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Drop + xDuoo TA-84 OTL Tube Amp/DAC

$349

~~$399~~

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Drop + xDuoo TA-84 OTL Tube Amp/DAC

Name: Drop + xDuoo TA-84 OTL Tube Amp/DAC
Brand: Drop + xDuoo
SKU: drop-xduoo-ta-84-otl-tube-amp-dac
Price: 349 USD
Availability: PreOrder
Rating: 3.666667 (6 reviews)

$349

~~$399~~

3 months left

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Customer Reviews

3.7

(6 reviews)

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peterlask

114

Feb 1, 2024

Verified Buyer

Great Amplifier with Competitive Technicalities

Dear friends here is a summary of my review which is available in ichos-reviews and Headfi. Non Audio Stuff The Drop + xDuoo TA-84 amplifier has an oblong, rectangular shape, measuring 26.8x16.3x11.6 cm, so it is quite tall but also narrow and compact enough to fit virtually anywhere as long as you have enough height clearance. The chassis has a full aluminum alloy construction with a smooth black finish and is exceptionally well made without sharp edges or corners. The design is simple and minimalistic, this is a classic tube amplifier, the tubes are positioned at the front part and the power transformer is encapsulated in a box at the back. All four tubes are freely accessible and they are very easy to replace. The front panel is plain and clean, the volume control knob is located at the center and underneath there is a status red LED and the 6.35mm headphone jack. Everything else is at the back; AC input plug, power on/off switch, voltage selector switch, USB type-C input, RCA line input, RCA preamp output as long as gain and input selector switches. The amplifier has a soft start feature that allows about two minutes of tube warm time before it switches on. Operation is pretty simple, you can either use the line input with your favorite source or the onboard USB DAC without the need to install drivers. Power output The rated output power is 44mW/100Ω, 83mW/300Ω and 93mW/600Ω. These numbers might look low and underwhelming but don't pay attention. This is an OTL amplifier that produces the great voltage swing that is needed for driving high impedance headphones. The xDuoo TA-84 is very powerful when it comes to such loads and can drive all high impedance headphones without breaking a sweat. I have tested the amplifier with the Sennheiser HD8XX (300Ω), Sennheiser HD660S2 (300Ω), Sennheiser HD650 (300Ω) and the iBasso SR3 (150Ω). The amplifier literally blew them away, it drove all of them with excellent dynamics and surplus of headroom at just ¼ of the volume range at the high gain setting. The amplifier has a low noise floor, it is not dead silent but you have to raise the volume above middle to start listening to some tube hiss and transformer noise. There is no point in discussing the behavior with low impedance, high sensitivity headphones since the xDuoo TA-84 is not made for them. Stock tubes The stock ECC82 and EL84 tubes that are included in the package are from the Psvane classic series but they seem to be OEM made for bulk production without thorough quality inspection and any kind of matching. Both the ECC82 tubes that came with the review sample were very microphonic and one of them was also defective as it produced heavy background hissing noise. The power tubes were good but in the end I have decided to replace all four of them. Both types of tubes are quite common, they are currently produced by all known manufacturers and they are not too expensive. After checking prices and availability, I decided to order matched pairs of JJ Electronic tubes for both the ECC82 and EL84 variants. After replacing the tubes, the amplifier became silent without producing background hiss or microphonic noise and worked just fine. Furthermore, the JJ EL84 power tubes proved to be more dynamic, controlled and technically potent than the stock ones so I suggest that you should do some tube rolling to get the most out of the amplifier.

