ddHiFi M120B (Mini Ocean) Review

Introduction:

ddHiFi (DD Electronics Technology Co.Ltd.) is a relative young company located in China that is specialized in the producing of Portable Audio Accessories like Protective/Storage Case’s for DAP’s, DAC/AMP Adaptors, Cables and more.

The ddHiFi M120B aka “Mini Ocean” is a All-in-One Earphone Upgrade Cable with a built-in DAC Chip that is designed to improve the sound quality and usability of your existing earphones. It is made with high-purity silver-plated copper wire, dual-layer shielding, Kevlar reinforcement, and gold-plated connectors. Additionally, the M120B features an in-line microphone and controls that allow you to answer calls, control your music playback, and adjust the volume without having to take out your phone. The cable is available with a USB Type-C and Lightning data interface and offers several connector options including MMCX and 0.78mm 2-Pin in order to use it with a wide variety of Earphones/In-Ear Monitors. I will explore the features, performance, and sound quality of the ddHiFi M120B

Why is it called “Mini Ocean”?

The M120B’s cable base was derived from the upgraded shielded cable BC125A Air Ocean. This cable features a main core made of high-purity OCC with a small amount of pure silver. This is why the M120B earned the nickname “Mini Ocean.” Combined with its decoding plug, the cable delivers balanced sound quality, even with low-power decoding output from a phone.

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank ddHiFi for providing me the M120B (Mini Ocean) Earphone Upgrade Cable for review purposes. I am not affiliated with ddHiFi beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered opinions about the product.

Price & Availability:

The actual MSRP price for the ddHiFi M120B aka “Mini Ocean” All-in-one Earphone Upgrade cable is 89.99 US$. The cable can be ordered with USB Type-C or Lightning data interface, and is available with 2-Pin and MMCX connectors.

More information’s can be found under the link below;

• ddHiFi M120B All-in-one Earphone Upgrade Cable

Package & Accessories:

The ddHiFi M120B came inside a relative small square shaped box in white color that has an illustration of the cable and some brandings on the top.

Inside of the box are the following Items/Accessories:

• 1x ddHiFi M120B (Mini Ocean) All-in-one Earphone Upgrade cable
• 1 x Print Material

Design & Build Quality:

The ddHiFi M120B aka “Mini Ocean” has a sleek and elegant design, with a soft outer layer that has a green tint. The M120B is made of Litz high-purity OCC and pure silver for the core, and Litz silver plated OFC for the cross shielding. The cable structure is 0.06mm×7×6 strands OCC + 0.06mm×7×1 strand pure silver for the core, and 0.05mm×9×8 strands for the cross shielding.

The cable is very soft and flexible, and does not have any fixed ear hooks, so it can be worn in two ways: straight-down or over-the-ear. The cable length is about 1.2m, and has a very lightweight design.

The connectors do have a metal housing with a silver finish, while the inner surfaces have L (Left) and R (Right) markings.

Both the 0.78mm 2-Pin and MMCX variant do have connectors that do look very durable. For the MMCX connector, it not only supports earphones with regular MMCX connector, but also the new IE series earphones from Sennheiser, such as the IE900 and IE600.

The M120B is equipped with a microphone that features in-line controls, located at the splitter position, which has a unique design that separates the signal wires from the ground wires. Moreover, the in-line controls of the M120B do support the CTIA standard.

The USB Type-C/Lightning connectors do have a so-called bi-color front and rear cavity design, which is a combination of gold and silver that looks simply amazing.

The overall build quality of the upgrade cables is “excellent” same like all the other cables I have tested by ddHiFi before.

Technical Specifications:

Cable:

• Conductor: 25.6AWG (core)
• 22AWG (cross shielding)
• Conductor material: Litz high-purity OCC and pure silver (core) Litz silver plated OFC (cross shielding)
• Cable structure:  0.06mm×7×6 strands OCC + 0.06mm×7×1 strand pure silver (core) 0.05mm×9×8 strands (cross shielding)
• Plug: USB-C / Lightning
• USB-C:  ALC5686 DAC Chip  /  Lightning: C100 DAC Chip

USB Type-C Plug: 

• DAC chip: ALC5686
• PCM decoding capability: 32bit/384kHz
• Output power: 15mW+15mW @32Ω
• Dynamic range: >110dB (A-weighted)
• SNR: >120dB (A-weighted)
• Frequency response: 20Hz~20kHz

Lightning Plug: 

• Plug: Lightning
• DAC chip: C100
• PCM decoding capability: 24bit/48kHz
• Output power: 8.4mW+8.4mW @32Ω
• Dynamic range: >101dB (18-24bit @30Ω A-weighted)
• SNR: >120dB (A-weighted)
• Frequency response: 20Hz~20kHz

Connector Variants & Controls: 

• In-line controls: CTIA standard
• Connector Options: MMCX and 2-Pin 0.78

Harware Features:

Digital to Analog Converter:

The decoding plug is the most distinctive feature of the ddHiFi M120B, as it allows you to connect your earphones to any USB Type-C or Lightning device without the need of any adapters or dongles. The decoding plug uses the ALC5686 DAC chip for USB Type-C, and the C100 DAC chip for Lightning variant. The DAC of the USB Type-C variant supports up to 32bit/384kHz PCM decoding, while the Lightning version offers sampling rates up to 24bit/48kHz PCM decoding.

