D&A Alpha PRO DAC & Headphone Amp Review

[Madragon]

I’m looking for a replacement for my DX5 II, which died after only 7 months of use. I recently discovered this DAC, although I’m actually more interested in the standard version rather than the Pro, since it is much cheaper.

According to some reviews, it supposedly sounds better than the FiiO K13 and K15, and even better than the DX5 II itself.

The downside is that it’s a relatively unknown brand and the model is very new, so there is almost no information available regarding its build quality and long-term reliability. After my disappointing experience with Topping, as well as the reports of headphones being damaged through the 4.4 mm output on some of their devices, I’m hesitant to buy another piece of equipment that hasn’t been around long enough to prove its reliability.

Can anyone recommend a device similar to the DX5 II in terms of features and sound quality, but from a more reliable brand, with a budget of up to $400 USD?

 

[Wunderphones]

Can anyone recommend a device similar to the DX5 II in terms of features and sound quality, but from a more reliable brand, with a budget of up to $400 USD?

No. There are devices that are competitive on sound and features in that price range, but they are all from the types of outfits you’d prefer to avoid.

 

[aramis]

I've run into something with my Alpha Pro that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere (manual, reviews, or this thread), and I'm curious if anyone from D&A or another owner can explain it.

If I hold the OUTPUT button, the selected output doesn't change. It stays on PO, but the PO LED changes from white to red (and back).

Every time I switch between the two colors, the audio mutes for about a second and then resumes automatically, so it seems like the unit is actually reconfiguring something internally rather than just changing the LED color.

My setup is:

• iBasso DX260 in Line Out
• 3.5 mm Line Out -> RCA
• Alpha Pro LINE IN
• Alpha Pro PO
• Balanced headphone output

I also confirmed that changing the DX260 gain while it's in Line Out mode has no effect on the output level, so I'm fairly confident this behavior is coming from the Alpha Pro itself.

Does anyone know what holding the OUTPUT button actually changes?

Is it switching a DAC mode, an amplifier mode, a relay configuration, or something else? I couldn't find any mention of this function in the manual.

If this is an undocumented feature, I'd really appreciate knowing what it does. I'm genuinely curious about the design behind it.

 

[codifus]

I've run into something with my Alpha Pro that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere (manual, reviews, or this thread), and I'm curious if anyone from D&A or another owner can explain it.

If I hold the OUTPUT button, the selected output doesn't change. It stays on PO, but the PO LED changes from white to red (and back).

Every time I switch between the two colors, the audio mutes for about a second and then resumes automatically, so it seems like the unit is actually reconfiguring something internally rather than just changing the LED color.

My setup is:

• iBasso DX260 in Line Out
• 3.5 mm Line Out -> RCA
• Alpha Pro LINE IN
• Alpha Pro PO
• Balanced headphone output

I also confirmed that changing the DX260 gain while it's in Line Out mode has no effect on the output level, so I'm fairly confident this behavior is coming from the Alpha Pro itself.

Does anyone know what holding the OUTPUT button actually changes?

Is it switching a DAC mode, an amplifier mode, a relay configuration, or something else? I couldn't find any mention of this function in the manual.

If this is an undocumented feature, I'd really appreciate knowing what it does. I'm genuinely curious about the design behind it.

Interesting. Looking at the manuals, the D&A Alpha REGULAR invokes the Tone X mode when you push and hold the output button.

So it looks like you’re D&A Alpha PRO is also invoking the Tone X mode, a feature which does not exist on the pro model. So the lights just blink.

That’s my guess anyway. It would make sense if both models use that same exact firmware.