#donglemadness

Yet another contender from the Cirrus Logic CS43131 camp. Moondrop DAWN Pro
Sections:
00:00 Intro
01:40 Configuration
03:20 Features
06:40 Pairing Partners
07:46 Sound & Performance
16:16 Rating & Comparison
17:31 Timbre Signature
18:45 Wrap Ups
Shot On:
- Canon EOS R6 Mark2
- Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L USM
- ATOMOS Ninja V (Canon CLOG3 BT2020 ProRes 4.2.2 4K50P)
My Gaming Channel:
/ @feveredpitchdelirium
My Twitch Channel:
/ fpdelirium
My Tidal Version Playlist:
tidal.com/browse/playlist/ba3...

[@irvinawdri]

Thanks for the great review!

[@donglemadness]

My pleasure

[@MarsChan07]

i love this dac since day 1 , It sounds better than my old moonriver2 , more transparent , better sound stage and etc..

[@estinoazell1016]

Loving your new "sound & performance" table.. keep it up! thanks for the indepth review as always abe andy!

[@donglemadness]

My pleasure

[@lowaltitudeninja1818]

Thoroughly and comprehensively, as usual. So many interesting dongles lately, so little Andy!

[@donglemadness]

Lol. Thanks!

[@s18018]

Thanks for this, this was a great review, including vol/power outputs

[@donglemadness]

My pleasure 😁

[@gistapolo4918]

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.

[@donglemadness]

My pleasure. Enjoy your music!

[@chimika5025]

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.

[@donglemadness]

My pleasure!

[@dl88889]

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 !

[@donglemadness]

Sama sama

[@adnansamiayon573]

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

[@malikzayn4572]

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?

[@donglemadness]

I mentoned it briefly at 19:17. 100 Steps Independent Volume Adjustment just like iBasso DC04Pro and amazing

[@matiaserp]

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.

[@donglemadness]

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

[@matiaserp]

@@donglemadnessok but it is not as detailed as on the video, with the partial notes etc. But thanks anyway!

[@mihnqng]

Finally! 🎉🎉

[@titobagus7929]

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

[@donglemadness]

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

[@rivaire21]

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

[@donglemadness]

My pleasure

[@troved590]

Im currently very torn between these tho dacs. Do you have any updates on comparing these 2?

[@rivaire21]

​@@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

[@milanoreviera88]

Terbaik bosku

[@CroncAstronaut]

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.

[@kloningankumain4802]

The queue was long, i was longing a review for this dongle

[@suncani]

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! ❤

[@donglemadness]

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

[@suncani]

❤. I can not thank you enough my brother. Please never stop what you are doing! it is simply amazing. Peace to my bro! Sani

[@adnansamiayon573]

Waited for this vedio Tnx for the review I have a question should I change the stock type c to type c cable

[@donglemadness]

The stock Type C cable is already good and you change it if you need something sturdier

[@adnansamiayon573]

@@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

[@MarsChan07]

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 .

[@donglemadness]

If I get one yes I would like to

[@choydeliverer7162]

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

[@donglemadness]

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

[@solarpp2059]

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.

[@donglemadness]

Unlikely that I will review Bluetooth dongles for now, but if I can get one yes of course

[@gwine9087]

FYI the non-over-sampling filter is no longer available, in the app.

[@syedrehanfida]

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 KZbin and Twitch?

[@donglemadness]

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 KZbin 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

[@syedrehanfida]

Thank you so much for the guidance!

[@f_society9151]

​@@donglemadnesshi, why do you like more ibasso dc03 pro?

[@donglemadness]

@@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

[@f_society9151]

@@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?

[@m_yy_m]

Great review. I already have the Fosi DS1. Can you recommend a budget dongle that is more analogue sounding? Thanks!

[@donglemadness]

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

[@m_yy_m]

@@donglemadness Thanks 👍

[@thisismickj]

Could you explain what you mean by analogue and hifi? ​@@donglemadness

[@aginthelaw]

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?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@jeremyward6378]

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 🤔

[@SileDevil]

just save your money man, theres probably 0.1% difference comapred to the other dongles.

[@MrGarkin]

its same DAC chip as DC04 Pro Cirrus Logic CS43131

[@jeremyward6378]

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

[@andresmansilla9699]

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? .

[@donglemadness]

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

[@andresmansilla9699]

@@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?

[@donglemadness]

@@andresmansilla9699Yes of course, DC03Pro synergy with PR2 is great

[@andr192]

let me get some coffee for this one haha ( thinking about getting it for 11:11, this audio addiction man....)

