Cozoy Takt Pro

ExpatinJapan

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Good dynamics, powerful, small form
Cons: Cables could be better
Cozoy Takt Pro Dac/Amp Review
- Expatinjapan




http://www.cozoyaudio.com/takt-pro/



The Cozoy TAKT Pro is a simple and elegant solution for those wanting quality audio playback whilst on the go, commuting and about town.
Stylish in its form and stunning in its sound quality it will turn your smart phone, tablet or computer into an mid-fi audiophile system.


Specifications

COZOY TAKT PRO High Resolution Portable Decoding Headphone Amplifier For iPhone/PC/Android
Description via Penon Audio:

Note : COZOY TAKT PRO temporarily does not support iPhone 8/8Plus/X, but can be supported by using the camera kit cable .
Remodel the portable player experience - easily upgrade your phone to a high-end portable player
COZOY TAKT Pro decoders use the same aviation aluminum alloy AL6063 of the several generations iPhone to build. Equipped with high-performance decoder chip and line design, coupled with the chip built-in DSP (Digital Sound Processing) digital correction engine settings, in order to bring strong output drive, very low noise and ultra-high signal-to-noise ratio under a very small volume, which compared with the traditional decoding amplification combination, non-general meticulous sound experience
Each set of TAKT pro includes Lighting (including genuine Apple transmission chip), USB and Micro USB OTG wire, support iOS, Android and a variety of USB platform. TakT Pro has a signal-to-noise ratio of up to 120dB and a low delay of 80ms, install the ASIO Driver, then compatible with a variety of DAW and fine tuning.
Use the special customized SABRE9018Q2C for portable devices
TAKT PRO uses the SABRE9018Q2C reference level D / A converter, the chip uses advanced 40-QFN package, built-in Time Domain Jitter Eliminator technology. The 32-Bit HyperStream architecture native supports 32-bit 384kHz PCM signals and up to DSD-11.2MHz signal processing.
Without battery, screw design and coupled with the top parameters



Through the USB device to take power (without battery aging risk)
6063 aluminum alloy to create a smooth shell (aluminum, magnesium, silicon mixed materials, reduce the bad resonance)
Support ADIO (80ms low latency)
32Bit 384 kHz (recording engineer level file decoding)
Native decoding playback, DSD 256-11, 289, 600 (11.2MHz)
Emphasize material, focus on the stability of the streamlined design
Ultra-lightweight design, suitable for daily carry
Integral and without screws, can be detachable cable design
Very low ripple linear power supply
Asynchronous clock
Six independent regulator circuits
Connect with your portable device
Each TAKT Pro contains three wires:
iOS lighting cable – lighting device w/iOS onboard
Micro-micro USB cable – Android phones, tablets
full size USB cable – MACs, Laptops, PC systems

Specification
Output power: 1.5v RMS @32ohm per channel
Housing material: 6063 Aluminum Alloy
Input power: device dependent
Input: micro USB, USB, lighting
Output: 3.5mm TRS Stereo
SNR: 120dB
*Takt Pro is device powered; driver may be required on some operating system

Package
COZOY TAKT PRO
Lighting to micro USB cable
Micro-micro USB cable
Micro USB-USB cable














Sound



If you have followed the progress of Cozoy products you will know that they build on the previous experience of the earlier products and improve with each new offering.
From the Astrapi, Aegis, TAKT, REI and now to the TAKT Pro.

The Astrapi and Aegis had their short comings, I didn`t listen to the first TAKT but did review the Cozoy Rei. And I really thought it was an excellent sounding product.
https://headpie.blogspot.jp/2017/01/cozoy-rei-dacamp-review-expatinjapan.html

On to the TAKT Pro.

I really like its smaller form, a dongle of sorts.



The TAKT Pro is an excellent solution for those on the go.

Its close cousin is the Cozoy REI, whilst it doesnt outperform the REI it comes very close.
The Cozoy REI is more refined, with a definition at all volumes, smooth and detailed.
A large sound stage.
The TAKT Pro coming in at a smaller price point has more body, whilst certainly not lacking in treble and space it is not as expansive as the REI.

The main difference that is noticeable and this goes for many players or dac/amps as you you up the scale is layering, coherency and control.

Vocals are lush and sweet, a bit forward at times, nice deep lows that are full with depth, treble has a decent extension and the mids can have a slight rise compared to the bass.

When I swapped the lightning cable i did notice some overall improvement in control, resolution and micro details. I have found the same with other dac/amps also using the REI cable.

Imaging is average, sound stage is just above medium. Instrument separation is acceptable.

Overall it has nice body to it, a bit of warmth at times, enough treble but not its defining feature.




Using Flacplayer app by Dan Leehr


Price
US$289.00



Small in stature, gigantic in power, dynamics and body



Size and form

Cozoy Stock photos









Stunningly beautiful in its simplicity



Overall

The Cozoy TAKT pro is an easy to use plug and play dac/amp to use on the go or at home.
It is small and lightweight and easy to carry in a pocket or bag.
The TAKT Pro comes with a variety of cables Lighting to micro USB cable, Micro-micro USB cable, and a Micro USB-USB cable.

It has oodles of power, I was at around 50% on my ipod touch and I like it loud.
Whilst not as refined as the Cozoy REI. the TAKT Pro has more body. It is warm due the more forward mids, has an above medium sound stage, instrument separation is decent and resolution can be track dependent but overall satisfies.
Its not to say its a poor performer, it isnt. It does its job well.
But when I have choice between the two I`d pick up the REI. Yet remembering the gulf in the price between the two.
Although the TAKT Pro benefited by using the REI stock cables and the distance between them closed quite considerably.

The TAKT Pro spec wise has the highest technical specs in its class by quite a margin.

Its dynamic range is very satisfying.

If you want to improve the sound of your smart phone the TAKT pro is a step in the right direction.
Its warmth, depth and body with a decent bass, air and enough treble to please, the TAKT pro could be for you.




