Khadas Tone2 Pro Review (DAC & Amp)

[foxtrot]

Hi,
don't want at all to be rude, and maybe I didn't explain it correctly, but to use your sentence, "you need to understand" that :
- I didn't ask for more than what the manufacturer declared as the SPDIF Output was announced and the device is built for as the SPDIF RCA is wired for that (the analog volume control was not in the discussion)
- I didn't ask for more, but gave a idea that could allow users, if the firmware can manage that, to switch between two options instead of switching between two firmwares, and if not possible, to not loose all the MQA processing on the SPDIF Output
More important, if your answer was the correct one, I think Eric (who designed the device) would have answer me like you did, instead of saying it's a good idea and they will discuss it to see if it's possible.

I meanwhile with almost all what you said in the following posts, with the addition of what Somebodyelse said.

You probably want too much from such a beautiful device, which is very tiny and with a very good sound.
By the way, I do not understand why this MQA is needed? In my opinion, this is another bad quality marketing. Sound quality is so-so, or not the best. But I listen old records)

 

[respice finem]

MQA maybe would make a little sense (to me) if FLAC didn't exist
And, probably MQA wouldn't exist if FLAC could be legally DRMed. But "to each their own".

 

[Grooved]

You probably want too much from such a beautiful device, which is very tiny and with a very good sound.
By the way, I do not understand why this MQA is needed? In my opinion, this is another bad quality marketing. Sound quality is so-so, or not the best. But I listen old records)

Hi,
I thought I already explained that I exactly didn't ask for more than what it's able to do.
Manufacturers have interest to make their devices as good and usable as it's capable of.
They built a great product, with two things that in my opinion could have been better, Led system position and power on headphones amp, but nobody can ask for that to be changed, the values were known and people can buy the device knowing that.
Now, the firmware is a different thing and if changes can allow improvements, any manufacturer will do it. They also have a great team with who you can share idea. Sharing comments and idea is what improves everything
It's beautiful, very tiny and it sounds good (I confirm as I have one), but it doesn't mean it can't be improved, and I wouldn't search any idea to do it if I didn't think it was already a good product.

Regarding MQA, they paid for the licensing, so they had to announced that, and between all buyers, there are ones that will mainly use Tidal as source for example. It's not a problem of MQA being better or not better than other thing, it's just logic that some people buy it because they need, or they would have bought another product that can. It's just separating things, and not making any amalgam because you, or I, may not use one thing that other may use.
For those who don't need MQA at all, they can buy anything they want, and even the future Tone2 (not Pro) which won't have MQA.

Now, MQA debate is a complete different subject that is not supposed to be in this thread. I have a lot of doubts on it, and what I don't mainly like is not about the sound but about the way they promote it (they say "best sound", while it's more "smallest size for this sound").
And regarding Tidal, it's not "do I get a benefit with MQA compared to FLAC ?" because both are in the Hi-Fi subscription, the Premium is AAC only. So once you get the FLAC, you also get the MQA, and there may be files that are MQA only with no FLAC version

 

[WondrousHippo]

So, this thing, I generally like it. Has enough juice in balanced for my ATH-R70X, enough volume range for my IEMs, I also like the auto-switching between USB and SPDIF. Having a problem on Windows where for whatever reason it's keeping my monitors from turning off whenever my Tone2 Pro is plugged in? Very strange, anyone else seeing it?

 

[FireLion]

Nice on doing videos!

 

[AtomAmp]

It's confirmed not hardware matter and this improvement is by upgrading a new firmware. But unfortunately the registor value is only able to be set/write via the co-processor, so common firmware upgrading like XMOS proessor via USB not work, more details:
View attachment 114977



You can wait for somewhile if this improvement comes important for you, and our future batches will support both firmwares upgrading via USB cable(hardware design already support).

HI. Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere. Just to confirm. I am one of the early adopters and my serial number is 11xxxxxx. I can eventually update my firmware to fix the issue because Khadas is working on this?
Also, is the problem just with 48khz files? But really inaudible even if not fixed? Thanks.

 

[elitesheep]

Having a problem on Windows where for whatever reason it's keeping my monitors from turning off whenever my Tone2 Pro is plugged in? Very strange, anyone else seeing it?

Disable the associated HID - it will be the one with the similar device id to the audio device. This will obviously have the side effect of preventing the seek controls etc working.

