The HiFimeDIY ES9023 DAC was developed by DIY (do-it-yourself) enthusiasts with the purpose of making a really good, but cheap DAC that could compete against regular commercial DAC’s costing many times as much. It uses a DAC chip from the highly regarded ESS Technology. The ES9023 chip is their simplest DAC chip which keeps many of the features of their bigger brothers at a minimal cost.
Simple design with focus on the technical side
You pay for the sound, not the enclosure. We use a small lightweight simple case, so that you don’t have to pay extra for a bigger, heavier and more expensive enclosure.
The power supply in a sound device is very important for the sound quality. We use a high end ultra-low noise regulator (LT1763) and extra capacitors to smoothen the often noisy DC power from USB ports.
The DAC can also be used together with the USB Isolator to further improve the power supply quality. The isolator will isolate the power from the PC and give a cleaner 5VDC power to the DAC. We have experienced improved clarity in soundstage and separation using this isolator together with the Hifimediy DAC’s.
Works with:
- Mac, Windows and Linux computers, no drivers required
- Most newer Android devices (requires OTG adapter)
- Also reported to work with the Synology DS115J audio station
- Raspberry Pi
Features
- Output from 3.5mm headphone connector
- Volume Level is controlled by the normal volume control keys on your computer (no need to use the volume control inside iTunes etc.)
- Normal line level output (2Vrms) when connected to amplifiers/preamps. For headphones the level decreases down to 1 Vrms for 32 ohm headphones
- Quality gold plated headphone connector
Additional (bonus) features
- USB to optical converter. The 3.5mm output is a dual function plug. If you connect a 3.5mm optical cable it will send SPDIF optical signal, up to 96kHz. Can be used to connect your computer to another DAC or device that doesn’t have USB input.
Highlights about Saber ES9023 DAC chip
- The sound goes straight out of the DAC chip to your headphones or amplifier. No capacitor (that colors the sound) is required, there is no DC voltage to remove! Normally a cap is required at the DAC output, it ads costs and reduces sound quality.
- Jitter Eliminator! The ES9023 utilISed patented HyperstreamTM architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator.
- 112db DNR
USB chip Savitech SA9023
- Accepts 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48khz, 88kHz and 96kHz sample rates. Many USB DAC’s use the cheaper PCM2704 usb receiver chips that can only accept up to 48kHz/16bit.
- Works in USB Adaptive mode, DAC async mode.
or Tenor chip: (older version)
USB chip TenorTE7022L
- Accepts 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48khz 96kHz sample rates. Most USB DAC’s use the cheaper PCM2704 usb receiver chips that can only accept up to 48kHz/16bit.
- Works in USB Adaptive, DAC async mode
ASIO driver: ASIO drivers can provide lower latency, and is to optional to use. Asio drivers is only recommended for advanced users, and is not required for normal audio playback.
Savitech asio driver available here.
Output levels
- Open 2.2Vrms
- 4.7Kohm 2.1Vrms
- 1.8Kohm 1.9Vrms
- 510ohm 1.5Vrms
- 330ohm 1.3Vrms
- 30ohm 1Vrms
Note: Normally amplifier inputs are from 10K to 100K ohm. Normal headphones are from 32 ohm to 250ohm.
Customer feedback
– Very good value DAC!!!
– Outstanding audio quality; better than my Maverick D2–for 1/5 the cost.
– GREAT!!! This Little thing Sound so Big, smoth, with mutch details. Thank you
– Great little DAC – Very fast delivery – highly recommended
– What a great product. Listening to it right now coupled with a tube amp.
– very small but does good the job
– Très bon dac aux dimensions étonnement petites.
– Wow – this sounds AMAZING! Very fast delivery too. EXCELLENT seller.
– The DAC is fantastic. Thank You!
– Excellent DAC – cheapest Saber that you will find anywhere!
Model:UAE23
| Weight | 0.04000000 kg |
|---|
45 reviews for HiFimeDIY UAE23 USB DAC (ESS Sabre ES9023+Savitech SA9023)
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Geraldine Timms –
Fantastic warm detailed sound. Excellent soundstage. Don’t know how hifime do it at this price point. I wish that my discovery of this company happened sooner; still better late than never. I will certainly buy more from hifime as bargains in audiophile land are few and far between. Well done hifime! ; )
renato.lupi –
This is the second HiFimeDIY DAC that I buy and I am very satisfied with it. The DAC returns a smooth and detailed sound, both with headphones and connected to my Hi-Fi system. I successfully tested it with a Samsung Galaxy J5 (SM-J530F). The quality / price ratio is very high. Impressive!