Audio stuff The sonic performance of the xDuoo TA-84 is really great, this is an amazing little amplifier with a favorable and immensely enjoyable sound character that combines plenty of tube magic with very competitive technicalities that are easily comparable with solid state amplifiers of the same category. The sound is slightly warm, rich and harmonious with great musicality and an incredibly analog character. The timbre is natural, organic and realistic, all acoustic instruments and voices are reproduced with an extremely lifelike manner, the most colorful harmonies and varied overtones. The xDuoo TA-84 amplifier has a modern way of thinking when it comes to its tube implementation. The audio circuit is designed as neutral as possible without adding much coloration to the sound or altering the linearity of the measured frequency response. This is not like some old tube amplifiers that used to mess with frequency response, mute the treble or boost the mids and the bass to make the music sound syrupy, warm, blurry, hazy and slow without much control and definition. Technicalities are kept solid and very competitive, the xDuoo TA-84 is a neutral and linear sounding amplifier without compromising in treble extension and clarity. The sound is sparkling and energetic with great definition and excellent detail retrieval for such a type of an amplifier. The bass is fast, tight and controlled with good layering and the mid-range is spacious, present and well defined without any significant coloration. So, someone would ask what's all the fuss about tubes? Well, what really happens is that the tubes have the ability to mostly enhance even harmonics throughout the whole frequency range, making for a pleasing and smooth sound with analog-like characteristics and plenty of musicality. They add extra weight to the low-end which is visceral and full bodied while maintaining great dynamics and physical impact. Full bodied and weighty are also the mid and higher frequencies so the sound is very cohesive without exhibiting any kind of weight loss in the treble. The decay is natural, the notes fade away in a timely manner, not too fast or too slow and are finely sculptured with a holographic relief. There are solid state amplifiers of the same price category that are definitely more technical sounding, with better transparency and clarity, deeper detail retrieval and more impactful bass but none of them can match the inherent musicality, the harmonious nature and the music fluidity of the xDuoo TA-84. No competitive solid state amplifier is as visceral and full sounding as the Drop + xDuoo TA-84 and only few of them can match the holographic properties of its soundstage. The soundstage is amazingly open and spacious, both expanded and deep with largish images. You can certainly find several solid state amplifiers that can surpass the xDuoo TA-84 in imaging precision and positioning accuracy but no one of them can sound more holographic and majestic. The DAC The onboard DAC is crystal clear, linear and transparent so it pairs well with the plethoric nature of the amplifier. Very good and satisfying performance to boot up or when funds are limited but honestly, the xDuoo TA-84 scales incredibly well and you are going to do much better with a high quality, external source. Conclusion The xDuoo TA-84 might be Drop’s first all-tube, OTL headphone amplifier but I think that is their best sounding product thus far. Musical, engaging and analog sounding, this is a great amplifier with competitive technicalities, great tube rolling potential and plenty of power to drive all high Z headphones. Well made and sturdy, with a high quality onboard DAC and preamplifier output, the Drop + xDuoo TA-84 represents an excellent value and is one of the best OTL amplifiers you can buy without the need to break the bank. Actually, given the current offerings in the market, you will have to spend at least double the money in order to get something marginally better than the xDuoo TA-84 so I would suggest you hurry and get one while it is still available.

Recommends this product? Yes

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jchandy

107

Dec 22, 2023

Verified Buyer

Phenomenal with High Impedance Headphones

Pairs exceptionally well with both the 300-ohm HD660S2 and the 250-ohm DT770 Pro headphones. It outperforms my Asgard 3 with the ES9028 DAC module when paired with these headphones. The TA-84 provides a smoother, more euphonic sound, and while it may introduce some coloration, it still maintains a natural sound profile when used with the HD660S2. It reduces the sharpness of the highs on the DT770, making it a more enjoyable listening experience. It offers decent power output on high gain. There is some noticeable noise when no music is playing, possibly due to its placement under a widescreen monitor surrounded by various electronic devices on the desk. However, this noise is not noticeable when music is playing. As such for me this is a non issue. Amazing natural full bodied mids, a tight and full low end, clean sweet and non-fatiguing highs, and surprisingly fast response. Notes have a nice weight to them. The soundstage is somewhat natural, albeit leaning towards an intimate feel—not pushed out unnaturally like some sources I've heard, but not a tiny stage either. Overall, the sound is almost too good to be true for its price range for my preferences. Overall, the TA-84 is an exceptional amplifier, and an impressive all in one. One that is well suited to high impedance headphones. My only wish is that the power button were located on the front panel, or that the volume knob could turn off the amp when turned to zero, similar to certain Fiio products.

