Toumani Diabate

Letter from Shenzhen (24-9): Toumani Diabate

I just learned of the death of this incredibly talented Kora player from Mali, at only 58. Here is a short Obituary and Discography from Prestomusic.

I only have one CD of his, Kulanjan, which I bought after the recommendation of another audiophile. It has remained one of my absolute favorite pop CDs as well as Audio Test CD and has previously featured in this blog too. See entry in AllAboutJazz and Wikipedia.

Everything about the album is perfect: the understated but appropriate and thoughtful cover art; the pristine sound; the like-live atmosphere; the absolutely spine tingling playing by Toumani Diabate (and his musicians) and the excellent evergreen Taj Mahal; and the mesmerizing female vocals of Ramatou Diakite. The result is Exaltation!

One important thing about this album is its genuine nature - Taj Mahal and Diabate blended together so well they are inseparable. "World Music" seldom appeals to me, but this is the real thing. Something I have said before, take a past example: I think Paul Simon's Graceland is hopelessly over-rated (Paul Simon does his own simple things and the African musicians do theirs). Not at all on the same level.

Personally I'm quite fond of the Mali sound. Another wonderful singer songwriter is Rokia Traore, whom I've written about before.

Check them out!

Douk U4 PJ Miaolai A4 Part II

Review: Douk U4 (aka PJ Miaolai A4), Part II

Douk U4 Part I  from Doctorjohn has all the basic info.

Part II here comprises experiences from ELO and Shawn P, chronicled in detail. It's actually fascinating, as always, to read about people struggling to make their gear work for them. It also shows how fastidious we are here in leaving no stone unturned for items we deem worthwhile (even if flawed). Compare that with reviews on the net (not to mention youtubers).

From Left, Douk U4, Aiyima A08 Pro, UMI II Clarity Plus atop UMI 1, Douk E6. The cloth cable is Sommer ("Studer")

From ELO: The Encounter of Douk U4, a Rollercoaster Story: Regret, Love, Hate and Redemption

I know, it sounds like a Love Story more than an equipment review, LMAO!! Below, in chronological order, as is usual with a Love Story...

Initial Woes Had the U4 for a while already, but was reluctant to implement it into my setup as the setup was in such a good position that I was afraid any slight modification will ruin the balance that had been so hard to achieve. However, the versatility of the U4 was tempting. I could hook it up to TV for Youtube music, connect my newly acquired Sound Burger (Yes, I bought one due to its versatility and ease of use and small form factor). Also, it can potentially play Tidal music through my phone, tablet and laptop!

A small hiccup to start. No sound with the stock 6N3. Several tries and I took a pic for DJ, who pointed out that the tube had lost its vacuum (oxidized white stuff) and that I had probably used too much force inserting the tube. I bought from TB a JAN GE 5670; it arrived soon and the unit worked fine. Everything below is with the 5670 tube.

When I first tried the U4 connected directly to my Aiyima A08 Pro, the latency was so severe it was not at all listenable. However, it was perfectly normal when my TV was connected to U4 through BT and sound had improved from using the Aiyima A08 Pro alone by a margin that was worth the implementation. Bass was taut and overall sound was more transparent.

Since my setup is 90% serving music streamed through Tidal, at this point U4 had seemed like a chicken bone - I could have it or not have it and it wouldn't affect me too much.

Conundrum While U4 flourished in my analog playback through Sound Burger (see below), I was still finding a lot of problems with my BT Tidal Streaming.

I tried to play Tidal through BT from my Tablet and the latency was so bad it was absolutely unbearable! The next morning, I tried it with my laptop as well as my mobile phone and the results were the same. DJ figured this might be because of the poor wifi signal at home, but then I tested my laptop and it clocked in at 690MB/s in downloading which is totally respectable! Then I turned off the wifi of my mobile phone and used pure 5G data to receive music signal and again, latency still persisted, so it's not the issue of poor wifi signal from my router.

After a long debug process, all I could suspect was that the Bluetooth version of my laptop, phone and tablet were not compatible with U4 (Shawn P has also some problem with his U4, shoosh; see below)...Perhaps I need an older version of phones to try it out again later. But even with the latency, I could still notice that the sound quality behind the stuttering was actually very decent! So I was not giving it up yet!

Tide Turning As the Sound Burger did connect via BT with the U4 and indeed flourished with the full metal jacket lineup of U4, E6 and UMI Duo (here), that rekindled my hope in U4. 

USB vs WEA (Ethernet) One day, silly me finally remembered that the U4 does have a USB input. I picked up a cheap USB A to C cable from a gadget shop and hooked it up to my Laptop and played music through Tidal music. I was flabbergasted, the music that came out shocked me by how musical and smooth it was, while maintaining the delicacy, speed and attack. It drew me in to listening without critiquing. I felt that in some songs the details, speed and microdynamics were even slightly better than my WEA! That was crazy! Every song that I played was so enjoyable that I am still in disbelief. So far in my experience, for all new equipment installed in my setup , none can better or even come close to the trusted WEA but Tidal through USB to U4 's sound matched it at least. Bravo!