M97 –
I must say that I am impressed. It definitely sounds better than Xonar DGX.
Much better soundstage. Cannot get any better for this price.
Gerhard –
Instead of doing a subjective testing, I decided to do a proper test with RightMark Audio Analyzer (it is free and you can do it without any having to buy any fancy hardware).
The frequence response (multitone) for the Sabre DAC from range from +0.01 to -0.07 dB, Build-in audio range from +3.3 to -10.99 db (Closer to 0 dB is better. Every +3db = double in volume and -3db = half in volumne)
The frequence response (swept sine) for the Sabre DAC from range from +0.0 to -0.0 dB, Build-in audio range from +6.4 to -8.0 db.
I wish I could put in an image of how bad the build in soundcard fluctuate. It is all over the place with no smooth curves or flat spots.
Noise level, stereo crosstalk, ect. are drastically better.
In summary:
The output is as close to perfect as one can get. No matter what you connect to this DAC, this DAC will make a big difference in improving the sound quality. For this price I would not buy anything else than one of hifime’s DACs.
Ghulam –
I have always been fascinated with Hifime product, so I decided to take the plunge and purchase the HiFimeDIY UAE23 USB DAC (ESS Sabre ES9023+Savitech SA9023). I have the Dragonfly USB DAC by Audioquest so had something to compare with. To be honest I was very disappointed. Unfortunately the hype was build up to such an extend that the whole listening experience was very disappointing. I did a lot of A/B listening between the Dragonfly DAC and the Hifime DAC using my audiophile Sennheisser headphones. The HiFime DAC stripped the life out of the music with very deep and muffled tones, stripping the individuals guitar, bass, cymbals and muffling them all together. I really thought something was up with my settings but as soon as I would plug the Dragonfly DAC in, the music and each instrument would come back to life, adding clarity and enjoyment to the music. Very disappointed and somewhat sad as I wanted this Sabre DAC to shine. Also, the packaging and unit is cheaply made in China.
theYeti –
Pleased to report that it works out of the box with Matricom G-box running SPMC on Android Lollipop with no configuration necessary.
Audio levels might quite low in that case so be sure to bump your software volume controls up to at least 75% if you don’t hear anything, but now that I’ve got the levels adjusted it works great passing audio to powered desktop speakers.
Yani –
Paired this with a mid 2012 MacBook Pro using both MTX-M50’s and HD600’s run by a LD MKII and also with LD MKIII. Spending hours switching headphones straight out of the MacBook and the DAC, then the amp there is very little difference, if any, honestly. I ended up returning the Little Dot amps and the HD600’s because the $600 difference just wasn’t there. I kept the DAC because I felt there MIGHT be some difference and it was only $42. Perhaps I expected a light to come on in a dark room but that wasn’t the case. If I have to spend hours trying to hear the difference, I’m glad I did not spend more than ~$40. For those that have computers/sound cards that are lacking, perhaps this will help. Don’t expect miracles from a MacBook, at least the model I am using. I don’t know about the newer ones; seems they are cutting more corners every year.
Marko –
Absolutely amazing product! I run it with the USB Isolator + Objective2 amp + Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro (32 Ohm) headphones.
On its own, it’s just mind blowing how much better music sounds compared to an ordinary headphone output from the integrated card in my laptop… But coupled with the USB Isolator, it takes the sound to a whole new level! Playing a super high definition FLAC file (192/24), I realise that the only thing limiting the sound are the headphones. The Isolator + DAC produce a crystal clear, bit-perfect sound, no distortion whatsoever.
Basically, with the Isolator/DAC combo, a high quality needle drop FLAC will sound just as good off your computer as if it were being played from the vinyl itself, with the only limitation being the quality of the speakers/headphones you’re using to listen to it…
MOST DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED for audiophile sound at a fraction of the price!
Larry –
I bought mine a few years ago. Used it on a Macbook Air and always worked great. Today I tried it on a new (2017) Amazon Kindle HD 8" (with a USB – mini-USB adapter) and it the connection is perfect! Great sound and the tablet volume control works.
