Introducing ONIX Mystic XP1 – High-End Portable DAC/AMP

[marcusd]

Could you try to plug it in sideways? The 320Max ti has kind of the same plug and fits sideways? Do you like the pairing with the Anni? Looking for a little tighter bass/subbass presentation compared to the H7..

The recession is circular.

It's beefier on the lows compared to the H7.

 

[passagier303]

Our review of the Mystic XP1 is now published with comparisons to the Chord Hugo 2, iBasso's D16, and the Shanling H7.

https://headfonics.com/onix-mystic-xp1-review/

Really great write-up, thanks! After reading through various forums, I notice a lot of rave for the iBasso D16 + PB5 combo, offering more heft and some tube coloration to the technical prowess of the D16 alone. Reading your comparison section between D16 alone and Onyx Mystic, it makes me wonder if the ibasso stack with PB5 is closer in performance to the Onyx Mystic on DC. Maybe you can include that in your upcoming review of the D16? Would be great to read about this comparison from you as it is difficult to compare both models at a dealer myself (none close to where I live carry both models I believe).

Thanks and BR

 

[marcusd]

Really great write-up, thanks! After reading through various forums, I notice a lot of rave for the iBasso D16 + PB5 combo, offering more heft and some tube coloration to the technical prowess of the D16 alone. Reading your comparison section between D16 alone and Onyx Mystic, it makes me wonder if the ibasso stack with PB5 is closer in performance to the Onyx Mystic on DC. Maybe you can include that in your upcoming review of the D16? Would be great to read about this comparison from you as it is difficult to compare both models at a dealer myself (none close to where I live carry both models I believe).

Thanks and BR

The D16/PB5 stack would be a lot more expensive though than an XP1 alone? Maybe 40% more and for that additional I would expect a better performance. I get the curiosity on the DC match-up though from a purely observational experience.

 

[passagier303]

The D16/PB5 stack would be a lot more expensive though than an XP1 alone? Maybe 40% more and for that additional I would expect a better performance. I get the curiosity on the DC match-up though from a purely observational experience.

Yes, the ibasso stack is significantly more expensive and would therefore hopefully provide a bit more performance. I guess I am simply curious, as the differences mentioned by you between the D16 alone and the XP1 seem to be less on resolution and other technical capabilities such as staging, but on the low end authority (XP1 providing more) and more relaxed nature of the XP1, both attributes also the PB5 probably brings to the table. From the write-up alone, it sounds to me like the ibasso combo would bring it closer to the XP1, at least in terms of power. That again begs the question what the remaining benefits would be for the mark up in price. But maybe we are also entering territory here where words alone can only get you so far and one really needs to hear it to be able to understand. Either way, I appreciate you responding to my original question. I hope I can find a dealer somewhere that carries all three of those devices to be able to compare them

 

[marcusd]

Yes, the ibasso stack is significantly more expensive and would therefore hopefully provide a bit more performance. I guess I am simply curious, as the differences mentioned by you between the D16 alone and the XP1 seem to be less on resolution and other technical capabilities such as staging, but on the low end authority (XP1 providing more) and more relaxed nature of the XP1, both attributes also the PB5 probably brings to the table. From the write-up alone, it sounds to me like the ibasso combo would bring it closer to the XP1, at least in terms of power. That again begs the question what the remaining benefits would be for the mark up in price. But maybe we are also entering territory here where words alone can only get you so far and one really needs to hear it to be able to understand. Either way, I appreciate you responding to my original question. I hope I can find a dealer somewhere that carries all three of those devices to be able to compare them

Words alone also make me tired from writing lol

What I will probably do when I finish the D16 review is add an addendum on the PB5 matchup and post it here instead as ONIX might claim it unfair for being in the review since you could stack with their higher-end amps with the XP1 also and produce something even better.

 

[Loftprojection]

Words alone also make me tired from writing lol

What I will probably do when I finish the D16 review is add an addendum on the PB5 matchup and post it here instead as ONIX might claim it unfair for being in the review since you could stack with their higher-end amps with the XP1 also and produce something even better.

If I can make a suggestion, as a consumer that as no opportunity to try equipment before buying, I really appreciate all those pro reviews you make available. However, I find it would be very very nice if you could, when reviewing a "DAC/AMP" device, if in you "compare review section" to just do a simple compare using the device as DAC only with an external amp vs one or two other devices. For example with D16 and XP1, if you could compare their DAC section with any kind of external amp (the same one for both obviously) this way we could as consumer see what the DAC section brings to the table vs other devices DAC section.
Many thanks for considering it, we do appreciate your work a lot, well at least myself!

 

[marcusd]

If I can make a suggestion, as a consumer that as no opportunity to try equipment before buying, I really appreciate all those pro reviews you make available. However, I find it would be very very nice if you could, when reviewing a "DAC/AMP" device, if in you "compare review section" to just do a simple compare using the device as DAC only with an external amp vs one or two other devices. For example with D16 and XP1, if you could compare their DAC section with any kind of external amp (the same one for both obviously) this way we could as consumer see what the DAC section brings to the table vs other devices DAC section.
Many thanks for considering it, we do appreciate your work a lot, well at least myself!

