Weight: ~14.5 grams
Dimensions: 48mm × 22mm × 12mm
Single-ended Output Power: 240mW @ 1kHz, 32Ω
Balanced Output Power: 300mW @ 1kHz, 32Ω
THD+N: 0.0003% @ 1kHz, 32Ω
SNR: 126dB @ 1kHz, 32Ω
Total Score
Introduction
Greetings to all Hifitopia followers from November days when the weather is getting colder and colder. Today we will review a dongle that accomplishes a lot with its tiny size. If you remember, I published the Roseselsa QT-X review last week, and here is the RS9039 that I mentioned there and said I would review separately.
This product was sent to me by Roseselsa to write an independent and honest review. This dac is also the same dac as the RZ-550 that comes in the deluxe bundle of the QT-X.
Design & Build
The first thing that strikes me about this tiny dongle dac is its light weight. It’s almost as light as nothing. It has a type-c port and two outputs, 3.5mm and 4.4mm. That’s it, it’s a plug-and-play device. There’s a dot of light on the side. The back is completely flat and there is a drawing of the circuit diagram.
The RS9039 comes with a short type-c connection cable and a hard carrying case. This case is too big for the daca. I guess it was designed this way to be put together with the iem, clever. Case quality is just standart.
Technology
RS9039, as the name suggests, is a device whose event is to use one of the new 9039 chips. It uses ESS9039q2m. It delivers 240mW at 32ohm from a single 3.5mm output and 300mW at 4.4mm. All very impressive for this price point.
Synergy
Roseselsa RS9039 With Roseselsa QT-X
Let’s start mowing the lawn in our own yard.
QT-X is an iem with a midcentric W-shape tone, shining slightly in the mid-to-upper region. The RS9039 is a technically very successful dongle with a neutral-midcentric sound. The pairing of the two results in a vocal-oriented, emotional, deep sound with a bright upper midrange. This sound is technically very satisfying, and the resolution and detail retrieval you get for the total price you pay for both is excellent. But the pairing of these two great devices is not for lovers of warm sound. If you like vocal and instrument-oriented sounds, this will make you happy. If you like warm, bassy or v-shape, a warm character dongle will make you happier with the Roseselsa QT-X. As a matter of fact, a warm sounding dongle dac with technical performance close to that of the RS9039 will cost you around $150. In other words, this technically exquisite pairing is tonally more suitable for vocal lovers than for warm sound lovers.
Roseselsa RS9039 & Ziigaat Crescent
It was a great idea to pair the RS9039, the most affordable 9039 dac, with the Crescent. The Ziigaat Crescent X Roseselsa RS9039 pairing is one of the best price-performance pairings I’ve heard in a long time.
The neutral and slightly midcentric sound of the RS9039 matched perfectly with the U-shape sound profile and transparent mids of the Ziigaat Crescent. The RS9039 played a bit dry in comparison, but the Crescent’s more exciting tonality made it more expressive. Technically, the resulting sound promises a lot. Resolution is high, there is plenty of detail and texture. And the separation is great. My score for this pairing is 9.6/10!
Roseselsa RS9039 With EarAcoustics VSA-V1
VSA-V1 with the world’s most affordable 9039 chip dac! The RS9039 is a very neutral device for its price, with minimal colorations. Unfortunately, this colorations is exactly where the EarAcoustics VSA-V1 shines. So tonally there’s plenty of brightness and a bit of treble. This can be scratchy at times. But technically it’s very good. This match is very good in terms of resolution and separation for the overall price. Still, because of the tonal mismatch, I rate this pairing 7/10.
Sound
Tonality
It has a tone with some simple coloring close to neutral. You can imagine adding some sub bass and vocal boost to the neutral sound. A little bit of a very light touch of treble, that’s all. The tonality overall is very natural, simple and actually colorless compared to many dacs. It’s not a full-bodied and robust sound. It is more transparent. But it’s not a bright sound either, it has a balanced tone.
Technique
Resolution and detail retrieval are great for the price. I can’t say that the microdetail reproduction is perfect, or the textures are amazing, but for the price it’s great. Separation is good, layering and positioning are adequate at this level. Soundstage width is good and depth is good. I found the overall imaging very excellent for the price. It produces accurate and consistent sound and is quite powerful for its size.
Last Words
Great value for money! Very simple but functional device. Roseselsa RS9039 is a true example of less is more. No screen. No volume adjustment and no gain button. Plug and play. Sound? More for your money.