Jimmy –
I bought this to use with my phone, at first it didn’t work at all on Samsung S7 running Android 7.0, then I tried it plugged into a usb hub connected to the phone and it works fine. Hub doesn’t matter if it’s powered or not, I tried several hubs with and without external power and they all worked fine. I’m keeping this DAC to use on my windows computer, sound quality from Foobar2K with ASIO drivers is outstanding. Going to try using a Tiny DAC with the phone and hopefully avoid the need for a usb hub.
Cord connection to the case worries me, I can feel it twisting and the wires soldered to the board are limiting how far it twists. I’ll probably pop the case open and put some hot glue in there to stabilize the whole connection. HIFIME comment: Thanks for your review. The latest batch has the cable already glued to prevent any issues with this.
Luke –
Bought for laptop, Motorola Moto G4 (4th gen) and using Shure-SE215 IEM (16 Ohm). Works very well for sensitive IEM. Sound is much more detailed than the sound from the onboard soundcards of my phone and laptop, and has a smooth feeling to it. Volume: Shure-SE215: about 50% on Moto G4; Headphones: around 80% on Moto G4.
Compared to the Audioquest Dragonfly Black the sound is more smooth, whereas the Dragonfly has a very punchy sound. The dragonfly is too powerful for my sensitive IEM, and a static hiss was clearly audible. With the HiFimeDIY Sabre USB DAC ES9023 there was no hiss unless I listened very, very hard for it.
No five stars because build quality is cheap; this is however a design choice. I hope the cable doesn’t break where it connects to the body.
Chordrider –
Muscle and detail! Makes voices shine, instruments breathe, and it delivers all the deep and and well-defined bass my Shure SE215s earplugs can handle.
Ray –
Excellent product, amazing performance, attractive price point.
Dies in 1 year.
seems to be the problem with USB head or the wire or the wire that connects to the board.
PLEASE MAKE THE USB AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN ONE BODY.
THIS IS A REQUEST. Hifime reply: contact us and we’ll fix it for free.
Arturs –
Good price and sound. Died after 2 years of using.
Kim –
Very kind service, Thank you! Very nice product. Sound is satisfying me.
Pete H. –
Simply amazing dac for the price. Very musical and detailed. Easily beats my Xonar DGX and my thousand bucks Onkyo in sound quality. As of now, this thing is feeding the processor in my car install with (Rooted/modded) Nexus 7 mounted in dash. Works without a hitch. These quys are doing amazing job with their products. 5/5. I’m ordering another one.
Enun –
very nicce. small, comfortable, inexpensive and so on.
however, I connect Samsung Galaxy S3 (latest 4.4.4, kernel 3.0.31) with otg cable. And I can’t any sound.
Mouse? Work. Keyboard? Work. Only dac don’t work.
I found dac (Using TE7022) that don’t work Galaxy S3. at least 3 dacs.
If use cell phone, rarely may didn’t work.
ThomasK –
Excellent product. Sound is really good, very good pair with my Sennheiser IE8. Sound quality is uncomparable to sound from integrated audio in my laptop. Really excellent product for its value. Shipping and delivery was also fast.
Olivier –
This is absolutely fantastic. I run this on a nexus 7, timur usb rom, usb hub with a 1tb hd and it is a flawless beauty over a sennheiser hd600 and my dynaudio bm6p speakers. Nora Jones is sweater than ever. You did a great job with this little beast, thank you so, much! (If you plan to use this on android you must choose the te7022 chip)
J.Inacio –
Update to my 5* review :
This now also works on my new MotoG (Android 4.4.4) WITHOUT any software, but I do have to connect through a tiny (unpowered) USB hub.
Plays 24/96 FLACs perfectly 🙂
Roy Tanck –
I’m using this DAC with a Raspberry Pi running Volumio. Plugged it in and noticed an instant improvement over the Pi’s lackluster built-in audio jack. Much more detail, very impressive.
stan –
Nice upgrade for an integrated audio in laptop. The sounding is sweet, rich and detailed, more refined. Of course you shouldn’t expect it sounds like $300 DAC, but it’s hard to expect more for 42 bucks.
Stoyan –
High quality product. The customer service is outstanding! Thank you!
