ddHIFI TC35PRO M2 Mountain2 – Hiking The Musical Journey
ddHIFI TC35PRO is a $66 USD dongle DAC / AMP with a CS43131 DAC at the heart, a 3.5mm single ended headphone output to drive headphones and IEMS, and today we will review it, exploring how it sounds like and if it is fit to be your next music companion.
Introduction
ddHIFI has been on a roll with their new DAC and accessory releases, and today we have the T-Shaped dongle TC35PRO. This is the kind of DAC that has good performance but takes very little space, being like a little T or mushroom that grows from the Type-C port of your phone. ddHIFI products are widely available from a multitude of shops, including Amazon, Aliexpress and dedicated shops like Linsoul as well. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to ddHIFI for providing us with the sample for this review.
PROs – Versatile portable DAC/AMP with a good detail and resolution, bold and strong bass, no background noise and good performance with IEMS. Power draw from a smartphone is not high, while the sound is good.
Cons – Limited driving power, Intimate soundstage
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3TiDCU6
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DC73Mx1
Build Quality/Aesthetics
There is so little to talk about when a device is so small, but one of the most ingenious additions to the TC35PRO is a lanyard hole, with a little wired support that allows you to make sure you won’t lose it. Other than this, we have a light that indicates whether it is working, and this is the TC35 PRO Mountain2 2nd generation of this dongle DAC, as you likely have seen this shape and design before on Audiophile-Heaven.
There is a single 3.5mm single ended headphone output on the side of the TC35PRO, and it has a strong driving power for IEMS, with a low background noise level, having a CS43131 decoding chip, and an ES6903Q for the amplification stage. This is much better than the more integrated solutions previously found in ddHIFI TC35 and other DAC series, but it also has a slightly higher power demand and can get warmer than the previous versions.
With a shell made of aluminum alloy, which is integrally molded and has a shiny reflective surface which brings a new titanium color to the 2nd generation of PRO DACs from ddHIFI. The indicator light is on the left side, with a foggy effect to it, having Blue color for PCM, Green for native DSD and that’s about it. With a weight of just 8.5 grams, TC35 PRO Mountain 2 is about as light or even lighter than even some IEMs, and with dimensions of 28.5mm x 17mm x 10.4mm, it is ultra portable, not thicker than most smartphones, and will not produce any kind of discomfort during usage.
Technically, the specs are meek, and we have options for both Type-C and Lightning, but happily lightning will be obsolete in a few years as Apple has moved to Type-C now. The maximum output power for a 32 OHM load is 65mW per channel, so 65mW + 65mW, which is meager, only good for IEMS and ultra easy to drive headphones. The SNR is >122 dB, which is very good, and the dynamic range of 120 dB is also quite excellent. The THD+N is 0.0004%, which is an excellent rating, although I suspect this is not measured at 100% volume driving something, but pure technical THD of the system. The PCM decoding ability goes to max 32 Bit / 384kHz, and the DSD support includes DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256. I have to admit, I still have zero music in the DSD format, so I’m not sure where TC35 PRO stands.
Subjective Usage / Gaming
While I personally would much rather use something larger and better suited for gaming, TC35 PRO M2 is a good option if you game on smartphone or tablets, especially if you play atmospheric games like Visual Novels, Terraria, Minecraft. I would always insert the headphones in the dongle before inserting it in the smartphone, as the 3.5mm Type-C port is very tight, and you don’t want to force the type-c port on the smartphone.
I could not notice a big delay on my smartphone, but it can be within 50ms, depending on the app and what you’re doing. It is good for casual usage, and generally, it does not eat away the battery of my S23 Ultra, and it allows me to enjoy a bit of music with wired IEMS and in good clarity / resolution. TC35PRO M2 will be much warmer / warm to the touch compared to the smartphone, so it can get warm or slightly hot, but it doesn’t force the smartphone in any way.
