Originally, together with Philips, the most widely used brand digital music support, Sony also spread its wings with the rise of the digital music era and offers many devices which, via the interposed logo, proudly display their compatibility with Hi-Res audio.
There are so many areas where audio has a place in which Sony claims the compatibility of their electronics with the still somewhat new concept of 'Hi-Res audio', whether you're talkiing traditional Hi-Fi systems with electronic amplifiers and DACs (such as the UD-A1 model that we use), network players, sound bars for TV, portable devices like smartphones, DAPs (Digital Audio Players) or nomadic headphone DACs integrating amplification like PHA-1AEU model object of this test bench.
We invite you to discover this easy to use device, compatible (of course) with Hi-Res Audio up to 24-bit/192kHz and whose excellence of sound reproduction has earned it a Qobuzism.
Appearance
Sony has opted for a sober design for the PHA-1AEU DAC: an oblong shape for the casing with the headphone jack along the left side of the façade, positioned centrally in an area that makes one invariably think of a gold-certified record, while the volume knob takes its place right on the front, with a small two-colour LED located on the left lighting up in green during operation and red during battery charge.
The rear panel is well stocked and contains, from left to right: a micro USB input compatible with PC, Mac and Android, onto which we can connect a special cord (which comes with the purchase of an Xperia Walkman) that boasts two micro USB sockets, one that acts internally with the DAC (or any OTG cable), and one Female USB socket to connect an iPhone or iPad directly using the Lightening USB cord (without Camera kit). We then have the gain switch (low, normal, high) to control power depending on the headset being used, and finally a micro USB socket intended only for charging the battery.
Composition
The internal structure of the PHA-1 AEU has a complexity found only very rarely on the Chinese brands that we usually put to the test. The 5.6Wh battery is contained in a plastic structure, allowing it to be elevated above the components that occupy the upper side of the PCB, and also allowing for the placement of the potentiometer and the headphone jack so that they are positioned at the centers of both ends of the facade.
Among the components on this side there are numerous filter capacitors, a few integrated circuits with FLASH memory, an LC87F17C8A microcontroller (stated as compatible up to 24-bit/96kHz but had no difficulty reading sample files at 176kHz and 192kHz) manufactured by oN. The microcontroller is responsible for the USB connection to iPhone, iPod, iPad. Finally, we have an operational National Semiconductor LMP7708 amplifier.
The USB interface for PC, Mac or Android device, in this case a CMedia CM6631A processor, takes its place on the other side of the circuit. The digital-analog converter chip is a Wolfson WM8740 (24-bit/192kHz) whose signals are then cleaned by a filter built around a high performance dual operational amplifier (National Semiconductor LME49860).
The signals are then entrusted to the headphone amplifier which is a TPA6120A2 model manufactured by Texas Instruments. It is supplied with + or - 5V to avoid the use of coupling capacitors that can affect the sound quality, the -5V being manufactured by a Maxim MAX1846 continuous converter. The LMP7708 operational amplifier located on the other side of the card is used to control offset (maintaining continuous tension on output voltage at 0V) of this TPA6120A2 amplifier - a real luxury!
Listening
Using an iPad with the Qobuz application, Allegro from Dvorak's American Suite in Hi-Res 24-bit/192 kHz, performed by the Budapest Festival Orchestra under the direction of Iván Fischer is reproduced quite brilliantly by Sony PHA -1AEU. Restitution is very beautiful - balanced - and it truly understands the pizzicato and the triangle perfectly, while the strong moments are expressed with ease and grace, without leaving out cymbals amongst the orchestral mass.
With the Violin Concerto by Tchaikovsky, played by Patricia Kopatchinskaja on violin and accompanied by the entire MusicAeterna under the direction of Teodor Currentzis (Hi-Res Version 24-bit/96kHz, playback on PC through Foobar2000 KS mode), we appreciate all the subtlety of the violinist from the very first bars of the piece thanks to the high accuracy restitution of the PHA-1AEU - it certainly stamps its authority here. At no time do we sense any harshness in the restitution (our violinist is not always playing with the utmost tenderness), and when the famous theme of the concerto explodes, its dynamics are released with a bang and a very fine shimmer from the orchestra.
The Sony PHA-1AEU also offers a very airy restitution, so to speak, to the tracks North Star and Silent Space from the album North Star/Silent Space by duo Tale of Us, where the omnipresent bass benefits from the sheer power (and there is still a lot of margin on the volume button), which is delivered firmly and with all the necessary impact, without becoming tiring or oppressive.
Listening to One Of These Mornings by Moby, an extract the soundtrack Miami Vice, one is transported to a wide soundstage, perfectly delivered by our Oppo PM-3 headphones and where the singer and accompaniment are unconstrained, releasing their full emotional potential to the delight of the ears.
To conclude, without a doubt the Sony PHA-1AEU DAC offers excellent sound performance along with a headphone amplifier so powerful it's insane - but wow does it deliver enjoyment. Qobuzism well-deserved.
DAC PHA-1EAU on the Sony website
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