FX-Audio R07Plus

Quick disclaimer: I don’t know much about the technical aspects of these DACs and AMPs, I’m a complete newbie when it comes to these equipment so please bear with me here. In addition to that, I did not read any reviews or watch videos about the FX AUDIO R07Plus, all these thoughts and opinions are my own and I’m going in blind here.

I used and tested the FX AUDIO R07Plus with the following IEMs:

LETSHUOER DZ4
Kinera Celest IgniteX Beast
BQEYZ Cloud
HiBy Zeta

Thank you so much to Sen Hu Audio Store Lazada for sending this desktop amplifier to our local community for a review tour!

So let’s begin.

The FX Audio R07Plus is a Desktop Amplifier which has a sleek yet functional design that could accommodate any plug types ranging from 4.4mm to 6.35mm jack to RCA and XLR Cables. For a price of $199.99 this amplifier includes both build and sound quality without any compromise. It also has the Hi-Res Audio badge on top of the amplifier which is very reassuring especially to a newbie like me that this audio equipment will be delivering nothing short but of the highest quality in terms of audio.

What I’ve learned when using desktop amplifiers is to maximize the volume of the source and adjust the volume from the amplifier itself and not the source, the purpose of this one is to get the maximum audio quality(Thank you Sir Mars for this advice!)

One more thing I would like to put out there is to check the volume levels on both the source and the amplifier since you may run the risk of temporarily damaging your ear drums if the volume is set to the max level.

Unboxing Experience

Opening the box contains the following:

R07Plus Desktop Amplifier
Power Cable
Instruction Manual

The packaging is standard, although I could not help but notice that the box has “GOOD TIME” printed on it. Doing a bit more research on this, it would seem that FX Audio is slowly introducing a new era/wave of audio devices hence the sub tagline “WELCOME TO THE FXAUDIO 2.0 ERA”

The R07Plus that was sent over to our local community did have a freebie of a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter which made me use my other IEMs that only have a 3.5mm jack. Very thoughtful and considerate. If you're planning on getting this Desktop Amplifier, make sure you have spare XLR or RCA cables lying around to connect to the source and a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter. Other than that, if you have any audio equipment that has a 4.4mm jack then you're set.

Build Quality

The R07Plus has an aluminum body giving it a hefty weight but sleek design. The front panel has a volume knob with a very smooth and linear rotation feel, underneath the volume knob is an XLR output, 4.4mm and a 6.35mm jack connector for most headphones and IEMs, it also came with a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter. There is also a print that says “BAL” pointing to both the XLR and 4.4mm jack socket while the 6.35mm jack has a “UN BAL” print below it.

Moving to the back, there are two sections. The left side, which is the LINE INPUT has two XLR Inputs and two RCA inputs. My nitpick on this one is the lack of color coding, some might not need this but others do, personally I did have a bit of confusion since the right input of the RCA is placed on the left and the left input of the RCA was placed on the right.

The right side has three switches each having their own functionality. Top switch will give you the option to choose between UNBAL and BAL, the middle switch is for Low or High Impedance for RCA and the last switch is for High or Low Gain.

Lastly it also has a power switch should you choose not to use the R07Plus while using your gadget to save energy and keep it from heating up.

Sound Quality

The sound quality that the R07Plus brings to the table is outstanding, the vocals are much more defined and have that airy feel in them, even with the HiBy Zeta IEMs(full review coming soon) which have a dark tonality, the vocals still have that airiness to them.

Listening to music with lots of high energy has never been more satisfying, the separation and detail between the instruments is spot on, you’re able to pinpoint what that instrument is and where they are positioned; it is also worth noting that some music with panning in them is very smooth which adds a new level of listening experience.

Speaking of listening experience, the sound staging, imaging and depth are also very wide and holographic. While this of course is affected by the IEMs that are being used, it is safe to say that it adds more to what the IEMs already come with. There were even moments when I thought that there was noise happening outside my room or on the streets but it turns out that it only came from the R07Plus’ superb sound staging, imaging and depth.

