In this two-page article, we review the $459 USD Hifiman EF500 Desktop DAC/AMP.
Disclaimer: Hifiman sent us the EF500 for this review, free of charge. This article reflects my honest opinion about the product.
Hifiman
It’s almost impossible not to have heard of Hifiman. This audio brand, headed by Dr. Fang Bian, was founded in 2005. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of using many of their impressive products, including the HM801, HM901s, HE-560, and the legendary HE-6. The HM801’s smooth, sweet tonality and the HM901’s detailed sound remain vivid in my memory more than a decade later.
Today, Hifiman offers a wide range of products with different tonalities, warm, analytical, or balanced, to satisfy every audiophile out there. While Hifiman’s comfort zone has traditionally been planar magnetic headphones, they’ve also created interesting DAC/AMPs. In this article, we review one of the company’s newer desktop all-in-one units, the EF500. If you missed my colleague’s EF499 review, I recommend reading it.
You can take a look at the rest of our Hifiman reviews by clicking here, and you can always read our interview with Dr. Fang Bian here.
Hifiman EF500
The EF series consists of models like the EF400, EF499, EF500, EF600, and an ultra high-end EF1000DAC that sells for a whopping 15,000 USD. Each has its own place in Hifiman’s hierarchy, although the EF400 is now discontinued. The EF499 sits at the budget-friendly end with a Philips-branded R2R DAC, followed by the mid-ish EF500 and higher EF600, both of which house Hifiman’s proprietary HYMALAYA DAC chip. The EF600’s chip is the “PRO” version, while the EF500 uses the “LE” version, which, according to Hifiman, is a more entry-level design. Official details on the differences between these chips remain vague, aside from a couple of numbers such as signal-to-noise ratio and channel separation.
The EF500 retails for $459, while the EF600 sells for $649. Both units forgo the 4.4mm output in favor of a 4-pin XLR connector and a 6.35mm unbalanced output. While these EFs share the same basic R2R concept, their implementations and features differ. For example, the EF600 adds Bluetooth connectivity, which the EF500 and EF499 lack. I recommend watching the official Hifiman store for some ridiculous open-box deals. The EF500’s dedicated page can be found here.
Specs & Highlights
Propriety HYMALAYA LE R2R DAC Chip
BAL 4.5w@32Ω | UNBAL. 1.3W@32Ω
SNR: 117dB (A-weighted)
Network Streaming Capability via Ethernet (Wired Only)
XLR & RCA Outputs + USB-C, USB-B, Coax & Ethernet Inputs
H229mm x W80mm x D223mm, ≈3.4 kilograms.
Windows Drivers are here.
Packaging
The EF500 arrives in a large cardboard box with a warning label greeting you immediately upon unboxing, indicating the voltage type, and instructing you to check it before plugging the unit. The box and packaging are quite straightforward. As for accessories, the EF500’s package only includes a C13 power cable and absolutely nothing else. I would have preferred to see a USB-B to USB-A cable, a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter, and perhaps a small screwdriver to remove the stand. The accessory set isn’t as comprehensive as I would have liked, especially for a device at this price point.
Design & Build Quality
Hifiman designed the EF500 as a vertical DAC/AMP with an industrial aesthetic. Officially, there’s no option to lay it flat, but if desk space is an issue, you may want to remove the stand and add third-party anti-vibration feet on the chassis to use it horizontally. I like to place my DAC/AMPs under my monitors so they’re easier to reach. The EF500 is quite large, measuring approximately 229 mm in height, 80 mm in width, and 223 mm in depth. It doubles as a headphone stand like other EFs from Hifiman when used vertically.
The construction is all aluminum, from the light gray front panel to the black rear chassis. The stand itself is also made of aluminum, with a rubber pad underneath for extra grip. At approximately 3.4 kilograms, the EF500 feels very heavy due to the linear transformer inside and the hefty aluminum chassis outside. The black rear section of the chassis tends to pick up fingerprints, but the light gray front does a better job of hiding smudges.
The front panel features a mode/gain selector knob (oversampling, non-oversampling, low or high gain), four LEDs to indicate each mode, a large volume wheel, a 4-pin XLR balanced output, and a 6.35 mm unbalanced headphone jack shaped similarly to the 4-pin XLR. Below these outputs, Hifiman’s gold “R” badge draws attention to the R2R architecture inside, and four exposed screws at the corners further enhance the industrial vibe. The rear panel has slim air vents and a full array of inputs and outputs, including an Ethernet port, coaxial input, USB-B and USB-C inputs, XLR and RCA line outputs, a mechanical switch for USB+Ethernet / Coax selection, and a standard IEC13 power connector. The voltage selector is cleverly hidden on the underside of the unit.
Sound Quality & Impressions
The EF500 can be labeled as a warm-neutral DAC/AMP with thick bass, smooth midrange, and sweet treble. Its upper midrange carries good energy, whereas the treble region is comparatively softer. The mildly elevated mid-bass of the EF500 adds warmth and body to the overall presentation. Vocals are forward and engaging, but overall detail retrieval and resolution are somewhat disappointing for an R2R design. Imaging is excellent, but the soundstage is on the intimate side, prioritizing depth over width. The high treble is a bit rolled off, and it’s never bright.
During testing with the Hifiman Ananda Nano, my go-to headphones under 1000 USD, the EF500 had no trouble delivering ample power. In contrast, my experience with IEMs was less satisfactory. My daily driver 64 Audio Volür IEMs sounds a lot warmer when paired with EF500, especially compared to delta-sigma rivals in this price range.
The EF500’s technical performance, particularly in resolution and transparency, can come across as somewhat lackluster compared to similarly priced rivals like Hiby’s FD5 or Topping’s 50 III & A50 III stack. However, it delivers impressive raw power for demanding headphones but wouldn’t be my top pick for fast transients and transparency. I found the EF500 at its best with full-size, preferably open-back headphones, striking a balance that’s neither distinctly warm nor neutral but pleasantly in-between with an R2R “sauce.”
I found the oversampling mode to be a bit more dynamic than NOS, adding a slight boost to transparency, dynamics, and overall resolution. However, the EF500’s overall performance in detail retrieval remains average. The mid-bass boost, forward midrange, and intimate stage can make the presentation feel too “up close and personal” for some of you. If you like romantic, liquid, warm yet somewhat balanced signatures, you may like the EF500. All in all, the EF500 isn’t a bad device; it is just that the competition is very fierce in this price bracket, and the EF500 caters to a small group of audiophiles, unlike their Planars, in my opinion. If you favor a more intimate, romantic signature, you may enjoy the EF500 very much, especially with reference headphones such as AKG’s K701 or Sony’s MDR-7506. Check out the comparison on the next page to learn more.
The article continues with the part on sound on the next page. Click here or use the buttons below.
Page 1: Hifiman, EF500, Packaging, Design & Build Quality, Sound Quality & Impressions
Page 2: Technology, Controls & Streaming, Power Output, Comparison, Last Words




