It most certainly is efficient. My ONePlus 0100 has a sloppy usb C input at the bottom and it won't hold tight enough for the cable input so I repurposed an old LG V40 as my music player. I don't stream music so it’s perfect for what I need it for. While the built-in DAC in the LG is pretty good, I still want a dongle that surpasses it. I retired the phone because the non-replaceable battery was going bad so the power efficiency of this dongle should work out. I'm hoping anyway.
Finally! An in depth review of Akliam PD4. I have used this for about 2 months now, gotta say its very value for its price! Overall it's power is amazing, especially the 4.4mm bal jack. Very energetic, and wide soundstage. Great review as always!
I've been waiting for this review SINCE LIKE FOREVER! thanks so much. Being a owner of E44 & 7hz 71 I prefer 7hz 71 to E44. 7hz 71 sounded more open and with slightly better technicalities as compared to E44 imo. AKLIAM dongle might be a pass for me since they're compared to E44 which I barely use.
I bought this dongle DAC at launch cause I'm a recurrent AKLIAM customer. They offered me a 10 USD discount because of that. I can safely say that AKLIAM products are amazing and the team is always open to satisfy the customer's needs. They are extremely attentive and kind.
One thing you didn't mention about PD4 is that pressing the Play/Pause button two times will jump to Next track (and supposedly three times Prev track). So Hi/Lo Gain slider, Volume buttons, Playback capabilities... 7 for Features and Usage is kinda unfair.
There is a plus version now, independent volume control and a bit more power. I have a tempotec sonata hd v and it sounds so good with iems i am considering getting a balanced dongle for my akg 712 and DT1770 pro ( both modded to be fully balanced ) do you think these dongles will have enough power to move those headphones too ? being able to have less things on my desk ( and no room overheating issues ) would be amazing haha Thanks for the great content !
As I already mentioned so many times, the majority of 4 Vrms dongles are more than powerful to drive even hard to drive full sized magnetic planars. I always test them with my Fostex T40RP MK3 and Sennheiser HD650, two very hard to drive headphones. Unless you are talking about driving an 83dB HiFiMan Susvara, then I say you got nothing to worry about
KA13 is a beast, it's achieved 4.2Vrms at 32 ohms, not just at high impedances, meaning it can push 550 mW like only desktop amps used to be able to, AND it isn't doing this at ridiculous distortion levels of 10% THD like the W4 or others. But it costs more than the AkLiam of course, I don't think you're going to find it for 55 USD anytime soon.
@@d0nj03I ended up getting the new Akliam PD4 Plus and I can tell you that it's amazing! Arrived yesterday and I already can't stop listening to it. It doesn't have as much power as the KA13, but the sound it produces is sublime. I don't feel like I'm really missing much in terms of power since I run a 4.4 balanced to my HD599 and it's plenty loud, even on low gain. Independent 64 step volume is awesome!
@@camotech1314 Ohh, PD4 Plus, that one has a max of 310 mW, so it's less than a doubling (less than 3dB) away from the KA13, plus it has reviews saying it sounds spacious while KA13 reviews say it's got just-OK stage width. For the massive price difference and the super positive reviews... now I'm itching to get the AkLIAM myself. Man, if it only had Bluetooth it would be perfect.
Hello Andy. What's the difference between ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC chip and Cirrus Logics CS43131 DAC chip? Which configuration do you personally recommend to look out for: dual ES9038Q2M chips DAC-Amp or dual CS43131 chips DAC-Amp?
ESS Sabre is an American DAC company altogether and CS is Cirrus Logic. That's obviously different. The key thing is, I no longer look at what DAC they use inside because what I have learned throughout owning close to 200 DACs of all sizes and configuration within the last 2 years, that the tuning and implementation ultimately matters more. So you will not hear me say, get ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M over this or that. I have heard some very badly tuned ES9038Q2M and yet now my endgame Burson Audio Playmate2 is an ES9038Q2M, I just opted not to think what they are, rather how they sound like when tuned and implemented correctly. By this reckoning, any DAC can be made sounding great for as long as the maker know what they are doing
@@AndyAudioVault I don't know if you ever seen the movie but those 2 characters are from a Pixar movie that came out in the 90's called Toy Story. Woody and Buzz are living breathing toys own by a boy name Andy. That was the joke. I'm just a random guy on the Internet 😁
I can tell you that for dongles that have MIC support, you will need to go for ultra compact dongles like Abigail Pro, JCally JM6 Pro or JM7. Most if not all dongles in this bigger form factor does not have MIC. But there are some dongles from Creative that do have dedicated MIC support (I forgot the model name)
HiBy FC3 also supports mic signal. It has a detailed/clinical/bright presentation and not a lot of power, you should use it with sensitive IEMs or as an input into another amp (it switches to 1.9Vrms mode if it sees more than 150 ohms at the output, so it can provide line signal).
