I got one after watching your review! It pairs well with my Truthear Hexa for a superb budget audiophile experience! Thanks for the great review, and greetings from Malaysia too !
Can you create a public Google spreadsheet with all dongles reviewed and your ratings? Would be nice to contextualize everything against everything, just like many IEM reviewers have their ranking spreadsheets too. Thanks.
It is already here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eKvWteIUUp61kpZcjRSxVI6NtllHzVos/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=112460069217171938319&rtpof=true&sd=true If you join DongleMadness FB group, you can keep track of it as well as I posted it there primarily
I just got mine today, Andy after your recommendation. I'm still new to the iem hobby and I'm by no means an audiophile so I had to listen more critically to understand the differences between iems and dacs. I first started using my laptop's audiojack which was just 'okay' - Then I used the apple dongle which sounded better by... maybe 30-40%? Compared to my laptop's audiojack. - I also used a xumee dac dongle from amazon which sounded a bit more balanced and clearer compared to the apple one and I preferred it over the apple dongle, but I returned the xumee so I could get the venture odo dongle you recommended. The xumee was maybe 10-15% better than the apple one. - The venture odo dongle is my favorite budget dongle so far. It beats the xumee one by maybe 10-15% as well. - But then I used the Dawn Pro. Again, I'm still new to this whole audiophile/iem thing, so it took more critical listening to notice the differences, but what I've noticed is an improvement in sound compared to the venture odo dac dongle. - What I've noticed was the Venture Odo's female vocals were more forward and raised, actually... I think all the frequencies were raised compared to the dawn pro's: - The lower treble sounded bright to me, but just a *taaaaaaaad* bit sibilant and a bit of an unnatural/"hhhuu-sss-shh-ee" sound in the female vocals. It's still listenable and enjoyable. - The upper midrange was clear and forward in the V.Odo's, but I don't know enough to explain the differences between the two, but I still prefer the Dawn Pro's in this frequency 👌 - I also don't know much about the upper treble. - The Dawn Pro's had a slightly more open soundstage, better imaging too. The overall sound was cleaner and more natural sounding. - The Bass between the two was kinda hard to tell apart. I could hear the differences, but it's a bit hard to put into words so I'll try my best: It was also bit harder to hear the bass overall with the V.odo dongle compared to the dawn pro's. It sounded like the instruments covered it some of the bass... I think is called separation? Whereas, the dawn pro's bass overall sounded more separate and because of that, it sounded clearer which in turn made each bass frequency sound cleaner and more prominent compared to the V.odo; sub-bass was a bit more rumbly, mid bass more punchy, upper bass into lower mids was smooth and controlled. - Resolution was also a bit better compared to v.odo. - nothing was sharp sounding and no sibilance in the vocals either. Overall, the Dawn Pro's, imo, are better than the V.odo's by a decent bit... If I were to give a percentage difference, they're better by maybe... somewhere around 30-40%? Everything's in my opinion though, and my taste in sound, so another person listening to these two might prefer the v.odo over the dawn pro's, or the differences between the two will be lower than mine. I say "a bit" a lot, sorry, but I guess that's what they mean by "an apple dongle is all you need" because the differences dac's make REALLY IS kind of hard to tell, but for $54 Canadian dollars (got it on sale and with coupons on Aliexpress), I'm pretty happy with this DAC :). I'd return all the others if I could, so I could make back my money 😆$17 for the V.odo's because Shipping was $12, $11 for the apple one. I'm wondering if my assessment was accurate, Andy because I'm still learning about these audiophile terms. Also, sorry for the long text 🙇♂
Your assessment is the only thing that matters, it is your ears and for your own indulgence. How others hear them matters not, because they can't possibly hear as how you do, nor you hear what they hear
Thanks. The sound timbre for DC03Pro is not as neutral as DAWN Pro, DC03Pro will appear a bit more exciting with frequency boosting linearly. DAWN Pro on the other hand sounds a bit more open and wide with soundstage
i bought akliam PD4 quite some times ago & i loved it, while my friend just recently bought moondrop dawn pro, we haven't been able to meet up & do comparison tho, so thank you so much for the review sir
@@troved590 oh sorry, didn't notice your comment until i came back here well i got a good deal & now i have both, what can i say is even when dawn pro have dedicated volume control, it's just feels clunky cuz i don't know which amp volume that i'm in, also moondrop link app isn't as good as i expected, so it kinda failed to deliver freely volume adjustment without me manually set it up by the app rather than just the button on the other side, akliam do have trickier volume adjusment cuz they deliver quite big power but don't have dedicated volume adjustment like dawn pro, let alone app for it, aside from gain switch button, but if your collections are on the bright side, especially if some of them a little bit heavy to drive, i personally think akliam will be your liking for sure cuz they just simple & have warmer sounding than dawn pro & better treble on my set
Hi andy, nice to see your video again, btw did you have tried acmee phantom 4s? It's very popular in my place due to it price to performance, but so hard to get because it stock so limited
Thanks. The only ACMEE I am familiar with is the blue ACMEE 4S which I already reviewed it quite a while ago, the ESS Sabre version and suffice to say I personally have graded it a 2 Star dongle as listed here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eKvWteIUUp61kpZcjRSxVI6NtllHzVos/edit?fbclid=IwAR1UjvvlkBjWrwp4-Vt3fn6Kcprw_mMNi-C0x75PxIwrQaqr4RnrPnsjo1Y#gid=371576178
I just received mine, 2 days ago (!!), and it is amazing. I did notice the stutter, in Hiby, and, as an old it guy, I believe it is a problem in Hiby not being able to maintain the flow when anything else happens, on the phone. Why it only seems to appear on this DAC is a bit of a mystery.
You will need to find HIBY Music version 4.2.1 to get rid of this issue. Yes reverting to an older version is how HIBY Music users combat that stuttering issues
I like the moondrop cable. I was going to get a cb18 from ibasso, or the DDHIFI TC07S. Do you have any recommendations for a short usb-c to usb-c cable?
If you looking for upgrades, yes CB18 is the one I recommend. On the other hand, any USB C cables from ddHiFi are without a doubt excellent too, I have used them regularly
I already have the Dc04pro and i am happy about it. But considering you can get today the Dawn Pro at a discount, I'm considering to buy it as a gift. I guess it's not better than Dc04Pro :). If yes, i will keep it.
Thank for the great review again, Andy. But I didn't hear you mention to the independant volume adjustment like usual. Can you gimme some review about that feature?
Thank you Andy for another briliant review. Do you know any place where I could buy the Centrance Dacport HD? I would buy even a used one. Thank you and keep your beautiful work going. God bless. Sani from Bosnia! ❤
Thanks!. Unfortunately CEntrance has ran out of stock for DACport HD for the 2nd time and I have no idea when it will be back, but worth to check on their website now and then to see if they will make new batches. Otherwise, your only option now is used market. Also I would recommend HIBY FC6 which I consider as the only one that can actually match DACport HD for rich analog sound
Waited for this vedio Tnx for the review I have a question should I change the stock type c to type c cable I also faced Suttering in hiby u already know
Thanks for the review. I need a usb dac for my HD 650 , will be using with balanced cable. Truthear shio and Moondrop dawn pro, which one would you choose?
Between SHIO and DAWN Pro, they are equally matched one to one almost on every aspect. Get one that suits your budget and you will be happy with any one of them, both has the power and headroom for HD650
You are looking at it, DS1 is more focused on Hi-Fi sound which is known of ESS Sabre, DAWN Pro is more analog of course, and you can consider iFi GO Link or Hidizs XO if you looking for even more analog presentation and both of them I consider as budget still
Thank you so much for this in depth review and comparisons. I have considered getting this dongle but it is a bit expensive for me. I am currently using the Moondrop Click and Chu 2. I sometimes hear noise in it at low volume but it's not very annoying. I listen at very low volume. Also, I have a question: What kind of audio quality is heard from TH-cam and Twitch?