The next morning, I was all gun-ho for a big session. I immediately started playing some familiar songs on the WEA. They were as good as usual, the way it should be. After a few songs to get my feet warmed up, I began to switch over to U4 with USB cable connected to my Laptop. Here are my observations:

This U4 is a rhythm machine with a highly engaging sound. There was not a bit of harshness and it had very good microdynamics and detail retrieval, especially when it comes to tracing the changes, the ebb and flow, the attack, dynamic and speed changes of violin, which is extremely difficult to reproduce. U4 seems to effortlessly achieve this, with flying colours.

Bass is good; while not the hefty, authentic type, you will not feel it lacking. Treble may not be as airy as WEA but again not lacking. But it is its musicality and ability to engage the listener that is quite rare in nowadays hifi equipment. Midrange is U4's game: smooth, slick, yet not sluggish, muddy or slow. I felt I did pick up addition details like fingering technique changes in guitar playback! No mean feat!

BT Restored! Previously, with BT my laptop had experienced terrible latency and sound was unlistenable. I didn't believe in fate and gave it another try on this morning. Surprise surprise! There was not even one bit of latency detected!!! I could then play and change songs remotely instead of running back and forth from my couch! Perhaps, this is the biggest driving force behind in retrying the bluetooth! My CEO was happy that at least got some exercise with all this song changing process. But not anymore now LOL! I have reverted back to a couch potato again.

The BT sound is very respectable with the TB Antenna which DJ helped me source. Highs are a bit screechy but the much needed treble energy of violin playback is there intact. Compared to USB, it is also richer in body and tone, but at the expense of trading off slightly (without affecting the enjoyment) clarity and the addictive foot tapping element (still has it though). Overall sound is very respectable, a trade off of hifi aspects in return for being able to remotely control the songs is more than welcome!

Can't be more happy since I have two sets of system both working nicely.

Douk U4 vs Wattson Emerson Analog For various reasons, I wasn't sure entirely whether this is a paragraph that I should write. WEA is such a great little device and I think it can compete against equipment costing many times more. WEA is like a foundation of my setup, which is now being shaken by this little U4...

With the U4, it is even more shocking to me since it can legitimately give my WEA run for the money! I think WEA sounds more hifi with better attenuation on high, more authoritative bass too. WEA does have more clarity and instrument separation and air. U4 came in with PRAT maxed out, more smoothness, and even more emotionally involving, less digital harshness whatsoever!

One other thing that U4 can do over WEA is that now I can play Youtube through U4 USB connection to the highest format !!!

Verdict There is no clear winner and both hold their own forte well and firmly. I prefer U4 in some ways and WEA in others. U4 is definitely a giant killer of another giant killer in WEA! That's no small feat to me. Given the progression from my lukewarm impression in the beginning to today's experience! That is so polarized! Kudos to U4 and I have completely transformed from a doubter to a total believer in a most dramatic way! I think this should be credited to my curiosity and inquisitive nature. At one moment I was ready to hand it back to DJ!! LOL

Latest update

After replacing the power supply of my modem to a DIY LPS and a Sommer LAN  cable, my latest preference is still WEA for streaming Tidal. But now playing YouTube music through U4 is so frigging fantastic and so is sound coming out from playing vinyl via Sound Burger through U4! 

Dilemma The dilemma has arisen...which setup shall I play every morning??! Until then, this is ELO  signing off! Before that, go quickly grab a Douk U4 or PJ.Miaolai A4 ! Both are almost identical.

From Shawn P

My first encounter with the Douk U4 (in my case, a PJ.Miaolai A4) was on the day when I met doctorjohn in person for the first time (also the redoubtable man-about-town icefox, and others).  Albeit, we had been in contact for more than a year, perhaps close to two years by then.  

Nevertheless, immediately before my encounter with this RMB200 (less than US$30) unit; we were listening to a system which was worth multi-million Hong Kong dollars and it shows you how diversified doctorjohn is.

The Douk U4 between the two parts of the Kinnie Bluetooth Player. As you can see, the very thin Antenna Wire (said to be culled from WE equipment) is connected to the U4. Bluetooth used with RCA Out. Also see one of the pics below for the mysterious Terminal Box of the Kinnie Antenna SMA connector.

I heard plenty about the U4 from doctorjohn but honestly I was not interested mainly because I had the ifi ZEN Blue BT receiver and was not too keen on buying another BT unit. To echo what doctorjohn mentioned, I heard the U4 for the first time with a pretty good set up (here), an 845 self-built amp in a very nice venue (Thank you 生哥).  The BT sounded ok with the stock antenna but it sounded a lot nicer with the Kinnie special antenna (same ink).  The first encounter with the U4 was short but at least the sound was enjoyable; still, not interested enough to buy one.

Well then what made me purchase one?  Doctorjohn subsequently mentioned U4 multiple times and I thought this little guy must have gotten something right.  One evening, doctorjohn told me he purchased the PJ Miaolai A4 at an even lower price.  The price was certainly one that “cannot go wrong” and I pulled the trigger.  

A4 arrived and my initial system consisted of a stock A4, phone (using USB Audio Player Pro), MX500 look-alike headphones (less than CNY20 and not bad).  That’s right, only headphones this time, I did not hook this up with my amp and speakers.  

