This amp is BEAUTIFUL! xDuoo TA-20 Plus hybrid headphone amp review

[@dipanjanbiswas6580]

Excellent explanation related to the "loss" of depth when using a hybrid 👍

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks! I'm glad it hit the mark.

[@KR-yn3lq]

Hi, I have this amplifier and I think it has one drawback - it can stop transmitting sound from time to time. You have to move the potentiometer and then it starts playing again - as if it had been suspended.

[@PassionforSound]

That sounds like a fault. Might be worth chatting to the retailer you bought it from because I've not had that happen even once.

[@krrm8817]

Thank you, I will do as you advise@@PassionforSound

[@marcfoss7687]

Great review, as always. Many thanks.

[@PassionforSound]

My pleasure. I'm glad you liked it. 🙂

[@jackcolo1601]

Good review as always.

[@PassionforSound]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

[@quawn0418]

Mark my words, the aune s17 will blow you away, it has some volume control issues that will hopefully get sorted out somewhere down the line, but regarding price/sound, just wow

[@quawn0418]

Great review as always!

[@PassionforSound]

Glad you liked it. You're definitely raising my interest in the S17.

[@soulfulfool]

@@PassionforSound mine too, I will consider S17 as a trade off for my singxer sa1, only thing that bother me a bit is a fact that it looks huge and my desk space is limited xD (it has rounded top plate so I'm not sure if I can place my dac on it)

[@marlowe1537]

I got the S17 Pro a couple of days ago and, so far at least, it lives up to its rave reviews and the price performance ratio is incredible. However, know that the volume control "issue" (the R-2R volume control has a range of 0-63 and volume apparently increases much more rapidly after passing 55) is not really an issue, at least for most and won't be "sorted out." First, a commenter on Head-Fi posted a detailed response he received from Aune on this matter--they are well aware of the way volume works above 55, it was a deliberate design decision and they explain the reasoning, and it will not be changed. Second, I don't know who is listening at that volume with the vast majority of headphones since they must now be deaf. Several reviewers noted that even the mighty Susvara only needed 55 volume in high gain on the S17. I like it loud and am using the Hifiman Arya Stealth, much easier to drive than the Susvara, but still harder than average, and am quite happy in the 30s in low gain. In any event, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the S17 in a future review.

[@soulfulfool]

@@marlowe1537 so does it enhance Arya sound by any mean?

[@masterazlan6999]

For me the aesthetics winners currently is topping dx9.. Yup r2r + delta sigma.. Peace!

[@antipatik0]

Would this be able to drive the Beyer 880 600 ohms? Will it perform better that the TA-26?

[@PassionforSound]

It will definitely drive it. As for what's better - that's going to come down to preferences for a pure tube sound (TA-26) vs the balance of tube and solid state (TA-20)

[@mikhail2129]

Hello. please tell me if this amplifier is suitable for Sivga p ii headphones

[@PassionforSound]

Yes. It will do great with them.

[@primmmy]

any dac recommendations for this amp?

[@PassionforSound]

I don't really believe in DAC / amp pairings. The best DAC for your tastes is always the best choice. Depending on you budget, some of the new AK4499EX DACs on the market are excellent or you can go for R2R or Schiit Multibit DACs for some excellent sound.

[@maciejpfs2631]

Hello, Can You compare it to ta-26s (in terms of sound) ?

[@PassionforSound]

The TA-20 Plus has a bit more heft/weight behind it. It's not a thicker or warmer sounding amp, but it has a little more authority to it. It might also have slightly better maximum resolution (depending on the tubes), but the TA-26S comes back into play with its sense of transparency. By being a pure, simple tube amp, there's a sense of connection to the music (i.e. less stuff getting in the way) with the TA-26S. I think, I'd ultimately decide between these two based on the headphones you'll be using the amp with. For a wide range of headphones, the TA-20 Plus makes more sense. For a high impedance dynamic headphone and/or efficient planar headphones, the TA-26S can be lovely (particularly with the high impedance dynamics)

[@maciejpfs2631]

Thank You. What would You choose for hd650 ?

