Review and Measurements of E1DA 9038S BAL Portable DAC & Amp

[MidnightKitty]

Hello, I felt the need to finally create an account to give a little tip regarding a new version of 9038. If you want any interest in the product it must be switched to 4.4. Nobody uses 2.5 anymore and we all have a ton of 4.4 cables. You just aren't going to get people willing to switch using all their gear to use the dongle. Continuing to use 2.5 would be quite a big mistake.

 

[Dolor]

Hello, I felt the need to finally create an account to give a little tip regarding a new version of 9038. If you want any interest in the product it must be switched to 4.4. Nobody uses 2.5 anymore and we all have a ton of 4.4 cables. You just aren't going to get people willing to switch using all their gear to use the dongle. Continuing to use 2.5 would be quite a big mistake.

Hello,

I do not agree. For myself I prefer 2,5mm for mobil use because of:

- size
- weight
- less material
- less low distortions

- I have a lot of 2,5mm and just some 4,4mm to choose from

Wish you all a nice day!

 

[MidnightKitty]

Hello,

I do not agree. For myself I prefer 2,5mm for mobil use because of:

- size
- weight
- less material
- less low distortions

- I have a lot of 2,5mm and just some 4,4mm to choose from

Wish you all a nice day!

I respect your opinion sir and personally I don't care which format I use. All I can do is let you know 4.4mm has simply won the battle.

 

[Jimbob54]

I respect your opinion sir and personally I don't care which format I use. All I can do is let you know 4.4mm has simply won the battle.

Would require a significant redesign though , which I suspect is not what @IVX was planning or willing to do . Also , adapters are cheap though admittedly not great esp adapting 2.5 to fit a 4.4 cable .

 

[IVX]

Would require a significant redesign though , which I suspect is not what @IVX was planning or willing to do . Also , adapters are cheap though admittedly not great esp adapting 2.5 to fit a 4.4 cable .

yeah, about $10/pcs for >100pcs buy, like that:

 

[IVX]

Hello, I felt the need to finally create an account to give a little tip regarding a new version of 9038. If you want any interest in the product it must be switched to 4.4. Nobody uses 2.5 anymore and we all have a ton of 4.4 cables. You just aren't going to get people willing to switch using all their gear to use the dongle. Continuing to use 2.5 would be quite a big mistake.

do you use 4.4mm balanced output? What is the product?

 

[gcompari]

Hello, I felt the need to finally create an account to give a little tip regarding a new version of 9038. If you want any interest in the product it must be switched to 4.4. Nobody uses 2.5 anymore and we all have a ton of 4.4 cables. You just aren't going to get people willing to switch using all their gear to use the dongle. Continuing to use 2.5 would be quite a big mistake.

I agree.

 

[gcompari]

Hello,

I do not agree. For myself I prefer 2,5mm for mobil use because of:

- size
- weight
- less material
- less low distortions

- I have a lot of 2,5mm and just some 4,4mm to choose from

Wish you all a nice day!

Why "less low distortions"?

 

[Rottmannash]

do you use 4.4mm balanced output? What is the product?

Both my DAP's have 4.4 mm balanced output-Hiby R5 and the FiiO M11+. The only device I own that outputs balanced at 2.5 mm is the Qudelix 5K. Never use it as most of my cables are 4.4 mm. Maybe someone some start a poll to see how many use 4.4 or 2.5 mm...

 

[Nathan Raymond]

Both my DAP's have 4.4 mm balanced output-Hiby R5 and the FiiO M11+. The only device I own that outputs balanced at 2.5 mm is the Qudelix 5K. Never use it as most of my cables are 4.4 mm. Maybe someone some start a poll to see how many use 4.4 or 2.5 mm...

Everything I have with balanced is either XLR (SMSL SP200) or 2.5mm. In November I bought the Hidizs S9 PRO which is 2.5mm, but a lot of other companies have shifted to 4.4mm, so I have purchased modular cables for my IEMs so I can swap the cable end (3.5mm, 2.5mm or 4.44mm) and don't have to use adapters except for XLR. And I'll need to keep using adapters for my over ear headphones that have 2.5mm cables.

