Sabaj Portable Headphone Amplifier USB DAC Da3 Hi-res SABRE9018Q2C OLED Screen DSD512 32bit/768kHz Grey

Wow! This Da3 using not one but two highly praised ESS dacs, offered at a uncompromisable price point. All bundled in a superbly built and compact chassis, buttons have a solid feel, it feels super modern with USB C and a OLED screen that displays the current sampling rate, volume, filter preset and output (bal or unbal).One thing to note I got mine in grey It's no where near as dark as it appers in pictures, it would be nice if they included a C to C cable for phones so no adapters had to be used or a cable bought. Playback works on phone but no the most stable with Apps such UAPP crashing two many times to make enjoyable, I use mine for PC playback and its flawless, thats once you install the XMOS driver for the Dac which is on the Sabaj website, but can be found on the SMSL website for there idea dac. The driver works and detects the product, it's a shame the manafacture of this does not put out a dedicated driver.And yes DSD playback really does work with this, It took a while, using Jriver and the XMOS drive, DSD in DoP playback works flawless, upto the 4X. Native DSD playback is something I have only been able to get working once at 2X, all other times it just produces white noise. So if your wanting to use the DSD capablity of this DAC be prepared to tinker alot and research about. All other formats work perfect.Output from the DAC is incredible, very accurate, a tad warm and no noise throughout all volumes even on very Low impedance headphones. AMP is able to push out audio to quite some power and remain distortion free.

Sound is excellent, as described by other reviewers. I immediately noticed a significant improvement over my previous DAC/amp.The product has a chunky metal box and a simple user display. It offers volume adjustment and the options of balanced or unbalanced output. It also allows selection of output filter characteristics. For balanced output, I believe the headphone needs to be modified. I was unable to hear any change in sound when I switched between output filter settings.It is easy to get started. Just download and install the Da3 USB driver. To get the driver, visit the Sabaj web site whose address is printed on the product box - I cannot insert the link in the Amazon review. Select the support page and then Da3.I use foobar2000 to play FLAC coded CDs.Sampling frequency can be set from the Windows 10 sound card settings page. You can select frequencies up to 192 kHz. I tried higher frequencies than the standard 44.1 kHz and it does change the sound characteristics, but I decided that overall the sound for standard CD sources is better at the 44.1 kHz and 16 bit settings.This player will handle DSD (Direct Stream Digital) if you are interested. I have yet to explored this, due to the high cost and limited choice of DSD material - and because there seems to be little evidence that DSD improved sound quality.

I'd recommend the Da3 solely based on the price/performance you get for the current price; but there are a few problems with quality control.The design is simple enough - a milled aluminium shell and rubber base to prevent it from sliding around. The OLED display is sharp and easy to read. The menus are simple and make sense (no bad translations). There are no bright power LEDs; just a clean understated look.USB-C is a great choice; much better than the tiny and fragile USB-micro connectors on similar devices.Note sure about the 2.5mm balanced connection. I realise there isn't really a universal standard (aside from the 4.4mm one used by Sony and Sennheiser), but this choice seems fairly fragile.Unfortunately my unit came with a case defect on the top left edge. The 3.5mm headphone jack on my unit is also slightly skewed, so it doesn't sit quite square to the case.If I wasn't intending to mill a new case (to allow larger connectors), I'd be returning for replacement it for these reasons. On the plus side, I don't feel bad about taking this one apart now.These issues aside, the general fit and finish of the Da3 is not quite as good as you might expect for the money and materials used; but it's acceptable.All of the milled edges and corners are fairly 'sharp' (if you've owned a unibody Macbook, you'll know what I mean), so expect this to tear holes in whatever bag/case you put it into if you intend to use it as a portable DAC/amp.The buttons are loose and rattle when the unit is moved; tighter tolerances on the milling would prevent this and increase the feeling of quality.The board itself seems well put together, aside from the minor 3.5mm jack alignment issue on mine.With regards to actually using the Da3; so far I've only used the non-balanced output, as I don't have any 2.5mm TRRS cables. Supposedly the balanced connection can provide more power for harder to drive headphones; but it turns out this wasn't needed with the ones I have.I've tried it with multiple Windows 10 desktops and an HP Chromebook 11. All immediately worked with the Da3 without driver installation; although I'm not using the DSD functionality, which I understand does require a driver download. When I get a USB-C to USB-C cable (sadly not included), I'll try it with my Android phone.It's driven the following headphones so far:- Sennheiser HD 800S- Shure SRH1540- Monoprice Monolith M560The Da3 powered all three with ease, which is impressive for a compact USB-powered device. For reference, the maximum settable volume on the unit is '40'. I made the following observations:- The HD800S required a volume of 20-24 to drive to loud (but comfortable) levels, suggesting plenty of headroom for harder to drive headphones. There was no discernible noise (a very black background) and I could detect no audible issues on FLAC CD-rips when played through Foobar- The SRH1540 required a volume of only 16-18. For some reason the bass on these didn't seem quite as 'tight' as I'm accustomed to. Could be an impedance/damping issue? Otherwise no noticeable issues- The M560 (planar magnetic) required a volume of 23-26 with no noticeable issues. Tight and cleanSonically I can't fault the Da3. It provides plenty of power, seems to have fairly flat reproduction, and has no noticeable noise (on my host machines). The three filter options in the menu made no audible difference to me.I plan to assemble a cable to try the balanced feature; but I don't anticipate it will change anything, aside from providing more headroom for less sensitive headphones.The Da3 is definitely something I'd recommend, despite minor quality issues.

