xDuoo TA-30 Tube Headphone amp and DAC

[@Currawong]

Note: I shouldn't have said "power tubes" regarding the ones at the front. The TA-30 is a hybrid amp, with a solid-state output stage, so the front tubes are used for voltage gain.

[@tubefreeeasy]

I love this TA30 amp! I’ve attached Shuguang black treasure 12au7(s) and a Sophia Aqua 274b. I also use high quality cables including my favorite sounding oil filled interconnects found on eBay. I just received a TA22 dac/amp. I added a matching pair of Shuguang Black Treasures again. I hear thickness that the TA30 couldn’t deliver on its own. This really needs another DAC to achieve the greatness this Xduoo amp deserves. Thanks for reviewing this. You can’t have too many tubes…can you? Adding a TA26 crossed my mind but, after knowing the sound I’m getting, I believe I’m reaching my hands out of the rabbit hole.

[@andrepoon]

I bought the xDuoo TA-20. The balanced version of this, with no DAC. Getting a separate DAC for it. Its pretty amazing so far.

[@branco108]

Hi what DAC you got ?

[@heLLicop]

I going to buy also the TA20 with a E50 topping dac

[@heLLicop]

Actually I got the Geshelli J2. Also rymes :-) Nice combo- neutral-warmish sound aignature

[@dirkvanassche7102]

I have a TA-30 since a couple of weeks now and exchanged the tubes with some PSVANE's and it's simply great with my Beyerdynamic DT1990Pro. Agreed with the gain 'problem' but I've set my Audirvana output to -8 dB to compensate for that somewhat. Also it runs really hot. But other than that I can really highly recommend it !

[@kevin26exe]

Are all tube amps run that hot or is it specific with the ta 30?

[@c2far1]

Hi, can you please tell me the exact psvane tubes i need for my TA-30? I want to replace all 3, and where you ordered them from?, I’m very new at all this , but have heard great things about the psvane tubes, thanks again, Tom

[@Bllfrnd]

@@c2far1 the xDuoo uses 5U4/5C3S/5Z3P/274B tubes as rectifier and 12AU7/ECC82/6189/CV4003 tubes for the two pregain tubes. According to users on the Head-fi forum who asked xDuoo and tested it themselves said 12AX7/ECC83 or 12AT7/ECC81 also work, but those alter the sound characteristics.

[@DJ_BROBOT]

I have the TA-03s. I think that amp is good enough for $285...if you pair it with another low cost amp with additional optical, coax and RCA ports..you more than make up for the higher price on this TA-30 .I have the Fiio K5 pro and it with It's hi-res DSD capabilities, It's amazing. Plus good brand new and NOS tubes can be had for a modest price.

[@leskileski]

Have the TA-10. Quite capable DAC amp combo :)

[@indranilmitra6535]

Wow that was a nervous expression at the start!

[@chamade166]

That’s a man with skeletons in the closet!

[@GabrielAntoineBr]

I just received one of these, buying loaded containers and I don’t have any idea what I will do with it. But thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.

[@SHENZHENAUDIO]

Great TA30 review!

[@marlowe1537]

I'm a little confused. JJ ECC82s are preamp tubes, not power tunes, no? My understanding was that the TA-30 was a hybrid amp with solid state power output, so it shouldn't have actual power tubes.

[@arielext]

I have the TA-20 with some philips tubes. They drive my Beyerdynamic T1 with pleasure. Just like the TA-30 they are lush but instead of the TA-30 it's a balanced amp only.

[@ZeddZeeee]

wierdly enough i have this amp and have loved it, but recently noticed the rectifier tube was out, cold to the touch, but it still works, even if i take the whole tube out the sound is the same, im not sure if it sounded different when the tube was operational, but if this is truly vacuum tube rectified device i do not understand how it can operate if the rectifier is no longer working? Maybe the rectifier tube is just for looks im not sure, i am contacting support to get a circut diagram. Other than that its cool, super clear 24-32 bit/352.8k-384kHz truly works but the vacuum tube rectification seems to maybe be snake oil? i will update if i learn more :)

[@Currawong]

I wonder if they've changed something, because the rectifier tube in my review unit most definitely has the heaters on, and without it you don't get properly amplified sound.