Initial test, random music from Tidal through BT but wait; no matter what I did, my phone would only use SBC codec but the Taobao page stated that the unit was aptX HD compatible.  I messaged the seller and the seller confirmed that this is a “new” version which no longer uses aptX HD and I echo with doctorjohn again that the U4/A4 specs keep changing and it is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get (sort of).  

How did the SBC codec sound?  Not bad, at least I did not dislike it.  aptX HD, LDAC alike aren’t guarantee for good BT sound. I do not like how my Xiaomi 13T BT sounds and it uses LDAC.  That said, I believe the SBC codec is limiting how good the U4 could sound and certainly would not do any justice to the A4.

For USB testing I used the trusted USB Audio Player Pro which sends bit-perfect files to the dac and since Tidal upgraded its monthly plan; all hi-res files are now available to me but that became a problem.  

As mentioned by doctorjohn the A4 uses PCM2704 which takes up to 48kHz, 16-bit files, many of the bit-perfect hi-res files were not playable.  The main issue was the sampling rate, anything higher than 48kHz would not be exported to U4, higher bit rates were ok as the beauty of binary is that you can simply disregard the last 6 bits from a 24-bit file to make it 16-bit.  Easy!

Well, I did not have this issue before the Tidal plan upgrade as Tidal would simply convert all hi-res to 44.1kHz and 16-bit files but now Tidal does not do it.  Oh well, I just stay with something with 48kHz or less sampling rates.

Enough of the old DAC issue, so how did it sound with USB?  Not bad but I did not like how the highs sounded which sounded rough and a bit irritating.  But I must say A4 can be used as a stand alone headphone amp and it has enough juice to get really loud.  It is definitely much better than many USB dongle DACs, even better than some very expensive ones.  

I listened to A4 with the stock tube for a couple of days so I would know for sure if tube rolling would affect the A4 and the first (and only so far) tube I rolled was the GE JAN5670W and what a difference the 5670 made!  It completely transformed the A4 and most of the irritating highs were gone, the A4 sounded more musical.  

However, I am a bit confused as to what the tube is doing in the circuit.  I noticed the tube did get relatively warm/hot which was an indication that the filament was getting enough juice but when I tapped on the tube, I could not hear anything even though 5670 is notorious for being microphonic.  What confuses me even more is that tube-rolling did affect U4 significantly.  

Oh well, if it sounds good, I don't really care.  I do recommend the U4.

Editor: Our writers are both esteemed professionals in their respective sectors, who write for interest. Unlike me, they are very busy people and I thank them for their time (no compensation to boot). As to what's presented here, if that's not investigative journalism, I don't know what is! In comparison, aesthetically and in practice, I had an easier time in Part I. Even more than I, they left no stone unturned. There is nowhere else where you will find this kind of obsessive working out of a piece of "cheap" gear from a user's ergonomic angle (we are not technocrats). We don't give up easily. Never Say Die (especially with "temperamental" gems like Douk U4 and E6) is a crucial factor in obtaining good sound.

ELO's heart-felt comparison of U4(A4) and WEA was indeed heart-wrenching and heart-warming! Kudos! Absolute Sound Treatment (mind you, I could only deliver that with my ears but not with my Streaming equipment, as I just stream casually)! And Shawn P's obsession with Streaming parameters also revealed unique and highly useful information. U can take that whatever U4(A4) you buy will be like his, SBC, no AptXD whatever. I myself am just a casual Streaming fellow, but I'm impressed by his App USB Audio Pro, which is very cheap and useful. It tells you everything about the file you're listening to! Investigate! While we here do not believe the more hi-res the better (too many factors in the digital chain) and indeed probably believe (at least me and icefox etc) the most primitive BT chips (like Chinese ones) with minimal function sound better than higher-spec'ed ones with extraneous and noise inducing peripheries, we are always willing to combine listening with data (unlike garbage "audio science" sites who know not at all how to listen). The U4(A4) is the best example of sonic performance (if not instant connectivity) that flies hard in the face of numbers and "science". Another proof is the well reviewed iFi Zen (Qualcomm), which Shawn P has and which ELO ditched in favor of a lowly Chinese one (here is the fascinating article).

Me? As BT had not always been a major portal of listening I have only had cheap Chinese BT. They are ALL good! But the tube-equipped U4(A4) is a cut above. It's now almost in exclusive use for me in China. In fact, I love it so much that I bought a similar AMP, the PJ Miaolai A7 which I shall write about soon. And I'm listening to BT more...

Audio-Technica AT-SB727 Sound Burger ELO

Review: Audio-Technica AT-SB727 aka Sound Burger! Part II by ELO

Sound Burger Part I covers the Basics, as reported by Doctorjohn and Shawn P

Douk U4, Part I covers the basics, as reported by Doctorjohn

Editor: ELO's Sound Burger journey overlapped with his epic struggles with the Douk U4 (not to mention Douk E6). His chronicle cannot really be properly teased out and separated into a Sound Burger article and a Douk U4 article, but that is what we are doing here. So in this article there would be some mentioning of Douk U4 that might seem to have come out of nowhere. ELO's Douk U4 journey will be published together with Shawn P's experience in the coming Part II of Douk U4. A bit confusing to follow, but hopefully useful. I have inserted passages (in italics) to hopefully clarify the proceedings.

