• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

ddHiFi TC44B Review (Headphone Adapter)

Acerun

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
1,100
Likes
489
Location
San Francisco
I've been using it with my Ether CX and I've been very impressed. Super clean sound up to the level that I should be listening at. Couldn't be more pleased. I'm still waiting on the 2.5 balanced female in to 3.5 unbalanced male DDHifi adaptor that I ordered. Will update here after I receive.
 

staticV3

Master Contributor
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
7,530
Likes
11,995
@amirm someone claims on another forum that this dongle can supply 4 Vrms at over 600 ohm. Is it possible?
This review has shown that the TC44B outputs 2Vrms at 33, 300, and 200,000 Ω.
While output voltage at 600 Ω hasn't been tested, it's highly unlikely that it sporadically doubles at that load and just at that load.
 

DeepSpace57

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Messages
312
Likes
125
The TC44B only outputs 2 volts....
This review has shown that the TC44B outputs 2Vrms at 33, 300, and 200,000 Ω.
While output voltage at 600 Ω hasn't been tested, it's highly unlikely that it sporadically doubles at that load and just at that load.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/ddhifi-tc44b.24930/

a quote from the link above without any changes

`Dual configuration will double the output power to 4 Vrms/600Ω and in our case it is configured to provide 120mW/32Ω but somehow it seems that it doesn't output 4V at 300ohm load.`
 

staticV3

Master Contributor
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
7,530
Likes
11,995

Acerun

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
1,100
Likes
489
Location
San Francisco
Does this explain it for anyone? I asked for more clarification.

Hi Douglas,


The TC44B adopts dual DAC chips CS43131 so as to boost high impedance headphones.


Best regards,

Lily
 

WoodyLuvr

Active Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
122
Likes
182
Location
Siam
Partially related to the current topic a fellow audiophile has confirmed that the smart adaptive function (via CS43131's auto-impedance detection) of the ddHiFi TC44B can be defeated via the "headphone adapter trick" forcing it into high-gain mode. I am waiting to physically-personally see this myself and will report back once I confirm it.

The mentioned trick is similar to that used on the Meizu HiFi DAC HeadAMP / PRO and Sonata HD Pro (also using Cirrus Logic's CS43131 DAC chip) as follows:
  1. Firstly. plug the adapter into the output jack of the device
  2. Secondly, plug the device into phone/pc (at which point device will recognize as if headphones are plugged in and switch to high-gain mode)
  3. Thirdly, plug headphones into the adapter
The device "sees" the empty adapter as (infinity) impedance and therefore "activates" high-gain/high-impedance mode.


Does this explain it for anyone? I asked for more clarification.

Hi Douglas,

The TC44B adopts dual DAC chips CS43131 so as to boost high impedance headphones.

Best regards,

Lily
Foolishly, I had thought the incorporation of two (2) CS43131 DAC chips meant that each output path, 2.5TRRS Balanced and 4.4 TRRS Balanced, had their own dedicated DAC chip. The "Balanced" part had slipped out of my equation completely. LOL! Therefore using a DAC chip per channel the sum of the paths of each chip would surely result in 120mW total output power as mentioned.
 
Last edited:

DeepSpace57

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Messages
312
Likes
125
Partially related to the current topic a fellow audiophile has confirmed that the smart adaptive function (via CS43131's auto-impedance detection) of the ddHiFi TC44B can be defeated via the "headphone adapter trick" forcing it into high-gain mode. I am waiting to physically-personally see this myself and will report back once I confirm it.

The mentioned trick is similar to that used on the Meizu HiFi DAC HeadAMP / PRO and Sonata HD Pro (also using Cirrus Logic's CS43131 DAC chip) as follows:
  1. Firstly. plug the adapter into the output jack of the device
  2. Secondly, plug the device into phone/pc (at which point device will recognize as if headphones are plugged in and switch to high-gain mode)
  3. Thirdly, plug headphones into the adapter
The device "sees" the empty adapter as (infinity) impedance and therefore "activates" high-gain/high-impedance mode.



Foolishly, I had thought the incorporation of two (2) CS43131 DAC chips meant that each output path, 2.5TRRS Balanced and 4.4 TRRS Balanced, had their own dedicated DAC chip. The "Balanced" part had slipped out of my equation completely. LOL! Therefore using a DAC chip per channel the sum of the paths of each chip would surely result in 120mW total output power as mentioned.

So, is it supplying 4 Vrms at above 600 ohm ?
 

