Drop + xDuoo TA-84 OTL Tube Amp/DAC

Take a look—or a listen—at the last ten years here at Drop, and you’ll notice no shortage of award-winning amplifiers. Despite this decade-long discography, there’s one type of amp we haven’t touched. Now, it’s finally coming down the tube. That’s right: our first all-tube OTL amplifier is here—complete with a rock-solid DAC stage to complete any signal chain. Meet the Drop + xDuoo TA-84 OTL Tube Amp/DAC. Designed to deliver signature tube “warmth” without excess noise, this compact desktop powerhouse utilizes Output Transformerless (OTL) topology to manage signal without a transformer, greatly reducing distortion. For the preamp phase, it features dual ECC-82 tubes; and for the power amp phase, it runs dual EL-84 pentodes—both popular options in the audiophile amplifier space. To hit that sweet spot with any set of headphones (or powered speakers), the TA-84 is also equipped with an ultra-precise stepped potentiometer for volume control, plus a gain switch to further control the output level. On Drop, and on your desk—it’s tube time. Finally.

When a certain analog richness is what you want from your amp, most audiophiles will tell you: there’s no substitute for tubes. Inherent in their cathode amplification is a whole collection of warm, overdriven, and sagging harmonic character. However, when other components are factored in, that harmonic character can quickly compound into noise. For some listeners, this is where the tube fun stops. In those cases, the culprit is often the transformer: a component dedicated to transferring the high impedance, low current, high voltage signal of the tube to the low impedance, high current, low voltage signal required for headphones or speakers. In the TA-84, we solved this problem by using Output Transformerless (OTL) topology to handle this transformation with no transformer. In its place, we implemented xDuoo-designed capacitors in the power amp to do the job. They’re exceptionally quiet and impressively linear—but since they’re outputting from the power tube, which is a relatively high output impedance, they work best with higher impedance headphones. (We recommend pairs with a 100-ohm impedance or higher.) Luckily for you, we’ve got a few great pairs to try. For starters, check out our audiophile mainstays: the Sennheiser HD 6XX and HD 58X.

Beyond its OTL topology, the TA-84 is equipped with a range of components and features to help you achieve the ideal tube-driven listening experience. We’ve already mentioned the tubes—two ECC-82 tubes in the preamp and two EL-84 pentodes in the power amp—both of which are not only highly regarded but also widely used, making them easy to swap between manufacturers. Another performance feature is the stepped potentiometer, which has 21 defined steps (each with a specific value of resistance) to help you achieve unparalleled precision, reliability, and channel balance in your output level. Paired with the gain switch in the back, this potentiometer provides 42 settings to hit the perfect, repeatable setting for your favorite pair of headphones—or powered speakers. Use the TA-84 as a preamp for any power amp or pair of powered speakers, like our BMR1. You can use it for conversion, too, for the headphone and preamp outs—thanks to an onboard ES9018K2M SABRE32 Reference DAC with 32-bit 384-kilohertz PCM sampling rates for seamless playback.

When searching for a collaborator to build our very first all-tube amp, we landed on the brand behind many other brands’ bestselling amplifier designs. It’s xDuoo: an established name in the audiophile space—as both an original design manufacturer (ODM) for a handful of other big audio names, and a manufacturer of its own highly regarded amplifiers, DACs, audio players, and more. With a robust R&D team that’s been raising the bar for accessible audiophile performance since the very beginning, xDuoo has become a go-to choice for both the budget-conscious and the audio-sensitive. Hear why in the new Drop + xDuoo TA-84 OTL Tube Amplifier.