Moondrop Dawn Pro Review - Dual CS43131 DAC for $50!
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- Опубліковано 5 сер 2024
- Here is my take on the Moondrop Dawn Por which uses dual Cirrus Logic CS43431 DACs and has 3.5mm output and 4,4mm output.
Purchase links :
shenzhenaudio.com/collections...
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCO...
Timecodes :
0:00 Introduction and disclaimer
0:45 Specs, unboxing and first look
4:00 Review intro
4:06 Visual overlook
4:29 Build quality
4:47 Moondrop Link app
5:37 LED light
5:47 Sound impressions
6:20 Filters
6:28 Power output
7:20 Power consumption
7:36 Drivers
8:01 Quick power thoughts
8:32 Other sound properties
8:42 Conclusion
AliExpress links provided are linked to my AliExpress Affiliate account & support the channel at no extra cost to you. - Наука та технологія
Thank you for the reviews
Thank you as well for watching.
Just got mine, the other day. Love it!
Glad you like it 👍
Does it support wireless audio ...I am new to this
@@cyrilmatthew2995 No
Congrats on having the first english speaking review on this on UA-cam! As far as I know at least.
I'm very tempted by this one, but I'm afraid having a little brick like this effectively turns a portable setup into a desktop. Can't really imagine moving my phone around with this attached to it. Shame regular form factor dongles (like the standard Apple one) are not nearly as powerful.
Thanks very much and I agree with you. I also like the tiny that plug directly into the USB port.
The drivers is only for win7 and win8.1. Don't instal any driver for win10 or win11. Win 10 and 11 already have the drivers built-in. Including the ASIO driver.
One of the best sounding cs43131 dongle I've tried was the Letshuoer DT-02 and I'm kicking myself for giving it away. Wanted balanced 4.4 and I got it for free with the Kinda Lava. I have other dual cs43131 dongle DACs and none has the same type of sparkle for me. Not sure what made it so good for me.
Your first I have read that said it was a good model. Have you tried any Jcally models?
@@VortexReviews1 unfortunately I haven't. Sonically, I like what's going for what I had.
@@GuavaJuiceBane Fair enough
Nice review
Dawn pro 3.5 vs 4.4 connection
Is there any difference in sound when driving headphones?
Thank you and I did not notice anything.
Nice review,
Default setting is low gain?
Thanks and the default for me was high gain.
So, Sir, i have some question.. Let's say your smartphone have enough power to drive your IEM, do you notice any significant improvements in sound quality (which is the only thing that really matter) when using this smol DAC instead?
Or did the improvement is just subtle to the point that makes you think "yeah, there some change here and there but whatever it doesn't matter" Because of that super slightly (need ultra focus listening session to hear the different) improvement?
I ask this, because there's many
Good question and it really depends if your current source is actually bad as the upgrade may be really small or non existent.
Does it have inbuilt memory to save moondrop link app setting or do i have to open app everytime i use it ?? Bcuz I'm going to keep it at high gain all the time bcuz headphones to drive is hd650
I mentioned it in the video but it does seem to save the settings.
Anyone have any idea whether the 3.5mm jack has microphone support (for IEMs with mic). Can't find any confirmed info around this. For reference, the HiBy FC1/3/4 have in-line mic support. Thanks!
I am pretty sure it does not support a inline mic.
I have an xperia 1 mark 2 sadly sony doesn't provide an inbuilt dac and despite having audio jack ...audio experience ain't that great ,, this will only work with wired ones....?
I have xm 4 headohones thays wired ...so will it be ok to us xm4 with this one
Should be okay but I have no experience with that headphone.
Do you have any comments relative to anything else regarding sound stage or vocal placement? These are things that Moon drop tends to focus on.
They both seem fine to me. I don't have any other Moondrop dongles to compare them to.
Would you recommend getting this or the Shio? Looking to buy a DAC for PC/phone for Truthear Hexa's.
Shio has different firmware options and Dawn Pro only has one but has more features with the app. I think the Shio was slightly more powerful which doesn't matter.
Is there a way to deactivate the sound profiles? I don't know which is the basic setting, but once you open the app, one of the four is selected
You mean the filters? One has to be selected.
im looking for an amp to drive multiple IEM's and Headphones from my pc. Should I get this or the Topping DX1?
If you don't need a balanced output and the headphones are not power hungry then the DX1 is my pick from the two.
Thanks for the review. I can't find anything about 150mw. All I can find is 120mw at 4vrms balanced.
I saw it written by a member of staff ( Shenzhenaudio ) somewhere.
@@VortexReviews1 ok thanks mate ... Good review
@@taipan75 Thanks 👍
According to its datasheet, the Cirrus Logic CS43131 (two-channel DAC with headphone driver) is rated at 30mW per channel at 32Ohm. Using two of them for balanced output makes 120mW total.
Not sure where any more would come from. They don't seem to use an additional amplifier stage.
