Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions$710
$71091% would recommend to a friend 
xDuoo TA-30 Tube Headphone Amplifier + DAC
$599
01 / 08
xDuoo TA-30 Tube Headphone Amplifier + DAC
bookmark_border
$599
Ready to Ship
●
Members who purchase earn
599
Drop Rewards
Frequently bought together:
Customer Reviews
4.6
(36 reviews)
5star(26)
4star(6)
3star(3)
2star(0)
1star(1)
search
close
Images
keyboard_arrow_downSort by: Top Reviews
keyboard_arrow_downMLaff
25
Sep 23, 2021
Dan’s Audio ReviewsI'm trying to purchase the large rectifier tube however I'm a tad lost. IS there anyway you can put the link up for this item that you referenced in your review? I'd be eternally grateful. Mike
Dan’s Audio Reviews
99
Sep 24, 2021
MLaffThis is the exact one I ordered.
https://etsy.me/3AJHylC
You may need to look around for another rectifier with similar identifiers or model numbering.
wahyzcrak
26
Dec 20, 2022
checkVerified Buyer
Great Sounding DAC/AMP with Easy Setup
Disclaimer:
I am just a guy who likes listening music and these are just my thoughts coming from a beginner in the realm of audiophile products.
I have always enjoyed music and appreciate high quality production and music that really stimulates the senses with a complete profile, but I never really bought into a lot of the hype around buying expensive audio equipment simply for listening to music. I look at the specs of the built in DAC on the computers I build and in most cases the exceed the specifications of whatever listening device I am using so I always thought that it wouldn't make a noticeable difference to spend a lot of money (I do not buy cheap chipsets when I build computers so the built in DACs are usually decent and can drive 300ohm devices according to specs).
I have to say that recently I have changed my tune. I knew that a quality headphone would make a difference and that different headsets sound different (for example I typically have always just bought gaming headsets or headsets that I could easily use on my Xbox and PC without any real set up - gaming headsets typically have very exaggerated and nasty bass for my listening taste), but I did not realize that when I upgraded to a 6xx I would be almost in a euphoric state when I first put them on and heard the proof. You can actually feel the music in your body and affecting your mood with a good listening device - it is truly delightful.
So, I decided to see if maybe I have always been incorrect about external DAC/AMP setups. I can't tell you exactly why I decided to start off in this price range, but I did some due diligence research first and decided that one way or the other I wanted my first to be something that I could keep for a long time and entering the tubes into the equation just gives me options down the road to change the sound when the tubes have played themselves out. I couldn't be happier with my decision to purchase this as my first external DAC let alone a DAC with a built in tube rectifier and matching pre-amp tubes. The TA-30 really did add a nice sound to the already impressive sound of the 6xx headphones. For me, it was noticeable and pleasant without even waiting to burn the tubes in before using the device. This thing seems to put out a lot of power (my reference is only the fact that I barely have to turn the volume up on the TA-30 to get desirable output to my ears) so I assume it is capable of driving a headphone system that requires quite a bit more power than the 6xx.
Since I am a novice in the audiophile scene I will skip trying to get technical about the sound being warm, highs and mids, etc, because frankly I do not personally feel that I have enough experience examining aspects of audio output beyond just being honest about the fact that there is a noticeable difference in the sound you are hearing through this device and that I personally find it to be enjoyable and ultimately desirable.
Instead, I will gear my last section here towards anyone else like me who is just getting into this and is finding a lot of the information and guides online to be bit much (a lot of them make it seem like this is rocket science.. well frankly if you want to understand things the way and audio engineer or an expert does then it kind of is - but if you just want to enjoy listening to music then it is very simple).
Areas where some guides online try to have you do too much:
Setup
I truly mean it when I say the first thing that you do should not revolve around trying to get a bitperfect audio stream to this unit from windows. All that is required to run this unit and get what I consider to be a pretty obvious difference in the sound you are hearing is plug the tubes into the sockets assuming that the tubes don't have obvious visual defects, plug in the power, make sure volume knob is all the way down(just because), plug in your headset, and flip the switch on the PSU in the back of the unit. If you are using Windows 10 or 11 it will almost certainly recognize the device right away and your onboard or windows generic usb drivers will just work. Now, for me and because I do not really like realtek, especially any of their software, I have the audio drivers that are built in disabled in my bios. No problem because the windows USB drivers picked up this device without any issues. Now, here is the caveat, several Music Streaming Services have desktop applications that allow you to use asio drivers to play the music to your external DAC. Without trying to really understand what asio actually is or explore whether or not the asio drivers your chipset has are any good, just know that it is something you may eventually want to have access to because I was personally able to tell a marginal difference between sound using asio to send audio data to the TA-30 and Direct Sound(which applications use to give you sound if they do not have options for wasapi or exclusive mode) - and I preferred the sound quality I was getting by using the asio drivers to output audio.
