Zishan DSD AK4497EQ - Better late than never!
Review of Tingo TG-38 headphones
Small soundbar Blitzwolf BW-SDB0
Publication date: 18.01.2019
You can buy it: Here. Price: $97.17 (bought for $104 on Cyber Monday).
I am glad to welcome you, dear readers!
Today we will try to walk through the wilds of the ruthless Chinese DIY using the example of the Zishan DSD version with the AK4497EQ . The device is far from new, but it definitely deserves attention, and also arouses some interest! (at least for me)). The idea of purchasing a “more serious” device came to me quite a long time ago, but the agony of choice and the notorious “everyone hears differently” (reviews) did not allow me to give a final verdict! Therefore, I carried out a “pseudo-scientific analysis”))) of the device market according to some criteria, namely: 1 . price category - it was decided to keep within 10k wooden ones. 2 . manufacturer level - on the advice of one famous blogger, I chose DIY, since “branded” ones try to rank their products by price/characteristics, and the “basement” rolls out its full potential, the product line is minimal - “simple” and “more complex”, again the price is much cheaper. 3 . brand - I chose Zishan because I am familiar with the products and am satisfied with the quality. It seems like I figured it all out!), but no such luck, there are already three versions with DACs to choose from: AK4490 , AK4495 , AK4497 . I refused the first due to the “simplicity” of the DAC and design, the second because of the “twist” - it certainly attracts), but in your pocket it spontaneously twists and you can get seriously hurt)) (based on experience from the first zishan). The die is cast - the choice is made! All that remains is to wait for the treasured bag. And now, after a month and a half, he finally arrived)))). Well, now, according to tradition, “from clothes to fasteners.” First, take a look at this premium packaging and equipment, you can immediately feel the level here)))) oh, what printing, what cardboard and the composition of the kit pleases with its richness, what about all the FiiO and IBasso!!!
Just a joke of course! Since this is DIY, asceticism is not objectionable here. Let's take a look at the appearance:
A rough, black, aluminum rectangle with a display and five buttons in a crosshair on the front panel, I even liked it!). The only “but” is the sharp corners; it won’t be convenient to carry in every pocket. The 2.2 inch screen is quite bright and clear, a transport film is glued on top of the glass. The buttons are metal, do not “clank”, and are pressed with a noticeable click.
At the top end there is a 3.5mm mini-jack output, a slot for a microSD card, a 2.5mm balanced output, and a recessed reset button.
At the bottom end there is a charging port, a coaxial output, and a recessed charge indicator. We will ignore the remaining sides, since they are empty and of no interest, except for the inscription on the back side “ZiShan DSD”. The size of the device is 58mm * 80mm * 24mm, it was not possible to find out the exact weight, but offhand it’s about 180 grams - quite weighty, by the way it turned out to be less than I expected!
The device is controlled by only five buttons and they have duplicate functions; below is a copied control diagram: A long press on the middle button turns the player on/off. Long press the middle button + left - lock mode. To restore factory settings, turn off the player and then hold the left button + middle button to boot. Long press the left button to enter the menu. Long press the right button to fast forward. Short press the top button to enter the quick menu. Short press the down button to enter the explorer. A short press on the center button during playback will pause. Short press the right button during playback to the next track, the left button to the previous one. Now let’s briefly go over the menu items, but it’s not very complicated here, just like the appearance)
The main screen is represented by only five items and a line with the firmware version (there was Tetris on the 4495 DAC!!!)) The first item is Play Now , here everything is expected playback progress, track name and a choice of cover, histogram or frequency modulation (can be changed in the settings)
On the same screen there is a submenu (short press of the top button) - adjusting the sound, turning on the equalizer and playback order
The second item in Explorer , Explorer as it is, is navigation through folders and files, when you click on a cue file it opens as a folder (very conveniently implemented, an example for many!). Clicking on a file opens a small menu with two items PLAY and DELETE, everything is obvious here.
EQ
item is a 10-band equalizer, I still haven’t figured out how to enable presets)))) don’t swear too much!
