ddHiFi TC44Pro – Review

In this review, we take a look at the ddHiFi TC44Pro the latest DAC/AMP from the brand, priced just under $80 USD.

Disclaimer: the TC44Pro was sent to us free of charge by ddHifi. You can find it on ddHiFi’s Aliexpress, 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 – even if they haven’t match James Chung’s firm popularity… yet!

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 an affordable price. Which is equal to chi-fi if you want to short it even more. And, so far, ddHiFi succeeded in its task, delivering month after months, delightfully geeky stuff like the TC44C – of my favorite USB-key sized DAC – or adapters like the TC28i / TC28i Pro – a life-saver for iOS users like me 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 TC44C – and so when the brand offered us a chance to try the new ddHifi TC44Pro, 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. Speaking about cases, did you see their C2022 “outdoor carrying case for audiophile”? It”s SOOO geeky/nerd… and I want one so bad

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 available 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 alloys you to connect the system on iOS, or Android, with one of the two provided cable. Sonically, it’s one of my favorite device 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:

And 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. The only drawback? It’s a limited edition – even if 600 pcs remain a lot – and I’m sure that the brand will offer something even better in the coming months. But, at the moment, it’s my new fav DAC/AMP in the sub $150!

Full review here:

Design & Build Quality

Casing

As usual with the brand, the ddHiFi TC44Pro remains a thumb-sized DAC, but not as small as its predecessor. If you could easily hide the TC44A or the TC35 in your pocket, the new DAC won’t be as easy to hide – even if compared to something like the Chord Mojo, or even the iFi Go Blu, the TC44Pro do seem lilliputian.

Wider, thicker and a tad longer, the DAC owes its measurements to its single headphone output: a 4.4mm Pentaconn port instead of the classical 3.5mm one. Much like the TC44C or the TC44A, ddHiFi could have been able to produce a tinier DAC, but the port will always dictate the minimal thickness attainable. Numbers? 30mm wide, 18mm long and 12.5mm thick, for just 9g.

Still, like every other gears from the brand, this one keeps on conveying an awesomely good premium feel and that’s even truer with this new generation. It’s a clean design, with a main aluminum body, golden plated 4.4mm Pentaconn and USB-C ports, and a carbon fiber plate at the bottom.

Obviously, ddHiFi being themselves, they also added a small lanyard hole on top, in case you wanted to wear the TC44C like a necklace. Because why not?

Build Quality

Again, ddHifi ticks all the right boxes, and the new dongle is simply exquisite in this regard. Wherever you touch, it’s just thick solid metal and even the geeky lanyard hole seemed unbreakable even if I’d never use it for its dedicated purpose. The backplate is made of a special 1800D carbon fiber panel, manually installed by the team, like the headphone socker which is manually soldered, to ensure the best possible results and longevity.

No  screws, no gaps, even if you look very closely, as the brand made sure that every part was tightly sealed. Best of all, the gray-tinted case, get a a semi-tubular design, that allows you to leave your phone flat while you’re listening to your music. A small detail, but quite a handful with a dongle DAC.

Comfort and Specifications

Daily use

As you’d expect, the ddHiFi TC44Pro was extremely easy to use. Just plug it to your source – an iPhone in my case, as I asked for the Lightning version –  then to your headphone/IEM, 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, etc…

I mainly used the 4.4mm output, paired with the Letshuoer S12 Pro, and the Meze 109 Pro, with Meze ‘s own PCUHD  cable (a Marvel). And, unlink many DAC/Amp, you won’t have to bear with an additional cable, linking your phone to the TC44Pro, it’s one full device all at once.

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

As the name implies, the ddHiFi TC44Pro is a step up from the smaller TC44A, leaning more toward the TC44C territory, the basic A version.

While the A version only comes with a single DAC, the Pro one enjoys the same dual CS43131 chipset, seen on the higher-grade TC 44C. The same architecture found in olds-but-mighty Astell&Kern SR25MKii and Cowon’s Plenue D3, two great players, sonically speaking.

As you’d expect, you get better dynamic range, enhanced SNR and lesser distortion, leading to improved performances overall, thanks to the dual-channel, balanced circuit. On paper, we should get better performance than the previous models, with enough power to drive moderately hard to drive headsets, like the Meze 109 Pro, or planar IEM like the Letshuoer S12 Pro..

SNR is rated at 125dB, same numbers as the TC44C (hurray), dynamic range adobe 120dB and power output rated at 120mW@32ohm, just 12mW shy under the TC44C. Not the best nor the most impressive numbers you’ll see around here , but seeing how small and light the TC44C is, that remains impressive. We’ll have to compare that with the new FiiO KA5 and iBasso DC04Pro, the two kings in this bracket.

Plus, I never encountered the dreaded “this device drains too much power” from my iPhone, so I’m pretty pleased overall.

Full specifications

• Model: ddHiFi TC44Pro

• Type: DAC/Amp

• DAC: 2x Cirrus-Logic CS43131

• up to 32bits / 384kHz PCM decoding support + up to DSD256

• Output Load: 16 – 300 Ohm (adaptive)

• Output power: 120mW per Channel (32ohm) Balanced

• SNR: > 125dB

• THD: < – 110dB

• Dynamic Range: > 120dB

• auto-impedance sense function

• Dimensions (excl plug): 30mm x 18mm x 12.5mm

• Weight: 9g

• Price: $79

The article continues on Page Two, after the click here

Page 1: About ddHiFi, design, build quality, specifications
Page 2 : Sound performances