The Sparrow gets close and it has a lick of deep-bass emphasis which gives it a slighty bolder note presentation.
#EARMAN SPARROW PRO#
The S9 Pro has slight edge on bass weight and extension, rumble is slightly more defined and powerful. Despite its size, it matches the S9 impressively well on output power but at the cost of being less shielded from EMI drying my testing. The Sparrow is a slightly higher contrast source, still showcasing strong balance but is more coloured than the S9 Pro. Still, as much as I want to love the Dual DAC, you do pay for the refinement in the form of a higher output impedance, fixed cable and lack of balanced IO.Įarmen Sparrow ($199): A closer competitor with balanced output and focus on high output power (current unspecified). The S9 Pro has a wider stage with slightly better layering and a more focused foreground. Staging wise, the two also trade blows, the Dual DAC has a more rounded stage with noticeably more depth, making it slightly more immersive.
The S9 Pro has more energy, its presentation is more vibrant and airy. This same trend continues to the treble, the Dual DAC has a little more bite to its lower-treble and more texture here, it also has a cleaner background and matches the S9 Pro for extension. I did find the Dual DAC to discern textural nuances slightly better here than the S9 Pro but the two are very similar overall. The midrange is slightly more even-handed on the Dual DAC, both are smooth and dense. The Dual DAC has less authority but does have a slightly more articulate and controlled mid-bass in return. Bass is more dynamics and powerful on the S9 Pro as one may expect. It makes up for this with class-leading build quality and some unique sonic characteristics.
#EARMAN SPARROW PLUS#
It too is dead silent but also with lower output power and a slightly higher 2-ohm output impedance, plus a lack of balanced output. The S9 Pro especially has a much larger soundstage which cements it as the superior source although the FC3 nails tonality at a much lower price.Īstell & Kern Dual DAC ($149): The Dual DAC is a smoother and more refined sounding source with a greater focus on tonality and staging. The S9 Pro has a more energetic treble, and it has a little more bite to its transients, giving it the advantage on detail retrieval. The S9 Pro stretches wider, its layers being far more delineated, but its foreground is not quite as textured due to its denser voicing. Its midrange is slightly more even, that said, and it does have a slightly more neutral and defined note presentation. The FC3 is just a touch warmer here but less nuanced and robust altogether. Immediately, its bass is deeper extending and more dynamics, delivering greater rumble and power. That said, under scrutiny, the S9 Pro is a substantially more impressive source as you’d expect given the large price gap – but the difference in performance grows small with more efficient IEMs. In terms of the tonality, the S9 Pro is slightly brighter and more revealing around the treble especially, while the FC3 represents a more linear sound overall.
It does have internal volume control which gives it a slight edge with sensitive IEMs, but the S9 Pro has a slightly cleaner noise floor and a lot more power for less sensitive gear making it the more versatile source altogether.
#EARMAN SPARROW SERIES#
The inside of the device is filled with a printed circuit board, featuring a XMOS 200 series USB controller and a 32-bit CS43198 DAC Chip of the American company Cirrus Logic for digital to analog conversion.Hiby FC3 ($69): The FC3 is a slightly smaller device but has similar usability overall. With a detailed construction manufactured to the highest standards in a European factory, Donald DAC's build quality exceeds the standards of its price range and ensures a timeless design built for years of functional use.Īn increasingly popular USB-C port is used for both computer/device connection and charging, with analog audio output handled via standard RCA. Although it can be mounted horizontally at the user’s preference, the Donald DAC is designed to stand upright, as evidenced by the inscriptions on the unit and the mounting stand that comes standard with every package. The body of the device is made of metal for supreme durability, with high-gloss plastic enhancing the end caps and trimmed frames. Despite its small size, the Donald DAC is designed to provide a powerful audio experience while featuring an attractive and streamlined physical appearance.
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