Calling this a dongle doesn't do it justice. This thing performs better than my Astell and Kern SP1000. Forget the price point, this thing bats with anythingn2 or 3 times better for sound quality. This beats the Mojo 2 also
Foremost it's all subjective. But, yes, it is more detailed, has better micro and macro dynamics, perhaps due to current drive and sounds noticeably wider! Looks, haptics and build quality are way better. Mojo 2 looks like a toy to be honest. Also, this unit stays fairly cool even in balanced 4.4 mode. Mojo 2 gets quite hot in prolonged use! What Mojo 2 has is crossfeed and an equaliser, but neither the most convenient to use nor with the most bands to play with.
Great review. Would have been worth mentioning the nice case, the great titanium build and the side button that allows fine volume control. The sound is amazing and on par at least with a good mid-range DAP. I love mine. However, I am on my second. The issue being interference when listening whilst walking. It picks up noise from my iPhone 13Pro when I walk. I think secondary to the phone searching for signal. Has affected both units. Not been a problem whilst not moving. I have held onto it, because the sound is so sublime. Would be interested to know if anyone else has had the same issue as I have had?
Excellent review. Can you give a quick comparison between these and the Kensei as far as 3d imaging and soundstage width and depth? One well respected reviewer stated that with K2HD turned on, the Kensei sound SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER in every way. Is this true (for iems)?
Hey, so in terms of pure sound quality, I'd look at something like the Topping DX3Pro potentially. It's tough because there aren't really a lot of options that offer the same sort of dedication to component quality and craftsmanship that would be any cheaper.
I have a couple of questions regarding the XBass feature: 1. Is it possible to adjust the XBass in levels, or is it simply an on/off function? 2. Additionally, how much is the bass boosted in terms of dB, and at what frequency does the increase peak (e.g., 60Hz)? I haven't been able to find any graphs that detail the exact nature of the bass enhancement.
Is lacking of the split cable to have power bank or other source of power supply will make the sound quality drop noticeable if just supply with your phone / laptop?
Having separate power and data connections might have achieved slightly better sound quality, but as it is, you'll need to just power it off of whatever device you're using as an audio source, so there's not way to say if there would be a noticeable difference if you weren't powering it off of your phone or laptop.
IBasso makes a CB-19 cable which allows you to connect a power bank to your DC-Elite, while only receiving data from your mobile phone…I have been switching back and forth between the cb-19/powerbank combo and just a direct connect to my phone, and haven’t really noticed any difference in sonic qualities between the two configurations….Battery drain on your mobile device between the two configurations is quite noticeable, however…..if you’re using low impedance headphones, the power output on the DC-elite is more than adequate….if you’re using 300 Ohm or greater headphones, then you’d need to use the balanced output to drive them to better utilize that headphone’s max sonic potential.
can it power the E3s? i see you pan right by them in the video. you spoke about "hard to drive" headphones. i have the mcintosh MHA 50 headphone amp, which i feel isn't quite powerful enough (not built by mcintosh either btw, hence its lack of success i think). i dont like its interface, i can't put it in a pocket since accidental pressure can turn it off or adjust the volume. lastly, it doesnt have 3.5 or 4.4 headphone jacks, and one of the adapters i bought required me to hold the adapter/heaphone plug in my hands so it wouldnt switch to just one ear constantly. for $2750 altogether that is a bit in the unacceptable range. output wise, this tiny model seems to be more powerful than the smartphone sized MHA 50 too. let me know! thx
It really depends on how you prefer to listen. I think if you need a portable closed-back solution, E3 + DC Elite is one of the best sounding truly portable combos out there. But at the same time, E3 + DC Elite is nowhere near as good as E3 + a good desktop amp. Also, if you're a really high volume listener, you will likely experience clipping with E3, and it seems that when DC Elite is pushing too hard, it can just shut down and disconnect from your phone, which can cause further issues. So, I think the answer is generally "Yes, it can power the E3" but there are some caveats.
THe RU7 isn't quite as detailed and resolving as DC-Elite, but it has a similar crispness in the highs. RU7 also feels a little bit warmer than DC-Elite.
The original GO Bar always came up short for me on the technical end, but GO Bar Kensei fixes the technical aspects, and I prefer the tuning to the DC-Elite, though the DC-Elite is probably the strongest on the pure technical merits.
Thanks much for this review! I was waiting for it. 🙌
Calling this a dongle doesn't do it justice. This thing performs better than my Astell and Kern SP1000. Forget the price point, this thing bats with anythingn2 or 3 times better for sound quality.
This beats the Mojo 2 also
Really?
@@Edin8140 I agree with him. This is a very good dongle .
Foremost it's all subjective.
But, yes, it is more detailed, has better micro and macro dynamics, perhaps due to current drive and sounds noticeably wider!
Looks, haptics and build quality are way better. Mojo 2 looks like a toy to be honest.
Also, this unit stays fairly cool even in balanced 4.4 mode. Mojo 2 gets quite hot in prolonged use!
What Mojo 2 has is crossfeed and an equaliser, but neither the most convenient to use nor with the most bands to play with.
@@joggometer5393 Thanks
Is it better than Men of Ear Angel?
