Review and Measurements of WesionTEK Khadas Tone Board DAC

[maxxevv]

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?

Its highly dependent on what the rest of the chain is.

Although I have both, I can't give a proper apples to apples comparison yet as I have never run the Da3 through my desktop amp.
But general impressions is a certain 'airyness' from the KTB compared to the Da3 standalone for both HE4XX and HD6XX.

Will have to plug the Da3 to output through the desktop amp (Matrix HPA-3B ) and do a proper A/B session with the KTB to give a fair assessment.




[

 

[Herbert]

Hm-I don´t get it:
I have the generic version.
I should get the +5V Power and SPDIF-Input also over the 40-pin FP connectors, correct?
There are some photos in this thread, showing the FPC pins wired to external power supplies
According to the manual it should be Pins1&2 for power, Pin 13 for (VIM)- SPDIF
But testing the 40-Pin FPC with a voltmeter i do not measure any physical connections between Pin 13 and the
signal line of the SPDIF jack or between pins 1/2 and the USB Jack´s connections.
No beeping from the voltmeter.
It is also not clear to me, where is ground? There is 9 pins to choose from.
Pins 1/2 are labeled 5V1/2. So both carry the voltage?

But bottom line, the FPC is not usable in the generic version?

Thanks,
Herbert

 

[rendyG]

Its highly dependent on what the rest of the chain is.

Although I have both, I can't give a proper apples to apples comparison yet as I have never run the Da3 through my desktop amp.
But general impressions is a certain 'airyness' from the KTB compared to the Da3 standalone for both HE4XX and HD6XX.

Will have to plug the Da3 to output through the desktop amp (Matrix HPA-3B ) and do a proper A/B session with the KTB to give a fair assessment.

[

Thank you both for your impressions.
I use Atom as an amp now + mainly Edition X, HD580 and AlphaDog.
If Khadas is even more airy than DA3, I need to hear it.
So far I've found DA3 to be one of the leanest DACs I've heard - I would say it has tight and accurate bass.
Still, I find it great for powering iems, for example FH5 really benefits from it's balanced out.
Really looking forward to hearing Khadas

 

[BYRTT]

Hm-I don´t get it:
I have the generic version.
I should get the +5V Power and SPDIF-Input also over the 40-pin FP connectors, correct?
There are some photos in this thread, showing the FPC pins wired to external power supplies
According to the manual it should be Pins1&2 for power, Pin 13 for (VIM)- SPDIF
But testing the 40-Pin FPC with a voltmeter i do not measure any physical connections between Pin 13 and the
signal line of the SPDIF jack or between pins 1/2 and the USB Jack´s connections.
No beeping from the voltmeter.
It is also not clear to me, where is ground? There is 9 pins to choose from.
Pins 1/2 are labeled 5V1/2. So both carry the voltage?

But bottom line, the FPC is not usable in the generic version?

Thanks,
Herbert

Hi Herbert,

Hope it helps even i could be wrong with this dirty quick and ugly debug of why you can't use DMM simple DC beebing, if you haven't got it yet then a full and better resolution schematic is available over at Khadas site. We see below those two 5 volt feedings meet in common at F1 fuse but there's a SOT-563 device implemented for each feeding so whatever impedance is for that SOT-563 device will spoil your beeb.

About SPDIF i was too lazy but try look up in schematic pdf file.

 

[Herbert]

Thanks! Pin 1 carries the voltage, pin 2 is voltage ground?

 

[BYRTT]

Right in style as below, pin 1 is positive (red one) and pin 21 is ground (blue one), pin convention can be seen turning PCB upside down where numbers are printed at each end of the fourty terminals, a note is pin 2 is actual same as pin 1 in they paralell bonded together in schematic and many other that pin 21 is also ground connections. And if you want a physical solder point for SPDIF input it should be fair easy solder to same terminals as the physical RCA connector at bottom of PCB side.

 

[ripvw]

Received the Tone Board earlier this week - now running it with the JDS Atom - very happy with the results!

