ddHifi TC35M2 Review

 

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 and is packed in an elegant box. While there isn’t any information about the DAC itself, but the amplifier is from SABRE as shown from the specification below:

Specifications

• Plug: USB-C

• Socket: 3.5mm stereo

• Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz

• Amplifier chip: ES9603Q (stand-alone)

• Output power: L+R≥45mW+45mW (32Ω / THD+N<1%) SNR: ≥112dB (32Ω load/A-wt) Dynamic range: >120dB

• <THD+N: 0.008% (32Ω load)

• Noise floor: <3μV(A-wt)

• PCM decoding capability: Up to 32-bit/384kHz

• In-line controls: Supports CTIA standard

• Dimensions: 17.8×14×8.9 (mm)

• Weight: About 3.6g

Gears used for this review

• NF Audio RA15

• 7Hz Legato

• Grado SR80x (Headphone)

• TC35M2 -> iPhone 16 Pro -> Apple Music/Tidal

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

• TC35M2 is quite power efficient based on my test, i did not specifically measure the power draw but based on my observation

• TC35M2 is connected to my Iphone at 100% battery, the volume is being set at +- 40% and 7Hz’s Legato is hooked to the 3.5 out and let it loop through the playlist from 10pm until the next morning 9am 

• That’s about 11 hours and the battery on my phone is at 40% 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 instead of playing it offline

Sound Impression

Tonality wise, The TC35M is leaning towards a slightly warm sound profile. Despite the low power output on paper, it actually works quite well with efficient IEMs/Headphones

Listening Impression with the following gears

NF Audio RA15

• 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 many changes in terms of detail retrieval

• Overall, a very good synergy pairing the RA15 with TC35M2

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 TC35M2 , 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, TC35M2 may seem like it is very lacking in terms of power output, but it is actually more than enough for most IEMs out there, for the case of Legato, to fully maximise the potential, more power is required, but for casual listening, TC35M2 is actually quite sufficient

Grado SR80x

• Grado’s signature is leaning towards the brighter end of spectrum, offering plenty of dynamics as well as details on the top end

• Pairing it with the TC35M2, the highs seems to be a little subdued and not as dynamic as it sounds, but overall the note weight is slightly improved

• I would say it is roughly around 70-80% of the SR80x’s capability

Comparison (Truthear Shio)

• Shio sounds warmer to my ears

• The low end is way more elevated compared to TC35M2

• Treble is more or less similar 

• It does have a low/high gain mode which can be toggled by pressing a certain button combination

Final Thoughts

After weeks of using the TC35M2, 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 phone.

While the specs on paper may not please the crowd, however, the sound and the power output is actually very sufficient for most efficient IEMs out there. However, I believe the target audience for this dongle is not for those who are looking for crazy amounts of power output, rather it is more for those who are looking to step up from the phone’s internal 3.5mm jack, someone who wants good quality audio and convenience without lugging their gears along. The USB C jack itself is very high quality and also the overall build quality screams premium, i am using the dongle with a phone case and no issue in terms of fitting the dongle with the case on the phone. Overall, highly recommended!

*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 TC35M2 - Non affiliated