[@PassionforSound]

That's a tough one! Probably the TA-26S because the HD650s pair beautifully with OTL amps.

[@calvinchann1996]

Should you be touching the tubes? Genuine question.

[@razisn]

No real issue those are not halogen bulbs.

[@PassionforSound]

Yep. It's just regular glass to keep the vacuum around the internal components.

[@GoldStacey-o5w]

Kaylie Forest

[@maciejpfs2631]

Hello, its more detailed / bright than ta26?

[@PassionforSound]

Maybe a touch more detailed, but it will depend a lot on the tubes and the headphones (because TA-26 is best with high impedance headphones only)

[@maciejpfs2631]

@@PassionforSound i dont like bass from ta26. Too much and too slow. Transients are to slow too. Its ta 20 plus faster ?

[@PassionforSound]

Yes, but you might prefer pure solid state if you're seeking speed

[@maciejpfs2631]

@@PassionforSound i have one solid state amp - and its to lean/technical for me :)

[@PassionforSound]

Which amp? There is quite a range in the solid state world, just like in the tube world

[@VerneWat-t4s]

Lesch Prairie

[@DanielHamilton-i9q]

Kiehn Harbor

[@JasonSkowron-r7u]

Bashirian Streets

[@EmmanuelPew-v7s]

Rogahn Burg

[@FelixSebastian-u4t]

Schimmel Gardens

[@LouieDonna-k5t]

Pacocha Plains

[@EllaLance-s6j]

Toby Center

[@InezBusbin-v8v]

Alek Ferry

[@DougStrei-h9n]

Dayna Via

[@jjphoenix4055]

You think its wonderful? ....but way worst than all the other crap you have in there? Give me a break!

[@bombthefueher]

Happy to see your review at last. I use usb as the source for my dac, I noticed that when my PC is in high power draw, noise gets into the grounds and thats when the 20+ starts presenting static or noise with IEMs. I checked my connections, reduced power draw and it went away entirely. It's definitely an issue on whatever power supply system xDuoo is using because the same happened on the TA-26 otl. Would advice you try again in another loop, turn off a couple of devices if they are linked to the same power cord just to test. I got mine to be absolutely silent with any IEM.

[@PassionforSound]

That's really interesting to hear! I was running the TA-20 Plus via XLR from the EverSolo DMP-A8. That was acting as a DAC and receiving the digital signal from the Singxer SU-6 DDC so the chain should have been pretty well isolated unless there's power noise.

[@blue6point62]

I had a TA-22 and loved the sound. Similarly the bass was not its strong suit. But a relay failed. I moved to an R2R DAC and hopefully I will see my new Archel 3 Pro in a week!!

[@PassionforSound]

That's a bummer about the relay. Enjoy your A3 Pro!

[@mangs9940]

Would a standard beyerdynamic 770 pro / 1770 studio/ mastering headphones work with this unit. As the tubes would already colour the sound anyway, and tame the chance of sibilance. One retailer sells the 1770 pro with a tube headphone amp. Don't want to end up spending loads of money looking for the perfect boutique headphone. Also don't want to spend stupid money on different headphones. I would want to hear tubes, rather than a specific headphone sound profile. I already have a seinheiser hd25 , 598 se , and a meze 99 noir.

[@PassionforSound]

Yes, the beyerydynamic cans would work well with this amp. There's the new limited edition DT 770 Pro X that's just been released if that's of interest. I've had a brief listen and it sounds pretty good, I think.

[@mangs9940]

@@PassionforSound thank you

[@carminedesanto6746]

GM ☕️from Toronto. I’m still rocking the 604 …this looks / sounds interesting.

[@PassionforSound]

I love the 604! The TA-20 Plus is more refined, a bit less rambunctious, but excellent.

[@razisn]

2W vs only 2.6W for balanced? Sounds like it's very current limited probably because of the power supply or it is not really fully balanced internally. No info on output impedance?

[@TheVeganVicar]

The SPL Phonitors feature a similar phenomenon, so it’s not so uncommon.

