Singxer SDA-2 DAC and Headphone Amplifier Review

[Migel83]

I bought this unit and I don't know what to think of it. It sounds stellar via XLR output, the single ended output is not good at all which I think is kinda normal if it's a truly balanced design? The single ended output buzzes which is audible in my headphones, I don't understand why it's not mentioned anywhere. The buzz seems to be exactly the same buzz which is coming from the unit itself, probably from the transformer. Strangely the buzz isn't audible via XLR.

What is quite strange is that the unit is really warm all the time even if it's in standby mode it's warm as a radiator. Is this normal? The only way to actually switch it off is to press the switch on the backside.

All in all I'm not sure what to do maybe i should send it back. I can't find an all in one balanced dac/amp with a preamp. Would gladly buy the topping dx7pro but the output impedance is a joke (like seriously, what the f. is this?) and I have a fostex massdrop which has a low impedance so it doesn't seem like a good match from what I understand.

Hi,
I bought it now.
And I have zero problems with it.
When he was still new he had a slightly distorted connection at 6.3.
And I was right with my assumption that it is easy clipping.
Simply reduce the overall volume of the PC a little from 100 to 90.
I couldn't find a buzz either.
I have absolute silence.
Nothing was found at the XLR output.
Yes, the standby mode also struck me that it stays a little warm.
I only noticed this 3 days later and now switch it off too. It's a small flaw with which you can live.
I don't think it's bad now.
Since he has now had a few hours behind me, I checked the 6.3 mm output again and could not find anything because of clipping or the like.
So it seems that everything was temporary with mine.
Otherwise, I think he's great overall.
Also very big in terms of sound technology.
I don't know, maybe you caught someone who is not perfect.
Can you possibly try to complain and exchange if possible and are lucky.
Where did you buy it?

 

[someAudioDude]

Topping A90 with any good DAC(doesn't need to be too expensive) should give stellar amp and pre-amp. If it's in your budget. If you can return the SDA I would go this route.

Thanks for the suggestion but did you read my post? I'm looking for an all in one unit, I don't have much space on the desk and don't want to have multiple units and a bunch of cables...

 

[someAudioDude]

Hi,
I bought it now.
And I have zero problems with it.
When he was still new he had a slightly distorted connection at 6.3.
And I was right with my assumption that it is easy clipping.
Simply reduce the overall volume of the PC a little from 100 to 90.
I couldn't find a buzz either.
I have absolute silence.
Nothing was found at the XLR output.
Yes, the standby mode also struck me that it stays a little warm.
I only noticed this 3 days later and now switch it off too. It's a small flaw with which you can live.
I don't think it's bad now.
Since he has now had a few hours behind me, I checked the 6.3 mm output again and could not find anything because of clipping or the like.
So it seems that everything was temporary with mine.
Otherwise, I think he's great overall.
Also very big in terms of sound technology.
I don't know, maybe you caught someone who is not perfect.
Can you possibly try to complain and exchange if possible and are lucky.
Where did you buy it?

Hi, thanks for sharing your experience. I mean it doesn't seem to be faulty in any way. I do hear a very quiet buzz when using it single ended. Do you hear the buzz when from the unit itself when you hold your ear very close to it? It's not a rustle like from near feal monitors, it's a very quiet buzz. It's only audible via headphones over single ended. Nothing over XLR, there it's silent. The staying warm confuses me, I don't know if it's a feature or just bad engineering, not sure. I also don't like that when I use it as a preamp it also always output signal to the headphones which is a bit annoying as I have to pull them out. I don't know if it's a standard for this type of units. I bought mine from a german dealer. Still not sure if I want to keep it as it's not all that cheap at 700 EUR.

 

[Vini darko]

What's bad about the filters? I'm fairly new to dacs and would like to learn more. Thankyou

 

[someAudioDude]

What's bad about the filters? I'm fairly new to dacs and would like to learn more. Thankyou

The filters do not matter. You can disregard them, I'm not sure I'd be able to tell a difference between them in a blind test.

 

[Veri]

Thanks for the suggestion but did you read my post? I'm looking for an all in one unit, I don't have much space on the desk and don't want to have multiple units and a bunch of cables...

Thing is you're looking for a great all-in-one with quality amp AND pre-amp and I'm not sure if you'll find it. Many all-in-ones suffer from slightly too high output impedance.

