EarMen Sparrow Review

Driveability

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The EarMen Sparrow is very powerful for such a small unit and it drives everything I hooked up to it. I have been using the Sparrow for a couple of months already (it was hard not to spoil anything) and it hasn’t disappointed me once. The only annoying thing is that you can’t stream MQA from Tidal directly from your phone to the Sparrow (or any other DAC/AMP), but that’s more of a story for an Android/Tidal forum.

EarMen’s CEO on several occasion suggested me to listen to the Hifiman Susvara combination from the balanced output to show its potential, so we’ll do just that. I’m using a PlusSound cable and XLR to 2.5mm convertor to do so.

The reference Hifiman Susvara ($6K) is a high end headphone that scales up when used with good amplification. The Sparrow actually quite surprised me as I didn’t expect it to drive the Susvara this well. Making the Susvara sound loud from the Sparrow is not an issue, and the sound quality actually is pretty nice. Would I recommend this DAC/AMP as main source for the Susvara? No, I would not but the Sparrow can be a great backup for powering a high end set of headphones while you’re saving up for a top end amp/source, or when you for one reason or another can’t use a dedicated amplifier.

From the testing I can say that the Sparrow has no issue driving any IEM or normal headphone. From the LCD-1 to the Meze Empyrean, to the Wodan (waw!), to the Sennheiser HD660s: it all works fine.

EarMen Sparrow

Comparison

This is a part many of you probably have been waiting for: Can the Sparrow outperform the most famous USB DAC/AMP on the market? Let’s find out right away! The headphone used is the Kennerton Audio Equipment Wodan.

Of course none of the DragonFly units feature a balanced connection yet so we can only listen to it in single ended mode. For the test I streamed MQA via Tidal.

First off is the DragonFly Red (200USD). Of the Red and Black versions, the Red is by far my favorite, it’s also equally priced to the Sparrow. You get a full bodied sound from bass to highs and a nice level of spaciousness with good extension. The Red sounds fast, tight but isn’t the strongest in extension and decay. The Sparrow, in single ended mode sounds more spacious and more extended. Bass definition and tightness is also better and the vocals have a bit more focus. With the Red you get bigger body everywhere with a higher impact kind of bass. Bass is not as tight and overpowers the mids at times, where this never is the case with the Sparrow. The sparrow has a more linear and neutral presentation compared to the DragonFly Red.

If you’ve read the previous parts you know how much better the balanced output of the Sparrow is compared to its single ended output, so in that case the Red certainly is no match for the Sparrow. It however is not fully fair to compare different outputs.

The DragonFly Cobalt is selling for $300 USD and it is the very best DragonFly on the market if you ask me. I have not heard a better sounding USB-sized DAC/AMP yet. The Cobalt is also on our Recommended Buy list where all the Best Gear we reviewed is present. Compared to the Red, the Cobalt sounds more natural and it does way better when it comes to technicalities. It should be a close competitor to the Sparrow, and that’s where it gets really interesting.

The Cobalt and Sparrow in single ended mode actually sound quite comparable. The Cobalt is fuller sounding, especially in the bass and mid region, but it has the same natural yet detailed and musical presentation. Bass in the cobalt isn’t as tight, but it’s bigger and reaches lower. The mid tonality is very much alike, as well as the way vocals are presented. The Sparrow (still in single ended mode) is more neutral, where the Cobalt has a slightly smoother presentation. The treble section on the Sparrow is a bit more clear that that of the Cobalt, and that’s linked to the body presence of the Cobalt. In the Sparrow it’s just more audible. Tuning-wise the Cobalt’s treble maybe is a bit more extended. It also has a higher energy level and it sounds more lively and musical, where it in the Sparrow is more neutrally tuned.

So basically both of these units are very good in single ended mode, with a slight difference in tuning and presentation. Some will prefer the more neutral Sparrow, while others will prefer the fuller, bigger sounding Cobalt. The Cobalt is good and many absolutely adore it, but I think the Cobalt’s biggest issue is with the price. The Sparrow is not only is $100USD cheaper, it also offers a balanced output which performs on a whole different level. Same goes for the Lotto PAW S1, which also has a double output and which is only going for $169.

Unfortunately I don’t have the Lotoo PAW S1 here to compare it with the Cobalt, but we’re working on a solution. So once I do get my hands on it, I’ll be adding a comparison to it in this and the Lotoo S1’s review.

Conclusion

EarMen with the Sparrow promised a lot but they also delivered in all possible ways. For only $199 you get a US/EU product with a single ended as well as a balanced output, and especially the latter one is magical.

The Sparrow is an affordable and tiny device which you can carry around with you at all times. Just hook it up to your phone or laptop and be amazed how good it sounds.

The Sparrow is a very easy product to recommend at this price point, and it joins the best of the best on our Recommended DAC/AMP buy list. The DragonFly Cobalt does stay in there as well for the moment as it still has a very good single ended output, which is differently tuned than the Sparrow’s.

If however you want a small, portable DAC/AMP with a balanced output, there’s no doubt at all about which one to get.

I think I can already mention that Earmen will be releasing a single ended only dongle as well, it will be named Eagle and of course we will be comparing that one again to all the units mentioned in this article.