Such a well put together review, comparisons were so well appropriated for what to understand/use case etc. Really thorough. Felt you dug deaper than other reviewers on this one, which is so appreciated. And those outtakes! Lol 😂
Priceless bloopers at the end.. you did an awesome job with the very difficult name. I ended up buying the sparrow based on your dongle episode. For a beginner like me, that should be sufficient for quite some time. Thanks for producing such quality reviews - always thoughtful and helpful
Nicely Done. Got a chance to demo this unit @ a local trade show recently. It was paired with their new amp & power supply with 4.4. You can't say enough about it's smallish form factor, it's screen that shows Bit's & Hz and it sounds gooood. Not the perfect place to demo anything or have like you a way to compare to other units. Milomir from Earman is not as big a player in this space vs Schiit & Topping but I take my hat off to him and his team. Just over my price point :(
Great review as always! And as an Italian speaker, you're doing a fine job saying "tradutto" throughout...especially considering it's a made-up word! "Tradotto" or "traduttore" are the closest ones, at least in Italian. You can't butcher a made-up word ;)
That's a great question vs the DAC-Z8. I've never compared side-by-side, but I suspect it would be a tight battle. I think the Tradutto probably comes across a little smoother and maybe less textural with the finer details, but I'm just guessing at that last part. As for the stack with the CH-AMP, I loved that combo. Together, I think the CH-AMP raises the performance of the Tradutto with its excellent synergy. I discussed this more in my CH-AMP review if you'd like to know more. 🙂
Sounds like maybe you had a phase issue with the rca output possibly? If the phase got flipped or misaligned on one of the two channels, that could result in a perceived collapse of stereo width and deflation of low frequency/bass power or slam.
Hi there this DAC was bought to my attention by a hifi shop that I went to for a sub demo recently. I told them I was interested in the Chord Qutest. A few days later they Had the Earmen kit in and he messaged me to tell me about it. This was his comparison with the Qutest... 'Different, not so clinical. A much smoother presentation of sound. We all really liked it, you could turn it up really loud and it had the warm rich class a sound. With the chord stuff when you turn up the volume it quickly gets pretty bright and aggressive, loads of detail don’t get me wrong but this was a much easier listen'. What's your opinion Passion for Sound?
I don't exactly agree with that as the Qutest is not an aggressive DAC. The Tradutto is a smoother sounding DAC in comparison, but I think what they were hearing was the interaction between the DACs and the rest of their signal chain. Perhaps their amp and/or speakers/headphones benefited from a smooth sound, but that doesn't make the Tradutto a better DAC and the Qutest is far more resolving as well as producing a better sense of depth and layering in the soundstage
That's so true about there being very few SE only DACs beyond the budget options. Chord Qutest is about the only one I can think of off the top of my head.
I actually find that more DACs have comparable quality from both outputs than those that don't so you're right about the E50. The challenge we often face is that the balanced outputs have twice the voltage so people perceive them as better because they're louder and sound more dynamic if you don't volume match. The Tradutto was a really weird case where the sound was seemingly so much better from the balanced output. I wish I had comparable interconnects for both outputs, but it's also hard to imagine the amount of difference I heard being purely from the cables.
The 4.4 to XLR cable I got with my iFi Diablo is excellent (used it extensively at CanJam this last weekend to plug my A&K into the various amps with ease and quality) - I assume it can probably be purchased a la carte(?). Recommended..
It is strange how the price has dropped. I found mainly 1400$ for the amp and 800$ for the tradutto in the reviews. I just bought the 2 for 1090€. So more than mid price. Maybe they did not sell them well. Hope it will pair well with my He1000SE. Thanks for the review.
@@PassionforSound yes I do. I just can’t use my DAP as before. On my Violectric I could use my M15s with a double usc-c cable. Then I could use it in desktop mode and send files to the Amp/dac. Now I can’t do this anymore with the EarMen. Charging or sending files but not both… Was not the plan 😅
Hi Lachlan since Earmen has been making tube amplifiers for a long time now, I assume this DAC will be a good pair with tube amps? I also wonder where they make this amp, it is made in the USA? Edit: Considering the RCA sounding bad, I think this DAC is not worth it since most tube amplifiers in my budget has no balanced input.