(Edited)

Recommends this product? Yes

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HighlanderMcMullen

Dec 19, 2023

Verified Buyer

A Great Desktop Tube Amp

Not had this long, but I am really enjoying the tube flavour this puts on my music, and as others have stated goes great with my HD58X and HD6XX.

Recommends this product? Yes

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sanderheide

Jan 16, 2024

Verified Buyer

Terrible static/humming

Update: Support has been very helpful and a replacement unit is on its way. Getting blasted with a constant humming in my ears, regardless of which input I'm using. I've contacted support and my review will be changed if the issue gets resolved. But as it stands currently, I cannot give this product more than 1 star.

(Edited)

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NotAlwaysATroll

Jan 27, 2024

That should be considered unacceptable. There are proper, nearly standardized ways to reduce interference. There is a reason this amp was delayed almost two months.

(Edited)

collin123

Mar 30, 2024

sanderheideWas the replacement better?

Vote

Drn10n

Mar 20, 2024

Verified Buyer

Sounds great, troublesome DAC

Love the rich and creamy sound signature, pairs great with the HD600 and love it as a preamp for my desktop speakers. The problem is that getting the USB C DAC to work is a real hassle. It needs to warmup for like half an hour, and me to switch the power on and off a few times until it works. In conclusion, I would get it as a preamp sourced through a dedicated DAC.

Recommends this product? Yes

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Sonido

Mar 21, 2024

Drn10nYou might want to get in touch with customer support. For me it works after 20 seconds or so. You hear a distinct click (just from standing nearby without headphones plugged in) and it's ready to go. Unless you're under the belief that the DAC needs longer to warm up to deliver optimal sound, which is not true since it's entirely solid state.

collin123

Mar 30, 2024

Verified Buyer

It has too many issues

The biggest issue it has is there's a hum that plays through the headphones. It hums even with nothing but a power cord and headphones connected to it. The only way I could mitigate it is pushing down the preamp tubes. After pushing them both down, it got much quieter, but was still there. It would come back once I quit pushing them. Another issue is the volume knob had a ton of friction, so it was really hard to turn. It had a rubbery feeling when turning it, like it was turning against a rubber piece. Another issue about the volume knob is channel imbalance. This may be related to the friction when turning it. When I'd turn the volume down, it would usually be quiet on one side. I would have to turn it down one notch then back up to get them to be balanced again. This was much worse on the lowest 15 or so percent of the volume dial, but it happened everywhere. My unit also had an issue with the input selector switch. When I'd have it set to one input, I could sometimes hear sound from the other input. The sound from the other input was slightly muffled, but it was very audible. I even used it for like 10 or 15 minutes with it on the wrong input at one point, and I didn't even know. I just figured the recording I was listening to had an issue. Switching to the other input then back would fix it. My next complaint is one that has affected all the tube amps I have tried, but I'll mention it here too. When it turns on, it makes a loud pop. It also does it when you change the input. The last issue I had with this unit is the tubes seemed very microphonic. Both sets of tubes are affected but the preamp tubes are much worse. I first noticed this when I accidentally touched one while I was wearing headphones plugged into it. I think this may be related to the humming I talked about in my first complaint. It's so sensitive to noise, moving slightly would sometimes cause a pingy tube noise from the slight movement of the headphone wire plugged into the amp. A nitpick is it's really loud. Xduoo amps always seem to be loud, and it's no different here. Be careful when using it. I ended up returning mine. I was excited for this amp to come out, and I waited months for it, so I was disappointed that it had these flaws. If they fix these flaws, or if you get a unit without them, I think this would be a good amp. Edit: I should also say I was using HD600 and HD6XX headphones.

(Edited)

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