E1DA 9038D Review

E1DA 9038D

Praticality

The 9038D is a very practical device. My Android phone detects it as soon as I hook it up and activates the ”audio through usb” mode.
When I connect the 9038D to my Android phone with the Tidal app open, Tidal asks me whether I want to allow the application to access ”E1DA #9038D PCM32/384 DSD256” The 9038D also offers driver-less operation with Macs. For Windows 10, you can use the device without drivers but for best support and config for software like foobar2000, etc. I advise you to download the driver that can easily be found on the eccentric website of the E1DA.

Tweak App, Firmware Options & Customization

Ivan’s son, Tyoma is a developer and they prepared a tweak app for the 9038 series. The app allows users to configure DAC’s hardware and it comes with a preset manager. You can load custom settings, change many hardware options such as filters, master clock frequency, audio data rate, and more. The customization options are advanced and endless so if you’re a keen guy who has an interest in such technicalities, you can have a good time with the E1DA.

For others, the DAC sounds brilliant straight out of the box and you have nothing to worry about. E1DA also provides several different firmware. The integrated USB bridge lets you update 9038D firmware via USB, and there are 11 firmware versions in total to choose from with different filters and settings. You can get more information about these and more in the discord channel of E1DA.

E1DA 9038D

Sound Signature

So how does the 9038D sound like? Well, it offers the most neutral, balanced, and accurate reproduction I’ve heard from dongle DACs.
It sounds detailed, clean, and dynamic. It punches above its weight when it comes to technical aspects such as separation, staging, imaging, and PRaT. It can easily target the dongles that are double the price of E1DA and that is a wonderful achievement in my book. This is the main reason why I think the 9038D offers excellent value for money. You immediately notice how clear and clean it sounds and it certainly doesn’t feel like it is bottlenecking your $700 USD IEMs.

I did most of my listening with the new XENNS UP Tribrid IEMs and the amount of enjoyment I got out of a 100 USD device is surprising. Not only that, I tested the 9038D with a bunch of IEMs in my inventory and the result was pretty much the same. As you’d probably know, the synergy is important and I do not recommend pairing the 9038D with analytical IEMs such as the ER4S because the combination will not be very forgiving, especially with unelaborate recorded tracks. E1DA is a highly resolving DAC for its size and it offers a BS-free approach to the sound. You hear whatever is in the recording, loud and clear. Let’s dissect this section into subcategories and take a closer look.

Low

The low range of the 9038D feels accurate, tight, and fast. It can get quite authoritative when the track calls for it. The 9038D reflects your headphones and IEMs as is, thanks to the neutral approach and the precise tonality. It does not feel elevated or saturated at all and uttering these words about a hundred-dollar DAC dongle is certainly interesting. The attack and decay of percussion instruments do not feel artificial, the note-weight feels accurate as the bass does not feel particularly heavy or light. Additionally, the control is very good so there is absolutely no section overlap of any kind and the transition between bass and mids feels effortless. Overall, the 9038D offers excellent low-reproduction, certainly beyond the class of DAC dongles.

Mid

The tonal accuracy is brilliant. Mids feel effortless and airy, vocals are easy to track, strings are clean and defined. The weight and the thickness of the notes feel organic and natural. The micro-detail retrieval is most certainly impressive for a device that is only a little finger long. Apart from being tonally true, midrange features excellent control and shows almost no coloration just like the rest of the spectrum. This is truly excellent and it is a great engineering feat. Due to the excellent control, the upper mids are detailed, clean, and controlled. The extension is really good and they never feel too much or too little. They are tuned the way they should. 

High 

Similar to the rest of the frequency spectrum, high-range feel precise, vivid, and dynamic. None of the sections try to steal the show and the 9038D’s tuning shows excellent coherency across the bands. The highs of the 9038D feel articulate, airy, and detailed. They offer excellent resolution and definition while staying perfectly relaxed. You won’t hear sibilance-prone, too hot, or too crisp highs or upper mids from the 9038D. Treble does not overpower presentation, in fact, it helps the soundstage perception thanks to brilliant high extension and breathy presentation.

E1DA 9038D

Technical Capability

The technical capability of the 9038D is most certainly impressive. I mentioned that it does not color the signatures of your IEMs and headphones. It reflects them as-is. The resolution and the clarity are very impressive and perhaps I can say that the 9038D’s performance is almost twice its price which is brilliant. The attack-decay is very fast, making transients feel agile and dynamic. Micro-details are easy to notice and track. Furthermore, the PRaT is very good and that is most probably why it feels very dynamic. Overall, I don’t think you’ll need anything else for your ultra-portable needs. Cheers to Ivan for this little wonder. Nice work.