[@donglemadness]

Cheers

[@andr192]

@@donglemadness seems like there is no stock in ali express for 11.1... would the akliam pd4 pro be similar in technicalities ?

[@donglemadness]

@@andr192 Technically yes, different in sound presentation. PD4 has more energy and less organic sounding

[@andr192]

@@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

[@kennadul2001]

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.

[@kennadul2001]

I'm really interested in getting it since it's going for 36$ during the sale.

[@donglemadness]

DAWN Pro is 4.5 Stars based on the total score. And thanks!

[@juanblanco7898]

​@@donglemadness How come it's graded lower than DC03 Pro? Is it due to buggy behavior with Hiby Music player?

[@donglemadness]

@@juanblanco7898 DC03Pro is slightly better with overall technicalities and resolution/imaging, that's why

[@juanblanco7898]

@@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?

[@chokolate4040]

Thanks for the review, how would you compare it to the Space?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@chokolate4040]

@@donglemadness Thanks, that’s really helpful

[@texmo42]

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?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@texmo42]

Does the Truth ear shio retain the gain settings when unplugged?

[@donglemadness]

@@texmo42 Yes, retained

[@gwine9087]

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.

[@donglemadness]

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

[@gwine9087]

@@donglemadness Thanks. I might bite the bullet and get UAPP.

[@fredilay864]

Andy, saya beli Moondrop dawn pro Serta Simgot ew 200 yang semua you kasih Rate 4.5 Star, Next Ibasso Dc04 pro. Thanks

[@donglemadness]

Sama sama

[@SileDevil]

interesting that you describe them as smooth and organic. most reviewers say its neutral to analytical sounding

[@donglemadness]

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

[@TheTechnicsfan]

I cannot seem to find information if this would work with the in-line mic/remote controller of IEMs. Does it work?

[@donglemadness]

No, like almost all dongles of this size, no support for inline MIC unfortunately

[@andresvr8357]

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?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@DePerfectionist96]

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]

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

[@DePerfectionist96]

@@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.

[@abominabledot5223]

Hey, Andy. How do you think this DAC compares to the Tanchim Space?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@brenoalvitor]

Hi Andy! Do you think it can drive a Variations easily? Thanks!

[@donglemadness]

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

[@RX-rd4sc]

Nice review Dawn pro 3.5 vs 4.4 connection Is there any difference in sound when driving headphones?

[@donglemadness]

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]

@@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?

[@donglemadness]

@@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

[@RX-rd4sc]

@@donglemadness thank you👍

[@orixy65]

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?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@orixy65]

@@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.

[@donglemadness]

@@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

[@miraixu6817]

For the stuttering issue, you have to roll back to hiby 4.21, it's a known issue in app.

[@donglemadness]

Thanks, I will try to roll back to older version

[@miki890098]

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

[@donglemadness]

@@miki890098 Well the good thing is I never use EQ

[@miraixu6817]

@@miki890098 They have parametric EQ on previous build

[@calebgonsalves2970]

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!

[@donglemadness]

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)

[@calebgonsalves2970]

@@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?

[@donglemadness]

@@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

[@toxicdrift86]

hi bro would u suggest to go for this or the fosi ds1 if it was priced 10/15$ more?

[@donglemadness]

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.

[@eliasthanatos]

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

[@eliasthanatos]

also planning to use this for competitive gaming as well which needs good soundstaging, is it good on that aspect too?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@eliasthanatos]

@@donglemadness Thank you for the quick response Andy! Dawn Pro it is then.

[@rijaluahimsa2408]

​@@donglemadnessare dawn pro sound same in PC vs in phone?

[@donglemadness]

@@rijaluahimsa2408 Yes

[@user-ec7gy8tv3z]

Hi Andy, my moondrop link doesn't have NOS option for dawn pro. May I know your app version?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@kSparrow9889]

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?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@kSparrow9889]

@@donglemadness Thank u so much, i will consider btr15 for more usability convience

[@mikediezel0923]

which filter is the closest to the NOS? because on the latest version of the moondrop link app they removed it.

[@donglemadness]

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

[@mczreview]

Sory Andy but why Moondrop Link didn't have Non Oversampling filter ? Which version did you use it? Thank you in advance.

[@donglemadness]

I wish I know, I don't work for Moondrop so perhaps they can answer why NOS filter was not included 😁

[@mczreview]

@@donglemadness Thank andy for your time to answer my question 😅🫡

[@gwine9087]

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.