Fort the sort of quality DAWN Pro delivers, $50 is still a fairly bargain price as you would be hard pressed to find something this good at this price point. There's also iBasso DC03Pro which I like even more and it is also priced within the same bracket too. For TH-cam and Twitch, there's not much resolution to be expected as they are mostly lossy format not exceeding 256 and tend to exhibit artifacts if you play them with highly resolving gears. Especially Twitch which is very lossy due to optimization to reduce latency. But yes they are usable for casual listening which I do from time to time
@@f_society9151 DC03Pro offers some of the most tidy yet vibrant dynamic handling, it is colored and normally I tend to avoid colored sources but iBasso DC03Pro proved that if done correctly, it can be very appealing even for those preferring neutral sources. So considering that I already have so many neutral tuned DACs, DC03Pro stand tall among them for being energetic and boosted but never artificial sounding
@@donglemadness thanks. I would also like to ask you what you think is better to buy: Aful perfomer 5(170$)+ apple dongle OR Simgot em6l(100$) + ibasso dc03 pro?
Overkill for Variations in fact. DAWN Pro capable to drive with good authority headphones 5x harder to drive than Variations, stuffs like Sennheiser HD600 or HiFiMan Sundara, for as long you use 4.4mm BAL
I was just checking your channel before having my dinner to see if the review for this dongle has come out or not yet lol. Fiio BTR 15 has been released on aliexpress and I just wanted to ask if you are going to make a review for that too.
I would not be able to tell you that now because my own DAWN Pro has been given away as a lucky draw prize for the 1st Anniversary Live Stream of AndyAudioVault on YT. But really I am not bothered much on the filters for DAWN Pro because when I tested them, I can barely hear any audible differences
Both are Cirrus Logic DAC CS43 series in dual configuration and with equal amount of power at 4 Vrms max, both of them practically on par matched one to one on sound tuning, technicalities and even features
Very close really, especially if you are just using 3.5mm SE then both are pretty much on par, except that DAWN Pro offer a bit more of soundstage width and air
Hi Andy, would using the 4.4mm balanced output of the Dawn Pro creates a better sound output for an attached IEM since it has more power? Some said that getting a 4.4mm cable does not increase the sound of an IEM?
Have a look at my other video on "Do You Need 4.4mm BAL" I explained this subject in the most basic way and I think you will know the answer after watching it
Thanks. Yes especially when driving headphones which usually scale well with power, the 4.4mm side will always offer stronger dynamics and authority, the output fuller sounding
@@RX-rd4sc Of course, #donglemadness is all about testing to the max. I tested it with two different type of hard to drive headphones and clearly the headphones sounded better when driven on the 4.4mm BAL side, because the BAL side will always run on 100% power while the 3.5mm side runs on 50% power. You can watch my other video on this subject of the differences between 4.4 and 3.5
Hey Andy great review BTW. Given the score of 86 would you say the dawn pro is a 5 star, since on your Google Doc sheet it's listed as 4.5 stars. Either keep up the good work.
@@donglemadness Huh, interesting. Do those advantages overweight the more organic and natural sound of Dawn Pro, or is it just an effort to set aside personal preferences for the sake of a more "objective" assessment?
is aria 2 has noticable upgrade (aside from accessories) on sound quality? I'm moving forward on from 20$ to 80$ iem. Plus this dawn pro. Should I expect difference experience? thanks!
Hi, i have Truthear x Crinacle zero blue, i saw you prefer DC03 pro more than Dawn pro. Won't my iem have too much bass? I like their sound at the moment, but I lack volume. And if i choose DC03 pro, do i really need their cable CB18 or it will be ok with stock one?
First, I prefer not to be addressed as sir. Thanks. You are torn between those two and I can understand as both are equally matched in many ways, especially considering SHIO has FW update since my last review. Power for power, they are matched equally, quality for quality matched as well. But, I do know SHIO has better runtime of 23hours if used portably and DAWN Pro a bit shorter than that. Make your decision based on which one is easier for you to buy, otherwise you will not be disappointed with any one of them
They are equally marched in practically every aspect. Perhaps the minor nuances that I would say DAWN Pro does better is that it offers a bit more of imaging and Space offers a bit more or airy decays. But these are super tiny differences which is only apparent if you compare them side by side
I need your advise on how to switch between various sampling rates. Supposedly, the LED lights also change when you change the sampling rate. I am using my phone and PC for listening to music and playing games. Another problem is, when I visit Moondrop website, the driver for the dawn pro in unavailable. How should I download it? Without it I wont be able to use it with my PC.
Sampling rate is controlled by the player app you use, not on the dongle. For example in Tidal app you can change the resolution of the output and it will reflect on what being fed to the DAC/dongle
Hola andy. Muy buena tu reseña y tus vídeos. Quería consultarte si este dongle es capaz de sacar el 100% del kz pr2. He escuchado que este iem necesita de mucha potencia para sacar su máximo rendimiento, es verdad? .
Thanks. First of all, PR2 is easy to drive compared to other planars. It is more on synergy factor you looking for. In this case, if you like neutral sound, DAWN Pro can do that for PR2, power no issues at all because DAWN Pro can drive Fostex T40 RP MK3 which is like 4 times more demanding than PR2
@@donglemadness gracias por la respuesta tan rápida andy. Te lo preguntaba porque otros revisores hablan que este iem necesita hasta 1 watt de potencia, y no me lo creía. Yo tengo el ibasso dc03 por tu recomendación y es genial. Crees que el ibasso tenga la potencia para mover al kz?
Hello, I bought one of this and I’m trying to use with my iPhone. I connect it with the original lightning usb-c cable but the dongle don’t even light up. Do you have any recommendations
Do a simple test, connect your DAWN Pro to a PC or an Android phone using USB Type C, if it works then there could be an issue with iPhone connection or likely the cable. I no longer use iPhones since 2020 so I really have no idea here. Lastly, just contact your seller and tell them the issues and what you have tested
Hi Andy! Im not super knowledgeable about headphones, I wanted a dongle for daily driving cans both indoors and outdoors, (dont have a set yet) Driving the dongle from an Android phone, would it be compatible with most beginner level headphones? Or would I be limited on what I can drive. Thanks!
Assuming that you will be getting headphones that are under 300 Ohm, and you have plans to run them on 4.4mm BAL jack, then this DAWN Pro is super suitable as it is versatile and adaptable to any sound signature. But if you getting a headphone that only run on 3.5mm jack, then I would recommend iBasso DC03Pro instead. All these dongles were designed to work with any Android versions (not too old of course)
@@donglemadness that's great, I was really confused by the voltage limit on Androids, so the dawn pro works identically whether powered by a laptop or android? 300Ω is a lot to play with, can the dawn pros run something like Hifiman Sundaras?
@@calebgonsalves2970 Watch my earlier video on the best way to run the dongles and you will understand the differences and the optimal way to use them. But yes, assuming that your phone has true PD3.0 USB, then it is identical to what you get from a PC
Although this one has less density in sound, it will be worth it compared to the previous one. Do you know if there is an improvement in the realism presented by the instruments and voices?
If you referring to natural realism factor, then the DAWN Pro being more organic, less euphonic and being neutral, yes indeed the instruments sounded correct to my hearing, especially when paired with equally transparent and neutral Mids of Etymotic ER2XR, Hidizs MP145 or Tanchjim ZERO
I bought a moondrop dawn pro and am trying to use it with the moondrop link app. I am not seeing the non over sampling filter. I downloaded it from the moondrop website. How should I use the non over sampling filter?
heya andy, is the moondrop dawn pro is good for pc as well? my truthear zero red sounded really hollow without a DAC and im planning to buy this for it
I hope you also review the moondrop free dsp , I have it and it sounds really good coming from it;s balance amp set up . and the dsp makes my iem sound according to my liking .
