ONIX Alpha XI1 - Smallest & Most Affordable ONIX DAC - High-Power Portable USB DAC/AMP

[jsmiller58]

I'm 49 and onix for sure has smooth sound but is lifeless, as when you passed from a permalloy head Aiwa Walkman to a slim Panasonic walkman with only one AAA battery inside to make it lighter.
I know what is dynamic and Onix is simply boring in that aspect.
And I can discriminate also the difference between ferrite, alnico and neodimium magnet and their influence on sound. Onix has a not offensive dynamics, as some one else stated here before me, that make you listen for longer time without been disturbed.... But at the price of killing musicality. Precisely located instruments but without soul and with just a hint of nasal sound. Remind me the lifeless qwestyle m12 first edition.

Don't think every reviewer has enough experience to reach all the finesse in listening sorry.

I tried many dongle this could be right for heavy genres that have to... Not disturb, is not suited for acoustic/ classical music, it kills every nuance

I am looking forward to receiving my Xl1 to compare it to my other frequently used dongles (Kensei, KA17, RU6, and RU7 - I have quite a few others but these are the ones I use most when I use a dongle). As some sing it’s virtues, and others lament it’s shortcomings, the Z1 seems to be quite polarizing.

 

[captblaze]

I'm 49 and onix for sure has smooth sound but is lifeless, as when you passed from a permalloy head Aiwa Walkman to a slim Panasonic walkman with only one AAA battery inside to make it lighter.
I know what is dynamic and Onix is simply boring in that aspect.
And I can discriminate also the difference between ferrite, alnico and neodimium magnet and their influence on sound. Onix has a not offensive dynamics, as some one else stated here before me, that make you listen for longer time without been disturbed.... But at the price of killing musicality. Precisely located instruments but without soul and with just a hint of nasal sound. Remind me the lifeless qwestyle m12 first edition.

Don't think every reviewer has enough experience to reach all the finesse in listening sorry.

I tried many dongle this could be right for heavy genres that have to... Not disturb, is not suited for acoustic/ classical music, it kills every nuance

No two people have identical hearing. Some need more dynamic energy to feel the music and others prefer a warmer more relaxed presentation. My guess is that you are in the more energy category and perhaps this dongle with your transducers just don't have the synergy you are seeking

 

[D1N0]

I will be the judge of how it sounds, since only I can judge how it sounds to me. Now if only those transport guys would hurry up.

 

[laleeee]

I'm 49 and onix for sure has smooth sound but is lifeless, as when you passed from a permalloy head Aiwa Walkman to a slim Panasonic walkman with only one AAA battery inside to make it lighter.
I know what is dynamic and Onix is simply boring in that aspect.
And I can discriminate also the difference between ferrite, alnico and neodimium magnet and their influence on sound. Onix has a not offensive dynamics, as some one else stated here before me, that make you listen for longer time without been disturbed.... But at the price of killing musicality. Precisely located instruments but without soul and with just a hint of nasal sound. Remind me the lifeless qwestyle m12 first edition.

Don't think every reviewer has enough experience to reach all the finesse in listening sorry.

I tried many dongle this could be right for heavy genres that have to... Not disturb, is not suited for acoustic/ classical music, it kills every nuance

not suitable for electronic music or rock, but it might be good to prop up a door or under a wobbly table leg.

 

[lucanato]

U can listen to what ever dongle you want but if dynamic is not enough you are deleting some efforts of musicians to be expressive, Im a classical musician but I enjoy some times metal or hard rock and if you neutralize the dynamics of the drummer you are taming his impetuosity.

 

[laleeee]

U can listen to what ever dongle you want but if dynamic is not enough you are deleting some efforts of musicians to be expressive, Im a classical musician but I enjoy some times metal or hard rock and if you neutralize the dynamics of the drummer you are taming his impetuosity.