Between this and DS1, pretty much on equal terms with sound quality and sound signature. Both also 4 Vrms rated and very powerful. Technically also the same with soundstage. So just pick any one of them and you don't have to worry anything
Hello Andy. What's your opinion about Tiandirenhe - ES Pro ES9318C DAC Dongle and JCALLY JM10 DAC dongle? Are both these neutral DAC? Also, among these above 2 DACs, which one provides more value for money and worth buying?
Join the DongleMadness FB group. You can find the link in the video description. From the FB group I have posted a Google doc for rank list. Under $100, iBasso DC03Pro always gets my vote
Would you guys say that the DC04 pro is more or less the best or at least top tier for that Cirrus logic chip? Or do you think the iFi go bar betters it a little bit ? I want to buy a deck amp with that chipset in it but I want to get one of the best implementations of it - for home stereo so I'm either going to line out if it has it or hope it has enough voltage to go straight into my tube preamp
Among the Cirrus Logic dongles, yes iBasso DC04Pro is the top of the crop. Even on general terms, I would still prefer DC04Pro over iFi Go Bar. But Go Bar wins for features offered. DC04Pro can serve as Pre-Amp for as long as you don't expect it do drive passive speakers
@@AndyAudioVault despite the fact that the PD4 has less power in its specifications and is powered from the smartphone's USB C, will it be able to drive the HE400SE better?
ZVX can sound a bit more energetic with PD4, if this is what you looking for then yes. Otherwise if you want something less agressive, then I would say consider something like TRUTHEAR SHIO
I own tansio mirai 4pro which is 4 BA bright signature iem and tanchjim kara which is hybrid darkish tuning. For the kara I fixed the sound by changing the stock cable to hakugai pure crystal copper which gave the sound more weight and I swapped the tips to tangzu waner tips which gave it even more weight. I currently use Ibasso dc03 pro but interested in purchasing lotoo paw s2 or cayin ru7, so my question is which one works better with both my iems?
Go for RU7 if you want something that is neutral but rich sounding with strong analog timbre, S2 on the other hand will have more edge smoothness and will pair nicely with brighter partners. But since you have KARA, RU7 would be a better suit
@@AndyAudioVault so s2 is warmer sound? If so then this is what I'm looking for because tansio is my main daily driver also I have Samsung phone with headphone jack and it has warmer and bassier with more punch than ibasso and I enjoyed that.
Can pd4 drive shouer s12 pro plannar iem ? And could it be matched ? Because the shouer has bright sound signature and im afraid it will be too bright, can u suggest dac that can match with shouer s12 pro
Power is not an issue from PD4 to drive even 3 times harder than S12 series, as you can see PD4 can drive full sized 91dB magnetic planars. However I will not use PD4 with S12 because it will likely be too energetic and a bit brighter to an already bright sounding S12, in this case DC04Pro or Moondrop DAWN Pro will do better synergy with S12
Sorry my question is out of topic. So I have 2 dongles, dc03pro and jcally jm10. When I connect them to Asus Zenfone 5, they sounds good. But when I use them with Realme GT Neo 3, they sounds bad. Too warm and nearly muddy. Do u know how to fix it? Default dilby atmos from phone already deactived.
It means your GT Neo 3 has USB power issues which probably can't be fixed easily. Try using HiBy Music and enable USB Exclusive mode and USB Performance mode, if it is still bad sounding in USB Exclusive mode then then phone is simply faulty with USB power
@@AndyAudioVault oh man.. i already tried exclusive mode and still. So if we use dac dongle, it supposed to have exactly same sound quality on different phones/devices?
The current crop of AKM does not sound like to good old AKM am so familiar with, they sounded like stock ESS Sabre instead. Ultimately, for any type of DAC, it is the tuning and implementation that makes the difference, like how Burson Audio performed wonders on ES9038Q2M, sounding more like a flagship AKM rather than ESS Sabre...
@@binhho5486 Different tuning. Ola Bass is technically better than Tanya. Tanya on the other hand offers more bass, smoother and warmer sounding compared to OLA Bass
Great review man. So in non audiophile terminology, would you say that the added warmth/color of the PD4 is more of a "fun sound"? Man I gotta quit watching you brother, You cost me money every time I watch your videos, LOL. Yeah, at this p;rice, I'm gonna pick one up, use it for a bit and then give it to my daughter...or not ;-) Oh crap, this is through AliExpress. They take forever to ship, right?