asio
A lot of chipsets come with their own asio driver as part of the USB driver package, but in some cases it is something you will have to specifically look for or opt to install when you are installing or updating your drivers. So, if you want to use the drivers that are built specifically for your chipset then you should make sure you have updated them to the latest version from the manufacturer and that they include the asio drivers.
The other option is to download the xDuoo USB drivers from the xDuoo Firmware Downloads page located at the top - xDuoo USB Driver V5.0.0 ( For all xDuoo headphone amp except Link Series). I was able to simply install this driver and then the Qobuz desktop app had an option for the xDuoo asio along with the options for Wasapi and Wasapi exclusive that it already had. Doing this essentially just has the app stream the audio data to your device without the need for direct sound (the windows audio processor) to apply any audio processing or apo to the sound your DAC is receiving from the usb controller. Doing this is also kind of neat because this amp has a display that tells you what sampling rate it is receiving and the number displayed on the screen will change, mostly between 44.1K and 96.0K when using Qobuz, but with that changing dynamically as the track changes it also lets you know that you are getting a good quality audio output that should be pretty accurate without any artifacts added by direct sound, etc.
Note: You will see the word asio4all a lot if you start searching for information on using asio with external dacs or just in general. Unless you specifically know why you would want or need that instead of the asio drivers for your usb chipset or the ones provided by xDuoo (which, I think either are or are based on the driver made by Thesycon) then I would not install it. From what I can tell it is also not a true hardware driver (do not blast me if I am not completely accurate about that) - though from what I understand it does provide an asio option for media players and such that is very low latency which is why you see it mentioned so much.
Considerations
A couple things I have noticed that confused me and led me down unnecessary troubleshooting rabbit holes are when you stream music from amazon or the likes and Amazon says one thing as far as the quality of the track but the screen on the amp does not reflect. This is because Amazon does not implement Wasapi or even Wasapi exclusive mode in a way that bypasses direct sound, as far as I can tell. It would seem that Amazon Music (just as an example, there are others that do this as well so it might even be how it is supposed to work with wasapi) is still sending the audio through windows apo as the DAC will simply report the audio quality of whatever you have the TA-30 set to in Windows Audio Settings. That being said the two mainstream audio streaming platforms I am aware of that have a desktop app which streams to the asio drivers are Qobuz and Tidal. I cannot get the Tidal desktop app to work for me without all sorts of issues with the music pausing, etc, so I do not use that one.
There is also the fact that when you aren't using an application with options for wasapi or asio the sound is going to be going through windows direct sound (which if anyone is being honest actually performs pretty well these days for someone who is just enjoying streaming music). I believe this essentially means that whatever bitrate and quality you have set for this device in the windows sound settings is what windows is going to upscale and downscale everything it is receiving to match before it sends the data to your external dac. I don't honestly have any idea if it is better to pick a higher quality and have windows upscale to match that when it receives lower quality or vice versa, so that is a topic for research if you are really interested in min/maxing your audio experience but for me I don't really notice a difference so far when gaming with music playing in the background (when I do this I set the music player to just use direct sound because I haven't done enough reading about this to really even guess at what is best). Personally on the windows side of things I have the format for the TA-30 output set to 24bit/96000hz and have tried 24/192K and 24/44.1K. The majority of Hi-Def streaming I have tried uses 24bit(or 16bit if 24 is not an option) and either 44.1K or 96K. I have tried setting the device to 24/44.1 and 24/96 and with direct sound I didn't really think there was a noticeable difference after doing a few small tests side by side.
The only other thing that I would recommend off the top of my head for getting noticeably better quality right off the bat is to set the windows audo settings for the dac to max volume as well as any programs that are outputting sound to the device and then exclusively use the volume knob on the TA-30 to control the volume.
Other than that I think the TA-30 is a piece of equipment that most people would be able to add to their PC sound environment and truly enjoy and be able to hear the difference without going to a lot of effort to set it up, especially if you are primarily using it for your headphones.
