This is a follow up to my review of xDuoo TA-01 DAC and headphone amplifier. The TA-01 is powered by an external switchmode power supply:
Nearly a dozen screws hold the unit together. Once open, you are greeted with this:
Cleverly, it uses some kind of off-the-shelf DAC module vertically mounted. No shielding is provided though so noise leakage could occur between it, and the rest of the unit.
Overall "feel" of the PC Board is that of cheap chinese stuff you buy from ebay. Nothing to put your finger on per-se, but it is just typical of the kind.
Architecture is rather simple with either the analog input or the output of the USB DAC driving the tube pre-amp stage. That in turn powers a set of transistors on yet another daughterboard. This allows the output impedance to be much lower than if you used the tube as is.
What was puzzling was the transformer on the input and a pair of diodes. May be some kind of filter but a bit odd.
The tube in the unit I received was the Russian Genalex. Don't know if that is stock or an upgrade:
Capacitor brands seem to be mixed from no name to treasured Rubycon:
Something doesn't smell right though. Notice the jagged writing on the capacitor on the left, compared to the picture in Rubycon catalog. Can't say it is counterfeit but it might be.
On the positive side, a number of capacitors were rated at 105 degree C which is a plus over the cheaper 85 degree parts. Then again if the caps are fake, this designation doesn't mean much.
Zooming in the DAC we see:
An Xmos controller handles USB functions and then drives a pair of stereo CS4398 DACs. I am assuming they are combined to get better signal to noise ratio.
Here is the view from rear of the main board:
We see a couple parts whose ID is scratched off. Boo!
Like the spring at the bottom and two ground traces on each side. The ones on the side though sit on anodized aluminum rails of the chassis so likely don't do much (where the spring lands is nicely sanded off for good contact).
Conclusions
Overall look and feel of the xDuoo TA-01 DAC guts is rather cheap. Outside of suspicious capacitors though, nothing jumps out that is unsafe or horribly made. In other words, you are getting what you paid for but no more. This is in contrast to feel of the control and overall industrial design of the unit which is a step above bargain price products.
Nearly a dozen screws hold the unit together. Once open, you are greeted with this:
Cleverly, it uses some kind of off-the-shelf DAC module vertically mounted. No shielding is provided though so noise leakage could occur between it, and the rest of the unit.
Overall "feel" of the PC Board is that of cheap chinese stuff you buy from ebay. Nothing to put your finger on per-se, but it is just typical of the kind.
Architecture is rather simple with either the analog input or the output of the USB DAC driving the tube pre-amp stage. That in turn powers a set of transistors on yet another daughterboard. This allows the output impedance to be much lower than if you used the tube as is.
What was puzzling was the transformer on the input and a pair of diodes. May be some kind of filter but a bit odd.
The tube in the unit I received was the Russian Genalex. Don't know if that is stock or an upgrade:
Capacitor brands seem to be mixed from no name to treasured Rubycon:
Something doesn't smell right though. Notice the jagged writing on the capacitor on the left, compared to the picture in Rubycon catalog. Can't say it is counterfeit but it might be.
On the positive side, a number of capacitors were rated at 105 degree C which is a plus over the cheaper 85 degree parts. Then again if the caps are fake, this designation doesn't mean much.
Zooming in the DAC we see:
An Xmos controller handles USB functions and then drives a pair of stereo CS4398 DACs. I am assuming they are combined to get better signal to noise ratio.
Here is the view from rear of the main board:
We see a couple parts whose ID is scratched off. Boo!
Like the spring at the bottom and two ground traces on each side. The ones on the side though sit on anodized aluminum rails of the chassis so likely don't do much (where the spring lands is nicely sanded off for good contact).
Conclusions
Overall look and feel of the xDuoo TA-01 DAC guts is rather cheap. Outside of suspicious capacitors though, nothing jumps out that is unsafe or horribly made. In other words, you are getting what you paid for but no more. This is in contrast to feel of the control and overall industrial design of the unit which is a step above bargain price products.