Very clear sound. Nice and small, portable. I bought to be used as a desktop DAC as it supports DSD512 which is rare, or very expensive.The reason for the 3 stars. Well the device has a hardcoded volume limit at startup. Which is 19. Of 36 or was it 38? So each time it's turned on you need to max it out to get a line out output level. Without the option to change it in the settings, something they really should have implemented for users like me.The other star deducted is because if the lack of information about the balanced output and lack of details about the 3 filter settings in the options. Oh and it could have come with perhaps an OTG-like cable like the Da2 does.I know it sounds a bit harsh. I was going to give it 4 stars as the DAC side of things are great. It's just I couldn't keep it due to the above reasons. SMSL have told me future revisions may have the startup volume adjustable in the options.Thanks for reading.

I bought this DAC/HPA to listen to FLAC rips off my phone. Unfortunately it doesn't work with my phone at all (Huawei P10 lite),but it does work as a rather nifty DAC/HPA off the kitchen laptop,so I may keep it!.I have had a number of plain HPA's (tube/SS) connected to the above lappy,so how does it compare?.REALLY well TBH!.Listening to the Sabaj DA3 now,via Gom Audio,ASIO driver,AKG K702's,listening to a FLAC rip of Shpongle's Nothing Lasts... But Nothing Is Lost,and the only way to describe it is sublime!.O.K,I prefer to listen to my music via my bedroom system,but using this little DAC/HPA brings some of the 'spaceyness' back into the music when listening on HP's.Put it this way,I like the sound of of my bedroom audio setup,nothing can/or has/ beat it for the sound I am personally looking for,totally 3 dimensional,every sound has its place,an all under TOTAL control,so much so it is like actually living in the music,it is that detailed,and immersive,and the good news is,,that this little DAC//HPA actually carries this through to the HP's!.My only niggles,the finish on mine is not as good as it could be,and it doesnt work with an OTG connection on android phone.But what it does do,it does very well,my advice would be,try one,if you like it,keep it,it is a fantastic product,but dont bother using cheapo HP's,or anything but lossless or Hi Def rips.

Sounds great, manages to drive even my HD6xx's, works with USB c and is built well.I have never listened to it long enough on my phone battery to drain it completely but it does eat it quite quickly, I use it mainly for travelling with my laptop so not an issue for me.I compared it against the dragonfly cobalt and a topping d10 paired with jds labs atom and honestly for the price / size this is the absolute winner. Topping + D10 can drive my HD6xx a little bit better in lower frequencies but that's not apples to apples, and for IEMs I actually prefer the Sabaj.If you're planning on driving high impedance cans with it and don't have an amp you might get away with a balanced cable cause the output on balanced is higher I believe.I also LOVE the button volume controls.

