I must say that, at this point, things aren't looking good for the EarMen Sparrow's obvious rival, the AudioQuest DragonFly range which tops out at 24-bit/ 96kHz and only has the one 3.5mm output. ![]() It comes bundled with an EarMen-logoed USB-C cable, and while it might not be as compact as the Zorloo Ztella, it does offer balanced output. On the top edge of the device is a USB-C port, while at the other end you find both a 3.5mm stereo and 2.5mm balanced output good for a claimed 4V RMS into 600 ohms.Īs anyone who's come in contact with Auris Audio products would expect, the EarMen Sparrow is both attractive and well-made. White simply indicates that the Sparrow is connected and ready, whereas red means that it isn't yet connected to a stream. ![]() Depending on what's being played, the logo lights up green when connected to a PCM/DXD/DSD stream or magenta for MQA. Measuring a mere 42x22x8mm, there's little space with which to do anything fancy, but I think credit is due to the designer having the EarMen logo double up as the light indicator for the Sparrow's playback status. Naturally, other high-resolution audio sources can be enjoyed through the EarMen dongle, as it supports 32-bit/384kHz PCM including DoP, plus DSD64 and DSD128. This unit automatically detects any MQA stream and entirely unfolds it when streamed from the likes of TIDAL's Master Quality Authenticated library. The beating heart is its ESS Sabre ES9281PRO chip, flagship of the line.Ĭlaiming best-in-class audio performance, the Sabre chip also has bragging rights for being the first to offer an integrated hardware MQA renderer. Beneath this smooth exterior lies a four-layer gold-plated PCB which, according to EarMen, “guarantees the minimal loss of sound quality”. The aluminium chassis not only keeps the weight down but also mitigates interference, claims the manufacturer. The EarMen Sparrow is the company's latest portable hi-res audio product and comes in the shape of a wonderfully slick CNC'd aluminium pebble with glass front and rear. The name may be registered in Chicago, USA, but all of its products are built and assembled in Europe. However, instead of using Auris Audio for its portable hi-fi offerings, founder, engineer and designer Milomir 'Miki' Trosic decided that he needed a separate brand, so EarMen was born. Indeed, I am currently putting one of its Eutrupe valve headphone amplifiers through its paces. This will be fast, you don’t get much with the Eagle.EarMen might not be quite the household name just yet, but some audiophiles may be familiar with the highly-respected Serbian Auris Audio brand. For those of you who’d need a small USB-DAC with balanced options, you’ll have to either step up your game or tone-down your ambition. Sadly, there is no balanced output as we’ve seen on its sibling, the Sparrow, or iBasso latest portable DAC, the DC01. Unfortunately, the headphone port doesn’t work as a Digital output, like NuPrime’s DAC. And on the other side, you get a headphone output (3.5mm Jack). On one side you have the USB-A port, to connect the DAC to a computer, smartphone, or Tablet. The EarMen Eagle is as simple as it gets. Last but not least, the USB-A to USB-C adapter enjoys the same level of attention. Then, the light changes depending on the bitrate, simple but efficient. As for the Cobalt and Hi-mDAC, the LED remains hidden under the logo, until you connect the device to your source. In my opinion, the Eagle is one, if not the, best looking USB-Key-Sized DAC on the market at the moment. Also, as you can see in the pictures, there are no visible screws, as I’m sure all of them have been hidden right under the mirror-plate. There is no gap nor lose plug, and the USB-A port feels ready to endure years of hard mistreat. Build QualityĪs I said, the EarMen Eagle is a well-built device. For me, that gives EarMen’s DAC a cleaner look than the Cobalt, even if the “automotive” blue keeps some appealing.Īll in all, I like it a lot. ![]() The cherry on top? Each side is covered by a super nice, bonded, tempered-glass. One-piece, CNC-machined to ensure a tight fit of the board, good thermal dissipation, and most of all, shielding against parasite EMI. Thankfully, the Eagle is built in a sturdy, black-matte-finished-unibody-aluminum case. ![]() Because, whatever you may think, size matters and they raised some questions regarding the legitimacy of the Eagle, as a real DAC. Of course, due to its size, I had to endure a few criticisms from my friends and family.
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