[@donglemadness]

I understand your predicament, the wait is always painful

[@brennoos]

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

[@donglemadness]

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

[@NaLy_s]

Apparently newest version of moondrop link remove Non oversampling filter option then what filter should i choose? Or downgrade the app may help.

[@donglemadness]

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

[@NaLy_s]

@@donglemadnessmaybe nos filter was not designed for the dawn pro

[@kamrankambang7953]

Hi sir. Can this run a planar headphone like the hifiman sundara properly?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@Arondight_unfadingLight]

How is the moondrop dawn pro vs the Tanchjim space? Is the space an upgrade?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@Arc_Noir]

I'm torn between JCALLY JM10 and Moondrop Dawn Pro. Is the sound quality difference between the two noticeable?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@Arc_Noir]

@@donglemadness Thank you for your answer. What I didn't like about the Moondrop Dawn Pro is the "vents"

[@achemvenkatamuni9567]

Sir, which dac has more neutral sound signature among fiio ka13 and moonlight dawn pro?

[@donglemadness]

Equally neutral uncolored and neutral for both at least what I am hearing

[@SLEEPZERO_Speciall]

Have you ever tried xduoo xd-05 basic? how is that compare to this moondrop dawn pro?

[@donglemadness]

No I haven't

[@janssensantos4231]

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

[@donglemadness]

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

[@janssensantos4231]

Oh ok i see.. noted thank you

[@janssensantos4231]

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?

[@sogeking1299]

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😭

[@MrGarkin]

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)

[@siddhesh2888]

How's it compared to Truthear Shio? Should I get Shio or Dawn Pro?

[@donglemadness]

Between those two, they are closely matched. Power wise and tuning wise very similar. Get the ones easier for you to buy, both excellent

[@allansumabong1128]

if you are to choose sir, truthear shio or moondrop dawn pro? i'm torn between these two.

[@donglemadness]

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

[@allansumabong1128]

@@donglemadness Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Andy. appreciate it!

[@user-se9sf7lg1n]

Is it able to drive planner iems like 7hz salnotes dioko with full potential?? If not suggest me any on budget..

[@donglemadness]

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

[@user-se9sf7lg1n]

Thank A lot

[@TorigaOfficial]

Can you compare with FiiO KA13 and Qudelix 5K?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@MaxCCdes]

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.

[@donglemadness]

DAWN Pro and FC4 are both amazing DACs. Get whichever suits your budget and you don't have to worry on missing anything

[@MaxCCdes]

@@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!

[@ramzyrashaun5186]

how does it compare with tanchjim space? do you prefer this rather than space?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@ramzyrashaun5186]

@@donglemadness thank you, i guess i’ll go for the dawn pro since it’s only half the price of the space

[@kevorp106]

How about vs Tanchjim Space Lite?

[@donglemadness]

I would not know. I don't have Space Lite

[@zaznobach]

Moondrop link app (v.1.3.12) doesn't have Non over-sampling filter option.

[@donglemadness]

That's too bad

[@lokrj]

What about vs Truthear Shio?

[@donglemadness]

At this level, without comparing side by side, I would say DAWN Pro and SHIO are pretty much on equal terms, especially after SHIO received the latest FW updates

[@bokomokoksarimanoktiktilaokkok]

Next Fiio KA13?

[@donglemadness]

I hope so too

[@wipeyourbuttocks]

I was actually dissapointed by the Dawn Pro. Soundstage is unusually narrow when compared to my AP10

[@donglemadness]

That's odd. What listening devices you use. I find it to be quite wide and spacious very close to other wide open sounding dongles I have

[@wipeyourbuttocks]

@@donglemadness it was plugged into my pc and I tried just a few songs with my CVJ freedom ($80 set). Staging is great, but it's just oddly narrow

[@ot9ot735]

@@donglemadness does the dawn pro have a wider soundstage than the DC03 Pro?

[@Audiodote]

so you bought final audio A5000 finally?

[@donglemadness]

I have been using it on daily basis for the last 4 months. My No.1 IEM now

[@arghadeepmisra7865]

How is the bass response while using with HD650/600 ?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@arghadeepmisra7865]

​@@donglemadness Thanks a lot. Will be waiting for your review of Sonata BHD Pro

[@joeface03]

Would you prefer this over the FC4?

[@donglemadness]

Personally yes. On HIBY camp, my top fav is FC6

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

q7 is better

[@plusultra7329]

Is this dongle good enough for iPhone to Audio-Technica ATH-M40X?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@plusultra7329]

@@donglemadness Thank you Andy, iPhone 15 uses Type C now.

