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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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Frequently bought together:

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Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX Headphones

q&a42

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Jazz1

Sep 19, 2023

Any idea if these could drive a Dan Clark Aeon 2 Noir closed headphones?

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daveysprocketbrew

Sep 26, 2023

This one in particular says right in the details that it is not suited for planars, yet people with planars will buy it then complain that it sounds like crap. The same happened for the TA-03s.

emstaple

Dec 11, 2023

Jazz1I own a pair of DCA Aeon 2 Noir and received the amp yesterday. Can confirm while it sounds "alright" with the DCA if you aren't listening to anything too "intense", particularly stuff with lots of bass, it craps out in the majority of music I listen to (Pop, EDM, Rock). If you listen to something like XENA by Skrillex which has a TON of bass, you'll hear tons of distortion even before it's to the drop. There's absolutely no issues with my Focal Clears on this or any song I've tried, and the DCA is fine on my existing setup otherwise, so it isn't something wrong in the chain or amp itself. That's just one example to make it extremely apparent, but you notice it with most other music and overall I'd say you're wasting your money since you aren't getting the best out of the amp or the headphones. So I'd 10/10 recommend just getting a Topping, SMSL, or other similarly priced solid state (or hybrid tube) amp if you'll only have one and it's for the Noire. It's relatively well known that many (but not all) OTL tube amps aren't a good match for planars, and mentioned in the description this is most likely the case. I'm just writing this comment to confirm first hand that specifically with this set of headphones, it isn't a good fit, and you absolutely SHOULD NOT buy this solely for the Aeon 2 Noire (and I'd assume all variants of the Aeon at least). For context, my existing setup before receiving this is an SMSL M500 + Monolith Liquid Platinum and it has more than enough power for planars and basically anything else I throw at it! I'll be keeping that for these DCA headphones and for the very different sound signature it provides (more treble leading to more "spacious" sound vs. this warmer new amp). But the added warmth and other characteristics I'm still learning about as I use this with the Clears is something I'm really enjoying, so I'm optimistic that it'll be a nice permanent companion for myself :) best of luck whatever you end(ed) up with!

Fayne

2587

Dec 6, 2023

Amp arrived and I can safely say this one is a winner. I'll need more time to decide if I like it better than the other xDuoo OTL amps, but I'm definitely happy with it so far. The stock tubes are good enough that I don't feel the immediate need to replace them, and the high gain mode is making my HD660S2 very happy. This Yosi Horikawa track is a really nice way to show off what this thing can do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CuJqtNdcJU

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Fayne

2587

Dec 7, 2023

It is way more euphonic than the Jotunheim 2, Ragnarok 2, Mjolnir 3, Lyr+ (in solid state mode), 789 AAA, or HO150x. Not as accurate as any of them, but highly pleasant. I'm getting a really nice thick sound out of it. The bottom end has a bit of extra kick to it (like I find with most OTL not named Valhalla 2). When the bass and lower treble hits, you don't just hear it, you feel it. This thing has no problems making the Sennheiser cans extremely loud. For my musical preference of Rock, Metal, and Techno, the 660S2 are really pairing well. It seems to pull the sound stage a bit closer, but that may be the gain switch being in high. I need to spend more time breaking in the tubes, but it definitely satisfies my need for tube sound. I also need to try out my other high Ω cans, but I kinda got sucked into how good it sounds with the 660S2.

jchandy

107

Dec 7, 2023

FayneThank you for sharing your experience. Sounds like an immense pairing!

