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NiceHCK Octave
NiceHCK Octave is a sub-$100 ESS ES9039Q2M dongle that surprised me by sounding more musical than the usual “surgical” Sabre vibe. You get good power (it drove my HD650 fine), a clean background, and strong imaging/separation, plus a companion app with 10-band EQ and firmware updates.
Pros
- +Musical-leaning tuning for an ESS Sabre dongle (weighty bass and mids)
- +Good technicalities for the price: clean background, solid imaging and separation
- +Strong output power (rated 550mW @ 32 ohms on 4.4mm) and drove my HD650
- +Tactile, satisfying buttons and gain switch
- +Companion app with 10-band EQ and firmware updates
Cons
- -Gets quite hot to the touch
- -No display—only a small LED indicator
- -Included cable is just kind of 'eh'
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NiceHCK Octave
Available on Nicehck
External purchase
Highlights
- +Musical-leaning tuning for an ESS Sabre dongle (weighty bass and mids)
- +Good technicalities for the price: clean background, solid imaging and separation
- +Strong output power (rated 550mW @ 32 ohms on 4.4mm) and drove my HD650
Recommended by
littlenezt