I also installed the Tone Board into the Audiophonics box - like others have posted the graphics are backwards but otherwise it does the job of protecting the DAC.

I'll have to decide what to do with the Topping DX7S...

 

[maxxevv]

Thank you both for your impressions.
I use Atom as an amp now + mainly Edition X, HD580 and AlphaDog.
If Khadas is even more airy than DA3, I need to hear it.
So far I've found DA3 to be one of the leanest DACs I've heard - I would say it has tight and accurate bass.
Still, I find it great for powering iems, for example FH5 really benefits from it's balanced out.
Really looking forward to hearing Khadas

As I said, its not an apples to apples comparison as the desktop amp (Matrix HPA-3B) might have dramatically affected the output results to the headphones. And it was mostly from memory of how the 2 headphones sound on the Da3 too. I use the Da3 mostly with my IEM at work, at my desk, though I have used it with the two headphones directly for work too. But that was 1~2 months back.

I'll will have to spend an hour or two to rig up both DACs and both headphones to run on the amp and do a better A/B.
Logically, if they are performing as their measurement numbers suggest, then the differences won't be too dramatic.

Give it a rest while I do some subjective listening over the weekend.

 

[Megatronic]

Hi. How can i connect ktb through spdif if i have this connector, like on picture? Or its impossible?

Spoiler: spdif

 

[Nango]

No SPDIF connect possible, yours is optical SPDIF, not electrical.

 

[Veri]

Hi. How can i connect ktb through spdif if i have this connector, like on picture? Or its impossible?

Spoiler: spdif

View attachment 22914

You need coaxical spdif, looks like you only have optical. But well, you can just use USB of course.

 

[Megatronic]

Thanks. Sad news. But if i buy some cheap pci-ex audiocard with coax spdif, it will be better than usb connection?

 

[Veri]

Thanks. Sad news. But if i buy some cheap pci-ex audiocard with coax spdif, it will be better than usb connection?

If there is improvement it will be like 1-1.5db better signal over noise. Hardly worth the purchase of a new device, new cable and connection, ...

In my opinion, go USB

 

[Megatronic]

If there is improvement it will be like 1-1.5db better signal over noise. Hardly worth the purchase of a new device, new cable and connection, ...

In my opinion, go USB

Thanks. Than for usb we have 110 db, and for spdif we have like 111-111.5 db right? And how about noise\interference without additional power supply from usb, will we have improvements when connect to spdif? And can we use other cable like type c on both side instead of standart cable?

 

[Veri]

Thanks. Than for usb we have 110 db, and for spdif we have like 111-111.5 db right? And how about noise\interference without additional power supply from usb, will we have improvements when connect to spdif? And can we use other cable like type c on both side instead of standart cable?

should not be a problem really, you can trust in the measurements for USB, they look very clean

And can we use other cable like type c on both side instead of standart cable?

I think so yes, although I recommend using the supplied cable first (I believe it's pretty decent?).

 

[Zek]

Hi. How can i connect ktb through spdif if i have this connector, like on picture? Or its impossible?

Spoiler: spdif

View attachment 22914

You need something like this...
https://www.amazon.com/Fosmon-Digit...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=10S6160RE764X57WT3SN

 

[maxxevv]

@rendyG ,

just spent an hour A/B-ing between the KTB connected to my Matrix HPA-3B and the Sabaj Da3 both with and without the external amp.
With the external amp, the KTB does indeed sound airier and a little better sparkle in the minute details in the background. The output values of volume were a little different between the two, so I could only subjectively adjust them to what I feel were equal, or at least what I hear. So a lot of variable there.

On the the Da3 direct, the differences were a bit more subtle. But the minute details and sparkle differences were a little bit less pronounced. So I'm thinking those little details are the things that add that bit of "airiness' for the KTB setup.

Again, this is subjective as I do not have an objectively calibrated volume equalisation between the 2 setups.

But one thing is obvious between the two Da3 setups and the KTB + HAP-3B setup was that sibilance was more evident on the Da3 ones.

