Sabaj Da2 2in1 Portable Headphone Amplifier USB DAC Earphone AMP 32bit/768kHz

Decodes everything I need it to. I feel the sound quality is comparable to the Dragonfly Black. I have no problem running it with my ancient Samsung Galaxy S 5. It comes with two OTG cables. One micro b to micro b and a type c to micro b. I also use it with my laptop that has the bulk of my hi-res files. It's been a consistent and reliable performer. At this price it's hard to beat. I highly recommend it. UPDATE: After 2 weeks of use I like it even better. Here's why: 1. I could have gone for the Da3 but battery life with Smartphone use was an important consideration. The Da2 draws 100 ma, the Da3 basically has double the circuitry plus a display (0.8 watt power usage). The Da2 uses the same chip-set as the Da3, only 1 set for both channels instead of 1 set for each channel. I didn't see a possible dramatic difference in sound quality worth the extra power consumption. 2. Using the Da2 with MEE Audio's M6 Pro IEMs and the USB Audio Player Pro app is about the best entry-level Hi-Res sound I have ever heard. An added benefit with the UAPP app is that now I can play my old iTunes 44.1 khz files at 16x oversampling. I hear a definite improvement in the sound. There's more detail and the high-end is lifted. I'm able to make out lyrics I couldn't before. Others may disagree about oversampling but, to paraphrase, sound quality is in the ear of the beholder. Anybody want to buy a used Dragonfly Black? ;) UPDATE 2: The Da2 just went silent. I'm sure it's just a fluke. Good thing I didn't sell my Dragonfly.

Upon getting this unit, it constantly drops its connection to my phone (Pixel 2 XL). At first I thought this might be an issue with the cable (USC C OTG I ordered off Amazon) or the phone itself, since I tried it using the included USB cable and it seemed to work fine with my PC. Now however, I have tried it with other devices, including my PC, and have found that that one test must have been a fluke. This device constantly drops its wired connection with whatever I plug it into, regardless of what that device is and what cable I use, making it unreliable for my use. Maybe I received a lemon, but I expected better given the reviews for this product.

Update: I really loved this thing but had to drop from 5 stars to 3. After finally getting out to work with a Y cable adapter, I was very impressed with the sound improvement. A few months later it quit working at all. Completely dead. Bummer. Original Review: This thing makes music sound so much better through my Galaxy S8. I was skeptical that DAC's are just audiophile snake oil (gold plated power cables anyone?), but this thing is great. At first it didn't work with my phone, though. It needs extra power, so I bought a Y-type OTG cable that allowed me to plug this into my phone as well as an extra usb power source. This DAC really brings music to life. For example, I can hear a bit more instrument separation and can notice much more detail in bass guitar tones.

This is a great little amp. It won't drive high impedance headphones like the HD650 mot T50RP, but it works really well for low impedance 'phones like the Meze 99 Neo and AudioQuest Nighthawk. In fact, it is my favorite amp to use with the Nighthawk since the brighter sound signature of the Sabre DAC / amp synergizes well with the warm sound signature of the Nighthawk. The Da2 might be a little too bright for headphones like the Sennheiser HD569, I found the synergy lacking there. The only downside of this device is its performance on Android. Plugging it into most devices leads to a loud hum that drowns out the music. The workaround here is to plug the Sabaj in while the music is playing, a bit cumbersome but ultimately acceptable. Despite the drawbacks in Android compatibility, I strongly recommend this capable little DAC / amp. (for those wondering, this device seems to be identical to the more expensive SMSL IDEA SABRE9018Q2C DSD512 Mini DSD DAC (Black) ).