Hi Andy, i am looking for a dongle to use with Hifiman He400se v1 (non steath magnet) via PC which shall i choose , CDA M1p vs dawn pro vs Ka 13 vs BTR 15. Any suggestions?
BTR15; would be my 1st choice between the three you mentioned with M1P equally great as well if you prefer a bit more of sound texture richness, BTR15 however will offer a bit more of air and headstage, not an easy choice to decide but those are the differences
I have this dac and it is indeed very good, especially for the price. I'm now looking towards an upgrade and trying to decide between the DC04 Pro and the Moonriver 2 Ti 🤔
I figured the difference would be small, but I'd imagine going from the built in Class H amplifier of the Cirrus Logic chip to an external Class A/B amp like in the Ibasso and Moonriver might be worth checking out
Hello, I want to buy a dac for PC to listen to songs and play games. The old dac makes my ears tired and the noise is sharp... so I want to choose between DC03PRO or moondrop dawn pro, which one is good for long-term use without feeling tired listening to songs? sorry for bad English
its same dac as dc04pro Cirrus Logic CS43131 ibasso is better cable, build quality, looks, no dumb holes in case for better water resistance should worth it in most of cases (and andy loves its sound more)
just ordered kiwi ears melody bundeled with TimeEar TEU99{30mW@32Ω} , i heard the melody are easy to drive but I'm worrying i won't get the full proper music experience. Do i need a pricey DAC to drive them good and make them alive (I'm considering S9 PRO plus Martha) or is the basic teu99 sufficient enough?
@@donglemadness thanks a lot really appreciate it, my main concern is driveability. I'm really interested in MP145 as well and the aforementioned dac (s9 pro plus martha) is included in a bundle. I'm really considering buying it but I've heard the 145's are hard to drive and I'm worried i had to break the bank even more on a 200€ dac to be able to enjoy them.
DS1 offers crisper imaging which would appear more resolving for macro details, but in comparison, Dawn Pro is smoother edged with more air to the way it handles dynamic. So we are talking about subtle nuances that could make ot break depending on what you prioritise more. Any one of them, I don't see you could go wrong as both are equally great in their own regard.
Both of them are rated equally because they perform on similar level. Both are transparent and great with technicalities running on the same Cirrus Logic DAC and tuned similarly
I have ordered a moondrop dawn pro, but its low in stock and I have a chance to change it for a colorfly m1p, how do they compare? Should I do the change?
@@donglemadnessno problem, I managed to get the Moondrop Link App v1.2.23 apk and set Dawn Pro to NOS. It's either slow roll off phase compensated or no oversampling (if available) for me. All is well.
More than capable, almost overkill if you use the 4.4mm BAL. I have tested with full sized planars which are 3x harder to drive than Dioko and they worked wondrously
Please, no sir. Just Andy thanks. Drive properly for listening loudness yes, no problem. Full potential? just like many other planars they scale well with power up to 3000 mW so obviously if you compare the output to higher mW amps, you will hear better sound authority
Hi please help, looking for a dac that can last me a long time.. mainly using iems i currently have ier m7 which i bough second hand. Debating between going cheap abigail pro 4.4 or dawn pro which is so much more price wise. Will there be a difference. Thank you very much
You want something that will last for a very long time, check out the new Colorfly CDA M1P, I am reviewing it now and haven't published yet, but at least I can say it is one of the most sturdy looking dongle I have ever seen yet
Btw, if i just want something basic like on the fly didnt want to go on the price range of colorfly and dawn pro... Abigail pro 4.4 is good enough right?
Tanchjim Space and DAWN Pro both on equal footing when it comes to neutral tuning, power and technicalities. So, I can't say which one I prefer more because I personally use HIBY FC6, RU7, DACPort HD and iBasso DC04Pro more. What I do know, for the price asked, both DAWN Pro and Space is performing above the market value, again both equally matched one to one
Hi, do you use the Dawn Pro with Tidal in Exclusive mode and see if the LED color on the Dawn Pro reflects correctly the bit rate of songs played? Mine will just stay red all the way when using Tidal regardless of 44,96,192,MQA tracks I play. So I tried with other Android music players like Sony Music center and Hiby and it will turn green when playing a 192hz track. Tidal not playing bit perfect to Dawn Pro?
Tidal App while able to offer USB Exclusive access, it is not really bitperfect like UAPP or HIBY Music app. The issue here is Tidal app with some dongles on displaying the resolution info
@@donglemadness played around using another Samsung phone and Tidal playing on Dawn Pro playing changes LED color correctly. Damn my Pixel causing all sorts of issues with external DACs.
@@orixy65 There it is, another example of Google Pixel making it difficult for external DAC connection, I have heard worse stories where it even emitted screeching noises, only on Google Pixel
Depends on which one you hear any difference with whichever partners you connected to, you need to trial and error each filters and use the one that suits your taste
It is, I did mentioned it is neutral, and very resolving (analytical). But it is also organic sounding while at it, does not sounding digital or edgy, even when paired with natively bright sounding partners
@@donglemadness thanks so much. just subscribed to you, man I like your reviews, true in depth and the comparisons. I am really learning to which i am going to buy in the future!
With HD650, admittedly while the pace of Bass transients are good, generally smooth, I do feel the authority of dynamic handling sounded more commanding on dongles like RU7, DACPort HD or AKLIAM PD4, you get a bit more of impact, DAWN Pro would appear a little moderate
How does android built in customisable EQ + all the apps (poweramp etc.) that provide equiliser customisation translate to sound guality in these dongles? Could all of them be made to sound very similar when using on android phone?
Thank you for such a fast reply. I really appreciate your input and reviews. Regarding my question I feel that through eq customisation the stats regarding sound quality in your rating overview could easily change... Surely the equaliser can effect sound stage... well basically it should effect all the sound features... On a side note:will I see an improvement in loudness with dawn pro using my phone and beyerdynamic dt 770 pro 80 ohm? I have a basic dac and with it the sound doesn't get loud enough
@@igorstimac8993 And that's the reason I don't use EQ, I need to evaluate the DAC as they are without any manipulation, otherwise the assessment would be clouded with alteration. besides, I am a purist, lol
@@igorstimac8993 It depends on what you are comparing it with, what you use now. On power alone DAWN Pro is more than capable to drive headphones a lot harder to drive than DT770 Pro 80 Ohm, for as long as you use 4.4mm BAL side and with High Gain
@@salad7253 What sort of sound you like? do you prefer neutral transparency? or do you like it a bit more vibrant and engaging? DAWN Pro offers neutral transparency for your S12 Pro, meaning you get to hear the sound as it was intended from the source. DC03Pro on the other hand, offer energetic, vibrant, crisp yet never offensive, it is colored to sound fun and analytical at the same time, you get more planar transient speed from DC03Pro. Only you can decide on this, which sound do you prefer more?
@@calvinyip364 I did mentioned early in the video that USB A Adapter is included to use on PC. If you are talking about Adapter from 3.5mm to 4.4mm BAL, don't do it. It is not included and not something that should be done, you can heat up any DAC especially those with dual DAC design. From 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter no problem, but not 3.5mm to 4.4mm. Get a proper 4.4mm BAL cable replacement to use with 4.4mm BAL
@@donglemadness so if I want to use the hd600 or any other headphone. I need to buy extra cable to use with the 4.4mm? I didn't know 3.5mm to 4.4mm adapter can cause problem.