Addendum:
But I must add that in some ways, the KTB does sound a little 'bright' and can sound a little uncomfortable for high register violin tunes.


This was output to my HE4XX planars. Both my amp and the Da3 were using balanced out.
Software was Foobar using "DSD: WASAPI ( Event) "option for both the KTB and Da3.

Tracks tested include:
The Coors : Little Bird ( from The Coors - Unplugged)
Time After Time : Cyndi Lauper with Sarah Mclachlan
Hello : Adele
Hotel California : The Eagles -Hell Freezes Over (XRCD)
Bruch Scottish Fantasia : David Ostrakh with London Symphony Orchestra
Beethoven Symphony 9: 3rd and 4th Movement : Georg Solti with Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Gustav Holst : Jupiter from Planets Suite : Georg Solti with London Philharmonic

 

[Dominique]

Hi,
For diyers,
According to the schematic and the post 984, feeding 5V through USB or via GPIO 1-21 is the same because in each case the 5V passes through a Schottky barrier (NSR0320XV6T1).
- So don't bother to find GPIO 1-21 but feed the 5V via the USB plug. Keep attention to never use the 5V from a PC. You have better to use a 5V low noise linear PSU

 

[rendyG]

@rendyG ,

just spent an hour A/B-ing between the KTB connected to my Matrix HPA-3B and the Sabaj Da3 both with and without the external amp.
With the external amp, the KTB does indeed sound airier and a little better sparkle in the minute details in the background. The output values of volume were a little different between the two, so I could only subjectively adjust them to what I feel were equal, or at least what I hear. So a lot of variable there.

On the the Da3 direct, the differences were a bit more subtle. But the minute details and sparkle differences were a little bit less pronounced. So I'm thinking those little details are the things that add that bit of "airiness' for the KTB setup.

Again, this is subjective as I do not have an objectively calibrated volume equalisation between the 2 setups.

But one thing is obvious between the two Da3 setups and the KTB + HAP-3B setup was that sibilance was more evident on the Da3 ones.

Addendum:
But I must add that in some ways, the KTB does sound a little 'bright' and can sound a little uncomfortable for high register violin tunes.


This was output to my HE4XX planars. Both my amp and the Da3 were using balanced out.
Software was Foobar using "DSD: WASAPI ( Event) "option for both the KTB and Da3.

Tracks tested include:
The Coors : Little Bird ( from The Coors - Unplugged)
Time After Time : Cyndi Lauper with Sarah Mclachlan
Hello : Adele
Hotel California : The Eagles -Hell Freezes Over (XRCD)
Bruch Scottish Fantasia : David Ostrakh with London Symphony Orchestra
Beethoven Symphony 9: 3rd and 4th Movement : Georg Solti with Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Gustav Holst : Jupiter from Planets Suite : Georg Solti with London Philharmonic

Thank you for taking the time to do the AB test
I am hoping the Khadas will have better depth, because even though I like BAL out of DA3, when I use SE out, depth gets totally screwed. First, I was thinking, yea, the balanced sounds really good, but as I don´t have balanced amp, I use my full-size headphones 90% with SE out through my Atom. The depth of DA3 on SE is terrible, making almost everything sound "in your face" with only separation going left & right, like only 1 layer of the sound if you know what I mean.. I hear this not only with my Edition X, but also with iems (FH5, Noble X) and I´m really hoping this is just example of bad implementation of SE out on DA3, because for example Mojo excells at this dept-layering even on SE out..

 

[Herbert]

- So don't bother to find GPIO 1-21 but feed the 5V via the USB plug. Keep attention to never use the 5V from a PC. You have better to use a 5V low noise linear PSU

Your linked PSU shows why it is probably easier to find GPIO 1 (+5v) and 21 (GND) and connect them with wire to the PSU
instead of plucking an USB connector to pieces - and figure which wire carries the voltage...
As far as I understand the schottky diode (thanks for posting the link) protects the USB jack by blocking voltage
coming from the GPIO - very logical and the reason why I could not measure a connection. It did not come
into my mind that the USB has always to be protected from voltages coming from other sources...