The fourth point the DAC functions of the DAC, of which: Digital Filter (digital filter) 1.Super Slow Roll 2.Short Delay Slow Roll 3.Slow Roll 4.Short Delay Sharp Roll 5.Sharp Roll the difference when switching is not significant. Sound Quality (Chinese nonsense) with a choice of defult and Hight Quality Sound. Cut-off fre of DSD filter frequency cutting in DSD stream. USB DAC without comments))) Graph option for displaying on the playback screen: covers, histograms, frequency modulation. Slow Boot delay when turned on, either instantly or long press.
The fifth item is System system settings, of which: Car Mode, when connected to the car radio, turns off along with the car. SleepTime sleep mode. BL Time display backlight delay. Brightnes display brightness. System Language menu language. Full Speed amplification mode for tight headphones (I don’t know why it’s there, and so 400 Ohms only pumps on the road).
The software looks rather clumsy, but at the same time it is stable and copes with the playback of various formats with a bang! I haven’t dared to take it apart yet, so I’ll attach a photo of the filling from the seller’s website:
The diagram is quite bold, the sound will most likely change after 200 hours, only practice will show how much. Battery life on loosless formats is about 8-9 hours, charging speed is about 2 hours, the subject heats up a little during operation. And now about the urgent)))) About the sound! As always, according to frequency: Low frequencies Everything here is like in the best houses! It’s very fast, has a dense body, can be easily separated into layers - there can be no complaints here at all, so there’s no need for unnecessary epithets! Mid frequencies The strong point of the device is that vocal parts, keyboards, and strings are conveyed very emotionally (the analytics are suppressed here for the sake of a “gust of passion”))), most likely the player tints the range a little, but it does it very well). The upper frequencies here are simpler than in the lows and mids, but don’t think that everything is bad, on the contrary, I would like to praise them for the good separation, the absence of sand and sonority. The range is presented in a comfortable manner and the only thing is that some instruments seem a little unnatural. Although I’m being picky, for the price everything here is more than wonderful! To summarize : I don’t regret the money spent at all!
Yes, there are no wireless technologies, a beautiful case, good ergonomics and expensive materials, this player only has excellent sound, and this is a rare case when a device costs more than its price! I can only recommend purchasing to those for whom sound is the main thing. That's all, Zuckerman was with you, all the best to you and happy shopping!!! Author: Zuckerman. Date of publication: 01/18/2019, 17:34.
We recommend reading: - Discounts on new HiFi players Flang P5 and Ziku HD-X10 - Vido, Qian25 and the old horse
Comments: #1 ko1961 , 01/21/2019, 15:43 Thank you, interesting, read it! I noticed the skew of the memory card and the different heights of the slots. For such a price I would like some kind of harmony and a normal body, not brick... But the sound is everything to us, as I understand it)
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#2 Tsukerman , 01.21.2019, 16:30 Unfortunately, you cannot edit after publication! I forgot to mention the scene, but it is rather closer to natural, i.e. not exorbitant in depth and width! The separation of instruments is amazing; the frequencies do not overlap each other. The processing of the top and bottom covers leaves much to be desired, it looks crooked!)) Another disadvantage is that in order to feel the level of the device, you will also have to fork out for more expensive headphones; on an “ultra-budget” you won’t notice the difference, I only felt it in the category of about 50 $. Copied some performance characteristics: STM32F7 + CPLD + dual audio crystal DAC part adopts boost + high PSRR LDO regulator + Sanyo polymer solid state Nichicon FW, the ELNA RE3 — coupling cap-s dual op275g as LPF, lm4562 as output op amp DAC part adopts boost + high PSRR LDO regulator + Sanyo polymer solid state
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#3 orphan soul , 01/21/2019, 04:45 pm ko1961, the sockets can be placed at the same height only if the top cover is made thicker and shifted 3.5 mm deep into the body, because It has a round side, higher than 2.5 mm. In terms of sound: -indistinct cut-off low -muddy middle -HF - nothing special In general, the potential of the AK4497 has not been revealed at all, the balanced output is just for show. The body is just a pain, it’s unclear why the lids couldn’t be milled from aluminum. If you buy Zshan DSD, then on the AK4490, it will sound better in stock and modifications, if necessary, will cost less.
