There was something missing in the audiophile world: a brand dedicated to accessories that could reach an international audience. There are many examples in the eastern countries of brands dedicated to cases and dongles, but there wasn’t a global one of such quality... until DDHiFi.
Ever since I review audio stuff, I read about issues with grounding, polarity, ecc.. in many balanced adapters (balanced to unbalanced, or vice versa). Nothing were clear, even though the advertisement was assuring that everything was safe. DDHiFi has a series of adapters (LINK) which cover every possible need, as well as a disclaimer whenever that particular one is safe or not with a certain device. E.g. Sony Walkmans have 4.4 Pentaconn outputs, but they are engineered differently from the standard ones. That means you can’t reduce the signal to unbalanced the same way you do it with an iFi Audio product, for instance. Well, this brand warns you about that, suggesting you which product is more suitable and safe for you. I love this approach.
So, our collaboration is pretty basic at this moment: they sent us the C-2019 carrying case (the black one) and a 3.5 male to 4.4 female adapter, called DJ44C.
Carrying Case
Where to find: https://www.ddhifi.com/productinfo/1431284.html
This is so easy, yet brilliant: 2:1 in ratio, it’s an all-in-one case for your audiophile needs. You can carry your DAP, a portable DAC (e.g. TOPPING NX4, iFi Audio Hip DAC, XDUOO XP-2), your micro SD memory cards with your offline music libraries, your cables, your dongles… there’s plenty of room here. This is one of three iterations of this case: there’s a similar one (brown) and there’s a bigger 2020 version which can host even more gear.
What I love about it:
the adjustable compartments: exactly like on camera bags, you can place the foams in different positions, securing them with velcro straps, and make room for your gear without wasting space. I have three slots: one for a DAP and a portable DAC/amp stacked (FiiO M7 and XDUOO XP-2 or TOPPING NX4), one for a smaller DAC/amp (Lotoo Paw S1) and one for a pair of IEMs and a pair of earbuds (I keep here the BGVP VG4 and the YinYoo BK2). Then I carry some quarter inch adapters, some other little DAC/amps and a lot of cables to use them with various devices, using the other pouches inside the case. Oh, and some USB C to 3.5mm dongles, just in case, and my Thor’s hammer*;
the sleek design: the colors, the choice of materials, everything is above any other organizer I’ve tried. I’m glad they made it recognizable for music, by putting a little hole to let an earphone come through while connected to the DAP inside. Unfortunately, it’s not very comfortable to use, and audiophile-grade audio jacks are often too big to pass through that bore.
What I don’t like:
the aforementioned hole;
the dimensions: too big to be completely portable, too small to contain all my gear. I think the 2020 version would fit my needs better, but I’d also love to see a smaller version of it, to be carried around in a jacket.
*Thor’s hammer, or DJ44C
Where to find: https://www.ddhifi.com/productinfo/1429484.html
This is a fantastic piece of metal that allows to always leave a 4.4 jack on your earphones, and occasionally connect them to an unbalanced source without swapping the cable. Mine is the first version, the new one doesn’t have any visible screw (which I like, though, it’s kind of an industrial look). Tested with my Meze 99 Classics and the silver upgrade cable by the same company, this little adapter is marvelous and solid. It is gold plated, both in the male 3.5mm and in the female 4.4mm jack. It’s shaped like a T, so your cable will probably face your source horizontally: it may seem uncomfortable, but it’s okay – especially if your cable is long enough, you won’t feel a great difference. Sound-wise, it obviously cannot give you the same experience of a balanced output, but there’s no loss at all, compared to using a direct 3.5mm cable with the same earphones. It’s a tool that you use for convenience, when you don’t have a cable like the Dunu Hulk with swappable jacks, and you don’t want to keep on stressing your buds by removing the connectors. What can I say? It’s an adapter, and it’s perfect. I hope more gear was engineered like that: it seems so easy to achieve this quality, but it’s actually a hard work.
Oh, and their ecological packaging is pure gold. Bravo, DDHiFi.