HiFi Man EF499 DAC and Headphone Amplifier
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Product Video
Features
| Manufacturer | HiFi Man |
|---|---|
| Warranty The length of time your product is protected by warranty | 2 Years |
Tech Specs
Physical characteristics
- Weight - 3.3 kg
Technical specifications
- Power output - 4.35 WPC@32Ω balanced/1.28 WPC@32Ω unbalanced
- THD+N - Line out: 0.008% (0dB)
- S/N Ratio - 99dB (A Weighted, AP Open Loop Test)
Description
The HiFi Man EF499 DAC and Headphone Amplifier is a premium device at a bargain price. A high-end DAC is included as well as a powerful amplifier. Moreover, There is a range of balanced and unbalanced outputs. You can also choose between four playback modes with or without oversampling.
Non-oversampling is thought to create a more natural-sounding output. Moreover, an R2R DAC is used, this also has very low noise and a fast response time. Lastly, the vertical case is also designed to act as a headphone stand.
Powerful 4.5 Watt amplifier
The HiFi Man EF499 DAC and Headphone Amplifier features a powerful 4.5-watt output. Moreover, the THD is only 0.008%. The low distortion amplifier can drive virtually any manufacturer's headphones with ease. The unit also features a balanced design. Balanced amplifiers reduce cable noise.
R2R DAC for warm playback.
The DAC in the HiFi Man EF499 DAC and Headphone Amplifier is an R2R type. R2R DACs use a resistor network to convert digital audio back into analogue. They are thought to offer a very quiet output with a faster response time. Alternatively, Sigma delta decoding is used. This uses a feedback loop and requires noise shaping to move noise out of the audible band.
What is NOS and OS?
Four sampling playback settings are available on the HiFi Man EF499 DAC and Headphone Amplifier. There are two non-oversampling settings, (NOS) and two oversampling (OS) settings. Firstly, what is sampling? As an example let's take a look at how CDs are sampled.
To convert analogue audio into digital, the waveform is sampled many times a second. With CDS the sample rate is 44kHz. This is around double the highest audio frequency humans can hear.
Why oversampling?
Oversampling is used during playback to increase the number of samples available for decoding. For example, 2 x oversampling would be at a rate of 88kHz. The effect is to smooth out the sound. However, it also puts more loading onto the playback device.
Some say that non-oversampled playback sounds more natural and vinyl-like. Hence the choice of sampling methods with the HiFi Man EF499 DAC and Headphone Amplifier.
Good connectivity.
The luxury vertical format black case boasts two copper coloured knobs. One for volume and one for setting the oversampling. There is a single-ended 6.3mm output as well as a balanced 4-pin XLR socket. The back has balanced left and right XLR outputs so the HiFi Man EF499 DAC and Headphone Amplifier can also be used as a preamp.
Additionally, there is a standard RCA output. Lastly, digital input is via USB or coaxial. The network connection is via wired Ethernet.
Network playback.
To keep noise and interference to a minimum there is no WI-Fi or Bluetooth. As a result, the HiFi Man EF499 DAC and Headphone Amplifier acts as a device on the network. To connect to it from Spotify or Tidal just select the HiFi Man EF499 from the Spotify or Tidal APP.