Edit
I forgot to mention that there are a lot of reviews where people mention how hot this unit gets. That has not been my experience at all. It is warm and in a good way. I suspect that if you crank it way up or if it is trying to drive a system that requires more power then it would certainly run hotter but I wouldn't personally worry about this, especially if you have a desk fan that circulates air in your personal space. I don't listen to my music at especially high levels and with my system you do not have to put the volume knob up very high at all to get what I would consider to be a loud result(I value my hearing and intend to keep it for as long as possible). Rather than increasing the volume it is probably better to find ways to reduce the background noise in your environment from things like fans, etc, or alternatively if you do not have a choice to control the background noise from your surroundings use a good pair of closed back headphones when people and things are creating undesirable noise for you.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
Phobang
50
Feb 12, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
10 times better than my old Little Dot MKII
Luscious tubey sound and generates a ton of power. I'm using 58x's and I can't move the volume knob past 7 o' clock or it's too loud. This amp is meant for hard to drive cans and I'm hesitant to plug IEMs in them. The stock tubes are made in China and they sound fine, but I went and bought a pair of reissue Mullard 12AU7 tubes for better sound stage.
Like most audiophile products, I can't tell the difference in sound quality between the DAC filters. It does generate a lot of heat, but it's just a notch more than my Little Dot MKII and not as much as you may think judging from the Z Review. The fit and finish are beautiful and clean and it came very well packaged.
I'm not a sound professional, but compared to my Little Dot MKII treble sounds way better. On the Little Dot MKII treble is present but the tube sound rounds it out too much. On this amp the treble has better definition (I can hear the drummer strike the cymbals). I can also hear other details I didn't hear before on my Little Dot. The bass is thumpy without being muddy.
I tried this amp with my HE4xx and they don't sound as good. All my music sounds shallow and distant. Maybe it's because those are planars.
Would definitely recommend.
Update: I ordered a pair of Sennheiser 660s and these are now my go to pair of cans for this tube amp. I no longer use the Jubilee 58x not because they are bad -- they are quite good -- but because the 660s are fantastic on this amp. I also swapped the driver tube for a Russian one, but I can't tell too much difference.
Update: I just bought a pair of AKG 712 Pros used from a friends and they sound AMAZING on this tube.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
Rags56
21
Mar 30, 2022
checkVerified Buyer
Great Tube-Dac “one stop Item”
Recommends this product? Yes
Robwi
25
Apr 6, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
It sounded great after tube replacement
It really sounded fantastic after I replaced the stock 12AU7 tubes with Mullards. But there was a lot of confusion over whether this was a headphone / pre-amp device. Information was wrong, vague or misleading. Finally it was determined that the volume control was designed only to control the the headphone jack on the front. If you wanted to use this as a preamp, volume could only be controlled by your computer. Not acceptable to me, so I returned it. So, if you want to use this as a headphone amp only - Highly recommended.
Purpleknight
22
Mar 2, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
I'm very happy with the product! (edit: I'm somewhat happy with the product)
I'm newer to the audiophile community, and in fact, this is my first dac/and or amp I've ever purchased. The product works very easily without hassle, and this is especially helpful considering my skill level. The built in Bluetooth is great too, you can pipe a smart TV or your laptop straight to the dac without having to connect cords (which you can also do if you'd like). Overall, as a newbie looking for an all in one that covers all my bases, I'm very happy. If your new like me, I would highly recommend this product.
Edit
Now that I've had the devices for over half a year I can say that I enjoy just another everything about the device, other than the fact that my ta-30 has had repeated issues. I had an issue with the rectifier socket, where something in the circuit had to be repaired. Cost me $150.
Both the ornamental LEDs that sit in the sockets of the small tube have gone out, or are slowly beginning to to flicker off.
These issues do not make me happy, and what's worse, both drop and xduoo won't provide any assistance. It could be the high temperature the machine runs at causing issues with the pcb boards, but it's still frustrating, because I haven't even had the device for a year and I'm dealing with these issues, and there appears to be no help for a customer who buys it.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? No
Ash256
18
Oct 10, 2021
PurpleknightThere is no doubt its the temperature the TA-30 runs probably twice as hot as my Darkvoice.
I'm sure with me ventilation it would last longer in the design. If you run this amp I'd recommend running a fan in the room it dramatically drops the temperature of the amp.