 

[olivier salad]

Why there's an audible difference between Tone2 Pro and Loxjie D30?

 

[Veri]

Why there's an audible difference between Tone2 Pro and Loxjie D30?

Youtube recording of two DACs, one outputting 2.3V and the other 1.99V WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
Jeez this video in its entirety is everything that's wrong with empirical DAC comparisons. It's just a bad test.

 

[olivier salad]

Youtube recording of two DACs, one outputting 2.3V and the other 1.99V WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
Jeez this video in its entirety is everything that's wrong with empirical DAC comparisons. It's just a bad test.

I guess the guy who did the video volume matched the DACs

 

[Veri]

I guess the guy who did the video volume matched the DACs

Sure he probably attempted to do that, but the fact that the comments are chock full of 'wow such differences' means that they are hardly well matched. These are basic controls...

 

[Racheski]

Sure he probably attempted to do that, but the fact that the comments are chock full of 'wow such differences' means that they are hardly well matched. These are basic controls...

You just gotta trust your ears sometimes...

 

[AtomAmp]

I did a direct comparison of the Mojo and the T2P. I connected the T2P to the Drop 789 via RCA balanced. Mojo to the SE input of the 789. I used the NADC565BEE coaxial output to the T2P then the optical output to the Mojo. I played CDs. I used the HD660S for headphones. I volume matched both T2P and Mojo. T2P balanced output is 4V. Mojo line out is 3V, but a few clicks up (3 clicks I believe) outputs 4 volts. Anyway, the volume is equal at the headphones. I can't hear any difference.

As added procedure, I removed the Mojo from the chain, then I connected the analog out of the NAD C565BEE to the FX Audio Tube 3, then to the SE input of the 789. I volume matched. The FX Audio Tube 3 seems to equal the volume of the T2P at the 11:55 position of the Tube 3's volume dial. Bass and Treble adjustment knobs of the FX Audio are both set at 12:00. The sound change is not on the tone or timbre, but some channel balance differences. Sometimes I think the T2P sound is centered and the FX Audio is stretched a bit out. Sometimes (in a different song) the T2P sound is more stretched, and the FX audio is more centered. In one song (Stay by Alison Krauss), the acoustic guitar plucking at the right channel is more forward in the FX audio. Using the NADC565BEE audio out direct to the 789 (Tube 03 bypassed), I hear no difference compared to the T2P.

Takeaways:
1. DACs do not make any difference in sound, unless, maybe, they are severely under-engineered;
2. Headphones make a difference (I also tried other headphones);
3. The FX Audio Tube 03 does not make the sound warmer.

Comments on my methodology, please, from the esteemed members/experts here. Thank you.


If my methodology is ok, I will do comparisons with my other available DACs.

Edit: I realized I have to compare more DACs before I can make conclusion No. 1 but I guess that's a score of: change 0; no change 1.

 

[nohomo_sapiens]

Does anyone else have their unit overheat? Mine overheats quickly and runs very hot. Wondering if it's by design or if my unit is faulty.

 

[AtomAmp]

Does anyone else have their unit overheat? Mine overheats quickly and runs very hot. Wondering if it's by design or if my unit is faulty.

Hot. But not overheat. Mojo runs hotter.

 

[steve3d]

Just want to ask owners some question:
How about the background noise when use high sensitive iem?

is there loud pops when switching between pcm and dsd?

thanks

 

[anon2k2]

Just want to ask owners some question:
How about the background noise when use high sensitive iem?

is there loud pops when switching between pcm and dsd?

thanks

I use the low gain setting with IEMs and I don't hear hiss. No pops between formats either.

 

[diegtria]

@Gouwa

I have a question as to whether the T2P has 1 or 2 ES9038Q2M chips. Or someone is clear about that. In some pages they indicate that 2 but in the page of Khadas and the diagram that they show refers to only one.

In addition, it is possible to know the maximum frequency range that it reproduces.

 

[Gouwa]

T2P has 1 or 2 ES9038Q2M chips

Equipped with 1 ES9038Q1M only

In some pages they indicate that 2

I guess you should get wrong, can you show me the URL?

 

[Gouwa]

Hot. But not overheat. Mojo runs hotter.

T2P does draw much more power then Tone1, and the current can reach to 510mA while playing DSD512. As we designed with a thermal pad and Aluminum enclosure to ensure the XMOS processor with good thermal performance: