Khadas Tone2 Pro Review (DAC & Amp)

[Grooved]

My Khadas Tone 2 (batch 3) will arrive on friday! Finally anyone tried the new upgrade?

Did the XMOS update, but still waiting for instructions regarding the CMU update (and his firmware). Didn't test the XMOS change at this moment.

 

[walk_on_deadline]

Finally the change log for the 1.2 firmware is available.

https://forum.khadas.com/t/tone2-pro-firmware-v1-2-mcu-update/11944

Seemingly Amirs critic at the filters was heard, at least technically.
For me personally they still sound quite similar.

 

[AdamG]

Finally the change log for the 1.2 firmware is available.

https://forum.khadas.com/t/tone2-pro-firmware-v1-2-mcu-update/11944

Seemingly Amirs critic at the filters was heard, at least technically.
For me personally they still sound quite similar.

Welcome Aboard @walk_on_deadline.

 

[AudioEnthuziast]

I need some help, only consider the dac part should I buy this if I already have macbook pro 2019 15'.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

I need some help, only consider the dac part should I buy this if I already have macbook pro 2019 15'.

Schwaaa?? Sorry, I've read this three times and have no idea what you are asking.

 

[AudioEnthuziast]

Schwaaa?? Sorry, I've read this three times and have no idea what you are asking.

I mean would tone 2 pro be an upgrade to the internal dac of macbook pro

 

[olivier salad]

There were reports of crackle sounds with KTB 2. https://forum.khadas.com/t/tone-2-pro-crackle-sound/11675
Does anybody have the same issues?

 

[foxtrot]

Interest Ask. Did the crackle occur after the firmware? Even more interesting for me - has anyone heard the sound improvements with the new MSU firmware? Or does the new firmware only affect measurements? If so, then why flash the device is a question for yourself).

 

[anon2k2]

I saw the blog post about updating the MCU and XMOS. I have a serial 11X Tone2 so wanted to apply the update and noticed that you need a special USB to GPIO connector. In the blog it says they'll provide a free one via a link in the store, but I couldn't see that yet. I'm assuming this will be available soon, and I'm in no hurry.

However, as I thought about it, it seems a little nutty that they're going to send a ton of these one-time-use items to Tone2 purchasers, and so if anyone is done with theirs, I'd be willing to pay your shipping costs to send it to me, and I'd do the same for the next person. I realize it's not much cost savings, but for me it's more about the weirdness of having a bunch of one-time use items sitting forever in people's homes or being thrown away.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

I'd be willing to pay your shipping costs to send it to me, and I'd do the same for the next person.

I was thinking the same thing. I should be finished with mine this evening. PM me if you'd like me to drop it in the mail to you.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

I mean would tone 2 pro be an upgrade to the internal dac of macbook pro

I guess it depends on how you intend to use it. If you're using wired earbuds to listen to music on YouTube, then probably not. If you are listening to Qobuz using Sennheiser HD650 headphones with a balanced cable, then yes.

 

[Archangel]

Can human ears hear the difference between 114 and 118 Sinad: I am wondering if someone can quantify the point where more isn't more effective? It would make the meaning behind reviews with measurements more meaningful imo...

Think about it: if X Sinad, Y Filter Performance, Z power output needed to get the best possible performance from a pair of Hd800's, it's far more meaningful that all those are met than that the sinad is (somehow) 200 for the owner of said headphones.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

Can human ears hear the difference between 114 and 118 Sinad: I am wondering if someone can quantify the point where more isn't more effective? It would make the meaning behind reviews with measurements more meaningful imo...

Think about it: if X Sinad, Y Filter Performance, Z power output needed to get the best possible performance from a pair of Hd800's, it's far more meaningful that all those are met than that the sinad is (somehow) 200 for the owner of said headphones.

Yeah. Like you suggested, hearing and listening abilities come into play. As I pointed out in my previous post, source material matters too. You probably don't need an SINAD over 90 to get the most enjoyment possible out of early R.E.M. or even most pop music streamed over YouTube, Internet radio or SiriusXM.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

I saw the blog post about updating the MCU and XMOS

Here's a link to the blog post: https://www.khadas.com/post/tone2-pro-firmware-v1-2-for-xmos-mcu?postId=6078023176dd9d0057d93d30

I'm ready to rock the update this evening…

 

[Archangel]

Yeah. Like you suggested, hearing and listening abilities come into play. As I pointed out in my previous post, source material matters too. You probably don't need an SINAD over 90 to get the most enjoyment possible out of early R.E.M. or even most pop music streamed over YouTube, Internet radio or SiriusXM.

I hadn't even seen the above conversation, the reply section move you to the latest page no matter the current page , the odds are actually pretty high of my reply fitting considering that that 118 sinad is the most eye catching statistic , I was asking in regards to the difference in sinad of the e1da 9038 (111), hidiz s8 (114), and this (118), 90 db is 2^7 times worse than the least of these : I ordered an e1da 9038d and I want it to be the best single ended option, but I don't understand the subjective impact of measurements on enjoyment

 

[gguertin145]

Can this run on just battery for power? If it’s 5v can it run a 2 cell Lopo at 8

 

[AdamG]

Can this run on just battery for power? If it’s 5v can it run a 2 cell Lopo at 8

Welcome Aboard @gguertin145.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

Can this run on just battery for power?

In theory, yes. Current draw that I measured was under 500mA. You can get pretty close to 5V with four 1.2V AA NiMH batteries. Using typical 2200 mAh parts, you can expect at least sixteen hours of solid runtime…perhaps a bit more.

May need to do some testing since I've read elsewhere that when the Tone2 Pro is deciding between I2S and USB ports for drawing power, it tends to prefer the port with the highest voltage. If your smartphone is offering 5V and a battery pack only has 4.8, the batteries won't be used until your phone has died.

Edit: I missed the "If it’s 5v can it run a 2 cell Lopo at 8", but if you're asking if the Tone2 Pro can run on 8 volts, almost certainly not. By accident, I momentarily connected it to a 9V supply, and the Tone2 refused to power on…a good thing as it seemed to protect itself. No damage, but I would not trust this to always be the case.

 

[DarrylG]

I mean would tone 2 pro be an upgrade to the internal dac of macbook pro

Yes.

 

[gguertin145]

So I would only be using spdif no phone or usb so that would probably be fine.