Thank you to Cozoy for sending Head pie the TAKT Pro for review

ryanjsoo

Reviewer for The Headphone List
ryanjsoo's Reviews
Pros: - Ultra-Portable Design
- Zero Background Noise
- Resolving Sound
- Striking Build
Cons: - Junky Included Cables
- High-Gain Can Be Excessive For IEMs
Introduction –

Cozoy are quite the romantics, fusing sharp, daring styling with analogue tuning. They’ve always been a bit unorthodox with their designs, preferring tonality over specification and technicality. However, their recent products represents a shift towards the later while retaining the magic of models past. Cozoy’s new Takt Pro succeeds the Takt as Cozoy’s flagship ultra-compact DAC. It also best exemplifies this shift towards specification, implementing the renowned Saber ESS9018Q2C DAC chip combined with some intriguing tuning on Cozoy’s behalf.

In addition, the DAC features a hyper compact battery-less design that perfectly suits portable use. As a result, the Takt Pro produces some very unique results within a very unique form factor. However, its $289 USD asking price puts it in direct contest with some very competitive models from venerable manufacturer’s like Oppo and Fiio. So, can Cozoy’s diminutive DAC deliver the technical performance offered by its larger counterparts? Let’s find out!



Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Cozoy very much for their quick communication and for providing me with the Takt Pro at a discounted price for the purpose of review. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the DAC free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.



Accessories –

As my Takt Pro is a pre-production unit, it arrived with no packaging. That said, the accessory set is identical to retail units. In-line with the Takt Pro’s multi-platform support, Cozoy provide 3 cables terminated in lightning, micro-b and usb type-A. This enables the DAC to function with a variety of devices from factory though I’m sure a usb type-c cable would be a very appreciated inclusion with retail units.

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The cables themselves are slim, short (~10cm) and flexible with decent strain relief. As such, they aren’t obtrusive when pocketed and are very well suited for portable use. The black Lightning cable pictured is an upgrade unit available for separate purchase. Cozoy also offer a USB-C variant, but the retail Takt Pro will only ship with a standard white Lightning cable and no USB-C cable. The type-A cable was very underwhelming, as pictured above, the usb cover slid off the plug upon first use. Of course, replacements are common and dirt cheap and Cozoy’s upgrade cables are very nicely built, but considering Cozoy’s asking price, I would expect these higher quality cables to be included from factory.



Design –

This may be one of the most outstanding features of Cozoy’s Takt DAC’s; both of which are absolutely miniscule. The Takt Pro is about twice the size of a smartphone dongle but far exceeds them in specification and build quality. With a machined 6063 aluminium enclosure, the Takt Pro feels rigid despite its dimensions. This particular alloy also enables an especially tactile finish and their alluring gunmetal colour scheme differentiates it from the silver Takt and doesn’t scream for attention when stacked with a smart device.

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In fact, this is where the Pro excels as it is barely noticeable when paired with a smartphone. This is especially pertinent as the majority of modern flagships are omitting the 3.5mm headphone jack. When paired with a tab of reusable 3M double-sided tape, the Takt Pro makes for a very practical alternative to the included dongle; and the Takt Pro is especially comparable to such solutions as it has no internal battery, similarly running off the source device.

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However, where the original Takt and majority of competing designs like Fiio’s i1 and ADV’s Accessport are wired to a specific connector, the Takt Pro instead utilises a conventional and widely supported micro-usb port. Some may want for usb-c, but the Takt Pro is physically smaller than the port and reversible micro-usb cables can commonly be found online for change. This enables the DAC to be used with every platform, extending to Windows and MAC devices in addition to portable ones.



Usability –

As it is powered by the source device, I was concerned about the Takt Pro’s compatibility with various devices; many of which have limited output power to preserve battery life. However, the Pro was plug and play for all of my test devices; an iPod Touch 6G running IOS 11.2, HTC U11 on Android 8.0, Fiio X7 II on 1.0.4 and my Windows 10 laptop. As soon as the DAC was connected, all began routing audio through the Takt Pro. And, though most of these devices cap their output to 44.1 or 48KHz over USB, a third party app such as Poweramp or USB Audio Player were able to take advantage of the Takt Pro’s ability to decode higher-bitrate files.

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Of note, 3rd party Lightning accessories tend to be a little unreliable, but though Cozoy’s included Lightning to micro-usb cable is not MFI certified, I experienced no issues during my testing. The micro-b to micro-b cable also functioned perfectly as did an aftermarket usb-c cable I usually use to connect DAC’s to my U11. Cozoy also offer an additional ASIO driver for Windows devices that offers reduced latency and bitrate support above 192KHz.

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The practicality of the Takt Pro’s design is compounded upon by its snappy hardware controls. The face of the device has 3 buttons that emulate a remote with clearly differentiated volume buttons and a larger multi-function button in the centre. They all have a very pronounced click and holding the volume buttons enables a skip track function which is practical for pocket use; especially since the Takt Pro does not pass through remote commands from the attached headset. The buttons functioned perfectly on all tested platforms but on Windows, the music app itself must support remote commands; Foobar and Spotify functioned as intended.

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Of note, as the Takt Pro is powered by the source device, it does tend to draw more power than either the stock output or stock dongle. That said, considering that it holds a huge output power and decoding advantage over these outputs, the Takt Pro did not draw significantly more power than my U11’s dongle. Additionally, power draw from my laptop made a negligible impact on battery life. Considering the size of the DAC, I’m not overly concerned that there’s no additional charging port for jack-less smartphones.

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The Takt Pro does get warmer than most sources due to its small size and heat conductive housing (which aids cooling). I also noticed that it was warmer when running from my laptop than smartphone suggesting the phone is delivering less power. That said, it was never hot the point of discomfort even during the current Australian summer. The Takt Pro was also surprisingly EMI resistant with no noticeable interference when paired with my laptop or phone regardless of CPU or WiFi activity.



Sound –

Given that the Takt Pro is a source device, all of the deviations in the sections below will be subtle in nature. Besides offering adequate driving power, a source can make a large difference but in the vast majority of instances, a great source should sound transparent and balanced. In this regard, the Takt Pro excels, it is deliberately tuned, but still balanced and linear enough to compete with higher-end equipment. For the full specifications and supported formats, please see Cozoy’s website here.



Tonality –

The Takt Pro is a slightly warm and mellow source; combining a mid-bass focussed low-end with a laid-back midrange and slightly reserved treble presentation. As a result, it sounds quite atypical for a Saber source, especially a 9018 based one. Substituting the middle treble glare usually associated with these units with a smoother, more refined but still clean presentation.

