Kaiboer DA5 Dongle DAC AMP Review – Dual DAC, Bridged Sound
KaiBoer DA5 is a $59 USD DAC AMP made with a dual CS43198 DAC combo, able to render files up to 798kHz for PCM and DSD256, and with a 4.4mm output and power up to 682mW, it will be the star of our review today.
Introduction
This is the first time we are reviewing a product from Kaiboer but I hope it is the first of many because this is quite interesting, a portable DAC and Headphone AMP with a huge power, low price and the company seems to have been in business since 2007, so it has a long history of delivering music to audiophile ears. You can find Kaiboer products on Amazon, Aliexpress as well as other Hifi shops including their own online shop, although I did not find this model on the official website, only far more premium desktop pieces of equipment.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4whm7US
Build Quality – Design – Subjective Usage
Build Quality – Kaiboer DA5 uses metal in the build and it comes with buttons, and a smart app integration. The buttons work on windows without any driver and without any issues, and it has a reliable build. With two headphone outputs on one side, one type-c input on the other and a a gain switch on the opposite end of the volume buttons, DA5 is a versatile little DAC AMP.
DAC – At the core of the beast we have a Dual CS43198 DAC combo, aided by a Flagship CB5100PRO Bridge, allowing the DAC to decode data rates up to 768 kHz and DSD256. To be honest, my youtube rips downloaded with jdownloader and classic redbook cd music collection will do just fine with most DAC AMPS. Technically the THD is incredible at -110dB, and it has an output capable of 4.2 volts of voltage output a SNR of 130 dB, and can theoretically drive headphones up to 600 OHMs of impedance, thanks to that high voltage.
Special Subjective Notes – There are a couple of notes that you need to take into account, including that DA5 starts with volume set to 100% on windows, ready to blow your eardrums up, and also it does not work if there are no headphones connected. This means that the internal circuit relies on the headphones to work, and it will not be seen by the PC or Android phone unless there is at least one pair of headphones plugged in. Having an open circuit is not necessarily such a huge issue, but it does cause that sweeping sound as it means that the headphones are connected more directly to the power output of your motherboard, be it from the computer or the phone. It works well for real time content and has no audible delay. Because it does not turn off, you hear the background noise always.
Sound Quality
Pairings – Despite the extremely low price, I have used Kaiboer DA5 to drive many Headphones and IEMS, and from the latest ones we’ve explored, I have paired it with Faith Audio E1000, Grell OAE2, Lily Audio Genesis One, Palma DHS-1, KBEar Cepheus, Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced, TinHIFI T7, NFAudio NE4, Sivga Peng, Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced, Soundz Flame, YanYin Canon PRO, Dunu Vulkan 2, Moritz Aura, HarmonicDyne Romantic, Hiby Digital Yume, HIFIMAN Audivina LE, Westone Mach 80,BQEYZ Winter II, Fosi Audio IM4, Aune AC55,iBasso Cookie Ti Jr.
As you would expect, it has huge driving power, but it does have some background noise, audible with most sensitive IEMs. It also has like a tone sweep with a frequency of 5 minutes, which goes from 20 Hz to 20 kHz and in 5 minutes it scans the entire thing, but once again, it is only audible with very sensitive IEMS and at a level extremely quiet, inaudible while music is playing.
Overall Signature – Kaiboer offered us the first chance to review a product, but this is their most affordable entry, so it might not be a direct indicator of how the high-end ones sound like, but so far, it is a very natural, a bit mid centric type of tuning, with a clean bass, clean and relaxed treble and clean midrange. It has a very natural, slightly vocal oriented tone that is correct and not exaggerated or dramatic in any way.
Bass – At the low-end, DA5 is fairly natural and clean, has a natural speed for the bass, it is relaxed slightly, but renders a natural punch. I keep using this natural, but it is not excessive in either being too much or too little. This makes the whole tuning feel right, but not surprising in any way. It is a good bass, will render quantity with basshead IEMS, but stay neutral with neutral sounding IEMS.
Midrange And Vocals – Vocals are a bit more present than the bass or the treble, creating a tendency for voices to be intimate and present. This extends to guitars slightly, and gives music a bit of extra detail and presence, making Kaiboer DA5 good for pop, modern music but less centric for EDM and dubstep.
Treble – Top end is relaxed, natural, a bit smooth and not quite as present as the vocal range of the DA5. It is good in the sense that it is not offensive, but can be a touch too relaxed for rock and metal, once again being best for pop and modern music, commercial tracks.
Dynamics And Textures – You can expect a slightly compressed dynamic range, but with good resolution. Textures are slightly relaxed and slightly smooth, with a good sense of separation. It works well for most pop and commercial music.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – DA5 starts at max volume in windows, but starts more naturally on Android. On Windows, the whole max volume with no distortion is up to around 40% of what Windows shows, same as I’ve seen with most Tempotec DAC AMPs and most entry-level IEMS. There is no sync issue and it works well for real time content. You can hear that it does not turn off during silence and stays on at all times, which means that the first second of each song is not cut, but while no sound is playing, you will hear the background noise.
Soundstage – Soundstage size is a bit intimate, owed to the slightly forward vocals, also they sound natural in separation, it is not a strong separation, but enough for commercial and pop music. Overall, as long as you have a mainstream taste, DA5 will play really well for you.
Value – Conclusion
With the price tag of 59 USD, Kaiboer DA5 is a very affordable DAC AMP, and has one of the highest driving powers available for this size and price range, along with a really nice natural sound, so it will be totally worth looking into and considering, and it is great value.
As things stand right now, as long as you keep in mind that it is not made for very sensitive IEMS in particular and that DA5 is designed to work only when headphones are plugged in, it is a fully recommended purchase, it works really well for all music styles, being a versatile dongle with more special options available with the app on android.
PROs
- High maximum driving power
- High max data rate decoding abilities
- Excellent build quality and reliable design
- Natural and open sound
- Low price but high performance
- Fairly good resolution and technical edge
Cons
- Only works when headphones are plugged in, otherwise it is not even seen by laptops, computers or android phones
- High background noise with sensitive earphones
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4whm7US
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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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