Sound Quality
Pairings – Judging from the limited driving power, it is best to use the TC35 PRO M2 Mountain 2 with easy to drive IEMS and headphones, so I have paired it with HarmonicDyne Eris, Sivga P2 PRO, Audeze MM-100, EPZ x Tipsy Star One, Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced, NF Audio Na2+, FiiO JD1 and Sweears He-Live5. For headphones, there is enough driving power, no background noise, and a fairly dynamic sound. I sometimes have to pump the volume high, and Arya Organic or Ananda Nano are both out of the driving ability of the TC35 PRO, but HarmonicDyne Eris is a good combo for it. For IEMs, all of them are driven well, but a matter of synergy becomes more important, as bright and sharp sounding IEMS pair well with it, while boom and dark sounding IEMS do not bond as well, so JD1 does not pair well, while Sweear HE-Live5 works super well, and so does Nf Audio NA2+.
Overall Signature – TC35 PRO M2 sounds detailed, clean and has a black background even with sensitive and very sensitive IEMS, but it is a smooth, dark and lush sounding dongle DAC, so you can expect a full bass, smooth and softly rolled off treble, intimate voices and a fluid, pleasing midrange. Generally, the sound is agreeable and enjoyable with most music, you can use TC35 PRO M2 to tone down some bright and sharp sounding IEMs, or thicken, strengthen the bloom and bass of others. It is musical, natural, rich, organic and fluid, and with how little of a background noise it has with IEMs, you will never feel like pumping the volume too much, although you can quickly reach max volume with more demanding IEMs or Headphones. Best volume listening is low-medium, as it can get shouty at high volumes, and the THD is audibly higher.
Bass – Bass is a central, focal element in the sound of the TC35PRO Mountain2, as it bears a lush, deep and voluptuous bass, with a full extension, strong presence and a natural-slow decay, creating a slow moving warm energy that powers each song to be powerful and impressive. While this signature / tuning is a bit dramatic, it works well with all music styles, including rock, pop, EDM, Pop and metal, everything can be aided by a strong bottom end. The bass is stronger at lower volumes and becomes more linear / neutral at higher volumes where the DAC tends to have more treble energy and sound a bit shoutier.
Midrange – If you love a warm and intimate voicing, you will love the TC35 PRO M2, as it has a smooth, lush and fluid voicing, it paints each musical note with a relaxed, laid-back sound, but it struggles a bit with clipping. Especially if the song has clipping, like most new Metallica albums, it will be obvious and sound loud, separate from the voices. Male voices are smooth, lush and deep, while female voices are warm and sweet.
Treble – The treble is softly rolled off, relaxed and clean with a pleasing tune to it. You can say goodbye to metallic and sharp edges, as TC35PRO2 has a soft and sweet treble in store for you, although the detail level is good and the whole sound is fairly sharp.
Volume Control – Volume control is limited, you’re best staying below 70% of the maximum volume if you want to hear the best performance, plus the sound changes depending on the volume, with TC35PRO Mountain2 having a far more shouty and more neutral sound at high volumes, and a deeper, more relaxed and wider, deeper sound at lower volumes.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – Textures are generally smooth, soft and musical, with the exception of certain IEMS that sound really crisp and sharp, and have peaks, a situation in which even TC35 PRO M2 can be aggressive. You generally will get a natural dynamic range, and good resolution / details.
Soundstage – For an intimate experience, we have good instrument separation, without crowding, and with an actually good definition for each musical instrument. The imaging is good, and the left / right imaging is very good, although the soundstage does not extend much in width / height, with most music playing in your head / around the head, and voices / lead instruments playing right in your ear.
Value and Conclusion
The value of TC35 PRO Mountain2 is excellent, it is an affordable dongle DAC AMP that offers a good performance, can give you access to wired IEMs and Headphones with a smartphone, it has a good resolution and clarity, and sounds fairly detailed, much more so than what you get free from smartphone manufacturers. Being so low in the entry-level range, there is very little sacrifice made, and TC35PRO Mountain 2 sounds excellent for the money paid.
At the end of the day, ddHIFI TC35PRO Mountain2 M2 is an effective solution for listening to music while staying on a budget, having good resolution and clarity, but spending very little on a setup that will work with any smartphone.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3TiDCU6
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DC73Mx1
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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