Review and Measurements of WesionTEK Khadas Tone Board DAC

[Zek]

Hi,
I plan to get a Khadas Tone Board to use in S/PDIF.
I didn't understand how it would be powered: via S/PDIF? or should I need a USB power supply?
Cheers.

Any DAC can't be powered via SPDIF.
Yes, you need a USB power supply.

 

[daftcombo]

Any DAC can't be powered via SPDIF.
Yes, you need a USB power supply.

Thanks. Can you recommened any for that unit, or do you think my Samsung Galaxy power cable will do?

 

[Zek]

I think that any good power supply with 5V DC and 1A will do.

 

[BYRTT]

Did any of you guys get verification from Ian that the external controller would work, or at least has a good chance of working with the Khadas board?

Thanks!
verkion

If it work or not is the diy fun isn't : ) joke aside think if i needed volume control plus the visual display and ordering was easy simply push a button i had one myself by now, but only feature myself miss is get able to toggle low pass filters and also in blog over at Khadas tell about a version with ballanced output in Q2 makes me hold back and see what will happen down the road.

 

[BYRTT]

...or should I need a USB power supply?...

That should work but also in Khadas guys is very tranperent about their work there is schematics and guides over at their site, so if you okay use a soldering iron below wiring should work fine.

 

[verkion]

If it work or not is the diy fun isn't : ) joke aside think if i needed volume control plus the visual display and ordering was easy simply push a button i had one myself by now, but only feature myself miss is get able to toggle low pass filters and also in blog over at Khadas tell about a version with ballanced output in Q2 makes me hold back and see what will happen down the road.

Oh dangit...I would have rather gotten the balanced version too! Oh well. Maybe upgrade in Q2 later As for DIY fun...yah, totally, except for the requisite wife approval factor. "Why do you need another circuit board thing?" "Well, ummm...."

Thanks!
verkion

 

[Nango]

Hi,
I plan to get a Khadas Tone Board to use in S/PDIF.
I didn't understand how it would be powered: via S/PDIF? or should I need a USB power supply?
Cheers.

USB-C power supply, with no USB-audio data, than SPDIF automatically takes over.

 

[daftcombo]

USB-C power supply, with no USB-audio data, than SPDIF automatically takes over.

Would something like this be fine?
https://www.amazon.fr/Samsung-Charg...ocphy=9056495&hvtargid=pla-350405920545&psc=1

It is 5V / 2A.

 

[Nango]

Exactly.

 

[caguilar91]

Using Tidal with the Khadas Tone Board on my Essential Phone today I got the following surprise...

It seems to be unfolding MQA on the HD Audio Accessory, in this case the Khadas Tone Board (or at least that's what the system is informing).

Here I try with the USB-C audio adapter included with the Essential Phone with no MQA unfolding mentioned by the system...

And here I'm using the DragonFly Red which is known to unfold MQA as it is a renderer and shows the same message from the system as with the Khadas Tone Board...

I'm unsure if in reality the KTB is unfolding MQA as it is not catalogued as a render or a decoder. Also, I'm not a fan of MQA, but still I'm interested in knowing what's happening. So, any ideas?

 

[ngs428]

I am in the US and ordered the TB from the Khadas website. It shipped and I have tracking...

Just curious how long it will stay at this status:

“Leaving parcel center Shenzhen (China)”

It has been about 8.5 days with this status now. I got the shipping confirmation on 2/13.

Thanks!

If anyone is curious about actual transit time when ordered from the Khadas website using the economy shipping to the US, here is mine..

Ordered on 1/29/19 (during the CNY)
Shipped on 2/13/19
Delivery set for 3/4/19

 

[Roen]

Using Tidal with the Khadas Tone Board on my Essential Phone today I got the following surprise...
View attachment 22809It seems to be unfolding MQA on the HD Audio Accessory, in this case the Khadas Tone Board (or at least that's what the system is informing).