Between all the ones you mentioned, DAWN Pro and SHIO are both 4 VRMS dongles with more of everything compared to the ultra budget and 1 Vrms Abigail Pro/Avani, both DAWN Pro and SHIO are equals in term of sound, power, sound tuning and features, and I would say, yes, they suit AFUL P5 perfectly. But if you want to keep it small, affordable then Abigail Pro will do as good, because AFUL P5 is a very efficient IEM which will already sound good with 1 Vrms
@@donglemadness yes i know it can drive it, i mean if it can drive it well. i find it needs a lot of power to sound right, a lot of headroom. not necesserally volume. with shio it sounds odd (comparing to my desktop rig)
@@JoseFerreira-zb7wh I know what you mean. It is more of synergy factor than driving capabilities. PR2 scales well but nothing beats Fostex T40RP MK3 when it comes to headroom demands, not just loudness but more importantly is the dynamic authority. When I mention more than capable, I mean this exactly, otherwise I will state it upfront
@@donglemadness ok thank you. just making sure i'm explaining myself correctly. by the way, i wish you can review akliam pd4 pro version. standard version seems good so hoping this one is even better! oh, and colorfly cda m1p.
Thank you for the review. I was confused about which dongle to buy, and now I will make the purchase through this beautiful review. Thank you again.
My pleasure. Enjoy your music!
I got one after watching your review! It pairs well with my Truthear Hexa for a superb budget audiophile experience! Thanks for the great review, and greetings from Malaysia too !
Sama sama
i love this dac since day 1 , It sounds better than my old moonriver2 , more transparent , better sound stage and etc..
Loving your new "sound & performance" table.. keep it up! thanks for the indepth review as always abe andy!
My pleasure
Can you create a public Google spreadsheet with all dongles reviewed and your ratings? Would be nice to contextualize everything against everything, just like many IEM reviewers have their ranking spreadsheets too. Thanks.
It is already here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eKvWteIUUp61kpZcjRSxVI6NtllHzVos/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=112460069217171938319&rtpof=true&sd=true
If you join DongleMadness FB group, you can keep track of it as well as I posted it there primarily
@@donglemadnessok but it is not as detailed as on the video, with the partial notes etc. But thanks anyway!
Thoroughly and comprehensively, as usual. So many interesting dongles lately, so little Andy!
Lol. Thanks!
thank you Andy for this in-depth review. after a long time, considering the price to performance ratio, i will definitely get the Moondrop Dawn Pro.
My pleasure!
Thanks for this, this was a great review, including vol/power outputs
My pleasure 😁
I just got mine today, Andy after your recommendation.
I'm still new to the iem hobby and I'm by no means an audiophile so I had to listen more critically to understand the differences between iems and dacs.
I first started using my laptop's audiojack which was just 'okay'
- Then I used the apple dongle which sounded better by... maybe 30-40%? Compared to my laptop's audiojack.
- I also used a xumee dac dongle from amazon which sounded a bit more balanced and clearer compared to the apple one and I preferred it over the apple dongle, but I returned the xumee so I could get the venture odo dongle you recommended. The xumee was maybe 10-15% better than the apple one.
- The venture odo dongle is my favorite budget dongle so far. It beats the xumee one by maybe 10-15% as well.
- But then I used the Dawn Pro. Again, I'm still new to this whole audiophile/iem thing, so it took more critical listening to notice the differences, but what I've noticed is an improvement in sound compared to the venture odo dac dongle.
- What I've noticed was the Venture Odo's female vocals were more forward and raised, actually... I think all the frequencies were raised compared to the dawn pro's:
- The lower treble sounded bright to me, but just a *taaaaaaaad* bit sibilant and a bit of an unnatural/"hhhuu-sss-shh-ee" sound in the female vocals. It's still listenable and enjoyable.
- The upper midrange was clear and forward in the V.Odo's, but I don't know enough to explain the differences between the two, but I still prefer the Dawn Pro's in this frequency 👌
- I also don't know much about the upper treble.
- The Dawn Pro's had a slightly more open soundstage, better imaging too. The overall sound was cleaner and more natural sounding.
- The Bass between the two was kinda hard to tell apart. I could hear the differences, but it's a bit hard to put into words so I'll try my best: It was also bit harder to hear the bass overall with the V.odo dongle compared to the dawn pro's. It sounded like the instruments covered it some of the bass... I think is called separation? Whereas, the dawn pro's bass overall sounded more separate and because of that, it sounded clearer which in turn made each bass frequency sound cleaner and more prominent compared to the V.odo; sub-bass was a bit more rumbly, mid bass more punchy, upper bass into lower mids was smooth and controlled.
- Resolution was also a bit better compared to v.odo.
- nothing was sharp sounding and no sibilance in the vocals either.
Overall, the Dawn Pro's, imo, are better than the V.odo's by a decent bit... If I were to give a percentage difference, they're better by maybe... somewhere around 30-40%?
Everything's in my opinion though, and my taste in sound, so another person listening to these two might prefer the v.odo over the dawn pro's, or the differences between the two will be lower than mine.
I say "a bit" a lot, sorry, but I guess that's what they mean by "an apple dongle is all you need" because the differences dac's make REALLY IS kind of hard to tell, but for $54 Canadian dollars (got it on sale and with coupons on Aliexpress), I'm pretty happy with this DAC :). I'd return all the others if I could, so I could make back my money 😆$17 for the V.odo's because Shipping was $12, $11 for the apple one.
I'm wondering if my assessment was accurate, Andy because I'm still learning about these audiophile terms. Also, sorry for the long text 🙇♂
Your assessment is the only thing that matters, it is your ears and for your own indulgence. How others hear them matters not, because they can't possibly hear as how you do, nor you hear what they hear
love the review, I'm planning to buy my first dongle, how does the moondrop dawn pro fair with DC03 Pro? theyre almost similar in price too
Thanks. The sound timbre for DC03Pro is not as neutral as DAWN Pro, DC03Pro will appear a bit more exciting with frequency boosting linearly. DAWN Pro on the other hand sounds a bit more open and wide with soundstage
5:22 just bought the dawn pro, there's no NOS filter are they removed it / its the default one when there's no filter selected?
Thanks for the great review!
My pleasure
i bought akliam PD4 quite some times ago & i loved it, while my friend just recently bought moondrop dawn pro,
we haven't been able to meet up & do comparison tho, so thank you so much for the review sir
My pleasure
Im currently very torn between these tho dacs. Do you have any updates on comparing these 2?
@@troved590 oh sorry, didn't notice your comment until i came back here
well i got a good deal & now i have both, what can i say is even when dawn pro have dedicated volume control, it's just feels clunky cuz i don't know which amp volume that i'm in, also moondrop link app isn't as good as i expected, so it kinda failed to deliver freely volume adjustment without me manually set it up by the app rather than just the button
on the other side, akliam do have trickier volume adjusment cuz they deliver quite big power but don't have dedicated volume adjustment like dawn pro, let alone app for it, aside from gain switch button, but if your collections are on the bright side, especially if some of them a little bit heavy to drive, i personally think akliam will be your liking for sure cuz they just simple & have warmer sounding than dawn pro & better treble on my set
FYI the non-over-sampling filter is no longer available, in the app.
Hi andy, nice to see your video again, btw did you have tried acmee phantom 4s? It's very popular in my place due to it price to performance, but so hard to get because it stock so limited
Thanks. The only ACMEE I am familiar with is the blue ACMEE 4S which I already reviewed it quite a while ago, the ESS Sabre version and suffice to say I personally have graded it a 2 Star dongle as listed here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eKvWteIUUp61kpZcjRSxVI6NtllHzVos/edit?fbclid=IwAR1UjvvlkBjWrwp4-Vt3fn6Kcprw_mMNi-C0x75PxIwrQaqr4RnrPnsjo1Y#gid=371576178
I just received mine, 2 days ago (!!), and it is amazing. I did notice the stutter, in Hiby, and, as an old it guy, I believe it is a problem in Hiby not being able to maintain the flow when anything else happens, on the phone. Why it only seems to appear on this DAC is a bit of a mystery.