I think with SO much in the package there's no way unless with more ventilation that it won't cook itself to death.
piekielko
74
Jan 5, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
Fantastic sound!!!
The music with Hifiman headphones is incredibly detailed - crystal and power
Recommends this product? Yes
dioporks
47
Oct 25, 2021
Ok, so you meant Hifiman headphones in general, not a specific model. I say this, because I have 2 Hifimans, the HE-560 which requires power, and the Edition X V2 which are much easier to drive, they don't need much power. So not all Hifimans are power hungry
piekielko
74
Oct 25, 2021
dioporksThis amplifier can handle any headphones without any problems. I have a combined HE400i (35 ohms) model. Volume over 40% hurts the ears ;-)
(Edited)
Ash256
18
Jan 11, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
Its so warm and tuby its everything you could want from a hybrid tube setup. It sounds INCREDIBLE with 6XX's, Grados, ZMF's [this is a must buy] and KPH30i's it just a smooth machine its just oooozes liquid gold from that headphone port. and its got a DAC passthrough and bluetooth its just so much for the money I can't not recommend it and at 3watts at 32ohms it just slays those low impedance hard to drive planars. I'm thinking of GL2000 [Double sided version] and this end game.
Edit: Long term review time I think so... :
I swapped all the tubes... Then went back to the original rectifier cause that original rectifier really gives that smooth sound I love from this amp. The speed I got from my reflector rectifier tube was nutty so this amp is extremely capable and I can see why the designers chose this pairing. The driver tubes I changed to a pair of E80CC Tungsram's and WOW the soundstage and treble just incredible wow its not a must.... But if you've enjoyed the amp definitely a must have combo.
It runs hot VERY HOT if you don't run a fan in your room the unit will bake itself to death I'm talking over 100 degrees. its packing so much in the package I understand why it's getting so hot. With fan on barely at 40 degrees celcius
I don't mind enthusiast compromise on products certainly I'm no stranger to products that need a bit more care.
What do you get out of it?? Its so smooth... its tone for me is so inviting I work an incredibly high pressure job and for me I love it. It feels like tube for solid state I'm so happy they matched the solid state components to the tubes cause this is as close to a tube to run solid state.
That's my favourite part about the amp I don't have to worry about what headphone will match with my OTL tube amps cause its solid state delivery hook up low or high impedance doesn't matter works everytime its exactly what I wanted. Want to use that focal elex with a tuby sound but worried about bloated bass on the tube amp no worries works great with the TA-30 Especially for my Fostex X00 which doesn't play nice with OTL's god send amp for that headphone. In fact let's run through the Gauntlett:
T50rp Argon mod (Protein leather and lambskin pads):
More than enough power to drive the famously hard to drive Argons and not only that drives them extremely well. Adds to the width the bass is TIGHT and the mids still have that magic that made me fall in love with them. As Argon enjoyers know the treble can be a... Little on the weird on the proteins the smoothless on the amp really takes care of some of that and makes it more on the relaxed but more even neutral side which is great since I love the soundstage of the Protein leather.
Lambskins pads experience ....just perfect..... I'd say the more audiophile sound for sure. [Im dying to try them with some cowhides I hear they're the most relaxed pad choice I'll report back later on that]
This my go to come home and chill setup with the Argon's + TA-30 I honestly use this with bluetooth to my phone and just chill on lounge with a huge cable and it's bliss and so much FUN it's a blast.
I think this is one of the more important headphones to go over the DCA Ether CX:
As Ether CX enjoyers/users will know this headphone is 95% work 5% fun this amp now makes this headphone 25%....which is HUGE for this headphone this is the only amp I now use my Ether CX with for pleasure. This is a feat even my ghetto Darkvoice to THX 789 couldnt make it this fun. Very impressive definitely more detail on the THX but my Ether CX is always trying to murder me with detil so great change of pace.
Focal Elex:
Now THIS is one my favourite combos it's just too easy tight bass, excellent mid range and the best of all. The treble off the wrong amp with this headphone is UNFORGIVING with the TA-30 just perfection for detail, energy and liveliness. It's smooth and still exciting. Busy passages are handled perfectly with this combo
ZMF Aeolus w/perf Suede pads with Bopp filter removed:
Excellent and I have a really hard choice between OTL tubes or the TA-30 which is a huge compliment. If you plan on running a ZMF off of this amp you still get 80% of the dynamic range increase like you would from normal tubes which is awesome bass is punchier of course off of this amp than tubes which I believe would really be the main draw for running this top end still beautiful mid range magic preserved so a great pairing I'd choose this over any other solid state.
