Synergy
Efficiency
The V3 is eminently flexible when using the multiple options available. I had no trouble driving the Campfire Audio Solaris 2020, or the easy-to-drive Meze Audio 99 Classics.
A seamless connection to the Noble FoKus Apollo allowed for enough volume to make listening uncomfortable as well. However, using the Noble, I had to raise the volume just past 80 out of 100 for it to become uncomfortable (with onboard FoKus volume at max).
So while the V3 can drive most devices properly, some harder BT or headphones might struggle to be driven.
Power
I found the Solaris 2020 came across with enough volume using either the 3.5mm se and 4.4mm balanced connections. There was plenty of headroom left for adequate listening volumes.
Short of the “issue” mentioned above with the BT-connected Noble’s, the V3 could drive any of the modestly priced listening devices I used.
Connecting the V3 via 4.4 balanced out to another source provided the full 610mW of power, without bother. The modest power ratings of the V3 provided an adequate response across the multiple sources I used, but they were not outstanding.
Pairings
Probably my favorite pairing was with the Meze Audio 99 Classics tethered to the ddHiFi cable. Bass reached deeper than what we consider “normal” for the 99’s, while clarity dropped a bit.
The legendary crystalline character of the Meze dropped to the acceptable range, but with a fun factor that could somewhat gloss over the lack of microdetail loss.
The Solaris 2020 was quite decent also, with plenty of power to properly drive them. Again, bass was exacerbated more than normal, and a loss of detail was heard.
Using this more bass-prone model did lessen the sound signature quality, with that blooming bass carrying over into the lower midrange. This in turn made vocals sound a bit covered up, losing their potential distinctness in quality.
Bluetooth to the Noble FoKus Apollo was a bit tedious, but after I received the message that “HiByLink needed to be turned off,” the connection was instant.
The pattern mentioned above with the two units carried forth with the Apollo. There was a preponderance of bass coming forth, which again tainted the lower mids.
However, unlike the CFA, the fun factor was back. I also noticed that here more than the other connections, the sizzle up top sounded more artificial, especially in the tizziness region of cymbals. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the character coming forth from both Qobuz and SD card music.
Select Comparisons
FiiO JM21
Technical
The JM21 runs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 680 8-core processor. With only 3GB of RAM due to cost restraints, FiiO recommends only downloading music streaming apps for use.
They also recommend running an app singularly for best performance. The V3 has no such download feature but comes with Tidal and Qobuz natively in the “streaming” icon.
The JM21 provides up to 700mW of power in balanced mode whereas the V3 provides 610mW. While both can run many harder-to-drive headphones they are meant mostly for IEMs and headphones with easier drivability. Three gain levels help to fine-tune your listening experience on both.
Dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips paired with SGM8262 op-amps run the show in either 3.5mm single end or 4.4mm balanced operation as opposed to dual AK4493SEQ chips and differing op-amps with OPA 1652s for 3.5mm, and OPA1688s for 4.4mm bal.
You can also use the USB-C out to another device such as a desktop amplifier on the JM21 with success. That was not the case with the V3.
Two-way LDAC Bluetooth (5.0 for the JM21 and 5.1 for the V3) can connect a source such as your phone, then out to a powered BT set of speakers on both.
A run time of up to 12.5 hours was found on the JM21 versus 10 (documented) on the V3.
Design
The JM21 is made of aluminum (front half) and plastic (back half), weighing a scant 156g without the included transparent plastic case. In looks alone, the JM21 shows a more modern look to the industrial purpose-driven V3.
By adding the case, the total comes up to approximately 170g, which is slightly heavier than the V3.
The JM21 feels as good in hand and better to me than the V3. Access to the buttons on the V3 outside of the case was good, whereas the JM21 was only average.
The quality of construction is very good and higher than the V3 to me. Where the JM21 uses a plastic case, the faux leather of the V3 feels more premium and durable.
Performance
The JM21 comes across as melodic, with a nearly neutral, slightly bright signature, and less overall bass than the V3. Even so, the slight brightness does not color the sound at all, allowing the music to carry forth on its own accord.