Sound Burger by ELO

My previous journey in Vinyl ended in 1991 and all my LPs were lost somehow in transition but I still remember the wonderful memories of music coming out from the Linn LP12/Ittok II/ Ortofon MC30 (Editor: that's a nice and cheap MC! Before today's ridiculous prices; I had the MC15!). When DJ bought himself the Sound Burger and introduced it to me, I immediately pulled the trigger and ordered one. I still got some LPs at home and Sound Burger is really a one-stop solution which fits my style and is cordless in power and signal, and compact. 

SB to Aiyima A08 Pro

Placed an order of the Sound Burger (SB) from Audio-Technica Amazon JP in May and purchased a generic TaoBao Bluetooth antenna. I finally got the Sound Burger in early June in bright yellow which was so sharp and handsome! I then charged it for 24 hours and was ready for some wireless and cordless vinyl playback - how cool! I can even bring it along to BBQ or a hike ! Without putting on my critic's hat, I first listened to the SB through the BT of Aiyima A08 Pro.

The sound was quite acceptable, pleasant with typical vinyl naturalness, airiness and lightness. Of course in hifi parameters it could not be compared to the overall sound quality with the WEA and it would not be a fair comparison at either! Surprisingly, no latency was picked up. I thought I would just occasionally play it and use it as a nice backup when feeling nostalgic. I then put the SB nicely on the shelf and kept on enjoying the sound from the revamped E6/ Aiyma combo streaming Tidal music (last article).

Editor: At this point ELO's U4 has had very limited use due to the Bluetooth compatibility issues with his devices. He actually had unplugged the U4 and prepared to pack up the unit and hand it back to me.

A week had passed before I had some additional music play time. I took this opportunity to bring out the Burger and play it through BT through my Aiyima. Played the Master Music label with songs from Kari Bremmes, Chie Ayado, Ann Marie Gundersen etc. The sound seemed to have shrunken significantly and gain was not sufficient, but analog is analog, which was natural and smooth with some decent bass in the foundation.

SB > Douk U4 > UMI 2 Clarity Plus > Douk E6 > UMI 1 > Aiyima A08 Pro
After a while, I began to think why not hook up the E6 and U4 again, combined with the UMI Duo? Well, since I still got some time left in my session, I immediately set hooked up SB to the U4/E6 combo. Without any expectation....Oh my friggin goodness! The soundstage had expanded and more details were present. There was adequate gain to be able to drive the SB to a respectable level. The extension on both ends were good, though not matching that of WEA. The overall sound was musical and smooth and with microdynamics. I liked the sound from SB a lot!! Sorry DJ, U4 had redeemed itself and it is here to stay - just the enhanced sound quality of SB is worth it!!!

Editor: In this configuration, the SB was hooked up via BT to the Douk U4 and the signal went through the tube buffer before outputting to the UMI 2.

SB's sound is a little light, yet in a comfortable way, with decent amount of  details and great separation of instruments. Bass is tuneful but on the light side; midrange is soothing with no edges, focused and natural (the strong suit of analog). I am surprised that I'm actually pretty used to the ceremonial side of playing LPs, thanks to the convenience of SB, which makes it a breeze! Soundstage is wide, and can project a nice stage in front of me. It's the ease of music that reminds me of how good analog is. The enjoyment is high and I can get to play the whole side of disc and stay purely in enjoy mode. How can a turntable that costs so little achieve so much??!! Up to now, Sound Burger is not just an afterthought nor a fad gadget, it's a very legitimate music reproduction device which has a solid place in my setup! Luckily I have around 20 or so LPs and that's enough for start and in the future I will hunt for LPs in Japan whenever I get the chance to visit.

Power Supply Improvements During this period by improving the Power Supply (article to come) I obtained way more music detail and nuance, quieter background and less digital noise, all without sacrificing the dynamics and PRAT of the music! This improvement now also extends to my SB as well!. The soundstage has widened further, dynamics has improved and bass goes deeper and with more body! I immensely enjoyed my new LP from Andrea Vollenwieder (only for 11 USD)!

P.S. Now whenever I flip through then website R33, I will automatically spend time looking at analog stuff. Wondering if there's a ultra cheap LP12 or Rega or Thorens that I could add into my setup....

ELO Douk E6 Love Hate

From Left, Douk U4, Aiyima A08 Pro, UMI II Clarity Plus atop UMI 1, Douk E6. The cloth cable is Sommer ("Studer")


Letter from Hong Kong (24-16): ELO's Love and Hate Affair with Douk E6

Douk E6 Parts I, II, III (by DJ)

It had been sometime since I wrote about my first impressions of Douk E6. Here are some of my further impressions of this unit. First of all, I must say it is an amazing little unit which is able to provide some musical and exciting sound through different applications, but that comes with con's. Here I chronicle my tempestuous journey in chronological order.

