ddHIFI Eye3 TC44PRO E3 Dongle HIFI DAC AMP Review – See Your Sound In All Dimensions
ddHIFI Eye3 is a $105 USD portable dongle DAC AMP with a compact body, Dual CS43198 DAC combo, and a Dual SMG8262 AMP combo. Today we will review the ddHIFI Eye3 and also compare it with other dongle DAC AMPs briefly, to learn more about the market and what it has in store.
Introduction
ddHIFI is one of the popular companies that makes small DAC AMPs, dongle DACs, cables, audio accessories and headphone stands, desktop stands, and so much more. Their HS110 Desktop stand is so popular that more people have asked me about it than any other stand or audio accessory I’ve reviewed, and you can see that in the comments of my reviews, youtube videos and such. ddHIFI makes their products available and accessible through a series of sale channels, including Aliexpress, Amazon, hifi sale channels and even general electronics stores sometimes.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Audiophile-Heaven has no Ads and our Youtube Channel has no midroll ads, and our work is supported by Affiliate Links and Donations. Huge thanks to ddHIFI for providing the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3LKMlNY
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3ZedUYZ
Build Quality – Design
Dd HIFI Eye 3 is a special dongle DAC AMP that relies on looking industrial, a bit vintage and progressive, all at once. IUt us the latest evolution and it is technically the 3rd generation DAC AMP from the TC44PRO line of DAC AMPs, and it is equipped with dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs, and dual SGM8262 AMPs. This DAC combo is the same as the one found in TC44PRO, FiiO M21, iBasso DX260, and Shanling M3 Plus.
Eye3 has a high power delivery of 510mW for the balanced headphone output, promising a wide dynamic range, and it is more portable than all of the other ddHIFI dongle DAC AMPs, with a 20% reduction in size, but still integrating dual output ports, and a USB Type-C input. It has a decoding capability of up to 32 Bit / 384 kHz and Native DSD support up to DSD256.
Eye3 features independent volume control with buttons, 60 volume levels and a dedicated gain switch. There’s an LED light that tells you what type of files you’re listening to and what gain level, and it looks fairly cool in person.
USB DAC – Subjective Usage
A darn large amount of photos from the ddHIFI website make me wish that I had and owned a tablet, they really make the Eye3 look like the perfect dongle DAC AMP for one and for enjoying content while cozy in your bed. The thing is, it kinda is perfect, it dongles, not really pushing on the type-C connector, it has two headphone outputs, so theoretically, if you found headphones with really thin connectors, you could enjoy a movie with a loved one, and it works without drivers on Android.
Eye3 works well with Android but it does not seem to work with Windows at all, and at this point, if connecting it to my windows PC, it starts at maximum volume, and if pressing any button, it shuts down completely. Otherwise, it is very good with Android, it works by default, no DAC delay, and it is great for watching movies or playing games.
Sound Quality
Pairings – I have paired the ddHIFI Eye3 with a selection of headphones and IEMS, including Raptgo LEAF D01, Palma DHS-1, KBEar Cepheus, Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced, Erzetich Thalia, Erzetich Mania V2024, TinHIFI T7, FiiO FT13, NFAudio NE4, Sivga Peng, Moritz Dragon, Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced, Sendy Audio AIVA 2, Tangzu TianPeng, Soundz Flame, YanYin Canon PRO, Dunu Vulkan 2, Letshuoer Mystic 8, and HIFIMAN Isvarna.
It has more than enough power for all of them, and makes awesome pairings with planar headphones like HIFIMAN Edition XV, but as it works only with Android I was able to test it only with my S24 Ultra and no PC computer works with it. There is audible noise with sensitive IEMS, and to avoid you hearing it, Eye3 stops all sound when no music is playing. This also cuts the 1st second and last second of each song.
Overall Signature – ddHIFI Eye3 is a bit overpowered and a bit overdriven if set to max gain and max volume, so I would suggest instead to use the phone to set the digital volume to max and use the buttons on eye3 to set the volume. It sounds fairly neutral, slightly warm in the bass, with a beautiful rounded bass, rounded midrange, and a sparkly, shiny treble that has extreme energy and expression. Soundstage is generally wide, holographic, with a dynamic and engaging signature, and very expressive and detailed textures. Music always starts at minimum volume and when changing the song there’s a fade in fade out effect which seems to be proprietary to eye3.
Bass – With a rounded and full bass, Eye3 has quite a bit of energy and depth in the low-end, being interesting, engaging and fun. It can put the kick into planar and dynamic headphones, but has a more linear, more neutral sound with low impedance IEMS, which likely is connected to the output impedance it has.
Midrange – With a rounded midrange, Eye3 has one of the most natural and fair midrange presentations I’ve heard recently, perfect for both male and female voices, super dynamic and engaging, fun and brilliant. I like a lot the way it paints music and especially how it balances male and female voices. It gives more presence and strength to forward instruments and gives less power and presence to background instruments.
Treble – In the top end, Eye 3 is bright, sharp, brilliant and detailed. It exposes a lot of the treble, metallic, sharp, or smooth and gradual, allowing each song to play its vibe.
Dynamics And Textures – ddHIFI Eye 3 sounds quite compressed, it brings louder all sounds, and this creates the feeling of a wall of sound, which works well for modern music, rock and metal, but does not work well for classical and orchestral music. Textures are quite revealed, expressive, sharp and aggressive.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Eye3 also sounds quite loud, easily becoming distorted if pushed too loud. It has much better control if using the volume on board, using the buttons on the DAC and having the digital volume on your source set to max. It is great for hard to drive headphones.
Soundstage – Especially in the midrange and the treble, Eye3 is holographic, wide, and impressive. It has good instrument separation and sounds generally very spacious.
Value and Conclusion
With the price tag of 105 USD, ddHIFI Eye3 has mostly the other ddHIFI dongle DAC AMPS to fear, as most of them produce a really beautiful sound, and you have to choose the one that best suits your style, and the list includes the TC44PRO, TC35CM2, and Eye2. All of them have really nice price performance ratios, but different sound and built styles.
At the end of the day, ddHIFI Eye3 is a powerful portable dac amp with an engaging sound, lots of driving power, it runs hot but doesn’t consume a lot of power, being perfect for smartphone usage, and if you’re looking for a great balance between male and female voices, you should check out the ddHIFI eye 3, as it also comes with the company’s best OTG USB Cable.
PROs
- Small and ergonomic
- Dynamic and energetic sound
- Engaging and balances well between male and female voices
- Powerful , enough even for hard to drive planar magnetic headphones
- Wide and holographic soundstage
Cons
- Runs quite hot while in usage
- Does not work with Windows, only Android
- Cuts 1st second of each song
- Loud noise floor with sensitive IEMS
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3LKMlNY
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3ZedUYZ
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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