@@AndyAudioVault My daily headphones are the Airmotiv GR1s and I absolutely love them. This dongle should pair perfectly with it. Man, dual input dongles are getting cheap in price. I am surprised at this cost with balanced and 3.5mm inputs. Not to mention dual DACs. I can take or leave MQA decoding so I'm fine with it. Some people are hating on the Cirrus Logic DACS but they sound great in my new inbasso DC04. I;m a huge fan of the Burr Brown DACs, but the CL DACs sound just fine.
The power efficiency is excellent, I'm impressed
It most certainly is efficient. My ONePlus 0100 has a sloppy usb C input at the bottom and it won't hold tight enough for the cable input so I repurposed an old LG V40 as my music player. I don't stream music so it’s perfect for what I need it for. While the built-in DAC in the LG is pretty good, I still want a dongle that surpasses it. I retired the phone because the non-replaceable battery was going bad so the power efficiency of this dongle should work out. I'm hoping anyway.
Finally! An in depth review of Akliam PD4. I have used this for about 2 months now, gotta say its very value for its price!
Overall it's power is amazing, especially the 4.4mm bal jack. Very energetic, and wide soundstage.
Great review as always!
Thanks!
Great comparison. I got the DC04 from your recommendation on your FB group. Thank you
My pleasure
Hello Andy, thank you very much for this great review.
My pleasure
Great Review as always!! Going to pick one up from Aliexpress - thanks
Have fun!
I've been waiting for this review SINCE LIKE FOREVER! thanks so much. Being a owner of E44 & 7hz 71 I prefer 7hz 71 to E44. 7hz 71 sounded more open and with slightly better technicalities as compared to E44 imo. AKLIAM dongle might be a pass for me since they're compared to E44 which I barely use.
Waiting for the dawn pro😊
I bought this dongle DAC at launch cause I'm a recurrent AKLIAM customer. They offered me a 10 USD discount because of that.
I can safely say that AKLIAM products are amazing and the team is always open to satisfy the customer's needs. They are extremely attentive and kind.
I agree with this, I'm not a customer yet but I contacted them and asked questions out of hours and they replied quickly.
many thanks🙂
You're welcome 😊
One thing you didn't mention about PD4 is that pressing the Play/Pause button two times will jump to Next track (and supposedly three times Prev track). So Hi/Lo Gain slider, Volume buttons, Playback capabilities... 7 for Features and Usage is kinda unfair.
There is a plus version now, independent volume control and a bit more power.
I have a tempotec sonata hd v and it sounds so good with iems i am considering getting a balanced dongle for my akg 712 and DT1770 pro ( both modded to be fully balanced ) do you think these dongles will have enough power to move those headphones too ? being able to have less things on my desk ( and no room overheating issues ) would be amazing haha
Thanks for the great content !
As I already mentioned so many times, the majority of 4 Vrms dongles are more than powerful to drive even hard to drive full sized magnetic planars. I always test them with my Fostex T40RP MK3 and Sennheiser HD650, two very hard to drive headphones. Unless you are talking about driving an 83dB HiFiMan Susvara, then I say you got nothing to worry about
@@AndyAudioVault thanks for the reply! Seems like I will be able to clear some space on my desk after all
Hey Andy,, will you be reviewing Tempotec sonata BHD pro? Thanks for all great work u do for us🙏
It is in my plan. If I can get one yes absolutely
@@AndyAudioVault Nice, much appreciated bro
I hope Qudelix send you their new qudelix-t71 for review, i mean if Crinnacle are the iem ambassador, then you Andy are the dongle ambassador ~
Thanks. I hope so too
Have you tried Moondrop Dawn Pro? What do you think when compared to DC03 or DC04?
I am testing one now, review will be up soon by next week :D
Niceeee. Look forward for you great review as always 👍
Theres also Akliam PD20 which looks really interesting!! 😮😮😮
Also the new FiiO KA13 which has just been released with dual CS43131.
KA13 is a beast, it's achieved 4.2Vrms at 32 ohms, not just at high impedances, meaning it can push 550 mW like only desktop amps used to be able to, AND it isn't doing this at ridiculous distortion levels of 10% THD like the W4 or others. But it costs more than the AkLiam of course, I don't think you're going to find it for 55 USD anytime soon.
@@d0nj03I ended up getting the new Akliam PD4 Plus and I can tell you that it's amazing! Arrived yesterday and I already can't stop listening to it. It doesn't have as much power as the KA13, but the sound it produces is sublime. I don't feel like I'm really missing much in terms of power since I run a 4.4 balanced to my HD599 and it's plenty loud, even on low gain. Independent 64 step volume is awesome!