Currently, I am using all "Studer" (Sommer) interconnects to achieve the optimum sound based on my latest setup. Viard HD12 is still my speaker cables. The chain is:

WEA > UMI 2 Clarity Plus > Douk E6 >  UMI 1 > Aiyima A08 Pro > Dynaudio Crafft

Love For a short while I had an extra UMI 2 Clarity Plus and I had wonderful results, but the UMI 2 Clarity Plus and my older UMI 1 one-two punch proved adequate in achieving similar results. I think the link between Aiyima and E6 is not so picky compare to WEA to E6 [Editor's Note 1].

With the above setup, I cannot but smile and be satisfied with the sound coming out of the system, which is extremely musical, smooth and agile. Pretty much every song is so musical and enjoyable to listen to!

Hate But it came with a price to pay. They one thing that kept bugging me was the microphonics. Especially when I touched or tapped the unit accidentally, the high frequency zing scared the hell out of my CEO and even myself. I also think the E6 is prone to picking up some low buzzing/hissing noise and EMF noise in the background, which is annoying when listening to quiet passages. Of coz once music gets loud, it will be less of an issue.

So then, I was in a love and hate situation but despite the annoying hiss and buzz, I was totally bought over by the benefits of E6. If I could take away these annoying sound....

Love Again! The noise kept bugging me and I was trying different ways to counter it. The issue stood out also because the noise floor of the UMI duo is ultra low which made the noise hard to ignore.

Well, one day my CEO asked me to turn down the volume (seems like her ears are much more sensitive than mine)... I ran over to my setup, but instead of turning down the volume on E6 or adjusted it on my tablet, I lowered the volume of the Aiyima A8 Pro to 9 o'clock from 11 o'clock. At the same time, I noticed the hissing had subsided quite a bit. But the overall volume was too low, so instead I turned up the volume of the E6  and also experimented with different volumes of the Aiyima. After a few rounds, the final optimal setup for me was 10 and 1 o'clock for Aiyima and E6, respectively [Editor's Note 2].

Now the hissing has almost subsided to an acceptable level; still there, but not an obstacle to casual listening anymore.

I also plugged in the UMI2 with a 5V/2A phone charger and light doesn't come up (as what Icefox had suggested). Placebo effect or not, I felt that instrument separation had improved and harmonics became fuller too.

As for the E6, like others who swear by it, I love its music directness, its musicality and agility in music presentation. It is now showing off its strength in full swing and has added to my system clarity and extension on both ends.

Vocals, both male and female, are as uncanny as possible, never overly chesty on male vocals nor glassy in female vocals.

For string instruments , especially violins, the last bit of hardness and brittleness that was present before E6 was introduced has now gone completely.

Yes, the ultimate attack and heftiness was toned down a bit but that does not deter me from enjoying the overall music, so it is acceptable! Always a tradeoff~

I'm getting the benefits of both E6 and UMI's which is the final outcome that I had hoped for from Day One. Once again, matching of equipment is essential. I'm now using 100% "Studer" cables which is also a key part to achieve this effects.

Meanwhile, I have managed to control all the sizes of my equipment to palm size and the sound is not a bit tiny at all! The largest equipment, bigger than palm size is the Sound Burger (SB) from AT, but it is again way smaller than the drilling-rig type turntables! LOL!

Right now, I will turn on my "Enjoy music" mode and play randomly whatever Tidal offers me on my own playlists and immerse into the music!

Next step is to replace the cheap USB charger to a proper power supply, whether it's LPS, beefy SMPS or a simple iFi PowerX and see if it would further improve the overall performance! Stay tuned!

Editors Notes: 1) absolutely, 1:1 transformers are best used between source and Preamp; effect is less, but potentially beneficial, between preamp and amp; 2) This is a classic example of Gain and Level. Older audiophiles will remember many classic preamps, such as ARC and MFA, to name just two, with separate Gain and Level controls. In this case, the Aiyima has its own preamp gain stage and careful dialing in of  the volume knobs of both Preamp (E6) and Amp (Aiyima) will reap rewards. If there are more than one volume knobs in the amplification chain it's worthwhile to carefully evaluate various combinations. Similarly, if the source has a volume knob one has to do some work to match it with what follows.

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Trip to Lake of Thousand Lanterns, Foshan

What a lovely trip with beautiful night scenes and fantastic food experience that is so affordable!!

First meal was already epic. You literally had to fight for the limited special dishes as displayed in the corner! I was lucky to grab the last seafood pot consisting of 6 juicy abalone and four small bue crab, which were so sweet and tender!

Breathtaking night scenes and light show at the Lake of Thousand Lamps

Another amazing late night meal at this "Fisherman Fun" Restaurant 

With 15 fat and QQ razor clams on vermicelli and garlic bits, 6 juicy fat and tasty oyster grilled with same garlic and vermicelli on top and a fresh sea urchin from Hokkaido. All for $200 yuan! 

Douk U4 PJ Miaolai A4 5670 Kinnie Antenna

Click pics to enlarge. Above is a Screenshot from Douk's old Ebay Page (now revised). Erroneously listing 2 chips, coexistence of both TDA1543 and PCM2704. But this historical page was likely passed down through the years, by ALL parties. In Japan (and elsewhere), this page is still used by vendors. BUT the photo is useful. You can clearly see the TDA1543 chip in this "Mk I" version. If you look at the pics of my unit, or those of the Jeff Day's clan, all are different

and the TDA1543 chip is not there ("MK II"). See text.