Fostex X00 Mahogany w/Dekoni Sheepskins:
Excellent solution for a tube sound for the X00 as you want more mid range and preserved Bass and calms the treble heat of this headphone for sure a lot of fun the sensitivity of this headphone is the concern you barely turn the volume pot and you're already as loud as you want a pre-amp to control the volume is highly recommended.
Koss KPH30i w/ Yaxi Pads / KSC75's w/Yaxi pads
Oh yeah that mid range magic is so sweet soundstage is perfect same with the KSC75's I feel you could blow apart the KSC75's with the potential of this amp my favourite gaming combo as well incredible soundstage layering and texture wow what a combo.
Sendy Aiva:
It drives them so perfect I dont really have words it suits the character of the headphone so much its remarkable.
In summary you have to keep a tab on how hot its getting in all the fun. It's the only draw back amongst all the fun you have to sober up from time to time to double check how the amp is going but if you're willing you're in for a treat with this amp. I don't really think there is too much like it out there that's the best part really it's extremely unique and drives some odd or hard to drive headphones really well I never had an issue but it is strongly advised to pair with a pre-amp for volume purposes as it is such a high gain design.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
Ash256
18
Oct 10, 2021
vinz82
(Edited)
ColSaulTigh
16
Feb 21, 2022
checkVerified Buyer
Incredible sounding, fun to tube-roll, and convenience all in one well-built package!
I bought my xDuoo TA-30 not knowing what to expect - this was my first foray into tube amplifiers. My first impression was "Wow! This thing packs a punch!" I spent the first two weeks using this via Bluetooth from my Samsung Note 20 Ultra and via USB from my PC (direct). Connection to Bluetooth was flawlessly simple, and my Windows 11 PC found the drivers immediately. It's solidly built, compact-ish (small enough for a desktop), and aside from the "English/Chinese" language button (why this is dedicated, I have no idea), very well laid out and simple to use.
I STRONGLY recommend upgrading the stock tubes to something more robust. The rectifier tube runs out of breath very quickly when playing anything with some bass in it (Classic Rock tends to become flat, and R&B/Rap just loses its thump quickly. A quick Google search will turn up quite a few excellent offerings (eBay is your friend), and I settled on the NOS-5931 JAN Sylvania 5931 / Ruggedized 5U4GB Rectifier (1957) & Philips E80CC 6085 Platinum Matched pair NOS Made in Holland Heerlen plant Gold Pins driver tubes.
Fair warning - this amp runs VERY HOT! Be careful touching it, even the volume knob gets a bit toasty after 30 minutes.
Overall, I'm very happy with this amp. It's currently sitting in the bedroom, driving my Sennheiser HD-8XX (also Drop) while I fade off to sleep every night...
Recommends this product? Yes
LincolnSixAlpha
5
Dec 1, 2022
ColSaulTighI appreciate your notes regarding the tube rolling. I purchased what you recommended and man... I feel like I'm in the room with the musicians with this DAC/Amp and rolled tubes. It's certainly a well-made, well-crafted, and tuned device. I LOVE TUBES! Make no mistake. I would agree with you that the AMP gets hot, but I wouldn't state it as "VERY HOT", but certainly more than warm to the touch. I only bring that up because I've seen elsewhere that the "hot" issue may be deterring potential buyers.
zeroack
6
Mar 27, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Surprised me
First I'm not a pro audiophile. I just know what sounds good to me and I'm always skeptical. That being said, I didn't expect much for an all in one tube at this price. Well it's a gem with my Focal Clear MGs. My Sennheisers, Beyerdynamics and Hifmans ran well, but I seem to enjoy my Clear MGs on this unit. I'd say my second favorite on this TA-30 was the LCD-x. The volume on most my headphones is 9 o'clock max. My Hifiman HE6se V2s pushed it to 11 o'clock max. My other Hifimans were a tad less on the volume position.
Bluetooth tested with - Iphone 13 pro max and Google Pixel 6 pro using Tidal, Amazon HD and local Synology. Worked well and did not drop connection if I didn't push the BT range.
Computer tested - Macbook pros M1, M2 and Intel.
Build - It's a mini tank and the design with tube guard rails is done nicely. Tube insertion was tight.