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#4 Konstrictor , 01/21/2019, 07:06 pm The controls are not entirely clear. How to adjust the volume?
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#5 orphan soul , 01.21.2019, 19:11 Konstrictor, you poke up, the menu opens (it’s in the photo in the review) and you adjust up/down, then confirm with the central button. In short...
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#6 Constrictor, 21.01.2019, 20:35
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#7 MrToot , 01/22/2019, 05:44 Without a screen, Zeeshan makes better players, at least in terms of controls. =) Z1 is generally incredibly convenient for driving blindly.
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#8 Megalench , 01/22/2019, 06:00 MrToot, Why is Z3 bad in blind control? There are a minimum of buttons.. It’s easy to increase/decrease the volume. Switch track, exactly the same...
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#9 Megalench , 01/22/2019, 06:02 and any twist is a minus, because it’s phony..
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#10 Tsukerman , 01/22/2019, 09:16 And in this case it’s not a problem either, within a day I got the hang of driving blind. The only thing is that it weighs quite a bit, so in winter it’s no big deal, but in summer you have to carry it in a belt bag)
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#11 Touaregg , 01/22/2019, 09:55 Good review, the topic is covered) Thank you!
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#12 MrToot , 01/22/2019, 1:27 pm Megalench, To increase or decrease the volume, you need to press 4 times. This is complete confusion, of course. I had this on Ruizu. They could make separate volume buttons.
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#13 Megalench , 01/22/2019, 5:35 pm MrToot, In z3, you “wake up” with any button, then you increase it with the top one, and decrease it with the bottom one. Everything is standard..
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#14 ko1961 , 01/23/2019, 07:30 orphan soul, the sockets are placed on the same level initially when marking the board and taking into account the size of the parts installed on the board) And I repeat that for that kind of money there are interesting players with a very organic and harmonious design. Well, sound is a purely personal matter for everyone, although some general rules should also be present. But if the stars light up...©
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#15 ko1961 , 01/23/2019, 08:45 orphan soul, the sockets are placed on the same level initially when marking the board and taking into account the size of the parts installed on the board) And I repeat that for that kind of money there are interesting players with a very organic and harmonious design. Well, sound is a purely personal matter for everyone, although some general rules should also be present. But if the stars light up...©
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#16 orphan soul , 01/23/2019, 09:42 ko1961, Are you trying to tell me how this player works? So I know this very well, because I had it (although I sold it after 2 days). Here are some visual pictures of why the balance socket is recessed https://i.piccy.info/i9/68ac35b4d9b94c550a0d15790d45caa0/1548232729/46241/1296842/IMG_20190123_113042_HDR.jpg https://i.piccy.info/i9/0 476040933fb9887a2194af4524f38cc/1548232758/39564/ 1296842/IMG_20190123_113251.jpg >And I repeat that for that kind of money there are interesting players with a very organic and harmonious design - of course there are, but the essence of buying this player is the DAC >Well, sound is a purely personal matter for everyone, although there are some general rules must also be present. -that’s exactly what they should, but in this player it’s not so >But if the stars light up...© -then marketers are not eating their bread in vain;)
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#17 orphan soul , 01/23/2019, 09:45 and if I were now choosing a cheap player on AK4497, I would buy this one https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=584795097581
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#18 ko1961 , 01/23/2019, 11:56 orphan soul, I didn’t try anything), I just confirmed the message you addressed to me. Namely, that there is no design, as such, it is assembled clumsily, but you can tell better by the sound, but as I understand it, there’s “no way” here either.
