Review and Measurements of WesionTEK Khadas Tone Board DAC

[porotikos]

Is foobar setup correctly for playing DSD (or even all the other formats)?
You should be able to play everything with the ASIO driver. No need to change...
Here is a good guide (in two parts):
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/digital/pc-software/foobar-2000-for-dummies/
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.co...-part-3-new-experimental-sacd-plugin-v-0-9-x/

thank you. i dont remember if dsd is properly set up in foobar. i think i did that in the past. i have no dsd isos so far, but that will change soon.
the rest is set up fine. ill read the threads you provided, carefully, later on. thank you

 

[DomieMic65]

thank you. i dont remember if dsd is properly set up in foobar. i think i did that in the past. i have no dsd isos so far, but that will change soon.
the rest is set up fine. ill read the threads you provided, carefully, later on. thank you

Reading this guide I realized some of my set-up needs revisioning too. I will do it from the first step and on sometime even though now I am mainly using JRiver (when rarely playing from PC).
It won't be a bad idea to check each step. imho

 

[porotikos]

urgent help needed.
i am playing through foobar, using tusbaudio asio driver. this setting is supposed to use khadas dac and bypass windows dac. right? when i was doing that with my asus xonar dg card, when playing in foobar, i could not hear any computer sound.
right now i realise, that while i play music in foobar, computer sounds like notifications in facebook etc, can be heard.
have i done some mistake? does this mean that khadas isnt implemented? how can i check? oh god
thank you

 

[DivineCurrent]

urgent help needed.
i am playing through foobar, using tusbaudio asio driver. this setting is supposed to use khadas dac and bypass windows dac. right? when i was doing that with my asus xonar dg card, when playing in foobar, i could not hear any computer sound.
right now i realise, that while i play music in foobar, computer sounds like notifications in facebook etc, can be heard.
have i done some mistake? does this mean that khadas isnt implemented? how can i check? oh god
thank you

I suggest using WASAPI mode in Foobar . You can download it here:
https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_out_wasapi
This runs the DAC in exclusive mode, muting all other Windows sounds. Download the component and then open with Foobar and install it. Then go to Preference -> Output and set the Device to WASAPI (event). I don't know how to set up ASIO, maybe someone can chime in on that.

 

[porotikos]

I suggest using WASAPI mode in Foobar . You can download it here:
https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_out_wasapi
This runs the DAC in exclusive mode, muting all other Windows sounds. Download the component and then open with Foobar and install it. Then go to Preference -> Output and set the Device to WASAPI (event). I don't know how to set up ASIO, maybe someone can chime in on that.

did that. first of all i can hear difference in sound compared to tusb asio driver output. tusb asio is better (though i havent properly ab-ed.secondly again, i cant see any exclusivity. because, lowering the sound in windows still lowers the sound of foobar. this wasnt happening before.
unless windows sounds also get sent to khadas and because of that foobar can neglect them and they are played as well...
i read elsewhere that wasapi shared, is better plugin. i used that as well. still there is difference in sound with asio. and i dont know what i am supposed to use. this is a first... with my asus xonar dg (a far worse dac) there was exclusivity in sounds in foobar. when foobar was playing i heard nothing else.. anyway... perhaps i am starting to get paranoid.
but i cant get past the fact that there is difference in wasapi and asio. should there be such difference?
and am i the only one who uses foobar? anyway thank you all for bearing with my noobish fears and concerns

 

[alashikata]

did that. first of all i can hear difference in sound compared to tusb asio driver output. tusb asio is better (though i havent properly ab-ed.secondly again, i cant see any exclusivity. because, lowering the sound in windows still lowers the sound of foobar. this wasnt happening before.
unless windows sounds also get sent to khadas and because of that foobar can neglect them and they are played as well...
i read elsewhere that wasapi shared, is better plugin. i used that as well. still there is difference in sound with asio. and i dont know what i am supposed to use. this is a first... with my asus xonar dg (a far worse dac) there was exclusivity in sounds in foobar. when foobar was playing i heard nothing else.. anyway... perhaps i am starting to get paranoid.
but i cant get past the fact that there is difference in wasapi and asio. should there be such difference?
and am i the only one who uses foobar? anyway thank you all for bearing with my noobish fears and concerns

I have posted in here since beginning but couldn't find which page, unless, you read from page 1 to 40? lol Some where in there or you can go here

https://forum.khadas.com/t/driver-or-fw-need-to-be-fix/3539

You can get WASAPI shared here
https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_out_wasapis 33

SuperCD Audio Decoder for Foobar

https://sourceforge.net/projects/sacddecoder/

ASIO4ALL - Universal ASIO Driver For WDM Audio

http://www.asio4all.org/

 

[Veri]

And this excellent tutorial for native DSD playback:
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/digital/pc-software/foobar-2000-for-dummies-part-2/

 

[wilbur1]

I just got this today - along with the case by youyeetoo - and I have to say I was utterly blown away by this unit. This completely decimates the Topping D50s I THOUGHT was going to sound nice. Better still, it transforms even good front-ends via the coaxial link, and seems to work seamlessly switching between the two. Clearly and unambiguously superior (for 2-channel audio) to my Oppo UDP-203, and a revelation in terms of imaging, bass clarity/extension, and upper-register open-ness. I listen almost exclusively to classical music, so therefore to recordings that also try to simulate an acoustic space, and this is extraordinarily fine in that regard. Possibly the biggest audible difference a single component has made in my system for 30 years, and you can get this combination on Amazon right now for under $120 shipped. Must be one of the great audio bargains ever! The case is a bit tricky to fit, but pretty much anyone can do it with a bit of patience!

