This is my first product made by Audioengine and you can color me impressed. It's the third USB stick-style amp/DAC I've used (others are Dragonfly v.1 and GO1000), and honestly I think I like it best. It's got power for days, a tiny footprint, and it's plug-and-play!
As for the sound? Well, just read on...
The Breakdown:
Test Songs (all ALAC either 16/44 or 24/96):
Limit to Your Love - James Blake - James Blake
Something - Snarky Puppy - Family Dinner, Vol. 1
What About Me - Lake Street Dive - Bad Self-Portraits
Prelude from Cello Suite #4 - Yo Yo Ma
Hot for Teacher - Van Halen - 1984
Make it Mine - Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
Source:
MacBook Pro > JRiver Media Center > D3 > Grado RS1i and EarSonics SM64 V2
Sound: Powerful, smooth, and clean.
Bass: Clean and punchy. The D3 definitely has a full low end. Luckily, it's not muddy or unrefined. The double bass on "Hot for Teacher" was clean and articulate while that on the Blake tune The Dragonfly had leaner quicker bass, but definitely didn't provide the thump the D3 does. The D3 isn't quite as textured as my O2 combo, but it certainly does the job for pretty much everything I throw at it. I only felt like it could've been better after A/Bing it against my other gear.
Midrange: Rich and smooth. Very Grado-esque IMHO. Both male and female vocals are rendered beautifully and never once have I felt like they are recessed or 'behind' anything else. Check out Lalah's pipes on the Snarky tune:
Treble: Clean and clear! Just like Windex baby! Intricate cymbal work in "Make It Mine" comes through quite clearly. My RS1's were doing things I hadn't heard before! The extra percussion textures (shakers, triangle, additional cymbals) in "Something" were nice and crisp. The air in Rachel's voice on the Lake Street Dive tune was just like I've heard it in concert. The highest of the highs may be a little rolled off, but in a 'I don't miss it, because it's very similar to listening to music on vinyl instead of a digital download' kind of way.
Soundstage/Imaging/Separation: Through both my RS1's and SM64's the soundstage was noticeably deeper than the sound straight from my laptop. Not a lot of difference in width or height, but the third dimension of depth was definitely better. The musicians in Lake Street Dive and Snarky Puppy sounded like they were actually in their own space instead of jumbled together. From another review I did awhile back on a portable amp/DAC: "No major changes in left-right imaging. Separation was a little better, but that's to be assumed as the details I raved about earlier have improved. Micro-detail retrieval should improve separation as sounds appear more individually rather than in clumps." I will add that some of these improvements were particularly noticeable until after I removed the D3 from the equation.
Build/Form Factor: Excellent. Tiny. Pretty. Rugged. Unobtrusive. What more could you want from a thumb-drive solution? Yes, the D3 get's a little warm after a few minutes, but it's not Schiit Asgard warm people. Definitely nicer than the Dragonfly or the Geek Out.
Final Thoughts: Even though the thumb-drive amp/DAC market is somewhat flooded these days, I still think Audioengine has a winner in the D3. It's got plenty of power, a gorgeous form factor, and improves the sound of the laptop plenty enough for it's price. For those of you who prefer a richer, more organic sound signature, I'd recommend the D3 over and over, while those of you who like more analytical listening might want to go the Dragonfly route. Happy listening!
As for the sound? Well, just read on...
The Breakdown:
Test Songs (all ALAC either 16/44 or 24/96):
Limit to Your Love - James Blake - James Blake
Something - Snarky Puppy - Family Dinner, Vol. 1
What About Me - Lake Street Dive - Bad Self-Portraits
Prelude from Cello Suite #4 - Yo Yo Ma
Hot for Teacher - Van Halen - 1984
Make it Mine - Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
Source:
MacBook Pro > JRiver Media Center > D3 > Grado RS1i and EarSonics SM64 V2
Sound: Powerful, smooth, and clean.
Bass: Clean and punchy. The D3 definitely has a full low end. Luckily, it's not muddy or unrefined. The double bass on "Hot for Teacher" was clean and articulate while that on the Blake tune The Dragonfly had leaner quicker bass, but definitely didn't provide the thump the D3 does. The D3 isn't quite as textured as my O2 combo, but it certainly does the job for pretty much everything I throw at it. I only felt like it could've been better after A/Bing it against my other gear.
Midrange: Rich and smooth. Very Grado-esque IMHO. Both male and female vocals are rendered beautifully and never once have I felt like they are recessed or 'behind' anything else. Check out Lalah's pipes on the Snarky tune:
Treble: Clean and clear! Just like Windex baby! Intricate cymbal work in "Make It Mine" comes through quite clearly. My RS1's were doing things I hadn't heard before! The extra percussion textures (shakers, triangle, additional cymbals) in "Something" were nice and crisp. The air in Rachel's voice on the Lake Street Dive tune was just like I've heard it in concert. The highest of the highs may be a little rolled off, but in a 'I don't miss it, because it's very similar to listening to music on vinyl instead of a digital download' kind of way.
Soundstage/Imaging/Separation: Through both my RS1's and SM64's the soundstage was noticeably deeper than the sound straight from my laptop. Not a lot of difference in width or height, but the third dimension of depth was definitely better. The musicians in Lake Street Dive and Snarky Puppy sounded like they were actually in their own space instead of jumbled together. From another review I did awhile back on a portable amp/DAC: "No major changes in left-right imaging. Separation was a little better, but that's to be assumed as the details I raved about earlier have improved. Micro-detail retrieval should improve separation as sounds appear more individually rather than in clumps." I will add that some of these improvements were particularly noticeable until after I removed the D3 from the equation.
Build/Form Factor: Excellent. Tiny. Pretty. Rugged. Unobtrusive. What more could you want from a thumb-drive solution? Yes, the D3 get's a little warm after a few minutes, but it's not Schiit Asgard warm people. Definitely nicer than the Dragonfly or the Geek Out.
Final Thoughts: Even though the thumb-drive amp/DAC market is somewhat flooded these days, I still think Audioengine has a winner in the D3. It's got plenty of power, a gorgeous form factor, and improves the sound of the laptop plenty enough for it's price. For those of you who prefer a richer, more organic sound signature, I'd recommend the D3 over and over, while those of you who like more analytical listening might want to go the Dragonfly route. Happy listening!