Generally I try to do something similar in the Synergy section where time permits.

 

[ILuvAudio]

My impressions of the Onix XP1
Onix XP1

The Onix Mystic XP1 is a high-end portable DAC and amplifier designed by Onix and manufactured by Shanling. It is designed to deliver high-quality audio performance with a robust build and versatile connectivity options, making it a great choice for audiophiles on the go.
This is priced at $1499, unit I have in hand was kindly provided by Sandeep Agarwal, it is his personal unit and I thank him for giving me an opportunity to try this high end portable dacamp.

Onix XP1 has Dual AKM AK4499EX DACs paired with AK4191 modulators for high-resolution and natural sound tuning, the overall sound signature is warm (high output impedance) and smooth, it utilizes TPA6120A2 for the headphone amplifier, which is optimized for full-size headphones, with an additional Muses8920 circuit for balanced line-out/pre-amp functions. Talking about power, I have used XP1 with several headphones and I can assure you, this has tons of power, to put into perspective, once you connect the supplied LPS (LPS helps in providing enhanced output power, up to 2360 mW at 32Ω and 480 mW at 300Ω), and move the toggle switch behind the unit to headphones and the MPower switch to on, you are in a treat, this will make you question your desktop all-in-one dacamps for sure. With the settings I just mentioned and moving the gain to high out of low, medium and high available, I have used ZMF Auteur at 65-70% volume, this is a 300 Ohms headphone and often work with OTL amps than solid states but I couldn’t believe I was listening to it via a portable solution, this got it close to the Feliks Echo 2 amp, where the Echo 2 pulls ahead is pushing the mids sweetness tad bit more and makes the Auteur scale in sound.
Another challenge I put the XP1 through is the power hungry Hifiman HE6 and I am not kidding, it can power HE6 very well, again I cannot compare it with the power of something like Cayin IHA6 but man on 85-90% volume, high gain, Mpower mode on, connected to LPS, you can enjoy HE6 on this, I would have not thought that portables can go any justice to planars in general but I was wrong.

XP1 also supports lossless MicroSD playback, allowing for direct playback of Hi-Res and DSD files, one can use micro SD card upto 2 TB, For some reason, with eddict app on iphone 13, I could never make it work, it always showed scanning library, not sure if the same issue will persist with other phones.
XP1 has high-performance XMOS XU316 USB input, Bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC, aptX HD, and AAC support, and combined SPDIF Coaxial/Optical input.

With its 7000 mAh battery, offering up to 10 hours of playback, I have never realized the XP1’s battery drying up soon, used it with efficient headphones, inefficient headphones, iems, pairs with everything, only thing I would like to mention is if your iem is warm and sensitive, it might not work well, in that case, move the toggle switch on back of the device to earphones, it would make it better.
From the construction point of view, XP1 is crafted from high-grade aluminum with a gold-plated volume wheel and vintage dot-matrix OLED display.
I have used Camelot paired with their Lancelot cable and listing on the Onix Mystic XP1, this dacamp has dual AK4499 + AK4191, I have used this dac in the past (Topping E70V) and know the characteristics really well, the Onix produces a great balance between smoothness and details, the dac used is the AK’s ToTL dac and it shows in the sound, there is enough resolution that you are able to hear every instrument with outstanding clarity with nothing of it too forward to bother you, it maintains the smoothness extremely well.
We are in that phase of the audiophile timeline wherein Portable dacamps are improving in terms of sound but also the size, we are looking at the likes of XD05 Pro, Ibasso D16 and now the Shanling Onix Mystic XP1. Each of these are beasts in their own.
With XP1, you get an all-in-one solution, I would go overboard and say that this may be the only portable solution one would ever need, with top-of-the-line Dac, premium build quality, tons of power, aesthetically pleasing, almost all kind of digital inputs and a dedicated LPS for pumping added power.
I have used XP1 in Bluetooth mode with my iPhone and android phone, the sound quality over LDAC is marginally better however with AAC the quality was consistent, when you put your phone and XP1 in different pockets, there’s a minute drop out which gets back again with signal.

I highly recommend ONIX Mystic XP1 for its high-end performance and versatility, it is a solid choice for audiophiles looking for a portable and powerful DAC/amp solution.

 

[Pashmeister]

My impressions of the Onix XP1
Onix XP1

The Onix Mystic XP1 is a high-end portable DAC and amplifier designed by Onix and manufactured by Shanling. It is designed to deliver high-quality audio performance with a robust build and versatile connectivity options, making it a great choice for audiophiles on the go.
This is priced at $1499, unit I have in hand was kindly provided by Sandeep Agarwal, it is his personal unit and I thank him for giving me an opportunity to try this high end portable dacamp.