Right shows my unit used as Preamp

Review: Douk U4 (aka PJ Miaolai A4), Part I

Update 7/23/24: Part II published, featuring experiences of ELO and Shawn P, including latency and BT problems, etc.

Well, it's about time we tackle this little thing. There are several layers to it, all of which perhaps may surprise you.

How I learned about the Douk U4 This is an old and forgotten product which is apparently making a small resurgence, thanks to the influence of Jeff Day. Unless I'm in Research Mode, I don't usually read much internet HiFi, and Jeff Day not at all so it was because of a reader's comment that we got alerted of this thing. It's rare that I cite Jeff Day, but here are his posts on this thing (within them are links to older posts - make sure you read them too to get the piecemeal things). At the bottom of this article (a section in italics) are my general reactions to PF, Jeff Day etc. If you a PF or Jeff Day admirer you may not exactly like what you read but you can always skip the section.

Left pic is the Internals of My Unit. Top center black box is the Earphone receptacle. The chip to its left is the Opamp for the Earphone See more pics below for comparison. The 2 boxy "Wima" like caps are likely coupling caps and can be easily changed out.

Douk U4 Not unusual for Jeff Day's Blog, some of the details are not clear, quite lacking in fact. Compounding the problem is sometimes one is not sure whether it's Jeff Day or Yazaki san speaking. 

Let's start with what it is. This is an old model and Douk's boss was really surprised that I asked for it. Re-Branded As you know and as I have mentioned before, (competing) Chinese manufacturers sometimes re-brand each others' products (a curious practice indeed), and this is the case here. Although it bears the Douk Logo on the front plate it's actually an old PJ Miaolai A4 (which is also the name of the Bluetooth connection, and it comes in a PJ Miaolai box). For the sake of continuity (from Jeff Day's posts) so as not to confuse readers, throughout this post I shall mainly refer to it as Douk U4, but they are the same thing. Where to Buy The "Douk" U4 is sold mainly through Ebay Douk/Nobsound Official Store (shipped from China), not through TB, but it's interesting to note that: 1) there are other resellers. Japanese sellers ask for more, so this thing may be cult in Japan; 2) Can't buy the Douk from Chinese TB etc, attesting to this item's quiescent state outside of Japan and Jeff Day's reach). 但是香港及其它亚洲华人读者请留意文章尾的中文通告 "Mk I" vs "Mk II" These are names I give for the different versions. "Mk I", pictured at the top, apparently used the venerable 16-bit TDA 1543 chip, but " as implied" by the one liner at the end of the official description, after those old chips ran out it was changed to the delta-sigma PCM2704 chip (a long-running and time-honored cheap chip found in a staggering number of cheap USB DAC boards and finished products). ALL of the U4's you may have gotten in the last years, including the Japanese ones and Jeff Day's unit, and mine, are PCM2704 (see notations to pic above too). Yes, I asked Douk if they could find the "Mk I" in their warehouse but, alas, it was not to be! For myself I'd love to get a "Mk I" as I'm a fan of TDA1543! Perhaps one can get a second-hand unit on Ebay (one must check the innard's pic; see above)! Oversampling? As the old TDA1543 (used in "Mk I") is a popular Non-Oversampling (NOS) chip, I asked specifically whether the "Mk II" PCM 2704 is NOS, and I was told that is so. But I have my doubt, as the PCM2704 chip has built-in OS (I'm not even sure if it can be defeated). If you know more, let me know! Here, I must say I'm very disappointed, judging from what I read, that the Japanese clan, who have obviously taken this thing apart and even partially traced the tube output circuitry, did not include a word on the Digital Architecture. I wish they would!

Ergonomics Crazy Compact. A deck of cards with a tube sticking out. Well finished on the outside. But all the weight of connections in the back will tip up the front. OK for me, as seen in pic above I place it on a rubber shock absorber. Built It should be noted that in general PJ Miaolai is not the best-built, as evidenced by their preamp - and Douk boss' response. In my experience Douk's own designs are better built. But that perhaps hardly matters in a minimalist DAC of little circuitry. The daughter board housing the tube is affixed sloppily to the mother board underneath by pins which seem to be impossible to pull out even after removing the plastic screws (I tried) and therefore likely hard-soldered, preventing me from taking a look underneath. See pics above. Bluetooth It's the Lowest Common Denominator 5.0, SBC, but I don't mind that, as I'm not necessarily a fan of Apt X (more below), and I usually use USB. CAVEATS! The Bluetooth works mostly well enough for me (my devices are all long in the tooth) but connection difficulties do happen once in while USB Input Works well with my HP Laptop (no need for driver). I stream mostly directly from the laptop via a Unitek USB A to B (or whatever) cable. Headphone Output/Line Out The 3.5 jack is in front, as seen in top pic. This can be a very good Preamp Out too (see below). BTW, the Volume knob only works with this output. Using USB or BT it has no effect. Power DC12V. I power the unit not with the stock wall wart but with my Wanptek SMPS; it draws a little less than 0.3A.