Dylan –
Right when I plugged it in I was wowed, the sound quality was much much better than my built in motherboard sound. Definitely worth the price. I don’t have experience with dacs, but i’m pretty sure this is a steal
Opher –
Over a month since I ordered and still haven’t received anything! Shipping problems seem to be a serious issue and from the comments here I’m not the only one suffering from this.
Admin reply: yes, unfortunately Swiss post has had big delays in october/novemeber. This only relates to Swiss post shipping method.
Earfonia –
Sweet and musical sounding DAC! I have other much more expensive DAC, and I would say UAE23 is absolutely a steal for the price!
I wrote a short review here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/678798/hifimediy-sabre-usb-dac-uae23-and-audioquest-dragonfly-brief-comparison
Nav –
Good sounding DAC. Using it with iRiver media Jukebox hooked up to a valve amp and triangle titus speakers. Sounds smooth and effortless.
Couldn’t get it to work with my Samsung Galaxy S3. There was no sound output and the audio player on the Samsung was playing in fast forward mode. The same thing happened when I played video with the DAC attached via an OTG cable i.e. the video was displayed in FFwd.
Karli –
I’m quite amazed at just how good this DAC is. I’ve been using it with a raspyfi setup and it sounds great! It’s a very precise sound, which can sound a bit harsh depending on the system you are playing it through, but it’s definitely a good match for me. I can also confirm that this beauty is quite happy to drive my UE 9000 headphones, making it a great travel DAC. I’ve also tried the DAC 2 with external PSU, which to my ears sounds identical, but seems more suited to my home audio system owing to its RCA output and build quality.
Emmanuel –
Bonjour,
Pour l’instant je n’ai rien reçu . Cela fait presque un mois (24/05) et surtout aucune nouvelle par mail … malgré les relances . Je pense que le livreur vient à velo …
ADMIN REPLY: His package was lost by the post, we have sent him a replacement package.
UPDATE JULY 17th by Emmanuel:
Hifimediy.com a renvoyé un boitier gratuitement sous 10 Jours .
ce site est vraiment serieux
Great job great dealer
Ben –
Got mine today, connected to my piCorePlayer, woooww ……..what a difference!!!! It’s very very good DAC. I am very happy. I think I’ll get another one. Thank you.
Yuri Costa –
Very good DAC, isn’t great for games because don’t suport it’s tecnologys like normal Sound Cards but is perfect for musics, eargasms everyware. lol
It needs a amplifier if you are using a hungry headphone by it drives well earphnes.
I don’t regreat nothing 🙂
Corley Kinnane –
I’ve already written one review, this is just a note to any fellow Linux users. I am using Ubuntu, this method may also be true for Debian and other users.
The best I could do is enable 24 bit output in Pulseaudio by editing /etc/pulse/daemon.conf and changing default-sample-format = s24le
Using 96KHz seemed to be problematic, even with resampling – I suggest to stick with 44100 – 24 bit at least gives decent live mixing.
I use audacious as a player, which has the option to output 24 bit to pulseaudio and to resample all to 44100 with the best method via the resample plugin.
I think there is some problem with maintaining the data rate for 24/96 – you can check anytime what the device is actually doing by "cat /proc/asound/DAC/stream0"
It might be just my custom kernel that has a problem, if you can confirm 24/96 works ok for you either with ALSA or Pulseaudio, please let me know!
Cristi A –
I’ve got one for my wife’s Sennheiser 380 Pros and she loved it. In the end I’ve ordered another one to use at work instead of my iPod Touch. Very very good price / performance ratio.
reno –
Reconnu et fonctionnel d’origine avec Debian.
Ce mini DAC est plus performant que mes accquisitions antérieures : Cirrus Logic; Wolfson Electronics; ..pour ne citer que ces deux références.
La force du HifiMeDiy Sabre est au niveau des détails révélés. Il fait ressortir les ambiances sonores bien mieux que ses concurrents, sans jamais être agressif pour autant.
Je privilégie toutefois lécoute au casque, sous peu que ce dernier ait une impédance adaptée.
Corley Kinnane –
I bought this little entry-level Sabre DAC for home use and I am just stunned. So many good things about this DAC – plugging my Beyerdynamic T1 headphones straight in is now my preference. The DAC has no sibilance I can hear. It is not just accurate, but it is precise with detail I have never heard before, there maybe better, this is only the entry level Sabre – but I haven’t heard better yet. I was using my tabletop amp with it for a while – it warmed up the signal a little, but now I see this thing is so accurate, I’m better off going straight in. I just received my second one in the mail for use with the Hi-Fi media centre.