Both lie on the more neutral side, but detail retrieval is better on the JM21, with the ability to decipher smaller differences in tonality better.
Notes are consistent with some peakiness that can be associated with the tuning of certain budget-minded parts. The V3 comes across with less peakiness but with less clarity.
Extension is very good, with only some sibilance coming forth when the track leans towards the bright end. This was not the case from the V3, but that distinctive extension carried note weight better than the V3, which came across as truncated or slightly veiled in comparison.
HiBy R1
Features
The entry-level pocketable HiByOS touchscreen R1 with wireless connectivity (5.1) and up to PCM 32-bit / 384 kHz and DSD256 decoding compares favorably to the V3.
Running Cirrus Logic’s CS43131 DAC chip (versus the AK4493SEQ chips) provides a smooth sound. With up to 101mW, the R1 falls far behind the V3 in terms of power.
The R1 cannot be used as a DAC or wireless receiver whereas the V3 can on both accounts. Battery life on the R1 is approximately 50% longer than the V3, with standby times approaching 400 hours. I did not run a test on the V3 but know it cannot match those numbers.
Design
The R1 is a compact DAP with a design that encourages being held, much like its older sibling the R3 class (my main mowing unit).
The glass front and back and soft, pebbled polycarbonates that comprise the rest of the construction are rounded along the edges to provide a smooth, secure, and comfortable grip. In looks alone, the R1 is a stellar-looking unit compared to the industrial look of the V3.
The colored buttons and screen surround with matching accents on the rear of the device avoid much of the seriousness seen in the designs of similar gear. The result is something that could appeal to all ages and genders. The V3 is purpose-bound in looks and design.
Both units carry forth an LED denoting the bit rate of the song being played.
While certainly usable one-handed, placing one of the rockers on the left edge below the lanyard holes would have bumped ergonomics. Similar problems come forth from the V3 when in the case, with usability lacking for the important buttons.
The 3” touchscreen has a useful maximum brightness when outdoors, nice colors, good responsiveness, and an 800 x 480 resolution that looks sharp and detailed on the small device.
The V3 is easily as bright outdoors, but functionally falls behind the R1, with numerous lag while using the icon to access functions.
Performance
The R1 has a nicely balanced sound with a small bias towards added mid-bass and lower midrange warmth whereas the V3 has more sub-bass but less coloring of sound to me.
Still, the R1 is not overly colored and pairs suitably well with everything from bass cannons to treble-heavy tunes. Comparing the pairing of each is essentially a draw.
Where the R1 has a reasonably balanced, neutral-leaning signature with a minor bias towards the mid-bass region, the V3 has more depth in the low end, which then bleeds into the midrange, covering what could have been outstanding vocal treatment.
Extension from end-to-end is quite good in the R1 as well as the V3. But where the R1 does not lack shimmer or sparkle, the top end of the V3 can come across as overly artificial to reach those zenith heights.
HiBy M300
Features
The HiBy Digital M300 is a basic operating DAP, which runs Android 13. The HiByMusic app comes pre-loaded, which is an excellent music app in its own right. An FM radio app also comes preloaded for use. You can also download apps such as Tidal or Qobuz, where they come preloaded on the V3.
The M300 battery gets you 29 hours of uptime with the 2000mAh battery and a standby time of 15 days. Dedicated playback time varied, but I was able to get upwards of 15 hours repeatedly. This was longer than the V3 on both accounts.
Wireless capability of 2.4gHz and 5.0gHz and BT5.0 versus two-way 5.1 for the V3 allowed for good streaming access, but the range capabilities on the M300 were markedly farther than the V3.
Running a single Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chip, the performance is right for the market. In terms of speed, the AK4493SEQ chips were very close in capability, but with differing sound signatures.
Support for many of the highest audio codecs is had on both, with the capability of up to DSD256, and PCM768kHx/32bit.