@@PassionforSound Actually ZMF headphones customer service also recommends Bifrost 2 paired with Feliks Audio Echo 2 tube amp. What a coincidence! Also I found out that Earmen Tradutto is made in Serbia from the customer service, perhaps this info will be useful for you in the future. Cheers and thanks for the great review as usual! Kudos to you for not being afraid to point out what is not good in a product.
Naw, naw, you have to say it from the diaphragm, with feeling.. "Traaaah duuuuuuuu tooooo". And use your hands, plural, get 'em both up and working. "Traaaaaah Duuuuuuu Tooooooo". Repeat that like 5 times every half hour for 6-7 days and you'll be golden. Remember the hands though. Hands are critical for the enunciation.
Nice work! That's a great price. I know the local supplier for EarMen and he's definitely not being greedy. It's possible that the US retailer was able to get better pricing due to the volumes they can sell in a larger market. That said, there definitely are some greedy operators here in Australia that unnecessarily boost their margins just because they can.
Probably because I mentioned the pronunciation and also mangled it over and over again (did you see the bloopers?) But I thank you for the compliment and I'm glad you liked the content!
@@PassionforSound lololol apparently. Tbh I think you did rather well. I would have got annoyed if I had to pronounce it over and over. I'd have probably called it 'the trad' for the whole vid lol xx
Not trying to brag or anything but in our language (nepali ;also hindi and its sub languages based on sanskrit) we can write the exact phonetic form of any word from any language so with help of that we rarely pronounce incorrectly. All we need to do is ask the maker what it's called and it can be written. (Minus the clicky sounds of some african language) 😂 Just starting the video. Will comment after completing. I'm certain you've compared with bifrost and do 200. 😉
Such a well put together review, comparisons were so well appropriated for what to understand/use case etc. Really thorough. Felt you dug deaper than other reviewers on this one, which is so appreciated. And those outtakes! Lol 😂
Glad you found it so useful, John!
Priceless bloopers at the end.. you did an awesome job with the very difficult name. I ended up buying the sparrow based on your dongle episode. For a beginner like me, that should be sufficient for quite some time. Thanks for producing such quality reviews - always thoughtful and helpful
So glad you liked the content and the bloopers! 🙂😂🙂
Thoughtful review, helpful comparisons and absolutely legitimate assessment of the DAC's few shortcomings. Keep the reviews coming!
So glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Hi, I've had this dac for 2 months now. Its very analogue sounding with no harshness in the top end and excellent bass.
Connection with ifi audio xlr.
Glad you're enjoying it. I agree, for a delta sigma design they've made it quite smooth sounding
Nicely Done.
Got a chance to demo this unit @ a local trade show recently. It was paired with their new amp & power supply with 4.4.
You can't say enough about it's smallish form factor, it's screen that shows Bit's & Hz and it sounds gooood.
Not the perfect place to demo anything or have like you a way to compare to other units.
Milomir from Earman is not as big a player in this space vs Schiit & Topping but I take my hat off to him and his team.
Just over my price point :(
Thanks for sharing your impressions of the setup. Hopefully I can't try their amp at some point too
Great review as always! And as an Italian speaker, you're doing a fine job saying "tradutto" throughout...especially considering it's a made-up word! "Tradotto" or "traduttore" are the closest ones, at least in Italian. You can't butcher a made-up word ;)
Phew! That's good to know. At least it hopefully serves to give people a laugh at the end too 😉
@@PassionforSound Oh man I actually didn’t see that! Hilarious 😂
😂
Loved the bloopers Lachlan, thanks for another review
Glad you liked them 🙂🙂
Great video yet again. How is the Earmen Trudutto stacked with the CH-AMP? Looks a nice stack. Is the Trudutto as good as the EverSolo Z8?
