• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Tempotec Sonata HD Pro Review (headphone Adapter)

staticV3

Master Contributor
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
7,531
Likes
11,999
I just thought I'd give it a quick test with an Amazon Fire 7 2019. I've installed foobar2000 on it and it sounds pretty decent. I am not sure if it's playing 24/96 as I don't have a display or way to inspect the data. However, engaging the 44100 resampler makes things sound a little different, which I appreciate maybe utterly visual bias but could also be a slightly off resampler on this android version of the program.

I'm pretty sure Foobar2000 on this same tablet worked with the Topping D10 DAC and showed the correct sample rate.

Battery life is terrible on this little tablet, which will be the main downer, but useable for a good quality sound few hours at least!
Use Hiby Music or USB Audio Player Pro if you want to send your audio files directly to the DAC without the Android audio pipeline in the way, akin to Wasapi exclusive or Asio on Windows.
In Hiby you first need to enable "Exclusive USB Audio Access".
 

IvanTheGreat

New Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2021
Messages
2
Likes
0
Has anyone here ever flashed the Sonata BHD firmware on the Sonata HD Pro? What are your opinions on it? It forces the Sonata HD Pro to stay in high-gain all the time and gives more volume steps.
 

raistlin65

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
2,279
Likes
3,421
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Has anyone here ever flashed the Sonata BHD firmware on the Sonata HD Pro? What are your opinions on it? It forces the Sonata HD Pro to stay in high-gain all the time and gives more volume steps.

I remember that this has been discussed before. Search this thread and the HIDISZ S8 (same dongle) thread for BHD.
 

pionmw

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2021
Messages
6
Likes
0
Hi Amir, I have measured mine and I can confirm many results you obtained. Especially considering the IMD, Sonata seems to be very clean.
But, regarding the noise floor of Sonata HD Pro I have questions.
My instrument alone has -130dBu (ca -132dBV) noise floor.
The setup (very ad-hoc, not perfect connectors and cables) gave me -85dBu noise floor for Sonata output, and -91dBu for my laptop Realtek output (as reference, for comparison). So, for Noise concerns my crap laptop-Realtek wins against Sonata by a small but measurable margin (6dBu at 1KHz, 12dBu at 20Khz. However, for IMD concerns the Sonata wins hands down.
So, can you comment? Your measurements show -110dBrA to -130dBrA noise floor. But I do not understand your dBrA measurements using DSF input. Are my numbers equivalent to yours?
Could you share with me some of your reference test DSF samples? Thanks!
 

staticV3

Master Contributor
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
7,531
Likes
11,999
Hi Amir, I have measured mine and I can confirm many results you obtained. Especially considering the IMD, Sonata seems to be very clean.
But, regarding the noise floor of Sonata HD Pro I have questions.
My instrument alone has -130dBu (ca -132dBV) noise floor.
The setup (very ad-hoc, not perfect connectors and cables) gave me -85dBu noise floor for Sonata output, and -91dBu for my laptop Realtek output (as reference, for comparison). So, for Noise concerns my crap laptop-Realtek wins against Sonata by a small but measurable margin (6dBu at 1KHz, 12dBu at 20Khz. However, for IMD concerns the Sonata wins hands down.
So, can you comment? Your measurements show -110dBrA to -130dBrA noise floor. But I do not understand your dBrA measurements using DSF input. Are my numbers equivalent to yours?
Could you share with me some of your reference test DSF samples? Thanks!
The noise floor you see in FFT graphs isn't real. Please look up FFT gain.
The only measurement in this review which shows actual noise is the Dynamic Range one.
 

pionmw

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2021
Messages
6
Likes
0
I did. This puzzles me.
My scope is 16bit, which probably explains the measurement noise floor of ca. -90dBu.
The problem is, that I see in my measurements the output of Sonata having noise floor at around or less than -85dBu.
Is this wrong to conclude that this noise floor belongs to analog output components of Sonata?
The digital dynamic is 24bit (reported 20bit effective and average, hence ca. -120dB dynamic range ), but if the noise floor level of analog output components in Sonata is -92dB (I added ca. 7dB to scale my dBu values to the 3dBFS input value for these dynamic tests): how can one measure -120dB analog dynamic numbers? Still a puzzle for me.
 

pionmw

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2021
Messages
6
Likes
0
I plan to build again the measurement setup with my LGV40 when it comes, and remeasure. The noise floor can potentially improve on battery. I will also be able to directly compare the V40 output to Sonata output.
I am also waiting for the proper adapters.
Amir: what was the output loading in your setup? 50Ohm, 300Ohm, higher?
 

pionmw

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2021
Messages
6
Likes
0
LG V40 came.
Proper connectors came.
LGs 3.5mm output stops at 24kHz something (no what matter setting, source format and player!) and has aliasing above 20Khz. Noise is at -91dBu when music paused. (reference instrument Measurement floor noise -117dBu)
Sonata HD Pro, 250 bucks cheaper than V40, did not stop at 24KHz, but went up to the Nyquist limit. No aliasing whatsoever. Noise also at around -91dBu.