The M300 has a maximum of 103mW. But under settings, then “sound & vibration” you can use the “Media volume” slider on a scale from 0-15, which helps close the gap on the V3s 610mW in balanced mode. The M300 comes with 3.5mm se only.
That moving slider acts as a moving gain selector, instead of a hi/low switch. On the max of 15, and with the volume set under ½ for the “Master volume,” the volume was plenty loud.
Design
The M300 takes on the familiar rectangular shape of other DAPs or Smartphones, with an easy-to-grasp shape. With dimensions of 113mm x 58mm x 13mm (100x65x17mm for the V3), the M300 clocks in at only 136g with a narrower aspect to it, which is also lighter.
The 4” screen takes up most of the front, but there are sufficient bevels around the edge so you do not inadvertently hit the screen. The V3 comes pre-loaded only on its 3” screen.
The M300 fits into your hand easily, and while it may be smaller than higher-end DAPs, the size is very workable when operating, fitting into my cargo pockets with no issue. I found the feel was better in hand than the V3, with access to the controls on par with the V3.
The beveled edges of the sides fit your hand well, giving a solid feel with no worry of dropping the unit. Made for right-handed people (like the V3), I could still easily operate the M300 in my left hand, due to the smaller size. I could not do this comfortably with the V3.
Performance
The M300 comes across as more neutral (when not utilizing the HiByMusic settings) than the V3, and a bit thinner in signature. Dynamics were present, but not outstanding. Slightly W-shaped, the extremes never varied much from neutral.
When engaging either the plugins or in-app MSEB or parametric equalizer, the M300 shined. I openly prefer non-EQ’ed music and will rarely add or subtract anything to the music, but the plug-in options added to my enjoyment of the M300.
The M300 had me actively playing with the in-app settings searching for a “better” sound. When done properly, the M300 came across as smooth still, but with “tailored” detail retrieval. The V3 on the other hand lends itself more to a plug-n-play type device where you simply enjoy the music.
My Verdict
The TempoTec V3 DAP is a story of two sides. On the one hand, it provides a quality listening sound, with a good low-end pairing and a musical nature to it that comes across as detailed. While the detail is not the best across the board, the V3 is a listenable device.
On the other hand, there were issues I had with streaming, Wi-Fi connection, and use inside the case. Firmware 1.1 did help with “bugs” but the streaming issues continued afterwards. Less prevalent, but still present, both Tidal and Qobuz would quit, giving an error code.
Adding the case was not intuitive either, with the curved right side hindering the feel and use of the buttons. Plus, the lack of additional padding prevented easy use of the three buttons on the front. Out of the case, this was not the issue, though.
So what do we have? The TempoTec is more straightforward to use with SD card music than streaming. With basic icon-based apps, there is not much to change, and that could be one of the benefits of the V3.
Simple, straightforward to use, and a quality sound when it works that might overcome the issues with a future firmware update.
TempoTec V3 Technical Specifications
- DAC: Dual AK4493SEQ.
- Dimensions: 100x65x17mm
- Material: Aluminum
- Bluetooth: Two-way v5.1
- 2-inch touch screen.
- 3500mAh lithium battery.
- Battery life: 10-20 hours.
- Audio formats supported: MP3, WAV, WMA, OGG, ASF, APE, FLAC, MP1, MP2, APE, ALAC, DSD, Aiff, AAC. DSD512, MQA 16X, DXD, PCM 32bit/768khz.
- Wi-Fi: 2.4GHz.
- Bluetooth 5.1: LDAC, AAC, APTXHD, APTX, SBC.
- Stream Media APP: TIDAL, Qobuz.
- Support for AirPlay.
- USB DAC support.
- HiByOS: Custom HIFI audio system.
- SNR: 124dB.
- THD+N: 0.0005%.
- Crosstalk: 84dB/32Ω/3.5, 116dB/32Ω/4.4.
- Output power: 330mW/32Ω/3.5, 610mW/32Ω/4.4.
- Output level: 2VRMS/3.5, 4VRMS/4.4.