You will need to find HIBY Music version 4.2.1 to get rid of this issue. Yes reverting to an older version is how HIBY Music users combat that stuttering issues
@@donglemadness Thanks. I might bite the bullet and get UAPP.
I like the moondrop cable. I was going to get a cb18 from ibasso, or the DDHIFI TC07S. Do you have any recommendations for a short usb-c to usb-c cable?
If you looking for upgrades, yes CB18 is the one I recommend. On the other hand, any USB C cables from ddHiFi are without a doubt excellent too, I have used them regularly
I already have the Dc04pro and i am happy about it. But considering you can get today the Dawn Pro at a discount, I'm considering to buy it as a gift. I guess it's not better than Dc04Pro :). If yes, i will keep it.
Thank for the great review again, Andy. But I didn't hear you mention to the independant volume adjustment like usual. Can you gimme some review about that feature?
I mentoned it briefly at 19:17. 100 Steps Independent Volume Adjustment just like iBasso DC04Pro and amazing
Thank you Andy for another briliant review. Do you know any place where I could buy the Centrance Dacport HD? I would buy even a used one. Thank you and keep your beautiful work going. God bless. Sani from Bosnia! ❤
Thanks!. Unfortunately CEntrance has ran out of stock for DACport HD for the 2nd time and I have no idea when it will be back, but worth to check on their website now and then to see if they will make new batches. Otherwise, your only option now is used market. Also I would recommend HIBY FC6 which I consider as the only one that can actually match DACport HD for rich analog sound
❤. I can not thank you enough my brother. Please never stop what you are doing! it is simply amazing. Peace to my bro! Sani
Waited for this vedio
Tnx for the review
I have a question should I change the stock type c to type c cable
I also faced Suttering in hiby u already know
Thanks for the review. I need a usb dac for my HD 650 , will be using with balanced cable. Truthear shio and Moondrop dawn pro, which one would you choose?
Between SHIO and DAWN Pro, they are equally matched one to one almost on every aspect. Get one that suits your budget and you will be happy with any one of them, both has the power and headroom for HD650
Does the Truth ear shio retain the gain settings when unplugged?
@@texmo42 Yes, retained
The queue was long, i was longing a review for this dongle
Andy, saya beli Moondrop dawn pro
Serta Simgot ew 200 yang semua you kasih Rate 4.5 Star,
Next Ibasso Dc04 pro.
Thanks
Sama sama
Great review. I already have the Fosi DS1. Can you recommend a budget dongle that is more analogue sounding?
Thanks!
You are looking at it, DS1 is more focused on Hi-Fi sound which is known of ESS Sabre, DAWN Pro is more analog of course, and you can consider iFi GO Link or Hidizs XO if you looking for even more analog presentation and both of them I consider as budget still
@@donglemadness Thanks 👍
Could you explain what you mean by analogue and hifi? @@donglemadness
Waited for this vedio
Tnx for the review
I have a question should I change the stock type c to type c cable
The stock Type C cable is already good and you change it if you need something sturdier
@@donglemadness ok last thing I got only 4 filters in the app I don't have the last one over samling my version is1.3.12 which u have
The biggest issue here, in Canada, is getting one. I ordered one 3 weeks ago and it will not arrive for, at least, another 3.
I understand your predicament, the wait is always painful
Thank you so much for this in depth review and comparisons.
I have considered getting this dongle but it is a bit expensive for me.
I am currently using the Moondrop Click and Chu 2. I sometimes hear noise in it at low volume but it's not very annoying. I listen at very low volume.
Also, I have a question: What kind of audio quality is heard from TH-cam and Twitch?
Fort the sort of quality DAWN Pro delivers, $50 is still a fairly bargain price as you would be hard pressed to find something this good at this price point. There's also iBasso DC03Pro which I like even more and it is also priced within the same bracket too.
For TH-cam and Twitch, there's not much resolution to be expected as they are mostly lossy format not exceeding 256 and tend to exhibit artifacts if you play them with highly resolving gears. Especially Twitch which is very lossy due to optimization to reduce latency. But yes they are usable for casual listening which I do from time to time
Thank you so much for the guidance!
@@donglemadnesshi, why do you like more ibasso dc03 pro?
@@f_society9151 DC03Pro offers some of the most tidy yet vibrant dynamic handling, it is colored and normally I tend to avoid colored sources but iBasso DC03Pro proved that if done correctly, it can be very appealing even for those preferring neutral sources. So considering that I already have so many neutral tuned DACs, DC03Pro stand tall among them for being energetic and boosted but never artificial sounding
@@donglemadness thanks. I would also like to ask you what you think is better to buy: Aful perfomer 5(170$)+ apple dongle OR Simgot em6l(100$) + ibasso dc03 pro?
Hi Andy! Do you think it can drive a Variations easily? Thanks!
Overkill for Variations in fact. DAWN Pro capable to drive with good authority headphones 5x harder to drive than Variations, stuffs like Sennheiser HD600 or HiFiMan Sundara, for as long you use 4.4mm BAL
I was just checking your channel before having my dinner to see if the review for this dongle has come out or not yet lol. Fiio BTR 15 has been released on aliexpress and I just wanted to ask if you are going to make a review for that too.
Unlikely that I will review Bluetooth dongles for now, but if I can get one yes of course
which filter is the closest to the NOS?
because on the latest version of the moondrop link app they removed it.
I would not be able to tell you that now because my own DAWN Pro has been given away as a lucky draw prize for the 1st Anniversary Live Stream of AndyAudioVault on YT. But really I am not bothered much on the filters for DAWN Pro because when I tested them, I can barely hear any audible differences
let me get some coffee for this one haha ( thinking about getting it for 11:11, this audio addiction man....)
Cheers
@@donglemadness seems like there is no stock in ali express for 11.1... would the akliam pd4 pro be similar in technicalities ?
@@andr192 Technically yes, different in sound presentation. PD4 has more energy and less organic sounding
@@donglemadness thanks, I managed to get a dawn pro and a few other things like cables and stuff I wanted, now time to wait haha
I cannot seem to find information if this would work with the in-line mic/remote controller of IEMs. Does it work?
No, like almost all dongles of this size, no support for inline MIC unfortunately
For the stuttering issue, you have to roll back to hiby 4.21, it's a known issue in app.
Thanks, I will try to roll back to older version
Doing that you lose the parametric eq though, that's a pity since the eq is so well done and useful. I really hope they fix this issue in the future
@@miki890098 Well the good thing is I never use EQ
@@miki890098 They have parametric EQ on previous build
Thanks for the review, how would you compare it to the Space?
Both are Cirrus Logic DAC CS43 series in dual configuration and with equal amount of power at 4 Vrms max, both of them practically on par matched one to one on sound tuning, technicalities and even features
@@donglemadness Thanks, that’s really helpful
I'm torn between JCALLY JM10 and Moondrop Dawn Pro. Is the sound quality difference between the two noticeable?
Very close really, especially if you are just using 3.5mm SE then both are pretty much on par, except that DAWN Pro offer a bit more of soundstage width and air
@@donglemadness Thank you for your answer. What I didn't like about the Moondrop Dawn Pro is the "vents"
Hi Andy, would using the 4.4mm balanced output of the Dawn Pro creates a better sound output for an attached IEM since it has more power? Some said that getting a 4.4mm cable does not increase the sound of an IEM?
