CrinEar Protocol Max Portable DAC-Amplifier

The Protocol Max is a very good dongle for the price. It gives enough power to every IEM, it has 10 band PEQ, it is well built and nice to look at. I’d say that it is hard to find anything better for the price, there are some dongles which offer BT and more PEQ options but they use a more limited DAC chip and less output power. So depending on your needs you might find an alternative or still prefer the Qudelix 5K (if you are the owner of one, I think that despite the great 20-band EQ is very outdated for today standards for the rest).

So taking this reflection into account I’d say that the Protocol Max trades blows with offerings from other brands like Fiio, Moondrop, SMSL, etc. and bolsters the latest top-of-the-line CL low power DAC which fixes (in theory, from anecdotal evidence seems that’s the case but tests will reveal the truth) the horrible distortion caused by the DR compensation in the previous gen of CL chips. It is a good product at a good price but I’d like to say that some improvements can be made, maybe with a future Protocol Max V2:

- 10-band EQ is enough, but it would be good to save up to 5 profiles on the device, so that if people A/Bs different IEMs can apply the appropriate curve on the fly;
- A small pouch where to store it with its cable would be a nice touch, I really loved the addition when I opened the box of my CA Relay;
- A small screen, instead of the window or the LED, to show current bit rate and which PEQ profile is being loaded would give it added value.
- a clip-on or magnetic accessory to attach it to the smartphone for outside usage would be cool, even as a separate buy like every other brand does.

I really loved this device and I really hope CrinEar can improve on it in the future and make it better. A Protocol Max V2 at something like 90$ and lowering the price of this to 50$ would make for an unbeatable lineup on the future! But for the moment being I will keep enjoying the already good start of CrinEar in the dongle game! :)

My computer won't play sound from the front 3.5 port, but will through this. It sounds so much better than the built in ports on my laptop and steam deck.

PEQ and good sound is outstanding, even when not considering the price

I got a KA17. And also I got SMSL DO100 and Fiio K7, K11 R2R as well as R7 sitting on my desks and living room in case anyone is wondering. This little baby can give the bigger devices a run for its money. It might not be as powerful as the KA17 or other devices in driving full blown headphones but 90% there. More than enough for IEMs. Might be my ignorance and not knowing how to use the EQ presets yet, or just the choice of pairing the correct IEM with it. Wished I had this as well as the Meta at the start of my hobby. Playing it at stock setting and am already impressed. This is a blessed generation.