 

[BYRTT]

@wilbur1,

Happy you like it too that said in it sounds you have a D50s unit suggest set that to same low pass filter called Apodizing as KTB use to analyze if they then sound the same or so, i looked upped manual for D50s and its the filter called MODE1 seen as the blue trace in below ASR measurement for D50s.

 

[wilbur1]

Yes Byrtt - tried all the 'mode' settings on the Topping, but just didn't like any of them in the end. Totally subjective, I know, but at the end of the day that is what matters. This Khadas, however, just has me listening to all the old faves again!

 

[porotikos]

after many days, i can finally say that this is one marvellous dac.
i read the whole thread. 86 pages. daaamn.
i finally decided to use wasapi exclusive. everything is working as should be and i am in love. i really what a muddy mess i was listening for so long.
i still cannot believe what a difference this little thing made.
thank you guys so much

ps. after reading the Soncoz LA-QXD1 thread, i am drooling for this. because if this is even better than what i have in such competitive price, i need it. even if the rule of diminishing returns might apply. i am thinking of making this upgrade and using my khadas with raspberry pi instead.
anyone connected rpi with khadas before? any tips?
anyway we got a long road ahead until the new dac comes. until then, i still cant believe the music heaven i am in.
i am listening to Pavement right now. lo fi recordings that sound marvellous. even if compression on music is evident. once you find a transparent dac, there is no going back. i am so happy, that i want to tell the world how big mistakes they make living without dac!!!!

 

[BYRTT]

Should anybody feel unhappy using the official v2.24.0 driver package for KTB because its a relative old release or something other reason, then i just checked that driver package v4.13 for SONCOZ SGD1 by member ben1987 include the same VID/PID and it works fine on Win7 using Jriver/ASIO that said will continue myself use v2.24.0 because it works perfet for my laptop/headphone setup and also have more settings to dial on in the dedicated control panel.


Device manager and XMOS control panel:

Probably okay but never seen a 32 bit number before on a Win7 platform:

 

[Nango]

i am thinking of making this upgrade and using my khadas with raspberry pi instead.
anyone connected rpi with khadas before? any tips?

This was my setup before (used RPI under Volumio) but found having to handle with a mobile phone to select music is just awful. I now feed my KTB with an XDP-02U as source into its USB-C with no wifi involved anymore, works fine and I have real buttons on my DAP to control music flow skip, fwd, etc.

 

[porotikos]

Should anybody feel unhappy using the official v2.24.0 driver package for KTB because its a relative old release or something other reason, then i just checked that driver package v4.13 for SONCOZ SGD1 by member ben1987 include the same VID/PID and it works fine on Win7 using Jriver/ASIO that said will continue myself use v2.24.0 because it works perfet for my laptop/headphone setup and also have more settings to dial on in the dedicated control panel.


Device manager and XMOS control panel:
View attachment 43916

Probably okay but never seen a 32 bit number before on a Win7 platform:
View attachment 43917

just installed. plays perfectly, tested with my usual song. i think that it is way better, cymbals sound much more real (i am a drummer, its the first thing i notice). having said that, i also think i see difference between wasapi exclusive and asio. i am waiting for my friend to come and ab the whole thing. but really this is amazing. way better drivers. i urge everyone to try and tell me what they think. thank youuuuu

 

[porotikos]

This was my setup before (used RPI under Volumio) but found having to handle with a mobile phone to select music is just awful. I now feed my KTB with an XDP-02U as source into its USB-C with no wifi involved anymore, works fine and I have real buttons on my DAP to control music flow skip, fwd, etc.

i do not use volumio. i use rpi for watching movies and sometimes listening to music through the kodi interface which is easy enough. and can be controlled via phone. so if khadas works and still is better than my iqaudio pidac+, ill use this and by the soncoz for my pc. thank you

 

[somebodyelse]

This was my setup before (used RPI under Volumio) but found having to handle with a mobile phone to select music is just awful. I now feed my KTB with an XDP-02U as source into its USB-C with no wifi involved anymore, works fine and I have real buttons on my DAP to control music flow skip, fwd, etc.

Most of the player distros for the Pi can use touchscreen physical buttons or infrared remote if you prefer things that way.

 

[Nango]

Most of the player distros for the Pi can use touchscreen physical buttons or infrared remote if you prefer things that way.

I actually want to move away from that rpi/Volumio thing.

 

[porotikos]

hi guys again. quick question. has anyone managed to connect toneboard, to an android infontainment car unit? without using the phone as a dap. connect khadas directly to the usb of head unit and then khadas (somehow, guessing through the rcas) to the speakers? would like to know if this is plausible. i am getting 99% a kia picanto. would love to have a good dac like khadas. and then ill buy soncoz for my system at home!!!!

 

[g29]

In fact, as far as I know, the designer of KTB has sent a smaller unit than you found to Amir. (a single 9038Q2M balanced output)

This unit is more similar to KTB-but the advantage is that it has a sturdy casing.

@WolfX-700 , Any update on the balanced DAC from the KTB designer ???

 

[BYRTT]

@g29,

If you haven't notice SONCOZ SGD1 was by designer ben1987, its a dual 9038Qm2 design and benched some fantastic objective numbers except "ESS IMD Hump" was there, after that was revealed they had find a solution so that production units without the hump will be released late February if i remember correct, ASR review is here https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/soncoz-sgd1-audio-dac-review.10295/ .