Have a look at my other video on "Do You Need 4.4mm BAL" I explained this subject in the most basic way and I think you will know the answer after watching it
@@donglemadness thanks much for the share, Andy
Nice review
Dawn pro 3.5 vs 4.4 connection
Is there any difference in sound when driving headphones?
Thanks. Yes especially when driving headphones which usually scale well with power, the 4.4mm side will always offer stronger dynamics and authority, the output fuller sounding
@@donglemadness thank you
I noticed that other reviews said that they didnt found any improvement on 4.4 on dawn pro dac
Have you tested it yourself?
@@RX-rd4sc Of course, #donglemadness is all about testing to the max. I tested it with two different type of hard to drive headphones and clearly the headphones sounded better when driven on the 4.4mm BAL side, because the BAL side will always run on 100% power while the 3.5mm side runs on 50% power. You can watch my other video on this subject of the differences between 4.4 and 3.5
@@donglemadness thank you👍
Hey Andy great review BTW. Given the score of 86 would you say the dawn pro is a 5 star, since on your Google Doc sheet it's listed as 4.5 stars. Either keep up the good work.
I'm really interested in getting it since it's going for 36$ during the sale.
DAWN Pro is 4.5 Stars based on the total score. And thanks!
@@donglemadness How come it's graded lower than DC03 Pro? Is it due to buggy behavior with Hiby Music player?
@@juanblanco7898 DC03Pro is slightly better with overall technicalities and resolution/imaging, that's why
@@donglemadness Huh, interesting. Do those advantages overweight the more organic and natural sound of Dawn Pro, or is it just an effort to set aside personal preferences for the sake of a more "objective" assessment?
Sory Andy but why Moondrop Link didn't have Non Oversampling filter ? Which version did you use it? Thank you in advance.
I wish I know, I don't work for Moondrop so perhaps they can answer why NOS filter was not included 😁
@@donglemadness Thank andy for your time to answer my question 😅🫡
Finally! 🎉🎉
is aria 2 has noticable upgrade (aside from accessories) on sound quality? I'm moving forward on from 20$ to 80$ iem. Plus this dawn pro. Should I expect difference experience? thanks!
Assuming you are moving from Aria to Aria 2, there's marginal improvements and slight variation of the same tuning
Hi, i have Truthear x Crinacle zero blue, i saw you prefer DC03 pro more than Dawn pro. Won't my iem have too much bass? I like their sound at the moment, but I lack volume. And if i choose DC03 pro, do i really need their cable CB18 or it will be ok with stock one?
DC03Pro will not add bass and it will perform good even with the stock USB cable
@@donglemadness thanks for quick response
This is the best dongle for daily driver when you on the move.
if you are to choose sir, truthear shio or moondrop dawn pro? i'm torn between these two.
First, I prefer not to be addressed as sir. Thanks. You are torn between those two and I can understand as both are equally matched in many ways, especially considering SHIO has FW update since my last review. Power for power, they are matched equally, quality for quality matched as well. But, I do know SHIO has better runtime of 23hours if used portably and DAWN Pro a bit shorter than that. Make your decision based on which one is easier for you to buy, otherwise you will not be disappointed with any one of them
@@donglemadness Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Andy. appreciate it!
Hey, Andy. How do you think this DAC compares to the Tanchim Space?
They are equally marched in practically every aspect. Perhaps the minor nuances that I would say DAWN Pro does better is that it offers a bit more of imaging and Space offers a bit more or airy decays. But these are super tiny differences which is only apparent if you compare them side by side
I need your advise on how to switch between various sampling rates. Supposedly, the LED lights also change when you change the sampling rate. I am using my phone and PC for listening to music and playing games. Another problem is, when I visit Moondrop website, the driver for the dawn pro in unavailable. How should I download it? Without it I wont be able to use it with my PC.
Sampling rate is controlled by the player app you use, not on the dongle. For example in Tidal app you can change the resolution of the output and it will reflect on what being fed to the DAC/dongle
Hola andy. Muy buena tu reseña y tus vídeos. Quería consultarte si este dongle es capaz de sacar el 100% del kz pr2. He escuchado que este iem necesita de mucha potencia para sacar su máximo rendimiento, es verdad? .
Thanks. First of all, PR2 is easy to drive compared to other planars. It is more on synergy factor you looking for. In this case, if you like neutral sound, DAWN Pro can do that for PR2, power no issues at all because DAWN Pro can drive Fostex T40 RP MK3 which is like 4 times more demanding than PR2
@@donglemadness gracias por la respuesta tan rápida andy. Te lo preguntaba porque otros revisores hablan que este iem necesita hasta 1 watt de potencia, y no me lo creía. Yo tengo el ibasso dc03 por tu recomendación y es genial. Crees que el ibasso tenga la potencia para mover al kz?
@@andresmansilla9699Yes of course, DC03Pro synergy with PR2 is great
Hello, I bought one of this and I’m trying to use with my iPhone. I connect it with the original lightning usb-c cable but the dongle don’t even light up. Do you have any recommendations
Do a simple test, connect your DAWN Pro to a PC or an Android phone using USB Type C, if it works then there could be an issue with iPhone connection or likely the cable. I no longer use iPhones since 2020 so I really have no idea here. Lastly, just contact your seller and tell them the issues and what you have tested
Hi Andy! Im not super knowledgeable about headphones, I wanted a dongle for daily driving cans both indoors and outdoors, (dont have a set yet)
Driving the dongle from an Android phone, would it be compatible with most beginner level headphones? Or would I be limited on what I can drive. Thanks!
Assuming that you will be getting headphones that are under 300 Ohm, and you have plans to run them on 4.4mm BAL jack, then this DAWN Pro is super suitable as it is versatile and adaptable to any sound signature. But if you getting a headphone that only run on 3.5mm jack, then I would recommend iBasso DC03Pro instead. All these dongles were designed to work with any Android versions (not too old of course)
@@donglemadness that's great, I was really confused by the voltage limit on Androids, so the dawn pro works identically whether powered by a laptop or android?
300Ω is a lot to play with, can the dawn pros run something like Hifiman Sundaras?
@@calebgonsalves2970 Watch my earlier video on the best way to run the dongles and you will understand the differences and the optimal way to use them. But yes, assuming that your phone has true PD3.0 USB, then it is identical to what you get from a PC
Although this one has less density in sound, it will be worth it compared to the previous one. Do you know if there is an improvement in the realism presented by the instruments and voices?
If you referring to natural realism factor, then the DAWN Pro being more organic, less euphonic and being neutral, yes indeed the instruments sounded correct to my hearing, especially when paired with equally transparent and neutral Mids of Etymotic ER2XR, Hidizs MP145 or Tanchjim ZERO
Hi Andy, my moondrop link doesn't have NOS option for dawn pro. May I know your app version?
It is vrsion V1.2.23. You may need to delete the one you have now and scan again the QR code to download the latest one
I bought a moondrop dawn pro and am trying to use it with the moondrop link app. I am not seeing the non over sampling filter. I downloaded it from the moondrop website. How should I use the non over sampling filter?
I heard from other users the later version of the app does not have NOS anymore
heya andy, is the moondrop dawn pro is good for pc as well? my truthear zero red sounded really hollow without a DAC and im planning to buy this for it
also planning to use this for competitive gaming as well which needs good soundstaging, is it good on that aspect too?
Yes of course, I used DAWN Pro equally on PC and Android phone. Perfectly suited for both and performs even better on USB 3.0 on a PC
@@donglemadness Thank you for the quick response Andy! Dawn Pro it is then.
@@donglemadnessare dawn pro sound same in PC vs in phone?
@@rijaluahimsa2408 Yes
I hope you also review the moondrop free dsp , I have it and it sounds really good coming from it;s balance amp set up . and the dsp makes my iem sound according to my liking .
