Softears S01 Type-C to 3.5mm USB DAC Review

The Softears S01 is a portable USB DAC with a Type-C to 3.5mm connection, and HiFiGO lists it at $25 with CS46L41 in the title. The page has no text description and only 2 of its 11 pictures could be read. Those two give a weight of about 4.3g and describe an integrated injection-molded non-metallic shell and a braided cable, but give no output power, impedance or sample rate.

Specifications

Options and pricing

One option is listed, S01, at $25 and orderable when the page was read, so there is no color or plug choice to make. HiFiGO's tags file it under Adapters. The two readable pictures show a shell embossed with the Softears name and describe a braided cable with EnduraFlex silicone inside; neither carries an in-the-box list, so the two pictures read do not say what comes with the unit besides the DAC.

How it compares

At $25 the S01 costs more than the FiiO JIEZI USB Type C to 3.5mm DAC & Headphone Amplifier at $14.99 and the FiiO SNOWSKY Tiny A / Tiny B Portable Headphone Power Amplifier at $21.99, and less than the Kinera Celest CD-3 KT02H20 + OPA97220 Portable DAC/AMP at $29.99. Those three titles name an amplifier or a DAC/AMP, while the S01's title says USB DAC with no amplifier named. It suits a buyer who is shopping for a unit titled as a DAC; one who wants an amplifier named in the title is pointed to the other three.

Shipping, returns and warranty

HiFiGO sells from hifigo.com and says every order leaves its warehouse in China, usually 1-3 business days after it is placed, and says its delivery times are estimates, not promises. Its shipping policy gives the United States 1-2 weeks (about 10 days on average) by Priority and 6-10 days by Premium, both with duties and taxes prepaid by the store; Canada 2-3 weeks; the United Kingdom 1-2 weeks; and Australia 10-15 days. Express couriers (DHL, UPS, FedEx) take 3-7 days, but then the buyer pays any duties and taxes. No shipping page names New Zealand, PO boxes are not accepted, and the free-shipping thresholds differ between the store's own pages, so check the cart. One of its two shipping pages adds that a lost parcel on an order above $50 gets only a 50% refund. A US buyer reported a $40 tariff charge in August 2025, after which HiFiGO said it had added a customs notice at checkout.

Read the return terms before you order. The homepage advertises 7-day returns. Both of HiFiGO's policy pages offer a 7-day dead-on-arrival cover (a replacement or a full refund, with the return postage refunded) and also describe 30-day returns, but a request made 7 to 30 days after delivery loses 30% of the MSRP as a restocking fee (10% more if the packaging is incomplete), plus shipping both ways and duties, and the FAQ on the same pages says there is no refund or exchange once 7 days have passed. One version recommends reselling an opened product locally. Custom IEMs and custom cables cannot be returned, no return address is published, and buyers describe sending items back to China.

HiFiGO's warranty runs one year from the order date for parts and labor; its policy names desktop DACs and amps, IEMs and dongles at one year and gives cables and adapters three months. HiFiGO decides between repair and replacement, the buyer pays the shipping, and faulty items go back for service, not for a refund. Claims go to [email protected], the only contact the store lists: its pages name no company, street address or phone, and its terms are governed by the laws of China.

On Trustpilot, HiFiGO had 4.6 out of 5 from 378 reviews when we checked on 2026-10-28 (91% five-star, 5% one-star), and it had replied to about 75% of negative reviews; Trustpilot notes the store has not invited customers to review recently. The one-star reviews mostly concern the short return window and the deductions on returns, items listed in stock that turned out back-ordered, slow email support and a tariff charge on a US delivery in 2025. HiFiGO says its products are genuine and come in the brands' retail packaging; it does not claim to be an authorized dealer.