a1tered5tate

Dec 13, 2023

Long time tube amp hobbyist here, so I was eagerly awaiting mine to arrive! I've repaired/modified/designed/built amps with all the popular tubes and am quite familiar with the sound of each, and their drive characteristics - from EL84, EL34, 6L6, 2A3, 300B, 6550, KT66 thru KT150, 211, 845 = annoyed spouse lol. When I saw an OTL design with an EL-84, I was perplexed given its rather high Z output, but also excited to hear how it would be executed, given Drop's reputation for spotting hits. And I'm floored - all the speed and crystalline highs are there, sweet mids, and surprisingly tight and full bass. I couldn't build this for less and have such a clean retro-modern aesthetic - gotta love mass production :) Got these for an office setup with cube neighbors, so closed-back cans only. Paired to DT 770 Pro 250ohm. Prior daily rig is Schiit Modi MultiBit -> Drop Cavalli Tube Hybrid (sometimes swapped with Drop AAA 789) -> MrSpeakers (Dan Clark) Aeon Flow Closed. The DT770 / TA-84 combo is rather synergistic and very good for the money - together they cost about what I paid for the Aeon Closed alone. Hum and hiss aren't noticeable given an office environment, but the RF noise is - about 3ft away from the laptop or phone seems to do the trick. The bass is much deeper (~27Hz, then drops off quickly) and fuller than with the planar setup above, and has a similar bass tilt as HD600/DarkVoice 336SE setup at home. Transients aren't off by too much, and are extended enough to hear 192kHz vs 48Khz sampling rate differences. Has all the euphonic EL84 speed, that I previously reserved only for > 99dB sensitivity monkey coffin speakers, and now available on my desktop. Amazing. There's some JAN Philips 12AU7 that I think would work well here, maybe RCA Clear tops too. NOS EL-84 could be a fun (but expensive) swap, but probably much later on. First test is to run the Mimby, bypassing the internal DAC, but I've been enjoying it as-is and not done any tweaks yet... that says something. Great job to the whole team for taking this to market - here's wishing you another hit!

Dec 19, 2023

a1tered5tateI plan to swap in a pair of original Telefunken 12AU7 to see how they change things. Wanted to let the stock tubes get a few weeks of use before doing any tube rolling.

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a1tered5tate

Jan 10, 2024

@datbaguetdoe , I just compared it to a Schiit Modi Multibit running through a stepped attenuator. The frequency extremes are definitely better with the TA-84. Bass is more extended and defined. Treble is also more extended because of the higher sampling rate. The midrange is subtly different between the two, with the Mimby sounding more euphonic and laid-back, and the TA-84 having better transients, sounds 'faster' and also quite liquid sounding. Quite an upgrade! I wouldn't hesitate using the TA-84 as a tube preamp.

1-T-O-M

Oct 15, 2023

I think I’ll pass on this one. I own other XDuoo tube/hybrid stuff and overall I’ve been happy with all. I simply can’t make myself want anymore rear switch laden components. I am too old with a severely screwed up back. Placing common settings in the rear has always seemed to be an unnecessary nuisance unless you include a remote to switch these settings too. I would prefer to do without the additional expense of remote and simply put the input and output settings on the easily accessible front panel.

(Edited)

daveysprocketbrew

Oct 20, 2023

1-T-O-MYou bring up a good point. Not sure why manufacturers aren't listening to consumers on this topic. Seems an easy fix for them.

Fayne

2587

Oct 20, 2023

1-T-O-MI can live with the source and gain switches being on the back. I'm about never going to be touching those once I get the amp setup the first time. High gain and RCA input, done. The part that bugs the crud out of me is the power switch being at the ingress instead of the front. I do not enjoy the scalding feel of vacuum tube on skin when powering gear off. Lots of shops (especially Schiit) do that and it just sucks. At some point I got sick of it and picked up some cheapish power sequencers from Monoprice with front facing master switches. It might not be the best solution, but it definitely makes things easier. Flip the switch and my DAC turns on, then my mixer and/or preamp(s), followed by amp(s), all with a few second delay so there are no surge current or popping issues as everything powers up. It might not have a remote, but that switch is mighty easy to actuate with cane, and that is a helluva lot less painful than getting on hands and knees to reach behind rack to turn gear on.

Ike4948

Dec 13, 2023

I received my DAC yesterday. I've been really excited to get it as this is my first time using one. I even bought a pair of ATH-R70x headphones to go with it. And Oh. My. God. Is it worth it. The first thing I listened to was my favorite song "The Quiet" by Imogen Heap. I almost cried it sounded so good. When I get home from work tonight, I plan on listening to Beethoven's 9th Symphony. I can't wait. I might have to get another DAC for the office. I don't know if I can go back to digital sound. Although, it might be nice to have it be retreat for when I'm home.