Personally had been using Sabaj PHA2 and am impressed with its sound quality except that was getting electrostatic hum constantly (even paired with this DA3).Using DA3 alone doesn't have the above problem, the soundstage sounds similar (both DA3 and PHA2) for my unprofessional ear. But it definitely deliver a better instrument separation and more controlled bass!Update: Remember to download the driver from Sabaj website, it's significant different from windows 10 plug in driver!

I bought the da3 because i have the da2 and liked it sound but wanted more.However when i received it the dac was DOA "usb device not recognized" was the error win 10 gave me.Three weeks passed until i read about the possibilty of a factory reset option by holding down the power button whilstplugging in the usb-c cable plugged into a mobile phone power supply .. this worked a charm .This dac has better soundstage and seperation than the da2 .

I also own the Monoprice Monolith USB dac, which uses a single, ESS 9018 based Sabre DAC. I bought this to try balanced headphones using the Dual DAC. To my surprise, everything sounds clearer on the Sabaj DA3 - even with the single ended 3.5 mm port.I've used modified Sony MDR V6's, Sony MDR7520's, Fostex/Modhouse Argons, AKG K550's, and others with this DAC. All my full size headphones showed improvement in clarity and soundstage relative to the Monolith DAC. There was a subtle improvement using 2.5mm balanced cables instead of the single ended 3.5mm. I feel extension is great for both bass and treble, I don't sense any significant roll-off . . .The only disappointment was in using sensitive IEM's with the balanced port. It hissed with two 32 ohm IEM's - but did not on the 3.5mm port. The IEM's I used were the Tenhz P4 Pro, and Custom UE Triple Fi Quads. My understanding is that the impedance of the balanced port is relatively high.Otherwise, this has been very impressive as a pseudo-desktop DAC. I now use it plugged into the balanced ports of a Loxjie P20 tube amp - and the result is delightful. I wonder if any further purchases are going to hit the level of diminishing returns . . . such that improvement is not worth the cost.

Il Sabaj DA3 e un Dac con amplificatore integrato, ha bisogno di un driver per funzionare correttamente e si trova sul sito ufficiale nella sezione supporto selezionate DA3 e poi DA3 driver (http://www.sabaj.com.cn/en/services.asp?id=74), basta una semplice installazione e configurarlo ed è possibile selezionare le opzioni in windows, funziona anche in "plug and play" a 44.1 / 16 senza driver in windows.Si puo collegare con USB 2.0 e 3.0, consiglio di riavviare con USB 3.0 e funzionerà correttamente.La qualità del suono e stupefacente (naturalmente da utilizzare con musica lossless flac ecc..), provato sia con cuffie AKG 530, Audio Technica Pro ATH-M40X , Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H3 e le ultime arrivate KZ ZSN PRO che sono molto delicate sul punto di vista rumore, infatti collegate con scheda audio del pc (creative sound blaster Z) si sente un leggero sibilo disturbo bianco ed anche sullo smartphone persiste questo rumore durante le chiamate e riproduzione audio, ma collegate al Sabaj DA3 il suono risulta limpido e dettagliato e questi auricolari sono rinati, confermo cosi che non ce nessun rumore, interferenza o ronzio su bassa impedenza sui 16ohm, senza troppe parole direi che mantiene la firma del suono predefinita e rende il suono più pulito; non sembra esserci alcuno squilibrio del canale anche quando il volume è troppo basso.È possibile utilizzare i controlli audio di Windows e il DAC allo stesso tempo, quindi se si dispone di una tastiera con collegamenti per disattivare l'audio o modificare il volume, funzioneranno e ovviamente è possibile modificare il volume su Windows.Se tieni premuti i pulsanti volume cambieranno rapidamente il volume piuttosto che dover premere svariate volte, le opzioni disponibili sono: volume su / giù, jack cuffie sbilanciato o bilanciato, rolloff veloce, rolloff lento, fase minima ecc..Opzioni di attivazione / disattivazione dello schermo, spegnerlo dopo 5/10/15/30 secondi o mantenerlo su "spento", le informazioni che mostra sono la frequenza di campionamento, il jack per cuffie bilanciato o no e il numero del volume.Il cavo che viene fornito è di circa 1 metro di lunghezza da USB a USB-C, un po rigido ed è anche più spesso della maggior parte dei cavi USB, nella scatole si trova il filo e il dac.Lo uso oramai da svariati mesi e posso confermare che è costruito molto bene, scalda un minimo durante il funzionamento da niente di grave, la parte inferiore rivestita antiscivolo e la scocca tutta in alluminio.Per me ottimo a questo prezzo, avendo dimensioni piccole ma ottima potenza e qualità audio.

