In this review, we take a look at the ddHiFi TC35Pro Eye2 and Mountain2, two new versions of the brand’s compact DAC/AMP, respectively priced just under $85 and $95 USD.
Disclaimer: the TC35Pro Eye2 and Mountain2 were sent to us free of charge by ddHifi. You can find them on ddHiFi’s Aliexpress shop, or at your local retailer.
About ddHiFi
Established in 2017, ddHiFi is now a well-established brand with an extensive range of devices. Cables, adapter, travel cases and more importantly, DAC. Led by Demond Ding, a former member of FiiO and Oppo, the brand has become more and more popular over time – and there’s now a solid community revolving around them, for good reason!
The company goal?
“To use concise and brief design language to make user-friendly accessory products, abandon any decorative design that is irrelevant to practical usage and pay more attention to product material and craftsmanship details with cost-controlled”
Or in simple terms: good products, at the right price – or chi-fi if you want to short it even more. And, so far, ddHiFi succeeded in its task, delivering months after months, delightfully geeky stuff like the TC44Pro – my favorite USB-key sized DAC – or adapters like the TC28i / TC28i Pro – a life-saver for iOS users like me who hasn’t switched for the new iPhone 15 – and even high-end cables, able to compete with the likes of AudioQuest, or Effect Audio.
Lovely products that I use almost daily – especially the TC28Pro nowadays, for my video needs – and so when the brand offered us a chance to try the new iteration of their TC35Pro series, I jumped right in.
The ddHiFi series
Like many Chi-Fi brands, ddHiFi can be quite prolific, which is both a blessing, and a curse. Fortunately, the catalog is easily understandable, thanks to clear lettering… most of the time!
- TCx: here you have all the digital adapters, for iPhone/Android or PC/MAC.
- DJx: then come the analog adapters, to bridge your DAP and your headphone/IEM for example
- BCx: this is where you’ll find the IEM cables, like the Forest, Nyx or Sky
- EAx: want some IEM/EArphones? Here they are
- Cxx: last but not least, C is for… the cases.
ddHiFi TC44A
Probably the best addition to the TCxx series, the ddHiFi TC44A is a full-featured DAC/AMP, retaining almost the same smartphone’s dongle size, seen on the TC35C and TC35i/TC35B. I said almost, because up close, you’ll immediately notice the bigger output – a 4.4mm pentaconn – protruding almost 2mm.
Inside, the brand put a Cirrus-Logic chip (CS43131) ensuring better performances with full 32bit/384kHz PCM decoding and Native 256 DSD support. Output power was doubled (up to 60mW @32ohm) but keep in mind that even if the TC44C gets a 4.4mm output, you only get a single-ended connection… It remains a lovely device, as I stated in my review:
“Where things get interesting is with the ddHiFi TC44A, a great little DAC, capable of great lengths once paired with a good IEM. Sound quality is surprisingly good, build quality is top-notch – as usual – and the conception design makes it the perfect companion for your smartphone – whether you got an iOS or Android device.”
Full review here :
ddHiFi TC44Pro
If the TC44A isn’t powerful enough for you, but still need something thumb-sized, the ddHiFi TC44Pro should be the right option. Like the TC44C – the top dog from the brand – the TC44Pro comes with a dual set of Cirrus-Logic CS43131, for better performances and a dual-mono setup. It’s the one I’m using on a daily basis with my CIEM and it’s even powerful enough to drive all portable headphones on the market. Here’s a quick extract from my review:
“Once more ddHiFi did what they do best: take of their “old” model, try a few fixes here and there, and upgrade it to the upper level. Quintessence of that process, the TC44Pro really is the epitome of ddHiFi dongle-mania. “
Full review here:
ddHiFi TC44C
Branded as ddHiFi’s flagship DAC, the TC44C is, basically, a dual TC44A with two Cirrus-logic DAC embedded, a dual output system with a 3.5mm TRS and a 4.4mm Pentaconn, and a female USB-C port instead of a male one that allows you to connect the system on iOS, or Android, with one of the two provided cable. Sonically, it’s one of my favorite devices in the sub-$150 range. Not the best in terms of technicality, but one of the most versatile, allowing me to connect either one of my easy-to-drive IEM – without any hiss – or more eager cans like my Meze 109 Pro.
Here’s a quick excerpt of the review:
“If the TC44A was the perfect on-the-go DAC for me, the ddHiFi TC44C replaced that one in my bag, as the perfect companion for both my smartphone and computer. At the moment, it’s my new fav DAC/AMP in the sub $150”
Full review here:
Design & Build Quality
Casing
Like their predecessor, the ddHiFi TC35Pro Eye2 and Mountain2 remain thumb-sized DAC, designed to be carried like your usual phone dongle. There is a palpable echo of their predecessor’s design, yet with a freshly revamped aesthetic and functionality, while maintaining the compact, thumb-sized DAC design synonymous with their lineage. As the name implies, these pro versions are slightly larger than the TC35C—approximately 30% to be precise. However, this subtle increase in size doesn’t compromise daily usability unless one is in pursuit of the absolute smallest DAC available.
