TANCHJIM Space Portable Headphone Adapter Review

[Jimbob54]

That's true, but most headphones are 3.5mm anyway, or if one does have 4.4mm and 3.5mm headphones then one can use an adapter.
Maybe the next version of Dawn will also add the second jack.

Think they would rather you spring for the very definitely more expensive Moonriver 2 for that.

 

[Dogen]

Great review! Stunning we can get this performance from something so inexpensive and compact. Looking forward to their future projects.

Some of the Chinese brand names are fascinating, being basically unpronounceable to speakers of many languages (e.g., Loxjie etc.). I wonder if the Chinese writing system - which is representational and not phonetic - means they don’t really care if the brand name can be spoken. It’s a distinctive series of characters, and meant to be recognized visually like Chinese characters rather than “sounded out”.

 

[kemmler3D]

Crazy numbers coming from a dongle, and below $100 US. This really proves that the only frontier for innovation in DACs at this point is form factor and usability, and features beyond simply converting digital to analog.

As long as you believe the numbers, this thing has performance good enough to drive a $10K speaker system and be happy with the sound.

My one major beef, and this is common to MANY Chinese audio brands (almost all of them IMO), the name sounds goofy as hell to english speakers. The hell is a TANCH and what does it have to with my friend JIM? And why are they always all caps?

Note to any Chinese audio brand reading this: I have years of experience in consumer product branding, including in the audio space, and would be happy to consult on naming, western marketing localization, and brand positioning in general, for a moderate fee.

 

[badboygolf16v]

Is that why they released "improved" version 2?

Updated to AK4493 which has digital headroom.

Comparing this dongle to an RME is patently ridiculous.

 

[Acerun]

This is a picture of the inside of the "lite" version. Do we know the chip or anything else from this? Looks like one CS43131 chip

 

[Matias]

This is a picture of the inside of the "lite" version. Do we know the chip or anything else from this? View attachment 297604

Single CS43131 and 3.5 mm out only.

Tanchjim's measurements below for the Space Lite imo are to be trusted as they already showed they deliver with the full Space.

Which puts it SINAD ~111 dB among these below. Not bad at all for 45 usd!

 

[CedarX]

It has been reported in other threads/forums that the CS43131/43198 switch the internal gain around -20-30dbfs, which biases the dynamic range test results. If true, a well implemented CS dongle may be great but not quite SOTA as the measurements would indicate…
Any clue from the experts?

 

[kemmler3D]

I wonder if the Chinese writing system - which is representational and not phonetic - means they don’t really care if the brand name can be spoken.

At some point they'll need to say the name out loud in Chinese, though? I think that the transliterations (if that's what they are) just some times end up phonetically broken in english. I can say "TANCHJIM" or "LOXJIE" but it's not a pleasant experience for anyone.

 

[Acerun]

Single CS43131 and 3.5 mm out only.

Tanchjim's measurements below for the Space Lite imo are to be trusted as they already showed they deliver with the full Space.

View attachment 297608

111 Sinad and very low distortion for $45? Wow.

 

[b7676]

What balanced headphones do y'all think would make the most of this DACamp? Since it's a portable, let's choose a product that comes with the 4.4 mm balanced connector and doesn't need an adapter.

Blon HBB Z300 can be ordered with one.

Also Truthear Shio is almost the same dongle

Any reason I can’t use this as a desktop DAC between pc and Marantz single ended Amp (input sensitivity: 220 mV / 13 kohm)

Truthear says they will release firmware to use the power out as a line out for desktop use (soon).

Doubtful, it defaults to high on connection. Something it love to see changed on all such dongles. Either low by default or selectable default in software.

Shio defaults to low gain.

@amirm
Power consumption and dc protection I think are the frontiers for dongle differentiation.

 

[RedCometZero]

What kind of low-pass filter does this use? Don't see a measurement for it, and the product page doesn't seem to have info.

 

[stren]

It would be lovely to also measure the power usage of these portable devices - with no load, and then under the other headphone load cases tested.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

First a confession: when the company reached out to me a few months ago, I had not heard of them and thought this would be a very low performing device. So I responded that I don't think it would do well. They assured me that it would and showed me measurements that were just hard to believe.

When they seek you out, rest assured it either is a good performing device, or they are daft!

They sent me a sample which unfortunately got lost. What you see here is the second sample. As you see, performance is just stunning. Use of dual DACs and excellent engineering has translated into a top of the line desktop class DAC but in a container that is the size of an America quarter! Functionality is excellent with nice tactile volume controls. And the thing manages to look attractive to boot! Other than finding out why it won't produce 4 volts, it is the most perfect headphone adapter I have tested!

Somebody should try to pair this with a 7.2V LiPo, to see if the output power changes, if it does, WOW.

 

[testp]

Tanchjim Space Portable, i believe this is what Star Trek crew is using as well..

 

[PuX]

Comparing this dongle to an RME is patently ridiculous.

elaborate?
the numbers are on the charts.

 

[AdamG]

Out Spacing the Dongle DAC/Amp space with unbelievably excellent performance and value. Redefining the Dongle Space by leaping past many top performing Desktop DAC/Amp. Amir please continue shocking us with reviews like this. The people who say good audio kit will cost more are eating their words right now and moving over to make Space for this new competition. We can only pray that the next product iteration incorporates PEQ/EQ and maintains this performance level.

 

[CedarX]

Somebody should try to pair this with a 7.2V LiPo, to see if the output power changes, if it does, WOW.

Best case = no sound or same power. Worse case = some smoke obscuring the peek window. The CS43131 is an integrated DAC/HPA SOC, it operates in Class-H with its own charge pump to provide (-) rail voltage… and the max. spec. voltage is 5.25V.

 

[daverosenthal]

elaborate?
the numbers are on the charts.

The implication of your comment is the only way to compare two audio components is the single SINAD number. Surely you realize there is more to a device than this: Switchable inputs; volume knob; parametric EQ; remote; cross-feed; etc... In the spectrum world of DACs, this dongle and an RME ADI are quite different things.

 

[badboygolf16v]

elaborate?
the numbers are on the charts.

This will be my last post on the subject as it's OT.

It's not to do with the numbers, that's the point. (Mind you RME has Auto Ref which nothing else has AFAIK.)

If you read the manuals of both devices you will see why they aren't comparable.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Best case = no sound or same power. Worse case = some smoke obscuring the peek window. The CS43131 is an integrated DAC/HPA SOC, it operates in Class-H with its own charge pump to provide (-) rail voltage… and the max. spec. voltage is 5.25V.

$90 smoke? it's doable .
But seriously, if the output stage can be separated . . .
The CS chip doesn't have that much output, I reckon there is an output stage.
It is cheap enough to experiment with.