DD HiFi 2020 Accessory Review

Introduction –

If you’re in any Facebook audio groups, you’d probably have seen DD HiFi’s products floating around. These are some of the most innovative and well-constructed accessories on the market. The 2nd half of 2020 has rolled around and with it comes a new round of accessories from DD. The C-2020 is an all-new product, a dual-compartment carrying case with enough space for an entire audio setup. Meanwhile, DD has reboot their famous balanced adapters with golden variants in addition to introducing a lightning variant of the TC35 DAC/AMP that will be getting its own review soon.

As always, DD HiFi’s accessories are available on their Aliexpress store here.

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Lily from DD HiFi very much for her quick communication and for providing me with these accessories for the purpose of review. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the products here free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

C-2020 – 

Specs:

• Dimensions: 24 x 17 x 8 cm
• Weight: 410g (without strap)
• Price: $56.99 USD

The C-2019 carrying case was a huge hit with audiophiles and one of DD’s most popular products. Expanding on this, quite literally, is the C-2020 which is a much larger case designed to hold an entire collection, even portable headphones if you’re ambitious. The case follows the same design scheme with a tough bifilar fabric exterior, metal zippers, reinforced edges and genuine oil-waxed leather running the perimeter. It feels hard-wearing, rigid enough to protect from drops and bumps but also flexible enough to accommodate odd-shaped contents too. In tune with its larger dimensions, the case has two metal hangers permitting attachment points for the included hand and shoulder straps.

With enlarged dimensions, the case has room for a dual compartment construction. The top lid secures smaller gear with 3 elastic pockets, 7 slim pockets and 3 elastic straps that perfectly house adapters, memory cards and cables. 4 straps below are sufficient for larger, slimmer objects as this compartment has more limited vertical space. A notepad, slim DAP or BT receivers fit nicely here. Just check my photo below to see just how much the case can accommodate, it’s astoundingly space-efficient and I couldn’t imagine users wanting more pockets here.

The lower compartment is more utilitarian, being deeper with the same Velcro adjustable layout seen on the C-2019. The lid contains two large elastic pockets that easily fit IEMs and slim DAPs while the bottom has two padded dividers and 2 elastic straps to hold down larger players. The padded dividers have a flap that protects DAP screens from getting scratched by IEMs stored in the elastic pocket above. If removed, there is considerable internal space that would house a folding headphone, of course, check the dimensions first to ensure they will fit. My only request here would be for smaller segments for those with a large IEM collection. Many readers have expressed interest in something like this, as current options are very cost-prohibitive or difficult to secure internationally.

Altogether, the case feels very secure and well-assembled, making for a great all-in-one solution for frequent travellers or even one-off occasions such as audio-shows or meetups. The case permits the user to brings a very wide range of gear with pockets that feel tailor-made specifically for audio gear. In addition, it functions as a basic organiser and does so more gracefully than the pill and fishing boxes more commonly used by hobbyists. At $56.99 USD, the case is not nearly as cheap as these options but feels like a quality piece of equipment suitable for those with a large collection of quality gear.

DD DJ35AG/DJ44AG

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DD’s famous DJ35A and DJ44A adapters have also received a makeover for the new year in the shape of the G for gold variants. They’re priced at $20.99 and $22.99 USD respectively, a $5 jump over the non-gold variants. The new adapters are functionally identical to their predecessors but employ a few notable cosmetic changes that make them more appealing overall. This includes gold-plating on the stainless-steel housings (previously raw steel) in addition to a transparent 2.5mm jack (previously black). As such, they do look more premium and the clear jack better takes advantage of the clear shell design by enabling the user to view the inserted plug. Sonically, I hear no differences, which is a good result considering that the originals minimised quality loss very well. This comment extends to the similar lack of added noises or oxidation over time. As before, these are quality adapters with a unique design that’s substantially more compact essentially anything else out there and reasonably priced to boot.

Verdict – 

There isn’t much to say about DD’s latest accessories, they simply get the job done with no fuss. The C-2020 is of particular interest and is surely something that I’ll be using to organise my audio gear. It’s all too easy to lose track of small cables and adapters so it’s great to have them all stored neatly in one place. Similarly, the adapters are just as good as their predecessors and a nice extension of existing designs that will appeal most to fans of the company. Once again, the reasonable pricing of DD’s accessories is most inviting as they do offer real benefits over generic options in both sound, form factor and build quality without huge disparity in pricing, especially compared to other audio enthusiast brands.

The new DD accessories are now available from DD HiFI’s Aliexpress Store (International). I am not affiliated with DD or Aliexpress and receive no earnings from purchases through this link.