Review and Measurements of WesionTEK Khadas Tone Board DAC

[hoverdonkey]

Anyone still using the Khadas Tone Board? I found it through this site a few years ago, and have been using it since. There seems to be a lot of new DACs that have come out since then, even a new Khadas Tone Board (Tone2). I'll probably hang onto it for a little while longer until something else really jumps out at me.

Yes, although mine has been usurped in my main system by one of the "new DACs" (a Topping D10s), it is now in daily service with my PC workstation.

It lives inside a (very) old choccy tin!

 

[exwhyzed]

Yes, although mine has been usurped in my main system by one of the "new DACs" (a Topping D10s), it is now in daily service with my PC workstation.

It lives inside a (very) old choccy tin!

View attachment 196957

What type of electronic experiments are going on in the left hand side of the image? Custom RC work?

 

[hoverdonkey]

What type of electronic experiments are going on in the left hand side of the image? Custom RC work?

It's one of these little cuties (but only a little bit custom!)...

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

Anyone still using the Khadas Tone Board? I found it through this site a few years ago, and have been using it since. There seems to be a lot of new DACs that have come out since then, even a new Khadas Tone Board (Tone2). I'll probably hang onto it for a little while longer until something else really jumps out at me.

I pull mine out every once in a while, but I've been using the Khadas Tone2 Pro mainly. With the latest firmware, it's better in every way than the original. So much so that I think I've convinced myself that I can hear a difference. LOL. It certainly looks nicer and is more stable.

That said, if yours is working well and you enjoy the sound and features, I can't see any reason to upgrade. If you want to move into something with a decent internal headphone amp, I can recommend the Topping DX3 Pro+. Lots of features for only about 2x the cost of the original Tone1.

 

[TimW]

Anyone still using the Khadas Tone Board? I found it through this site a few years ago, and have been using it since. There seems to be a lot of new DACs that have come out since then, even a new Khadas Tone Board (Tone2). I'll probably hang onto it for a little while longer until something else really jumps out at me.

I still use the one I made the case tutorial with. It takes a variable SPDIF signal from my miniDSP SHD and feeds analog to my power amplifier directly.

 

[PoorishDecision]

I gave one to my dad to use via spdif off his cd player, he loves it. I'm weighing up whether to update the firmware on it, is there any improvement in his use case?

 

[scruffy1]

still the daily driver in both the living room system (nad d3020 > wharfedale 10.1 & 10gx sub), and on my desktop (> klipsch promedia 2.1)

there may be better now, but unless i hear them i'll never notice what i'm missing, and the tone 1 still sounds like a choir of angels

edit: just belatedly updated to the v2 firmware in the main system, and it's even better; had been there before but sumehow rolled it back in the meantime... thanks to the thread resurrection to make me improve the options

 

[scruffy1]

I gave one to my dad to use via spdif off his cd player, he loves it. I'm weighing up whether to update the firmware on it, is there any improvement in his use case?

just (accidentally discovered) mine in the main chain was not up to v2, and updated... maybe better sound, but certainly lovely regardless

not like it costs more than a few minutes to do it and listen

edit: and i'm liking it

 

[DomieMic65]

it's been a while since I've used mine... I do not remember the fw it's in but I remember after updating it a year or more ago I had the feeling of improved sound... does any one know if there is a way to check and upgrade if needed the fw on Linux?
I am trying to use win as less as possible lol!!

 

[somebodyelse]

it's been a while since I've used mine... I do not remember the fw it's in but I remember after updating it a year or more ago I had the feeling of improved sound... does any one know if there is a way to check and upgrade if needed the fw on Linux?
I am trying to use win as less as possible lol!!

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...iontek-khadas-tone-board-dac.4823/post-128146

 

[DomieMic65]

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...iontek-khadas-tone-board-dac.4823/post-128146

Wow.. I didn't think I'd would be possible.
I will check it out!!!
Thank you!

 

[kchap]

Wow.. I didn't think I'd would be possible.
I will check it out!!!
Thank you!

I upgraded mine by following these instructions:
Firmware Upgrade
The process was a bit clunky but it worked.

 

[DomieMic65]

Unfortunately I didn't manage to check/update.
I got some errors

 

[scruffy1]

as much as i appreciate disdain for windows, the process is fast and painless under win10

 

[DomieMic65]

as much as i appreciate disdain for windows, the process is fast and painless under win10

I do not know what is wrong but even on win, the drivers (eval and normal) didn't "see" the board
I never had this issue before
The device plays normally

 

[scruffy1]

I do not know what is wrong but even on win, the drivers (eval and normal) didn't "see" the board
I never had this issue before
The device plays normally

unplug it (the usb) and then replug it, and try again

i did it while "live", and that may or may not be required

 

[DomieMic65]

unplug it (the usb) and then replug it, and try again

i did it while "live", and that may or may not be required

I did it many times… I rebooted, I reinstalled both drivers but no luck!

Very strange!

 

[alashikata]

I did it many times… I rebooted, I reinstalled both drivers but no luck!

Very strange!

Flash Tone 1 right?
For windows
1. Remove all the drivers and app (even evaluation version)
2. Reinstall XMOS_TUSBAudio_eval_v4.11.0
-----Run the app ( V1.x --> If you don't see the Tone, that means you have V2.x)
----May need usb driver to see the Tone. I couldn't remember either V1 or V2 needs the usb driver in order to see
3. Must uninstall #2 (everything), then install Thesycon-Stereo-USB-Audio-Driver-V224.rar (if it sees the Tone, it would tell the version)

#2 ---- App can see V1 only
#3 ---- App can see V2 only (may need USB driver to see the Tone)

If you downgrade from V2 to V1, then need to install the app for that version otherwise, it won't see the Tone, however, any compatible usb driver still works without problem. The firmware app is for flashing and they are not compatible between the versions.

After flash, make sure to uninstall any Evaluation version, otherwise, music will stop randomly

V2 is actually better for SACD ISO where it can play very smooth in high bite rate compare to V1.

App and Driver: https://dl.khadas.com/Firmware/ToneBoard/Driver/
Bin Files: https://dl.khadas.com/Firmware/ToneBoard/

 

[redjr]

Anyone still using the Khadas Tone Board? I found it through this site a few years ago, and have been using it since. There seems to be a lot of new DACs that have come out since then, even a new Khadas Tone Board (Tone2). I'll probably hang onto it for a little while longer until something else really jumps out at me.

Yes indeed. I have one built into a little streamer box, and a TB 2 sitting at my shop computer, where I do testing and listening to these little gems. Over Christmas, I took the TB 2 ($149) out to my office/listening room where my son and I were doing some A/B comparisons between DACs. We were comparing the TB2 to my new FiFo K9 Pro ($699). Honestly, I couldn't hear a noticeable differences. LOL.

 

[alashikata]

Yes indeed. I have one built into a little streamer box, and a TB 2 sitting at my shop computer, where I do testing and listening to these little gems. Over Christmas, I took the TB 2 ($149) out to my office/listening room where my son and I were doing some A/B comparisons between DACs. We were comparing the TB2 to my new FiFo K9 Pro ($699). Honestly, I couldn't hear a noticeable differences. LOL.

I bet you can't tell between T1 and T2 either I got 2 T1 but only use 1 so far. Was thinking to build one with preamp but have never done. So far the T1 is still pretty good.