Onix XP1 has Dual AKM AK4499EX DACs paired with AK4191 modulators for high-resolution and natural sound tuning, the overall sound signature is warm (high output impedance) and smooth, it utilizes TPA6120A2 for the headphone amplifier, which is optimized for full-size headphones, with an additional Muses8920 circuit for balanced line-out/pre-amp functions. Talking about power, I have used XP1 with several headphones and I can assure you, this has tons of power, to put into perspective, once you connect the supplied LPS (LPS helps in providing enhanced output power, up to 2360 mW at 32Ω and 480 mW at 300Ω), and move the toggle switch behind the unit to headphones and the MPower switch to on, you are in a treat, this will make you question your desktop all-in-one dacamps for sure. With the settings I just mentioned and moving the gain to high out of low, medium and high available, I have used ZMF Auteur at 65-70% volume, this is a 300 Ohms headphone and often work with OTL amps than solid states but I couldn’t believe I was listening to it via a portable solution, this got it close to the Feliks Echo 2 amp, where the Echo 2 pulls ahead is pushing the mids sweetness tad bit more and makes the Auteur scale in sound.
Another challenge I put the XP1 through is the power hungry Hifiman HE6 and I am not kidding, it can power HE6 very well, again I cannot compare it with the power of something like Cayin IHA6 but man on 85-90% volume, high gain, Mpower mode on, connected to LPS, you can enjoy HE6 on this, I would have not thought that portables can go any justice to planars in general but I was wrong.

XP1 also supports lossless MicroSD playback, allowing for direct playback of Hi-Res and DSD files, one can use micro SD card upto 2 TB, For some reason, with eddict app on iphone 13, I could never make it work, it always showed scanning library, not sure if the same issue will persist with other phones.
XP1 has high-performance XMOS XU316 USB input, Bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC, aptX HD, and AAC support, and combined SPDIF Coaxial/Optical input.

With its 7000 mAh battery, offering up to 10 hours of playback, I have never realized the XP1’s battery drying up soon, used it with efficient headphones, inefficient headphones, iems, pairs with everything, only thing I would like to mention is if your iem is warm and sensitive, it might not work well, in that case, move the toggle switch on back of the device to earphones, it would make it better.
From the construction point of view, XP1 is crafted from high-grade aluminum with a gold-plated volume wheel and vintage dot-matrix OLED display.
I have used Camelot paired with their Lancelot cable and listing on the Onix Mystic XP1, this dacamp has dual AK4499 + AK4191, I have used this dac in the past (Topping E70V) and know the characteristics really well, the Onix produces a great balance between smoothness and details, the dac used is the AK’s ToTL dac and it shows in the sound, there is enough resolution that you are able to hear every instrument with outstanding clarity with nothing of it too forward to bother you, it maintains the smoothness extremely well.
We are in that phase of the audiophile timeline wherein Portable dacamps are improving in terms of sound but also the size, we are looking at the likes of XD05 Pro, Ibasso D16 and now the Shanling Onix Mystic XP1. Each of these are beasts in their own.
With XP1, you get an all-in-one solution, I would go overboard and say that this may be the only portable solution one would ever need, with top-of-the-line Dac, premium build quality, tons of power, aesthetically pleasing, almost all kind of digital inputs and a dedicated LPS for pumping added power.
I have used XP1 in Bluetooth mode with my iPhone and android phone, the sound quality over LDAC is marginally better however with AAC the quality was consistent, when you put your phone and XP1 in different pockets, there’s a minute drop out which gets back again with signal.

I highly recommend ONIX Mystic XP1 for its high-end performance and versatility, it is a solid choice for audiophiles looking for a portable and powerful DAC/amp solution.

Thanks for the review! I am keen to test this soon.

you mentioned it has a dedicated LPS — did you mean switching power supply and not linear power supply? The Headfonics review says what it has is a switching power supply. An LPS surely would be preferrable though!

 

[ILuvAudio]

Thanks for the review! I am keen to test this soon.

you mentioned it has a dedicated LPS — did you mean switching power supply and not linear power supply? The Headfonics review says what it has is a switching power supply. An LPS surely would be preferrable though!

It has an external power mode with the provided AC adapter, sorry for any confusion

 

[SHOOTINGTECHIE]

Since i could not find a headgear post for this wonderful device, i made one @Shanling
Its a wonderful portable device very capable and should have its own headgear space

 

[ILuvAudio]

Since i could not find a headgear post for this wonderful device, i made one @Shanling
Its a wonderful portable device very capable and should have its own headgear space

much needed bro

 

[twiceboss]

How does this compare to SP3k in terms of sound?

 

[Shanling]

New Firmware V1.3 released for XP1:

https://onixhiend.co.uk/onix-mystic-xp1-firmware-update/

 

[Neeoo]

How does this compare to SP3k in terms of sound?

I never had the chance to A/B them but I have reviewed xp1 and heard SP3000 on two occasions.
For headphones definately onix XP1 is the way to go because of Mpower mode. Really brings out a desktop grade performance.
For iems - I feel sp3000 has better technicalities. Better details and resolution, wider soundstage and a little more balanced highs compared to a tad tamed high frequencies in the onix, relatively.
In iems I would still prefer the onix where an iem would benefits from output power. I tried onix with singularity and the low end was very reminiscent of a woofer type mid-bass.
Xp1 overall has a clean and a very hefty sound. Iems benefitting from better amplification will shine on XP1.