T.Fernandez

801

Collabs

Dec 13, 2023

Ike4948The R70x is an excellent headphone pair with the TA-84. We used one during the development to test with since it was a highly synergistic pairing. Glad you are enjoying so far.

(Edited)

Fcpchop

Sep 27, 2023

I'm quite interested in pre-ordering to pair with my Senn HD600s as I've always wanted an OTL Tube amp to pair with them, but I'm concerned the power output won't be enough. I also don't necessarily need a DAC. I wonder if I should look into something else, any opinions?

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johnnygolden4

Oct 6, 2023

Hey, I've had a little dot mkii for ages and have no complaints. Has driven HD600's and other headphones I've thrown at it with ease. Even drives my Beyerdynamic T1 Gen 2's nicely, and those have a bizarre impedance that peaks at over 900 ohms! Only thing, is the stock preamp tubes suck so it would definitely be worth checking out some others (although the same is true of most off the shelf tube amps)

Fcpchop

Oct 6, 2023

johnnygolden4Thank you, I appreciate your response.

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Zorbz

Sep 21, 2023

Price just went up $30. Was $299 yesterday when I preordered.

Jyri_Drop

455

Outreach

Sep 29, 2023

ZorbzAs we wrote on the product page: "Early bird $299 price available until the end of launch day 9/19/2023, after that price will go up to $329 for the next 7 days. After that, preorder price $349 will be available until end of the first run."

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tuhoang

Sep 27, 2023

How does this compare to xDuoo TA-30? I just got the TA-30 and saw this and I am not sure if I should return to get this since it's much cheaper. The cans I have are Sennheiser HD 660S and Sennheiser HD 800S. Thanks!

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Fayne

2587

Sep 27, 2023

tuhoangThe TA-84 is likely to sound better on the Sennheiser and other high Ω cans, but the TA-30 has more power and wider range of compatibility with low Ω stuff like planar. It really comes down to if you want your signal staying pure tube and having limited headphone compatibility, or if you want it traversing a hybrid topology (tube input, transistor output) and being usable with most every headphone on the market. Personally I'd just get both, and have choice in tube amplification flavors. Mind, I practically need a dedicated room for all of my tube amps, so I might not be the best person to listen to. 😅

Davesworld

Dec 12, 2023

tuhoangThe TA-30 has tubes for the driver stage but the output is solid-state class A. The TA-30 also has plenty of digital inputs and a much better control layout. The TA-84 is tube throughout and of course, uses no output transformers which is fine for high impedance headphones as output transformers exist solely to drop the impedance. If it had the inputs and the control layout of the TA-30 I would not hesitate to buy this yesterday. The lack of inputs and control layout is why it is so inexpensive I am sure. The TA-84 only has USB as a digital input and even at that, the switch is on the rear. What I want is a TA-30 with the TA-84 OTL output stage instead of the solid-state output stage of the TA-30. My Topping DX-7 Pro already satisfies the solid-state side of the house. The TA-30 is pseudo-tube so without a tube output stage it's not tubey enough to buy as a tube amp. Come on Xduoo! Make something like the TA-30 with an OTL tube output rather than solid state output.

dodads

Dec 10, 2023

From a guy that comes from Soundblast X4, are these any good? Or shall I spring for a schiit stack?

(Edited)

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dodads

Dec 19, 2023

Thanks for the reply. If I understand you correctly, I can use all the X4 goodness like S X-Fi, SBX Surround, EQ etc while driving with the TA-84 amp which would give me a Tube Amp signature to my headphones? Any Idea what kinda cables I would require to do that with? Never done this kind of thing before, never used anything apart from Creative USB sound cards. I also have a HD800s on the way too.

Fayne

2587

Dec 19, 2023

dodadsA simple 3.5mm TRS to RCA cable should do it. The X4 has a bunch of line-out ports on the back for use with powered 7.1 speakers or external amplifiers, you'd want to use the one labeled front. You may need to toggle the button for line/hp, but that is a guess on my part. The above link is to an example at monoprice. May not be the best cable, but should give an idea of what you need.