Audiophilepure

With 4 ultra-low distortion precision linear feedback circuits, a custom ultra-low noise power supply, and Texas Instruments capacitors, the DAC is advertised as “noiseless, or almost”. On paper, the SMSL DO200 should be able to match, my Cayin iDAC-6 which remains my personal choice in this price range.

Yet, the “piece of resistance” remains the fully-balanced circuitry. I couldn’t open this device as I didn’t have my iFixit kit at the moment, but from the official pics, you can easily see how clean the build is: blackboard, symmetrical supply lines, topped up by capacitors perfectly aligned and ready to work.

The Loxjie D30 can be controlled with the integrated volume wheel or the included remote controller. Both of those options are easy to use. It is very simple to use and access the menus and navigate through them. The remote control provides some additional features such as muting the device with one tap and toggling on the pairing state, etc. It is slightly faster to use included remote control so I recommend you throw in some batteries in it and use it to navigate through the menus. The UI is super nice and simple and it looks identical to SMSL’s S & M series. There are a lot of options on the menu and I’ll list them here, for you. For starters, you have the option to choose input & output, you can select a PCM filter out of three available filters (fast linear, slow minimum & minimum phase), you can toggle on the PRE-mode or DAC mode (vol-fixed), you can clear Bluetooth pairing list, you can toggle on the dimmer and adjust its timer, you can change the brightness of the device’s screen. Apart from that, during the playback, the screen provides vital info such as the decode details, sample rate, MQA status, active output, and input, plus the volume level.

Flipping around to the back, there’s a pair of matching single-ended and balanced XLR inputs and outputs, while the panel on the left-hand side can be configured to suit the input requirement of the owner. Because I was able to review the Schiit Asgard 3 with their Multibit DAC input, and because I also have a review unit of Schiit’s own Bifrost 2 DAC in the house, I chose to tick the ‘phono card’ option on this review sample of the Jotunheim 2, which adds 42dB of gain to moving magnet cartridges, and features passive RIAA equalisation. Now I am more than a little bit “into” vinyl listening, but I was also curious to see how Schiit’s phono module performed, and how a phono-equipped Jotunheim 2 might pair with the Bifrost 2 to create a Voltron-like uber digital/analogue control hub for one’s desktop, or even two-channel hifi setup. 

The Head-Space is not for everybody as it is made to order in small quantities, it is designed for the listener who is looking for the best. Dana can custom design one for you specifically for your needs and give you a one-of-a-kind experience. If you are looking for the best in amplification for headphones and speaker amps the Head-Space will not disappoint.

Congratulations to Dana for creating one of the world’s best designs.  After five years of research and countless hours, Dana has completed his Head-Space amplifier and it’s a rock star. An awesome amplifier that always delivers exceptional musicality. Highly recommended.

This is the biggest difference compared to the TA-10 and TA-20, the xDuoo TA-26 solely relies on tube amplification. It’s not a hybrid system, where the tube is paired with transistors, the xDuoo TA-26 goes all the way. One 6N8P for pre-amplification for ‘exquisite and sweet voice” plus one 6N5P tube for the buffer to provide a “soft and charming” render.

To feed the amp, xDuoo uses a metal polyester film capacitor, ELNA SILMIC(II) ones, all tested to match the capacitance of duct output. The brand advertises “transparent and sweet sound”, coupled with “smooth and warm sound” thanks to the main filter capacitance, provided by NICHICON this time.

 is small and light. For the form and factor, this may be the most powerful amplifier in sub 200, maybe 300 USD bracket. The amp can dish out 1w into a 32Ω load. This means that the amp is quite powerful and it can feed 90% of the headphones on the market. It also has two gain options, 1x and 4.5x. It also has preamp outputs. You can seamlessly plug your active speakers into the Atom+ and control their volume.

It is also as silent as it gets and has a very low output impedance of just 0.7 ohms. It matches with my multi-driver IEMs without any issues. The noise floor is ridiculously low and I can’t hear any hiss, even with highly sensitive IEMs in my possession. The custom-made potentiometer with hand-matched gangs offers a much better channel balance compared to the previous Atom Amp generation. The Atom line is focused on sheer performance and performance only. JDS aimed for a no-BS amplifier that is easy to operate, hella powerful, and compact. Under hundred dollars, it was crazy at the end of 2018, it is still crazy in 2021. 

https://www.hifinews.com/content/spl-phonitor-xe-dacheadphone-amp

With more intimate recordings, such the Oyster Duo’s Stolen Pearls [Channel Classics CCS 43121; DXD], the ‘zoom’ effect of this control was more comical than satisfying. More useful here was a little increase of crossfeed, dependent on the ‘phones used, to create a more speaker-like impression of an ‘out of the head’ sonic image.

More likely to be set and then left are the two DIP switches built into the underside of the chassis which are marked 1 and 2. Switch 1 increases the gain of the headphone amp, while switch 2 increases the gain (sensitivity) of the analogue line input. I’d suggest these are best left in their ‘off’ position unless you have a line source with a truly feeble output. Moreover, the Phonitor xe has a prodigious output capability, particularly with high impedance headphones, in no small part due to its proprietary VOLTAiR op-amps that operate at a very high voltage.

With this extra headroom on tap, those DIP switch boosters really won’t be needed. I found the Phonitor xe more than capable of driving cleanly well beyond the pain level even with these switches ‘off’.