@@camotech1314 Ohh, PD4 Plus, that one has a max of 310 mW, so it's less than a doubling (less than 3dB) away from the KA13, plus it has reviews saying it sounds spacious while KA13 reviews say it's got just-OK stage width. For the massive price difference and the super positive reviews... now I'm itching to get the AkLIAM myself. Man, if it only had Bluetooth it would be perfect.
Hello Andy.
What's the difference between ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC chip and Cirrus Logics CS43131 DAC chip?
Which configuration do you personally recommend to look out for: dual ES9038Q2M chips DAC-Amp or dual CS43131 chips DAC-Amp?
ESS Sabre is an American DAC company altogether and CS is Cirrus Logic. That's obviously different. The key thing is, I no longer look at what DAC they use inside because what I have learned throughout owning close to 200 DACs of all sizes and configuration within the last 2 years, that the tuning and implementation ultimately matters more. So you will not hear me say, get ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M over this or that. I have heard some very badly tuned ES9038Q2M and yet now my endgame Burson Audio Playmate2 is an ES9038Q2M, I just opted not to think what they are, rather how they sound like when tuned and implemented correctly. By this reckoning, any DAC can be made sounding great for as long as the maker know what they are doing
Hey Andy! Where's Woody and Buzz!?
Woody & Buzz?
@@AndyAudioVault I don't know if you ever seen the movie but those 2 characters are from a Pixar movie that came out in the 90's called Toy Story. Woody and Buzz are living breathing toys own by a boy name Andy. That was the joke. I'm just a random guy on the Internet 😁
Can you give any recommendations for a Dac/Amp for pc with in-line mic capabilities? Thank you!
I can tell you that for dongles that have MIC support, you will need to go for ultra compact dongles like Abigail Pro, JCally JM6 Pro or JM7. Most if not all dongles in this bigger form factor does not have MIC. But there are some dongles from Creative that do have dedicated MIC support (I forgot the model name)
HiBy FC3 also supports mic signal. It has a detailed/clinical/bright presentation and not a lot of power, you should use it with sensitive IEMs or as an input into another amp (it switches to 1.9Vrms mode if it sees more than 150 ohms at the output, so it can provide line signal).
Nice❤
Hey Andy. I have a question. Between this and the Fosi DS1 which has the better sound? And which has the better soundstage?
Between this and DS1, pretty much on equal terms with sound quality and sound signature. Both also 4 Vrms rated and very powerful. Technically also the same with soundstage. So just pick any one of them and you don't have to worry anything
Hello Andy.
What's your opinion about Tiandirenhe - ES Pro ES9318C DAC Dongle and
JCALLY JM10 DAC dongle?
Are both these neutral DAC?
Also, among these above 2 DACs, which one provides more value for money and worth buying?
I haven't tried Triandirenhe so I can't say. But JM10 is something that I like a lot for being smooth and analytical, and organic sounding too
@@AndyAudioVault Is JM10 a good option over JM6 Pro?
@@siddhesh2888 Yes
Where can I see the list of all your dongles Andy? Under $100 which donglen do you recommend?
Join the DongleMadness FB group. You can find the link in the video description. From the FB group I have posted a Google doc for rank list. Under $100, iBasso DC03Pro always gets my vote
@@AndyAudioVault thank you Andy!
How about the Truthear Shio? 😮
Is there a chance that you might review the Astell&Kern hc3 ?
I am not so sure yet HC3 isn't exactly cheap
Would you guys say that the DC04 pro is more or less the best or at least top tier for that Cirrus logic chip? Or do you think the iFi go bar betters it a little bit ? I want to buy a deck amp with that chipset in it but I want to get one of the best implementations of it - for home stereo so I'm either going to line out if it has it or hope it has enough voltage to go straight into my tube preamp
Among the Cirrus Logic dongles, yes iBasso DC04Pro is the top of the crop. Even on general terms, I would still prefer DC04Pro over iFi Go Bar. But Go Bar wins for features offered. DC04Pro can serve as Pre-Amp for as long as you don't expect it do drive passive speakers
Will the Akliam PD4 be good to drive the HE400se? Or is it better to spend more money and buy a Fiio Q11
Actually PD4 will drive HE400SE better than Q11. Don't let the small size fool you, PD4 in actual usage can even drive harder stuffs than HE400SE
@@AndyAudioVault despite the fact that the PD4 has less power in its specifications and is powered from the smartphone's USB C, will it be able to drive the HE400SE better?