Great review. Would have been worth mentioning the nice case, the great titanium build and the side button that allows fine volume control.
The sound is amazing and on par at least with a good mid-range DAP.
I love mine. However, I am on my second. The issue being interference when listening whilst walking. It picks up noise from my iPhone 13Pro when I walk. I think secondary to the phone searching for signal. Has affected both units. Not been a problem whilst not moving. I have held onto it, because the sound is so sublime.
Would be interested to know if anyone else has had the same issue as I have had?
Excellent review. Can you give a quick comparison between these and the Kensei as far as 3d imaging and soundstage width and depth? One well respected reviewer stated that with K2HD turned on, the Kensei sound SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER in every way. Is this true (for iems)?
Hi which one would recommend between dc-elite and dc07 pro if dc-elite is 100 then how much will you score dc07?
is there a cheaper dektop dac/amp that can equal or better dc-elite sound quality for iems ? thanks
Hey, so in terms of pure sound quality, I'd look at something like the Topping DX3Pro potentially. It's tough because there aren't really a lot of options that offer the same sort of dedication to component quality and craftsmanship that would be any cheaper.
I absolutely adore mine. It has replaced the Mojo 1 in my set-up.
I have a couple of questions regarding the XBass feature:
1. Is it possible to adjust the XBass in levels, or is it simply an on/off function?
2. Additionally, how much is the bass boosted in terms of dB, and at what frequency does the increase peak (e.g., 60Hz)? I haven't been able to find any graphs that detail the exact nature of the bass enhancement.
how is the elite compared to the ibasso dx260? I am thinking of returning my fiio m23 and getting the elite and ibasso dx180 🤔
Don't, the dx180 has crap side buttons that fail and no reinforcement on the exposed volume wheel
Is lacking of the split cable to have power bank or other source of power supply will make the sound quality drop noticeable if just supply with your phone / laptop?
Having separate power and data connections might have achieved slightly better sound quality, but as it is, you'll need to just power it off of whatever device you're using as an audio source, so there's not way to say if there would be a noticeable difference if you weren't powering it off of your phone or laptop.
IBasso makes a CB-19 cable which allows you to connect a power bank to your DC-Elite, while only receiving data from your mobile phone…I have been switching back and forth between the cb-19/powerbank combo and just a direct connect to my phone, and haven’t really noticed any difference in sonic qualities between the two configurations….Battery drain on your mobile device between the two configurations is quite noticeable, however…..if you’re using low impedance headphones, the power output on the DC-elite is more than adequate….if you’re using 300 Ohm or greater headphones, then you’d need to use the balanced output to drive them to better utilize that headphone’s max sonic potential.
can it power the E3s? i see you pan right by them in the video. you spoke about "hard to drive" headphones. i have the mcintosh MHA 50 headphone amp, which i feel isn't quite powerful enough (not built by mcintosh either btw, hence its lack of success i think). i dont like its interface, i can't put it in a pocket since accidental pressure can turn it off or adjust the volume. lastly, it doesnt have 3.5 or 4.4 headphone jacks, and one of the adapters i bought required me to hold the adapter/heaphone plug in my hands so it wouldnt switch to just one ear constantly. for $2750 altogether that is a bit in the unacceptable range. output wise, this tiny model seems to be more powerful than the smartphone sized MHA 50 too. let me know! thx
It really depends on how you prefer to listen. I think if you need a portable closed-back solution, E3 + DC Elite is one of the best sounding truly portable combos out there. But at the same time, E3 + DC Elite is nowhere near as good as E3 + a good desktop amp. Also, if you're a really high volume listener, you will likely experience clipping with E3, and it seems that when DC Elite is pushing too hard, it can just shut down and disconnect from your phone, which can cause further issues. So, I think the answer is generally "Yes, it can power the E3" but there are some caveats.
At last after an eternity of waiting for the review , would like you to come with Luxury and Precision W2 Ultra.
I have a Galaxy S24 Ultra and a THX Onyx powering a Focal Utopia and He1000 Stealth. Am I actually going to notice an improvement with the DC Elite?
How would you compare the iBasso and ifi with Cayin RU7 if you had a chance to try the Cayin 😊
THe RU7 isn't quite as detailed and resolving as DC-Elite, but it has a similar crispness in the highs. RU7 also feels a little bit warmer than DC-Elite.
@@BloomAudio Thank you, appreciate it 😊
Ohh ur opinion on ak hc4 (currently own) compare to this ? Thankks
@@BloomAudiowhich one push the bass harder ?
@@Laleeee100DC Elite for sure. Really punchy. RU7 is not as textured across all frequency ranges.
Yasou, Stephen! 🙏🏼
What do you prefer, dc elite or ifi go bar ?
The original GO Bar always came up short for me on the technical end, but GO Bar Kensei fixes the technical aspects, and I prefer the tuning to the DC-Elite, though the DC-Elite is probably the strongest on the pure technical merits.
@@BloomAudio Kensei vs DC Elite - which sounds more 3D, more smooth on the highs with a blacker background (from memory?)
wish it would be dual rohm dac
Fiio Q15 sounds better for me.
Lp w2..way better bra..Peace!