FX-Audio DAC-X6 initial impressions
Jun 22, 2017 at 11:55 PM Post #106 of 132
For IEMs it'll be fine. But it cannot drive high impedience like HD600 well. But it can drive HD598 very well.
Kinda baffled at your predicament. I have no issues driving T1 and DT880 600ohm, let alone HD650 or current hungry HE400i with this. I did upgrade to a 12V 6A power brick, but the included 12V1A did just fine at listenable volumes. Listening to well recorded symphony on the T1 much past 1 o'clock is ear piercing when orchestra gets loud.

It definitely has much more juice, even in the low end sub bass compared to to the Magni 2 without gain on. Soundstage is definitely a lot narrower and intimate compared to the Magni2, but it doesn't make the K702 sound like the ATH-M50 (yes, I'm exaggerating) as the M-Stage HPA2 does (a combination I do love, because of powerful bass punch and believable soundstage on the K702).
 
Oct 12, 2017 at 10:40 PM Post #107 of 132
Just got mine. For the price, it sounds very good, not as good as my A&K Jr. but still solid.
What level do you place the dial at? I thought the unit could get much louder than it does but I get adequate volume only starting at the 12 o'clock position

IMG_4210.JPG
 
Oct 13, 2017 at 5:44 AM Post #108 of 132
Just got mine. For the price, it sounds very good, not as good as my A&K Jr. but still solid.
What level do you place the dial at? I thought the unit could get much louder than it does but I get adequate volume only starting at the 12 o'clock position



For my SHP9500s, I’m at 10 or 11 o clock.

For my pinnacle PX I’m at 2 or 3 o clock.



Also, I want to get T50rp mk3s. The OP says they don’t get loud enough. I don’t need them super loud. Anyone else have t50rp mk3 they can chime in with the x6?
 
Oct 23, 2017 at 1:48 PM Post #109 of 132
Got my X6 for some time now, i think it's a great unit for the price. Powers all my headphones fine (hd580/eikon/hd800). I wish it had a gain switch though instead of having to open it up and change the jumpers. I'm also not a fan of the stepped knob, i would much rather have a "smooth" knob. All in all a great alternative to the MDA imo, especially for the people who don't have easy access to monoprice gear.
 
Jan 4, 2018 at 2:50 PM Post #113 of 132
Hey team!

I got this a month ago for my HD 6XX headphones... I know there are better setups out there, but it was a big step up from my ATH-M50x and I'm really loving life every time I hear music on this... it's probably my end game. I think it sounds exceptional on Jazz/Classical two genres I didn't really give a fair chance to before owning these.

Anyways, a few questions:
1) Is it SAFE to leave this ON when I'm not at my computer? I've read somewhere that the power brick isn't very well made and don't want to cause a fire risk. Would turning it off work be better for the life of the device? Or do these kinda things not break that often? I
2) I have noticed that when I do turn the device off my Mac Mini sometimes needs to see the USB cord or optical cable unplugged then plugged back in for the green select light to come on the device and see the dac/amp... so it seems like it would be easier to leave it on / plugged in and just let my Mac Mini sleep at night instead of having to turn it on/off.
3) Some of you seem to have upgraded the power brick to a different one. May I ask why? Does this affect the sound/bass/volume/etc?
4) Which power brick/adapter did you replace it with? It seems there'd be a challenge matching up the power cord input to the device (making sure it fits into the power socket on the dac-x6).
5) Just out of curiosity... how much difference would a different dac/amp make on my listening enjoyment? I got this on sale for like $50 from aliexpress and it seems pretty great to me. What would the next jump in quality be in terms of device/price? Also.. how much quality of sound/etc would this device represent? For instance

Step Up 1: $200 more, device is named X, and it represents a 20% boost of overall quality etc.
Step up 2: $1000 more, device is Y, and it is 50-100% better..

I'm a real 'bang for the buck' type consumer.

Thanks very much!
 
Mar 2, 2018 at 3:36 AM Post #114 of 132
After having read many positive reviews of the FX-Audio DAC-X6, also within this forum, I decided to give it a try. It arrived today and works brilliantly with my Superlux HD668B. However, I'm having problems driving IEM's.
The main purpose of the DAC was to improve audio quality over the very cheap USB to 3.5mm connectors, which I had been using ever since the headphone output on my laptop broke.

The DAC works brilliantly, except when driving IEM's. I have tested both the KZ ZS-6 and Brainwavz R1, currently the only IEM's I have at hand, but neither seem to work properly in conjunction with the DAC. The vocals are muffled, almost completely being drowned out by the instruments and near inaudible. The songs also seem to be played in a slow-motion kind of fashion, at a slightly different pace than normal. I have no problem with either of the IEM's when using different external amplification or when connected directly to a phone.

My question; is this normal? A DAC should be able to power both headphones and IEM's right? Is my unit not working properly or am I trying to do something that simply isn't possible?

Many thanks!
 
Mar 2, 2018 at 5:59 AM Post #115 of 132
After having read many positive reviews of the FX-Audio DAC-X6, also within this forum, I decided to give it a try. It arrived today and works brilliantly with my Superlux HD668B. However, I'm having problems driving IEM's.
The main purpose of the DAC was to improve audio quality over the very cheap USB to 3.5mm connectors, which I had been using ever since the headphone output on my laptop broke.

The DAC works brilliantly, except when driving IEM's. I have tested both the KZ ZS-6 and Brainwavz R1, currently the only IEM's I have at hand, but neither seem to work properly in conjunction with the DAC. The vocals are muffled, almost completely being drowned out by the instruments and near inaudible. The songs also seem to be played in a slow-motion kind of fashion, at a slightly different pace than normal. I have no problem with either of the IEM's when using different external amplification or when connected directly to a phone.

My question; is this normal? A DAC should be able to power both headphones and IEM's right? Is my unit not working properly or am I trying to do something that simply isn't possible?

Many thanks!
I ended up not buying the X6, but been following the thread. So, I cannot answer from my own experience with this DAC. But... IEMs are different beasts when it comes to amplification. The DAC itself is not to blame for, but the amplification stage in the X6 might not be the best for driving such low impedance values as the KZ ZS6. Impedance matching seems to be crytical when it comes to IEMs, and particularly, to hybrid IEMs as is the case with the ZS6. I guess the X6's amp stage was done with => 36 Ohms in mind, and some hybrids go as low as 6 or 8 Ohms...
 
Mar 25, 2018 at 4:03 PM Post #117 of 132
X7 is coming out lol

I have it and it's good, I think they are still working on the drivers. I fitted the LME49860 to the X6 and it sounds pretty sweet.
 
Mar 25, 2018 at 4:04 PM Post #118 of 132
Okay i got an answer on some of those opamps:

"LME49710 and AD797 can be used in DAC-X6.

AD8065 and OPA827 have to be used with transferboard together."

I'm not entirely sure what the second part means but I hope that helps you.

I fitted the LME49860 and it works.
 
May 15, 2019 at 12:23 PM Post #119 of 132
Does OP amp rolling works on Fx Audio DAC-X6...? because i have seen a reddit post regards to this matter. I bought few OP amps to give a try. NE5532 gives a better soundstage than the stock OP2134. Then i rolled a OP2604. Everything turned amazing...! i don't know if this is just placebo effect or its really there. Lot of people direct me to NwAVGuy article about OP amps.
 
Sep 5, 2019 at 2:34 AM Post #120 of 132
Have a DT 880 Pro hook up to a DAC-X6. I've to turm up the volume control 3/4 before I can have a acceptable level. For my ATH-M50x, I only have to turn up to quarter. Is the X6 not suitable for the DT 880 Pro?
 

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