Tighter, better audio control results in more noticeable harmonics to give music more texture, improved imaging and greater impact. It’s a good alternative to a separate, dedicated audio player if you are happier keeping all your tunes in one place, on your phone. Summary Cea mai buna parte din a utiliza acest Soundkey este faptul ca are si suficienta putere pentru a duce majoritatea castilor mici (In-Ear), dar totusi face fata cu brio si la cateva casti mai mari cum sunt cele Ultrasone, sau majoritatea celor On-Ear. FiiO’s DAC is a little like listening to an artist rehearse, while the soundKey reveals a defining performance.

Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 28th November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.) Additionally, the Hugo 2 offers a four-function filter (warm, soft, transparent, and incisive) and a digital crossfeed function with three operation modes. Always divisive, users will either love or hate Chord’s distinctive styling and four spherical control buttons, which illuminate with color-coded information. Cyrus Soundkey este un DAC / AMP pentru telefoane, dar care poate fii folosit si la desktop. El este conceput ca sa mearga bine cu casti, in special cu casti care au un sunet mai cald si mai gros, cu care se imperecheaza foarte bine. Pe de alta parte, Soundkey nu merge foarte bine impreuna cu casti reci sau analitice, el insusi fiind putin rece si analitic in sunet. This is an interesting part in this review, because I wasn’t expecting the SoundKey to be anything special, but actually, it is a really good portable DAC/AMP. The UI and firmware are also basic, but work. Every smartphone I tried the Soundkey with have detected it without any fuss, and my Desktop PC was able to use it without any issues as well. In fact, it is so hassle-free that I would be able to give it a thumbs up as an overall product simply because it works so easily.The midrange is generally very clean, clear, well textured, and a bit on the analytical side. The soundstage of the Soundkey is wider than it is deep, but it has a really good width for the 150 USD price range. There is a good amount of texture, so instruments that are textury, like trumpets, really shine with it. The upper midrange is not enhanced in a special way, so you don't get a hot or metallic tinge with your music.

Sources: Toshiba notebook with Windows 10 OS with JRiver Media Centre and Spotify apps; iPhone 7 with Spotify, HiBy Music, Golden Ear apps; Poco F3 with Spotify and HiBy Music apps / Amplification: Chord Mojo and EarMen Eagle DAC/amps / Headphones: Drop + HiFiMAN HE4XX, Mitchell and Johnson MJ2, KZ Audio AS10Well, it is pretty portable. It doesn’t get hot during usage, only barely warm. Furthermore, it doesn’t have a lot of battery drain from your smartphone, so you don’t need to worry if you’re running low on bat, the Soundkey isn’t going to kill your day. There’s a good sense of scale and focus to the sound, with the hip-dac able to convey the majesty of the piece well. The ability to organise detail into a cohesive and musical whole is obvious here, as the iFi never sounds out of its depth. Verdict

Fiind un aparat micut si destul de ergonomic, este usor de recomandat, in special pentru ca nu mananca mult curent din telefonul la care este conectat. The physical design is clean and simple, with buttons on the side and a crisp OLED display on the front. An included case offers protection from scratches and fingerprints, as the shiny, larger body is prone to both. At the end of this review, if you’re looking for a clean, clear, powerful, crisp, dynamic and punchy DAC/AMP that has a good amount of speed to its bass, can drive most IEMs and even a good number of headphones, and which is pretty practical, you should totally consider the Cyrus Soundkey. The iFi GO bar has a clean, crisp sound signature and, by default, does not emphasize the lower frequencies. This gives it a lively and resolving presentation that listeners can tune to their liking using the XBass and XSpace controls. Where to buy

Okay, so it is basically one piece of metal, with one 3.5mm headphone port at one end, and with a microUSB port at the other end. There's nothing else to say about the build quality, it is well put together, and it gets only moderately warm during usage, so it is safe to use in any environment. It does not get scratched easily. There’s plenty of power on hand for most headphones (160mW SE, 320mW balanced), and the FiiO Control application allows for even more output power using the “Boost BAL” mode. When you look at it, you know it is going to be a good portable DAC/AMP, but let's be honest, how portable is it? The device itself is solid and well constructed; it’s surprising that it only weighs 18 grams. The included cables are robust, and should stand up to a fair bit of use. Suitability for intended application Like most iFi products, the GO bar supports most technical standards, 32-bit/384kHz, DSD 256​, and full MQA decoding. Additionally, it features both single-ended and balanced outputs.

Cyrus Soundkey vs Audirect Beam–I noted in my review that the Beam is a bit on the smoothly textured yet bright in signature. Since both are DAC/AMPs, the only thing I want to mention about the differences in build quality between the Cyris soundkey and the Beam is that the Beam gets MUCH hotter during actual usage, and that the Beam is smaller physically, and has a volume / song change knob, which may be good, or bad, depending on whether you assume you’ll be using that. In terms of sound, the soundkey feels like an upgrade from the beam, with more textures, more resolution, more details and clarity, and with more impact. The Soundkey is also almost 50% more expensive though.

The build quality is flawless, and the manual volume knob is a pleasure to use. It uses Dethonray’s ‘Touch & Feel’ algorithm to make the volume adjustment smooth and accurate. If you happen to be driving, ditch the Bluetooth connection and connect the SoundKey to the vehicle entertainment system’s aux input – the difference a simple device like this can make to the sound quality is remarkable. At its asking price, the SoundKey represents a significant upgrade for music from a portable device or computer at minimal cost. Yes, there are newer devices with higher resolution capabilities out there, but this remains a solid performer. I can’t help but think of the sporting cliché “form is temporary, class is permanent” here. It admittedly overstates things here, but there’s a ring of truth to it in relation to the Cyrus SoundKey. Cyrus’ soundKey is a portable USB DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) and headphone amp, aimed at use for smartphones and tablets. While these devices have their own built in DACs, they are often low quality units which can really hinder your music. The soundKey bypasses onboard DACs and uses it’s own dedicated circuitry to provide you with a much better sound performance. The treble is clean and very nicely extended, with a lot of air between the instruments. This is actually what impressed me the most about the SoundKey, most DAC/AMPs that are uber portable, especially in this price range, tend to have a rolled off or smooth top end, but the sound key doesn't it has a really nice amount of bite and sparkle, making it a really good fit with metal music.