I bought this device based on audioscience.com review. It represents a new wave of highly capable but tiny USB DACs. You can run it from PC at 384k/32 bit. Its headphone amp output impedance is measly 0.4 Ohms (less is better). It also has very low noise and THD. But its headphone amp simply lacks any power, and as a result, the sound comes out as harsh, lacking mid freq substance. If you pair it with any good headphone or speaker amp - you would, no doubt, will achieve much better results. I tested it with AKG K7xx and Superlux 668B. Both headphones just love higher than normal amperage. They cannot be driven properly with run-of-the-mill Android phone or tablet, for example. You can drive them easily with special phones like Galaxy S7 international (Exynos), or LG V10-V40. I'm going to compare this USB DAC to Hifime Sabre9018 which was destroyed by audiosciencereview - measly 96Khz at 24bit, higher THD+N, 10 Ohm output impedance. But, Hifime can drive my AKG K7xx and Superlux 668B easily, producing clean and "sweet" sound. I don't know where that particular sweetness comes from (maybe some timbre maipulation). But there is no harshness at all. So here goes. Specs don't mean much it turns out. Or they are beyond human audible difference already.

With an ESS Sabre 9018Q2C DAC, This thing is amazing, I had a chance to compare it to FiiO K5 Pro ESS Sabre using Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, and there is almost no difference in sound quality even though the FIIO Dac/AMP cost at least 5 times more. so I highly recommend it.

So, the first 7 months were great! I use this with my laptop. January 4th it started making a really annoying popping noise when increasing the computer sound (windows default sound) and when listening to music. I have literally kept it in my bag, only using it when I get on my laptop (rarely). Cheap.

This dac is very musical. Compared it to dragonfly black and you get roughly the same amount of quality sound. The dragonfly is a little brighter which can seem like it's more detailed however it can be a little fatiguing with brighter speakers or headphones. The sabaj is smoother while being almost as detailed. I can listen to it for hours with pretty much any speaker or headphone.

Getting really hot. Distort sound at high volume. Sound quality is avarage, nothing impressive at all.

Der DAC läuft mit entsprechendem Adapterkabel am iPad und verleiht so auch dem Tablet die nötige Power, um Kophörer mit niedrigem Kennschalldruckpegel anzutreiben (getestet mit Fostex T50RP). Am PC hat er deutlich weniger USB-Störgeräusche als der ebenfalls getestete Audioquest Dragonfly Black. Die Lautstärketasten ermöglichen eine feinere Einstellung der Lautstärke als die iPad Tasten.

J’ai acheté cet ampli casque USB pour remplacer la sortie audio de mon PC portable abimée sur une des voies. Comme je n’avais pas envie de me contenter d’une interface limitée au format 16 bits 48 kHz, j’ai fait une petite recherche sur l’état de l’art et ce produit s’est imposé par son rapport qualité prix. Reçu avec un jour de retard (merci la poste), après l’installation du « driver », la reconnaissance et le fonctionnement ASIO est parfait avec Reaper après avoir paramétré les options audio. Pour l’utilisation en périphérique audio de sortie, il faut aller dans le panneau de configuration audio du PC pour définir le DA2 comme périphérique de sortie par défaut. Le son est d’une exceptionnelle qualité comparé à celui de la sortie audio intégrée de mon portable. J’y branche un casque Beyer DT880 250Ω qui sort un niveau conséquent. J’ai découvert de nouveaux détails sur des enregistrements de référence que j’utilise depuis des années. La précision est redoutable. C’est parfait et on se fait plaisir. On évitera d’utiliser sur cet appareil des casques avec un très faible rendement car le « driver » n’autorise pas d’amplification supplémentaire ce qui peut être un problème pour certaines vidéos en ligne au son faiblard.

The USB connection got so flimsy after a day of use that the only way to engage the DAC was to wiggle the USB cable around until it just caught the connection inside. In addition, be warned - the power was only provided up to 64 ohms - and despite the device claiming to support 300 ohm headphones, I had to listen to my Beyerdynamic DT990 (250 ohm) at the maximal volume for it to be enjoyable (I have normal hearing). If you're looking for something durable AND/OR can power higher impedance headphones - anything higher than probably 200 ohms - invest into a more expensive DAC with a stronger amp.

Secondo me assolutamente da consigliare. Piccolissimo nelle dimensioni e musicale. Anni luce avanti rispetto a dac più datati. No mp3 . Il cavetto a corredo per collegarlo al mio Samsung a8 non fungeva. Ne ho acquistato uno da 20 cm e tutto è andato a posto. Tanta roba ad un prezzo ridicolo.