[@PassionforSound]

I did wonder about the power specs too, but it wasn't important enough for me to go digging. Could also be the way they're adapting/summing the output signals from the balanced circuit to the single ended output. As for output impedance, I didn't measure it, but they're quoting 16 ohms as the minimum impedance which makes me assume it's

[@TheMatrixxProjekt]

Love the aesthetics of this amp. Modern meets retro done very well. I was really impressed by Xduoo’s budget hybrid amps and I’m glad they are continuing to produce great quality products.

[@PassionforSound]

Yeah, xDuoo is a really solid brand for affordable, good looking, and good sounding devices.

[@YuBoyd-t1v]

Enrico Rue

[@FelixSteward-j5v]

462 Gracie Course

[@LindsayLeo-h4s]

Koss Radial

[@eRocko808]

Hi Lachlan, your review is spot-on, as always. Excited for your tube rolling video. I think the separate rolling vids are a great idea. Enjoyed the Gemini series. My TA20 plus came in this week. I'm really enjoying it, so far. I'd been using a tube stage on the unbalanced input with my Jotunheim 2, when I wanted some of that tube action. The TA20 plus adds more of that flavor, without anything unpleasant. I ordered it with the Ray 12au7, but the stock tubes were nothing to complain about. It's subjective, but it really shines with my Senn HD 6xx, where I think I may still prefer the Jot2 with my Edition XS (no tubes). Glad to have options, while doubling the rear power switch frustration :)

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with the amps and feedback on the new approach to splitting the videos. Are you hearing any benefit with the Ray tubes over the stock ones?

[@eRocko808]

@@PassionforSound I honestly didn't think there was much of a difference between the stock and Rays, but they appear very similar, physically. The dot matrix print is very close, too. The sequence is G034(Ray) and G035(XD). I'll need to swap in the XDuoo tubes, now that I have more time with the Rays. I also have some PSVANE tubes that are also physically super similar (G015), but I haven't tried them in the TA20 plus yet. I don't know what those printed numbers mean, but I'd imagine these all come from the same factory/ies.

[@PassionforSound]

That was my thinking too. Pretty impressive to get that level of performance from a stock tube.

[@eRocko808]

@@PassionforSound yeah, I spent over an hour rotating them last night, and my rays have a wider stage and tubiness, but seem less detailed than the stock or two other pairs of PSVANE tubes. It's strange. I suppose that's tubes for you. They're still super close.

[@PassionforSound]

That's very interesting. I wonder if there's some product variance from one pair to the next? It's quite possible with tubes.

[@ConnieRoehl-o6j]

O'Conner Villages

[@LillaYoung-w3w]

Considine Stream

[@RobertRowell-o6y]

Altenwerth Trail

[@MarloweMamie-k4y]

Meredith Hills

[@RobinGranlund-k3g]

Elza Parks

[@IlaChirafisi-e7q]

Murphy Harbor

[@LaniKreider-x7i]

Estell Cliffs

[@RandThra-x9m]

Bria Shores

[@BertramJonathan-v2e]

Lynch Road

[@AngeleFijal-y4r]

Clint Rapid

[@TammyONeill-d8p]

Dallin Unions

[@MariaBartling-g2n]

Felix Wells

[@NicolTina-q5p]

Jovan Way

[@giorgosapo4508]

The review that I've been waiting for! Im really interested in the tuby sound that OTL amps bring. Do you have any recommendations at the 400-700$ price range for a true OTL? Thank you

[@PassionforSound]

It's actually hard to go past the xDuoo TA-26S. Beyond that, they seem to jump in price a fair bit. If you can do DIY, taking a Bottlehead Crack and upgrading it is also an excellent option.

[@giorgosapo4508]

@@PassionforSound Good notice, I will definitely do a research on the TA-26S! I found it for 250$

[@PassionforSound]

Great! I've got reviews of the OG TA-26 and TA-26S (same circuits) if you want more impressions.

[@giorgosapo4508]

@@PassionforSound Have you ever tried Feliks Audio amps? Their Echo MKII looks quite impressive.