The output power of the USB Type-C variant is 15mW+15mW @32Ω, while the Lightning version has a rated power output of 8.4mW+8.4mW @32Ω. Both the variant do offer a Dynamic Range (DNR) of approx >110dB (A-weighted), and a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of about >120dB (A-weighted), while the Frequency Response is between 20Hz~20kHz.

Microphone & In-Line Control:

The in-line controls have a round button in the middle that can control phone calls and music playback, and a small switch that can change the output mode from phone out to line out. The in-line microphone is hidden inside the controller, and uses a high-performance MEMS microphone circuit that can be used for daily calls, playing games, live streaming, and more. The in-line controls and microphone are compatible with the CTIA standard, and work well with most devices and apps.

Equipment’s used for this review:

• IEM’s              : ddHiFi Janus 3, ddHiFi Janus 2, CFA Stellar Horizon, Moondrop Blessing 3
• Cables            : ddHiFi M120B MMCX variant, ddHiFi M120B 0.78mm 2-Pin variant

Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Adele – My Little Love (Spotify)
• Randy Crawford – On Day I Will Fly Away (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Sarah McLachlan – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say A Little Payer (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• David Bowie – Heroes (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Elton John – Rocket Man ((Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Barry White – Just The Way You Are (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Isaac Hayes – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Sting – Englishman in New York – (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Dave Gahan – Kingdom (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Bro Safari, UFO! – Drama (Deezer HiFi)
• Armin Van Buuren – Vini Vici (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Daft Punk – Doin’ it Right (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Massive Attack – Angel (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Gogo Penguin – Murmuration (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Charly Antolini – Duwadjuwandadu (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Ferit Odman – Look, Stop & Listen (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Deezer HiFi)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Opeth – Windowpane (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
• Slayer – Angel of Death (Spotify)
• Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
• Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Spotify)

The Sound:

This review is written after a burn-in process of approx. 50-hour. I primarily paired the M120M with several IEMs, including the ddHiFi Janus 3 (MMCX), Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon (MMCX), ddHiFi Janus (2-Pin) and Moondrop Blessing 3 (2-Pin).

Sonic Performance:

The M120B delivers surprisingly good sound quality for an all-in-one cable at its price point. It offers a balanced, detailed, and dynamic sound with a low noise floor, creating a clean and clear backdrop for music reproduction. The built-in DAC avoids unwanted coloration or distortion, faithfully preserving the original sound signature of connected IEMs.

Showcasing decent resolution and transparency, the M120B handles complex tracks competently for its price range. It presents a relatively wide and spacious soundstage, fostering a realistic listening experience. The imaging is fairly accurate and precise, effectively pinpointing the position and direction of instruments and vocals.

Tonality leans towards natural and smooth, conveying the timbre and emotion of the music with all IEM’s I have tested. The frequency response maintains a balanced and neutral character, avoiding favoring any specific range. Bass is reproduced with the appropriate amount of impact and rumble, staying true to the paired IEM’s sonic character without adding unwanted emphasis or muddying the sound. The midrange sounds generally clear and fairly detailed, presenting vocals and instruments with a good degree of richness and clarity. The treble area retains a natural level of air and sparkle, extending high frequencies with a decent amount of energy and detail retrieval.

Overall, the M120B provides solid sound quality at an attractive price point, exceeding expectations for a budget-friendly all-in-one cable with built-in DAC functionality. It delivers a surprisingly balanced, detailed, and dynamic listening experience, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious audiophiles.

Conclusion:

The ddHiFi M120B “Mini Ocean” is an All-in-One upgrade cable solution that punches above its weight in terms of sonic performance and features. Its balanced and clean sound signature makes it a formidable competitor in the budget-friendly cable category. Combined with the added functionality of the built-in DAC and in-line controls, the M120B offers a compelling value proposition for audiophiles seeking to enhance their listening experience without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for a cable that significantly improves your existing earphones without sacrificing sound quality, the ddHiFi M120B deserves serious consideration.

Pros & Cons: 

• + Solid overall Sonic Performance
• + Decent Tonal Balance
• + Built-in DAC
• + Multiple Connector Options (Available with MMCX and 0.78mm 2-Pin connectors)
• + In-line Microphone and Controls
• + Attractive price point

• – Limited output power
• – Lower sampling rates on Lightning variant

Thank you for the Read!