Here I try with the USB-C audio adapter included with the Essential Phone with no MQA unfolding mentioned by the system...
View attachment 22810

And here I'm using the DragonFly Red which is known to unfold MQA as it is a renderer and shows the same message from the system as with the Khadas Tone Board...
View attachment 22811

I'm unsure if in reality the KTB is unfolding MQA as it is not catalogued as a render or a decoder. Also, I'm not a fan of MQA, but still I'm interested in knowing what's happening. So, any ideas?

Software decoding?

 

[billnye]

If anyone is curious about actual transit time when ordered from the Khadas website using the economy shipping to the US, here is mine..

Ordered on 1/29/19 (during the CNY)
Shipped on 2/13/19
Delivery set for 3/4/19

Do you have a tracking number you'd feel comfortable posting or PMing for a shipping status reference?

My Tone Board was ordered a bit before yours on Jan 24th, shipping email received Feb 20th, tracking info shows package receipt Feb 2nd, and no update since then. I emailed [email protected] this week to check that everything was okay but haven't heard back yet.

 

[caguilar91]

Software decoding?

From what I understand software decoding only manages to unfold up to 96 kHz. After that test I tried a 352.8 kHz MQA stream on Tidal and showed it was being unfolded on both, the Khadas Tone Board and the AudioQuest DragonFly Red. The weird thing is that when using the USB-C audio adapter it doesn't mention if it's software decoding only, not even if it's only unfolding up to 96 kHz, the stream quality or anything.

 

[somebodyelse]

Software decoding?

Archimago's testing seems to cover a similar situation with the SMSL iDEA. As I understand it Tidal is doing 'MQA Core' software unfolding if the USB DAC can support the unfolded sample rate. If the DAC supports MQA it'll recognize markers in the bitstream and set dithering and filters accordingly for 'improved' playback.

 

[caguilar91]

Archimago's testing seems to cover a similar situation with the SMSL iDEA. As I understand it Tidal is doing 'MQA Core' software unfolding if the USB DAC can support the unfolded sample rate. If the DAC supports MQA it'll recognize markers in the bitstream and set dithering and filters accordingly for 'improved' playback.

However I don't understand why when using the USB-C audio adapter it makes no mention of doing the MQA Core decoding, as the Essential Phone is an MQA capable device of some sorts. But with the DFR and KTB it mentions as if the complete decoding was done. It's not like something very important, but would be interesting to find out if with other devices it does the same, sadly I have no other DACs around until a Topping D10 arrives (if it ever does) to check if the Essential Phone reports the same.

In the end, MQA isn't that big of a deal and I'm not a fan. The idea around MQA unfolding sounds cool but the execution seems a flop, and even detrimental. I still think it should have never existed, but well, it's surely unfolding some wallets losslessly better than it does with "Hi-Fi" audio that's lossy.

 

[ngs428]

Do you have a tracking number you'd feel comfortable posting or PMing for a shipping status reference?

My Tone Board was ordered a bit before yours on Jan 24th, shipping email received Feb 20th, tracking info shows package receipt Feb 2nd, and no update since then. I emailed [email protected] this week to check that everything was okay but haven't heard back yet.

PM sent.

 

[billnye]

PM sent.

Thanks, that's helpful. That helps give me context on the updates (or lack thereof) that I should expect on the shipping side. Mine has the same flurry of early activity as yours but it's been silent since Feb 2nd... I just hope it's not lost and sitting under a pile of other CNY items in a warehouse somewhere

 

[rendyG]

Hey guys, you think its worth to upgrade from Sabaj DA3 to Khadas?
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...baj-da3-dac-compared-to-dragonfly-black.3503/

Unfortunately I can directly compare only "dashboard" graph.. I would be really interested in IMD graph of the Sabaj. @amirm Do you still have your Sabaj DA3?

 

[Aibo]

Hey guys, you think its worth to upgrade from Sabaj DA3 to Khadas?
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...baj-da3-dac-compared-to-dragonfly-black.3503/

Unfortunately I can directly compare only "dashboard" graph.. I would be really interested in IMD graph of the Sabaj. @amirm Do you still have your Sabaj DA3?

If you're interested in personal observation, I listened both of them for longer period.... Khadas sounds much cleaner and more dynamic. Of course if the rest of your system is capable of conveying the difference.