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

[XeCutor]

Yes, i also use EqualizerAPO and Wavelet, but i think it would be much more convenient and with better sound quality to have the equalizer applied directly by the DAC.

I can buy the convenience aspect, as long as EQ profiles could be managed easily when switching HP's etc.

Since both options would be done in the digital domain, presumably before volume control in the case of the 9038D hardware volume there would be no difference in sound quality except for differences in DSP implementation. 9038D doesn't have an additional DSP chip so the option isn't there because I don't see EQ listed as a DSP capability of the ES9038Q2M chip itself and I am pretty sure the usb bridge doesn't have support for it either. If it had one it would be as good as the implementation and many hardware DSP have limitations on sample rates and might resample everything down to let's say 48Khz (common for AVR's for example) but your mileage may differ. A pure software DSP on the other hand has less limitations in this regard as long as the cpu has the "horse power" to do the calculations and the software is well executed. Anyway, software is the option that exists and if the software implementation is good (no clipping introduced etc) could be just as good or better than a hardware implementation, it all depends though.

 

[Atanasi]

Yes, i also use EqualizerAPO and Wavelet, but i think it would be much more convenient and with better sound quality to have the equalizer applied directly by the DAC.

The E1DA Powerdac series is intended for integrated DSP. Sound quality is not inherently better, no matter where DSP is done.

 

[mikeburns]

And the DSP that the E1DA Powerdac brings is great! My HD6XX headphones were great but a bit rich in the mid bass I believe. The effect the dsp of the powerdac had on the HD6XX was impressive.

I find myself wishing that the E1DA powerdac came as a more fully fleshed out desktop headphone amp/dac option with balanced and unbalanced outputs that utilise the DSP. Having to go balanced was not an issue with the HD6XX but would be lovely to have all the dsp options for all headphones and not be limited to just balanced cans.

 

[sotiridaf]

Maybe i ask a silly question , but for 9038D i have installed the Tweak9038 . The firmware is 1 as i notice in the properties screen. Is it the latest? It would inform me for a new one?

 

[Palfim]

I'm about to order the 9038s susumo3000, considering the great measurements.
Is the LTE issue gone? i'd have the option to switch to normal 3g( i almost never use internet on the go).
Then I heard some guys have "hiss-issues" with sensitive IEMs , is this true or just some user related fluke?
my IEMs and headphones range from 19 to 64 ohm with the akg 701 beeng the hardest to drive. My Ananda could use some extra current, too i guess.
Currently still on qudelix5k , but I dont really need bluetooth and wanted to switch over to e1da mainly due to much better thd+ measurements and smaller size

 

[chi2]

I have the 9038SG3 susumu, and it is my preferred portable dac, among half a dozen or so, for my iPhone and Android smart phone. Even with an unshielded usb cable I have no issues with LTE noise. However, while I can use it with almost all of my full sizes phones and most of my inears, the inears with an extremely high sensitivity tend to have some hiss, which is why I don't use them.

The second potential issue is the extremely progressive characteristic of the volume setting. Even with rather sensitive phones the usable range on the iPhone volume slider is in the top 20 to 25 percent of the range. The iPhone's volume buttons, which work in too few steps, never really allow me to choose a suitable volume. I always have to set the listening level by the software volume slider.

Other than that, it's an amazingly powerful little dac doing a great job.

 

[bavlf]

Excuse me, but the two difficulties that you mentioned are not caused by the E1DA 9038SG3 (especially the SG3, the 2 would still pass!) but by the audio player,!
- Hardware (the USB output ...) if serious no issue even with very senstives iems!
- Software (use Neutron or UAPP for example for adequate progressiveness, but with Apple...

 

[chi2]

You are correct about this being an Apple/iPhone issue. Sadly, there is no alternative iOS software for streaming Tidal and Spotify content. Other dacs however, like the Hilidac Beam 2, the Hilidac Atom, the Hidizs S8, or the Ikko Zerda ITM03, have a more linear volume characteric with the iPhone and therefore allow a subjectively more precise and practical setting of the volume. With a Samsung S105G it is not an issue.

Ironically, these other compact portable dacs don't nearly have as much power as the 9038SG3 despite reaching adequate listening levels already at 40 to 50% volume level (on the iPhone).

 

[Palfim]

So i read about half the thread and got convinced ...now I did place an order for the susumu 3000 on aliexpress, can't wait!
Will be comparing it to the qudelix 5k, using akg 701 (reterminated to 2.5mm) , Sennheiser hd660s and Hifiman Ananda and a couple sensitive IEMs.
Should be interesting If that massive better sinad value Compared to q5k will be actually audible.

