Khadas Tone2 Pro Review (DAC & Amp)

[MalinYamato]

Latest firmware (actually, even v1.2 MCU firmware) resolves the filter problems. Update if you have not already.

got that so now I can adjust the volumes of line out -- love this little red thing.

 

[MalinYamato]

Pet project -- ongoing with more tood: a wireless media server control: Integrated a screen with four buttons to control a media server and Khadas Tone Pro 2 by a Python with WebSockets program I wrote that interacts with about 6 GPIO Pins and the I2S bus. It captures progress, bitrate, sample rate, and bit depth from the stream and presents them as dots on the screen. DLNA and Airplay mode is shown as a symbol. SYS shows systems information such as IP address, and lets you adjust brightness. There is a Radio mode where you may store and delete radiostations accessing my database which I implemented in JSON....

When the media server receives Airplay streams from for example a mobile, it displays the airplay symbol. Same with DLNA.

Samplerate

*	44.1
**	48
***	96
****	192
*****	higher

Bitdepth

*	16
**	24
***	32

 

[MalinYamato]

Correct video link

 

[tsoltan]

The balanced (4.4mm output) has a decent amount of power…especially if the Tone2 Pro is separately powered via the I2S input using a cable with the correct pinout. I was able to drive my 300Ω Sennheiser HD650's (with balanced cables) to satisfying, if not punishing levels.

Where did you find such cable - I mean with correct pinout?

 

[MalinYamato]

Where did you find such cable - I mean with correct pinout?

unfortunately, this is a proprietary solution of Khadas not found elsewhere. In Europa you may get these cables from http://www.audiophonics.com/.

 

[tsoltan]

unfortunately, this is a proprietary solution of Khadas not found elsewhere. In Europa you may get these cables from http://www.audiophonics.com/.

I meant the USB power cable for i2s. Probably you've posted wrong link.

 

[MalinYamato]

I meant the USB power cable for i2s. Probably you've posted wrong lin

you are thinking of adding a linear power supply to improve the sound of the board by attaching a linear power supplant to the i2s port. Well, it wont improve the sound or at least the perceivable sound by adding a linear power supply. I use the power from the USB of the Raspberry Pi to drive the DAC and that is a solution which does not introduce any noise. I will keep the tone 2 pro as a DAC but replace the amp from a Singxter SA-1 to ifi pro iCAN signature, which will improve the sound according to my liking.

 

[WondrousHippo]

you are thinking of adding a linear power supply to improve the sound of the board by attaching a linear power supplant to the i2s port. Well, it wont improve the sound or at least the perceivable sound by adding a linear power supply. I use the power from the USB of the Raspberry Pi to drive the DAC and that is a solution which does not introduce any noise. I will keep the tone 2 pro as a DAC but replace the amp from a Singxter SA-1 to ifi pro iCAN signature, which will improve the sound according to my liking.

Isn't he just looking for a cable that could provide more juice with the right pinout? Which I didn't even know was a thing.

 

[MalinYamato]

Isn't he just looking for a cable that could provide more juice with the right pinout? Which I didn't even know was a thing.

you may feed current through the i2s interface, it has power leads, but the purpose of this interface is not to provide more juice but the cleaner current that a linear power supply may provide. The power that comes with the USB cable is well enough yet it may be noisier as the origin is a computer but I cannot detect the noise at all from my RPI.

I have upgraded my class A amp from Singxer SA-1 to an ifi pro iCAN signature for a better sound but I keep the excellent DAC tone 2 pro as DAC and I have no plans to add a power source that utilizes the i2c interface as it won't improve the sound a bit. The power supply that I added to my new amp costs USD 400 and that makes difference though.

 

[MalinYamato]

Current setup, RPI feeds the tone 2 pro by USB that feeds through balanced RCA to XLR into my new amp ifi Pro iCAN Signature. The power brick below the Rpi is a high-end ifi power supply at USD 400 and the black box below is the excellent Singxer SA-1 amp which is decommissioned. How could Khadas make this little red thing sound that good?

 

[tsoltan]

Current setup, RPI feeds the tone 2 pro by USB that feeds through balanced RCA to XLR into my new amp ifi Pro iCAN Signature. The power brick below the Rpi is a high-end ifi power supply at USD 400 and the black box below is the excellent Singxer SA-1 amp which is decommissioned. How could Khadas make this little red thing sound that good?
View attachment 196719

Awesome setup
Also it might be interesting for you :

Tone2 Pro Bluetooth Modul

Awesome - do you have any eta?

forum.khadas.com

 

[MalinYamato]

Awesome setup
Also it might be interesting for you :

Tone2 Pro Bluetooth Modul

Awesome - do you have any eta?

forum.khadas.com

....been waiting for this module and I hope it supports LDAC.

 

[tsoltan]

....been waiting for this module and I hope it supports LDAC.

me too - it would be also great if it would be possible to control volume remotely - so the DAC can be used with power amp and speakers too.

 

[MalinYamato]

me too - it would be also great if it would be possible to control volume remotely - so the DAC can be used with power amp and speakers too.

not before but with the latest firmware of tone 2 pro you may control the volume of its RCA outs using its wheel/knob. You prob know this and as I understand you may want to control the volume from your phone as well when streaming through BT to the tone 2 pro once the BT dongle is available.

 

[tsoltan]

not before but with the latest firmware of tone 2 pro you may control the volume of its RCA outs using its wheel/knob. You prob know this and as I understand you may want to control the volume from your phone as well when streaming through BT to the tone 2 pro once the BT dongle is available.

The BT Magic Bluetooth module will be launch together with Tone2.

We are excepted to let users to setup the Knob Configurations to enable/disable some modes over the BT Magic module:

• Volume Mode
• Track Mode
• Input Mode
• Gain Mode
• Filter Mode

The setup operations will be the App on mobile phone(W.I.P).

I want to control just the volume of khandas remotely even without bluetooth streaming(but also plan to use that too).
But I don't know if it would be possible.

 

[MalinYamato]

I want to control just the volume of khandas remotely even without bluetooth streaming(but also plan to use that too).
But I don't know if it would be possible.

ic, if they get it right according to that, it would be very amazing.

 

[Grooved]

If anybody want's to power it only from I2S port, it's easy : I tried to cut powering wires in a USB cable, that I plugged on the main USB-C port, and a standard one on the I2S USB-C port.
This way, no power came from the device used to send audio.

It works. I may try to check differences in measurements if I've some time available for it.

 

[tsoltan]

The electrical tape did the trick - I've put a small piece of it and covered the 5V connection in the plug(USB A to the USB c cable).
And put external power to i2s port.

 

[ConeyIsland]

Did firmware updates fix the weird jitter issue?

 

[Metrallaroja]

Did firmware updates fix the weird jitter issue?

yes, see:

Khadas Tone2 Pro Review (DAC & Amp)

@Gouwa nice work. Out of interest do you know when you’ll be shipping a bluetooth module for the tone 2 pro?

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