khadasTone Board High Resolution Audio Board for Khadas VIMs, PCs and Other SBCs(Generic Edition)

First review. This DAC is amazing! I tested it against both a UR22 Steinberg, and an M-Audio 8x4M audio interface, as well as a Schiit Modi 3, Monoprice 111567 headphone amp/DAC, FX Audio DAC-X6, Fosi Audio Q4, as well as the digital out from my z87-GD65 Gaming motherboard to my Sony receiver, and it handily beat all of them with its thick, rich, bass, full mids, and clear highs. It even gives my well equipped turntable some decent competition.Although it lacks a case, you can use it without one, and aftermarket cases are available. It may not be the best DAC you can buy, but it's great for the the money.

The sound is very good -- my music sounds amazing with it. Performance is not in question with this device. I got the case from Audiophonics and with it, it is like a real, normal DAC. Very happy with the sound I am getting. However, because of the unique nature of this device there are a couple of quirks you should know about. You do not have the option of powering this separately from the USB-C input. That would have made it a little easier for me to use this with an Android device without running my battery down.As I mentioned, the case is not included and so you will have to create one yourself, use it without a case, or buy one like the case I mentioned above. The case required a little dexterity and patience to get everything lined up correctly. If you're not mechanically inclined you would not want to mess with it.Finally, when the device is powered on, if your amplifier is on you will hear a short "pop" coming out of your speakers. It won't kill your speakers right away but you definitely don't want that happening. Take care when you connect it to your system.If you can get past all of that, it's a very nice sounding DAC that technically is very good. As far as distortion and noise levels it compares favorably to the $120 Topping D30, but if I had to go back and do it again I'd probably get the Topping just so I have an optical input, no case hassle, and something more resellable in case I get rid of it.

I initially auditioned this on a friends system. Compared to a couple of other DACs (including my own Schiit Bitfrost as well as a couple of other similarly priced units), the KTB had some zip and zing and zest that the others did not. And then my friend mentioned the price! So I ordered one, as well as a Pi 4, and using Volumio via an old I Pad, it works a charm. I use it to feed my Ancient hi fi system (early 60's tubes and horn loaded speakers, as well as home built 2A3 and 300B amps...Noah probably had a similar system on his Ark) and I'm quite happy with the sound. I put my CD players and CDs away (after I ripped to flac). The drawbacks: the KTB is so tiny that patch cords will pull it right off the table. A 250 gram brass weight on the case (case purchased separately) solved that problem. I've read that the KTB, when switched on AFTER you have the rest of your system powered on, will make a loud POP sound through your speakers or cans. I've not experienced this because I switch my amp on after powering up the Pi and tone board. And for those of you who like shiny, fancy looking equipment, the KTB is just a little circuit board with some RCA jacks - it's not going to dazzle visually. If these things don't bother you, then I recommend this combination, and for the moolah, you really cannot do better (in my opinion, as per 08 May 2020).

This unit is amazing. I was not expecting that much, but this has turned out to be one of the most significant upgrades in my audio system in 20 years or so. Works seamlessly switching between USB and coaxial (detects the input that is active) and sounds equally good on both. Cheapest possible way to upgrade both your computer and CD/DVD source. I also bought the youyeetoo case which, although tricky to install, turns this into a fully-fledged giant-killing DAC at a - frankly - silly price. Outstanding.

I'm using this on my RPi 4 Volumio player and am quite happy with it. This board tests very will in terms of SNR and THD+N, and is reliable and an excellent value. The sound quality is good, but in my subjective and purely qualitative opinion, I felt the Aroioc DAC board had a crisper, more sharply defined sound. Unfortunately with the Aroio DAC my Volumio player would need to be restarted every day or so, and after a couple of days the Aroio just failed on me entirely. This Khadas board on the other hand has been dead reliable running for weeks on end. As a USB DAC, its also compatible with a much larger number of sources.