Meizu HiFi Audio Pro DAC and Headphone Amplifier review By Porta.Fi

Hello pretty long ago, I think about two years ago, I have tested true models of headphones. One was made by Excel me second was made by maze. Maze model was HD, 50 Excel me I, don't remember its model, but it still faults everywhere. So probably you know about it, and the tests showed that actually, there is a difference between this. True companies and menu do care about the sound. Of course.

It's not the most autofilter company ever but anyway, they're singing about sound quality and the testing would they produce. So when they've announced USB, portable digital converter or dongle I was interested, especially when I learned that they are going to release so-called pro version, its features, Cyrus logic, digital converter and adaptive text in Texas Instruments of amp, so by the specs, it's capable of driving headphones up to 600 ohms of impedance. But of course it's a bit exactly acceleration, but anyway I've got it for you, and I've tested it. Price is about fifty dollars, plus -. Few bucks.

Also, there is a non-pro version, but I think there is no sense in saving like fifteen dollars. It's better to get a pro version, and now, let's have a closer look box, a simple, but of course it's done nicely when company of major level is who wants to sell. You don't go for fifty dollars, they do her best to package it properly. You can see nice Bollinger series, combination of glossy and non-glossy material. Actually, it looks really attractive in the real life.

On the back side, there are some technical specifications and actually got no idea what's written here, but almost everything is dubbed into English. So then I make range is 120 decibels. Total harmonic oceans are really low. Frequency response from 20 Hertz to 40 kilohertz, so virus certified impedance range from 16 ohms to 600 ohms. But, as I said before, it's a bit of exaggeration and what is also really nice feature: it's PCM 32 bits up to 384 kilohertz and these D up to this demon 120.

So you can see that it's pretty decent, the digital converter in terms of specifications and inside this box. You will have some manual and don't go itself, so that's pretty much it, but actually what else we can expect in terms of designs. They also try to do at least something to make it a bit more interesting. So I'm not sure if we'll video show it to you, but there is a small hole with small with tiny sees row window and inside. You can see that digital converter and probably amplifier chips that are put inside.

So all electronics part is placed in the connector, and you can see how small it is, and you know it's really fun- to see how far modern electronic electronics go. Here is connector for headphones and nice fabric coated cable. So everything looks really durable and really reliable. Of course, it's really simple in terms of operations, you need something to use as a source just connect it. But what is interesting here? It won't be connected until you plug actually earphones.

So when you did this USB audio device connected so as you can see, it monitors that headphones are connected and when they are disconnected, it will disconnect the device to save the battery and speaking about the battery, it's actually one of the most interesting questions here and is battery lifetime. And what I can say here this amplifier that used here is really adaptive, because battery drain depends on the headphones, the Lord and on the volume level. If I, remember, specs, right, I've, seen somewhere on the internet, that for such a 2 ohms load, it can give up to certain milliwatts of power and for 600 ohms of impedance. It gives about 7 millivolts. Of course, 7 milliwatts is too small, but at the same time this high impedance load it will drain your battery quicker I've done some tests, I used, Kaiser and Torres a lot, so average in the air monitors in terms of sensitivity not really tight, but not super easy to drive so, and I try to listen them.

With direct connection to my Xcode I used some Samsung phone I, don't remember which one I've taken at our at QA Department on my main job, so it was probably Galaxy Note from don't remember. Actually it's two years old Galaxy Note, don't remember the exact name, but basically it's not that important. So when you use this dongle visas headphones it battery drain is about 20% 25% higher than when you just listen from the headphones out. So, as you can see, adding this doesn't go increase battery consumption at about 25 percent. Well, I think it's something that you can sacrifice to get a better sound quality.

Besides that also. My so stated that this dongle supports talk, control and microphone, but, to be honest, I didn't test because I didn't have any headphones with microphone with me when I was testing them. This smartphone and now I have only, only different players to use as a source, but I think if they wrote this say, check that and, of course, about the sound you know in terms of general representation, memo really try to create something that is leaning towards audio Felix presentation, almost zero coloration zero attempts to make some kind of fun sound or something like that, so they try to do their best to preserve metal and, at the same time, resolving sound. Of course, don't expect performance of some high-end device with powerful amplifier, with separate clock generator and so on, but for such a small device they really managed to achieve a lot of things, especially it's noticeable compared to these v18, an own, sound I. Did the review of this small tub some time ago.

Link will be in the description, but actually short, spoiler, sonically, it's normal, but not super, and just adding this little scene changes pretty load pretty much, not just pretty a lot okay. So, let's proceed to the description step by step and base is natural. It's pretty fast. You know it's a bit faster than it should be in the ideal world, but in modern world of smartphone sound when everyone's tried to make accent at low frequencies and with slow base to add move ahead. It's like a bit of fresh air, so base is fast, pretty resolving tied, and it goes pretty deep, but at the same time it's not accented.