And despite its tonality, the Pro remains a nicely technical source with gobs of resolution, detail and control. It is perceptibly smoother and warmer in tone than more neutral sources like the Fiio X7 II so it does lean more towards the musical than critical side. Still, the Takt Pro is not nearly as obviously coloured as sources like the original Fiio Q1 and Hidizs AP60; and these are small signature deviations noticeable during longer listening.



AMP –

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The Takt Pro implements the Saber 9018Q2C DAC chip with integrated amplifier. Cozoy provide limited specification but promise a low output impedance for low-impedance multi-driver in-ears. And listening through the Sony XBA-40, which is especially susceptible to tonality deviations due to its super low 8-ohm impedance and mechanical crossover, I can confirm that the Takt Pro delivered a sound in line with my other low output impedance sources beyond some flavouring of the source’s own signature.

Cozoy also state a 49mW power output and a voltage output of 1.5VRMS into a 32ohm load. Though not significant compared to a larger DAP or DAC/AMP, these figures are immensely impressive given the Takt’s size and modest power draw. Of note, it did sound slightly more dynamic and controlled from my laptop than my HTC U11 which I would suggest to be a result of limited power delivery from my smartphone.

Still, when connected to either device, the Takt Pro produced very high levels of volume that far exceeded the maximum volumes either devices were capable of. The DAC also has a super black background with imperceptible hiss on almost every IEM and the faintest hint on my super sensitive Campfire Jupiter. They delivered clean signal to all of my in-ears including the 9-driver Katana and Sony EX-1000 with its mammoth 16mm drivers.

The Katana sounded clean and the Sony controlled, suggesting adequate power delivery under load. In addition, my portable headphones including the Denon MM-400 and Master&Dynamic MH40 were driven to potential. The Takt Pro didn’t excel with my less efficient Planar magnetic headphones, but it did do a far better job compared to my other sources of similar size and kept up surprisingly well with devices like the Fiio X5 III.

That said, the Takt Pro has quite a high gain so it isn’t perfectly suited to such sensitive in-ears despite its clean background; the Takt Pro was as loud on its lower volume level to my iPod Touch on half. As a result, a third part music app is ideal to digitally lower volume for sensitive in-ears though Spotify users may have to resort to impedance adaptors. This is definitely something to consider for low-volume IEM listeners.



Bass –

Full and rich, the Takt Pro delivers bass notes with enhanced body and warmth. Sub-bass is well extended and tight, delivering defined rumble. However, deep-bass sits slightly behind the Pro’s slightly bolstered mid-bass response. As a result, the Takt Pro delivers a warm and full-bodied over impactful bass response, contributing to its more laid-back presentation. Still, as the Takt’s emphasis is modest and gradual in nature, bass remains textured and each note is well-defined if not absolutely transparent. This added warmth does introduce hints of bloat, resulting in slightly less mid-bass definition and articulation compared to more neutral sources like the X7 II, though the Pro is hardly a congested or bloated source in the grand scheme of things.

In addition, their added body doesn’t compromise transience or control, in fact, the Takt Pro thoroughly impresses with its agility which counterbalances the effects of its slightly larger bass notes. Additionally, due to the Pro’s terrific resolution and quicker transient response, bass is also well separated and the DAC ultimately provides a snappy yet tastefully rich bass presentation. The Takt Pro isn’t quite as defined and separated as more linear source, but it is engaging and very tastefully coloured compared to the majority of warmer sources.



Mids –

The Takt Pro’s midrange remains congruent with its low-end, with a slightly fuller, more laid-back presentation. I would still characterise the Pro as quite a vivid, revealing source as it produces high levels of clarity and upper midrange transparency though there is some added body that pervades throughout its presentation. This is especially noticeable within the Takt Pro’s lower midrange that possess added warmth due to mid-bass colouration. As a result, it isn’t quite as defined and layered as more neutral sources; guitars sound more organic and male vocals are natural but slightly chesty. The Takt Pro’s lower half is still resolving if not especially revealing, with a greater focus on tonality that outright technical proficiency and realism.

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However, their warmer low-end feeds into a notably more transparent middle and upper midrange. This enables piano and female vocals to sound natural and clear with pleasing timbre. The Pro does have a slight darkness to its signature, but the DAC sounds smooth rather than veiled and its upper midrange remains very well-detailed. Background detail retrieval is also excellent due to higher resolution and a more neutral tone though slight tinges of warmth are still apparent. Resultantly, the Takt Pro offers a presentation that is simultaneously organic and revealing; it doesn’t offer the most realistic timbre, but does become more neutrally toned around its upper midrange and treble where the most noticeable details reside.



Highs –

Treble is quite intriguing with slight middle-treble emphasis enhancing air but not to the extent of most 9018 sources like the Oppo HA-2. Otherwise, treble is smoother in character; lower-treble is very detailed but also slightly laid-back, delivering notes with a little less attack than the X7 II. As a result, instruments like cymbals and guitars sound clean over crisp and never dull. Middle treble has a slight focus serving to enhance air and shimmer before feeding into a well-extended but more laid-back upper treble presentation. Their smoother nature contributes to the cleaner background of the Takt Pro that separates each foreground note without resorting to a brighter signature or cooler tone.

And despite its slightly smoother upper-treble response, the Takt Pro delivers a very well extended presentation that produces high levels of resolution. This prevents their more laid-back high-end from becoming dull and ensures that notes are delivered with focus and texture if not razor sharp clarity and edge. The Takt Pro also delivers notes with slightly longer decay manifesting though a little extra shimmer to cymbals and enhanced air around strings. This creates a rather unorthodox but immersive presentation. Accordingly, the Takt Pro isn’t especially realistic or linear, but it is immensely listenable during longer sessions and it very much retains the excellent resolving power Saber sources have become renowned for.



Soundstage –

As a result of its high resolution, enhanced air and separation, the Takt Pro delivers a reasonably spacious stage without sounding artificially enhanced as some sources can. That said, imaging clearly isn’t as precise or coherent as more linear sources though instruments placement remains easily perceivable and centre image is strong. Bass notes are not especially well separated nor are lower mids due to the Takt Pro’s larger note size and warm tone, though upper mids and treble are especially well separated on account of their middle-treble emphasis that enhances air.



