ASUS USB-C to 3.5mm headphone DAC/amp adapter (ES9260Q)

[Nathan Raymond]

Has anyone tested this ASUS dongle? The part number is MECA14025-0024 and the ASUS product page is a bit short on info:

https://www.asus-accessories.com/asus-usb-type-c-to-35mm-jack-adapter-60506-77261.htm

However this AliExpress page has a teardown of the dongle:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804235353607.html

That shows the DAC/amp as the ESS ES9260Q:

Here is the spec sheet:

https://www.esstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ES9260_PB_v0.2.6.pdf

There have been some people selling it new open box for under $20 shipped on eBay in the US. How might this stack up against other budget dongles?

 

[twsecrest]

My two cents, pay more, for something like the iBasso DC-05.

 

[Nathan Raymond]

My two cents, pay more, for something like the iBasso DC-05.

Well I already have some TempoTec dongles that are good, but they are kind of large compared to my DAP, the TempoTec V1, which is 80mm x 45mm x 12mm. The iBasso DC-05 looks similar in size. Having a smaller dongle for such a small DAP would be handy.

 

[twsecrest]

Well I already have some TempoTec dongles that are good, but they are kind of large compared to my DAP, the TempoTec V1, which is 80mm x 45mm x 12mm. The iBasso DC-05 looks similar in size. Having a smaller dongle for such a small DAP would be handy.

I bought both the DC04 and DC05, great sound quality, for their price.

 

[staticV3]

@Nathan Raymond Here are some first impressions and basic measurements:

Asus MU3C-AD(M) Dongle DAC - First impressions and basic measurements

This is a first look at the Asus MU3C-AD(M) dongle with ES9260Q DAC chip. On AliExpress it costs $20. As I'm currently incapacitated with a broken hand, these will be some basic impressions and measurements with a multimeter. If there's enough interest, then I'll do a full set of measurements...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Nathan Raymond]

@Nathan Raymond Here are some first impressions and basic measurements:

Asus MU3C-AD(M) Dongle DAC - First impressions and basic measurements

This is a first look at the Asus MU3C-AD(M) dongle with ES9260Q DAC chip. On AliExpress it costs $20. As I'm currently incapacitated with a broken hand, these will be some basic impressions and measurements with a multimeter. If there's enough interest, then I'll do a full set of measurements...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Thanks! I appreciate it. I did pick one up myself, and pretty quickly realized the fixed volume output of the dongle was going to be a limiting factor for my uses. I primarily wanted to use it with my TempoTec V1 DAP, which expects any external DACs to have variable output, so as a result the volume controls on the V1 do nothing (what is funny is that dongles like the Tempotec BHD both obey volume controls on the V1 and it also has its own hardware volume controls independent and decoupled from the volume changes the V1 instructs the BHD to make, so there are two places to change the volume when listening to the music on the V1 with the BHD connected, and I really just want there to be one place, while the ASUS MU3C-AD(M) gives no places to change the volume when connected to the V1!) Same story on the Mac and my iPad. My PCs all have sound cards with headphone jacks (and in some cases decent dedicated headphone amps) already, and my one Android-ish tablet (an Amazon Fire Tablet) has a headphone jack.