Review on Lavaudio ESS9038Q2M Receiver Bluetooth PCM32Bit by Jerry Amos

There were no normal reviews and comparisons of the DAC and I needed another one for my speakers so I decided to share my impressions with those who want to buy one. Tested with A50s AMP Sundaras and U12T headphones. Speaker setup: Emotiva amplifier with B&W603. The overall resolution is very good, almost on par with the D50 and much better than the D10. The tone is bright! - Treble boost throughout EQ 4K and higher by about 3Db - Cymbals are right on the face but very detailed and sharp enough. With Sudaras and the A50 AMP it's bearable and even fun at times, but I miss the bass punch of the D50. With the U12T IEM this is unbearable as they have their own distinct high frequencies with the TIA driver. It's great with B&W603 speakers on some tracks, but tires quickly with most music. Bass is flat, detailed and deep - better than the D10 and nowhere near the D50's cabinet, and slaps both subwoofer and mid-bass. Mids are flat. and on the thinner side, the sound isn't as detailed as the D50. The D10 is better tuned here and the D50 is where they should be with more density and resolution. The soundstage is wider than the D10, but not as wide and deep as the D50. It sits between the D10 and D50 and should be a great DAC for people with warmer devices who want great resolution and that extra high-end shine. The D10s is better tuned, but the scene and resolution aren't on par with this DAC. D50s to my ears and my gear is a perfect DAC with much better bass pressure, clearer and better mids, properly tuned highs and a wide soundstage. Very nice DAC with touch controls, good LCD display with filter names. It'll sound fantastic with lifeless dark hardware, and it's priced right when it's on sale for under $200. Four stars only because they wrote "warm sound” in the description, which is quite the opposite, I have never heard such a bright DAC, and also a picture of the board with the inscription ESS9018, while clearly there is 2XESS9038 DAC inside. Hope that helps.