Chad L. –
This thing is amazing! The value per $ for this DAC makes arguments for most DACs over 100 sound pretty ridiculous. I’ve ordered 3 more 🙂
Davis –
Great dac. Small light and does it’s job very well. I’m using it with a pair of Senn HD428s and Klipsch S4I. Noticed a stark improvement over my laptop and desktop’s integrated audio.
Paul –
I have had many sound interfaces including NI Audio 6, NI Audio 4, Audigy 2 ZS, M Audio Delta 44 and M-Audio Torq, mainly for DJ use. I currently use Onkyo SE200-PCI LTD which is highly regarded for it warm analogue type sound and hi-fidelity. I bought this as an experiment just to see what it could do and was very pleasantly surprised. It really does sound good and very musical. The bass is tight and punchy and the mids and highs are just right. Sounds like high end hi-fi and very airy. Comparing to the Onkyo SE200-PCI LTD, they sound very similar and I was hard pushed to tell them apart. If I had to comment I would say that the Onkyo sounds more solid, smooth and detailed in the high notes, but I would say the Sabre DAC sounds a bit punchier and more musical in the bass department. There’s not a lot of difference though really and it could not really be heard unless compared side by side. It is a very good product and highly recommended.
Phil –
I was a little apprehensive people often go a little overboard with reviews. Currently I’m sat here listening to this dac through a rega brio-r and some half decent acoustic energy speakers….and it just sounds simply fantastic , such a bargain. You would have to spend a lot more to rival this.
I did notice some harshness initially but that has subsided now its smooth as butter, so some burn in may be required.
nimophile.com –
I have never written a review ever but reckon this one was deserving. For under $50, gotta say that I’m really impressed with this. Plugged in my Windows 7 Pro laptop, took a short while to detect/auto-install native drivers and it’s good to go. Plugged my headphones (98dB) into the unit, ramped volume up to the max and absolutely no noise whatsoever. On the 3.5mm plug from my Laptop, noise was audible from as low as 7/50. I have a Little Dot 1+ on the way to partner this. The UAE23 drives my SR-80i (32ohms) just fine as-is. My files are 16/44.1 CD backups of foobar2000 so the 24/96 is already future-proofed (for me). The optical out is a nice touch for further future-proofing since Windows machines do not usually have optical outputs. Might need some burne-in but overall, a great value-for-money extremely portable DAC. Highly recommend.
Gary –
Excellend DAC, especially for the price. This has made my FLAC files sound 100% better coming off of my laptop. Great price too, it is much smaller than you would expect too. Would definitely buy again!
Aukaniti –
ship :very fast shipping, the info from Belgium post is fine.
Dac Quality : very impressive. I use with my headphone crative EP50 (my 5$ headphone) the dac improve sound much better than my intregrated sound card (ALC889)
Alvis –
This is a phenomenally good DAC offering a true audiophile experience at an incredibly low price! I used it with a Linux laptop feeding the output to a Linn – Rogers system via good quality Profigold interconnect. The sound is natural, very detailed, with the right weight, great clarity and no harshness. Bass is tight, well extended and controlled. Mids are wonderful and highs just right. Timing and dynamics are top class. The sound-stage is perhaps its weaker point: still very good but not as good as I heard the same system with other (high-end) sources. Things improve greatly though with 24 bit lossless files.
C. Spronk –
I am always on the lookout for audiophile quality sound at reasonable cost. This is a bargain! It works great all my earphones and headphones: from my 300 ohm Sennheiser HD560’s to cheap 32 ohm earbuds. No additional amplifier is needed. The quickest, easiest, and most portable way to audiophile quality sound I have yet come across. Sound is clear and natural. This DAC is better than sound quality on most CD’s. To get better sound, I need a better source, not a better DAC.
J.Inacio –
Short version:
Practicality and sound quality are MUCH higher than its cost.
Less short version:
Needed a few days of burn-in to loose a very slight "harshness".
Sound is open and detailed, but not "thin", bass feels just right.
Powers my headphones (modded Sennheiser 202) to very loud levels.
Maybe not perfect, but unbeatable by anything close to this price!