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#19 Tsukerman , 01.24.2019, 15:10 Sound perception is psychoacoustics in its purest form, everything here is individual! A striking example is the reviews: comrade on LZA4 and syncertech on tinaudio t2, many of these models were just HURRAY!, but these guys didn’t “get it” at all and that’s NORMAL!!! In this case, the “lucky or unlucky” rule always applies, as written above - even the favorites may not be liked in a sharply negative way! In this regard, there is a disclaimer in the site header! I’ll add “on my own behalf”: before that I went with FIIO X3II and after buying a Zhizhan, X3 was given to a relative as a gift (because that’s what I hear). By the way, the other day I untwisted and changed the op-amp in the low-pass filter to opa2132pa, the bass began to pick up the tails faster - I approve of Liqud Funk))))
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#20 Heilyagr , 01.24.2019, 18:18 Tsukerman, since I have a lot of experience (and I had A4s), I’ll say that no, it’s not a matter of psychoacoustics. Who gets it/who doesn’t depends on the sound source, because LZ A4s are very light , and on half of the neutral and all light sources they will cut the ears and saw the brain.” But with dark sources like Fiio/Zishan/Shanling M1/Hifiman they played with a bang.
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#21 Tsukerman , 01.24.2019, 18:45 I can parry with LZ! Included with them are a large number of filters and sound guides, which, coupled with the replacement of ear pads and wires, allows you to significantly customize the original sound. And again, don’t forget that these are hybrids, and the design with reinforcement “all the way” has a special sound! However, I personally think the model is outstanding!!!
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#22 Postall , 01/26/2019, 05:26 There was one with a mechanical volume control, excellent, convenient, fast, the sound was fire, but then I accidentally dropped it from a height of less than half a meter, despite the fact that the headphone plug also delayed the fall while it flew out. As a result, the display broke, I searched for a replacement for 2 months everywhere, even using the display pins. I never found it, so the patient, despite his brutal appearance, is very weak.
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#23 Tsukerman , 01/26/2019, 08:39 Postall display on Avito is sold - 300 rubles. I can share my contact!
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#24 Harryuss , 03/21/2019, 09:23 Zuckerman, my friend, please share the link to the display
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#25 Harryuss , 03/21/2019, 09:26 If it’s not difficult, please write to [email protected]
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Let's talk about: AK4497EQ – a new generation DAC
# [email protected] # [email protected] #MiniReviewNaTap@soundcheck39
Good morning everyone. Seeing small but heated discussions about the Zishan T1, I would like to shed a little light on its filling. Copy-paste translated into Russian from the site: https://www.akm.com/akm/en/product/datasheet1/?partno..
Let's talk about: AK4497EQ - DAC inside this player.
The AK4497 is a next-generation premium 32-bit DAC based on the AKV VELVET SOUND architecture, which is widely adopted by established high-end audio manufacturers. High signal-to-noise ratio performance is achieved by improving VELVET SOUND technology by supporting higher drive power. Switched capacitor DAC performance is pushed to the limit with the AK4497. In addition, AKM developed an original processor that greatly improved the low noise and electrical margin performance of audio devices, increasing the data capacity and improving the original acoustic sound that can be found in sound power.
Dynamic, high-volume sound reproduction with advanced VELVET SOUND architecture. 32-bit processing is integrated for the IRD (Impulse Response Designed) filter, reproducing a detailed and natural signal waveform. A low-dispersion, low-latency filter has recently been added to the five other filters found in our previous generation DAC, so six different filter types can be selected to suit user audio and system preferences.
Best performance DAC converter. Low distortion technology delivers industry leading THD+N DAC performance of -116dB with 128dB S/N response. AK4497 has the best performance among AKM D/A converters. In addition, OSRD (Over Sampling Ratio Doubler) technology significantly reduces out-of-band noise. High resolution data support. An industry first, 22.4 MHz DSD input is supported. The digital input supports up to 768 kHz PCM and 22.4 MHz DSD (Direct Stream Digital), reproducing high-resolution audio as close to the original audio source as possible.
For the more experienced, we attach the microcircuit from the inside.
In general, in conclusion, I would like to say that the DAC used is a truly high-quality one, you can read a lot about it on the Internet and find useful information.
So we can say with 90% confidence that Zishan T1 will be a bomb!
If you don’t want to wait for a review, we recommend purchasing it using the promo code: soundcheck39 from Jimi.
Here are instructions on how to use: PROMO!
Here are the links where you can buy:
https://ali.pub/3mseeb or https://ali.pub/3mpq0n
