HiFiMAN EF499 DAC Desktop R2R hoofdtelefoonversterker + streamer

It's very heavy at well over 5 pounds. It stays cool under all conditions, and it sounds great with no audible distortion under high volumes. Only reason why I did not give it 5 stars is because it does not provide a native 4.4 mm balanced output, so I had to purchase a separate 4 PIN male XLR to female 4.4 mm balanced adaptor.

Venant d'un déjà bon topping E30II qui à très bonne presse, je voulais tester depuis quelques temps un dac R2R. Le prix de l'hifiman m'a séduit et j'ai tenté l'expérience. N'y allons pas par quatres chemins, l'hifiman surpasse amplement le topping.Les basses sont mieux définies avec plus de poids, les médiums sont plus chaleureux et les aigus bien que détaillées sont doux. Le son est plus plein, le topping paraît fade à côté. Une écoute des plus agréables qui sans doute n'est pas neutre mais très musicale.Je ne regrette vraiment pas cet achat, et couplé à un Luxman L31 c'est superbe.

I thought long and hard about whether this was the right amplifier after I bought an Hifiman Araya headphone. I have listened to many more expensive ones and have to say that the price/performance ratio is absolutely top class: buy!

I really like the HIFIMAN EF499 design. Sleek with great color combo of copper and black. Very classic looking! Fitting nicely in my study room where I use it to enjoy music while Working From Home...As a lower end hifi DAC/Amp combos at $299. It's affordable for people like me who are spending more $ raising kids than my own hobby these days. It worked well with my HIFIMAN headphone.The performance is impressive. Those numbers in the spec like 4.35W integrated R-2R DAC apparently are working well for me. It delivers a smooth sound with very good depth especially for classical music. The lossless music from Apple music allows me to tell the difference allowing an immersive listening experience with my favorite albums.The knob changes between NOS/OS and High Gain and Low gain. The difference is just noticeable for my ears. I switched occasionally for different music types.It has all the inputs of USB B and USB Type-C. My iPhone 13 cable lighting cable won't work while iPhone 15's USB-C cable works like a charm!Also the cool thing about this EF499 is that it has a network port. Once connected to my router I can just using applecast to share the music I am playing on my phone as shown in the picture. I really enjoy the option to stream podcast, and other things through it. It’s much easier than I imagined saving the effort for a Bluetooth version at much higher price.For output I only care about 6.35mm headphone jack output. Having the XLR doesn't hurt.ConclusionThe HIFIMAN EF499 is a remarkable device very affordable price point without compromising on sound quality or build. It’s a solid choicefor audiophiles looking for a reliable DAC/Amp to power their listening sessions.

OK , I got this to primarily power my Hifiman HE6SE headphones and yes I know they are absolute monsters to drive but all the reviews on youtube etc state that this amp can power these headphones easily BUT in my experience no it can not.My ifi Zen Dac signature and Zen amp v3 on a balanced connection between the units plus +12db OR +18db high gain and balanced out to the headphones EASILY outperforms the EF499 in volume and sound but especially volume. The ifi stack in that configuration the volume wheel rarely goes past 1pm sometimes 2pm if the track is cut softer , with the Ef499 set to high gain on either NOS or OS mode i can literally crank the volume wheel to the max and it still isnt loud enough.Maybe my unit is defective but apart from the volume issue the sound is quite nice, smooth and not harsh but it just doesnt have the power like my ifi stack to drive the HE6SEv2.The unit is very solid and heavy and is well built and looks lovely on my desk with its black and gold livery but its performance is a LOT to be desired.On that basis I can not recommend this amp dac.