 

[someAudioDude]

Thing is you're looking for a great all-in-one with quality amp AND pre-amp and I'm not sure if you'll find it. Many all-in-ones suffer from slightly too high output impedance.

True it kinda seems like it. I mean this unit sounds great, I just don't understand some strange things it appears to have. I don't know if it's caused by the nature of an all in one or what is the issue there. Topping A90 + D90 seems like a killer combo though, although it's twice as expensive as this singxer unit.

 

[Veri]

True it kinda seems like it. I mean this unit sounds great, I just don't understand some strange things it appears to have. I don't know if it's caused by the nature of an all in one or what is the issue there. Topping A90 + D90 seems like a killer combo though, although it's twice as expensive as this singxer unit.

Topping A90 + some $100 DAC would also work very well, imo. Like Atom DAC or similar,

 

[someAudioDude]

Hmm, is the amp more important than the DAC overall you'd say?

 

[Migel83]

Thing is you're looking for a great all-in-one with quality amp AND pre-amp and I'm not sure if you'll find it. Many all-in-ones suffer from slightly too high output impedance.

Yes I know.
can't say anything about the topping.
I haven't had it in my hands yet.
There are relatively few good China devices that are solid in construction and everything.
Topping takes time.
Matrix audio, Singxer have a completely different level in comparison.
Sound as well as processing.

 

[Migel83]

Hi, thanks for sharing your experience. I mean it doesn't seem to be faulty in any way. I do hear a very quiet buzz when using it single ended. Do you hear the buzz when from the unit itself when you hold your ear very close to it? It's not a rustle like from near feal monitors, it's a very quiet buzz. It's only audible via headphones over single ended. Nothing over XLR, there it's silent. The staying warm confuses me, I don't know if it's a feature or just bad engineering, not sure. I also don't like that when I use it as a preamp it also always output signal to the headphones which is a bit annoying as I have to pull them out. I don't know if it's a standard for this type of units. I bought mine from a german dealer. Still not sure if I want to keep it as it's not all that cheap at 700 EUR.

So when I first switched it on I thought I had noticed something.
I don't hear anything anymore, but I didn't find it annoying, otherwise I would have to check again this evening to see if there is anything.

I think the feedback about the filters is very well done, so I've seen worse.
A bit is heard but marginal.
It matters a bit as if, for example, Toni Braxton listens to Unbreak my Heart on Slow off, I mean that the "effect" is greatest. Because the composition also goes very far and deep. And I believe that the stage opens up properly as with Nos or Sharp.
For hip hop and so on, I like to have Sharp in it.
I have not yet made the correct decision as to this.
How many hours did your Sda actually have that you still notice the buzz?
I have a little over 30 hours but I will check it again tonight.
And let you know.
Did you also install the drivers for Usb class 2?
And the little software?

 

[Veri]

Hmm, is the amp more important than the DAC overall you'd say?

I think so for sure. But once you have a beast of an amp you might as well pair it with a top of the line DAC. if you want.
but imo the priority is a clean amp for sure. There are SO MANY superb DACs like the E30, Soncoz, Mobius etc. There are only few ultra-linear amplifiers (although THX, heresy, atom.. and now A90 and upcoming L30 sure are shaking up the market, hehe).

 

[someAudioDude]

So when I first switched it on I thought I had noticed something.
I don't hear anything anymore, but I didn't find it annoying, otherwise I would have to check again this evening to see if there is anything.

I think the feedback about the filters is very well done, so I've seen worse.
A bit is heard but marginal.
It matters a bit as if, for example, Toni Braxton listens to Unbreak my Heart on Slow off, I mean that the "effect" is greatest. Because the composition also goes very far and deep. And I believe that the stage opens up properly as with Nos or Sharp.
For hip hop and so on, I like to have Sharp in it.
I have not yet made the correct decision as to this.
How many hours did your Sda actually have that you still notice the buzz?
I have a little over 30 hours but I will check it again tonight.
And let you know.
Did you also install the drivers for Usb class 2?
And the little software?

I installed everything and my primary objective was to use it via the XLR and as such it sounds fantastic. The buzz over single ended is clearly audible with my fostex massdrop though and also the unit itself buzzes quietly which you might hear in a silent room. So, I'm undecided but I'm probably sending it back, I don't want to know how much electricity it's using if it's constantly warm as a good radiator.