Quick Comparisons

vs. Audirect Beam2SE ($89 USD)

Audirect’s Beam 2SE is also an ultra-portable USB DAC & AMP in a dongle form factor. The 2SE features ESS Technology ESS9281 DAC compared to 9038D’s ESS9038Q2M. Beam 2SE can dish out 120mW into a 32Ω load compared to 9038D’s 180mW so the E1DA is slightly more powerful than the 2SE. This is, of course, not the most important difference between the two devices. They both cost around the same but the 9038D offers much better tonal accuracy and resolution compared to the 2SE. The 2SE feels light and somewhat digital compared to the 9038D. Also, the 2SE feels more linear and soulless, compared to the more dynamic 9038D.

vs. Hiby FC3 ($69 USD)

Hiby’s FC3 is a lower-priced ultra-portable USB DAC & AMP in a dongle form factor. At the heart of the FC3, we see the ESS9281PRO DAC according to Hiby’s website. However, I couldn’t find the DAC’s datasheet and I am not sure what is the difference between the regular 9281 and the PRO versions, technical-wise. Anyway, the FC3 can dish out only 70mW into a 32Ω load compared to 9038D’s 180mW. I wouldn’t try to feed cans with this one, although it is perfectly suitable for your IEMs. Sound-wise, it is warmer, rounder, and slightly less detailed compared to the 9038D. The 9038D sounds slightly more relaxed in comparison. Nevertheless, the FC3 offers excellent value for money just like the 9038D. It may lack the technical capability of the 9038D but it is not mountains away considering its price tag.

vs. Hidizs DH80s ($129 USD)

Hidizs’ DH80s is a portable USB DAC & AMP with an integrated 1300 mAh battery inside. It utilizes the ESS9281C PRO DAC Chip and combines it with dual RT6863C OP-Amps. It weighs around 70 grams so it is quite light. It can dish out 210mW into a 32Ω load compared to 9038D’s 180mW so it is slightly more powerful. Sound-wise it offers a balanced signature and slightly colored approach compared to the 9038D. Resolution-wise it is not as clean and resolving as the 9038D but the margin is not huge. The most obvious difference between the two devices is that the DH80s feels more sticky, with less air between instruments. The 9038D’s staging and positioning are more relaxed, more spacious in comparison.

E1DA 9038D

Last Words

In my opinion, Ivan’s 9038D is an engineering marvel. It is a great achievement to be able to squeeze such a high-performance device into such a small chassis, which not only performs well on paper but also in real life.

The E1DA deserves maybe 2, maybe 3 times the price tag and if you’re looking for a DAC to carry with you, you should absolutely check it out. It is easy-to-use, practical and multifunctional. I had trouble finding anything negative about it! It is going straight to the HFN Recommended DAC-AMPs list!

 

 

Page 1: E1DA, 9038S & 9038D, Packaging & Accessories, Highlights, Design & Build Quality, User Experience

Page 2: Power, Controls & UI, Specifications & Technical Data, AMP Performance, Technical Performance, Pairings & Comparisons, Last Words

4.5/5 - (221 votes)
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Long time Tech Enthusiast, an ambitious petrol-head, Yagiz likes his gadgets and always finds new ways into the tinkerer's world. He tries to improve anything and everything he gets his hands onto. Loves an occasional shine on the rocks.

13 Comments

  • Reply September 7, 2021

    MhtLion

    Wow, such a tiny package with ES9038Q2M. Impressive! I wonder how it can drive Senn HD6XX.

    • Reply September 8, 2021

      Yang

      I have both, it performs satisfactory for price. If you want something with more warmth check out PowerDac V2.1. Similar design, much more power.

  • Reply September 7, 2021

    adhisan

    How it is compared to lootoo paw s1? Is it ultimately better?

    • Reply September 8, 2021

      Yagiz

      Sorry, I don’t have it.

  • Reply September 7, 2021

    Stu

    How does this thing compare with the EarMen Sparrow or Eagle?

    • Reply September 8, 2021

      Yagiz

      Sorry Stu, I don’t have them.

      • Reply September 9, 2021

        Andrei

        I own 9038D, is crazy good product in terms of sound quality and is powerful as bull, my andromeda 2020 barely usable with its high sensitivity, UAPP saved me with its volume control
        Also after a few weeks of dalily using 9038D I heard Cobalt dongle and don’t like it at all, i just try it for comparison and Cobalt sound was like “WOT? what a shitty sound.. I keep my 9038D.”
        But you should be aware that it will pick up every bit of your 4G – 5G mobile data noise if you use short cable (if you use it with your mobile as transport), mean put your phone as far as you can from the dongle, in my case 40cm distance was enough.
        Cheers

        • Reply October 4, 2021

          Dustin

          hello Andrei, so can you use the 9038d with UAPP? Does it recognize it? And can I control the volume of 9038D using the hardware volume control from UAPP? Thanks in advance!

          • Reply October 18, 2021

            Yagiz

            Yes, UAPP recognizes it and you can control the hardware volume with it.

            Best,
            Y

  • Reply September 8, 2021

    james mccook

    Great review.
    Ivan seems like a nice guy, I could have a few shots of vodka with him.
    Yagiz, you’re good at finding these gems.

  • Reply January 30, 2022

    Adrian

    from where to buy E1DA 9038D?

  • Reply March 10, 2024

    Jeroen Wijnands

    This has gone up significantly in price! It’s now 149 euro!!!!

    • Reply March 12, 2024

      Yagiz

      If that’s true, don’t buy it. There are many alternatives out there.

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