Author Topic: HiFiMAN launch HiFiMAN Express with new HM-101 USB DAC for 2k.  (Read 2054 times)

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Offline marcusd

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HiFiMAN launch HiFiMAN Express with new HM-101 USB DAC for 2k.
« on: September 09, 2011, 01:57:27 PM »


HM-101 USB DAC

Order Link: http://www.head-direct.com/Products/?act=detail&id=113#

Price: 39 USD

Quote
Why don't you build some consumer grade products with Hi-Fi elements?  One of my friend asked me last year. He was right, we do have the ability to build consumer grade products, such as headphones, sound card, players, as cheap as those sold in walmart, and sound a lot better. So we registered HIFIMAN EXPRESS trademark, and designed several new products under this brand. HM-101 portable USB DAC is the first one. Several new products such as RE-242 iphone compatible IEM will coming soon. We will keep use HIFIMAN trademark for Hi-Fi market in the future.

Why we build HM-101 USB DAC
 
Most modern computers have on-board sound cards, which provide relatively lean and cold sound. People call it "digital sound". Sometimes on-board soundcard have bad signal to noise issue so that customer can hear noise from sound card headphone output. Hifiman express HM-101 is a very small USB sound card ( as small as a matchbox) with headphone amp output and line output. We use one of the best sound quality USB D/A convertor chip Burr-brown PCM2702 as the key component in HM-101. We designed the headphone amplifer with the famous headphone amplifier chip TDA1308, with about 50 to 70 mw headphone output. HM-101 USB DAC can be used on both Windows and Mac.

Spec
Frequency Response: 20 to 20k Hz
THD: 0.07%
S/N: 96 dB
Stereo Crosstalk: 78 dB
Headphone Amplifier Output:
62 mw at 36 Ohm
26 mw at 150 Ohm
Dimension: 36 * 60.5 * 13.8 mm
♫♪♫d(^_^)♫♪♫


Offline HK-47

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Re: Hifiman launch Hifiman Express with new USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2011, 02:26:18 PM »
This thing has ENMA killer written all over it.
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Offline KaliKot

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Re: Hifiman launch Hifiman Express with new USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2011, 02:51:56 PM »
That is cute :o

This thing has ENMA killer written all over it.

Enma is about half the price though :P
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Offline marcusd

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Re: Hifiman launch Hifiman Express with new USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2011, 02:53:09 PM »
I would like to see side profiles on the amp dac capabilities and someone to open it up :P

This is like an e5 with a dac hehe..
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Offline Racio

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Re: Hifiman launch Hifiman Express with new USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2011, 12:32:23 AM »
Aesthetic-wise, it looks like a baby E7! :))
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Offline daj523

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Re: Hifiman launch Hifiman Express with new USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2011, 12:35:32 AM »
If ever there is a group buy for this I'm in  :)

Offline airwax

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Re: Hifiman launch Hifiman Express with new USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2011, 08:05:31 AM »
Would like to compare this to my usb dac from headstage
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Offline marcusd

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Re: Hifiman launch Hifiman Express with new USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2011, 09:29:02 AM »
If ever there is a group buy for this I'm in  :)

Will speak to Head Direct on this but that is very possible.
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Offline Za'afiel

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Re: Hifiman launch Hifiman Express with new USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #8 on: October 23, 2011, 03:00:22 AM »
This thing has ENMA killer written all over it.

If you're scrimping on space, then you have a very plausible theory.


I would like to see side profiles on the amp dac capabilities and someone to open it up :P

This is like an e5 with a dac hehe..

...but without a volume control.  :P


Aesthetic-wise, it looks like a baby E7! :))

Indeed it does, in fact it's too close of a resemblance.


If ever there is a group buy for this I'm in  :)

Bang for buck indeed. HiFiMAN's going in the right places with their Express Line.


Would like to compare this to my usb dac from headstage

We can do this soon, I also need to meet some of the Ortigas boys. :D


Will speak to Head Direct on this but that is very possible.

Thanks for the HM-101 Marcus. This needs to be heard by the others, compared to the ENMA and other similarly sized and priced USB DACs. The D12 is too far up the line to be compared with this one.

~

HiFiMAN HM-101

The finish is a bit iffy on the silver sides, but the front and back black faces are sleek enough to catch attention.

