2024 has seen an emergence of some brands in the portable audio scene and EPZ is one of them as this year has been active and successful for them. With releases such as the TP audio dongle line and plenty of highly rated earphones, their products have been touted as high value performance index stuff garnering praise from all users around the world. Recently, EPZ has been in the works in extending their audio dongle line and they have decided to release a sequel to the famed TP30 series with the all new TP35. They are now fitted with 2 pieces of the flagship CS43198 chipset in a compact size and of course at a very budget friendly price. The audio dongle scene has been very tightly contested these days and how will the all new TP35 stand against the competition? Some of the questions will be answered here.
Before we commence the review, a big shout-out to Willy from Starspicker audio for loaning a demo of the EPZ TP35 for us to have an honest take. Do check them out for a full line up of EPZ products and they are the official reseller of EPZ here in Malaysia.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications and features of the EPZ TP35;
- DAC Chip: Cirrus Logic CS43198*2
- PCM: 32Bit/384kHz/DSD256
- Output Power: 2x65mW@32Ω (3.5mm Single-ended) 2x150mW@32Ω(4.4mm Balanced)
- Output Level: 1Vrms (3.5mm) 2Vrms (4.4mm)
- SNR:≥125db: (3.5mm) ≥130db (4.4mm)
- THD+N: ≤0.0005%
- Dynamic Range: ≥125db (3.5mm) 130db (4.4mm)
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-80kHz
The EPZ TP35 is sold on Starspicker and can be bought via their website and other platforms in Malaysia.
Packaging & Accessories
The EPZ TP35 packaging is pretty normal for the price with a small paper box encasing another black box that looks quite professionally packaged. Inside we say hello to the manuals card explaining the dongle pretty well and underneath it is the unit itself. Below lies the necessities like a high quality braided USB C to C and a USB A converter. All included except for a case which given the price, it is just me nitpicking. One thing to appreciate is the USB C cable with their impeccable quality and given their low price point, it is a generous inclusion .
Design
The design of the EPZ TP35 is futuristic, minimalistic and premium. It has a more original design unlike their TP30 siblings that mimics Sony design and this design actually feels more futuristic with their see-through plastic window displaying the dual CS43198 chipset beneath. It is made from aluminium alloy and weighs a measly 25 grams making it suitable for users to dangle it without any major stress put on the cable or device. The other side of the TP35 has some curves and it actually does complete the looks pretty well rather than just a flat back.
The insides of the TP35 is what we are here for and they are driven by 2 sets of Cirrus Logic flagship CS43198 which is rarely seen in this price range. They boast a low distortion (THD) and have a wide dynamic range when compared to the CS43131.
The CS43198 does draw more power versus the CS43131 but the power management here on the TP35 is pretty impressive as I am able to use this device a solid 10 hours with my smartphone which is slightly behind some other chipset like the CS43131 and CX31993.
Below the DAC chips is where the RGB LED indicator is situated. It does have a blinding brightness but luckily it can be turned off by long pressing both the volume buttons.
On the side we will have the volume buttons and they are clicky and feel sturdy. It also serves as the volume gain by pressing both buttons simultaneously for 2 seconds. Users can also choose from 5 filters by pressing 3 to 4 seconds until a white blinking LED is seen. No major changes to sound though with their filters but a great option for users to fiddle with.
Below the unit is the usual type C digital input. The unit is run on UAC 1.0 and does not need any driver while using a PC.
On the top we have a 3.5mm single ended and a 4.4mm balanced output. Both plugs are well made and have a secure fit.
There isn’t any battery inside the TP35 and it is powered by the source which has a surprisingly low power draw from the source similar to the Questyle M15 and better than the Hiby FC6 but not as efficient like the Hidizs S8pro.
