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Open your device’s Bluetooth Settings and select HELM True Wireless L, and you’ll hear the audio prompt “Connected." If a second pop up message appears asking to “Pair the Headset” or “Pair the other earpiece” with your device, dismiss this message on both iOS and Android. You are ready to go! It also has exceptional bass. The Bolt doesn’t use the same THX AAA amp as the inline device but there are some similarities in how it handles low end that suggests somebody in the organisation knows their onions in this regard. It coaxes a genuinely subsonic response out of both the IE300 and the Campfire Io and it is an area where it is far in advance of anything any of the various USB dongles lying around the house can do. Switching gears to Billie Eilish and Hazel English, the Helm Audio Bolt can keep up with the pace of almost any album and make everything sound just less edgy; there is some definite roll-off in the treble which is fine with a lot of the music I’ve been streaming on Qobuz lately. Regardless of what all that means on a technical level, it is fair to assume that THX certification is a good thing. It serves as an indicator of quality assurance and a high standard of performance. Amplification Testing with Windows indicate there is an ADC in there so I imagine it could have microphone support but I am not sure.
In this review, I will be discussing the Simgot EM6L, comparing it with the Xenns Mangird Top and QKZ HBB Khan. I have tested the EM6L using the Moondrop Moonriver 2 Ti and Fiio Q3 Dac Amp. Unlike THX Onyx however, the amplifier portion of Bolt is not a THX AAA (Achromatic Audio Amplifier. Although HELM Bolt is THX certified for meeting the standard’s low noise and crosstalk requirements (THD+N%: 0.0008 at <150 Ohms, 0.0013 at >150 Ohms). Just a side note: I tried listening directly from the TIDAL Android app, but it wouldn’t play through the BOLT. This wasn’t fully unexpected, as many DAC/Amps don’t work with the TIDAL Android app. The only ones I’ve been able to use so far are the iFi DACs. It does work with the TIDAL desktop app on Windows 10. I didn’t try iOS. DAC/Amp dongles are a relatively cheap way to both allow the use of standard headphones with smartphones and improve their sound quality at the same time. They also work well with laptops. Due to their compact size, they’re effortless to transport.The trebles on the EM6L are really well extended. They are very airy and detailed. However, the detailed trebles come with their cons too. As such, the EM6L is a bit sibilant. It also doesn't compare to the Xenns Top, which has very well extended, extremely detailed, and quality trebles but presents them in a controlled and smooth manner. Hence, it is not fatiguing or overwhelming during long sessions. The Top also has better technicality and separations than the EM6L or the Khan by a huge margin (understandably as they belong in different price ratios). So the trebles sound better on the Xenns Top. The EM6L sometimes sounds fatiguing and piercing with treble-heavy songs.
We’ve already established that you’re using a smartphone or laptop with the Helm Audio Bolt, so the only remaining source for this rather minimalist system is the loudspeakers. Unfortunately, I could not get the BOLT to work with a Raspberry Pi and the Volumio software. The software refused to recognize the DAC when plugged in. This is quite unusual, as most DACs, big or small, are automatically recognized. I found the perfect Lightning to USB-C adapter which makes the Apple Lightning to USB dongle unnecessary. The ddHiFi TC28i is tiny and works great with the BOLT! When first plugging in the Helm Bolt, the Mac sets the Bolt’s Master volume in the Audio MIDI app (located in the Utilities folder on the Mac) to 1.0 (100 percent). Tidal gave me an alert that the volume was too loud and automatically adjusted it. Apple Music Apps handled it gracefully within the app’s volume control. Not Qobuz. DB12 is both THX certified and employs a THX AAA (Achromatic Audio Amplifier). But it does not have a built-in DAC it's strictly for amplification. Claims you may see online that DB12 "improves sound quality" may be overstated. Unless you’re using an under-powered source, it may only tangentially improve the sound quality with the extra volume, but don’t expect significant changes in sound quality or tonality. DB12 is intended to provide a linear 12-decibel gain, and linearity happens to be the wheelhouse of THX’s AAA technology.
The Bolt is not the bassiest dongle, which keeps the vocals up front. Midrange is clean and clear with a tinge of warmth. One of its biggest qualities is the very pleasant, well-rounded, smooth, appealing top end. It works well with most earphone/headphone signatures and, in particular, helps taming shouty ones.
AUDIOPHILE GRADE AMPLIFIER with Bass Boost Powered by the Award Winning THX® AAA™ AMPLIFIER TECHNOLOGY - Boost Volume Gain & Add Clarity from your Mobile or Gaming Device to Your Headphones Helm Audio currently produces various personal audio products, including planar magnetic headphones, THX and MQA certified portable DACs and amplifiers, wireless IEMs, and accessories. Technical SpecificationsPCM 32bit–384khz, MQA, DSD256, SNR: -120db, Power: 1-2 Vrms Adaptive, USB Type-C Male, 3.5mm SE (Microphone: NO) There are a few THX AAA (Achromatic Audio Amplifier) headphone amplifiers on the market, but none quite so affordable or diminutive as the BOLT. Note that the BOLT is ‘THX certified,’ and it does not use THX-supplied AAA hardware. Regardless, THX certification indicates an ultra-low distortion design and a focus on powerful, clear amplification, free from coloration. Hardware manufacturers must meet THX’s stringent requirements to achieve this certification. The THX certification process. (From: THX.com)
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