Round 1 Shenzhen For Preliminary Testing I used the stock Russian 6N3, the RCA outputs via Belden 8428 to Reisong 1:1, which then outputs via Sommer SC Club Mk II (previously Belden 8451) to my 6J4/6P6P Preamp (now sporting old-stock US 6V6G), then through Belden 8451 to my BRZ FU50 amp and I was very pleased by the sound. Not as smooth as my 1-bit TDA 1305 but rhythmically even more alert and very good. I then tested the Bluetooth, which sounded good too, though to me it was some distance behind the USB. Good start!

The Douk U4 between the two parts of the Kinnie Bluetooth Player. As you can see, the very thin Antenna Wire (said to be culled from WE equipment) is connected to the U4. Bluetooth used with RCA Out. Also see one of the pics below for the mysterious Terminal Box of the Kinnie Antenna SMA connector.

 
Round 2 HK (above pic) After Round 1, I took it to HK at first opportunity. This actually took place in a visit I had chronicled (but didn't mention the Douk U4), Here it was pitched against the Kinnie Bluetooth Player. Suffice to say, on the Bluetooth while the Douk U4 did not have the fulsome flavor of the Kinnie it distinguished itself by its exceptional rhythmic clarity, and I was very pleased. BUT, there's more. The Kinnie set comprise the electronic unit and the BT antenna. We then transposed the antenna to the U4 and, HOLY COW, the U4 seemed to be on steroids! Sound fleshed out incredibly. I kid you not, this was one of my hifi moments of all time! What a difference an antenna makes! I'm even willing to wager a bet - that the Kinnie Antenna makes more of a difference than the cumbersome and expensive electronic mods proposed by the Japanese clan. I should make it known that I have never been a fan of battery power for audio (from small devices to mammoth ASR Emitter).

Round 3 Shenzhen Satisfied by the HK experience I proceeded to do more extensive testing when I got back to SZ. Using the same setup I tested:

• Headphone Out I briefly tested it with my easy to drive Grado SR80E and it sounded very good! As Preamp Out (as in top pic) For this, I used my trusty el-cheapo DIY Canare 2B2AT 3.5mm to RCA cable. This is actually a significantly different configuration: 1) the signal passes out of the U4's own Opamp-based headphone output (the Volume Knob kicks into action); 2) I did use my Reisong 1:1, but its position is very different, now between Pre and Power Amp, whereas previously it was between Digital Source and Preamp. Sound? Surprisingly excellent! When I get the time, I'll pitch it against my real (all tube) Preamps and I bet it will do pretty well, despite being hybrid!

• Tube Rolling JAN GE 5670 As I already have these (latter day tubes) I rolled them in. Sure, it made the sound more "mature", steady and textured. This is a very controlled sounding tube in general. For me, it's an improvement over the supplied Russian 6N3, but those who like things more incisive may think otherwise. For the TB price I think it's a good buy. Those savvy with Ebay can purchase used but good old-stock tubes or, if they are adventurous, splurge for the venerated WE396A/2C51. Amperex Holland 6DJ8 This has always been a personal fav, for its balanced flavor (as opposed to Mullard, Siemens etc). For this I had to order some adaptors from TB (https://m.tb.cn/h.gVjrcSxmwJVUJ4o). This is a very refined tube and what I use mainly. Again, some may still prefer the Russian 6N3 or 5670, and I think that it just bogs down to personal taste (we all  have different systems and play very different music) but good tubes are worthwhile to have. These tubes are worth to have. I have many other 6DJ8's including the UK ones, but I feel no urgency to roll tubes further (even the humble JAN GE 5670 works well enough for me).

• Antenna After the seismic shock of Kinnie's remarkable antenna (Round 2), I was thoroughly convinced that, if you go BT, a better antenna is mandatory. Being in SZ I of course searched TB for all sorts of WiFi and Bluetooth antennae. There are many varieties. I randomly bought one but am not going to post any link as I don't really know what's better and cannot advice you. What I know is: 1) they are very crudely made; 2) yes, a better (at least bigger than the stock generic) antenna improves the results of BT audibly. In my setup even a cheap TB antenna made my BT closer to my USB in quality and the flow different! Those who have experience with FM certainly would know how much difference an antenna makes, and BT is close to radio frequency; 3) BUT, and this is telling, as good as the result was, it didn't seem quite as transformative as the Kinnie antenna, certainly not quite as big sounding. All that R&D had paid dividend! If you want the ultimate, I'm pretty certain Kinnie's antenna is a good investment, even a bargain.

Yes, it's a good unit and my experience (I'm happy to say, for once) is in accordance with those previously published by Jeff Day's clan. It makes me very curious about PJ Miaolai's D3, which is similar but differs in: 1) Despite the identical look, D3 uses a completely different chipset, including a receiver chip (again, here I wonder whether the A4/U4 is NOS); 2) D3 trades A4's USB In for Coaxial and Optical In, which may be better ergonomics for some. Another closely related unit is the (TDA1543) A7 amp (report to come soon).

Thoughts

• Part II (coming soon) shall detail the experience of ELO and Shawn P. We each use it somewhat differently, so it should be a very good sequel. Just to say, sonically, their experiences are positive.

