This is a review and detailed measurements of the Cocktail Audio X45 streamer, balanced DAC, CD player/ripper, file server and analog preamplifier. It is on kind loan from a member. It costs US $2995 but seems to have recently been discontinued.
The large LCD screen is striking. Alas, the graphics seem outdated and processor too slow to even keep up with volume control adjustment. The feel of the rotary control switch (when pushed in) is superb but the responsiveness of the control needs a bit of work. I could not quite figure out some of the options. When playing Menu for example, it would just give me an error. I thought it would give me settings for the built-in DAC. The back panel shows the myriad of inputs, outputs and functionality of the unit:
Don't think they could cram more into this box! Good on them to make such a full function audio device.
Cocktail Audio X45 DAC Measurements
Let's start with our usual dashboard with volume adjusted to 4 volts using XLR Out, and USB In:
This lands the unit in our "very good" bucket of all DACs tested:
Considering the use of ancient ESS ES9018 DAC, the implementation is not bad and matches company specifications. RCA Out is nearly the same:
Streamer performance is the same as USB:
We do have a lot of low level noise spikes which show up clearly in our jitter test:
I removed the Ethernet cable and it got a hair better but most of the noise remained. I suspect this is internal processor interference into the DAC.
Dynamic range lands in the same category:
Linearity is excellent though:
Multitone shows increasing distortion with frequency but still pretty good:
IMD distortion would have been competitive for the time it came out:
I am disappointed that a slow filter is selected with no way to change it:
This allows too much ultrasonic noise to be generated, causing our wideband THD+N look poor:
Cocktail Audio X45 Analog Preamplifier Measurement
I thought I do a quick test of analog RCA In, XLR Out with volume at max:
Sadly we don't clear 16 bit hurdle due to high distortion. But could have been worse.
Conclusions
By today's standard, the X45 is too expensive with performance that can't keep up with what you can buy now. But in the context of 2019 release date, performance seems competent, albeit with some specific choices which should have been different (slow filter). Tons of functionality is provide which helps partially justify the cost.
I see refurbished units available for $2,290. I think that is still too much for this level of performance. But if you need all this functionality, I don't see what your options are short of using a computer.
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As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.
Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
The large LCD screen is striking. Alas, the graphics seem outdated and processor too slow to even keep up with volume control adjustment. The feel of the rotary control switch (when pushed in) is superb but the responsiveness of the control needs a bit of work. I could not quite figure out some of the options. When playing Menu for example, it would just give me an error. I thought it would give me settings for the built-in DAC. The back panel shows the myriad of inputs, outputs and functionality of the unit:
Don't think they could cram more into this box! Good on them to make such a full function audio device.
Cocktail Audio X45 DAC Measurements
Let's start with our usual dashboard with volume adjusted to 4 volts using XLR Out, and USB In:
This lands the unit in our "very good" bucket of all DACs tested:
Considering the use of ancient ESS ES9018 DAC, the implementation is not bad and matches company specifications. RCA Out is nearly the same:
Streamer performance is the same as USB:
We do have a lot of low level noise spikes which show up clearly in our jitter test:
I removed the Ethernet cable and it got a hair better but most of the noise remained. I suspect this is internal processor interference into the DAC.
Dynamic range lands in the same category:
Linearity is excellent though:
Multitone shows increasing distortion with frequency but still pretty good:
IMD distortion would have been competitive for the time it came out:
I am disappointed that a slow filter is selected with no way to change it:
This allows too much ultrasonic noise to be generated, causing our wideband THD+N look poor:
Cocktail Audio X45 Analog Preamplifier Measurement
I thought I do a quick test of analog RCA In, XLR Out with volume at max:
Sadly we don't clear 16 bit hurdle due to high distortion. But could have been worse.
Conclusions
By today's standard, the X45 is too expensive with performance that can't keep up with what you can buy now. But in the context of 2019 release date, performance seems competent, albeit with some specific choices which should have been different (slow filter). Tons of functionality is provide which helps partially justify the cost.
I see refurbished units available for $2,290. I think that is still too much for this level of performance. But if you need all this functionality, I don't see what your options are short of using a computer.
----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.
Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/