Last but certainly not the least is the bass. Because the R07Plus is capable of powering any headphones or IEMs that are being used together with it, there were some instances where the bass was too much. The mid-bass is definitely punchy even for the LETSHUOER DZ4 which is a vocal and instrument focus IEM; the sub-bass is rumbly especially on the BQEYZ Cloud. Luckily there is an option to lower the Impedance should you choose to have a much more tamer listening experience but if you want to listen to what your headphones/IEMs could handle then switch the Impedance to High.

Overall the R07Plus is one of the best entry to mid level desktop amplifiers out there in the market. Not only is the build quality great but it offers a lot of versatility whether you’re using it for your PC, Phone or Tablet thanks to the multiple inputs it offers it also gives you the freedom to use XLR cables depending on your audio device configuration. On top of that, the switches found in the back are perfect for experimenting with your own listening preferences and adjusting to the equipment as time goes by.

Blup blup 𓆟 and happy listening!

FX Audio R07 full balance headphone amplifier review

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The FX Audio R07 Plus is a very good-sounding desktop headphone amplifier that can drive difficult headphones like the Sennheiser HD6XX and difficult IEMS with ease and very low noise.
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I'd like to thank Sen Hu Audio Store in Lazada and Ali-Ex for sending me the FX Audio R07 Plus for a review.
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The FX Audio R07 Plus (130- USD) belongs to the 2.0 era of FX Audio, which seems to mean that it is a new and improved era of FX Audio products.
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The packaging is very good and efficient; it protects the product very well; it contains the manual, a power cord, and the R07 Plus headphone amplifier.
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Sen Hu Audio Store was thoughtful enough to send me a pair of Boaleco XC1 XLR balance cables and a pair of RC2 RCA cables to be used for my desktop set-up with my Topping D90 III in balance mode and other single-ended source equipment.
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Build quality:
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The build quality is fantastic; it is fully made of aluminum and feels very solid and thick. This is quite surprising for the price.
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Controls and connectors:
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The front has the nice-feeling volume control with the big knob; below that are the balance 4.4mm and XLR, and unbalance 6.35mm output with the light indicators on the right side. At the back are the XLR and the RCA inputs with the input, impedance, and gain toggle switches. I wish that all the controls were at the front, including the power switch, but this is tolerable in my opinion.
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The sound:
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The sound is very slightly on the warm side with an excellent treble extension and air; I found no area in the audio spectrum that was emphasized; this is very neutral sounding except for the very slight warmth. It has very good resolution, separation, and imaging. The soundstage size is also big and spherical in shape, which is ideal.
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Noise:
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I'm glad to report that there are no noise issues with the FX Audio R07 Plus, even when used with sensitive IEMs.
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Power:
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With its 2000 mW of output power, it drives anything I throw at it with ease. To give you a perspective, 2000 mW with an IEM is roughly equivalent to 2000 W with speakers; you don't really need that much power, but the benefits in dynamics I'm experiencing with this kind of power are undeniable.
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Pros:
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Excellent build quality
very good finish
4.4mm, 6.35mm, and XLR output connectors
outstanding power output
very good sound quality
noise-free output

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Cons:
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The controls are at the back, but I'm nitpicking, because once it was set up, I didn't need to use the controls again.

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Even though this was sent to me by Sen Hu Audio store in Lazada and Aliex for a review. I'm in no way affiliated with them. The reason why Sen Hu Audio sent me this started when I bought a Topping D90 III desktop DAC, which was regularly priced at $900, but they mistakenly priced it at around $500. They sent it to me anyway, even though they are at a loss, as they told me, saying that I'm a repeat customer. They just requested that I give them good feedback on the Lazada shopping platform. I told them that I can do more than that. I can review the Topping D90 III and give a shoutout to Sen Hu Audio Store to somehow repay their loss. That's how it started, in case you're wondering why they would send me items for review.
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Conclusion:
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The FX Audio R07 Plus full-balance headphone amplifier has very low noise, low distortion, and outstanding power output, with clean and very good sound quality, and for these reasons, the FX Audio R07 Plus easily earns its 5 out of 5 stars, two thumbs up, and my wholehearted recommendation.
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Happy listening! Cheers!