• CAVEAT!  This is a BIG one. Its Bluetooth connectivity is finnicky, to say the least. And it has been experienced by all 3 of us. Funny there's no mention of this at all by Jeff Day and his friends. ELO experienced debilitating latency on some of his devices (and he tested his wifi and found it to be of good speed). Shawn could not pair some of his devices either. Read more in coming Part II. Reminder Even if the USB/BT switch is on USB, the BT is fully ON and discoverable, even possibly mating. When you have difficulty connecting, make sure you switch off all nearby devices, especially those that have been paired before. Try turning off device BT and on again. Think about starting with a clean slate.

• Sound While we all feel its BT instability, we all love its sound. Rhythm King! The USB is excellent (all agree) and of course unlike BT is stable. Highly recommended despite its ergonomic shortcoming. Therefore, caveats aside, highly recommended (remember, it can also be used via earphone out as a good preamp)

• Mods First, I already use it with my bigger adjustable SMPS unit, which has so far improves everything it's connected to - no exception. U can certainly use an LPS but I've always found a good SMPS of today (not wall wart) to be sprightlier. Battery? As I've mentioned, not to my taste usually. I shall certainly mod the 2 coupling caps and it will improve things. To go the Jeff Day Clan's way? I have serious reservations, given their previous track record (see italic section below). This thing's beauty is its rhythmic savvy; you don't want to turn it into the sonic equivalent of Belden 8402.

通告: 香港及其它亚洲华人读者请留意 暂时 Douk U4 没有在淘宝卖，但是一模一样的 (妙籁) PJ Miaolai A4 有, 618 有惊喜。上去淘宝找找!!!

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Positive Feedback, Jeff Day and the Japanese Connection First and foremost, this is not a personal attack (though it may well be viewed as such by some). BUT, as I've voiced before, I almost completely disagree with Jeff Day's opinions on many things.

Let's talk about Positive Feedback first - many years ago, it was pretty good. Not now! I don't read it, just as I don't read 6moons, ad-laden and pandering to manufacturers. Sometimes, it's impossible to avoid but take it with a grain of salt.

As for Jeff Day, I believe he's an enthusiast, good at heart and certainly quite an influencer but I'm damn certain we don't voice our systems or listen the same way at all and so I don't usually read him. 

In passing, I should mention that as I returned to his blog I did read his latest article. For me, his praise of ANUK's Tomei is completely disagreeable - it shows no sense of the difference between EL84 (which although good sounding is not even a Triode, not to mention Direct-Heated), 300B and 211. Mind you, as owner of many 300B amps and the real Kondo Ongaku (211), I know what I'm talking about. Mind you too, my friend WSS still has the 211 ANUK Jinro, which had never sounded good. I can understand a reviewer sometimes needs find a certain way of writing an article but it's really unfortunate that Jeff Day chose to write it with ANUK's grading as fulcrum. He emphasizes the differences between Tiers, as ANUK would probably like him to (for my own view on this, see here). And, he doesn't even remark on how the difference in power output can affect the sound. IMHO, he's increasingly a careless reviewer. Too many toys, too little time. Too many "friends" who influence him too much, like modifying everything.

For irreconcilable differences I'll name 3 examples of discord. Belden 8402 As a signature post, I totally disagree with Jeff Day AND his Japanese clan's high opinion of Belden 8402 (and I'm usually a Belden fan!). Tannoy As a long time user of Tannoy Canterbury, I have influenced at least 4 acquaintances into buying it, and I have written a lot on it. Basically, I completely disagree with Jeff Day's Canterbury writings (lots of suspect tweaking) on this marvelous loudspeaker. Noting now that he uses the Westminster, I sigh. I have heard many Westminster's in Hong Kong but have never heard a satisfactory pair (icefox agrees with me and he's heard even more). For my reasoning and opinion of Canterbury vs Westminster, see this article (if you read carefully you shall notice that my approach to Tannoy is totally unlike Jeff Day's). As for Duelund? I think most are bad. Many are slow and lifeless with poor bass tactility, just like Belden 8402. I have yet to hear a Duelund that I like. Modern WE it is not. My NYC friend Andy says he doesn't hear any of the attributed strengths of this brand, quite blah...That's exactly what I think.

What about the Japanese? Ever since Jean Hiraga, many Western people have put the Japanese on a pedestal, but as HK audiophiles well versed in Japanese products know, many Japanese preferences are not necessarily close to ours. The large companies prize audio measurements and "cleanliness" more than most of us, and many of their products can be pretty much colorless. But the (mostly tubed) boutique companies are more interesting. There are many brands that I like (Old Sony CDPs, Yamamoto, Sun Audio, ICL/Softone, Wavac, earlier Kondo, early Elekit, Shindo preamps [not amps], 47 Lab, Sparkler, even Flying Mole, etc) and equally many that I dislike (TAOC, Esoteric, modern Accuphase, Furutech, ADL, Oyaide, etc). So it all depends. As detailed above, I completely disagree with the preference for Belden 8402 and so I'm sometimes wary of gurus in general. One has to take it case by case. In the case of U4, it did spark my curiosity (especially since it has a 6N3 tube) and so this outing, and I'm glad it has worked out.

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Unit of Jeff Day Clan (like mine), definitely different from Top pic.

The Terminal Box of Kinnie's Antenna. I'd LOVE to have a look inside!