I assume it's just the usual measurement trickery to make the specs sound better. It's safe to expect 120mW balanced and 60mW unbalanced, because that's the chip specification.
how does it compare to the Fiio BTR7 in general (aside from cost)?
I have not tried the BTR7 unfortunately.
what about the sound character? warm/cold, soft/harsh, dark/bright, musical/analytical
Sounds analytical to me
does this work with samsung phones? samsung is picky with dacs, had compatibility issues with dc04 pro
Don't have a Samsung phone for testing.
recently, I'm confused between moondrop dawn pro and Fiio KA13. Can you suggest me which would be better?
Never tried the KA13 but it looks great on paper.
I will use this in combination with 7hz sonus,, in 100dollar combo of iem + DAC,, what do you suggest 😅
Should be fine 👍
Have you ever tried xduoo xd-05 basic? how is that compare to this moondrop dawn pro?
I have not unfortunately.
If all your going to use is sensitive iems an apple dongle is hard to beat tho. I would totally buy one if it could power my dt990 pro
Depends if it's the 0.5V or 1V model plus on Android it's weaker than it is plus it has sub bass roll off. Apple dongle is still good for the low price though.
So as you said in the video, this is a better deal than the shio. But how bout the jcally ap90(around 10usd more than the dawn pro for me) or any other dongle dacs you have tried?
edit:typo
Ap90 seems to have a little more power than the Dawn Pro but costs more like you said and it does not have independent volume control if it matters. Also has no driver support. Tempotec BHD Pro would be similar but I never tried it.
@@VortexReviews1 Thanks for reply. Also great video👍
@@aura_guardian35 No problem and thanks very much.
Would this be of better value than the iBasso DC03 Pro given that it has a 4.4 and similar internals for $5 less?
Possibly but I have not tried the DC03 Pro
I would get the dc04pro if it wasnt double the price. But this at 50usd is a godsend. The jcally ap10 is even cheaper but it doesnt have independant volume control.
@@kamrankambang7953 Indeed.
I have the previous 4.4 and it's buggy and cuts out pretty often. It sounds great and I like it but occasionally I have to unplug it and plug it back in. Software isn't great either. At least the Pro is much cheaper than the Dawn 4.4 -yeah, that's super...
Seems fine in my use but yeah I have experienced it with other dongles where you have to unplug and plug it back in.
what a kick to teeth for moondrop dawn 4.4 early adopter user
I agree but you never know what's going to happen.
I'm pretty sure that one had more power
Hi , What is the application you are using at 4.48 minutes please, is it a downloadable application or is it in the phone settings that this menu is available when the dac is plugged into the phone? If it's a downloadable application, what is it? Thanks
It's the Moondrop Link android app.
@@VortexReviews1 Ok , thanks !!!!!
@@calounebengodsmack6652 Happy to help.
Geekria has rebranded lamscat with the same chipset. It works good. This oke by moondrop dawn pro is cheaper. Wish i waited for it
Nothing you can do about that sometimes.
Can you skip tracks by holding a button? Any way to pause?
No on both accounts.
@@VortexReviews1 cheers.
@@vext01 No problem.
Can you turn off the LED? Looks distracting
Also how about button remap from the app, is that possible?
you can set it to off as u can see from 5:15
Hey man, i have a question, i want to connect my phone with a 3.5mm jack audio from my headphone, but my phone doesn't have a jack audio, is it worth it to buy this dac just for a converter? Cause i think my headphone won't need a dac.
You could always buy a cheaper option that's a bit more portable. These dongles are an amp and dac.
@@VortexReviews1 thanks man, appreciate the reply 👍🏼
@@user-rp2ud2rs6y No problem 👍
Did you try the hold two button down thing to see if it changes gain? It does on the MoonRiver2 although that's also changeable on the app. Does colour change with gain level?
I did try it and it flashes white once but it seems no different. Colour is only for the sampling rate and I shown this in the user guide.
@@VortexReviews1 looks like it changes "Filter Setting", 1 (flashes once) -> 2 (flashes once) -> 3 (flashes once) -> 4 (flashes once) -> off (flashes twice).
@@kestl How do you know this? I can't find any info.
@@VortexReviews1 each hold selects the next item in the filter menu if you open that menu in the app after the flash.
@@kestl Shame you need the app to check which filter it is then.
How does this compare to jcally ap10 and ibasso dc04 pro choosing between this 3 .
Not tried either sorry but they look like good options.
@@VortexReviews1 my issue with this is the open housing so not really safe to use outdoors. It could get wet or dust inside .
@@kamwardmama-o2424 Fair enough and I agree. How about the Truthear Shio?
I have bought one.. But the LED light indicator is always Red.. What might be the reason?
Have you changed any of the settings?
@@VortexReviews1 No.. How to change it?
@@FaisalShafayet It's the sampling rate and the colour changes when you change the sampling rate and also if it's PCM or DSD being played.
How is this compared to ibasso dc03 pro?
Have not tried the DC03 Pro.
Do you tried it with the Usb Audio Player Pro ?
No but but I don't expect there to be any issues.
Can I use a 4-pin microphone input?