Despite being marginally larger than the TC35C, the TC35 Pro versions are designed to be unobtrusive in daily use, unless one is in pursuit of the absolute smallest DAC. Owing to the 3.5mm Jack TRS, as opposed to the 4.4mm Pentaconn port found in the TC44 series, ddHiFi managed to trim a few more millimeters from the shell. In terms of size, the Mountain2 now measures 28.5 x 17 x 19.4mm, while the Eye2 comes in at 35 x 14 x 12mm (cable excluded). Nonetheless, in daily use, I consistently perceived the latter as smaller, attributed to its slender form.
Still, like all other gear from the brand, this one continues to convey an impressively premium feel, a sentiment that is even more pronounced with this new generation. It boasts a clean design, featuring a main aluminum body and a superb braided cable on the Eye2
Obviously, ddHiFi being themselves, they also added a small lanyard hole on top of the Mountain2, in case you wanted to wear the TC35Pro like a necklace. Because why not?
Build Quality
Once again, ddHiFi checks all the right boxes, presenting a new dongle that is simply exquisite in every aspect.
Thick, solid metal, everywhere you can touch and see, and even the geeky lanyard hole of the Mountain2 appears unbreakable, even if there’s an almost-zero chance of me intending to use it for its designated purpose. The wing-like design, directly inherited from the TC44Pro, might seem strange at first with its dual-side concept, but once plugged into your phone, the flat bottom immediately makes sense allowing you to leave the phone in a downright position, free of any hassle.
As for the Eye2, it caught my eye right out of the box. With a CNC-milled shell that somewhat resembles a small construct, perfectly beveled angles,impeccable delineation at the center and a superb cable with two-tone plug, it currently stands as one of my favorite designs.
Last but not least, no screws, no gaps, even upon close inspection, as the brand has ensured every part is tightly sealed. Lovely!
Comfort and Specifications
Daily use
As expected, the ddHiFi TC35Pro were extremely easy to use : just plug it to your source – an iPhone in my case, as I asked for the Lightning version, connect your headphone/IEM on the other side, and you’re good to go!
There are two versions available:
- the 8-pin (lightning) version, the one I took for my own iPhone, which should work flawlessly with any Apple phone;
- the USB-C version, the one that should work for every other devices (Android, PC, Mac, iPad, tablet, and – of course – the new iPhone
Once again, I mostly paired them with the lovely Letshuoer S12 Pro, and the impeccable Meze 109 Pro, in single-ended mode of course. No special manipulation, no special driver and no error message with my phone: Perfect!
Last but not least, you won’t have access to any control, nor phone call support, just pure music. But that was to be expected.
Specifications
Much like the TC44A, the ddHiFi TC35Pro comes with a Cirrus-Logic DAC, the aforementioned CS43131 more precisely, found in plentiful of devices nowaday. No dual-dac here, but considering the price-point and single-ended output, this is a non-issue.
This is a DAC that we encountered quite a few time now, from the olds-but-mighty Astell&Kern SR25MKii and Cowon’s Plenue D3, to the FiiO KA1 and Shanling UA1 Plus – two dongle DAC that we also reviewed recently.
A very popular chip, issued from the MasterHiFi series and advertised as a “low power audio DAC with a high-fidelity headphone amplifier to provide a superior system-level audio performance”. And, history has proven that Cirrus really knows cirrus knows a thing or two about it, improving year after year, for the last decade.
As usual, this chip is more of an SOC than a simple DAC, embedding all kinds of features like advanced 32-bit oversampled multi-bit modulator with mismatch shaping technology, or an Integrated GND-centered, Class H headphone driver, helping brands like FiiO to create all-in-one devices, with smaller PCB.
To sum it up, you get:
- up to 32bits / 384kHz PCM decoding + DSD256 support
- Hardware MQA renderer
- -115dB THD + 30mW @ 32 ohms
- low power consumption, between 6.25-40.2 during playback
- Seamless switching between high performance and low power playback
- Volume matching of the analog output levels and channel mixing
SNR is rated at 125dB, THD below 0.0004%, and power output should reach 65mW@32ohm, for each channel with a 32ohms load. Not the best nor the most impressive numbers you’ll see around here, but seeing how small and light the TC44Pro is, that remains impressive. We’ll have to compare that with the new FiiO KA1 and iBasso DC03Pro, the two kings in this bracket.
Finally, at the end of the line, ddHiFi chose the ESS ES9603Q chip as the headphone amp. An “industry leading chip with the highest performance standalone for audiophile-grade portable applications” based on ESS assumption – which does sound promising on paper. Enough to match/outperform the competition? That’s what we are about to find-out.
Full specifications
- Model: ddHiFi TC35Pro Mountain2/Eye2
- Type: DAC/Amp
- DAC: Cirrus-Logic CS43131
- AMP: ESS ES9604Q
- up to 32bits / 384kHz PCM decoding support + up to DSD256
- Output Load: 16 – 150 Ohm (adaptive)
- Output power: 65mW per Channel (32ohm) Balanced
- SNR: > 125dB
- THD: < 0.0004%
- Dynamic Range: > 120dB
- auto-impedance sense function
- Dimensions (excl plug): 35mm x 14mm x 12mm (Eye2) / 28,5 x 17 x 10,4mm (Mountain 2)
- Weight: 8.5g
- Price: $79 (Moutain 2) / $89 (Eye2)
The article continues on Page Two, after the click here
Page 1: About ddHiFi, design, build quality, specifications
Page 2 : Sound performances