On top of the HM-101 is the mini-USB port. The packaging includes a short USB cable. On the upper front side is the power indicator LED that glows a bright blue that is almost blinding. At the bottom are two 1/8" (3.5mm) output jacks. The left jack is the line out, while the right jack is the headphone out.

The HM-101 does not have a volume control. If you decide to use the headphone out jack, you must control the volume digitally, via your media player.

As early as now, what I can say is that the HM-101 punches well above its price range with its Burr-Brown PCM2702E DAC chip and the NXP Semiconductors TDA1308 integrated class-AB stereo headphone driver.
Cans: ATH-AD700/ON303/T200|Grado RS1/HF2|HiSoundAudio PAA-1 Pro|Sennheiser PX100|Yuin PK1
Amps/DACs: AMB Minił HP/ER|FiiO E6|iBasso D12|Millett Hybrid MiniMAX
Sources: Acer Aspire 4920G|iPod Classic 6G|iPod Shuffle 3G|Nokia E7-00

Offline Za'afiel

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Re: Hifiman launch Hifiman Express with new USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2011, 03:13:37 AM »
These things are going to be perfect for a lot of friends I know who complain that their netbooks have too weak of a volume output. The headphone out at -10dB is already crazy loud even on the 150-ohm PK1.
Cans: ATH-AD700/ON303/T200|Grado RS1/HF2|HiSoundAudio PAA-1 Pro|Sennheiser PX100|Yuin PK1
Amps/DACs: AMB Minił HP/ER|FiiO E6|iBasso D12|Millett Hybrid MiniMAX
Sources: Acer Aspire 4920G|iPod Classic 6G|iPod Shuffle 3G|Nokia E7-00

Offline Za'afiel

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Re: HiFiMAN launch HiFiMAN Express with new HM-101 USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2011, 11:48:05 PM »
I did a bit of research on the DAC chip inside the HM-101.

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS - PCM2702EG4 - 16BIT DAC, USB, SMD, 2702, SSOP28



Approximately worth Php900.00. Now, how does that change your perception of a DAC whose DAC chip is worth more than half of itself?
Cans: ATH-AD700/ON303/T200|Grado RS1/HF2|HiSoundAudio PAA-1 Pro|Sennheiser PX100|Yuin PK1
Amps/DACs: AMB Minił HP/ER|FiiO E6|iBasso D12|Millett Hybrid MiniMAX
Sources: Acer Aspire 4920G|iPod Classic 6G|iPod Shuffle 3G|Nokia E7-00

Offline Peorth

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Re: HiFiMAN launch HiFiMAN Express with new HM-101 USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #11 on: October 28, 2011, 11:58:30 PM »
That thing looks cute!

We should really thank these new Chinese companies that try to push good products without a bloated price tag.

Offline Dyaems

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Re: HiFiMAN launch HiFiMAN Express with new HM-101 USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #12 on: October 29, 2011, 12:43:13 AM »
hows the sound of this , Joma?

Offline Za'afiel

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Re: HiFiMAN launch HiFiMAN Express with new HM-101 USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #13 on: October 29, 2011, 01:03:06 AM »
hows the sound of this , Joma?

I'm still trying to get to grips with this little thing, because compared to the iBasso D12, the HM-101 is trailing far behind. But that's comparing a device incorporating a well-known DAC, and two at that.

I'd like to compare this to the ENMA and other entry-level DACs.

However, if I were someone who owned a netbook and wanted an affordable and portable device to improve my music and ultimately make it louder for headphone listening, this baby takes the cake.
Cans: ATH-AD700/ON303/T200|Grado RS1/HF2|HiSoundAudio PAA-1 Pro|Sennheiser PX100|Yuin PK1
Amps/DACs: AMB Minił HP/ER|FiiO E6|iBasso D12|Millett Hybrid MiniMAX
Sources: Acer Aspire 4920G|iPod Classic 6G|iPod Shuffle 3G|Nokia E7-00

Offline jcruiz

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Re: HiFiMAN launch HiFiMAN Express with new HM-101 USB DAC for 2k.
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2011, 01:14:41 AM »
i do hope this beats an enma since i've been griping for ages as an enma isn't compatible with macs. the hm-101 is my only hope.
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