One of the best DAC/AMPs I have used.
Its sound can be described as fast, dynamic and extended. Vocals are right amount of lush and intimate. Bass is proper, not overdone, fast, textured and deep.
Top end is well resolved and natural, this is one of its strengths, how clean and natural the upper registers are.

For the size and price it can make a phone a very capable audiophile device.
Caveat - some Android phones have clicks and pops that disappears after first couple minutes of playback.

This little device really surprised me. I already have Fiio BTR5 and Fiio FH5. I was happy with their quality. When I plugged my FH5 in, the first thing I noticed was the sharpness of the sound. ES9281PRO audio rendering is as close as it could get to the real sound. Some of the tracks I have heard dozens of times and when played on the EarMen, I could hear subtle nuances I never heard before. I played them alternatively between BTR5 and EarMen, but they were there for real. It's like a clear sunny day on EarMen and a cloudy day on BTR5.

EarMen also has a wider soundstage. Each instrument, vocals are clearly separated. The bass is just enough, not too high, not too low. It's not to please the bassheads for sure. The clean sound also has its disadvantage. Feed it with badly encoded or low-quality audio, and it will reveal it in its full glory.

Build quality of EarMen is good including the supplied cables. However few things I didn't like are:

There is no Type-C to Type-C cable. Meaning you won't be able to connect to Android phones out of the box. IMO the company should have provided C to C instead of Type-A to Type-C because nowadays every gadget comes with a Type-C port.

There are no physical controls on the device. Though it's not a wireless device, a volume and play-pause control could have been a nice addition at this price point.

Last but not least, there is no sleeve, case or cover

Overall it's a good device albeit at a higher price point than it actually deserves.

Sounds great with my hiby seeds (using the 2.5mm balanced output) listening to tidal mqa through audirvana on my MacBook Pro. A carry pouch would have been nice. And thank you headphone zone for the fast delivery even during these tough times.

A nice small DAC with modular design. Being AK fan i was skeptical about this DAC. For me the selling point is small modular design, 2.5 mm balance output along with 3.5 mm unbalanced output. I was about to by AK USB DAC but that is having 3.5 mm output along with usb C connection. but this one attached to lightning to USB C or USB C to USB 2.0. Also if anybody is having USB C to C then that also go fine with this DAC. only gripping point - sometime hiss or pop up sound coming when keep it near to mobile phone. It supports both MQA and FLAC. It is good for me as i am having TIDAL and Qobuz connection. Now waiting for Apple lossless. After that try it with my iPhone. Till then enjoying it with my laptop. Soundwise it is good. I am a die hard rock music listener.
Bass-The Sparrow is not neutral, it certainly has a bitty bump in the low regions
Mids-This DAC is very mid-centered and enjoyable. The midrange is bloomed, certainly offering a mid-centric bump and boost in those frequencies, no doubt. So, naturally forward and vocal-centric headphones sounding amazing with this Sparrow. You can really dig out that smoothness factor and draw borders around the vocalist and instrument, it is incredibly detailed in that sense.
Treble- Although it is ESS Sabre DAC, but it is tuned very nicely. The top side of this DAC is butter, pure buttery smooth. this is an exceptionally smooth sounding product overall. So, it might not be the right product for those who have treble happy headphones and want that impressive density factor and sparkle.
I would love if Earmen Sparrow come with small pouch to save the DAC from any scratches.

In the segment of portable amp/dac the earmen sparrow is a powerful contender.

Pros
1. Clean, uncolored sound
2. The output from the 2.5 balanced hits every single competitor out of the park by a huge margin, yes thst includes the audiowuest dragonfly cobalt.
3. Nuetral and clinical sound, not the smoothest though.

Cons
1. Significant cellular signal noise spoil sport when connected to mobile phones. This could be a deal breaker.
2. Power hungry and can drain your phone bstteries very fast especially when using the 2.5 balanced out.

Overall decent value for money not the best.

I was betting on a ESS SABRE Chip. And yes, It comes with ESS SABRE Flagship 9281pro chip. One more reason to pick this portable DAC was to experience 2.5 mm balanced Output… If I am not wrong, it gives about 2X more superb quality than a 3.5 mm output.
The device is tiny and super built quality. After using long hours, it never gets hot. Happy about this purchase and highly recommend it.

I was skeptical while picking up the Sparrow, but I must admit that I'm pleasantly surprised.
I'm no audiophile so don't know the jargons. All I can say is it makes the music sound..richer...even at low volume levels.

The little bird has made a big impression! Thank you Headphone Zone!