E1DA 9038D Review (portable DAC & Amp)

[capslock]

Has anybody had success ordering form E1DA Aliexpress store today? For some reason, I cannot even find their shop within aliexpress. So if I search for 9038S or similar, I get a shop called D-D audio that has the goods but is more expensive. I can get there form the E1DA homepage or by googling articles, but when I try to pay (Paypal or CC), I keep getting something like "oops, there seems to be a problem with our system".

 

[staticV3]

Has anybody had success ordering form E1DA Aliexpress store today? For some reason, I cannot even find their shop within aliexpress. So if I search for 9038S or similar, I get a shop called D-D audio that has the goods but is more expensive. I can get there form the E1DA homepage or by googling articles, but when I try to pay (Paypal or CC), I keep getting something like "oops, there seems to be a problem with our system".

Here's the E1DA AliExpress Shop:
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mrtGT3z
Its ID number is 5142044.

DD audio, from what iI know, is just Linsoul's storefront on AliExpress.

 

[capslock]

Well, I got there from google or the E1DA homepage but it is interesting that from within the store, neither the product name, the store name or the ID number will get me there.

Same by the way for Meizu Hifi. I cannot find it from within the store search, but when I have the 9038S in my shopping cart, it will display the Meizu to me. Their search function sucks. As does the payment function today.

So what is Linsoul's relationship to E1DA? Just a dealer?

 

[Veri]

So what is Linsoul's relationship to E1DA? Just a dealer?

Dealer/re-seller, yup.

 

[grauskala]

@amirm please see it. Can you re-analysis the dac ( 9038D) ? If you can, we all would be grateful

This is not only about the 9038D though, is it? So he might have to do a lot of re-analyzing. Alternatively, could we just assume the unbalanced SINAD should be about the same as balanced?

 

[DeepSpace57]

This is not only about the 9038D, though, is it? So he might have to do a lot of re-analyzing. Alternatively, could we just assume the unbalanced SINAD should be about the same as balanced?

Agreed. But believe me, 9038D and 9038SG3 could be close to the top of the SINAD chart. I immediately sold my Sabaj D5 and 789 after listening to 9038S G3. The designer (IVAN) is quite a trusty guy rigorously selecting, testing each DAC sample and implement it each by each on the boards. You can find out many videos on youtube about them. When I saw the results here, got shocked. More fun to happen if Amir decides to test the latest version of 9038S, cause IVAN has said that 9038D has better SINAD.

 

[Veri]

Alternatively, could we just assume the unbalanced SINAD should be about the same as balanced?

Nope, not that simple.

 

[capslock]

Well, this specimen of the 9038D here had about -114 dB 3rd harmonic, which is not a common mode noise problem. At this level, it might be dominating the SINAD result.

 

[IVX]

Well, this specimen of the 9038D here had about -114 dB 3rd harmonic, which is not a common mode noise problem.

how you could be sure? I do calibrate everyone unit and never saw >-120db yet, only -125..-135db.

 

[capslock]

how you could be sure? I do calibrate everyone unit and never saw >-120db yet, only -125..-135db.

Ok, I cannot be sure I just don't think a common mode noise voltage would result in much energy at 3x 1 kHz.

Actually, an odd harmonic means the signal does not have half wave symmetry. Compensation effects could be happening in your case, so non-linearities could subtract, or in Amir's case, they could be adding. A simple test would be if you and Amir were to reverse polarities.

 

[TheHighContemplator]

Does anyone know if this awesome device will work on a Raspberry Pi 4 to make it a DAP?

 

[Walt_Tech]

Ok, guys it seems I've found the reason for always worse Amir's tests for unbalanced DACs and better for balanced. The problem is Amir uses unbalanced APx555 inputs for unbalanced DACs. Only balanced inputs of APx555 have good enough CMRR to measure DACs or amps whatever, and actually, no reason at all to use unbalanced inputs ever(just forget about them) - only balanced XLRs.
Dear amirm, Unbalanced BNC inputs tied to the APx555 chassis and could not be used for non-isolated sources like AC-line powered PC, if you like to use that BNCs for any unknown reason(because any even 30 years old AP has excellent balanced XLRs), please use it with battery-powered sources. Balanced XLRs inputs are referenced to each other but not to the chassis intentionally to let you measure precisely sources with strong common-mode noise(XLR+/XLR-/GND-chassis-AP to GND of your PC, for instance, to USB-C shield). I can't and I don't push you to remeasure my DAC but for the future of the audioSCIENCEreview.com better if you'll correct your setup.

View attachment 119687

@amirm I want to understand what is means and if the 9038D performs better than shown in the measurements if it were connected to my desktop would usb noise affect it?

 

[amirm]

Dear amirm, Unbalanced BNC inputs tied to the APx555 chassis and could not be used for non-isolated sources like AC-line powered PC, if you like to use that BNCs for any unknown reason(because any even 30 years old AP has excellent balanced XLRs), please use it with battery-powered sources.

On APx555 balanced inputs are floating. They are not grounded to the chassis unless you do that yourself. On older APs, you could switch this on and off. on APx555, this is not the case and requires manual grounding. If I see mains leakage, then I do indeed play with various schemes of grounding the APx555 and/or its inputs or the the target device to lower that. When there is no sign of this, then I don't.

As for battery power, I can't go there. I have to test every device the same way.

 

[amirm]

@amirm I want to understand what is means and if the 9038D performs better than shown in the measurements if it were connected to my desktop would usb noise affect it?

For this class of device, how clean the USB port is, makes a small measurable difference. But I don't think it is audible at all.

 

[Walt_Tech]

For this class of device, how clean the USB port is, makes a small measurable difference. But I don't think it is audible at all.

Ok Thanks for the help

 

[IVX]

amirm FYI

 

[MC_RME]

Here's a spreadsheet I've created with the help of our Discord community, detailing which MFI cable will work with which iPhone model and which E1DA DAC: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_Yqd7lpt3N2B0kVwzqzHoRmCTO7ZTe32p_xhjuGluh8/edit?usp=sharing

There seems to be an error in this spreadsheet. On the top it says 'Meenova (15 cm)'. But the link goes to a no name cable. I found a 'Meenova'
version at this link:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...g0o.detail.1000060.1.441a5ceevO3zr4&gps-id=pc

So which cable is the right one?

 

[MC_RME]

Got it - the seller has the 15 cm cable at least two times in the store. In a different link the word 'Meenova' is present. Sometimes. Very confusing. But AliExpress sucks anyway. Right now the function 'Delete from Shopping Cart' does not work for me. 'Oh no, the internet is not working' is shown when I try. Worked around that now by ordering without shopping cart (Buy direct). I hope the E1DA 9038D is worth it - I'll report how it works on my iPhone once it arrives.

 

[TheHighContemplator]

amirm FYI

Hi IVX. I want to use your device with a Raspberry Pi 4. Will it work with that board/operating software?

 

[capslock]

Ivan, so in your own measurements and looking at typical performance, does the 9038D or the 9038SG3 do better on harmonics?