EarMen Angel Review

Sound – Balanced vs Single ended headphone output

The setup for this section is with the USB-C input, using the EarMen with the Audeze MM-500 and the Hifiman Arya Stealth.

The differences between both outputs are very easy to perceive. The Single Ended output is narrower in presentation. It doesn’t only extend less well up on top and below, but it also has less spacious presentation in the mids. At the same time, I also find the note extension to suffer from this, and as such the Balanced output doesn’t only sound technically stronger (more control, precision, improved layering), it’s also more musical, natural and easy to listen to.

So yes, I do fully recommend going fully balanced with this DAC/AMP, but at the same time the single ended route still is good, don’t worry about that. The balanced output just is even better. Do try the Arya Stealth and ELITE with the Angel, if you have these in your collection. The synergy is impressive.

Sound – Digital Inputs

The USB-C input delivers a neutral, well-balanced sound with a good amount of body. The weight is natural and realistic though, nothing is enhanced or boosted. You get great clarity and cleanness, slightly forward focus, and a sparkling and energetic top end. The lower regions are neutral in presence, and as such this isn’t really a bass heavy unit. It’s a typical reference tuning, with a high technical quality.

The Coaxial input is slightly fuller sounding, and you get more weight in the lows and mids, but everything is still at a neutral level. The Coaxial output is also a bit softer, more analogue sounding, though this difference is limited, and it requires a high end ear- or headphone to really perceive it. The clarity, cleanness and precision level are still very impressive, this unit is a king when it comes to technicalities. Some might say the coaxial is even more musical because of the slightly softer and fuller presentation (vocals are the same as before).

Optical inputs usually aren’t one I tend to prefer and use most, as they tend to have a more digital and colder characteristic in many implementations. Here with the EarMen Angel I mostly notice sharper vocals, which personally isn’t something I would look for. Everything else is most like the USB-C input, but perhaps at a lower level of clarity and cleanness.

My favourite input as a result is the Coaxial one, closely followed by the USB-C input and lastly, the Optical one. That said, the differences aren’t night and day, so do try this yourself with your favourite ear- and headphones.

Sound – Pre-Out

I have also been using the EarMen Angel as a pre to feed the Auris Audio Headonia and Feliks Audio Envy tube amplifiers. The pre out function (direct or pre) works well, and the sound is completely neutral and uninfluenced. If you want a clean, clear and neutral sound to go into your amplifier, the EarMen delivers. In other words, the EarMen Angel’s output is transparent, and it doesn’t add anything to the sound.

Comparisons

This comparison was done with the Hifiman Arya Stealth headphone. Source was my laptop with ROON & Tidal.

First up in the comparison of course is the EarMen TR-Amp. The TR-Amp is still available from EarMen and it is selling for only €249 Euro. On the inside we find the ES9038Q2M from Sabre, which is the same chip as in the Angel, only in a different implementation. The TR-Amp is much fuller sounding, with more body in bass and mids. Bass is also elevated in case of the TR-Amp. The TR-Amp is more fun tuned, where Angel is more neutral and reference. The technical level of the Angel is quite a bit higher than the TR-Amp’s and that translates in a better extension of the sound stage in all directions, a more spacious and airy presentation and better detail retrieval. Even though the same chip is used, the outcome is very different. The Angel is miles ahead of the TR-AMP looking at pure quality.

The CEntrance HiFi-M8 V2 is selling for $750 USD, so it’s very close to the Angel. On the inside we find a VelvetSound™ AKM AK4493 DAC Chip. For me the HiFi-M8 V2 has a higher technical level than the TR-Amp, but it’s not at the level of the Angel. The CEntrance compared to the Tr-Amp has better resolution and clarity, but it’s still limited in sound stage width and depth and resolution compared to the Angel. The HiFi-M8 V2 does offer BT, a nice VU presentation and some other options, but purely on a musical and technical level, the Angel is the more refined and precise one. I do find the bass presence of the HiFi-M8 V2 to be a bit more elevated than in the Angel, and it has overall quite a bit more body.  I do still love using the CEntrance as it has a fun signature with a good technical presentation, but again, it’s nowhere near the level of the Angel.

The Chord Electronics Mojo 2 is selling for around $750 USD and it uses the inhouse developed technology from Chord. Of course, there’s no balanced output on the Mojo 2, but it does have more features/options than the Angel. Mojo 2 body-wise is lighter in presentation from top to bottom, but the difference isn’t huge. I do find the technical signature to be similar, but the Angel is the more spacious sounding one in the mids. The EarMen unit also sounds more natural and analogue where the Mojo has a more digital feel in the presentation. The Mojo 2 is better in PRaT, but the note extension in the Angel is more impressive. Angel’s timbre is smoother and more musical, where the Mojo 2 is more sterile. From a technical point, both these units are excellent, and it will simply depend on how you prefer your music to sound.

Unfortunately, all the iFi Audio models are in Turkey with Yagiz and Berkhan right now, so I can’t add them to the comparisons right now. When they make it back to the HFN HQ, I will add a comparison to this article.

End Words

What a nice little unit the Angel is! EarMen promised a lot but in this case they absolutely delivered.

The EarMen Angel DAC/AMP/Pre isn’t the cheapest unit on the market but the sound quality you get from it, is seriously good. It’s so impressive that I even switched back to it from a full sized desktop amp, because it sounded so much better.

If you want reference quality sound from a transportable unit, the Angel now is one of the main units to look at. It plays (more than) well with everything I hooked up to it, and it does so without a sweat! The EarMen Angel replaces the EarMen Tr-Amp on our best DAC/AMP combo list here, where it is in good company.

Pro:

• Sound quality
• Multiple digital inputs
• Pre out
• Fully balanced

Cons:

• Price
• No special features, filters, etc like on some of the competitors

Page 1: EarMen, Angel – Intro, Price , Features, Design, Build Quality

Page 2: Angel – Layout, Usability, Sound Intro, Sound General

Page 3: Sound Balanced vs Single Ended, Digital Inputs, Pre Out, Comparison, Conclusion