Heat Note - It gets hot, but not as bad as I expected from other reviews. I'd still follow the directions on the placement distance.
Cons - Volume control is very short range and the BT volume works odd. The Z review mentions the BT volume at a certain level acts unusual and I have duplicated his assessment. Using the volume know on the TA-30 is the only option from my testing.
Note - This was my first Drop purchase and paid for faster shipping. They did great and will get my future purchases.
Recommends this product? Yes
Showing 31 of 81
Recent Activity
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop
CURRENT THOUGHTS I had previously perceived differences in this amp over my THX 789 that I now must reflect on and change. Due to a recent exploration I made on my channel, comparing solid state amps alongside this hybrid solid/tube TA-30, I discovered that there really wasn't a significant difference in sound. What was different in this new impression and comparison? Well, these days I volume match every comparison, using sound meters, before drawing conclusions. I do this for the sake of my YouTube channel, but it is something I should have done as an everyday person making his commentary on review sections such as these. For not having the presence of mind to take such precautions in the past, I apologize. 🙇🏻♂️ I would recommend the TA-30 still though, but not because it differentiates itself in sound quality - it doesn't to my ear. I would recommend the TA-30 because, at $600, it is a great value to deliver the amount of power it does while giving you both a DAC and amp that sounds just as well as more expensive options. Plus, and this is a cool thought, it does allow bluetooth connections if you dig having less wires. But the main reasons to get are: • Compact form factor. Slim fitting on a desk and combines both the DAC and amp in one box. That's great! That means less interconnects between discrete DAC/amp stacks and less space taken up. This thing will accommodate anyone's situation. • High amount of power. These things will never disappoint your power hungriest headphones. They even deliver with the HE6SE (a notoriously power hungry headphone). • Low price. For the price of $600, which could sound like a lot, is actually quite affordable given the circumstances elsewhere. Normally you have to spend a few hundred on an amp and a few hundred or less on a DAC. In most other setups, you'll therefor need at least a few hundred dollars at minimum to own both a DAC and an amp as powerful as this one. You could technically go cheaper with a $130 Schiit Modi and $99 Schiit Magni, but you won't get as much power - plus losing the all-in-one form factor, the tube aesthetics, and the bluetooth input option (not that bluetooth is going to be our primary form of connecting our source, but has to be mentioned). You'd probably need to pay closer to $400 total, or $500 once you consider the cost of interconnecting cabling, to compete with the TA-30. At that point, I just as well pick the $600 TA-30 for the form factor and aesthetics. OLD THOUGHTS BELOW
For amps, I’ve been using the THX 789 solid state and I’ve tried the Jotunheim 2. And way long ago I used the Darkvoice tube amp (and quickly returned it).
After using the 789 most of the time now, and trying a newly bought TA-30, I find myself preferring to use the TA-30 - particularly when switching out the tubes with:
Not only do I still retain much of the resolution I would have sought out in the 789, I have gained a greater sense of impact, reverb, decay, and a generally bigger sense of natural presence to my music with the TA-30.
At first, I preferred the TA-30 only with my HD800 S, rather than playing the 800 S off of my THX 789, but now I also find myself preferring the Hifiman HE6SE V2 off of the TA-30 (and the HE6SE is notoriously difficult to power)! The TA-30 sometimes needs to be turned to the max for the HE6SE to be loud enough (particularly for classical music), but this tube amp does indeed get loud enough to be very enjoyable. I wouldn’t really want to go any louder actually. And for the rest of the headphones you could possibly plug into the TA-30, all being easier to power than the HE6SE, there is always plenty of headroom left over.
Just about the only things I have that I prefer to go back to the THX 789 for may be my Clairvoyance IEM’s, and I could still really enjoy them off the tube amp! I would just recommend socket savers from tube monger if you do this, since they have silicone inside to absorb micro phonics - maybe a must for sensitive earphones/headphones.
I got the TA-30 when it was priced at $525 (currently it is $599 at time of writing), and I would totally recommend the product at either price or actually full price.
The only other thing I would mention is that I’m running the TA-30 from my Schiit Bifrost DAC. It’s not a world of difference from the already very capable built in DAC inside the TA-30, but I do prefer the sound of the TA-30 when using the Bifrost 2 as my DAC.
Oh, and the form factor is actually surprisingly smaller than I imagined. It has a thin profile on the desk and fits nicely next to anything else you may have going on.