News & Review

The HQ-Audio Star Pure DSD DAC MK2 still maintains the natural, accurate sound that the brand has pursued from the beginning, but with the MK2 version, the performance has reached a new level. The soundstage has a high level of background silence, allowing the musical details to stand out clearly and coherently, while still maintaining a tight connection between elements. The music is reproduced with rich expressive nuances and each genre of music has its own distinct tonal color.

Another email, another brand. Before you yawn in blaséphemy, this sender was Danish, this brand Vietnamese. "HQ Audio are a small company in Vietnam owned by Mr. Quang Hao. He asked me to request a review of our newest DAC." Signed and delivered by Morton Becker Saul to eliminate the language barrier, this email included many professional photos and a web link. With 6moons HQ in Ireland and HQ Audio's second project engineer from Italy—Andrea Ciuffoli with his own site—multi kulti was in full swing. Equally swingin' was the HQ9038 flagship DAC. Let's walk through it. Very informative display. Latest-gen Sabre 9038Pro 8-channel converter. 

This year, the DIY community welcomed two new versions of the Sabre32 ES9018 DAC: a basic $99 board from diyinhk and a fully assembled board from Quang Hao-Andrea, the “DAC-END R.” The DAC-END-R ES9018 comes fully assembled, requiring only a transformer and input connections. It also features a "plug & play" header and mounting holes for the Amanero USB/DSD interface. While not entirely DIY, as it can be ordered complete with power supply and enclosure, it’s not a commercial product either, as it's currently a DIY group-buy project. The prototype board I tested combines machine reflow and manual soldering, but the production version will be fully machine-made for a professional finish.

The ES9038PRO product from Hq Audio addresses users' needs with a user-friendly music server, a DAC with analog sound and tube-like characteristics, and a volume circuit integrated as a pre-amplifier.

Although Hq Audio is not well-known in Vietnam, the brand primarily exports its products to markets in the U.S. and Europe. It is one of the few Vietnamese audio brands that collaborates on design and technology with international partners.

Previous Hq Audio projects, such as DAC-End, DAC-End 24, DAC-End-R, Hq Reference DAC, DSD-DAC2, and DSD-music server, were the result of collaboration with engineers and the DIY community worldwide. The ES9038PRO music server and DAC project was developed by Hq Audio in partnership with Italian engineer Andrea Ciuffoli and Danish engineer Morten Becker Saul, a frequency specialist with over 30 years of experience.

The HQ ES9018S DAC, a product from Italy with Vietnamese origins, offers a sleek design and outstanding sound performance. Featuring the renowned ESS ES9018 Sabre chip, it combines advanced features such as a PIC microcontroller, support for high-resolution PCM and DSD formats, and multiple input options including USB, coaxial, AES-EBU, and optical. This DAC not only delivers detailed, dynamic, and vibrant sound but also boasts a professional build and easy software upgradeability. With powerful, clear, and precise sound quality, the HQ ES9018S is a top choice for discerning audio enthusiasts.