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PS: I already have the original, non-Plus version of the FX Audio R07 Plus that I bought from Sen Hu Audio store in Lazada in the past. The differences are: the balance and unbalance output selector switch in the R07 was replaced with an input impedance selector switch; therefore, there is no need to select which output plug you want to plug in to, which is a nice improvement. The Plus version runs warmer. And the Plus version sounds bassier and warmer, with deeper soundstage and slightly more treble sparkle.
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The FX Audio R07 Plus was sent to me for a personal review, but I decided to put in a review tour within my province, and will be raffled among the participating reviewers after they posted their review on FB and Head-fi. I did this in the hopes to help grow my local audio enthusiast community, and the R07 Plus could be very useful for their gaming or production computer setup.

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Good job, I just got one and trying to figure out if it'll handle 5 volt DACs without clipping. Did you have the D90 III in 4 or 5 volt mode?

@dunring

Hello @dunring

I tested it with the topping d90 III in 5 V mode, and it has no issue at all.

A great Headphone Amplifier in the new “Good time” series

FX Audio are on a major rebranding exercise. It proudly states that we are at the “FX Audio 2.0 Era” and from what I have seen with the nice clean design of their new “Good time” series products, I think they are doing an excellent job with this rebranding. These new ‘Good time’ devices all have a clear unique identity and the connectivity between all these devices is well-thought-out and the look well together in their vertical layout.

Here are the 2 other current “Good Time” products in this range, and you can see the similarities:

The DS07 DAC:

And the L07 Amplifier:

In this review, I want to share my experiences with the FX Audio R07Plus for the past few weeks. I previously reviewed the FX-Audio DR07 which is a more standalone ‘first’ headphone Amplifier with a great in-built DAC.

The R07Plus, on the other hand, is designed to be in a ‘proper’ audio ‘stack’ with other similarly designed ‘Good Time’ products shown above but even if you don’t want to buy FX-Audio other “Good Time” products, the R07Plus is the perfect way to perfect way to jump into Balanced Audio.

Note: I would like to thank FX-Audio for providing the R07Plus for this review. It currently retails for €129.00.
If you are interested in checking out the D07 - you can read some information about it on the FX-Audio website: FXAudio R07Plus or you can buy via Audiophonics

But let’s get into the details of what you can expect from the R07Plus.

Introduction

The FXAudio R07Plus is a balanced desktop headphone amplifier that aims to combine aesthetic appeal with high-quality internal components. Part of its “GOOD TIMES” range, the R07Plus stands out with its vertical design and robust internal architecture, featuring the OPA1612 operational amplifiers for ultra-low noise and distortion. This amplifier is designed for audiophiles who appreciate both form and function in their audio equipment.

What’s in the box

The Amplifier comes in a plain but nicely designed box:

Once opened reveals a manual, the power lead and the amplifier:

The R07Plus has an internal power supply which is great option

Taking it out of its protective cover:

And finally having a look at the connections on the back:

I would have loved to have seen some extra accessories like some XLR cables, but that would have been hard to do and keep this price point.

Lets get into the details of the headphone amplifier itself.

The Amplifier:

I really like simple look of the R07plus and its vertical layout. While not as tall as some other vertical headphone amplifiers you can still sort of use the R07plus as a ‘headphone’ stand:

Button Layout and Connections

The R07Plus offers a comprehensive range of connectivity options, on the front:

The Volume control has a nice premium with a nice “resistance” to allow accurate control of the volume.
Then obviously you get the 3 key output connections: A XLR 4-pin balanced headphone output, the balanced 4.4mm headphone output and finally a 6.35mm headphone output.

For me having the 4-pin XLR was vital as I have a few very nice XLR headphone cables:

Note: You should not connect 2 headphones to the XLR and 4.4mm balanced connectors at the same time.

On the back again there is nice symmetry to the design:

So, you get XLR and RCA stereo inputs. And 3 switches a Source Selector, a Gain selector (0 dB and +6 dB) but there is also an “RCA Impedance” which when I asked FX-Audio they said it can be used to change the impedance on the RCA inputs, in my brief testing with this option it did not seem to make a difference, but I only tested this with a limited set of RCA source inputs as I was mainly using the R07Plus with XLR inputs.

Finally, since there is an internal power supply, you plug in your IEC power supply directly into this amplifier. Compared to many other devices with external power bricks it both a nice option but also allows for a clean setup for the R07Plus.

