Upgraded Sound On A Budget: Strauss & Wagner Siena Reivew

There are a ton of good DAC dongles out there that will help the sound of your headphones reach a new level. If you’re primarily listening to music from your phone, tablet, or laptop and are looking for something you can just plug and play, dongles are your best option. I recently checked out the Alva from Strauss & Wagner, a very simple dongle for 4.4mm headphones and IEMs. Now, S&W has an option for just 3.5mm headphones, which only cost $9.95. This is probably the most economical DAC dongle I’ve found, but will it still upgrade your audio?

Build

The Siena has a simple design that feels like a natural extension of your device. It’s not the flashiest design, but its grey color helps match the style of most smart devices. This is a USB Type C adapter with a nylon-threaded cable that seems to be a good length. While I don’t need a dongle to prioritize looks, the build quality is quite nice for a measly ten-dollar adapter. It will make a fine companion for your Apple or Android device.

Compatible Devices

• iPhone: iPhone 15

• Samsung Galaxy: S22, S22+, S21, S21 Ultra, S21 Plus, S20 FE, S20 FE 5G, Note 20 Ultra 5G, Note 20, Note 10 5G

• OnePlus: 9, 9 Pro, 8T, 8 Pro, 8, 7T Pro, 7T, 7 Pro, 7

• Google Pixel: 5, 4XL, 4, 3, 3XL, 2, 2XL

• Sony Xperia: 1, 5

• Huawei: Mate 40 Pro+, Mate 40 RS

• VIVO: Y20s, Y11s

Sound Impressions

I wanted to keep my headphone/IEM testing with the Siena to reflect its price, so I selected a few budget IEMs to test out with it. I started with the fifty-dollar BLON X Z Jojo, and the sound was better than ever compared to using a generic Apple dongle for my phone. The sound isn’t just louder, it’s more clear and even. It complements the soundstage and bass response of the Jojo quite well, with highlighted black space and more physical notes. The balance on the Sennheiser IE 200 is also well maintained with the Siena attached, which is useful for economical critical listening. It’s very good at opening up the sound for budget IEMs, as long as you’re not expecting the Siena to unfold levels of detail that normally go unnoticed or drive powerful headphones.

Summary

The Strauss and Wagner Siena is not a hard decision to make. It only costs ten bucks, and it can easily enhance your budget IEMs to sound better than their asking price. If you’re using mostly portable devices with no headphone jacks for your music enjoyment, I would recommend the Siena.

The Strauss & Wagner Siena is available at Audio46.