Today’s review is about the NICEHCK Octave, a portable USB DAC and headphone amplifier, featuring the ES9039Q2M DAC chip, 550mW of output power and a 10-band user configurable EQ.
The NICEHCK Octave was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links.
The price of the NICEHCK Octave is $89 and you can buy it from the NICEHCK online shop.
NICEHCK
NICEHCK is a Chinese audio brand known for making affordable in-ear monitors, cables, and audio accessories that punch above their price. It has gained popularity among audio enthusiasts for offering good sound, modern engineering and solid build quality without costing much.
NICEHCK Octave
The NICEHCK Octave is a portable USB DAC/amp with balanced 4.4mm and single-ended 3.5mm outputs. It supports 10-band EQ through the NICEHCK application and is compatible with Android, Windows 10 & 11, iOS, MacOS and other mainstream operating systems.
Technical Features
The Octave is equipped with the latest ES9039Q2M DAC chip that supports sampling rates up to 768kHz/32bit PCM and DSD256. Two SGM8262 op-amps are used for the headphone amplification, delivering up to 550mW@32Ω from the balanced output.
The power supply is very sophisticated for a USB DAC dongle, the analog section of the DAC and the headphone amplifier are powered independently to avoid high frequency noise crosstalk from the digital circuitry. Multiple other ultra-low noise LDOs are also used to provide stable power and keep noise levels as low as possible.
Technical specifications
Input Port: Type-C USB
Output Jacks: 3.5mm/4.4mm
DAC Chip: ES9039Q2M
Op-Amp Chips: SGM8262*2
Decoding Format: PCM 768kHz/32bit and DSD64/DSD128/DSD256
Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz
Dynamic Range: 130dB
SNR: 130dB
Distortion: 120dB (4.4mm) – 120dB (3.5mm) – 0.0001%(600Ω)
Output Power: 150mW@32Ω (3.5mm) – 550mW@32Ω (4.4mm)
Weight: 25g (cable excluded)
Compatible Systems: Android / Harmony OS / Windows 10 & 11 / iOS / MacOS, and other mainstream system devices.
Accessories
The package includes a high quality USB type-C cable that is made from high purity, silver-plated copper in a 4-strand design. The aluminum plugs have a finish that matches the colour of the Octave chassis. A full size USB adapter is also included.
Build quality and appearance
The NICEHCK Octave has a classic, rectangularly shaped form factor with a clean, industrial design. The chassis has smooth edges that make it a pleasure to handle and easy to use with one hand.
It is made from a single block of aerospace-grade aluminum alloy that is thick enough to shield the PCB from external EMI. Both the front and back surfaces feature glass faceplates that visually contrast the aluminum and add a touch of premium elegance.
The outer appearance of the Octave might not be that groundbreaking, however it looks quite attractive especially in its purple variant. Measuring 57x23x13mm and weighing 25g, it easily slips inside a pocket and doesn’t add much clutter or weight under a phone.
User interface
The device is equipped with three side-mounted buttons for raising/lowering the volume and playing/pausing the music plus a switch at the opposite side for toggling the amplifier gain low or high. A small LED light changes colors in accordance with the input sampling rate.
You can adjust the volume step by step in 100 increments or continuously by long pressing the buttons. The Octave’s 3.5mm output supports earphones with in-line controls and microphone.
Output power, noise and efficiency
The NICEHCK Octave is a powerful USB DAC dongle that can provide 550mW@32Ω from the 4.4mm and 150mW@32Ω from the 3.5mm plugs. Plenty to run most earphones and easy to drive headphones like the Meze Audio 105 AER.
Background noise is exceptionally low and audible only with ultra sensitive earphones like the iBasso Epitome. The power consumption of the Octave is 0.15A, typical for its output power and not more than the competition. A handy feature is that the device will not draw any power at all until you plug earphones.
The NICEHCK application
The Octave is compatible with the NICEHCK application which allows the user to customize the 10-band EQ, choose between five different digital filters and perform easy firmware updates. The application is currently available for Android OS.
In order to update the firmware in an Android host device, the only thing you have to do is to download the file from the NICEHCK website and then use the application to upload it to the Octave. There is no need to use a PC as you can do the update from your smartphone.
Listening evaluation
The Octave is a tonally balanced and neutral DAC that doesn’t end up sounding flat or lifelines. NICEHCK engineers have managed to combine ES9039Q2M’s class-leading technical precision and transparency with a rare sense of musicality that keeps the listening experience always engaging. As a result, the Octave delivers excellent fidelity, yet remains quite melodic and expressive when paired with the right earphones.
The treble has a touch of brilliance and some shining clarity that ESS advocates will love, yet it doesn’t tip into excessive brightness or sharpeners, so everyone else can enjoy crystal clean and well defined sound without experiencing listening fatigue.
The presentation is alive, energetic and technical but not monitoring analytical or clinical. The Octave is quite resolving and the truth is that it doesn’t do much favors to lower quality recordings but it doesn’t make them sound awful either, especially when paired with more forgiving earphones.
The timbre is realistic enough throughout the whole frequency range with surprisingly low amounts of digital artificiality and treble glare. The textures are not that lean or dry, as it usually happens with other ESS implementations, the Octave doesn’t thin out high pitched instruments that still carry out sufficient note weight and natural decay.
More listening notes
The mid-range is linear and transparent with clean articulation, accurate tonality and excellent separation. The timbre is not that organic or colorful, as it happens with some other DACs, but it still is harmonious and euphonic enough. The Octave doesn’t sound dull or sterile and can definitely connect the listener with his favorite music.
The bass is technical, clean, well defined, fast and controlled with unexpectedly good weight and elasticity. The Octave produces deep and impactful bass that can easily follow sudden dynamic changes and doesn’t lose pace even when stressed or pushed to its limits.
The translucent sonic characteristics of the Octave make it suitable both for critical and casual listening alike, just use the right earphones to steer the presentation to the desired direction. EDM or classical music, the Octave doesn’t make any exceptions and will handle all kinds of music with the same love.
The soundstage is open and spacious with great lateral imaging and better than expected depth layering. The presentation is surprisingly big and immersive for the category, easily competing with much more expensive options, like the FiiO QX13.
In the end
There are so many good sounding USB DAC dongles that it is really hard to recommend one over the other. All have their own sonic advantages and disadvantages, and come with various features to suit different usage scenarios.
In this increasingly crowded market, the NICEHCK Octave really deserves a place of its own as it can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the competition for a lot of reasons.
It is neutral and transparent with a balanced sound signature, it is powerful yet silent and efficient, and is equipped with side buttons that make it easy to use without the need to reach for the phone. It is also compact and lightweight enough, it connects with an application that grants access to a 10-band user configurable EQ and is exceptionally well made. And all these features are available for just $89, making the NICEHCK Octave a great bargain and a best buy recommendation.
Copyright – 2026.
Authored by Petros Laskis for Ichos Reviews. All content is original and copyrighted. Republishing full reviews or substantial portions without written permission is prohibited. Excerpts up to 100 words are allowed with a direct link.
+ Neutral and clean yet not flat or lifeless
+ Not much digital artificiality
+ Excellent technical performance and resolution for the category
+ Powerful and silent headphone amplifier
+ Low power consumption
+ Compact, lightweight and well made
+ Simple and ergonomic design with physical controls
+ 10-band user configurable EQ
+ Offers great value for money without being too expensive
- Not the most colorful or organic timbre
- The presentation is more technical than musical
- Can sound unforgiving and bright with the wrong earphones
- The application is only available for Android OS
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