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

[brandall10]

brandall10
you know, I've got level 9 with Harman "How to listen", so I'm not deaf at least. However, I can't hear the difference Normal vs Performance modes. SE I hear some more-body in vocals effect, and I like it for vocal-jazz.

I'd be curious to see if I'd pass a blind test, but perf seems to have better separation and a bit less impact down low.

 

[vkvedam]

September for sure.

Brilliant!

 

[gikigill]

Chalk another one waiting for the unbalanced version.

 

[IVX]

gonna add volume control to the 9038D Maybe to 9038D G2 because have no enough time to design.

 

[gikigill]

I,ll wait for a redesign for volume control.

Or maybe I,ll buy both

 

[Andy79]

The one with volume will be tempting indeed. Design wise it will harm a bit the indestructible monoblock feel it has now. Still, if volume wheel or buttons stay on the plastic faces of the unit, it would pr3serve the design and be much more practical

 

[IVX]

sorry but no any buttons, no any plastic there. Only fine sandblasted/anodized aluminum, that's it.

 

[Andy79]

so, than what kind volume control you refer to, then?

 

[IVX]

let me make surprise

 

[Andy79]

ok let's see the surprise..

I have a question until then: on the 9038s i have a hiss at low volumes (probably also at high, but it gets masked) when using it with the Win laptop.
The noise starts when I start the windows player, tidal, google play, whichever. it has like a chorus or phaser effect on it

It seems to be unaffected by the volume combination of the win app player or 9038s volume. When the music is quiet enough, it's there.

Any way to fix this in the source?

Thanks

 

[IVX]

I know that problem, it happens only if Win volume VERY low, -50db or about. 9038S has no any auto-mute and AP analyzer reads the same noise level, about 2.5uVRMS(10-22kHz A-w), whatever Win volume slider position, and ES9038Q2M internal volume setting. I can suspect incorrect volume control implementation in some players aor systems(probably there is 16bit resolution instead of 24), I dunno, but some my testers reported me about Macbook has this noise with tidal at -50db slider value but no problem with Android's player(probably Neutron, not sure). I added IEM mode with -15db ES9038Q2M volume down to limit output power at tiny 30mW, and the same tester reported me that no hiss anymore with tidal+macbook.

 

[Andy79]

But just to confirm, IEM mode is not available on my version right?

 

[maty]

I can suspect incorrect volume control implementation in some players or systems (probably there is 16bit resolution instead of 24), I dunno, but some my testers reported me about Macbook has this noise with tidal at -50db slider value but no problem with Android's player (probably Neutron, not sure). I added IEM mode with -15db ES9038Q2M volume down to limit output power at tiny 30mW, and the same tester reported me that no hiss anymore with tidal+macbook.

Do not say it very loudly, that in these forums there are a few who believe that software players, output devices ... are always well implemented and you are an ignorant

JRiver MC 64-bit working as digital volume:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../topping-d50s-volume-control.8952/post-226671

BTW: For years I have installed Neutron on my phone, it is the best of all I tried (many).

 

[IVX]

Andy79
correct.
maty
I was surprised when noticed difference in THD when 24 bit sine played on famous Foobar2000 and noname MPC-HC. The last one was a bit better..

 

[maty]

I have been commenting that foobar2000 has to have some kind of problems for over a year. And maybe also the ABX plugin. On the other hand, the external SACD plugin works very well, so I am inclined to be a player thing.

By the way, both JRMC and Neutron have one very important thing in common: they have 64-bit versions.

MPC-HC is much better than the famous VLC or other in Win. With madVR, the image is better without any doubt. Before (v22, v23, v24) I did not get such a good image with JRMC + madVR, but with the v25 it has improved a lot.

The MPC-HC, thanks to the JRMC WDM driver uses the 64-bit DSP, PEQ ... of the JRMC -> better sound.

 

[SIY]

I have been commenting that foobar2000 has to have some kind of problems for over a year. And maybe also the ABX plugin.

And yet have provided exactly ZERO evidence. Zero. You'd think that if there's an audible defect, it would show up on a measurement.

OK, I will challenge you. Name the measurement that will show up your claimed problem and if it's possible, I'll do it. If it shows no problems, then you'll agree to stop making that claim. If it does show the problem, you'll be praised as the lone guy who found what no-one else did.

Put up or shut up.

 

[Krunok]

And yet have provided exactly ZERO evidence. Zero. You'd think that if there's an audible defect, it would show up on a measurement.

OK, I will challenge you. Name the measurement that will show up your claimed problem and if it's possible, I'll do it. If it shows no problems, then you'll agree to stop making that claim. If it does show the problem, you'll be praised as the lone guy who found what no-one else did.

Put up or shut up.

LOL

You can't take maty seriously, that kind of defeats his personality!

 

[IVX]

to me Foobar2000 works fine(including VST plugins etc), the sound is identical to MPC-HC(which is just a player, nothing more) but THD a bit higher at 24/44.1, maybe some settings is the reason. Oh, I want "complain" about DSD on PC, how difficult to set it up with Foobar2000! OMG, hard to believe if 5% of PC users will go with it up to the end.. And what for?? Studio records were edited as a PCM, next converted to DSD, next you spend an hour to setup Foobar2000 DSD, next, in most cases, you have multibit-delta-sigma DAC.. So, do you believe if Foobar2000 DSD/PCM float point convertor worse than the other one inside of $3 DAC? Come on..
It reminds me MQA hype, lossy compressed audio similar to mp3, aac, aptx etc. The situation around MQA shows us how dramatically improved marketing for the last decades, and how it was stupid to call pale format mp3 but not SDAM(Super Duper Audio Mastering) to ask pay for the decoding ))

 

[DownUnderGazza]

@IVX, thank you again!
I love that you're willing to confront and go up against 'Conventional HiFi Wisdom" and stick to science and common sense!

As for DSD, I couldn't agree more!

"I want "complain" about DSD on PC, how difficult to set it up with Foobar2000! OMG, hard to believe if 5% of PC users will go with it up to the end.. And what for?? Studio records were edited as a PCM, next converted to DSD, next you spend an hour to setup Foobar2000 DSD, next, in most cases, you have multibit-delta-sigma DAC.. So, do you believe if Foobar2000 DSD/PCM float point convertor worse than the other one inside of $3 DAC?"

It's time we wise up and ditch DSD for what it is, a highly convoluted way to introduce further problems into your sound listening!
Anyone who has wide-band amplifiers and loudspeakers, I do, should be VERY wary of DSD. The possibility that DSD will introduce potentially VERY high levels of noise up in the 30k-60khz range should be taken very SERIOUSLY.

My amps can both support out to approx 100khz and my loudspeakers in theory out to 75khz. I do NOT want near 0dB noise levels introduced to cause all sorts of in-band distortions or damage to my system. I just don't want to take the risk. For similar reasons I avoid slow toll-off DAC filters, nothing but Fast Linear Phase filters for me and my system thanks.

Plus the fact that all pro level editing, mixing and mastering will be done on PCM, let's cut the crap, why even bother with DSD?

 

[IVX]

DownUnderGazza
I did not confront, don't take me wrong, I'm normal PC/Android/iOS user. I like how easy I can set up DSD in Neutron player on Android but Foobar2000 requires to download at least two extra packages, install it, set it up and try, find no sound and read all instructions again, change settings, try, no sound, try all again etc for 1 hour of your life.