 

[Tks]

You are correct about this being an Apple/iPhone issue. Sadly, there is no alternative iOS software for streaming Tidal and Spotify content. Other dacs however, like the Hilidac Beam 2, the Hilidac Atom, the Hidizs S8, or the Ikko Zerda ITM03, have a more linear volume characteric with the iPhone and therefore allow a subjectively more precise and practical setting of the volume. With a Samsung S105G it is not an issue.

Ironically, these other compact portable dacs don't nearly have as much power as the 9038SG3 despite reaching adequate listening levels already at 40 to 50% volume level (on the iPhone).

It's because they don't have that much power, that they're capable of more finer volume steps. If you have two DACs both with 5 steps of volume, but one DAC can output 10W of power, and the other only 1W of power. Obviously the one with 1W is going to change volume levels with less of a dB change per step in each of it's 5 volume steps. While the one with 10W of power, is going to be changing 2W per volume step.

 

[chi2]

This would be correct if a) the volume setting to power ratio were linear on both dacs and if b) the 100% volume setting would correspond to 100% power output. I'm not sure about b) but regarding a) the 9038's volume to power ratio feels distinctly curvilinear/progressive.

A (subjectively) linear ratio would look like that:

Volume setting | perceived output power
10% | 10%
20% | 20%
30% | 30%
etc.
100% | 100%

The 9038SG3 feels like:
10% | 0.20%
20% | 0.39%
30% | 0.78%
40% | 1.56%
50% | 3.13%
60% | 6.25%
70% | 12.5%
80% | 25%
90% | 50%
100% | 100%

or even:
10% | 0.000%
20% | 0.002%
30% | 0.006%
40% | 0.024%
50% | 0.098%
60% | 0.391%
70% | 1.563%
80% | 6.25%
90% | 25%
100% | 100%

The perception of output power per se isn't linear and I didn't do any measurements. It's just a simplified visualization attempt.

 

[Tks]

Touche if that's how it behaves. I would have imagined with digital volume control, this would be linear enough.

 

[0RF30]

I'm about to order the 9038s susumo3000, considering the great measurements.
Is the LTE issue gone? i'd have the option to switch to normal 3g( i almost never use internet on the go).
Then I heard some guys have "hiss-issues" with sensitive IEMs , is this true or just some user related fluke?
my IEMs and headphones range from 19 to 64 ohm with the akg 701 beeng the hardest to drive. My Ananda could use some extra current, too i guess.
Currently still on qudelix5k , but I dont really need bluetooth and wanted to switch over to e1da mainly due to much better thd+ measurements and smaller size

The LTE issue is with 9038D, not with 9038GS3 (I own both).

 

[bravomail]

ixbt released a review of E1DA 9038D
Russian
But u can translate
https://www.ixbt.com/live/digs/e1da-9038d-obzor-mobilnogo-capa-s-russkoy-dushoy.html

 

[infinitesymphony]

ixbt released a review of E1DA 9038D
Russian
But u can translate
https://www.ixbt.com/live/digs/e1da-9038d-obzor-mobilnogo-capa-s-russkoy-dushoy.html

https://translate.google.com/transl...8d-obzor-mobilnogo-capa-s-russkoy-dushoy.html

 

[XeCutor]

The LTE issue is with 9038D, not with 9038GS3 (I own both).

Correct, and the 9038D issues are not always present. I'm saying this as an owner never having had any noise issues with a Samsung S10 (Europe/Sweden frequencies) right next to the device for months now. Obviously this doesn't guarantee someone else won't get interference. Maybe what headphones are used matters. I use Hifiman Sundara 99% of the time, perhaps sensitive IEM's would be more issue prone.

 

[Jimbob54]

Correct, and the 9038D issues are not always present. I'm saying this as an owner never having had any noise issues with a Samsung S10 (Europe/Sweden frequencies) right next to the device for months now. Obviously this doesn't guarantee someone else won't get interference. Maybe what headphones are used matters. I use Hifiman Sundara 99% of the time, perhaps sensitive IEM's would be more issue prone.

I believe it is more due to the freqs and strength that mobile networks use in one's territory. No issues in the UK, major city with good network 4g.

 

[Tks]

https://translate.google.com/transl...8d-obzor-mobilnogo-capa-s-russkoy-dushoy.html

Man, that dude has an AMAZING foobar setup.

 

[slazyel]

Which one for the HD 660S as it comes with balanced cable included, the E1DA 9038S or the E1DA 9038D?

 

[Veri]

Which one for the HD 660S as it comes with balanced cable included, the E1DA 9038S or the E1DA 9038D?

9038d will work fine with SE cable and the HD660, it's not that hard to drive with its 150ohm. And then it's compatible with more headphones. So that's what I'd do