Gears Used for Comparisons
FiiO Q7
Hiby FC6
FiiO KA3
RoseSelsa RS9039
Hidizs S8PRO Robin
Colorfly M1P
Sennheiser HD800s
Beyerdynamics DT1350
Moondrop A8
Dunu Luna
Letshuoer S15
Ucotech ES-P3
Blur daBass custom earbud
Toneking TO600
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the TP35 is a neutral balanced type with a twist of an analogue sound that has a slightly bright tone with a good warmth that has an intimate and lush sound signature. The TP35 has a thickish sound that sounds very inviting and they do have some mix of an analytical sound that punches above their asking price. Overall details and clarity here is great free of any muddiness. Dynamic range here is wide especially on the 4.4mm output producing good extension on both ends of the frequencies.
Soundstage
The soundstage TP35 is good but isn’t their main strength as they are tuned more towards a thicker sound that masks the soundstage width by a small margin. That being said though, they do possess an adequate wide sound but their height is not the best. Airiness here is good due to their extensions and they are able to provide sound that is not boxy. Headroom that they are able to give is a medium sized headroom that gives an extra intimate sound that is suitable for some headphones and earbuds. Soundstage vividness is decent with holographic imaging and an average sound placement.
Separation and Timbre
Separation here is excellent as usual for their 2 DAC chips separating left and right to different channels giving a great left to right separation with no crosstalk present on both outputs but they tend to sound better towards the 4.4mm balanced output. Texture and layering here is superb and they are able to keep with fast tracks such as EDM or metal with a breathy, smooth timbre. The timbre does have a mellow, analogue sound that gives music a velvety feel while having a good amount of energy which produces a lively sound that is easy to enjoy.
Drivability
The driving power of the TP35 is actually pretty decent of these tiny units as they are indeed very powerful for their size. They are rated at a maximum of 300 mv per channel with 4.4mm and able to drive most IEMs, earbuds and some portable headphones with ease. With high ohms, low sensitivity headphones, they do tend to struggle in terms of giving a fuller dynamic range although loudness is ample. The background noise here is actually very low giving a black background for a cleaner listening experience. There isn’t any RF interference but that only appears when a call is being made and they possess a black background noise which is great for portability with smartphones.
The Bass (Low)
Bass that the TP35 produces is a mildly boosted bass that has a healthy amount of mid bass that gives a meaty, authoritative bass response. It has a strong tight slam with an organic bass that sounds big with a good extension. Bass has decent weight to them and a great body that has a mild warmth. Bleed is not present in the other frequencies and they are very well controlled but texture on the bass region isn’t the best as they may sound a tad bloated with certain bassy gears. Details here are good and they do produce a clean and clear bass response that is energetic yet accurate but transparency here is just average as the bass do sound a little bloated at times. Bass heads will find this TP35 rather enjoyable as the impact and amount of bass is rather big but they are not overpowering and bleed isn’t virtually absent. The pace of the bass is average and they do seem to be slightly sluggish but they have a great amount of energy that gives them fun listening yet possesses good accuracy. Sub-bass extension here is good with a deep and possessing a good amount of rumble along with a touch of air to give a spacious low end. They aren’t for users who prefer a lean, accurate bass but suited for those who seek a big fun bass.
The Mids
The midrange here is a neutral midrange that has a warm tone, analogue sound with a slightly bright tone and they possess a good degree of technicality. Details and clarity here is good with decent detail retrieval capabilities in their amazing macro details but I do find the micro details region pretty average. The midrange is rich and they do have a thick body to them which makes them an organic and intimate type of midrange. Though having a rather forward midrange, the midrange here is able to sound spacious midrange and they do have a good amount of air that have an accurate placement accuracy. Resolution here is vivid with some coloration and it gives a little more vibrant sound and the mids here do have a clinical sound but they aren’t sterile in any way. Transparency here is great and they do sound clean and clear without any being artificially coloured. Vocals here are intimately lush and they work very well with male or female vocals alike with their intimate sound with decent amount of brilliance.