Comparisons –

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HTC U11: HTC generally provide a more full-bodied sound and they are renowned among smartphone manufacturers for their higher output power; I feel this well represents one of the better smartphone audio experiences out there. Despite this, the U11 doesn’t touch the Takt Pro when it comes to maximum volume and the Cozoy clearly drives high-impedance headphones better; not just in terms of volume, but tightness and control. The Takt also has an advantage in terms of signature and an even larger technical one. Where the U11 produces clearly enhanced bass and almost artificially enhanced clarity, the Takt’s low-end warmth is far more subtle and it’s resolving power is achieved through resolution as opposed to excessive colouration; it is simply the more linear source overall. The U11, alongside many smartphones, also has a higher output impedance.

As a result, the HTC tends to further skew the signature of multi-driver in-ears and this was especially evident when listening to the Noble Katana. The Takt delivers a noticeably more balanced sound with greater midrange presence. The U11 sounds slightly more recessed and thinner within its midrange where the Takt is more natural with far more realistic timbre. Highs are also more even and extended, the U11 is a bit more aggressive but treble is thinner than neutral, making them crisp but brittle. The Takt is smoother and more refined, it possesses notably higher levels of resolution and clarity in addition to greater dynamics and control. Unsurprisingly, this makes the Takt Pro a large upgrade over the U11, and its small dimensions make it a super practical substitute for the stock dongle. Additionally, power draw is not significantly higher than the dongle, I would estimate a 20% reduction in playback time which is small considering the differences in driving power and quality.

Fiio i1 ($40): The i1 is slightly more compact than the Takt Pro but has a less practical cylindrical design. It too has a nice aluminium housing but employs plastic buttons and a fixed, rubbery cable. That said, the Fiio is MFI certified, guaranteeing reliable connection to IOS devices. Immediately, the Fiio offers far lower driving power than the Takt Pro. It is also more evidently skewed in signature with a generally darker and considerably less dynamic sound. The i1 had a notably looser low-end compared to the more agile and defined Takt Pro. The Fiio has a similar tone with mid-bass emphasis but it is even warmer, producing a more coloured midrange as a result. Lower-mids are full-bodied on the i1 but not veiled though the Takt Pro is clearer, more layered and more linear.

Upper mids exemplify this difference in performance even further, the i1 sounds quite a bit darker and even slightly veiled by comparison, lacking the extension, resolution and clarity of the Cozoy. As a result, the Cozoy’s treble response is better integrated, enhancing detail presentation and separation. The i1 retrieves a nice amount of lower-treble details but smooths off considerably more than the Cozoy which offers better extension, more air and higher resolving power throughout. Of course, the price difference is large, but listening through a resolving earphone like the Katana or EX-1000 and the gap in performance becomes very clear; the Takt Pro is simply more resolving, textured and linear, it is not to be underestimated due to its size.

ADV Accessport ($60): The Accessport is actually a really nice little Lightning DAC for the price. Its plastic build isn’t as convincing as the Takt Pro and it isn’t quite as compact, but it does offer an additional port to charge the device while listening. The braided cable is also a nice addition and it is MFI certified for perfect compatibility with IOS devices. Sonically, the Accessport is impressively neutral and revealing for its modest asking price. It’s a more u-shaped source than the more sculpted Takt Pro with greater deep-bass emphasis and a slightly brighter signature up top. It too has very nice driving power and volume but it produces noticeable hiss with IEMs and still doesn’t drive high-impedance headphones quite as well as the Takt Pro; notably lacking low-end control. Bass isn’t rich as the Takt Pro nor is it quite as tight or detailed, but the Accessport serves defined, more neutrally toned notes with good separation.

Mids have greater clarity on the Accessport and foreground details are brought more to the fore as a result. It doesn’t sound quite as natural as the Takt Pro but does sound a little more neutral in tone due to its less coloured mid-bass. That said, the Takt Pro has clearly better extension and resolution, it is more layered with far greater background detail. Treble is also nicely detailed on the Accessport, it has very slightly more lower-treble attack than the Takt Pro but its sound contains less information overall. The Takt Pro also resolves more into its upper treble and delivers a noticeably larger, more separated stage. The differences aren’t as immediate compared to the i1 but again, resolving in-ears and headphones will discern clear differences over longer listening.

Oppo HA-2 ($300): The HA-2 utilises the same DAC chip as the Takt Pro but it is more orthodox in its tuning. It is a far larger device but also one that is designed for portable use with an internal battery. The Oppo has impeccable build quality and a design that is perfect for smartphone stacking. I also appreciate the Oppo’s ability to function as a power bank and its analogue volume control offers greater flexibility. The Oppo also has two gain settings and an in-built bass boost that the small Cozoy lacks. However, the differences in sound quality are not what one would expect given the differences in size. The Oppo is more neutral and analytical but it also has some glare within its middle treble that can overshadow some lower-treble details.

The Oppo has superior driving power, especially noticeable when paired with planars, but it also produces a lot more hiss with IEMs where the Takt Pro is essentially silent. The Oppo delivers a slightly more solid sub-bass impact and less coloured mid-bass response. As a result, lower-mids are slightly more defined and slightly more separated. Upper mids are similar on both, the Oppo being slightly brighter, the Cozoy slightly smoother. Treble is also similar in signature on both but more linear and slightly attenuated on the Takt Pro. As a result, the Takt sounds less aggressive and airy but also cleaner with a darker background. Through this, the Oppo does produce a larger stage and more precise imaging, but the Cozoy sounds more focused with greater treble separation.

Fiio X7 II ($650): The X7 II isn’t directly comparable to the Takt Pro as the Cozoy isn’t directly comparable to its cheaper counterparts; but Fiio’s current flagship does represent a nice, neutrally orientated benchmark source. The X7 II is more balanced than the Cozoy, most notably within its midrange and treble where the Cozoy sounds noticeably darker. The Cozoy unsurprisingly serves up a warmer, more organic low-end while the X7 II offers a slightly enhanced deep-bass impact paired with a cleaner mid-bass. Both are tight but the Fiio is more defined and separated. Mids are more linear and more transparent throughout on the X7 II. The Fiio also produces more lucid resolution and retrieves more detail within the background layers of its presentation.

