S2 - USB and SPDIF/Optical DAC with SabreES9038Q2M

I just ordered this I have not received it yet but will certainly update the info after I get it.This device has the same dac as the much more expensive Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt. And a better output chipset. For 100 bucks vs the cobalt being 300 I will give it a try this company hifime has a site and offers some great stuff at reasonable pricesWe will find out in a couple of days if the savings vs the cobalt is worth it

Having been an owner of multiple Sabre 9018’s in the past, the S2 was a nice change of pace, allowing the user to attach their own USB cable. I have found out first hand that cables make a HUGE difference in sound quality, even down to the gain of the signal. Upgrading from a cheapo micro USB cell phone charge cable to something substantial like a monolith cable made a huge difference and I really started to notice how great this DAC is. Sound is huge, clear, and natural, without being obviously tilted towards warm or bright. I am using AKG K240 S headphones which sound terrific paired with the S2. The timing, detail, and effortless clarity are such an improvement over the E10K and 9018 that it’s pitiful. The DAC is very revealing… if there is a lot of compression or artifacts in the treble, tracks will not be terribly fun to listen to. If the DAC has not been used for a while, it may sound a little colder for 10 minutes, but it will begin to sound natural, wide, and juicy after a few minutes of being connected to power.

Works with my mac and Android 10 phone (using neutron player for bit perfect). I got it as cheapest ESS 9038 dac for phone and computer I could find. Pretty powerful (especially for its small size, which is a matchbox type size), listening with HD 660s headphones on mac to Amazon music HD and less than half volume. Sound is clear and detailed and does not feel pushed in or constrained as can happen with some dongle dacs I find. I do like the 9038 dac chip for some reason and did have the audioquest cobalt for a while but sent back due to the wobbly connection issues. From memory this is as good sounding as that and certainly as powerful. I knocked of a star due to it being housed in a not too nice plastic box (but does mean it is light though).

Prestazioni notevoli, istruzioni scarse.L’ho preso perché usa lo stesso integrato delle Dragonfly Cobalt, con prezzo nettamente inferiore.Riesce a pilotare le mie HiFiMAN He 4xx che sono particolarmente assetate di potenza, senza mostrarsi in difficoltà.Mi ha colpito la spazialità che dona alle esecuzioni, sia in DSD che in FLAC alta qualità, il suono mi sembra estremamente neutro e trasparente, privo di colorazioni di qualsiasi tipo.Spartano come dotazione e come realizzazione, nonHa l’appeal di altri DAC, ma secondo me va molto bene.

---2024年3月11日冒頭に追記過去のレビューの品って今どうなってるんだろうと眺めていたところ、この品はまだ取り扱いがあり時期や取扱い業者の変化で販売価格が突然激変するのはAmazonでは日常ですが購入時の３倍以上はさすがにちょっと、と。為替変動や競合製品を考えてもせいぜい1万円台半ば位の製品で、その前提ならという話になります「聞こえがよく柔らか」なので今でも使っています---物質としては、掲載されてる写真の通り非常にシンプルなES9038Q2M搭載製品。ならば逆にDACの音を素直に出してくれるのではないか？というマニア目線での購入。製品の目論見通りにUSBDAC兼アンプとして使用。使ってびっくりしたのは音楽を奏でてくれること。音が出てるとか音質がどうこうじゃなくて楽しい音楽にしてくれている。この製品を購入した時はES9038は素でこんな素敵な音楽を奏でてくれるものと思い込んでいましたが製品固有の長所であると最近知ったため、レビューとして投稿することにしました。この値段で、音楽を楽しめる製品としての☆5評価です。ただし、例えば上級製品だと楽器の演奏場所が立体的に聞こえるソースでもこの製品だとまとめてでてきてしまう。試しにHD800を刺してみても、意外な事に音量は取れる・・が、無理があり、限界がはっきり分かる(当たり前ですが)音質を絶対的に優先する方には向いていないかもしれませんが、マニアよりとの自覚のある自分でも楽しめる音楽を出してくれるという点で評価出来ています。PC内蔵DAC(ノートや、やや高額なDAC搭載ゲーミングPCなど、複数機で確認)との比較だとほぼ完全上位でしたので、イヤホンで音楽を聴く方にはシンプルにお勧め出来る製品です。

Sono rimasto favorevolmente impressionato dalla qualità di questo DAC, ho ottenuto un suono cristallino e dettagliato con un palcoscenico più ampio sin dalla prima riproduzione. Il DAC S2 rappresenta una soluzione molto flessibile ed è adatto sia per l'ascolto a casa tramite un amplificatore che per l'ascolto in mobilità da dispositivi Android o PC. Consigliato!

Non vale metà di quello che costa, ha qualcosa in più di quello con chip 9023 ( da poco più di 30 euro ) ma niente di eclatante come si legge da recensioni: soundstage soffocato, voci squillanti, medi e bassi che si impastano tra di loro, c'è un po' di dettaglio che ogni tanto salta fuori ma il miglior giudizio che posso dare di questo mini dac è: CLAUSTROFOBICO.Andare tranquillamente su altro. Altro che Dragonfly cobalt come qualcuno ha azzardato....