Review and Measurements of WesionTEK Khadas Tone Board DAC

[flowjm]

@Gouwa The tone2 (non pro) looks like it could suit my needs very well, since I don't need a headphone amp and don't want MQA. However, the balanced RCA rather than XLR is somewhat inconvenient. Are there any plans to offer an option for XLR instead? If not, how much would a pair of converters add to the price?

 

[phoenixdogfan]

@Gouwa The tone2 (non pro) looks like it could suit my needs very well, since I don't need a headphone amp and don't want MQA. However, the balanced RCA rather than XLR is somewhat inconvenient. Are there any plans to offer an option for XLR instead? If not, how much would a pair of converters add to the price?

@Gouwa The tone2 (non pro) looks like it could suit my needs very well, since I don't need a headphone amp and don't want MQA. However, the balanced RCA rather than XLR is somewhat inconvenient. Are there any plans to offer an option for XLR instead? If not, how much would a pair of converters add to the price?

How much the proprietary cables which have balanced rca on one end, and conventional balanced xlr on the other?

 

[alashikata]

It's not proprietary since the balanced rca connectors are available everywhere. I would say it's a new design. You can purchase a pair of balanced rca for around $30 compare to standard xlr connectors for $2 a pair ...lol...That's hella expensive new design doesn't benefit to xrl users. I am thinking to back out this DAC and go for something else with XLR.

 

[lobe67]

My guess is that you are used to the inaccurate sound of your old cd player, so that the transparency of the ktb sounds "wrong" to you. That's not to imply that your taste is bad, but you might find that trying to find a better dac simply results in disappointment.

My reference sound is not my CD player that i found not refined at all...it simply does the job as the kadhas. My reference is my analogue source (a good turntable with a moving coil cartridge)wich gives me, not only transparency, but presence , bass impact and for me respects more the tone of instruments
To reply to Tony , yes , i will try some other power supply, thanks

 

[flowjm]

My reference sound is not my CD player that i found not refined at all...it simply does the job as the kadhas. My reference is my analogue source (a good turntable with a moving coil cartridge)wich gives me, not only transparency, but presence , bass impact and for me respects more the tone of instruments
To reply to Tony , yes , i will try some other power supply, thanks

Then it's even more clear that the "problem" is your familiarity with the limitations of analogue sources, which can't hope to match the low noise and distortion of a competent DAC. Again, not criticising your taste, but I don't think that any DAC will please you if your benchmark is a turntable.

 

[somebodyelse]

My reference sound is not my CD player that i found not refined at all...it simply does the job as the kadhas. My reference is my analogue source (a good turntable with a moving coil cartridge)wich gives me, not only transparency, but presence , bass impact and for me respects more the tone of instruments
To reply to Tony , yes , i will try some other power supply, thanks

Replace 'your old cd player' with 'your turntable' in @flowjm's comment then. Unless you've gone to significant effort to make it so, the frequency response of your turntable won't be flat. That's not a criticism of your system - just look at the frequency response plots of a range of good cartridges to see the variation. Whatever that response is clearly works for you in the context of the rest of your system, and changing to a source with a flat frequency response will sound worse. Changing power supplies isn't going to change that (except possibly by placebo).
If you have the equipment you could measure the turntable's frequency response, then apply a filter to the digital source to try to match it. If you're interested we can probably walk you through it, but that would belong in a new thread to keep this one on topic.

 

[Nango]

Do you mind specify the versions for each firmware you mentioned? I guess:
* Old firmware: v1.04?
* New firmware: v2.00?

And actually, both v1.04 and v2.00 with same priority of input source.


Can you help check the fw version?

BTW, the auto switch shouldn't be better for your appliaction?

Sir, does the V1 also benefit from better PSU or just V2?? Thx.

 

[Carlo2AC]

Does the 2.0 driver fixes the ESS Hump or it is only fixed on Khadas 2?

now that the driver is a couple weeks old anyone noticed any odd behavior or changes?

 

[wiz2596]

Does the 2.0 driver fixes the ESS Hump or it is only fixed on Khadas 2?

now that the driver is a couple weeks old anyone noticed any odd behavior or changes?

ESS Hump is not fixable by any firmware update, is a hardware related issue

 

[Roen]

The 4.4 HP Jack almost with similar THD+N performance with BAL RCA, and 3.5 HP Jack will be little bit lower.

The full specs will be released on 16th Dec the time launched the T2P, you can register on our Tone2 Pro page (khadas.com/tone2pro) for the latest information.

I'll say I'm more interested in the Tone2 than the Tone2 Pro, but the reviews will answer all.

 

[DivineCurrent]

Full specs of the Tone2 Pro are here: https://dl.khadas.com/products/tone2/specs/Khadas_Tone2_Pro_Specs.pdf
Looks pretty darn impressive, the balanced headphone amp can push ~80 mW into 300 ohms.

 

[Veri]

Full specs of the Tone2 Pro are here: https://dl.khadas.com/products/tone2/specs/Khadas_Tone2_Pro_Specs.pdf
Looks pretty darn impressive, the balanced headphone amp can push ~80 mW into 300 ohms.

Interesting!! ES9311Q to feed the 9038Q2M chip, that's not cheap to use in a device of this class. XU216 for MQA + Co-processor + Altera FPGA + Accusilicon clocks??? These are things usually only present on far more expensive devices :O

 

[dfuller]

Okay, I'm curious. How on earth are they doing a balanced RCA?

 

[wiz2596]

The father is back

 

[Veri]

Okay, I'm curious. How on earth are they doing a balanced RCA?

It's just a smaller-size 3-pin XLR they designed themselves. I think it's neat, but as already discussed, there's little point to it. Bal RCA to XLR cable will be rare and cost a bit. On the other hand it's reverse compatible with normal RCA, so no harm done. I think it's cool

 

[somebodyelse]

They've also got a zip file full of screenshots from the AP tests: https://dl.khadas.com/products/tone2/performance/Tone2_Pro_Testing_Data.zip

 

[Veri]

They've also got a zip file full of screenshots from the AP tests: https://dl.khadas.com/products/tone2/performance/Tone2_Pro_Testing_Data.zip

Hmm. The 3.5mm/4.4mm are quite capable and low noise! DAC ~118dB SINAD balanced ~116dB SINAD SE, that's close to SGD-1.
Only flaw to me, the linearity is breaking up pretty quickly. The modi3+ keeps linearity up to 120-130dB, but has more distortion.

 

[Schlaudi]

I ordered it this morning but can´t find the balanced RCA/XLR Adapters?

 

[somebodyelse]

I ordered it this morning but can´t find the balanced RCA/XLR Adapters?

They're listed in the Tone Accessories section, but the site seems broken as clocking on them doesn't do anything.

I'm still hoping for a schematic - there's a folder for it on the download server, but no files in there yet. I feared it might have lost things like the extra connectors, but the board photos show the VIM header still present along with FPCs and an interesting footprint at the SPDIF connector. I wonder how much less expensive it could have been without the MQA snakeoil (more expensive XMOS to run the unfold, plus presumably licensing costs)

 

[Carlo2AC]

I have done the firmware update on my Khadas 1, anyone having issues with the PC having no sound after it waking off from sleep? it didn't happen on the previous software and firmware from what i recall