That said, the Cozoy does sound slightly more dynamic if less articulate than the more technical Fiio. Treble tells a similar story, the Takt Pro is smoother and equally well-extended but lower-treble possesses a little less attack and clarity than the Fiio. Middle treble is slightly enhanced on the Cozoy, producing a little more shimmer, but the Fiio does extend more linearly into the upper-treble frequencies, retrieving more micro-detail as a result. The Fiio also produces an appreciably larger stage and imaging is more multi-dimensional and coherent as a result of its greater linearity and resolution. The Fiio also separates better throughout and its slightly enhanced clarity does not compromise its realistic timbre.



Verdict –

I’ve grown to love the Takt Pro; gadgets like this have never possessed such a pertinent role than in today’s society and the Takt’s flexible form factor fills a perfect niche within the modern smart ecosystem. As a jack-less smartphone user, the Takt’s minute dimensions and physical controls make it a perfect substitute for the frankly underwhelming solution provided from factory. The Takt also provides large sonic upgrades over the majority of aftermarket dongle-style DACs and plenty of conventional portable sources too.

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Buyers will find much to love within the Takt Pro’s tastefully sculpted signature and high resolving power. It isn’t the most revealing, neutral source, but Cozoy’s latest is still impressively technical and immensely musical. Add in capable driving power, a black background and multi-platform support, and the Takt Pro offers versatility that belies its size and deserves its price. This isn’t a reference source rather, Cozoy have produced a rich, inviting yet balanced DAC that finds synergy with a wide range of gear.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed my review, please see my website for more just like it:

https://everydaylistening.net/2017/12/30/cozoy-takt-pro-review-minute-but-mighty/
Pros: Build quality, sound quality, accessories, power draw, output power, portability, connectivity, on device controls
Cons: Reasonably pricey (but worth it IMO), high initial gain limits IEMs (needs app gain control)
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Pictures in tables are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click to view larger images.

INTRODUCTION

Its been my week to catch up and finish a couple of reviews on ultra-portable devices, and also to write up one which has arrived very recently. The first couple were the FiiO K1 and i1 – budget offerings from FiiO – entry level pricing and pretty good value for money. The third one is at the other end of the scale, but still similar usage. In terms of price it's 7 times more expensive than the K1 – could the Cozoy Takt Pro prove its worth?

And before I get ahead of myself – what is the Takt Pro, and why are devices like this becoming more popular? Its simple really - there has been a plethora of different budget friendly smart-phones, tablets, and ultra-portable laptops which either don't have a lot of money spent on the audio portion of the hardware, or people are looking to utilise along with a small dac/amp to increase the audio fidelity and versatility. This is where very small dac/amps come in. Perfect for portability, and because the hardware is solely focussed on audio quality, they should fill the gap where the budget default has its shortcomings.

So lets put a higher end (USD $289) device to the test, and see if it justifies the extra outlay.


ABOUT COZOY

Cozoy was formed in 2014, and consists of a group of hobbyists, engineers and financial backers. They have their own in-house designers for metal work, circuitry, and tuning. They also use outside designers where needed. I get the feeling that this group is very focussed on bringing the best in both industrial design and sonic signature. Cozoy and Shozy are sister companies, and both display the same cutting edge clean and simple metal designs.

I really liked Cozoy’s product design philosophy – and this is a direct quote from their website:
“Cozoy's product design philosophy is to create fine metallic builds, with leading innovations on circuitry and implementations of cutting-edge metal processing techs.
Clean circuitry design with minimal features that affect sonic quality, strong shielding on cable, sockets and the build itself are all implemented to perfect sound reproduction and durability of our offerings.

In Cozoy we employ finest materials and designs, to ensure utmost fidelity and usability. Our team consists of specialists majored in industrial designs, acoustics design and various fields, together we hope to bring to the crowd audio excellence and long lasting designs.”


DISCLAIMER

The Cozoy Takt Pro USB based portable amplifier and DAC that I’m reviewing today is supplied by Cozoy completely free of charge, and is done so for the purpose of providing a review. I don't receive any payment or incentive to provide the review – but I do get to keep the sample (although I have a standard offer to return it if they so wish).

I have now had the Takt Pro for a couple of weeks. The retail price at time of review is USD 289.


PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 50 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portables (mostly now from the FiiO X5iii, X7ii and iPhone SE) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > USB > iFi iDSD). My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Sennheiser HD800S, Sennheiser HD600 & HD630VB, MS Pro and AKG K553. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs, and lately it has mainly been with my personally owned Jays q-Jays, Alclair Curve2, and LZ Big Dipper. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present – although needs updating) is listed in my Head-Fi profile.

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880. I have a specific sensitivity to the 2-3 kHz frequency area (most humans do) but my sensitivity is particularly strong, and I tend to like a relatively flat mid-range with slight elevation in the upper-mids around this area.

I have extensively tested myself (ABX) and I find aac256 or higher to be completely transparent. I do use exclusively red-book 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line). I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables (unless impedance related etc), and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 50, my hearing is less than perfect (it only extends to around 14 kHz nowadays). My usual listening level is around 65-75 dB.

For the purposes of this review - I used the Takt Pro mainly with my iPhone SE, iPad Mini, my PC and old Asus laptop.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.


WHAT I WOULD LOOK FOR IN A PORTABLE DAC/AMP
This is what I would look for in a portable DAC/amp. This is useful to remember when looking at my scoring later in the review.
  • Be genuinely portable => great build and small size
  • Be reasonable in either battery life or drain on the host
  • Be an improvement sonically over the original source
  • Clean, linear signature
  • Easy to use
  • Able to drive both low impedance and (within reason) higher impedance cans
  • Value for money

PORTABLE AMP/DACs I HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH
Previous = FiiO E7, Nuforce U-Dac3, RHA L1, Beyerdynamic A200P
Current = FiiO E17K, Q1, Q1ii, iFi Micro iDSD, IMS HVA


ULTRA PORTABLE AMP/DACs I HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH
Current = FiiO K1, i1, Cozoy Aegis, Cozoy Takt Pro

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The Takt Pro arrived in a very clean and simple white retail box and lid measuring 150x150x30mm. The lid features am etched graphical representation of the Takt Pro, and the base/rear has a list of features, specifications and supported devices.