That's a great question vs the DAC-Z8. I've never compared side-by-side, but I suspect it would be a tight battle. I think the Tradutto probably comes across a little smoother and maybe less textural with the finer details, but I'm just guessing at that last part.
As for the stack with the CH-AMP, I loved that combo. Together, I think the CH-AMP raises the performance of the Tradutto with its excellent synergy. I discussed this more in my CH-AMP review if you'd like to know more. 🙂
Product > Product > Person > Synergy, I'm digging my Tradutto.
That's great to hear! Happy listening
Sounds like maybe you had a phase issue with the rca output possibly? If the phase got flipped or misaligned on one of the two channels, that could result in a perceived collapse of stereo width and deflation of low frequency/bass power or slam.
I upgraded my RCA cable for my EarMen to a higher end DH labs that was about 280 bucks and it solved that problem you had with single ended issues.
I was using excellent quality RCA cables for this review (much better than the balanced cable) so I believe there's still a significant difference
@@PassionforSound Check out Woo Audio specialty cables you can get a one 4.4mm to two Male 3 pin XLR for like 399 for 1 meter
Thanks for the tip!
Hi there this DAC was bought to my attention by a hifi shop that I went to for a sub demo recently. I told them I was interested in the Chord Qutest. A few days later they Had the Earmen kit in and he messaged me to tell me about it.
This was his comparison with the Qutest... 'Different, not so clinical. A much smoother presentation of sound. We all really liked it, you could turn it up really loud and it had the warm rich class a sound. With the chord stuff when you turn up the volume it quickly gets pretty bright and aggressive, loads of detail don’t get me wrong but this was a much easier listen'.
What's your opinion Passion for Sound?
I don't exactly agree with that as the Qutest is not an aggressive DAC. The Tradutto is a smoother sounding DAC in comparison, but I think what they were hearing was the interaction between the DACs and the rest of their signal chain. Perhaps their amp and/or speakers/headphones benefited from a smooth sound, but that doesn't make the Tradutto a better DAC and the Qutest is far more resolving as well as producing a better sense of depth and layering in the soundstage
@@PassionforSound thanks for your response. So which is your preferred DAC of the 2?
Definitely the Qutest 🙂
@@PassionforSound I reckon between these 2 and the Denafrips Aries 2, I will finally go for the Qutest.
@@PassionforSound qutest or bifrost 2?
It's not easy to find a BAL DAC that performs as good when used SE, and it is increasingly difficult to find excellent SE-only DACs on the market.
That's so true about there being very few SE only DACs beyond the budget options. Chord Qutest is about the only one I can think of off the top of my head.
If my memory is correct his review of the cheaper topping e50 dac had similar sound quality from both bal. vs se.
I actually find that more DACs have comparable quality from both outputs than those that don't so you're right about the E50. The challenge we often face is that the balanced outputs have twice the voltage so people perceive them as better because they're louder and sound more dynamic if you don't volume match. The Tradutto was a really weird case where the sound was seemingly so much better from the balanced output. I wish I had comparable interconnects for both outputs, but it's also hard to imagine the amount of difference I heard being purely from the cables.
The 4.4 to XLR cable I got with my iFi Diablo is excellent (used it extensively at CanJam this last weekend to plug my A&K into the various amps with ease and quality) - I assume it can probably be purchased a la carte(?). Recommended..
That's good to know. It's a shame EarMen didn't provide the same type of option with the Tradutto
Very happy with the DO200. Best, D.
So glad you're enjoying it, Darrell!
It is strange how the price has dropped. I found mainly 1400$ for the amp and 800$ for the tradutto in the reviews. I just bought the 2 for 1090€. So more than mid price. Maybe they did not sell them well. Hope it will pair well with my He1000SE. Thanks for the review.
Nice deal! Hope you love them!