@@michamalicki1819 Yes. That's what I meant. Specs does not tell the whole story. That's why I always insist on actual practical tests
Hello, I have kz zvx and as16pro. What in your experience is better to take for them? I am considering ukliam pd4 and epz tp20. Thank you.
ZVX can sound a bit more energetic with PD4, if this is what you looking for then yes. Otherwise if you want something less agressive, then I would say consider something like TRUTHEAR SHIO
I own tansio mirai 4pro which is 4 BA bright signature iem and tanchjim kara which is hybrid darkish tuning. For the kara I fixed the sound by changing the stock cable to hakugai pure crystal copper which gave the sound more weight and I swapped the tips to tangzu waner tips which gave it even more weight. I currently use Ibasso dc03 pro but interested in purchasing lotoo paw s2 or cayin ru7, so my question is which one works better with both my iems?
Go for RU7 if you want something that is neutral but rich sounding with strong analog timbre, S2 on the other hand will have more edge smoothness and will pair nicely with brighter partners. But since you have KARA, RU7 would be a better suit
@@AndyAudioVault so s2 is warmer sound? If so then this is what I'm looking for because tansio is my main daily driver also I have Samsung phone with headphone jack and it has warmer and bassier with more punch than ibasso and I enjoyed that.
Can pd4 drive shouer s12 pro plannar iem ? And could it be matched ? Because the shouer has bright sound signature and im afraid it will be too bright, can u suggest dac that can match with shouer s12 pro
Power is not an issue from PD4 to drive even 3 times harder than S12 series, as you can see PD4 can drive full sized 91dB magnetic planars. However I will not use PD4 with S12 because it will likely be too energetic and a bit brighter to an already bright sounding S12, in this case DC04Pro or Moondrop DAWN Pro will do better synergy with S12
Sorry my question is out of topic.
So I have 2 dongles, dc03pro and jcally jm10. When I connect them to Asus Zenfone 5, they sounds good. But when I use them with Realme GT Neo 3, they sounds bad. Too warm and nearly muddy. Do u know how to fix it? Default dilby atmos from phone already deactived.
It means your GT Neo 3 has USB power issues which probably can't be fixed easily. Try using HiBy Music and enable USB Exclusive mode and USB Performance mode, if it is still bad sounding in USB Exclusive mode then then phone is simply faulty with USB power
@@AndyAudioVault oh man.. i already tried exclusive mode and still.
So if we use dac dongle, it supposed to have exactly same sound quality on different phones/devices?
I'll take a hard pass on cirrus logic dac.. I want a dual ak4493 dongle anyone have a recommendation?
The current crop of AKM does not sound like to good old AKM am so familiar with, they sounded like stock ESS Sabre instead. Ultimately, for any type of DAC, it is the tuning and implementation that makes the difference, like how Burson Audio performed wonders on ES9038Q2M, sounding more like a flagship AKM rather than ESS Sabre...
Can it pair well with tanchijm ola bass version ?
Yes it does, you will get energetic and vibrant sound for the OLA Bass
@@AndyAudioVault do you think it worths to spent some more to go to ola bass vs the tanya
@@binhho5486 Different tuning. Ola Bass is technically better than Tanya. Tanya on the other hand offers more bass, smoother and warmer sounding compared to OLA Bass
@@AndyAudioVault tks sir
@@AndyAudioVault i end up with tanchjim one sir
How bout ap20?
No idea. If I tested then I would know. Thanks
Can it drive KZ PR2?
More than enough. PD4 can drive T40RP MK3 which is 3x harder than PR2
There's a new kid on the block : JCally AP20.
Great review man. So in non audiophile terminology, would you say that the added warmth/color of the PD4 is more of a "fun sound"?
Man I gotta quit watching you brother, You cost me money every time I watch your videos, LOL.
Yeah, at this p;rice, I'm gonna pick one up, use it for a bit and then give it to my daughter...or not ;-)
Oh crap, this is through AliExpress. They take forever to ship, right?
Thanks!. I would not see PD4 as warm, mildly colored and rich yes, lol. And it is definitely fun sounding
@@AndyAudioVault My daily headphones are the Airmotiv GR1s and I absolutely love them. This dongle should pair perfectly with it. Man, dual input dongles are getting cheap in price. I am surprised at this cost with balanced and 3.5mm inputs. Not to mention dual DACs. I can take or leave MQA decoding so I'm fine with it. Some people are hating on the Cirrus Logic DACS but they sound great in my new inbasso DC04. I;m a huge fan of the Burr Brown DACs, but the CL DACs sound just fine.
That dog was trying hard to ruin your video 😂
LOL!, tell me about it. I have to re-record some segments because that dog went onto frenzy mode haha
thxxxx for review ❤❤❤