[stemplar]

Astell & Kern XB10 arrived. Trying with Samsung Galaxy S8.

Awesome, but much more beautiful sound, more detailed than a wire through your own ( S8) amplifier! (This also shows that BT technology is developing)
Or that's not so good about the S8 sound electronics or the AK invented something.
Poweramp v3 beta for a player.

 

[Devang Shah]

Scanned some of the previous pages but did not see this. Any one compare this to the audio technica AT-PHA50BT. I use one of those for travel when I want to avoid cables hanging out. I use it with CIEM, but would be up for a SQ upgrade.

 

[Traveller]

...Cirrus Logic CS4350 DAC + CSR8675 BT chip

T4S!

 

[canonlp]

How's this comparing to Noble BTS? Better SQ in general?

 

[Saoshyant]

Decided to order this for my new phone, will hopefully enjoy it.

I went with an open box via eBay in S. Korea for $135, kind of laughing at the estimated delivery time as it should be handed over to Fedex today, and they're saying it should be delivered by 10am tomorrow.

 

[Saoshyant]

Giving the XB10 an initial listen with HD700, and for BT it's quite good. Only downside is I'm using an XLR to 2.5mm adapter, so the added weight isn't ideal, and I probably look a little silly. I kind of wish that the phone and XB10 didn't have separate volumes, but it's a minor issue. I really should go for a walk and see if I have any cutting out issues like other BT has.

This is a great little circle, absolutely great.

 

[PianoBlack]

I'm thinking of buying a replacement cable for my CIEMs with an integrated mic (conference calls would probably never sound better). If you are also using earphones with an integrated microphone, how does it work together with the microphone on the XB10 puck itself?

For example, are there any interference between the two? Does the earphone's mic take precedence, or would you be transmitting through both mics?

Thanks in advance for answering these!

 

[PianoBlack]

Brief impressions - listening through CIEMs (Null Audio A3H v2) on Samsung S7 Edge, using the unbalanced 3.5mm output.

Sound:

• Higher noise level than even my Mee Audio X7 Plus headset. (This gets fairly distracting on quieter songs)
• Soundstage seems narrower than X7
• Treble details clearer and more sparkling than X7
• Mid less in your face than X7
• Bass more focused & punchy, with overall less bass than X7
• Reception cuts out at 8m (line-of-sight), or 75% range of the X7 (in same environment)

Hardware

• Very light & plasticky - seems suitable for wearing in the gym
• Strangely the Play/Pause button doesn't always execute upon clicking, despite not having the buttons locked - e.g. still able to change volume

Overall, not super impressed with this USD 160 purchase, thus far - hoped for an upgrade on the X7, but the killer is the higher noise level and the shorter range.

 

[chaturanga]

There is a Kickstarter project includes another aptX HD bluetooth receiver having similar features with XB10. The company is Radsone and the device is called EarStudio. They claim Astell Kern, LG and Audio Technica integrated Radsone's DCT technology to their latest products. Any idea about this company? Are they the first company implemented Qualcomm's aptX HD chipset really?

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...st-studio-quality-bluetooth-re?ref=nav_search

I just got mine XB10 and started to listening via LG V20 but I am curious to hear differences between XB10 vs EarStudio which has 1/3rd of XB10's price.

 

[DannyBai]

I could be wrong but I doubt any of those other units have the amp section of the AK. I also trust the implementation of the AK over any of the other BT devices out there. That's just me though.

 

[KookaBurrra]

I just bought it and it's very nice sound for weight and clutter: for summer is ideal!

 

[Saoshyant]

I just bought it and it's very nice sound for weight and clutter: for summer is ideal!

Wonderful pairing with LG G6. A little bit of weight to the bass giving music a fun tilt.

 

[KookaBurrra]

I use it with my Nexus 6P. Basic it is compatible neither with the aptx nor with the aptx HD, but thanks to android 8.0 "O", bingo!!

 

[blargman]

I know this doesn't really fit this forum, but what benefit would this give me in a car versus a cheaper bluetooth transceiver such as the Kinivo BTC 460? Granted theoretically aptxHD would be better but my iphone 7 doesn't support aptxHD anyway. Since it outputs line-level to the car input, I can't see how the better quality DAC would even come into play? Or perhaps I'm completely off here?

 

[chaturanga]

I know this doesn't really fit this forum, but what benefit would this give me in a car versus a cheaper bluetooth transceiver such as the Kinivo BTC 460? Granted theoretically aptxHD would be better but my iphone 7 doesn't support aptxHD anyway. Since it outputs line-level to the car input, I can't see how the better quality DAC would even come into play? Or perhaps I'm completely off here?

If you don't have an aptX HD compatible source getting XB10 will be meaningless. Instead you can look another receiver with just apt X support. (Of course if iphone supports apt x)