The Highs
The highs of the TP35 is a neutral high range that has a good presence and they are smooth with an inoffensive sound but still very present in their overall presentation. They have excellent details along with a good clarity without any sibilance, shout nor peaks present. The highs here aren’t strong per se and they are a rather laid-back type of high range but they do possess a healthy dose of sparkle that has a mild crisp decay that gives music some liveliness. The high range here is suited for those who are treble sensitive as I do find the highs here are inoffensive but aren’t muted. Treble here has a low intensity but it still has a good amount of extension. Extension here is superb with a slow roll off at the end that gives a good amount of air. Transparency and resolution here is good with a vivid and clear sound that is rather accurate without any weird, unnatural timbre.
Comparisons
VS Hidizs S8Pro Robin
One of the latest budget oriented dongles from Hidizs named Robin. Equipped with 2 Cirrus Logic CS43131 instead of the dual flagship CS43198 of the TP35 and both have excellent power efficiency but it is slightly better than the former. Both of these units have a smooth, laid-back sound but still technical wise the TP35 is better with a thicker overall sound while having the upper hand in user settings like gain, independent volume control and filter selection all in a more compact size. The S8pro is priced slightly higher than the TP35.
The high region on the TP35 has a stronger sparkle type with a better extension. Details and clarity here is better on the TP35 and they are more energetic while the Robin sounds smoother along with a more forgiving high range. The extension in the high range on the TP35 does provide slightly more air but only marginally. The Robin high range does sound more natural and accurate but in a small margin.
Midrange on the TP35 is thicker with a more musical sound that has a lusher mids versus the neutral flat midrange of the Robin and details on the TP35 is better with more clarity and they are more technical overall. Both have similar intimate mids but the Robin has sound more balanced than the forward midrange of the TP35 that leans towards the lower region. Resolution is better on the TP35 but transparency seems better on the Robin. The Robin does have less coloration and that makes the Robin less fun sounding but more natural.
Bass on the TP35 has the upper hand being more authoritative and has a more energetic presentation versus the slightly lean bass of the Robin. Details and clarity is also better on the TP35 but bass accuracy is leaning towards the Robin for their natural amount of bass along with a slightly cleaner bass. Extension on both is similar with a deep sub-bass performance but in terms of amount, the TP35 does have a stronger rumble.
Soundstage on both of these units is similar with a decent width and an average height but the value of the TP35 does trump the Robin.
VS RoseSelsa RS9039
The RoseSelsa or formerly known as Rose Technics is the creator of the RS9039 dongle that is equipped with the all new Sabre ES9039Q2m chipset and they have a bold W shaped sound that is energetic yet highly technical. They are priced similarly with the EPZ TP35 but have a rather too simple setup without any buttons. The size of these sets are similar with the TP35 shorter in a small margin. Driving power on both of these units is also similar, capable of driving most IEMs on the market with ease.
Bass on the RS9039 has a more organic and a warmer tone with slightly better details than the TP35 but the TP35 bass does sound deeper and wider. Texture on the bass of the RS9039 is better while the TP35 sub bass and amount of sub-bass is bigger. The RS9039 has a cleaner, tighter bass while the TP35 has a thicker, organic bass that is more immersive.
Both of these unit midranges are thick, warm and have a slightly bright tone but there is some mild forwardness on the TP35. Details here are similar with each other but overall details and transparency does sound better on the TP35 in a small margin. The TP35 midrange does have better transparency while the RS9039 resolves better. There is slightly more coloration present on the RS9039 making them sound more vivid but less accurate.
High range on the TP35 is smoother and has slightly better extension versus the slightly boosted neutral highs of the RS9039. Sparkle is similar but the RS9039 manages to have a crisper sound and possess more air. Details and clarity here goes to the RS9039 with a cleaner and clearer high range overall while the TP35 excels by being inoffensive yet transparent producing a more accurate highs range. Treble on the RS9039 does sound more intense than the TP35 giving a more aggressive sound signature.
