Review and Measurements of xDuoo TA-10 Tube DAC & HP Amp

[dtaylo1066]

Does volume work on the RCA output?

 

[MacCali]

Does volume work on the RCA output?

I believe so don’t recall, only tried and it once. Think I had to crank to volume up to higher levels and as mentioned earlier if the headphone out isn’t being used the unit gets really hot

 

[iucoen]

Does volume work on the RCA output?

No, the RCA output is directly out of the DAC, bypassing the whole amp section.

 

[MacCali]

Very interested in this unit. Wasn't convinced of tubes at all at first but listening to some it surely made the music more enjoyable for me.

Some badly mastered songs were far less obstructive or in your face. Since I like to listen to badly recorded dance / pop music from time to time, a tube could be a great addition to my setup.

Is this in line with what this unit is doing for you? Any chance we can get a measurement @amirm ? Would be awesome if this is an even better DAC implementation of the first version.

It just went on drop for 285.

https://drop.com/buy/xduoo-ta-10r-tube-headphone-dac-amp

Worth it, sign up with a new email get 10 dollars off.

 

[iucoen]

It just went on drop for 285.

https://drop.com/buy/xduoo-ta-10r-tube-headphone-dac-amp

Worth it, sign up with a new email get 10 dollars off.

Beware, Drop doesn't have any warranty. You have 30 days to return, afterwards you are on your own.

 

[MacCali]

Beware, Drop doesn't have any warranty. You have 30 days to return, afterwards you are on your own.

Really? What about the manufacturer warranty? They are not an authorized dealer?

I got mine from drop like 3 months ago, fortunately I’ve had no issues and as mentioned in my previous post it’s not getting super hot like the TA-10, so I would assume longevity would be increased unless it’s DOA or dead in 30 days.

I didn’t know that and I am fully into warranties. I don’t like to buy anything without warranty. Cause when I sell I’ll always honor the manufacturer warranty and sell for a higher price. I realize some warranty’s aren’t transferable but if the product fails I will claim the warranty for the purchaser.

 

[iucoen]

Really? What about the manufacturer warranty? They are not an authorized dealer?

I got mine from drop like 3 months ago, fortunately I’ve had no issues and as mentioned in my previous post it’s not getting super hot like the TA-10, so I would assume longevity would be increased unless it’s DOA or dead in 30 days.

I didn’t know that and I am fully into warranties. I don’t like to buy anything without warranty. Cause when I sell I’ll always honor the manufacturer warranty and sell for a higher price. I realize some warranty’s aren’t transferable but if the product fails I will claim the warranty for the purchaser.

See https://helpdesk.drop.com/hc/en-us/...o-products-purchased-on-Drop-have-a-warranty-

Quote:
Some products purchased on Drop include a manufacturer's warranty. These products will have the warranty listed on their pages. Products that don’t come with a manufacturer's warranty will be subject to a 30-day return policy as long as there is something damaged or non-functional with the product.

There's nothing listed on the product page of the TA-10R.

 

[dtaylo1066]

I am presuming for many Chinese DACs that if you have an issue, you may as well toss the unitt and start again, unless you purchased from a particular dealer based in the U.S. or a highly reputable on line dealer.

 

[JoostE]

Damn that is good to know. I won't order on Drop then. Was already quite clumsy for me in the first place since I am in EU. Thanks for pointing it out though.

Resellers within the EU are forced to give at least 1 year of warranty, even on imported products. So that might be my best bet, even if it is slightly more expensive.

 

[Veri]

Resellers within the EU are forced to give at least 1 year of warranty, even on imported products.

I'm pretty sure it's two years of standard warranty.

 

[MacCali]

I'm pretty sure it's two years of standard warranty.

I still just have a hard time believing that xDuoo would not honor a warranty on a brand new product regardless of where it was purchased, I mean at least a year it shouldn't die.

It must be clearly stated on the manufacturer website that it must be bought from an authorized retailer. So that's something to follow up on, or even email and ask, I always do that. I just really assumed drop would be considered an authorized retailer, even if it's not I am much more cautious with products which are in the 1000's rather than 250 bucks..

Like sound united holds true to that, marantz and denon, and probably all of the products associated with SU.

 

[iucoen]

I still just have a hard time believing that xDuoo would not honor a warranty on a brand new product regardless of where it was purchased, I mean at least a year it shouldn't die.

It must be clearly stated on the manufacturer website that it must be bought from an authorized retailer. So that's something to follow up on, or even email and ask, I always do that. I just really assumed drop would be considered an authorized retailer, even if it's not I am much more cautious with products which are in the 1000's rather than 250 bucks..

Like sound united holds true to that, marantz and denon, and probably all of the products associated with SU.

I contacted xDuoo support about my broken tube, as well as some firmware issues with DSD. They simply did not respond. I don't think they have customer support at all. Prior to purchase, I also tried to get shenzhenaudio to price match Drop for the TA-10R, they refused, stating that "there is no warranty at all from Drop. I didn't believe shenzhenaudio at the time, but I learned the hard way later.

