Due to the low-output nature of the average record player, a phono-oriented preamp is a necessary addition to just about any vinyl listening setup.The xDuoo MP-01 Tube Headphone Amplifier provides both rich phono amplification and a high-headroom home for your favorite headphones or speakers. First, the phono side of the equation employs two 6N3 front-stage, preamp tubes to bring warmth and nuance that’s likely already present in your record collection Read More
I'm going to take a leap and say that 99% of the cost for this amp is based off the production quality. It looks great, feels great (solid, well made) and works pretty much right out of the box. I wouldn't use it for headphones that run near the high three digits, but I also have a pair of Sennheiser Massdrop headphones and this amp will drive those with pretty much zero problem. Assuming you've paired it with a good DAC, you're going to get crisp, clean, rich sound. All in all, in terms of hardware and function, I have 0 complaints.
However, I won't buy anything manufactured by Xduo. The user card, which at least arrived with the product, was written with a focus on users who speak what I believe is Mandarin. Which is cool, unless you're shipping the product to be sold to a country where Chinese Mandarin isn't the dominant language, in which case you're probably just too cheap to have an alternate set of instructions drawn up. This is because...the Mandarin is large enough that it more or less relegates the other languages to small, cramped sections of the minimalist instruction booklet. So when I'm opening the package and setting everything up, I can barely see a large amount of the instructional information as it is cramped and riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. (Setting up an amp is not inherently difficult, but I like to read the literature that comes with my stuff). None of this would be a problem except......if I need support, I can't make a reasonable assumption that I would be able to communicate effectively with whoever I reach out to for support. If a company does not bother to ship different instructions to different locations based on language, they definitely don't care enough to retain support staff that might be able to speak in a language other than their native one. And if I have to learn a language just to contact support, it will probably be German because I've been giving Sennheiser money for headphones for 2 decades.
But that's the beauty. Around $80 at the time of purchase, the quality of the amp itself makes the cost well worth it and, in two years if it goes out, I won't be that worried about support because I won't be out enough money to get upset, I can just buy something else for the next one.
I have used this both as a preamp and as a headphone amplifier. Obviously it adds color tot he sound but the EQ does the trick and it has the versatility to choose between Moving Magnet and Moving Coild cartridge technologies.
In the images you'll see it paired with a simple Victrola Voyage turntable as that was a gift from my GF and I needed to fully exploit it (and it has a lot more to offer for.higher end systems). You'll also see that I am hooking them directly to the Edifier R2000DB speakers. Since these are active speakers, an amplifier is not necessary (me being a noob I learned that the bad way as I paired it with a FiiO k7 and it was just simply overkill as the speakers amplified the signal a second time and it distorted sound horribly), but surely you'll need an amp for passive speakers.
I paired these also with my HD6XX and the now extinct AKG K7XX, and it powers either of those just fine (not a lot of juice keft tho for either, but I don't wanna have auditory damage)
TL;DR: the MP-01 does the job well and if you can get it discounted, don't doubt and buy it. It drives perfectly well a pair of active speakers (Edifier R2000DB) as well as different cans with enough power to be enjoyed (Sennheiser HD6XX & AKG K7XX)
Paired with TA-22 DAC, this beauty performs superbly out of the box.
All the peripherals are included in the package.
A true Hi-Fi equipment. Highly recommended.
Whether this gets a recommendation is simple: do you expect it to be a good phono pre-amp or a headphone amp (for a record player or anything else)? If the former, you may be pleased. If the latter, look elsewhere. And if you want it to be both? That's where it gets interesting.
I bought this to replace an eyesore of a pre-amp with an LED light that never turns off. This looks (and sounds) a lot better.
From what I understand the tubes here are purely put to use during the phono amplification stage. So don't expect a tube amp sound when using the headphone jack. Rather, you get a somewhat limp, perhaps even anemic sound over headphones.
Any crackle is also a lot more noticeable and distracting over headphones, I've found, in addition to the unexciting sound. (I have a fairly new cartridge and all that, but still. Vinyl is not the cleanest medium). Also worth noting that the headphone amp isn't that powerful (I couldn't find specs for the power output, but I'd estimate it at less than 500mw based on comparisons with other gear).
It'll get headphones loud enough, but it definitely feels underpowered in comparison to a modest 1W desktop amp. I don't think this is a very enjoyable product to listen to with headphones, simply put.
As a pre-amp for speakers it does very well for the price. $60 certainly goes a lot further now than it did in 2014 or so when I bought my first phono pre-amp.
I'm giving it 4 star with the assumption that the primary purpose of the device is to serve as a phono pre-amp, which it does well at a budget price. And the tone controls are great for analogue sources. As are the tubes. It just looks and feels fun. As a headphone amp, it'd be more like a 2.
I was looking at getting the WIIM Amp in the future and need a dedicated Phono Amp which also adds the functionality of a decent headphone amp. This fits the bill and also adds a secondary input.
Rear output are pre-outs on the back (not effected by volume control) and some tone control (which does colour the pre-outs) what’s not to love?
The headphone part is a little underpowered. My Fostex T60RPs have to be run at max volume to get the most out of them but my 6XXs run fine in the middle of the potentiometer band no issues. Faultless for $75.
I like this Amp and have used it with Sennheiser 58X Jubilee Open back headphones and also Koss PortaPro X headphones. The Koss have more pronounced bass with the Sennheiser's being more flat in terms of the driver response. Not sure how well this would work as a Turntable Amp, but I have it hooked up to my Workstation PC and there is not perceptible noise or humming. Great Amp for $58