I really, really like this USB DAC by Sabaj the Da3. I was a little hesitant of course spending just over $100. Unless of course money is no object to you, this item wouldn't even be something you'd consider purchasing. If you are reading this you are like me, a music lover that wants the very best sound quality at a somewhat minimal cost. Why? Because thanks to Chi-Fi, we have this option. That's right Sabaj, Fiio, Topping and many more are Chinese High End audio companies! The cost to manufacture mostly all these fabulous $100-$500 wonders is so low in China by the time it reaches the good old USA it stays low. Granted many of these companies exist only on the vast pages of Amazon. I trust Amazon. I can get 2 day and mostly overnight deliveries that are fully returnable directly back to Amazon. Amazon effect they call it. The Amazon Showroom is so vast if you saw it with your own eyes it would appear as miles and miles, as far as the human eye can see. Kinda like looking out into the ocean from the beach. You can only see so far. We are truly very fortunate to have Amazon reliability and customer service just an email or phone call away. Amazon recently introduced it's very own shipping company as well! Amazon Logistics bypasses the good old USPS, FEDEX and UPS. It's a brlliant idea and business strategy by one of the world's richest men with the largest showroom known to man, (or animal). Thank you Jeff!Back to the review....The Sabaj Da3 is quite an amazing device. It has played every file I've thrown at it for the last 8 hours. A pretty dull life for me you would think. That thought would be incorrect however. I am a music lover, yes audiophile too on somewhat of a budget. Many of you can relate I'm sure. The Da3 promises USB-C input and 2 types of output only, headphone or line out at 3.5mm or the much better, cleaner and powerful BALANCED line out at 2.5mm. Your headphones must be BALANCED High Resolution capable along with that 2.5 mm trrs cable. I've been listening now, for yes, about 8 hours to this musical wonder. I have others too: Fiio K3, Topping NX2 and NX3. Also a Sony PHA-A1 and Audiuquest Dragonfly Red. Why then purchase another DAC when I enjoy all the others? Diversification. Each has it's own attributes and qualities and problems too. I love my new Sabaj Da3 for many reasons but I'm certain you want a review, not a chapter from the book "Audiophile Choices For The Rest Of Us." (Not actually a real book). Aside from the input and outputs of this extremely well built silver aluminum, block tapered device, it's very lightweight for great portability. I've been using it now with one of my favorite media consumption device, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4. Also tried it with my Samsung Note 9 and it works wonderfully! PC is next. There is, last but certainly not least, a small black 1 inch led screen on the front of the Da3. It displays your bitrate and output info in hz and Khz. It displays the output number from the volume control buttons too! There are three audio modes to choose from to kinda tweak the sound roll off. Not so sure how precise that is but no matter. The choice of standard 3.5mm headphone in and Balanced 2.5mm Headphone In is the last option. The device remembers your choices and always restarts at middle scale audio output level. Another great feature. The device does not have any internal rechargeable battery. It relies on your smartphone, tablet and PC for power. The drain is very minimal but should be mentioned none the less. You can actually stack the device with your smartphone and take it on the go. I believe it was really made for home use but it's great to have options! I love options, but not too many redundant ones. That's exactly what you get here with the Sabaj Da3. It's a pure, clean powerful sound that works with many if not all headphones on the market today. Naturally I have a little collection from some of the major players. Sony, Audio Technica, Sennheiser HD58X plus others, V Moda, AKG, and Beyerdynamic. Again, it only takes one set. But like many of you reading this (if you've gotten this far) we have our fav's. I happen to love my Sony MDR-1AM2. It has a removable cable allowing me to switch out for a separately purchased higher quality 2.5mm Balanced Cable. I could go on and on! I wont do that in an attempt to stay focused. Please take away this from my review... this is a high quality, very reasonably priced HiFi device for audiophiles and everyone else too. The sound is uniform with punchy bass and excellent fantastic highs. The mids are the hardest to recreate and the Da3 does it beautifully. No treble sibilance or over hyped bass. A truly natural, very high definition sound that puts you right in the front row of the recording studio or stage. Picking out and hearing individual instruments and vocals is astonishing. It will keep you up past your bedtime I am sure. And that's the only downside I can think of! After a lot of research I landed on the Sabaj Da3. An amazing DAC/AMP that really ticks all of the boxes. It's my new favorite USB DAC. Sabaj should be recognized here as a quality audiophile company for those of us still on a budget. And that's a very good thing to be.

