sir. Hope you still keep working on this channel with different topics about Music and sound
I agree 100%. This hobby is very subjective and synergy between gear is definitely something worth consideration. I feel like technology has reached its limit when it comes to sound production. When an $80 dongle sounds almost as good as a desktop amp nowadays there is no point giving them a numerical rating. Better pay attention to features, efficiency, size and weight.
IMO you need to get better headphones. The Sundara isn't special these days. If you got an HE1000se, for example, considering that's the easiest to drive egg-shaped planar while ALSO being the most resolving (seriously, it's known to be an audio stethoscope), that will tell you a lot about any dongle you plug it into. Heck, even an Ananda Nano will do a decent job. I mean, I'm not gonna say that the HD 600 is bad, but in terms of technicalities it's like a Ford Model T versus the HE1000se being a BMW 850 or something like that, with perhaps timbre being the only exception. Also, if you plug them into your PC, you get a lot of noise and jitter from it. I found that there's a big jump in SQ if you plug them into a USB power filter. Look up Goldensound, he showed this to be the case. Another interesting thing is that I also have an NR200. I got rid of popping, and a slightly noise floor with USB DACs (including dongles) by putting in an SF 750 instead of the previous CM V850 SF. Better filtering, I imagine.
I choose HD600 and Sundara because they are a lot more common and relatable to many people. I can get HE1000se but how many have them, to own a Sundara to many people are already a luxury, so when I describe my experiences with the sound I heard from Sundara or HD600, the audiences can relate more and get better perspectives from that standpoint because they know HD600 or Sundara sound, but less likely the majority would know or can afford to own HE1000SE
Hi Andy, I recently discovered your excellent channel, really appreciate all your work in these great reviews. It's unfortunate the ratings won't continue but your reasons are understandable.
I wanted to ask, do you have an estimate of when the review will be out for the Dunu DTC800 dongle? Very eager to buy this but wanted to wait for your review.
Also will you be reviewing the Shanling/Onix XM5 Overture? It sounds like Onix has really delivered amazing sound on it.
I think I have pretty much the same sound preferences as you and the two devices I mentioned above look awesome, and I may get both at some point.
I was initially looking into the Onix Alpha XL1 but it's a bit bulky and seems to drain more battery, and then I found the Dunu DTC800!
Cheers
My own DTC800 is yet to be shipped to me so I have no idea exactly when. In the mean while try updating your ONIX Alpha to the latest newly released FW and see if that will help. My own ONIX Alpha lasted 10 hours on my Xiaomi Mi9T (4000 mAH battery) running local FLAC playback and 8-9 hours for Tidal streaming, I assume that you are getting less than that which sounds not right to me
@@donglemadness Sorry for the confusion I don't have the Onix Alpha, I was looking at some reviews but I think I'd prefer something a bit smaller (for travelling), so I've now ordered the Dunu DTC800 instead.
Do you by any chance have plans to review the Onix XM5 Overture?
Hah. The moment has came 🙃
Sorry to hear you come to such difficult situation.
Maybe you can do just kinda unboxing and impressions and not extensive review and probably people come in here to see what’s new and they want to see the aesthetic the built and feature (take some aesthetic shots) of it and just end the video by a chop [Approve by The Dongleman]
Or unless maybe you have bigger plans 😉.
Hope to see your up and coming surprises.
For your next iem review, can you do the new Simgot ew300, I'll like your opinion on it vs the Simgot Supermix 4
I agree, dongles have become too good to rank properly. In the end you just end up with a list of your preferences, not rankings. And that's kinda pointless for others.
Still useful ranking for me :D.
I need a PC dongle for my laptop when I travel and I can get the Onix for cheapest, then the yuki then the cayin RU6 and finally the most expensive is the Hiby.
I like the look of the yuki the most :D.
Godspeed!
As measurements show, most modern DACs/amplifiers have a flat frequency response and extremely low distortion, much lower than the human audible level. Therefore, they will all sound the same, and audible differences arise due to the imperfection of the human hearing system. Changes in blood pressure, fatigue, and so on can affect the listening result. And what sounds different in reality are headphones/iem...
It's kinda shock that technologycally makes the standard literally high and makes every dongle kinda same (which is the bad thing by mean stagnant era might be coming). btw i see ifi go kensei in the one you didnt yet review, will wait for it.
Thank you for your contents uncle , it really helps me to buy my first dongle ❤
I have KA17 and it is perfect!
You will always be known as the king of dongs
Dongle Madness ended, Crinacle stopped reviewing stuff. Truly an end of an era. But it will be a new era for audio for sure since basically everyone can create decent dongle for any budget and regardless of tuning.