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Luxsin X9 Smart Stereo DAC & Preamp

Rate this smart DAC, HP Amp and Preamp:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 3 1.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 17 7.0%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 92 37.7%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 132 54.1%

  • Total voters
    244
All the input options needed by most consumers and I personally like the looks, but I'm not going to spend a $1099 USD for a DAC/headphone amp.
Add a separate matching 75 watt per channel stereo amp with the same foot print and now were talking.
 
I’m sold :)
Yeah honestly I don't like the brand name so much, but this box could replace my RME Digiface + 2 standalone DACs + 3rd headphone DAC + headphone amp that I currently run. It does it all in 1 box. For the money and the technical performance, that is a very good product I think. And the eyecandy comes on top.
 
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IMO, this would make a great desktop headphone amp/preamp in a small home office where you also want to drive external powered studio monitors; great form factor, functions, excellent performance, and very nice esthetics. Although apparently some don't like it, I love the angled front panel; it makes it easier to plug HPs in and out and view the screen when sitting at a desk. It would be great to use with primo monitors like the Genelec ONE series (8351B's or 8361A's).
 
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Clearly the high priced spread! Only justified if its industrial design is congruent with the buyer's aesthetic tastes, though its features are top notch and it performance measures as unexceptionable. Looks like a $500-600 USD price premium which is more than halfway to a pair of ASCI F6B's, so a tough call with so many really good and full featured offering from Topping, SMSL, et. al.
 
Inside view

1749913943622.jpeg

1749913975158.jpeg
 
How's the remote control?
 
View attachment 457456

How does this feature work, do you choose from a list of headphones? Also, are there cheaper alternatives I'm looking for a device to EQ my HD700 to use connected to my TV
Yes. It has a database of 2500 headphones.
 
Yes it performs great as a 'smart' dac with extras, but am I the only one here with a need for at least two more analogue inputs? Maybe having this side separate from the digital although it seems as if the analogue input is digitised before going further and then converted back as per the digital inputs later on?
 
the are 2 subs out. Can you set delay, crossover and EQ for each sub. And simultaneously can you set EQ per xlr out?

In this case it would be a nice MiniDSP alternative
 
Impressive execution by Luxsin with an excellent SINAD, great overall measurements, and a complete feature set.

Price is indeed on the higher side.

But are there any other devices out there that combine top-tier DAC and preamp performance, headphone amp, analog volume control, balanced outputs, 2.1 channel output support, and onboard PEQ at a lower cost?
 
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Now that looks interesting.
Seems they implemented a lot of relays.

Is volume control using steps ?
(I guess not. Otherwise SNR at 50mV would probably be better. ... unless @amirm measures it with digital attenuation in the AP and not using the DAC's volume control?)

So what are those used for ?

EDIT:
They advertise a stepped attenuator indeed.
So the 50mV SNR figure is weird...
 
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Allegedly it supports LDAC:
I ve now a doubt... The unit uses a Qualcomm QCC5125 BT chip but Audiophonics said it only supports SBC and AAC

 
Now that looks interesting.
Seems they implemented a lot of relays.

Is volume control using steps ?
(I guess not. Otherwise SNR at 50mV would probably be better. ... unless @amirm measures it with digital attenuation in the AP and not using the DAC's volume control?)

So what are those used for ?

EDIT:
They advertise a stepped attenuator indeed.
So the 50mV SNR figure is weird...

The Luxsin X9's volume control circuit is based on an R2R (Ladder Resistance) architecture this allows left-right channel balance adjustment with an accuracy of 0.1dB
 
No need for a preamp and when debugged, all the EQ and features you would want. I like the term "smart DAC."

This is a total winner and if I am going spend 1K on a DAC this would be it. Why can't more folks put an analog in on their DACs?
 
Even the most staunch of subjectivists sing its praises (read at your cognitive dissonance peril):

 
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