Acerun

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
1,100
Likes
489
Location
San Francisco
Follow up response from the manufacturer

As to the voltage level, it can reach 2.5vrms for the chip itself, but we had made some adjustments so as to made it as 2.0vrms @ 32ohm.


Best regards,

Lily
 

staticV3

Master Contributor
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
7,530
Likes
11,995
So is it safe to assume that the dongle will not exceed 2Vrms no matter the impedance then?
 

WoodyLuvr

Active Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
122
Likes
182
Location
Siam
So is it safe to assume that the dongle will not exceed 2Vrms no matter the impedance then?
Yes, it looks that way. Every calculation I make brings it in just a little under 2Vrms... 120mW @ 32Ω = 1.96 vRMS... which leads me to believe that it can only output ~13mW @ 300Ω and~6.5mW @ 600Ω (so very close to as Amir tested)
 

Acerun

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
1,100
Likes
489
Location
San Francisco
I did finally recieve the adapter and it does work in converting to unbalanced 3.5.

Follow up. I have now found that that adpator does not work in some cases (as the manufacturer even pointed out) Didn't work on my PC properly, but works with my Samsung phone into headphones with 3.5 adapter. I have also discovered that the ddHiFi TC44B drains my phone's battery at an incredibly high rate.
 

Acerun

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
1,100
Likes
489
Location
San Francisco
But I'll also note that with a balanced headphone cable on PC it sounds pristine. Really nice clean sound from this dongle.
 

Reyess126

New Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2021
Messages
1
Likes
0
what is the output impedance?
+1 on this

I would like to know what the output impedance on the outputs are (Scope of question is in gauging potential performance with campfire andromeda, that does not have linear impedance curve.)

If I missed this data (I think i looked over this thread enough...) please let me know - appologies if so.

Thanks!

-Rey
 

JMB9

New Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2019
Messages
3
Likes
0
Question for anyone who might be able to help.

I have this unit. It sounds great and works fine on my phone. However, even after downloading the driver ddhifi says to, it is too loud on my Windows laptop. I have such little volume control on both my MSR7b and Tin T2. At volume level 2-4 of 100 I can get decent volume depending on the track on the Tins and do not want to go past 10.

I would say I generally do not need to move past 8-10 on the MSR7b when at the coffee shop or library for my music not to be heard by others.

Any advice? I have tried this on Tidal and Amazon HD with and without exclusive mode. Again, it sounds fine. I do not have any sort of hiss or channel imbalance, but it is not ideal.

I am still in the return window, so I could conisder doing so. I really like this though!
 

Veri

Master Contributor
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Messages
9,596
Likes
12,036
Question for anyone who might be able to help.

I have this unit. It sounds great and works fine on my phone. However, even after downloading the driver ddhifi says to, it is too loud on my Windows laptop. I have such little volume control on both my MSR7b and Tin T2. At volume level 2-4 of 100 I can get decent volume depending on the track on the Tins and do not want to go past 10.

I would say I generally do not need to move past 8-10 on the MSR7b when at the coffee shop or library for my music not to be heard by others.

Any advice? I have tried this on Tidal and Amazon HD with and without exclusive mode. Again, it sounds fine. I do not have any sort of hiss or channel imbalance, but it is not ideal.

I am still in the return window, so I could conisder doing so. I really like this though!
You can install EqualizerAPO, a system-wide sound EQ/tweak tool, and set up a negative pre-amp of say, minus 20dB.
 

staticV3

Master Contributor
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
7,530
Likes
11,995
Question for anyone who might be able to help.

I have this unit. It sounds great and works fine on my phone. However, even after downloading the driver ddhifi says to, it is too loud on my Windows laptop. I have such little volume control on both my MSR7b and Tin T2. At volume level 2-4 of 100 I can get decent volume depending on the track on the Tins and do not want to go past 10.

I would say I generally do not need to move past 8-10 on the MSR7b when at the coffee shop or library for my music not to be heard by others.

Any advice? I have tried this on Tidal and Amazon HD with and without exclusive mode. Again, it sounds fine. I do not have any sort of hiss or channel imbalance, but it is not ideal.

I am still in the return window, so I could conisder doing so. I really like this though!
it's a common problem with DACs/dongles that use UAC2 hardware volume. I had exactly the same problem with the Meizu Pro on Windows. With IEMs, usable volume was 1-4/100.
Setting a -20dB preamp with EQApo/EQApo+Peace is a good workaround.
 
Top Bottom