If I get one yes I would like to
How's it compared to Truthear Shio?
Should I get Shio or Dawn Pro?
Between those two, they are closely matched. Power wise and tuning wise very similar. Get the ones easier for you to buy, both excellent
Hi Andy, i am looking for a dongle to use with Hifiman He400se v1 (non steath magnet) via PC which shall i choose , CDA M1p vs dawn pro vs Ka 13 vs BTR 15. Any suggestions?
BTR15; would be my 1st choice between the three you mentioned with M1P equally great as well if you prefer a bit more of sound texture richness, BTR15 however will offer a bit more of air and headstage, not an easy choice to decide but those are the differences
@@donglemadness Thank u so much, i will consider btr15 for more usability convience
I have this dac and it is indeed very good, especially for the price. I'm now looking towards an upgrade and trying to decide between the DC04 Pro and the Moonriver 2 Ti 🤔
just save your money man, theres probably 0.1% difference comapred to the other dongles.
its same DAC chip as DC04 Pro
Cirrus Logic CS43131
I figured the difference would be small, but I'd imagine going from the built in Class H amplifier of the Cirrus Logic chip to an external Class A/B amp like in the Ibasso and Moonriver might be worth checking out
Hello, I want to buy a dac for PC to listen to songs and play games. The old dac makes my ears tired and the noise is sharp... so I want to choose between DC03PRO or moondrop dawn pro, which one is good for long-term use without feeling tired listening to songs? sorry for bad English
Get AKLIAM PD6, or Colorfly CDA-M1P, you will love them
@@donglemadness thank you for recommended will buy later🙏
@@donglemadness thank you for recommended will buy later🙏
arghh This makes me even more confused about buying Dawn Pro or DC03Pro in 11.11 this time. or I just need to save 2x the money for dc04pro😭
its same dac as dc04pro Cirrus Logic CS43131
ibasso is better cable, build quality, looks, no dumb holes in case for better water resistance
should worth it in most of cases
(and andy loves its sound more)
just ordered kiwi ears melody bundeled with TimeEar TEU99{30mW@32Ω} , i heard the melody are easy to drive but I'm worrying i won't get the full proper music experience. Do i need a pricey DAC to drive them good and make them alive (I'm considering S9 PRO plus Martha) or is the basic teu99 sufficient enough?
I wish I can clarify but I have no experience with TEU99. My advice is to try it out first and see if you like it the way they are as is
@@donglemadness thanks a lot really appreciate it, my main concern is driveability. I'm really interested in MP145 as well and the aforementioned dac (s9 pro plus martha) is included in a bundle. I'm really considering buying it but I've heard the 145's are hard to drive and I'm worried i had to break the bank even more on a 200€ dac to be able to enjoy them.
hi bro would u suggest to go for this or the fosi ds1 if it was priced 10/15$ more?
DS1 offers crisper imaging which would appear more resolving for macro details, but in comparison, Dawn Pro is smoother edged with more air to the way it handles dynamic. So we are talking about subtle nuances that could make ot break depending on what you prioritise more. Any one of them, I don't see you could go wrong as both are equally great in their own regard.
Sir, which dac has more neutral sound signature among fiio ka13 and moonlight dawn pro?
Equally neutral uncolored and neutral for both at least what I am hearing
How is the moondrop dawn pro vs the Tanchjim space? Is the space an upgrade?
Both of them are rated equally because they perform on similar level. Both are transparent and great with technicalities running on the same Cirrus Logic DAC and tuned similarly
Have you ever tried xduoo xd-05 basic? how is that compare to this moondrop dawn pro?
No I haven't
I have ordered a moondrop dawn pro, but its low in stock and I have a chance to change it for a colorfly m1p, how do they compare? Should I do the change?
M1P is richer sounding and smoother, I think you will like it a lot
Thanks!
@@donglemadness already made the change, I'm waiting for it to arrive, I'll use it with a truthear hexa, I'm starting in this hobby 🥺
Why my Moondrop Dawn Pro don't have the Non oversampling filter both in Link 2.0 nor 1.3.12, wth...
You gotta ask that to Moondrop
@@donglemadnessno problem, I managed to get the Moondrop Link App v1.2.23 apk and set Dawn Pro to NOS. It's either slow roll off phase compensated or no oversampling (if available) for me. All is well.
Moondrop link app (v.1.3.12) doesn't have Non over-sampling filter option.
That's too bad
Is it able to drive planner iems like 7hz salnotes dioko with full potential??
If not suggest me any on budget..
More than capable, almost overkill if you use the 4.4mm BAL. I have tested with full sized planars which are 3x harder to drive than Dioko and they worked wondrously
Thank A lot
Hi sir. Can this run a planar headphone like the hifiman sundara properly?
Please, no sir. Just Andy thanks. Drive properly for listening loudness yes, no problem. Full potential? just like many other planars they scale well with power up to 3000 mW so obviously if you compare the output to higher mW amps, you will hear better sound authority
Hi please help, looking for a dac that can last me a long time.. mainly using iems i currently have ier m7 which i bough second hand. Debating between going cheap abigail pro 4.4 or dawn pro which is so much more price wise. Will there be a difference. Thank you very much
You want something that will last for a very long time, check out the new Colorfly CDA M1P, I am reviewing it now and haven't published yet, but at least I can say it is one of the most sturdy looking dongle I have ever seen yet
Oh ok i see.. noted thank you
Btw, if i just want something basic like on the fly didnt want to go on the price range of colorfly and dawn pro... Abigail pro 4.4 is good enough right?
how does it compare with tanchjim space? do you prefer this rather than space?
Tanchjim Space and DAWN Pro both on equal footing when it comes to neutral tuning, power and technicalities. So, I can't say which one I prefer more because I personally use HIBY FC6, RU7, DACPort HD and iBasso DC04Pro more. What I do know, for the price asked, both DAWN Pro and Space is performing above the market value, again both equally matched one to one
@@donglemadness thank you, i guess i’ll go for the dawn pro since it’s only half the price of the space
Would you prefer this over the FC4?
Personally yes. On HIBY camp, my top fav is FC6
q7 is better
Hi, do you use the Dawn Pro with Tidal in Exclusive mode and see if the LED color on the Dawn Pro reflects correctly the bit rate of songs played? Mine will just stay red all the way when using Tidal regardless of 44,96,192,MQA tracks I play. So I tried with other Android music players like Sony Music center and Hiby and it will turn green when playing a 192hz track. Tidal not playing bit perfect to Dawn Pro?
Tidal App while able to offer USB Exclusive access, it is not really bitperfect like UAPP or HIBY Music app. The issue here is Tidal app with some dongles on displaying the resolution info
@@donglemadness played around using another Samsung phone and Tidal playing on Dawn Pro playing changes LED color correctly. Damn my Pixel causing all sorts of issues with external DACs.
@@orixy65 There it is, another example of Google Pixel making it difficult for external DAC connection, I have heard worse stories where it even emitted screeching noises, only on Google Pixel
Apparently newest version of moondrop link remove Non oversampling filter option then what filter should i choose? Or downgrade the app may help.
Depends on which one you hear any difference with whichever partners you connected to, you need to trial and error each filters and use the one that suits your taste
@@donglemadnessmaybe nos filter was not designed for the dawn pro
interesting that you describe them as smooth and organic. most reviewers say its neutral to analytical sounding
It is, I did mentioned it is neutral, and very resolving (analytical). But it is also organic sounding while at it, does not sounding digital or edgy, even when paired with natively bright sounding partners
hey can you provide a link to download TTGK station app?
drive.google.com/file/d/1SdJfxMaKfeNxMO27Nlm6gtd_cKYkm9JV/view?usp=drive_link
@@donglemadness thank you!! you're the best ❤
Hi can you help me my first time to buy portable DAC, This or HiBy FC4? I am going to use it on both my android phone and Laptop.
