Go toLog in Go toSign up
Skip to content
TANCHJIM STARGATE ios Headphone Adapter Cable Review

TANCHJIM STARGATE ios Headphone Adapter Cable Review

Author:Andy.EF

DAC Chip: Undisclosed Cirrus Logic DAC Chip (Single)

PCM Unspecified, SNR: Undisclosed, Power: 1 Vrms Adaptive, iOS Lightning, 3.5mm SE (Microphone: Unspecified), Metal Chassis & SPC Cable

 

Strengths:

  • Clear crisp neutral flat timbre with uncolored tonality
  • Well controlled dynamics, full bodied with smooth airy presentation
  • Stellar, well nuanced Micro and Macro details, very transparent
  • Balanced Mids with detailed textures and definition, natural toned Male/Female vocals
  • Sparkly Treble with crisp decays, great extensions
  • Smooth Mid-Bass, tight, fast with crisp decays
  • Sub-Bass exhibited audible seismic response with mild decays.
  • Crisp and vivid guitars, piano, percussions (chimes, bells) and drums and taps
  • Well-rounded soundstage width with good depth and placement
  • Great holographic spatial imaging with sharp precise placement/layers
  • Amazing speed and dexterity on complex passages and transients
  • Super clean background, zero floor noises
  • Clean layers and well-defined separation lines
  • Drives Magnetic Planars and BA at 75/100 volume for normal listening level.
  • Excellent synergy with DD and BA

Weaknesses:

  • Driving power is just about enough for demanding IEMs/Headphones.
  • Less likely to synergize well with magnetic planars.
  • Not forgiving on Lo-Fi or poor-quality sources (being very transparent)
  • No volume adjuster

 

VERDICT:

TANCHJIM STARGATE iOS. This Stargate is a very refined iOS only unit, offering clean and clear sound. The timbre is outright flat neutral and totally no hint of coloration. Tonality wise it is very natural sounding with great balance, with enough organic touch to it. It is also very resolving, detailed and transparent of which many times I am hearing recording artifacts present in the tracks tested – however this also depends on how competent the IEMs/Headphones being used. Technical scalability on this Stargate is great of which the likes of Etymotic ER series sounded amazing with all the presented details. This is the sort of resolution on par with Ovidius B1, iBasso DC03-04, Hidizs S9 Pro and A&K PEE51. The usage of this Stargate is best for non-heavyweights below 75 Ohm and with no less than 96db of sensitivity. With more demanding IEMs or Headphones like the Tin HiFi P1 or Monolith M565c, dynamics will be less vibrant despite being quite listenable.

 

OVERALL RATING: 95/100

Recommended Pairing: Technically competent IEMs between 8 to 75Ω.

 

Relative articles

USB DAC/Amp Dongles, Reviewed and Rated

Previous article JCally JM10 Headphone Amp Review

Leave a comment

Comments must be approved before appearing

* Required fields