Muse HiFi is a fairly new name in the market. I got to know about them with the release of their debut IEMs, the Muse HiFi Power. I had reviewed them before and personally, liked them for their smooth, inoffensive sound and impressive build quality. You can check out my review on the Power by clicking here(head-fi link). Today, I am bringing a review of one of their recent USB DAC/AMPs, the Muse HiFi M1.
M1 is a basic entry-level USB DAC/AMP that houses a Realtek ALC5686 DAC chip. It’s super compact in build and houses a single 3.5mm headphone output port. It supports 32-Bit/384kHz PCM signals. No DSD Support. M1 has a fixed Type-C USB interface. I used it primarily with my Reddit Note 10 Pro for the purpose of this review. Let’s begin with the review without wasting any more time.
Short Disclaimer:-
I received the Muse HiFi M1 from HiFIGo as a part of a review tour in my country. I assure you all the thoughts and impressions in this blog are completely my own based on my own experience with the M1. You can check out more information on the HiFiGo store from the link below.
https://hifigo.com/products/muse-hifi-m1
Design & Build Quality:-
M1 is a super compact USB Type-C DAC/AMP with a metallic outer shell. The shell has a glossy finish with the Muse HiFI logo printed on the back. On one side, the M1 has a fixed Type-C connector to connect with the source device and on the other, it has a 3.5mm headphone output port. It looks pretty well built with its glossy metallic chassis and is also quite sturdy to hold.
Driving Power:-
M1 is a pretty good device for IEMs on the go. It produces a decent amount of output to drive IEMs. It won’t suffice for headphones. For IEMs, I have tested the Muse HiFi M1 with Kinera IDUN Golden, LETSHUOER Z12, Softears RSV, etc. M1 easily drives most IEMs, for planers like Z12, I had to increase the volume a bit, but the rest of everything was good enough. There was no noticeable noise floor with any of the IEMs that I tested the M1 with, everything sounded pretty clean and smooth.
Sound Performance:-
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from the Muse HiFi M1. To my surprise, the M1 actually sounds pretty good. It has a slightly warmish tonality and a clean noise-free output. IDUN sounded quite smooth with the M1. IMO the Muse HiFi M1 adds a little bit of smoothness to the connected earphones. M1 was also a good combination with the Letshuoer Z12, the combination sounded clean and M1 allowed enough room for the Z12 to breathe properly and present a rich sound. I can say the same for the combination with Softears RSV. The presentation was pretty good for any given IEM that I tested the M1 with.
Muse HiFi actually provides ample power to the connected IEMs to deliver a rich, tight bass response, clean & balanced midrange with a smoothen treble performance. Soundstage-wise, all my IEMs performed decently. Don’t have much of complaints about the M1 in terms of its sound performance. In fact, I find myself impressed by the capabilities of presenting a clean and rich sound with Most of the IEMs that I tested it with.
Don’t expect the M1 to drive full-sized headphones. Even with my Senn HD560S, it kinda struggled a bit. It was able to make it loud enough, but the dynamics were a little wonky. For IEMs, are super good and easy on the pocket.
Some things that can be improved:-
>Some extra power wouldn’t have hurt the M1.
>no physical volume keys.
>Can’t adjust gain mode. Is there any gain mode on this device?
>Glossy finish, I personally don’t like glossy finish for my gear. They are fingerprint magnets.
Final Words:-
Muse HiFi M1 is a pretty nicely built portable USB DAC/AMP with a super-compact structure and it has pretty good sound performance as well. TBH I was not expecting much but it delivers quite a clean sound performance with enough power to drive most IEMs on the go. Its compact size allows me to carry it around easily. Even at the gym, I can use the M1 simply with my smartphone.