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Retail box - frontRetail box - rearInner packaging
Inside the box, nestled in a foam holder is the Takt Pro along with a box containing the accessories - three ~ 110 mm cables:
  • A standard USB to micro-USB (for PC and laptop use)
  • A micro-USB to micro-USB (for Android phone and tablet use)
  • A lightning to micro-USB (for iPhone and iPad use)

In addition there is a small envelope with a quick start guide. And Cozoy also included 2 extra black cables for me – a lightning to micro-USB and a micro-USB to USB-C.

The cables are all really good quality and an ideal size – especially if you intend attaching the Takt Pro semi-permanently to an audio device.

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All accessories2 black cables (extras)3 standard cables

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Device Cozoy Takt Pro USB DAC/amp
Approx price USD ~ USD 289
DAC Chip Sabre 9018Q2C
Amp Chip Sabre 9018Q2C (amp is integrated)
Highest Res Support (DAC) 32/384 PCM and DSD up to 11.2 MHz (DSD 256)
Output Impedance H/O Not stated
Max Output Power @ 32 ohm 49 mW
Output Voltage into 32 ohm 1.5 VRMS
SNR >120 dB
THD+N 0.005%
Dimensions 60 x 13 x 6mm
Outer Material Anodised 6063 Aluminium Alloy
Headphone Out 3.5 mm
USB In Micro-USB
Weight ~8g

BUILD
The Takt Pro is tiny, really tiny – its the smallest micro-USB DAC/amp I've seen so far. If I compare it to the Cozoy's Aegis, it is the same length and thickness, but half the width. At 60 x 13 x 6mm and a mere 8 grams in weight, its about the same thickness as the micro-USB cable jack which plugs into it (an amazing bit of engineering).

The Takt Pro body is made from 2 pieces of CNC'd 6063 aluminium alloy, with the bottom plate pressed in to the housing in a screw-less design which is practically seamless. The flat edges are bevelled to avoid any razor like edges, while the four corners are nicely rounded. At one end is a standard micro-USB port, and at the other a standard 3.5mm audio (stereo) output socket. On the main face is a small round button for play/pause and 2 small thin volume control buttons. All the buttons are very tactile and give good solid feedback (you know when they are pressed).


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Front viewMicro-USB socketRear view
[SIZE]Internally the Takt Pro uses an ESS Sabre 9018Q2C (full system on chip which incorporates a built in amplifier). From what I've gleaned in my research, it has very low power consumption and is specially designed for mobile devices such as smart-phones, tablets and portable music players. It has support up to 384 KHz / 32 bit (DXD) and DSD up to 11.2 MHz / 1 bit . It has an SNR of 120dB and a harmonic distortion of 0.005%. According to specs from the net, the headphone amplifier delivers an output of 49mW (32Ohms) at up to 1.5 VRMS. It consumes only 3.3V and is also tiny, with dimensions of 5mm x 5mm. It also features jitter reduction HyperStream developed by ESS. The only other thing we know about the internals so far is that it uses a temperature compensated crystal oscillator (TXCO) to maintain higher frequency accuracy in a potentially variable heat environment.[/SIZE]

RMAA MEASUREMENTS

For those interested, Nathan (aka ohm image) took some RMAA measurements of the Takt Pro which includes a frequency response measurement under various loads you can see the full report here – http://ohm-image.net/data/audio/rmaa-cozoy-takt-24-bit.

My hobbyist gear really struggles with measuring DACs so I prefer to use resources on the net if they exist, and if I trust the person measuring (Nathan really knows his stuff). Essentially the Takt Pro is pretty linear from 20 Hz through to 10 kHz (under load), and then there is the usual slow drop which seems to be quite common in today’s DACs, and I think has to do with the use of filters. The other measurements he took include distortion, crosstalk, and dynamic range. The Takt Pro measures pretty well generally.


HEAT AND POWER

The Takt Pro does warm up slightly when in use for a while, but its simply mildly lukewarm rather than hot with the phone. If I'm using my desktop PC, its noticeably warmer (digital thermometer reads between 30 and 40 deg Celsius), but still no problems to hold it.

In terms of power output, the specs for the amp say that it'll put 49 mW into 32 ohms, however we don't know if this has been boosted at all within the rest of the architecture used.

Cozoy in their documentation don't suggest an ideal headphone impedance range, so I decided to go straight for the jugular, and see if it would handle my HD600. I know my iPhone SE by itself actually sounds pretty good with the HD600 (not as good as when the HD600 is properly amped – but not bad for leisurely listening). Yes it is a little bass light – but it still sounds like an HD600, and with the right recordings it still really sings. Measuring at the ear with my SPL meter required 10/16 clicks on the iPhones volume controls to reach 70-75 dB. With the Takt Pro the same volume took only 7/16 clicks.

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A variety of sourcesGreat with the HD600 and iPhoneSome gain issues with IEMs though
Because I knew my eeePC would be the weakest source, I next tried the same test with it. Firstly I set the Windows volume to 100%, and quickly measured the output volume using the HD600s and a test tone. I then measured the same tone with the Takt Pro, and the difference was 10 dB in favour of the Takt Pro. The next test was with the eeePC, the HD600 the Takt Pro and some real music. The really cool thing about this little device is that you can change the volume and play/pause from the device. Around 25% on the Windows mixer was giving me a perfect listening level of 70-75 dB, and this was sounding really good. I added the XRK Audio NHB portable amp (which easily drives the HD600) just to see if there was any changes to the dynamics, and to my ears they both sound really good.

OK – we know its relatively powerful for such a small device, but how about with an earphone which is a lot more sensitive? Back to the iPhone SE, and this time with the 8 ohm, 102db SPL Dunu DN2000. And here was the first snag – with the iPhone SE at one click (playing Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon) I was already at my normal listening level of 65-75 dB. There just isn't any headroom. Thankfully there are workarounds – using Kaisertone's app allows a gain control – which can give you a lot more headroom. But for those with reasonably sensitive IEMs its something to note.


SONIC PERFORMANCE

Preface
I’m going to preface this section with a little critique I received a while ago (by PM), and my answer to it – so that you can understand why I don’t comment on some things, and why I do comment on others. I was told my review on another amp was poor because I didn’t include sections on bass, mid-range, treble, sound-stage, imaging etc – yet referred to an amp as warm, full, or lean.

Now I can understand the reference to warm / full / lean – as they are very subjective terms, and whilst I’d like to avoid their use, they are invaluable to convey true meaning. Comparing my NFB-12 to the Aune X1S for example – the Audio-gd does sound richer and warmer. It’s the nature of the DAC which is used.