DAWN Pro and FC4 are both amazing DACs. Get whichever suits your budget and you don't have to worry on missing anything
@@donglemadness thanks so much. just subscribed to you, man I like your reviews, true in depth and the comparisons. I am really learning to which i am going to buy in the future!
Can you compare with FiiO KA13 and Qudelix 5K?
I have KA13 in my hand now but I have never used the 5K, so I would not be able to do comparison between those two. Thanks
Terbaik bosku
How is the bass response while using with HD650/600 ?
With HD650, admittedly while the pace of Bass transients are good, generally smooth, I do feel the authority of dynamic handling sounded more commanding on dongles like RU7, DACPort HD or AKLIAM PD4, you get a bit more of impact, DAWN Pro would appear a little moderate
@@donglemadness Thanks a lot. Will be waiting for your review of Sonata BHD Pro
How does android built in customisable EQ + all the apps (poweramp etc.) that provide equiliser customisation translate to sound guality in these dongles? Could all of them be made to sound very similar when using on android phone?
I wish I can tell you on this, the problem is I never use EQ at all. Perhaps some other folks with better experience with EQ can advise. Thanks
Thank you for such a fast reply. I really appreciate your input and reviews. Regarding my question I feel that through eq customisation the stats regarding sound quality in your rating overview could easily change... Surely the equaliser can effect sound stage... well basically it should effect all the sound features...
On a side note:will I see an improvement in loudness with dawn pro using my phone and beyerdynamic dt 770 pro 80 ohm?
I have a basic dac and with it the sound doesn't get loud enough
@@igorstimac8993 And that's the reason I don't use EQ, I need to evaluate the DAC as they are without any manipulation, otherwise the assessment would be clouded with alteration. besides, I am a purist, lol
@@donglemadnessI understand
Regarding volume on the dt 770 pro 80 ohm connected to my phone do you think I'll see an improvement when using down pro?
@@igorstimac8993 It depends on what you are comparing it with, what you use now. On power alone DAWN Pro is more than capable to drive headphones a lot harder to drive than DT770 Pro 80 Ohm, for as long as you use 4.4mm BAL side and with High Gain
would this be a better pick than ibasso dco3 pro?
Not necessarily. I still prefer and feel that DC03Pto is a better unit overall, just tuned differently
@@donglemadness what do you think would be better for letshuoer s12 pro?
@@salad7253 What sort of sound you like? do you prefer neutral transparency? or do you like it a bit more vibrant and engaging? DAWN Pro offers neutral transparency for your S12 Pro, meaning you get to hear the sound as it was intended from the source. DC03Pro on the other hand, offer energetic, vibrant, crisp yet never offensive, it is colored to sound fun and analytical at the same time, you get more planar transient speed from DC03Pro. Only you can decide on this, which sound do you prefer more?
DC 03 PRO OR MOONDROP ? I HAVE ATH-60 X , HELLO FROM RUSSIA
Hello! I always prefer DC03Pro over DAWN Pro, so yes DC03Pro is what I recommend more
@@donglemadness don’t understand what to choose, most of them advise moon, they say that there is a stage there.
@@wapporonne If it makes you feel better get DAWN Pro, either one of them are already great and you will not be missing anything
so you bought final audio A5000 finally?
I have been using it on daily basis for the last 4 months. My No.1 IEM now
Ibasso dc03 pro or Moondrop dawn pro?
If you want energetic and vibrant sound, DC03Pro. If you want a more transparent and open sound, DAWN Pro
@@donglemadness Thank you!
May i know can this device use with pc ? Also can it drive the hd600?
Yes of course, I did 50% of my testing of it on a PC. HD600 is no issue for it to drive as I have also tried this with HD650
@@donglemadnessdoes it come with a usb adapter? Also does it come with a 4.4mm adapter?
@@calvinyip364 I did mentioned early in the video that USB A Adapter is included to use on PC. If you are talking about Adapter from 3.5mm to 4.4mm BAL, don't do it. It is not included and not something that should be done, you can heat up any DAC especially those with dual DAC design. From 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter no problem, but not 3.5mm to 4.4mm. Get a proper 4.4mm BAL cable replacement to use with 4.4mm BAL
@@donglemadness so if I want to use the hd600 or any other headphone. I need to buy extra cable to use with the 4.4mm? I didn't know 3.5mm to 4.4mm adapter can cause problem.
@@calvinyip364 Yes that's the idea
How about vs Tanchjim Space Lite?
I would not know. I don't have Space Lite
is it compatible with Samsung galaxy A34 ?
Hopefully someone with A34 can answer this
@@donglemadness ❤️
Is it different to truthear shio?
Sound wise very similar between SHIO and Moondrop DAWN Pro
Between Dwan Pro & Shio & Abigail or Avani which would be perfect for AFul Performer 5. Considering I'm using Android Phone .
Thanks in advance
Between all the ones you mentioned, DAWN Pro and SHIO are both 4 VRMS dongles with more of everything compared to the ultra budget and 1 Vrms Abigail Pro/Avani, both DAWN Pro and SHIO are equals in term of sound, power, sound tuning and features, and I would say, yes, they suit AFUL P5 perfectly. But if you want to keep it small, affordable then Abigail Pro will do as good, because AFUL P5 is a very efficient IEM which will already sound good with 1 Vrms
@@donglemadness thanks brother. So i will not buy other dacs. Will use Abigail Pro. Thanks again 👍👍 cheers
this or ibasso dc03 pro?
If you don't need 4.4mm BAL, DC03Pro. But DAWN Pro is more neutral and wider with soundstage
@@donglemadness may I know why the DC03 Pro despite the Dawn Pro having better soundstage?
Tanchijim Space vs This?
Both on equal terms one to one. Similarly tuned and power wise
Simgot dew4x better?
About the same performance
@@donglemadness If i bashead moondrop will better?
Is this dongle good enough for iPhone to Audio-Technica ATH-M40X?
Yes I believe so. But I have not used iPhones since 2020 so I can only assume if you can get a Lightning cable to work with it, then you should be set
@@donglemadness Thank you Andy, iPhone 15 uses Type C now.
@@plusultra7329 Should be okay then
Next Fiio KA13?
I hope so too
Does it power pr2 nicely?
Overkill really, as you can see, this thing can drive Fostex T40RP MK3 Magnetic Planar which is like 3 times harder than PR2
@@donglemadness yes i know it can drive it, i mean if it can drive it well. i find it needs a lot of power to sound right, a lot of headroom. not necesserally volume. with shio it sounds odd (comparing to my desktop rig)
@@JoseFerreira-zb7wh I know what you mean. It is more of synergy factor than driving capabilities. PR2 scales well but nothing beats Fostex T40RP MK3 when it comes to headroom demands, not just loudness but more importantly is the dynamic authority. When I mention more than capable, I mean this exactly, otherwise I will state it upfront
@@donglemadness ok thank you. just making sure i'm explaining myself correctly. by the way, i wish you can review akliam pd4 pro version. standard version seems good so hoping this one is even better! oh, and colorfly cda m1p.
@@JoseFerreira-zb7wh I have one coming in soon. Thanks
its abit too op imo
OP if you have crazily sensitive IEMs, for that sort of IEMs just stick with anything under 2 Vrms or even 1 Vrms
What's about TempoTec Sonata BHD comparing to MOONDROP DAWN Pro? Which one I should choose? 🥲
I haven't tried the later model BHD so I would not know how it compares with DAWN Pro
Just in time for the 11.11 sale. Got it for $38. Thank you Andy
Now waiting for your review on Fiio KA13 😬
That's an amazing bargain!