@@PassionforSound yes I do. I just can’t use my DAP as before. On my Violectric I could use my M15s with a double usc-c cable. Then I could use it in desktop mode and send files to the Amp/dac. Now I can’t do this anymore with the EarMen. Charging or sending files but not both… Was not the plan 😅
Oh dear 😁
On where you literally have to watch till the end ;)
I know, right? 😂
Hi Lachlan since Earmen has been making tube amplifiers for a long time now, I assume this DAC will be a good pair with tube amps? I also wonder where they make this amp, it is made in the USA?
Edit: Considering the RCA sounding bad, I think this DAC is not worth it since most tube amplifiers in my budget has no balanced input.
Yeah, I'd look elsewhere for a DAC for tubes (single ended and therefore RCA). The Schiit Bifrost 2 is always a good option IMO
@@PassionforSound Actually ZMF headphones customer service also recommends Bifrost 2 paired with Feliks Audio Echo 2 tube amp. What a coincidence!
Also I found out that Earmen Tradutto is made in Serbia from the customer service, perhaps this info will be useful for you in the future.
Cheers and thanks for the great review as usual! Kudos to you for not being afraid to point out what is not good in a product.
Glad I could help. That's really interesting that ZMF are also recommending the Bifrost 2!
No worry, the pronunciation is ok !
Thank you for confirming! 🙂🙂
A trip down to Lygon street(street in melbourne full of italian restaurants) would have helped solve your problem with pronunciation...
Haha. Possibly true. Not sure it would have helped me wrap my mouth around the word over and over...
@@PassionforSound My italian friend says it means to translate...
That's correct 🙂
Have some pasta and meatballs before the next Italian named review and you'll have no problem =)
Haha. Good tip!
Hahaha you save my day haha! Love from the "warzone" :D
Glad I could bring some joy to your day. Take care and stay safe! ❤️
Naw, naw, you have to say it from the diaphragm, with feeling.. "Traaaah duuuuuuuu tooooo". And use your hands, plural, get 'em both up and working. "Traaaaaah Duuuuuuu Tooooooo".
Repeat that like 5 times every half hour for 6-7 days and you'll be golden. Remember the hands though. Hands are critical for the enunciation.
Ah, the hands! That's my problem 😂
Probably get better sound if you used a topping E50 and spent the extra money on good headphones or IEMs
No. The E50 is excellent, but not at this level
i got this DAC from the USA, 800 aud with postage, f Australian shops & greedy mafia-style businesses!!
Nice work! That's a great price. I know the local supplier for EarMen and he's definitely not being greedy. It's possible that the US retailer was able to get better pricing due to the volumes they can sell in a larger market.
That said, there definitely are some greedy operators here in Australia that unnecessarily boost their margins just because they can.
Instead of focusing on the excellent Component Review, why is everyone obsessed with the goddamn pronunciation?
Probably because I mentioned the pronunciation and also mangled it over and over again (did you see the bloopers?) But I thank you for the compliment and I'm glad you liked the content!
Trudwoootoh. It's all about the flibble xx
The flibble, hey? 😂
@@PassionforSound lololol apparently. Tbh I think you did rather well. I would have got annoyed if I had to pronounce it over and over. I'd have probably called it 'the trad' for the whole vid lol xx
I was trying to think of an alternative and snuck in calling it "the EarMen" once or twice 😂
@@PassionforSound yeah good call. XX
I just looked up this dac and ASR just trashed it..
Of course they did 😂
Those people on there are totally clueless
Not trying to brag or anything but in our language (nepali ;also hindi and its sub languages based on sanskrit) we can write the exact phonetic form of any word from any language so with help of that we rarely pronounce incorrectly. All we need to do is ask the maker what it's called and it can be written. (Minus the clicky sounds of some african language) 😂
Just starting the video. Will comment after completing. I'm certain you've compared with bifrost and do 200. 😉
That's pretty cool about the phonetic spelling!
@@PassionforSound we have 36 consonants and 10 vowels and 3 4 special sounds. Covers almost all bases. ☺
Wow. Must be challenging to learn for a newcomer!
@@PassionforSound yeah kinda. Most English speakers learn it soon. But their pronunciation range remains limited.
And by the way great review. 😁