[@depauwgerlings]

I think you would really enjoy the AKG K712 Pro. They have an enjoyable sound signature (some say the trebble is peakey but I don't hear it) very nice mids and a nicely layered, wide soundstage, with good imaging. They're also really comfortable and have a unique quality (some other headphones do it too but not as much) that lets you FEEL the not just the bass, but the mids aswell. When the vocalist growls or breaths, you can really feel it in your throat. Like I said, some other headphones do it too, but not as much. It is amp picky though.

[@DJ_BROBOT]

I can't see a dude with the level of cans he has access to using AKG 712 pro. He'd prolly use K812s before anything.

[@Currawong]

I have the K7XX here. I just forget to get them out for reviews.

[@depauwgerlings]

@@Currawong In my opinion the k712 is far superior to the xx

[@SW-rm4dx]

@Currawong Are there any other tube/hybrid amps you've tried under $1,000 that pair better with the Susvara/HE6(se) or other low sensitivity planars?

[@johnsweda2999]

You can get tubes that have solid-state components rectifiers diodes that just swapp in as well. Is it as good as the Feliks Audio headphone amp, about the same price I don't think so you tried one of them yet.

[@igorzkoppt]

I really recommend anyone into hi-fi to learn electronics at least at an essential level. A rectifier can only affect the rest of the audio amplifier if it is not able to cope with the transformer output, and makes the voltage supply lower than it should. That's it. The DC output of any good power supply is flat anyway, thanks to the capacitors and the regulator that (normally) comes after the rectifier. So it does not affect anything else than the voltage output level. It makes no difference whether the rectifier is silicon or valve-base if the resulting voltage output is the same. If changing the valve affects the sound, it means that you just get a different output voltage than expected with the new valve. Essentially, by using a tube as a rectifier, you simply add some randomness at how much voltage is being produced by your power supply due to the variability of tubes, and how slow they sometimes are. For example: Let's say you need 50 volts from your supply. Changing the valve results in producing only 47 volts, which affects the sound. Well yes, but then, just using a standard silicon-based 47 volts power supply will have exactly the same effect (assuming they have the same current capacity and are properly designed to avoid interference). Adding a valve only makes things more complicated, by introducing significant power consumption, a lot of heat, the variability of valves from the same model etc.. Essentially, any 20 cents bridge rectifier based on semiconductor diodes will work better than any tube rectifier: faster reaction, insignificant power consumption, very little heat generated (as long as it has the correct specs - but most basic rectifiers can easily cope with 400 or 600 volts anyway). The only reason for opting for a valve rectifier is aesthetic. Sorry!

[@bbalestier]

Thank you Sir... 🙏

[@pspdeepti]

Hello Sir, I'm new to Tube amps, I've only had a Little Bear B4x in the past. I love the depth in the sound stage that tubes introduced to my setup, but the noise was very high so couldn't use it plus I think I would have loved more of that tubey sound. So, I want to try a very good tube amp for that really tubey sound and I can manage even if the amp doesn't produce enough power, if that reduces its price, as I can use it as a preamp in my current setup with a DIY RJM Sapphire amp, if needed. I don't need a dac as I already own Topping D90. Can you suggest the best amp for less than $1000 that can provide the most tubey sound with/without other features like power, dac, Bluetooth etc?

[@c2far1]

Hi, thanks for the great review. I just ordered this unit and now? You have me quite excited to get my hands on it . I wanted to ask you about tubes. Could you tell me some brands and models i can try with it? I’m not on any budget but i also don’t want a stack of tubes laying around either(lol). I like listening to Jazz, Classical and some 70’s pop and rock, I JUST received my pair of Sen. 6xx and have a pair of Grado RS2e’s in the mail, are there another pair of headphones you would suggest? Also, are IEM’s ok to use with it? I’m falling in love with this whole new audio world i stepped into,,,,,thanks again and stay safe , Tom

[@lisyachy]

Hi, can you share your experience with this dac/hp-amp? Any problems? Do you use it with stock tubes? Thanks!

[@m3g4byte]

For the price, what does this amp offer over a Little Dot MkIII or Darkvoice (aside from a lackluster DAC)? Does it sound better?

[@soundknight]

Gut shots would be good. Have you tried Eric Mcchanson amplifiers (made in Sydney)?

[@RobertSpitzer]

Thank you.

