General/Packaging/Build
ddHifi is a brand that I believe needs no introduction. Most of the audiophiles should be familiar with their adapters as well as cables. The brand produces a wide range of products ranging from adapters, cables, portable dongle dac/amp, and even IEM. Packaging is taking on the minimalist approach, very straightforward yet premium looking at the same time. The box contains the dongle itself as well as a mini lanyard.
Specifications
DAC chips: Dual Cirrus Logic CS43131
Output power: 120mW (4.4Bal. 3252)
SNR: >125dB
Dynamic range: >120dB
THD+N: <-110dB
PCM decoding capability: Up to 32bit/384kHz
DSD decoding capability. Native DSD64/DSD128/DSD256
Dimensions: 30×18×12.5 (mm)
Weight. About 9g
Gears used for this review
Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far
Battery Drain
TC44 Pro is quite power efficient based on my test, i did not specifically measure the power draw but based on my observation
BHD Pro is connected to Pixel 5 at 100% battery, the volume is being set at +- 40% and 7Hz’s Legato is hooked to the 4.4 out and let it loop through the playlist from 10pm until the next morning 9am (UAPP Pro on exclusive mode)
That’s about 11 hours and the battery on Pixel 5 is at 50% when i checked the battery%, that is quite efficient in my opinion based on my observation
Also take into consideration that i’m streaming Tidal via UAPP as it doesn’t support offline download for UAPP
Sound Impression
Tonality wise, The TC44Pro doesn’t add much coloration to the signature, i would say it is quite neutral with a slight hint of warmth for the signature. I have tested several dongles with CS41313 but they don’t sound the same at all. That pretty much explains implementation and tuning is the key.
Listening Impression with the following gears
Thieaudio Hype 2
Bass is punchy and tight, mid bass especially
Sub bass has slightly better extension
Mids are slightly being pushed forward instead of sounding slightly recessed prior to pairing with TC44 Pro
Male vocal has slightly thicker texture and sounds fuller
Female vocal is full sounding as well
Not so much changes in terms of detail retrieval
Overall, a very good synergy pairing the Hype2 with TC44Pro
7Hz Legato
Legato is a bassy and warm IEM, aimed at delivering analog-ish speaker sound
The mids are slightly recessed, but when paired with , the mids doesn’t sound that recessed anymore and it sounded a little bit more forward, both male and female vocal also have better texture and body to it
Bass on the other hand sounds a little tame, the sub bass doesn’t rumble that much, but mid bass is still punchy, a very refreshing experience if you ask me, still very fun sounding
Not much changes on the detail retrieval as well
Soundstage is slightly better in terms of better height,depth and width perception
Legato is not hard to drive, on paper, TC44Pro may seem like it is very lacking in terms of power output, but it is actually more than enough for most IEMs out there
Comparison (Truthear Shio)
Shio sounds warmer to my ears
The low end is way more elevated compared to TC44Pro
Treble is more or less similar
It does have a low/high gain mode which can be toggled by pressing a certain button combination
Although sporting different DAC, they difference are actually very minimal, the 43131 on TC44Pro is a DAC chip with built in amp section, where as on the Shio’s 43198, it is a DAC only setup and the amp section is designed/implemented separately
Final Thoughts
After weeks of using the TC44Pro, i’m actually very happy with the performance and the size of it, there’s no additional cable dangling around and the dongle is directly attached to my mobile, although the headphone out port is positioned on the side, i just switch the position of my phone in the pocket to face other direction and problem solved, or just put it in the ddHifi C2023 bag and walk about with it.
While the specs on paper may not please the crowd, however, the sound and the power output is actually very sufficient for most IEMs out there, when i’m using it with the Hidizs MS5 and MS3, both which are quite sensitive and prone to hissing, there’s none, the background is dark and no audible hiss.
The tech within the dongle and the asking price, i’d say it's fair and i have no issue recommending this dongle if you’re in search of a dongle that has good performance and very portable without breaking the bank.
*A big thanks to ddHifi for sending this over for this review. I thank them for the support as always.
Head over to their official AliExpress Store and official website if you are interested in getting one:
ddHifi TC44Pro - Non affiliated
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