Now, what a shame and sorrow feelings.
So many stellar reviews with martian HIFI instruments, and so many congratulations for tests good made, but no one here understands how to align the here reported 120+dB dynamic range with the reality (3.5 output). Neither do I.
So many reviews, but not a single one telling that the acclaimed V40 is capped at 24KHz. Not that I hear something that high, but I paid for the output performances of the V40.

100% pure shame, by definition.

Comments, anyone?
 

staticV3

Master Contributor
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
7,531
Likes
11,999
LG V40 came.
Proper connectors came.
LGs 3.5mm output stops at 24kHz something (no what matter setting, source format and player!) and has aliasing above 20Khz. Noise is at -91dBu when music paused. (reference instrument Measurement floor noise -117dBu)
Sonata HD Pro, 250 bucks cheaper than V40, did not stop at 24KHz, but went up to the Nyquist limit. No aliasing whatsoever. Noise also at around -91dBu.

Now, what a shame and sorrow feelings.
So many stellar reviews with martian HIFI instruments, and so many congratulations for tests good made, but no one here understands how to align the here reported 120+dB dynamic range with the reality (3.5 output). Neither do I.
So many reviews, but not a single one telling that the acclaimed V40 is capped at 24KHz. Not that I hear something that high, but I paid for the output performances of the V40.

100% pure shame, by definition.

Comments, anyone?
Your measurement setup is bad.
8e32ffabb3420e658e159f8d5823a91f.png
source
 

Matias

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Messages
5,029
Likes
10,796
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
Sonata E44 measurements were kind of disappointing...

 

pionmw

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2021
Messages
6
Likes
0
Your measurement setup is bad.
View attachment 172711
source
My HW setup is fine, you do not know what you are talking.
The only setup which could be "faulty" is the player.
Did you reproduce these results from 0db(kr) also with Poweramp, Hiby or Neutron? Care to give here the setup parameters? I'd be happy to learn.
Else, these guys tell they use their "default player". Later on they say it is YoungdB App, produced and sold by 0dB. Fine, I would buy it, but it is in Korean, aka useless to me, and useless to anyone outside Korea. Should I assume that ALL reviewers who looked at V40 audio performances were Korean (or paid by LG Korea) ?
 

Cirrus Incus

Member
Joined
May 24, 2020
Messages
18
Likes
3
My max volume setting on the HD Pro is suddenly very low. My headphones get much higher volume from the headphone jack on my phone and laptop.
Any way to fix this?
 

L5730

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Oct 6, 2018
Messages
667
Likes
434
Location
East of England
My max volume setting on the HD Pro is suddenly very low. My headphones get much higher volume from the headphone jack on my phone and laptop.
Any way to fix this?
Are you plugging the Tempotec into a USB port on a Windows, Mac, Linux or other computer? Did the digital OS/Software volume control get changed somehow? Worth going through all software troubleshooting before looking at the hardware :)
 

raistlin65

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
2,279
Likes
3,421
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
My max volume setting on the HD Pro is suddenly very low. My headphones get much higher volume from the headphone jack on my phone and laptop.
Any way to fix this?

Did you switch to a different pair of headphones with low impedance? Sonata HD Pro has auto impedance sensing.
 

Cirrus Incus

Member
Joined
May 24, 2020
Messages
18
Likes
3
Did you switch to a different pair of headphones with low impedance? Sonata HD Pro has auto impedance sensing.
No, I've using a HiFiMAN Ananda with it for over a year with the same USB port and cable. This change in max volume only happened yesterday. I didn't update any firmware.
 

raistlin65

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
2,279
Likes
3,421
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
No, I've using a HiFiMAN Ananda with it for over a year with the same USB port and cable. This change in max volume only happened yesterday. I didn't update any firmware.

So you tried adjusting the volume with the hardware volume controls on the Sonata HD Pro?
 

Metalear

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
7
Likes
5
Holy $hit this works with my Sony Android TV (x90j). I use powered speakers and I can either plug straight into TV's 3.5mm (doesn't sound great), or use my optical DAC (sounds great but need to use separate remote).

I tried this via USB on a whim and plugged in my powered speakers in the 3.5mm and it works. Noticeably better sounding that the TV's jack. Will have to test more and buy a second unit for my TV.
This is really interesting, I have the same TV. Are you able to use the built-in speakers in the TV and the USB audio connection at the same time? My previous TV allowed me to use the 3.5mm headphone out at the same time as the built-in speakers and that was a nice way to fill out the sound, but the X90J doesn't offer that option strangely. It would be great if the USB-out and built-in speakers could be used simultaneously.
 

Cirrus Incus

Member
Joined
May 24, 2020
Messages
18
Likes
3
So you tried adjusting the volume with the hardware volume controls on the Sonata HD Pro?
Yes, I've tried using the manual buttons on the device itself. They work, but the max volume with them or via sound settings in control panel is low.
 

raistlin65

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
2,279
Likes
3,421
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Yes, I've tried using the manual buttons on the device itself. They work, but the max volume with them or via sound settings in control panel is low.

Seems weird.

You could try plugging the Ananda cable into the Sonata HD Pro, without the Anandas connected. Then once your computer or phone senses the Sonata HD Pro, it should definitely be in high gain mode, which would make things louder. Then plug the cable into the Anandas.
 
Top Bottom