Yes.
really? so i can plug in a gaming headset with TRRS plug and the mic is also recorded with the dawn pro dac? never bought a dac like this but i thought they only have output not mic/input capabilities? and is the mic input possible in windows pc too? sorry if dumb, thanks@@VortexReviews1
Hola, esperando que me llegue. Lo podré comparar con el Ka3 y el Hiby FC3. Un dongle dac con salida 4.4 por 40€ tengo que probarlo. Gracias por tus opiniones. Saludos.
Hope you like it and the KA3 / FC3 are meant to be good.
Hola, quería consultarte cómo te fue con la comparación, ya que yo también estoy interesado esos modelos, agradecería mucho saber cuál fue tu opinión.
@@white_ofc Hola, pues lo encuentro más cálido que el KA3, por potencia, no he tenido problemas con lo que he probado. Es un dongle que por lo que vale está muy bien, otra opción es el TP20 de EPZ. Un saludo
@@lordofpainBCN Tengo una gran duda, cuál de ambos tiene mejor soundstage e imagen? Ya que creo que es lo principal para mí al elegir un dac
En términos generales, para mí el ka3 está por encima del dawm pero también es más caro.
Does it work (somehow) with iems with microphone?
No mic support.
@@VortexReviews1 wow, crazy. Thanks.
@@MrPazuzu No problem all of these 3.5mm/4.4mm dongles don't have mic inputs.
is the moondrop pro enough to power the 7Hz Legato?
Yes.
@@VortexReviews1 thank youu!
@@choydeliverer7162 Happy to help.
Would this be enough to get a lot of volume on a sennheiser hd599? My pc doesnt get loud enough. Its a Z690 UD motherboard and has an ALC897 I think. Im looking at this dac/amp and a fiio ka3 but the ka3 is a little bit more expensive
Don't have a HD 599 to test anymore. But this thing gets pretty loud and the HD 599 isn't particularly difficult to drive, so you'll definitely be fine. I set the vol on the dawn pro to the max, then adjust the volume manually in windows itself. Alot of these modern day dongle DAC amps are good enough to be used as budget desktop amp replacements as long as you're not using headphones that require more than what those dongles provide.
You should be fine with the HD599 and the Dawn Pro.
is it usable on windows?
Yes. Tried on Windows 10.
Is the volume independent?
Yes
Hi, can this run a 250 ohm dt 990?
In theory yes but I don't have that to try it with.
I have the 250 ohm dt 770 pro. It does a fine job with it. I still have some headroom with it
@@darkripjaww Thanks for the feedback.
App does not work on iPhone btw...
Thanks for the info.
Any info on how it performs when connected to an iphone?
No idea, sorry.
I think i have addiction, i want this, but i already have 5 dac's portable and what not
What have you got?
Vs Fiio KA13?
Not tried that one.
@@VortexReviews1 Just bought one KA13 550mW output. (desktop mode)
@@CervezasObsonMex Has it arrived yet or did you just buy it?
@@VortexReviews1 I bought the KA13 it was on sale, I hope to get it in 10 days moreless... maybe a week if its fast.
@@CervezasObsonMex Nice 👍
not bad for 35£
Indeed!
The vent hole keep holding me back
I know what you mean. I guess it depends how you use it and what conditions it will be in I suppose.
I know the implementation is important but cyruslogic dac chips are not good sounding to my taste.
True and your opinion of the sound is also valid. 👍
Everyone is raving about the these cirrus logic chips and tbh im not a fan either. I had a cirrus logic in my powered speakers and always felt it sounded dull, no soundstage so i need a portabl dac and on my budget i can choose from the Ibasso DC03 Pro, Truthear Shio (both using Cirrus logic but dc03 is cs43131 and shio being cs43198. The other portable dac is the Fiio KA3, but most people saying there are problems with it but also sounding too harsh.
@@erkyperky1387 yeah. That's true. They are kinda harsh sounding.. lacks the sweetness.
@@arijitgayen644 I think I'm going to gamble and go for the Fiio KA3. Its got a es9038q2m which probably out performs most dual chips
Ibasso uses the same chips from cirrus.
Wtf get something under the foam 😂😂 thanks
i putted comments but dissmissed my comments. i do not recommend this dac . i allready give bad feedback on amazon uk , volume buttons allready broken in 3 days horrible sharp sounding and heat not normal like touching fire , 3,5mm not enough power 4,4 mm sharp and irritating sound , before i bought i search internet and you tube only reviews was your one and you recommended . sorry my friend but maybe before review some things give a times and than review this is only 50 euros maybe not big money for you but big money forme . i own more than 20 dongles dacs some of them use same cs 43131 dacs and none of them like this. this is just trash, im genuine and i can show my purchase receipt.
I do respect your opinion and feedback. I did try it for a few days and my unit did not get hot but only warm. I have been using it up to today and buttons still work on mine with no issues. 50 euro is not small money for me either.
Hi bro what other dac do you recommend in this price range as I'm looking for my first dac.