[@PassionforSound]

I've auditioned them, but never spent extended time with them. They are lovely though 🙂

[@sauhamm3821]

i checked out amps for weeks before getting a tor roger and... it's the best tube amp i own. i have a ta-22, and a lyr+ and i had a darkvoice in... none of them are put together as well as the tor. and i'm not talking about construction, i'm talking about dead sensitive IEMS up to my 600ohm buyers. zero noise at any volume level and perfect behavior across the frequency. xduoo makes great stuff yes, the tor is a better amp.

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Do you know what the output impedance of the Roger is? It's recommended for 25 ohms and above which might suggest a higher output impedance that can mess with the frequency response of multi driver IEMs.

[@yarbles66]

My TA 26s order was cancelled due to them being out of stock. I ordered one elsewhere but am having second thoughts on getting this or the Cayin Ha 1a Mk 2. What do you think? Thanks man!

[@PassionforSound]

Bummer! That's a shame. I haven't heard the Cayin so can't help on the one - sorry!

[@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo]

I really fancied buying this amp, and at the moment it’s on Amazon U.K. for around £347, but after hearing about the noise factor for more sensitive sets, that is making me hesitant. Another fantastic, thoroughly helpful review.

[@PassionforSound]

Glad I could help, but sorry to dash your hopes on the amp. It's fine with the majority of headphones, just not the low impedance dynamics and IEMs.

[@SamKram-i8c]

Koch Dale

[@williammoningka8080]

hi there, i'm wondering how this sound compares to xduoo ta-22 if you're going to just use it ad an amp?

[@PassionforSound]

I haven't heard the TA-22 so I can't comment. Sorry.

[@pickcick1580]

Have been waiting for this. Thanks for a really nice review. Just wondering how does it compare to the TA-22,

[@PassionforSound]

Glad you liked the review! I've not tried the TA-22 so I can't help on that one. Sorry.

[@7in1]

Is it much better than MT 604?

[@PassionforSound]

On technicalities? Yes. On fun, that's debatable and subjective 😁

[@aceofspades6667]

Quite a nice looking package for the money.. would like to hear one someday

[@PassionforSound]

It's definitely worth a listen at the price, I'd say.

[@bling5279]

Great review! Will you be reviewing the Homage anytime soon?

[@PassionforSound]

Glad you like the review! I believe Zach is planning to send me the Bokeh headphones and the Homage soon, but I don't know exact timing yet.

[@shawnpwatsons1]

Be interesting to hear the Archel 3Pro with a Schitt tube pre-amp?

[@PassionforSound]

I'm not a huge fan of layering tube preamps with solid state headphone amps so I'll probably not be the one to share that - sorry.

[@letsbefrank3]

Keep coming back to your reviews and wondered when you compared the TA-20 Plus to the Sparks Gemini, how was the Gemini configured? I'm looking for a 'musical' amp to combine with my Mojo 2 and both of these are on my shortlist

[@PassionforSound]

I kept the Gemini in stock format for the comparison so the stock tube in the high bias setting - how it comes out of the box. I would choose the Gemini over the TA-20 if you have the budget because it's a bit better on transparency and musicality. Both are excellent though.

[@letsbefrank3]

Thanks for taking the time to reply!@@PassionforSound

[@meh-hair-Vaughn]

Lachlan you are a genius.

[@PassionforSound]

I'm not sure what I did to deserve that, but I'm glad you think so! 😁

[@TomStacy1]

Your description leaves me wondering if the 60ohm 95db ZMF Caldera planars would be a good fit.

[@PassionforSound]

The Calderas do sound lovely from the TA-20 Plus, but I wouldn't want it as my only amp for those headphones as they're capable of much higher performance with a higher level amp. As a second amp choice, though, the TA-20 Plus is really nice.

[@TomStacy1]

​@@PassionforSoundI'm considering it to go alongside my solid state amp, as a gateway to tubes without breaking the bank. But you almost have me convinced that the Gemini is really worth 2x the price and might even be a long-term amp.

