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The Sparrow is a very easy product to recommend at this price point, and it joins the best of the best on our Recommended DAC/AMP buy list.If you want a small, portable DAC/AMP with a balanced output, there’s no doubt at all about which one to get. Sadly at this time I don't have any other DAC running (that's why I bought it) since my other DACs died in the past year. I had a LKS custom built ES9018 DAC with a highly tuned output stage and some other small DACs (Sanskrit, Aune T1SE, Aune X1S, onboard ES9018K2M). So no direct A/B comparison DAC only. Sorry. The ES9018K2M in my laptop is not worth comparing it with.
Pro ESS vs Topping DX3 Pro+ - Head-Fi.org Fiio K5 Pro ESS vs Topping DX3 Pro+ - Head-Fi.org
The iFi Micro iDSD Signature is surely a special unit. It is an excellent performer with a premium build, design, and internal components. It’s also very versatile with outputs and features. If you need something more out of a DAC/Amp then I don’t know what else would fulfill that. When it comes to sound, iFi always delivers and the Signature is no exception. Finally, that song has several musical instruments that I could place on the soundstage easily with the D50. With the DX3 Pro all of the instruments were closer to the centre of the soundstage and it was more difficult to separate them. The only downside I can see is the power delivery for full-sized headphones, so do take that into account. The Luxury & Precision W2 is one of the better USB DAC/AMP dongles I have tried and the price/quality ratio is very nice. It also offers a whole lot of tuning options and it has a nice little screen on top of it. If you like a full-bodied sound with a high level of technicalities as well as bigger bass and easy treble, and that is delivered in a smoother and warmer way, then the L&P W2 dongle will be perfect for you. Flapping of the cups was to come though the moment I switched to HiFiman HE-400i. Power was amazing and clarity was superb. As I type this review I have been listening to this setup and it could not be more satisfying.Pair it with a good set of headphones (Meze or Beyer) or some nice IEMs (those yummy GE800) and you’ll be set up for years! A no-brainer, outperforming almost every DAC/Amp available at the time of writing , giving you the perfect setup on a go!
TOPPING DX3 Pro+ USB DAC Headphone Amp, USB/Optical/Coaxial
If you want reference quality sound from a transportable unit, the Angel now is one of the main units to look at. It plays (more than) well with everything I hooked up to it, and it does so without a sweat! If you are looking for a tiny device to drive your full-size headphones, I don’t know whether there’s a cheaper option than the E10K TC. No, it’s probably not the best measuring unit in the world, but the HiFi-M8 is a neutrally tuned, highly dynamic, and musical DAC/AMP combo. It to me technically performs well and it offers a lot of connectivity and output options. Sound-wise the HiFi-M8 V2 is natural, exciting, balanced, and musical. What’s not to like? The display is large and easy to read. The selected input mode is shown in blue and everything else is a warm orange colour. In terms of what information the screen shows, it tells you the currently selected input, the output mode (headphone amp, headphone amp + DAC, DAC, and preamplifier) the volume and sample rate. First, to get it out of the way: The pricing here is a bit more expensive compared to other markets. Sure, there are justifiable reasons for it but it's still worth mentioning. Even with that, it is the cheapest, most performant single device solution currently out there. I would recommend reading the audiosciencereview thread about this one to get more details regarding the performance part if you're interested.
Design
Built in screen is a joy to use and to navigate all options this small device has, whether you want to change volume, input, output etc. It also comes down to synergy between devices. But in terms of detail the AKM hasn't dissapointed at all. It's my daily driver. I do will invest in getting myself a D50 too to play with it a bit more to replace my ES9018. Let me be straight: if you want an M17, for left than half the price, and don’t need the android part, get the FiiO Q7. That said I am gunning for the Topping D50 since its also the same darn cheap here to A/B compare it with.
Topping DX3 Pro+ DAC ES9038Q2M Bluetooth 5.0 LDAC NFCA
The ‘plus’ gets you reworked internals including a new ESS Sabre decoder to replace the dual AKM AK4493 chip of the earlier versions while promising improved overall performance. There is USB input of course and Toslink. For coax input, you actually get two of them! So if all of your sources are digital, you have a nice little pre-amplifier on your hands.I really like the K7 and I congratulate FiiO for their amazing job. If you need a solid, powerful DAC & AMP for your headphones and you are on a budget, the K7 can make you very happy. I started my testing with Sennheiser HD-650 in high gain mode. Here, there was plenty of power and no hint of strain from the amplifier. Tonal response remained constant up to max volume which was quite loud. But not loud enough to make the cups flap in the wind. Speeding things up a bit, when playing “Harridan” by Porcupine Tree, the DX3 Pro+ flexes its ability to drive rhythmically and react swiftly to pace changes. The electric guitars bite with a gritty power and distinct leading edges while the manic drums of Gavin Harrison beat with tidy precision. There are 2 gain modes available (+6dB/+19dB) making the headphone amplifier suitable for anything from sensitive IEMs up to demanding full-size headphones. The accessories are as anticipated with one exclusion. Topping provides a USB-A to USB-B data USB cable, a remote, couple of manuals, an antenna, and a small power adapter. I especially like the 15V adapter because of its small size. It’s surprisingly small. If you remember, JDS’ 15vac adapters were huge and heavy. Overall, the DX3 Pro+ offers good quality accessories and the inclusion of a remote is very welcome.
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