Internal Features

The R07Plus is characterized by its operational amplifiers, the OPA1612, known for their ultra-low noise and distortion. This design ensures independent circuit paths to minimize crosstalk and interaction between channels, enhancing the clarity and purity of the audio signal.

Listening and Sound impressions

The FXAudio R07Plus provides a transparent and powerful sound across various headphone types, from efficient IEMs to demanding over-ears. The ultra-low distortion and high signal-to-noise ratio contribute to an exceptionally clean and detailed sound reproduction. Via the XLR outputs especially this was one of the cleanest sounding Sub $200 headphone amplifiers I have heard. I found myself listening for hours ( while working ) to both my ‘audiophile’ test tracks but also some of the latest albums and some highlights being the detail in heard in tracks from Beyoncé latest album “Cowboy Carter” feeding my Hifiman Edition XS headphones via the XLR output. A number of times I actually stop working and just appreciate how good it sounded with this amplifier.

The amount of power provided was also excellent, I mostly listened on low gain even with typically hard to drive headphones like my Hifiman planars and never felt I needed to switch to the higher gain (+ 6dB).

Specifications and Measurements

Features
Product type	Headphone amplifier
Amplification components	Dual OPA1612
Inputs:	1x RCA stereo
	1x XLR balanced stereo
Outputs:	1x 6.35mm jack
	1x 4.4mm balanced jack
	1x XLR 4-pin balanced
Gain:	Low: 0dB
	High: 6dB
Volume control	Yes
Power supply	AC 100-240V
Color	Black
Dimensions	120 x 80 x 135mm
Weight	984g

Measurements of output

Note: I got these measurements from Audiophonics - you can order the R07Plus on their website.

Measurements of Jack 6.35 Output / Gain 0dB

SNR: 120.5dB

Impedance	THD+N	SINAD (dB)	Output Power
16 Ohm	0.00025%	112.0	257mW
32 Ohm	0.00019%	114.4	131mW
64 Ohm	0.00018%	114.9	66.3mW
150 Ohm	0.00018%	114.9	28.5mW
300 Ohm	0.00018%	114.9	14.5mW
600 Ohm	0.00018%	114.9	7mW

Measurements of Balanced Jack 4.4mm and XLR Outputs / Gain 0dB

SNR: 117.6dB

Impedance	THD+N	SINAD (dB)	Output Power
16 Ohm	0.00082%	101.7	1027mW
32 Ohm	0.00046%	106.7	525mW
64 Ohm	0.00034%	109.4	266mW
150 Ohm	0.00028%	111.1	115mW
300 Ohm	0.00026%	111.7	56.5mW
600 Ohm	0.00026%	111.7	28.4mW

6.35 Jack Output Measurements / Gain 6dB

SNR: 119.8dB

Impedance	THD+N	SINAD (dB)	Output Power
16 Ohm	0.00038%	108.4	1035mW
32 Ohm	0.00029%	110.8	5251mW
64 Ohm	0.00028%	111.1	267mW
150 Ohm	0.00026%	111.7	114mW
300 Ohm	0.00026%	111.7	57.3mW
600 Ohm	0.00018%	114.9	28.5mW

Measurements of Balanced Jack 4.4mm and XLR Outputs / Gain 6dB

SNR: 119.5dB

Impedance	THD+N	SINAD (dB)	Output Power
16 Ohm	0.00093%	100.6	2008mW
32 Ohm	0.00046%	106.7	2095mW
64 Ohm	0.00034%	109.4	1058mW
150 Ohm	0.00025%	112.0	459mW
300 Ohm	0.00021%	113.6	228mW
600 Ohm	0.00018%	114.9	28.5mW

You are getting an amazing amount of power at a very good THD+N / SINAD values.

Rating

The FXAudio R07Plus is a highly recommended for its performance, build quality, and pragmatic value. I gave it a 5-star rating. If you are on the lookout out for a very powerful fully balanced headphone amplifier this is an exceptional headphone amplifier for this price.

Summary

The FXAudio R07Plus headphone amplifier stands out in the crowded market of headphone amps with its unique vertical design and high-quality and powerful sound reproduction. It offers a combination of aesthetic appeal and top-notch audio performance, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to enhance their personal listening experience. With its robust build and precision engineering, the R07Plus is set to be a favorite among those who value both design and sonic excellence.

FX-Audio R07Plus

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