But I choose not to comment on bass, mids, treble, and most definitely not sound-stage – simply because when we are talking about a DAC/amp – IMO they shouldn’t be discussed. An DACs job is to decode the signal in as linear fashion as possible, and the amp’s job is to amplify the signal with as low distortion as possible. Basically you should be aiming to output as linear signal as possible. If the device is doing its job properly, there is no effect on bass, mids, or treble – except if hardware boost is concerned. And IME an amp does not affect sound-stage (unless there is DSP or cross-feed in play) – that is solely the realm of the transducers and the actual recording.

So we have that out of the way how does the Takt Pro perform sonically?


Tonality
I listened and compared it to the E17K (one of the most linear devices I own). In subjective comparison, the Takt Pro is largely similar but I would say that there is a definite hint of pleasing warmth to the overall tonality – but without any loss of detail or transparency. In a lot of ways it reminds me of the X7ii with its way of sounding rich and full without tipping toward a very noticeably warmer tone like the X5iii.

Purely subjectively, it sounds pretty neutral to my ears, but ever so slightly on the warm, rich and full side of neutral. It does have a pretty clean background which creates a good sense / perception of space.


Format Support
I've tested with PCM up to 24/192 and also DSD 128 and the Takt Pro has had no issues natively decoding. For the tests I used my desktop and jRiver MC outputting directly to the Takt Pro.


In Comparison To The On-board Sound-cards
My Asus eeePC is an older model, and the sound-card was never very good on it. Its on the noisy side, and will regularly pop or cut-out. With the Takt Pro, it was like listening to one of my higher end DAPs! The difference was quite easily noticeable – there was a sense of more space and separation of instruments with the test tracks I used. Sonically the Takt Pro also delivered a richer overall tonality, and gave a sense of higher resolution.

With the Surface (I use for work), while the change wasn't as clear cut, it was no less dramatic. By now I'd switched back to my HD600s, and proceeded to test with and without the Takt Pro. With the Takt Pro, I was getting the same sense of tonal change, but it was more than that. Resolution appeared to be better – and this could be again the perception of more space and instrument separation coming form the lower noise floor (blacker background). I do know that at one stage I lost about half an hour (playing Agnes Obel's album Aventine) with the Takt Pro and the HD600s. It just really floored me how good the combo sounded.


CONNECTIVITY AND CONTROLS

Laptops / PCs
Using both the eeePC, and also my desktop, the Takt Pro connected and set-up without any need for additional drivers under Linux. What's more, both the volume control and play/pause button worked. I had almost the same experience with Windows based systems. Under Win 10 it was simple plug and play, but with my old Win7 Starter system on the eeePC it needed the drivers (located on Cozoy's site). Again the controls works seamlessly.


Tablets
While I can't check with an Android based device, I do have an iPad Mini I use regularly. The Takt Pro was recognised straight away and I was up and playing very easily. Again the controls worked seamlessly (volume and play/pause). Was it an improvement over the iPad's default on-board sound? There was a definite increase in overall volume,
and the change seemed similar to my experience with the iPhone. A little better overall tonality (a more dynamic overall sound). Would I use it regularly – yes – especially with headphones requiring a little more oomph than the iPad delivers. But again the issue was sensitivity with far easier to drive IEMs. This requires using an app like Kaisertone again.


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Smart-phones
I first tried my wife's Galaxy and almost blew my ears to pieces (using IEMs). Connection was immediate, but again too much power. The controls worked nicely though and I'm sure there will be Android apps with gain controls. I also tried FiiO's own X5iii and X7ii (both being Android devices). The X5iii refused to play ball, and the X7ii hissed like crazy – but both are running older Android OS's. I guess the nature of Android is that things may be a bit hit and miss – but I'd hope that most of the modern DAPs shouldn't have too many issues.

With my iPhone SE, connection was again immediate, all the controls worked, and it integrated perfectly both with the default player and also the apps I tried like Kaisertone. Again I encountered the volume issue with more sensitive earphones, but it is solvable through using a different player (app). Whilst the sonic differences weren't as pronounced as with the eeePC, they were still apparent. The iPhone SE (which I genuinely like) was a little flatter, a little brighter – and with the Takt Pro the improvement was not massive, but still noticeable – warmer, richer, and ultimately more pleasing. The differences were subtle though.


Late Update
I was playing around with the Cayin N3 (in the middle of writing that review too), and thought “what the heck – lets try the Takt Pro” - using the USB-C output from the N3. Connected first time. On device controls worked too. Colour me impressed.


EMI / RFI
There hasn't been any so far, and that’s despite having the iPhone and iPad streaming (there was no sync issues either – video vs audio). And in this regard, the Takt Pro does seem to perform really well.


Power draw
Because it doesn't have its own battery / power source, this is always going to be somewhat of an issue with a device designed to be used portably. With the Takt Pro, my testing seemed to indicate that for laptops you're not going to really notice the power draw. This was similar with the much larger battery on the iPad Mini (its hardly noticeable). With the iPhone's smaller battery, I'd estimate that battery usage might have increased by a fraction more than the K1 (so around 15%), but again that's not what I'd call a huge issue (for me anyway). YMMV.


COMPARISON WITH OTHER DEVICES

I thought at this stage it would be a good idea to try and compare the Takt Pro with some alternatives. My prerequisite was that the comparable units should all be very portable DAC/amp devices which would work with my iPhone, laptop and iPad – so I’ve used the only ultra-portable USB devices I have, plus added the FiiO Q1ii and E17K which lose a bit on total portability, but for me would still be a consideration especially for laptops or I-devices.

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For testing I’ve used my iPhone SE, headphone out of the device in question, and the MEE P1 Pinnacle (because of the higher impedance) to evaluate. All devices were volume matched with my SPL meter at 1 kHz with a constant test tone.

Cozoy Takt Pro (~USD 289) vs FiiO K1 (~USD 40)
I appreciate this is a bit of a mismatch, but the comparison should be valid. Both are “ultra-portable” - the K1 is similar height, slightly shorter, but double the width. Both are built really well. In terms of specs, the Takt Pro has similar impedance out, lower distortion, better SNR, and can play more higher res formats (including DSD). The Takt Pro also has better power output – 6 clicks on the iPhone to reach 75 dB vs 9 clicks with the K1. The Takt Pro actually does a reasonable job with the HD600 – whereas with the K1 its a little “flat”. The Takt Pro also has the on-device controls, and boasts much better connectivity with its included cables – with the K1 I have to use the Apple camera kit (which adds bulk).