So if you like bass, accent, probably it's not the best option for you, because it's not adding base. Of course, you can get basic headphones, for example, to compensate that, and usually it's easier to add more laws than to reducing them. So the base is natural. Detailed, pretty fast, is nice, texturing and so on, but not for those who want bass, accent and as an example, it's Daft Punk's get lucky nice engaging bass line and this tiny sink place plays it really well with good punch and ever since it is necessary needs are resolving, say a bit accented on the micro contrast. So no don't expect some additional weight or additional motions, highlighting.

Instead, it's highlighting a bit of tiny details, it's highlighting it emotions. So sorry, not emotions, highlighting tiny details and small nuances, but not highlighting emotions and not adding weight. That's the correct version of statement so pretty good for those who, like and colors representations, but at the same time it's a bit more pinkies into for the quality of recordings and regular smartphone. But actually, if you are adding Wi-Fi digital converters, that's probably the result that you can expect, and it's also noticeably increasing imaginary stage. Usually it's one of the weakest parts in the modern smartphones without dedicated digital turn off converters, because they are usually sounding too flat.

So it's its. A measure stage is a bit below average in recent endeavors, but it's a step forward. Comparing quiz based the majority of smartphones and as an example for the mid-frequencies. I have got John, Zorn, Batman, so avant-garde jazz at its best and nice really aggressive track with a lot of tempo changes with a lot of instruments with a lot of small nuances, that is filled by John Zorn, and it's sounding pretty good, with this digital converter, of course, to unveil full potential of this track, you will need something much more expensive, but as on the core solution, it's really nice and treble is another noticeable area of improvement. Actually, especially compared is v1a, but treble here is having pretty surprisingly good extension, not not that superb, but you know some surprisingly good compared with smartphones or some simple sources.

Of course resolution is normal, not super, but normal attacks and the kids are pretty realistic. So treble is pretty lifelike, and it's another noticeable improvement point over the regular smartphones, because this digital tone or rotary will get more treble. So beware of it, if your treble sensitive, maybe it's better to listen it to it before buying, but at the same time improve treble you give you more overtones. They'll, give you more realism and more engagement and, as an example for the treble I've got King Crimson Lady of the dance in water. It's the track that I'd never use an example for the simple source, but with this digital converter, it's sounding pretty normal, not great, but normal.

You know it's its! It's relative good result for this device, nice, realistic, flute, pretty realistic, guitar part, and so on. So once again to summarize about the sound, its natural uncolored, it's for those who want more resolution and more control, but for those who are okay to have not not accented, not colored, sound presentation, speaking about PERCO I, like here pretty low level of noise, so this is even pretty sensitive in-ear monitors. There is zero background. Noise, I didn't have 600 ohms of impedance headphones, but, to be honest, even with 250 ohms beyerdynamic, it's lacking driving power, but for something from 16 up to 100, ohms I think it won't be an issue absolutely so pretty nice amplifier perfect work from the SARS logic, from the Texas Instruments and from the Mesa who put all that together. Speaking about the conversions, I recently tested few dongles few digital converters in similar form factor, and first one was FEDIS, so not so nah.

No actually not so another actually hit is to Uncle old one, because he just recently released two new models. I didn't test them, yet I. Suppose I will do that in the future. But this doesn't go better than he is one. It's more natural and more resolving and also, of course, I pass or DC 0 1.

It's balanced, don't go it. Furthermore, it will give more driving power, but you will need phones with balanced connectors, so it's it could be a minus, and you can't use regular cable with some adapter. This balance, digital converter, I pass, has also DC 0 to Mon balanced version, but I didn't test here. So this is zero. One is a bit bad as my first because of the additional power and also its it offers it by better stage and a bit more power put into the low frequencies, but at the same time you will need balanced, headphones and also it Wilkins consume more power from your source, noticeably more because more power to the headphones, more power drained from battery, so I think for the regular sensitive in-ear monitors or for everyday listening.

This could be really worse options and many people can prefer maze, don't go over the Ibis. But of course, if you need maximum quality, you need to consider I pass or some maybe some other dongles. There are a lot of them already announced from the market and coming so. This major HD digital converter is surprisingly good, especially for the device that is made by mainstream company and usually mainstream company. Don't care about the sound quality.

So it's a really pleasant, surprise and I think it's a pretty good alternative to the smartphones with dedicated digital converters, because you just can attach this to your headphones and just get a better sound quality. Thank you for attention.

Source : Porta.Fi