Review proper
You might be wondering why I am highlighting the features of the C229 first; well, to be honest, it is the main highlight of this review and also my first time having an experience with this kind of tech. I own a CD ripper, but this is a different one because it’s all-in-one, meaning I can use it anywhere I want.
As an all-in-one device, it has a dedicated, rechargeable internal battery. The battery capacity is quite huge and very efficient; it lasted me several days. In fact, I only charged it once, and while writing this review, it still has some juice. I even maxed out my Bluetooth settings and the volume just to drain it completely. However, I don’t recommend draining the battery like that, as it will make it more prone to battery degradation.
. In fact, if you don’t focus on the sound quality too much, it is very much a "pocket entertainment" device in your hands since it is very loud and clear.
Battery and Dac Chipset
The overall battery capacity is 4000mAh, which is huge and can last for a long time, though your mileage may vary.
If you’re asking what the DAC chipset of this device is, well, it’s running on an AC6951C with Bluetooth 5.3. Honestly, my experience with this has been quite impressive, since it can still detect my device even at long distances. I also forgot to mention that this is a receiver; I don’t have much to say about that, however, since I don’t have much experience with receivers.
Charging and Protocol
The C229 runs on 3-6W of standard charging. According to my tester, it reads only as DCP (Dedicated Charging Port), and its function is only for charging, not data transfer. It took me some time to fully charge the C229; for me, it’s acceptable, but others may lose their patience.
Sound and CD ripping
In terms of sound, it’s very basic and good enough for media consumption. I have used this during my anime binge-watching sessions and, honestly, the sound has some decent depth and clarity for a casual tuning approach. Overall, it’s good enough for its purpose.
The CD-ripper function is quite "50-50" to me since you can only rip the songs to an SD card and the default format is MP3. I was expecting it to be in WAV format, but the output is actually quite impressive, as it captures the details truthfully. To access this function, there are two ways: first is via the buttons, which you press and hold until you see the "fire" logo on the screen; second is via the remote, which is much easier.
Storage and file formats
There are two ways to store music: first is via an external hard drive or SSD enclosure, and second is the most common method, a micro SD card slot. According to HOTT Audio, the C229 supports CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, and WMA formats. In my experience, however, it does not support Hi-Res formats since it downscales them to CD quality. In practical use, CD format is good enough for this device; in fact, CD format is much more common compared to the limited scope of Hi-Res files. My recommendation is to get a high-endurance micro SD card for faster decoding and less stuttering.
Conclusion