 

[MacCali]

I contacted xDuoo support about my broken tube, as well as some firmware issues with DSD. They simply did not respond. I don't think they have customer support at all. Prior to purchase, I also tried to get shenzhenaudio to price match Drop for the TA-10R, they refused, stating that "there is no warranty at all from Drop. I didn't believe shenzhenaudio at the time, but I learned the hard way later.

Can’t beat out those Chinese companies, some are shady. I think Doge follows the same practices.

Just got to keep my fingers crossed, like I said currently that’s my favorite unit to use. I just got another tube and honestly it sounds even better. Hadn’t tube rolled this entire time

 

[MacCali]

See https://helpdesk.drop.com/hc/en-us/...o-products-purchased-on-Drop-have-a-warranty-

Quote:
Some products purchased on Drop include a manufacturer's warranty. These products will have the warranty listed on their pages. Products that don’t come with a manufacturer's warranty will be subject to a 30-day return policy as long as there is something damaged or non-functional with the product.

There's nothing listed on the product page of the TA-10R.

I contacted xDuoo support about my broken tube, as well as some firmware issues with DSD. They simply did not respond. I don't think they have customer support at all. Prior to purchase, I also tried to get shenzhenaudio to price match Drop for the TA-10R, they refused, stating that "there is no warranty at all from Drop. I didn't believe shenzhenaudio at the time, but I learned the hard way later.

So I was just thinking about this... if the unit does or doesn’t come with warranty cause basically all you get with xDuoo is a DOA warranty from the seller, offered by both drop and anywhere else you purchase it.

Why would you not purchase off of drop and get the cheaper price. Seems conflicting with the fact?

Something to consider, this includes your consideration @JoostE, unless drop doesn’t ship to EU.

 

[JoostE]

Everything sold in EU will get warranty. From the dealer. So I would just go to the dealer and he should solve it or at least make sure it gets solved by the manufacturer. His problem from there on out.

 

[heraldo_jones]

Would love to see the measurements of the T10R, as stated in most reviews looks like an improvement over this old model.

 

[MacCali]

Would love to see the measurements of the T10R, as stated in most reviews looks like an improvement over this old model.

It’s really nice man, can’t give a solid opinion to be honest. I have never tried the 10, but if you roll tubes you definitely get a difference in sound. So you got plenty of wiggle room.

Also as mentioned in previous comments, if you consistently use it or are feeding it an audio signal and outputting to a headphone the unit gets hardly warm. If you just leave it on with nothing the unit will get really hot like the TA-10. So this will increase the longevity.

 

[860lacov]

I have lcd2c and a50s d50s stack.
I got the proposition to swap the stack for the xduoo ta-10r.
There is a price difference so I can get ta-10r + cash.

I read that tube amps do not work well with planars.

I always wanted to try the tube amp but have no idea how it can work with my hp.

I will have to send my gear to another city and I wonder if it is worth trying.
What can I expect? With stack lcd2c has a lot of bass and I probably don't need more.
Mid and high frequencies are ok on this stack.

I'm aware that ta-10r will not be as clear as topping but in boundaries of perception could I hear the difference?

 

[MacCali]

I have lcd2c and a50s d50s stack.
I got the proposition to swap the stack for the xduoo ta-10r.
There is a price difference so I can get ta-10r + cash.

I read that tube amps do not work well with planars.

I always wanted to try the tube amp but have no idea how it can work with my hp.

I will have to send my gear to another city and I wonder if it is worth trying.
What can I expect? With stack lcd2c has a lot of bass and I probably don't need more.
Mid and high frequencies are ok on this stack.

I'm aware that ta-10r will not be as clear as topping but in boundaries of perception could I hear the difference?

Not sure about that, but this unit doesn’t have very high current. I would assume that’s the problem, I’m not a headphone amp expert to figure out what’s going on.

Really depends how demanding lcd is, I am not providing a fair comparison. I own an HE6Se V2 which is an extremely power hungry unit. However, HiFiman themselves said at least 2 watts per channel. The TA-10R provides this and the headphone was virtually not functioning on it. The sound at max volume was like hearing a concert that’s 1/4 mile away. Everything sounded distant and far. This is why I’m assuming it’s current as the potential issue

Someone else with more expertise can chime in

Lastly, as I’ve stated previously on most headphones this is an excellent amp with a fairly decent tube experience. I highly recommended it

 

[860lacov]

Not sure about that, but this unit doesn’t have very high current. I would assume that’s the problem, I’m not a headphone amp expert to figure out what’s going on.

Really depends how demanding lcd is, I am not providing a fair comparison. I own an HE6Se V2 which is an extremely power hungry unit. However, HiFiman themselves said at least 2 watts per channel. The TA-10R provides this and the headphone was virtually not functioning on it. The sound at max volume was like hearing a concert that’s 1/4 mile away. Everything sounded distant and far. This is why I’m assuming it’s current as the potential issue

Someone else with more expertise can chime in

Lastly, as I’ve stated previously on most headphones this is an excellent amp with a fairly decent tube experience. I highly recommended it

Thank you

Audeze on their homepage claim that minimal power for this headphones is 100mW and recommended is 250mW

So not even close to xduoo's theoretical power.