EarMen - Donald DAC
Desktop Digital to Analog Converter (DAC)Unfortunately, even if we desire to, we won't be able to resurrect this product. The Museum is where we pay our respects to end-of-life, old, archived, but not forgotten products. This page was made with a lot of love and will live on for posterity. What to say, we're sentimental people. 😔
While this product is gone forever, here are others we recommend
Customer Reviews
I had decided to pick this up as a second DAC to connect directly to my computer and use for MQA and lossless streaming from Tidal. My main DAC is connected to a streamer and CD transport. For such an inexpensive component the Earmen Donald DAC is beautifully constructed and feels solid in spite of being quite light. The performance is excellent - the sound is well balanced across frequencies and there is no harshness at all which is commendable at this price. This DAC has a clean sound with good separation. If I remember correctly, the Schiit Modi has a bit more richness and tonal density while the Donald DAC has a cleaner & better separated sound. Both these DACs are excellent and the one you prefer will depend on the other components in your system and the features you need. The sound with MQA files is excellent, I do not have many DSD albums so cannot really evaluate the performance with DSD but the performance with MQA alone is good enough to justify the price you pay for this DAC.
I would say this is a genuine alternative to the Schiit Modi (though it has been a couple of years since I had the Modi in my system). The Donald DAC also supports MQA rendering and DSD which the Schiit Modi does not. In short, I would recommend this to anyone looking at a budget DAC that handles MQA and DSD.
Build your perfect chain of components. What an engineering marvel. I paired this with a cayin C5 amp. It's a wonderful combo. The Dac has separate type C power input , so it doesn't eats your phone's battery and has the ability to run on your phones battery too. There are no wires accompanying the package, so buy your cables also.You do need camera /otg adapter. Warm and detailed sound. Go for it. Highly recommended for sure.Thanks headphonezone, you guys are the best. 👍😊👍😊🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊💯💥💯💥💯💥💯
I am a user of Allo Boss wifi streaming DAC and this is an Excellent USB DAC. VFM Dac without any frills. (They don't even give any cables) and that makes it even more worth. The value they give is for DAC function only and it does it really well.
it gives me the option to enjoy lossless apple music from my android and mac both (yes it is detected seamlessly without my even knowing it) and i am able to stream full resolution files from apple's lossless collection to it.
Rendering is very neutral and unbiased. Just Right nothing overpowers the other frequencies.
Music is more enjoying. A good DAC definitely enhances your music listening sessions.
DAC chip is not what matters but its implementation and Earmen has done it well with Donald. Appreciable. But i Heard its discontinued now. Grab em before they are gone.
Hey there, nothing makes us happier than knowing you loved your purchase, hope you had a comfortable shopping experience & thank you for the great review & ratings!
Amazing, Dynamic Sound
We appreciate your awesome review & ratings, Richy!
Best
Thank you for the awesome ratings, Ichika Nito!
Best
EarMen - Donald DAC
Designed & Made
in Serbia
Ideal for Audiophiles
Ideal for
Indoor Use
DAC Chip
You may not even realise it, but most of us use a digital-to-analogue converter (commonly known as a DAC) daily. Built into your computers, tablets and smartphones, a DAC is fundamental to unlocking the convenience of digital music. Any device that acts as a digital sound source will need a DAC to convert digital audio to analog. A DAC converts the digital information stored in “0s and 1s” into an analog signal that's passed to speakers or headphones and ultimately our ear. In short, DACs play a large part in making digital music hearable.
While this technical process is undoubtedly impressive, the DAC embedded into your smartphones or laptops is nowhere good enough to listen to your favourite music recordings in high quality. So, if you want to listen to music in high quality, an external DAC is essential to allow headphones or speakers to perform at their potential. An external DAC, first and foremost, will improve audio quality dramatically.
Pair with Laptop via USB
A majority of people use a laptop as the primary source device to listen to music or watch movies. Since the laptop is an essential part of the audio chain there are headphones and devices designed to work a laptop or computer system flawlessly. With the availability of USB connectivity, it becomes easier to pair various devices like an Amp, DAC or even headphones without worrying about drivers or any additional piece of software.
Connect With
USB-C
Metal
Build
Super Lightweight
Design
DESCRIPTION
FOR HIGH-GRADE MUSIC LISTENING ACROSS PORTABLE AND DESKTOP SET-UPS
Harboring the best of technology and performance, the all-new EarMen Donald DAC is a high-end music device that’s developed to offer a top-notch sound output in a portable as well as desktop setup. This DAC delivers an analog output of 32bit/384kHz and offers realistic imaging with high-definition audio. If you are looking to deep dive into your MQA files, EarMen’s patented processors can help you experience high-end music playback.
CIRRUS LOGIC DAC CHIP FOR A CLEAR AND DETAILED AUDIO EXPERIENCE
Sporting the best combination of state-of-the-art hardware and software solutions, the Donald DAC is very suitable for natural and clear music listening. What makes this DAC unique is its superior separation and pronounced stereo effect while still balancing the entire frequency range. The internal circuit board consists of an XMOS 200 series USB controller and a 32-bit Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC Chip for optimal digital to analog conversion. It supports a wide range of audio formats including the highly popular MQA codec, PCM resolutions up to 384kHz, and 32 bits DXD (352.8kHz / 24-bit).