[@donglemadness]

@@plusultra7329 Should be okay then

[@salad7253]

would this be a better pick than ibasso dco3 pro?

[@donglemadness]

Not necessarily. I still prefer and feel that DC03Pto is a better unit overall, just tuned differently

[@salad7253]

@@donglemadness what do you think would be better for letshuoer s12 pro?

[@donglemadness]

@@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?

[@attafwrd]

Why my Moondrop Dawn Pro don't have the Non oversampling filter both in Link 2.0 nor 1.3.12, wth...

[@donglemadness]

You gotta ask that to Moondrop

[@attafwrd]

@@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.

[@igorstimac8993]

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?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@igorstimac8993]

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

[@donglemadness]

@@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]

​@@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?

[@donglemadness]

@@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

[@calvinyip364]

May i know can this device use with pc ? Also can it drive the hd600?

[@donglemadness]

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

[@calvinyip364]

​@@donglemadnessdoes it come with a usb adapter? Also does it come with a 4.4mm adapter?

[@donglemadness]

@@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

[@calvinyip364]

@@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.

[@donglemadness]

@@calvinyip364 Yes that's the idea

[@enzofelipe3]

How to use this same dac on iphone (lightning)

[@donglemadness]

You will need an adapter from ddHiFi TC28i

[@enzofelipe3]

@@donglemadnessare you sure it will work? There is other option?because its like half of the dac price.

[@calvinchen6212]

Tanchijim Space vs This?

[@donglemadness]

Both on equal terms one to one. Similarly tuned and power wise

[@user-ec2tm5rb4i]

Ibasso dc03 pro or Moondrop dawn pro?

[@donglemadness]

If you want energetic and vibrant sound, DC03Pro. If you want a more transparent and open sound, DAWN Pro

[@user-ec2tm5rb4i]

@@donglemadness Thank you!

[@wapporonne]

DC 03 PRO OR MOONDROP ? I HAVE ATH-60 X , HELLO FROM RUSSIA

[@donglemadness]

Hello! I always prefer DC03Pro over DAWN Pro, so yes DC03Pro is what I recommend more

[@wapporonne]

@@donglemadness don’t understand what to choose, most of them advise moon, they say that there is a stage there.

[@donglemadness]

@@wapporonne If it makes you feel better get DAWN Pro, either one of them are already great and you will not be missing anything

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

Does it power pr2 nicely?

[@donglemadness]

Overkill really, as you can see, this thing can drive Fostex T40RP MK3 Magnetic Planar which is like 3 times harder than PR2

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

@@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)

[@donglemadness]

@@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

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

@@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.

[@donglemadness]

@@JoseFerreira-zb7wh I have one coming in soon. Thanks

[@Supun-zn4kk]

is it compatible with Samsung galaxy A34 ?

[@donglemadness]

Hopefully someone with A34 can answer this

[@Supun-zn4kk]

@@donglemadness ❤️

[@Flypt1d]

this or ibasso dc03 pro?

[@donglemadness]

If you don't need 4.4mm BAL, DC03Pro. But DAWN Pro is more neutral and wider with soundstage

[@Flypt1d]

@@donglemadness may I know why the DC03 Pro despite the Dawn Pro having better soundstage?

[@BPArBATbl]

Simgot dew4x better?

[@donglemadness]

About the same performance

[@BPArBATbl]

@@donglemadness If i bashead moondrop will better?

[@fuzail3379]

Between Dwan Pro & Shio & Abigail or Avani which would be perfect for AFul Performer 5. Considering I'm using Android Phone . Thanks in advance

[@donglemadness]

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

[@fuzail3379]

@@donglemadness thanks brother. So i will not buy other dacs. Will use Abigail Pro. Thanks again 👍👍 cheers

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

its abit too op imo

[@donglemadness]

OP if you have crazily sensitive IEMs, for that sort of IEMs just stick with anything under 2 Vrms or even 1 Vrms

[@ICE-V_V]

What's about TempoTec Sonata BHD comparing to MOONDROP DAWN Pro? Which one I should choose? 🥲

[@donglemadness]

I haven't tried the later model BHD so I would not know how it compares with DAWN Pro

[@joshuasantoso556]

Just in time for the 11.11 sale. Got it for $38. Thank you Andy

[@joshuasantoso556]

Now waiting for your review on Fiio KA13 😬

[@donglemadness]

That's an amazing bargain!