jasonhanjk
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Headphone amp is as good as Apple dongle for 32 ohm HP music listening. Too much gain pushes the noise higher is the issue.
I totally agree with you, even though Amir's listening test seems reassuring. I will wait for further feedback before making a decision. But this combo is still very attractive in this price range for its features and connections....My take on the review, I would think the headphone amplifier performance is more important than the DAC performance, so the stellar DAC performance for me is overshadowed by the poorer 50mv headphone amplifier performance, I don't think it's worth it for that reason as a best solution. Generally ok to good product though, just not totally balanced in performance between DAC & headphone amplifier whilst being quite a chunk of cash. I voted this "Fine".
I think the Topping EX5 has a better headphone amp, it is at 50mv anyway, 90dB vs the 80dB of the Loxjie D40, and the EX5 is $349 vs $430, although it's not a balanced DAC, but the SINAD of the DAC is 118dB vs 121dB of the Loxjie D40, so effectively the DACS are the same performance really on a practical level:If the dac portion is better or the same as other dacs with the same or higher price, why a not so great headamp makes it a worse value? Since most of the competitve dacs have no headamp at all.
I only wonder why there are no inside pics of this dac? Maybe not so nice components as the others?
If the EX5 is better than the Loxije D40, than it should be better than Topping D90se, Gustard X18 etc that have no headphone amp at all.I think the Topping EX5 has a better headphone amp, it is at 50mv anyway, 90dB vs the 80dB of the Loxjie D40, and the EX5 is $349 vs $430, although it's not a balanced DAC, but the SINAD of the DAC is 118dB vs 121dB of the Loxjie D40, so effectively the DACS are the same performance really on a practical level:
Shenzhenaudio Topping EX5 Review (DAC and Headphone Amplifier)
This is a review and detailed measurements of the Topping EX5 produced exclusively for Shenzhenaudio. The EX5 is slated to cost US $349.99 which it is released. The sample I have is from production run but is awaiting the manual for formal shipments. It was sent to me by Shenzhenaudio. The...www.audiosciencereview.com
So the Loxjie D40 is let down by it's headphone amp to some degree, but people can make their choices.
Then, this should be one of the best sounds I've ever had/heard... afterall, "looks is in theBut really what makes this special is the looks, there is more than 100$ difference in looks between these 2 dacs..
PS. I noticed that in audio when smth looks good it also sounds better.
Universe is mental
I would pay the $100 for the better looks.If the EX5 is better than the Loxije D40, than it should be better than Topping D90se, Gustard X18 etc that have no headphone amp at all.
But really what makes this special is the looks, there is more than 100$ difference in looks between these 2 dacs..
PS. I noticed that in audio when smth looks good it also sounds better.
Universe is mental
Most likely the same or similar to those provided by VMV/SMSL. If so, they change the distortion profile, not the EQ:They advertise three "sound color" options. Any clue of what they mean? EQ profiles?
I think I prefer the looks of the Topping to be honest! That doesn't really figure into any of my choices of my audio equipment though.If the EX5 is better than the Loxije D40, than it should be better than Topping D90se, Gustard X18 etc that have no headphone amp at all.
But really what makes this special is the looks, there is more than 100$ difference in looks between these 2 dacs..
PS. I noticed that in audio when smth looks good it also sounds better.
Universe is mental
Partly.Shame about the hump, I can't believe everyone hasn't nailed that down yet. Regardless, top notch stuff. Man this category is really heating up right now.
What do you drive with the XLR outs?Right after I read the test results, I ordered one on Amazon.de.
For my first test I only used RCA to a Rotel RB 1572 class D amp and a pair of old Infinity Reference 61i speakers as this is what I had ready available for a first listen. So XLR will be to Neuman KH 310 and Boxem 4215 amp and I don't know what speakers yet ...What do you drive with the XLR outs?
Amir, thank you for the great review. Were you surprised the Loxjie D40 drove your Ethers so well? Isn't a 79 milliwatt max pretty low? I'm just trying to learn how much power is really needed to drive higher ohm headphones. thanks!This is a review and detailed measurements of the Loxjie D40 stereo DAC with Bluetooth and headphone amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $430.
View attachment 187624
I like the design -- it reminds me of some European brands. Bright white LED display is highly responsive as is the rotary controller. I expect and am happy to see built-in power supply in this price class:
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Loxjie D40 DAC Measurements
Let's start with our usual dashboard using USB input and XLR connection:
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This is stellar performance with distortion at -140 dB and noise floor that is almost falling off the bottom of the chart! No wonder then that the D40 ranks as the forth best DAC I have ever measured:
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RCA output performance is nearly as good:
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Dynamic range as we could predict is excellent:
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IMD performance is excellent other than a small indication of "ESS DAC IMD Hump:"
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Linearity is textbook perfect:
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Multitone results is superb:
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Jitter performance over USB is excellent as well:
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Toslink and Coax add some low frequency benign jitter:
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Three filters are provided:
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Attenuation is quite high which helps when we perform wideband THD+N measurements:
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Loxjie D40 Headphone Measurements
Let's start with 50 mv and full output SNR:
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The former is slightly below average:
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Fortunately there is good amount of power with very low noise and distortion in general:
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Notice lack of clipping. This means any distortion you hear is in the headphone or the content!
Loxjie D40 Listening Tests
I performed my testing with my Sennheiser HD650 and Drop Ether CX which are at different ends of the impedance spectrum. There was plenty of volume driving both with superbly clean sound. Driving my everyday Dan Clark Stealth headphone was also satisfying but due to its lower sensitivity, the D40 could not drive it to its maximum volume.
Conclusions
Playing at this level of performance is not easy: tons of attention needs to be paid to circuit design and layout to stomp any and all sources of noise and distortion. Other than leaving some ESS IMD distortion on the table, the D40 performs superbly in DAC department. The headphone output while not at the same level, still provides excellent performance and volume level.
Ami
I like the physical design which sets itself apart from the competition while being very performant to user input.
It is my pleasure to recommend the Loxjie D40 DAC and Headphone Amplifier.
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