[@drsedo8715]

Hi there! I'm looking to get my first headphone setup, I really fancy a tube amp setup but i want something budget friendly. I have a computer with optical out and i thought a good setup could be the Schiit Modi coupled to the schiit Vali with the Massdrop AKG K7XX headphones. My main use will be jazz, rock, classical & to connect it to my ps4 to game, as it also has optical out. Do you think this set up is worth it? Or is there anything you would change or add to get the most out of my money? Maybe invest more on headphones might be really worth it? What do you think?Thanks!!

[@billedifier8584]

Burson Audio gear sounds good I think.

[@JohnDoe-bf1fw]

build it yourself

[@Nightjar726]

How does this compare to the Chord Mojo? I recently got the dragonfly Cobalt and was disappointed. Has width to the sound but had very little depth and punch. Any suggestions on getting a great sound for headphones in a preferably DAC headphone amp combo? Under $1000. Thanks ! Btw I have the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro headphones.

[@Currawong]

The Mojo by itself drives headphones pretty well. It also makes a good DAC to a headphone amp of choice, so you could readily do a

[@paulcathcart7896]

Dear Curranwong man! I have two questions I hope you can help me with. 1: what does Currawong mean? 2: for my audeze LCD2c would this be a suitable dac amp combo or would I be better with a schiit modi multinit , drop thx aaa combo? Please help! I have no idea and don’t want to waste my money on the wrong thing. I listen to Pearl jam and tori amos. Big thanks, Paul

[@Currawong]

A Currawong is an Australian bird. Other than that: hear.audio/faq

[@privateaccount9535]

So based on what you are saying, you wouldnt recommend buying topping d90 to improve the sound, cause it is not worth it?

[@Currawong]

Yup. I'd get a dedicated tube amp and dedicated DAC.

[@privateaccount9535]

@@Currawong sorry for not clarifying earlier. Let's say i bought the ta-30, will adding external dac in the future like topping d90 or denafrips ares 2 make the sound noticebly better? Im rocking iBasso dx160 and iBasso Sr2 for now, but Im interested in this ta-30. I absolutely love the sound coming from this iBasso combo, am i looking in the good departament of improvement considering ta-30? :D Or what would you recommend testing? Give or take the price of ta-30

[@privateaccount9535]

@@Currawong and what dedicated tube amp would you get for this price range? Similar sound signature as ta-30

[@branco108]

Hi im a newbie in Hifi :) have plan to buy Sennheiser HD600 with this amp and listen to FLAC music from notebook. (In future i wish to bought HD800s) can someone reccomend me this setup or should i get something else? I do some research and everyone said this amp sound "silky". I mainly listen to metal music thanks for advice

[@branco108]

What is different between this and for example Marantz HD-DAC1 thanks

[@teddyrogersau]

The HD600's are neutral headphones and will benefit the most from a tube amp, much more so than the HD800's.

[@kevin26exe]

Will this be a good pair with he1000 v1 and lcd 2 fazors?

[@clanman011]

what's the best dac you've used for your CA andromedas

[@Currawong]

The Chord Hugo 2.

[@jekken333]

Tempting, I'm not sure if it suits my HEDDphone though.

[@igorcosta8559]

How hard is it for you to get stuff sent to Japan for review? You have considerably less subscribers than someone like Zeos, but I'd rather watch your videos instead. I wonder how far you could go if you managed to review a ton lot of audio products. (not even sure if that's what you are aiming for though, as this could very well be a side job and I'd have no idea)

[@Currawong]

Depends on the company. Some, send over gear with either them, or me asking, regardless of whether they have a local distributor or not. Some insist on using their local distributor, who may not be happy to help someone not doing reviews in Japanese, making it unnecessarily stressful. Some local distributors are good with me and happily lend me anything I ask for. Then there is Sony, for whom I'm nobody, and I can only borrow stuff if I ask an engineer to lend me a unit, unofficially, or a friend has bought one and will lend it to me, which is how I did the IER-Z1R.

[@seanjoe1704]

I thought you are chinese.. I often read your comments in headfi forum. My friend name Awong and he is chinese.

[@hectorg.7282]

How does the amp compare to a Dark Voice, is it worth spending the extra money? You can tell me how it sounds all day long, but what does it compare to so we can get a baseline.

[@DJaquithFL]

Just some polite feedback. Unfortunately I have really good hearing and the amount of background noise pulled my attention away the entire time.

[@DJaquithFL]

.. I'm looking at this, their TA-30, and the TA-10R for my gaming PC paired with a Sennheiser 6XX. CPU-Z JJU8GT

[@WillTheSage]

:)