Joined in 2023 
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It does has a "good measurement" BUT it does not provide a great sound signature as I expected with ES9038Pro. Elevate your audio to new heights with the AK 4499 EX chip audio DAC and integrated headphone amplifier. This cutting-edge chip guarantees impeccable sound reproduction, while the built-in amplifier delivers a powerful and immersive listening experience. XU-316 XMOS with Native DSD512 Support Koss Porta Pro with Yaxi Pads, Hifiman HE400SE with 2.5mm balanced cables, AKG K371, Drop x Sennheiser HD6xx (ZMF perforated suede Earpads) with 2.5mm balanced cables, Audeze LCD-XC 2021 with 2.5mm balanced cables , Sony MH755 with cable extender (got it from a Sony SBH24), Moondrop Chu, Tanchjim Zero, 7hz Salnotes Zero with 2.5mm balanced cables, Truthear x Crinacle Zero with 2.5mm balanced cables, Etymotic ER2XR with 2.5mm balanced cables, 7hz Timeless with 2.5mm balanced cables, Moondrop Aria Snow Edition with 2.5mm balanced cables, Moondrop x Crinacle Blessing 2 Dusk with 2.5mm balanced cables, Moondrop Variations with 2.5mm balanced cables, Sony IER-M9 with 2.5mm balanced cables , Apple Airpods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, CCA BTX AptX Adaptive Bluetooth IEM Ear Hook Module
Qudelix 5K Bluetooth USB LDAC AptX Adaptive Portable DAC/Amp, Moondrop Dawn 4.4mm (with 2.5mm adapter) and 3.5mm, Topping D10 Balanced DAC (Dual Sabre ESS), SMSL D-6 Balanced DAC (Dual AKM), Topping A90 Discrete Balanced Headphone Amplifier If I didn't already have a Lokius and Monoprice 887, I could very much get away with listening via the built in amp on high gain. I went to about 70 out of 99 max on the volume knob with the built in HPA and didn't hit any intolerable distortion. I missed my EQ too much to use this full time though. I think that's the next step in a DAC/AMP like this, built in hardware or software EQ/DSP. That would make this an absolute monster IMO. As we end off Part II with a detailed look at PCM fidelity, I can say that from an objective fidelity perspective, basically what I'm seeing is an ESS ES9038PRO-based DAC that's performing on par with the best devices available today as published here and on other audiophile objective measurement sources. The XLR 4.77Vrms output is clean with dynamic range of 130dB and 0dBFS THD+N better than -123dB. In a similar way, the RCA 2.35Vrms unbalanced output gives us an excellent THD+N of -120dB. On my more complex Triple-Tone signal, I'm seeing a TD+N of -118dB through the XLR and -111dB through the RCA which are again excellent. I bought this from Hi-fi express ( @peterwen) and waited patiently for it to arrive from China. Overall impression is good and I enjoy using my headphones with the DAC/H.AMP
We see a selection of 7 ESS ES9038PRO PCM digital filters.Different manufacturers will use different names for them, and Sabaj has elected to use easy-to-understand terminology here thankfully. As an example, look at the unnecessarily complex acronyms Mytek uses for their Manhattan II filter settings. My reaction wasn't focused on pure performances, because they're all actually very good models, but on reliability, brand services and advises, upgrading, etc. This has a price too, so these expensive products used every day fduring a long time in studios can't be compared with Sabaj, SMSL, Topping and co. An "auto-sleep" function might also be nice. For example, if there's no audio being played for 60 minutes, it would be nice for the machine to turn off by itself to save power. For me, benchmark numbers these days of around -120dB THD+N and dynamic range around say 125dB are so impressive that I don't think manufacturers or consumers need desire more. I think it would be more impressive now to achieve "THD+N -120dB with excellent linear sharp filter and +3dB intersample overhead" than say "THD+N -125dB" only. At the heart of this DAC, the ESS ES9038PRO is aided by the ES9311 "ultra-low noise" linear regulator to provide reference voltage to the DAC. Headphone amplifier is based on the TI TPA6120A2.
I played with the DPLL menu setting a bit; supposedly lower values could improve jitter performance, and larger number improves compatibility. I did not see any significant difference with the Squeezebox Touch so just kept the setting at the default of 5 for the remainder of my tests. It is my pleasure to recommend Sabaj A10d 2022 version. My only wish is that they should have given it a new model number give the step up that it is from that older product. With the 2023 Sabaj A20d High Res USB Audio DAC & Headphone AMP, prepare to embark on a sonic adventure like never before. Immerse yourself in the true essence of audio excellence and indulge in a world of unparalleled sound quality. It's been awhile and I've been upgrading further. I bought a Topping A90 Discrete and use the A20d as a DAC/pre-amp. Funny enough the Topping A90d has a USB-C input for Firmware upgrade, which does not work USB-C to USB-C either. Shenzen hasn't gotten USB-C to USB-C to work properly and as intended in general apparently. As long as USB-C to USB-C doesn't work I would have much preferred USB-A or B on the DAC side as PC/MAC usually have USB-C these days (USB-C seems to be the future)Same power from balanced and single ended, it says it's truly balanced but I don't see how that could be. Maybe internally it's not since there's no seperate spec for balanced. A lot of amplifiers are playing it fast and loose with "truly balanced" in their sales copy when internally they aren't. Discover the ultimate audio experience with the 2023 Sabaj A20d High Res USB Audio DAC & Headphone AMP. This groundbreaking product combines state-of-the-art technology, unrivaled performance, and versatile features to redefine your audio journey. Let’s go over the available settings for the device. The first menu we see is the input selection menu. You can toggle between the inputs here. After that, we see the HP/LINE-OUT mode menu. This is especially useful if you are planning to use the DAC stage of the A10d with your active monitors. We see the gain settings next, there are 2 options available: Low (+0dB) and High (+10dB) gain. As for filter options, there are 7 filters to choose from. Manufacturers tend to put the best (most neutral) filter as the default so I rarely feel the urge to meddle with this option. There is a DPLL option to reduce jitter and increase compatibility. Sabaj also included the option to select between UAC1 and 2, this too improves the compatibility of the unit with various devices, such as gaming consoles. Lastly, the screen brightness is adjustable.
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