[@PassionforSound]

It's a tough call between the two. Sorry that I didn't make it easier! 😉

[@Ali_Shafai]

Thanks for your great review, as always. I am interested in using this with the MScaler and TT2, along with the Audeze LCD-5. Do you think it will bring in tube characteristics to the sound? And, how would I chain it all together?

[@PassionforSound]

Glad you liked the review! Yes, this will definitely bring some tube character to your setup. All you need to do is take the RCA or XLR output from the TT2 and into the TA-20 Plus and then away you go!

[@Ali_Shafai]

@@PassionforSound I really appreciate you. You’re the best! I’ll give it a try 😀

[@curlmythic]

Like the audio/mic here

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks for letting me know!

[@WorldView22]

I was wondering how would you compare this amp to the Schiit Lyr 3 or the new Lyr + amp?

[@PassionforSound]

I don't have the Lyr+ anymore for a direct comparison, but on pure sound quality I think they're probably quite similar. The Lyr+ has the benefit of running without the tube and being a pre-amp, but the TA-20 Plus is a little nicer to interact with for me.

[@WorldView22]

@@PassionforSound Wow, really? With the right tube the Lyr+ becomes high end, I'm surprised TA-20 Plus can match that performance!

[@PassionforSound]

Without having them here together, I can't really comment on the sound in depth.

[@ianwilliams7740]

Power switch on the back is pretty much a deal breaker for me ...

[@PassionforSound]

Yeah, I'm not a fan either.

[@ianwilliams7740]

@@PassionforSound do you have an idea of what the power drawer on it is when the unit is idle ?

[@PassionforSound]

I don't. Sorry

[@shawnpwatsons1]

So you like this as well or better than Scitt Lyr+ ?

[@PassionforSound]

That's a tough call because I haven't heard them side-by-side. I think both might have their benefits. The Lyr+ is nice with only one tube to worry about and the ability to go full solid state, but the TA-20 Plus is lovely to interact with.

[@shawnpwatsons1]

Just got the Schitt Vali 3. Get your hands on one. I like it better than my Jotenheim 2 @@PassionforSound

[@PassionforSound]

Wow. That's impressive! I'll see what I can arrange.

[@shawnpwatsons1]

It's more solid state like than tube like. I like it as well as my Jotenheim 2 . It now has 100V rails like the Lyr+. Ordered an expensive tube WE396A and that should throw it over the top of the Jotenheim 2 but any regular GE5670 for $30 should be better than the stock tube.@@PassionforSound

[@xray111xxx]

Hmmm, could the TA-20 be my dreamboat?? My Reel to Reel, and Cassette Decks. My DACs? I wondering if the SS stage holding us back. Most likely somebody Op Amps we know nothing about. Hmmm, I like the facilities for my gear. I am still looking the Geshelli Sparko one. I am in no hurry as the more the things come out, the more I am apt to get what I really want. I am patient.

[@PassionforSound]

There are so many great choices out there so it really comes down to deciding exactly what type of sound you are looking for. I do think the A3 Pro is a better pure amp and the future balanced version (E3 Pro?) is also likely to be excellent.

[@techmed-rainer]

Danke!

[@PassionforSound]

Bitte!

[@Dododaler]

HD800 SOUNDS EXCELLENT W THIS AMP!!!

[@PassionforSound]

That would be an excellent pairing

[@jw112mail]

I would love to hear your thoughts on this compared to the xduoo ta-22

[@PassionforSound]

Me too. I've never had the chance to try the TA-22

[@mariothesharkfucker6063]

Do you have any intention of reviewing the GS-X Mini? I'll lend you mine if you can't source one.

[@PassionforSound]

I owned the full sized GS-X for a while so, having experienced that, I don't really feel the need to try the Mini. And that's only because I think it's been surpassed a bit with what's been produced in recent years. I appreciate the offer though. It's a lovely amp - just not one that I can justify putting the time to for a full review process.

[@mariothesharkfucker6063]

Thanks for the informative response. :) You're a very helpful reviewer.@@PassionforSound

[@PassionforSound]

My pleasure. That's always my aim.