 

[someAudioDude]

Yes I know.
can't say anything about the topping.
I haven't had it in my hands yet.
There are relatively few good China devices that are solid in construction and everything.
Topping takes time.
Matrix audio, Singxer have a completely different level in comparison.
Sound as well as processing.

What do you mean? Can you rephrase it please? You mean Singxer is much better than topping ?

 

[Sabotender]

someAudioDude

I connected different headphones to the SDA2, and everything was fine. Perhaps you have a marriage, or something creates leads that can be heard (I have when the radio phone near can hear a hum).
(sorry-machine translation)

 

[Migel83]

What do you mean? Can you rephrase it please? You mean Singxer is much better than topping ?

Hi,
give me another two hours then i go to the pc and check mine and let you know.
So in terms of workmanship and quality, Singxer really doesn't need to be said, they did a really good job.
As I said, topping is behind in comparison.

 

[MediumRare]

I bought this unit and I don't know what to think of it. It sounds stellar via XLR output, the single ended output is not good at all which I think is kinda normal if it's a truly balanced design? The single ended output buzzes which is audible in my headphones, I don't understand why it's not mentioned anywhere. The buzz seems to be exactly the same buzz which is coming from the unit itself, probably from the transformer. Strangely the buzz isn't audible via XLR.

What is quite strange is that the unit is really warm all the time even if it's in standby mode it's warm as a radiator. Is this normal? The only way to actually switch it off is to press the switch on the backside.

All in all I'm not sure what to do maybe i should send it back. I can't find an all in one balanced dac/amp with a preamp. Would gladly buy the topping dx7pro but the output impedance is a joke (like seriously, what the f. is this?) and I have a fostex massdrop which has a low impedance so it doesn't seem like a good match from what I understand.

Your buzzing is almost certainly a ground loop. The purpose of the XLR (balanced) is to eliminate those, so it's working perfectly. You can try various things to eliminate the ground loop. For example, unplug the inputs to see if the buzz stops. Also, be sure to plug the amp and the source into the same mains circuit. The EEs here may have more suggestions.

BTW, I have a DX7 Pro - I use it with planar magnetic headphones which have zero impedance variation across the frequency spectrum. So in my case the output impedance is irrelevant. What impedance are your headphones? If it's over 50 the output impedance won't matter at all.

 

[someAudioDude]

Your buzzing is almost certainly a ground loop. The purpose of the XLR (balanced) is to eliminate those, so it's working perfectly. You can try various things to eliminate the ground loop. For example, unplug the inputs to see if the buzz stops. Also, be sure to plug the amp and the source into the same mains circuit. The EEs here may have more suggestions.

BTW, I have a DX7 Pro - I use it with planar magnetic headphones which have zero impedance variation across the frequency spectrum. So in my case the output impedance is irrelevant. What impedance are your headphones? If it's over 50 the output impedance won't matter at all.

I'm not sure it's this ground loop, to be honest, I hear the buzzing even if I just plug it into the wall directly without any source at all. But the unit itself buzzez very quietly (but it's still audible if you're 20cm away in a silent room, although i'm super sensitive here).

Actually, you really mean plug the source and the amp into the same socket?? I thought it should be the other way round... I'm too bad of a physician :-D

So, yeah in any case it's the single ended headphone output which buzzes. I don't hear anything over my monitors when I use it as a preamp and I don't hear anything over headphones via xlr. And it's actually the same kind of buzz which the unit itself produces (although it's very quiet but it's not completely silent as I have it right under my monitor).

 

[someAudioDude]

Also why the hell isn't there a manual? I'd like to know what all the jumpers on the bottom side do, really strange.

 

[someAudioDude]

I think so for sure. But once you have a beast of an amp you might as well pair it with a top of the line DAC. if you want.
but imo the priority is a clean amp for sure. There are SO MANY superb DACs like the E30, Soncoz, Mobius etc. There are only few ultra-linear amplifiers (although THX, heresy, atom.. and now A90 and upcoming L30 sure are shaking up the market, hehe).

Thanks for suggestions, I guess I'll just have to dig deep and buy two separate units as an endgame solution and that's it. This THX amp seems to perform the same as the topping A90 at a third of the price, the problem is it can't be bought anywhere :-DD
Also, if you don't mind: is there a big difference between topping d70 and d90 if used with A90 as an amp?