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In terms of sound, the Takt Pro subjectively has more richness and depth to its tonality, and definitely seems to have more overall resolution (ability to really bring out high level detail). The K1 is still very good for its price point, but the Takt Pro does seem to take things to a higher level, and enough that I'm quite blown away at how good this tiny device sounds in comparison.

Is the price difference worth it – for me and my preferences I'd say yes. I wouldn't (and actually don't) use the K1 a lot. I could see myself using the Takt Pro a lot.


Cozoy Takt Pro (~USD 289) vs FiiO E17K (~USD 99)
I should preface this to say that the E17K is still one of my favourites “Swiss Army Knife” for a portable amplifier. In terms of price bracket, the E17K is almost a third the price of the Takt Pro, and really they are targeted for different uses. The Takt Pro is the ultra portable, while the E17K is the portable. Both have rock solid build quality. The Takt pro has the benefit of size (you'll hardly notice it is there) and the on device play controls. The E17K has the benefit of features (tone controls, gain, volume pot, higher power output, can be used as stand-alone amp, and own battery). Both have very good connectivity options – although again with the E17K you need to be using the camera kit (I do have another cable which works – but it is patchy at best). The Takt Pro does have the better SNR but the E17K has the slightly better distortion measurements (in both cases they are beyond the limits of our hearing).

Sonically, the E17K is the slightly more linear of the two devices, and again the Takt Pro is slightly more dynamic, slightly richer and fuller. The overall resolution of the two seems similar though.


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This is a tough one and again it depends on your overall use. I use the E17K a lot – especially for testing (the tone controls are brilliant). But I don't use it for day-to-day use with the iPhone. I think I would use the Takt Pro with the iPhone SE. So this one depends on your use. Both are great devices.

Cozoy Takt Pro (~USD 289) vs FiiO Q1ii (~USD 99)
The Q1ii is FiiO's answer for a portable DAC/amp for iOS devices, and it is a cracker. Its almost a third the price of the, is Apple MFI approved (comes with a lightning cable), and brings features such as bass boost, gain control, a volume pot, and can be used as stand alone DAC or amp. It has pretty much the same format support of the Takt Pro and has slightly poorer SNR measurement but about the same distortion measurements. It is capable of higher output power, and this can be boosted through its balanced connection. It's Achilles heel is that there are intermittent RFI/EMI issues if it is back-to-back stacked with my iPhone, which kind of defeats the purpose. For use as a DAC/amp with laptops, tablets etc – its great though/

Sonically these two are very, very similar and I think I'd have troubles picking them in a blind test. Both have a nice rich, dynamic and detailed tonality, and I could listen to both for hours.


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Again it depends on your overall use. As a DAC/amp for my iPad mini or laptop, the Q1ii is a great device. But again I wouldn't use it for day-to-day use with the iPhone and I think I would use the Takt Pro with the iPhone SE. Despite the price difference, and mainly because of the EMI/RFI issues, I tend to think that most would choose the Takt Pro over the Q1ii – and especially if price wasn't the big issue.

Cozoy Takt Pro (~USD 289) vs Cozoy Aegis (~USD 299)
Now we back again to the ultra-portable vs ultra-portable, but this time we're talking a very similar price bracket. Both have a fantastic build quality, both have accessories (cables) and both have similar connectivity performances. The Takt Pro has the better overall measurements in terms of SNR and distortion. With the P1, they have very similar real overall power output, but the Takt Pro does not have the issue of high power draw from the source (Aegis can drain an iPhone's battery relatively quickly). Both suffer a little from their high gain (with the iPhone), requiring use of an app with gain control if you are using sensitive IEMs. The Takt Pro is overall smaller, and does have the on-device controls.


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Sonically the overall signature is extremely similar, although it appears to me that the Aegis might be ever so slightly warmer (could be placebo on my part). The Takt Pro does sound ever so slightly more refined though, and given the choice purely on sonics, I'd pick the Takt Pro every time. If you also take the smaller size, lower battery draw, and on-device controls, its not hard to pick the better option.

VALUE

A tough one! The Takt Pro is at the pricier end of ultra-portable USB devices, but I genuinely think it delivers the experience you'd expect in this price range. I definitely have no reservations about the quality of the device, and for me this sits in the good value category, rather than the great value.

COZOY TAKT PRO – SUMMARY

I reviewed the K1 a couple of weeks ago, and I guess I was in two minds about its overall performance (great price point, but lower tier in terms of overall performance). With the Takt Pro I'm a lot more certain.

The Takt Pro is one of the smallest ultra-portable USB DAC/amps I've reviewed, and it really is tiny compared to the sonic performance. Build quality is fantastic, and the on-device controls are absolutely brilliant.

Connectivity for the Takt Pro is brilliant, playing nicely with most of the devices I tested, and its power draw is pretty tiny compared to its overall power output (doing a better than just “OK” job with my HD600). Its only real issue is the overall gain when using with an iPhone. It leaves very little volume room at the lower end of the iPhone's stepped control, but this is easily taken care of with the use of an appropriate music app (eg Kaisertone).

In terms of value, the Takt Pro offers very good overall performance for the outlay, so it gets a definite thumbs up from me.

I've included my scoring chart below for some insight into how I scored the Takt Pro. This is one little device I would definitely recommend. My thanks to Lok for the opportunity to review it.


Scoring Chart
USB Ultra-Portable DAC/ampCozoy Takt Pro (out of 10)
My ScoreOut Of WeightingWeighted Score
Accessories10102.50%0.250
Build and Design9105.00%0.45
Power Draw10107.50%0.750
Output Power7107.50%0.525
Portability10107.50%0.75
Overall Sound Quality91035.00%3.150
Driverless Solution9107.5%0.675
Connectivity options9107.50%0.675
Music Format Support10102.50%0.250
On Device Controls10102.50%0.250
Noise (EMI/RFI)10105.00%0.50
Value71010.00%0.700
TOTALS110120100.00%8.925

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