 

[Clintosity]

I've got a 9038s gen 1, is the newest one a noticeable upgrade to that? I'll be powering IEM's only.

 

[staticV3]

I've got a 9038s gen 1, is the newest one a noticeable upgrade to that? I'll be powering IEM's only.

No noticeable upgrade in pure sound quality.

But the G3 comes with many more creature comforts such as:
-improved EMI resistance
-support for PCM32/384 and DSD256
-native ASIO interface
-no more white noise explosions with intermittent USB contact
-UAC2 Hardware Volume control
-customizeable Minimum and Maximum hardware volume for safer and more precise volume control in all operating systems
-Tweak9038 Companion App for advanced configuration of Oversampling filter, THD compensation, etc.

 

[MidnightKitty]

do you use 4.4mm balanced output? What is the product?

Yes, however I have several modular cables which allow me to use 2.5 if I need. The market is moving to 4.4 so i won't be investing in any modular cables or 2.5 any longer, just 44. Here's just a few dongles newly released in the last couple months:

Simgot DEW4X
Shanling UA4
Hidizs S9 Pro Plus
Aune Yuki
Aful Snowy Night
EPZ TP20
EPZ TP20 Pro
EPZ TP30
EPZ TP50
Colorfly M1P
Colorfly M2
Fiio KA17
Fiio KA13

Every one of these products offers a 3.5mm and 4.4mm. Nothing is using 2.5. Any 2.5mm product is swimming upstream against market trends.

 

[ears-of-steel]

I've got a 9038s gen 1, is the newest one a noticeable upgrade to that? I'll be powering IEM's only.

I own both, the OG and the Susumu 3k and while I can't notice any difference in sound just the programmable min.-max. volumes of the newer models could be a life saver for your precious IEMs and more importantly your eardrums. Money VERY well spent and again hats off to @IVX for those outstanding creations.

 

[IVX]

Thank Archimago one more time for the review. https://archimago.blogspot.com/2024/03/early-look-part-i-e1da-9039s-usb.html

 

[Jimbob54]

Thank Archimago one more time for the review. https://archimago.blogspot.com/2024/03/early-look-part-i-e1da-9039s-usb.html

Any rough timeline for (pre)orders?

 

[IVX]

2-3 weeks I guess, currently we can't find huge-slim solid-polymer caps, and today I modified the PCB for the type we found. Sure, I have to retest that new iteration of the PCB because it is a critical element of a high-precise DAC design. BTW, look at my screenshot about PCB sample ordering. A V0 means the preproduction stage, V0n - where n is the conceptual sign, different power SMPS or strongly redesigned composites etc, V0nk - where k is a tiny variation of the PCB traces shape, V0nkm - where m is parts type variation AVX caps to Kemet etc. "Panel" means 2 PCB iterations ordered together. As you can see the hardest part of my work is fine-polishing of the PCB layout.

 

[Somafunk]

Thank Archimago one more time for the review.

I read his review last night, that’s one sweet portable dac for sure, well done IVX - you surely do have considerable engineering skills.

After Darko’s recent podcast stating “%THD : why is it MISLEADING” (his choice of capitals) with Srajan Ebaen of 6moons audio I wish John Darko would have an actual knowledgeable engineer on to patiently explain to him why just about everything he talked about was misleading to the point of institutional ignorance.

 

[IVX]

I read his review last night, that’s one sweet portable dac for sure, well done IVX - you surely do have considerable engineering skills.

After Darko’s recent podcast stating “%THD : why is it MISLEADING” (his choice of capitals) with Srajan Ebaen of 6moons audio I wish John Darko would have an actual knowledgeable engineer on to patiently explain to him why just about everything he talked about was misleading to the point of institutional ignorance.

sláinte

 

[IVX]

Archimago's review part II https://archimago.blogspot.com/2024/03/early-look-part-ii-e1da-9039s-usb.html