Pas facile de dénicher ce DAC au milieu d'une offre pléthorique de produits similaires, mais la persévérance finit toujours par payer.J'étais à la recherche d'un mini-DAC pour une écoute nomade avec mon smartphone LG G4+l'application USB Audio player Pro, indispensable pour une écoute "audiophile" et ai choisi ce modèle après la lecture de retours très élogieux sur la toile.Le SABAJ est donc arrivé dans son emballage soigné, avec un câble USB 2 vers micro USB femelle, manifestement destiné à une écoute "at home" derrière un laptop.L'écoute nomade attendra donc quelques jours, le temps que l'adaptateur micro USB OTG vers USB 2 femelle me soit livré.Cela dit, mes premiers commentaires confirmeront ce qu'il est possible de lire sur la toile au sujet de ce petit bijou.C'est une "bombe".Reconnu immédiatement sous Windows 10 + JRiver Media 24, sans donc qu'il soit nécessaire de télécharger un pilote, ce DAC dispense une écoute claire, équilibrée et très "fluide".les basses sont également au rendez-vous, très "propres" et les aigus filent très haut sans aucune agressivité.La spatialisation des instruments est également excellente.Le niveau de sortie du DAC, 2mV, me permet une écoute très confortable sur mon SENNHEISER HD 650, pourtant très gourmand en énergie en raison de son impédance élevée (300 Ohms)En un mot, comme en cent, ce DAC est une petite merveille, dotée au surplus d'un rapport qualité-prix, incroyable.Un prochain post fera le bilan sur une écoute plus nomade.A suivre, donc...J+3. Après mise en place du prolongateur sur le LG G4, USB Audio player Pro reconnait immédiatement le DAC.Je ne peux donc que réitérer mes commentaires précédents sur la qualité de l'écoute procurée par le SABAJ, que ce soit sur le SENNHEISER HD 650 ou sur mes écouteurs nomades intra-auriculaires SONY MDR-EX650APB.Bien naturellement, malgré sa capacité de 3000 mAh, la batterie du LG se décharge un peu plus rapidement, mais n'est-ce pas là la contrepartie inévitable du niveau de sortie élevé du SABAJ?J +20. Je ne pensais pas que le SABAJ aurait besoin de quelques jours de "rodage". Eh bien, je dois avouer que je m'étais trompé. Le son est désormais encore plus "libéré", les graves sont plus profonds et fermes, les aigus montent encore plus haut, sans agressivité.Je le garde donc comme DAC derrière mon laptop et vais en acheter un second pour l'écoute nomade pour laquelle je le destinais initialement.En un mot, comme en cent, je me demande pourquoi il n'y a pas un zéro de plus au prix affiché...

USB-DAC自体この製品が初めてなので他製品とは比較できないのであしからず接続機器はＰＣ→本製品→MDR-Z7になります試聴ソフトはSpotifyとmusic centerです両ソフトとも再生できるのは32ビット192kHzまでですSpotifyに関して言えば再生中に384kHzに変更すれば継続して使用できます音質に関しては出力側に大きく依存すると思うのですが、バランス、アンバランスを聞き比べに関して言えば音の空間が広がった印象とはいえmusic centerでCDからのFLACデータとSpotifyのストリーミングデータでは元のデータの質が違うのでそこは比べるものではない尚、振るとカラカラ音がするので本体内に何か入っているのかと思い分解したが、ボタン部が緩く音がするだけ分解した結果本体自体がチップのヒートシンクを兼ねていることが判ったため、チップ部にCPUグリスを塗布し冷却性能向上を図っている。Xperia　XZ1との接続使用しているが、どうも接続出来る時と出来ない時があるケーブルの向きと本製品に残留電圧が必要なようだ残留電圧がないとXperia側が給電してくれない