XDuoo TA-30 tube dac/amp headphone from Apos

[LL21]

Thanks for the commentary...very interesting to read. Certainly inspires me to keep looking into the headphone experience.

 

[Gregadd]

There are no noise or hum issues. That means that low level resolution is very good.
Bluetooth is available from source to dac

Bass is excellent for headphone system.
Michael Maury Bach Fuge in D minor
This was quite a surprise. It is a large church mounted pipe organ.
Given what I heard I expected it would not break up. I was not prepared for the sheer weight and authority that it delivered.

 

[LL21]

Wow! Sounds impressive...and it also sounds well suited for the extremely exacting 800S!

 

[Gregadd]

If you have a large collection of Redbook cus compact discs and a cd player this may be perfect you. It a 44.1k pcm 8nput.

In case you did not figure it out I highly recommend this product

 

[Gregadd]

I must confess I have been a bit selfish. II have enjoyed this dac/amp so much I have neglectedted to share.
If you have headphones this should be sitting on your desk. My review will reveal why.
At 700 dollars it is a must have. That is even if you are not currently in the market for it.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

I must confess I have been a bit selfish. II have enjoyed this dac/amp so much I have neglectedted to share.
If you have headphones this should be sitting on your desk. My review will reveal why.
At 700 dollars it is a must have. That is even if you are not currently in the market for it.

I would buy one of them but I doubt it’s available in Australia.I am looking for a good headphone amplifier.

 

[Gregadd]

I would buy one of them but I doubt it’s available in Australia.I am looking for a good headphone amplifier.

It is a mail order item from Apos.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

It is a mail order item from Apos.

Thanks for letting me know.

 

[Gregadd]

 

[Gregadd]

if you have oily hands and you care about such things you should wash your hands or use some gloves when handling tubes.. Most use the ones with the little dots on them. Some believe the oil from your is deposited on the tube and can cause hot spots.
Caution!. The rectifier tubes can get hot.. It is better to keep them away from prying little fingers. i think a cage would have beenbetter to install a cage.

 

[Gregadd]

So there has been some criticism of the volume control. To wit you are not likely to have any use beyond the nine o'clock position. That is true for most headphones. In fact I really exceed the 7 or 8 o'clock positions. I hardly regard this as a fault
Rather it is a testament to the units power.
The question is can it be adjusted from very low to very loud? Yes it can. You need to be careful. It varies depending on how sensitive your headphones are.

 

[Gregadd]

I have not called an amplifier articulate of late. Not since my my evaluation of the Moscode 402au. It may be that I am using headphones. I find that an amp must be so to get my prolonged attention.
The TA-30 is both articulate and breathy. What is breathy? It is so because of of power and dynamics. Imagine a singer taking a deep breath. The take the lyrics from guilt to loud and back again.
Specifi examples to follow.

 

[Gregadd]

Inadvertent product testing.
I am happy to report the unit survived a three foot drop with no mechnical or cosmetic damage sustained.. Don't ask.
The rectifier tube was dislodged as it is unprotected.

 

[Gregadd]

I think tube rolling might be my next project
Trying to bring this in at $70O no doubt necessitated some compromises

No idea what tubes to get or where to get them
I need to keep the price in line

 

[Gregadd]

TUBE Complement
1. 5Z3PT RECTIFIER
2. ECC82 OUTPUT AMPLIFICATION

 

[K3RMIT]

A question
it says it’s 32 output imp ? Is this an OTL amp ?

 

[Gregadd]

Well it appears my work is done for me.
AUDIOPHOOLS
TUBE ROLLING THE XDUOO TA30
Now where can I score some MuLLARDS on the street.

 

[Gregadd]

The above referenced article lists the rubes and ranks them. It is no surprise Mullard won. RCA is a cost effective runner-up.

 

[K3RMIT]

Yea mullards are a staple of Great tubes no doubt

 

[Gregadd]

Expensive too.
Them there is Western Electric.