COMES WITH DUAL POWER SUPPLY OPTIONS
With the Donald DAC, you get an option to power it either using your computer or in a combination of the computer and an external source. If you use the external source you can experience sound with better dynamics and definition across the frequency range. You can feel the overlays of tones distinctively while the overall sound will become more impactful. For convenience, the DAC has an indicator light to show which power source is being used. While the blue light indicates the computer as the power source, red light stands for an external power source.
FEATURING A STYLISH AND AN HIGHLY DURABLE DESIGN
The Donald DAC is designed to offer powerful sound and comes in a compact and stylish design. The body is made of highly durable metal along with a glossy plastic finish that highlights the end caps and trimmed frames. It can be mounted horizontally as well as vertically and comes with a standard mounting stand. It features a standard RCA analog output and the commonly-used USB-C port for connection as well as charging. This DAC is optimally designed in European factories to meet the highest quality and performance standards.
SPECS
| SUPPORTED FORMATS | PCM 384kHz/32 Bit, DSD, DXD, MQA Rendering |
| DAC | 32 bit Cirrus Logic CS 43198 |
| USB | XMos 2XX |
| INPUT | USB-C – DATA/Power Supply USB-C – External Power Supply |
| OUTPUT | RCA |
| DIMENSIONS | L * H * W (mm) 114 x 80 x59 |
| BOX CONTENTS |
1. EarMen Donald DAC
|
|
2. Donald DAC proprietary stand
|
FOR HIGH-GRADE MUSIC LISTENING ACROSS PORTABLE AND DESKTOP SET-UPS
Harboring the best of technology and performance, the all-new EarMen Donald DAC is a high-end music device that’s developed to offer a top-notch sound output in a portable as well as desktop setup. This DAC delivers an analog output of 32bit/384kHz and offers realistic imaging with high-definition audio. If you are looking to deep dive into your MQA files, EarMen’s patented processors can help you experience high-end music playback.
CIRRUS LOGIC DAC CHIP FOR A CLEAR AND DETAILED AUDIO EXPERIENCE
Sporting the best combination of state-of-the-art hardware and software solutions, the Donald DAC is very suitable for natural and clear music listening. What makes this DAC unique is its superior separation and pronounced stereo effect while still balancing the entire frequency range. The internal circuit board consists of an XMOS 200 series USB controller and a 32-bit Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC Chip for optimal digital to analog conversion. It supports a wide range of audio formats including the highly popular MQA codec, PCM resolutions up to 384kHz, and 32 bits DXD (352.8kHz / 24-bit).
COMES WITH DUAL POWER SUPPLY OPTIONS
With the Donald DAC, you get an option to power it either using your computer or in a combination of the computer and an external source. If you use the external source you can experience sound with better dynamics and definition across the frequency range. You can feel the overlays of tones distinctively while the overall sound will become more impactful. For convenience, the DAC has an indicator light to show which power source is being used. While the blue light indicates the computer as the power source, red light stands for an external power source.
FEATURING A STYLISH AND AN HIGHLY DURABLE DESIGN
The Donald DAC is designed to offer powerful sound and comes in a compact and stylish design. The body is made of highly durable metal along with a glossy plastic finish that highlights the end caps and trimmed frames. It can be mounted horizontally as well as vertically and comes with a standard mounting stand. It features a standard RCA analog output and the commonly-used USB-C port for connection as well as charging. This DAC is optimally designed in European factories to meet the highest quality and performance standards.
| SUPPORTED FORMATS | PCM 384kHz/32 Bit, DSD, DXD, MQA Rendering |
| DAC | 32 bit Cirrus Logic CS 43198 |
| USB | XMos 2XX |
| INPUT | USB-C – DATA/Power Supply USB-C – External Power Supply |
| OUTPUT | RCA |
| DIMENSIONS | L * H * W (mm) 114 x 80 x59 |
| BOX CONTENTS |
1. EarMen Donald DAC
|
|
2. Donald DAC proprietary stand
|
Don't sweat it, this
EarMen - Donald DAC comes with a 2 Year warranty
from EarMen that covers manufacturing defects.
All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.
Read more about EarMen's warranty in India.
"The EarMen Donald DAC is one of the better budget DAC’s out there. I enjoy a load of purity now and then and I can safely say that this DAC is something purists will like a lot."
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"Donald not only sounds great and musical, but it also easily outperforms many mid-fi DACs. Donald DAC is perfect when you’re starting out with the hobby."
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"The EarMen Donald DAC is a nice little piece that’ll sit prettily on your desk, and the sound is fine. If you’re attracted to the looks, go for it."
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"The EarMen Donald DAC is an excellent DAC for a hundred dollars and a great addon to an inexpensive receiver or integrated amp that doesn’t have a built-in DAC."
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