Soundstage on both of these devices is quite similar, matching their asking price very well.
Synergy
Good Synergy
- Letshuoer EJ09, Intime Sho DD, Simgot EA500, TangZu YuXuan Ji, Letshuoer DZ4, Beyerdynamics DT1350, Koss KSC75, Ucotech ES-P3, Dunu Luna, BQEYZ Cloud
The EPZ TP35 does match signature gears better and they do provide a warmer, lusher sound to the bright gears as well as giving more body on their overall presentation. They also do add some extra resolving capabilities while keeping their transparency intact. Bass have a thicker, slightly bigger presence along with added depth in their sub-bass region. Midrange has become thicker and slightly more forward and they sound more intimate. Highs are smoother while still keeping their sparkle without losing any liveliness but crispness doesn’t really change much. Soundstage has better air with slightly wider sound partly due to the extra power they produced.
Not so good
- Rose Technics Star City 5 Pro, Moondrop A8, Sennheiser HD800s, Koss PortaPro, Letshuoer S15, Blur DaBass, Toneking TO600s, BQEYZ Frost
Basically I do find those gears with a V shaped sound or a bass oriented sound do not match well as the bass do lose their texturing. While bass loses its texture quality, details and clarity does sound a tad better with better depth on the sub-bass region. Mids have been pushed slightly forward and they sound tighter with details and clarity intact. Highs does sound smoother and more inoffensive with added clarity. Soundstage does sound wider and taller but only by a small margin. Driving power isn’t sufficient for those large sized headphones and high impedance earbuds with their dynamics has been suppressed.
Who Is It For?
The EPZ TP35 is a true recommended product from beginners and serious audiophiles for the bang for buck value with a lightweight minute size that is suitable for an everyday carry. It is robust and solidly built that can be lasting for a variety of usage and maybe for workouts. Soundwise they are actually good at matching bright products to give an analogue touch while giving an analytical sound without sounding dry or too sterile. For those bassy gears, I do find the bass a little too loose but they do give an extra amount of bass that might suit bassheads but for those who has bright signature products, I do find they have great synergy by giving a thicker sound with added technicalities like overall details, clarity and transparency. Their driving power is actually pretty good for their size and price, capable of driving almost all portable gears but not really suited for those hard to drive, low sensitivity gears. They are also suitable for movies and gaming for their low latency, immersiveness and accurate soundstage placements.
Final words
EPZ has truly produced a solid budget banger on the TP35 as they are indeed one of, if not the best dongle in their price category. It plays between the lines of analogue and analytical sound that has a thick, warm tone that has good technicalities and is also easy to enjoy. Driving power here is more than adequate for portable gears with their 300 mv power, they are a mini powerhouse in a very reachable price. Equipped with dual CS43198, they are a flagship Cirrus Logic chipset that is rare in this price range and they do deliver great technicalities with a rather low power draw suiting a high quality portable device for an everyday use. Though some refinement in the bass is needed, not much can be said given the friendly price and the high quality USB C cable that is included is a cherry on top. Great job EPZ for this superb entry device.
I would rate this product a solid 4 and half over 5 stars
Pros
- Solid build and very well designed
- Ease of use, plug and play
- Small sized and lightweight
- Gain, filters, independent volume
- Silent, black background
- Good driving power
- Good musicality
- Good overall detail retrieving
- Good warmth with an analytical sound
- Good separation
- Authoritative bass lift
- Warm, thick and clean midrange
- Smooth yet energetic high range
- Well balanced treble
- Decent soundstage width
- Good power efficiency, low power draw
- Packaged nicely with high quality cable
- Bang for buck
Cons
- Midrange mild coloration (minimal)
- High range lack bite and crispness
- Soundstage height
- Bass texturing
- Tone can be a little too warm at times
- LED indicators too bright (can be turned off)
- No screen, no app (nitpick)
- Filters does minimal changes