Same problem with the Aune Yuki, same chip set

 

[lucanato]

Same problem with the Aune Yuki, same chip set

Thanks for having saved me from buying it

 

[dakchi]

I just received mine. All I can say is that this dongle is extremely neutral. It does not add any coloration and does not emphasise any frequency. If this is what you are looking for, you will like it. If you are like me and want some coloration in sound, you will find it boring. I much prefer the sound out of my Cayin RU7. It is much more musical and enjoyable to listen to

 

[soundblast75]

Well, after reading last few posts I am regretting purchasing it, I am a bit perplexed why would Tone-deaf who likes bass would rec a mega neutral sound

 

[dakchi]

Well, after reading last few posts I am regretting purchasing it, I am a bit perplexed why would Tone-deaf who likes bass would rec a mega neutral sound

I regret buying it too. We are lucky that it is not very expensive. After listening to Cayin RU7 dongle, I thought that I will never go back to delta sigma dongles. I have not been satisfied by any of them as much as I am with RU7, then I watched the reviews in Youtube and thought that this one might be an exception but it ended up being disappointing. It is not the worst dongle in the market but not worth all this hype. Have reviewers been paid to give very good reviews of this dongle? probably
I will also add that it drains the battery of my iPhone much more than my other dongles

 

[D1N0]

Same problem with the Aune Yuki, same chip set

The difference lies in the implementation. The DAC chip is used in a lot of dongles that all sound different. The Alpha uses op-amps for amplification (quite strong ones) and the Yuki uses a discrete amplification circuit with transistors. A chip is never a sound signature by itself. Depends on the tuning.

 

[conspibro]

Finally had time to test my unit...

Interesting quirk I found in Linux (using Pipewire):
At 15%, it seems to be maxed out.
No sound output at all when system volume is set at 20%. I thought perhaps input is clipping, so I reduced DAC volume (set it at 100 for testing), but still no sound.
Then at next step up 25%, it is super soft. At 100%, it is not as loud as at 10%.
Almost as if there are two different scales being used. (Sys vol 0-15% super loud; 20% no output; 25-100% less loud)

Happens in both Low and High Gain mode set on DAC. (High Gain - slightly louder)

Other than that, every thing works out of the box. I can adjust sys volume via the DAC (when set to that mode); playback control works too. Compared with my current DC04 Pro, basically can't tell between the two in terms of sound, which is a good thing (for me; transparent and very dark noise BG). I just want more power and nicer UI.

The LO jacks do seem wobbly, just as some have pointed out. But connectors are held in securely still, just wobbling side to side. And unlike the DC04 Pro, the USB jack is snug and secure on the Onix.

 

[mf15]

I regret buying it too. We are lucky that it is not very expensive. After listening to Cayin RU7 dongle, I thought that I will never go back to delta sigma dongles. I have not been satisfied by any of them as much as I am with RU7, then I watched the reviews in Youtube and thought that this one might be an exception but it ended up being disappointing. It is not the worst dongle in the market but not worth all this hype. Have reviewers been paid to give very good reviews of this dongle? probably
I will also add that it drains the battery of my iPhone much more than my other dongles

I mean, you're comparing it to a RU7, which is more than double the price. Imho, this dongle hits some specifics that are above it's price and does nothing worse than dongles around it's price, so i can see why people recommend it. As for reviewers, i'm guessing many of them compared it against products in the same price bracket, at least i know i do that (and state it explicitly) when i review things. But yeah, it's a relatively neutral dongle, if you don't want that i'd look at something else or just use EQ.

 

[zie5522]

Any ETA for the update @Shanling ?

 

[captblaze]

I mean, you're comparing it to a RU7, which is more than double the price. Imho, this dongle hits some specifics that are above it's price and does nothing worse than dongles around it's price, so i can see why people recommend it. As for reviewers, i'm guessing many of them compared it against products in the same price bracket, at least i know i do that (and state it explicitly) when i review things. But yeah, it's a relatively neutral dongle, if you don't want that i'd look at something else or just use EQ.

The dongle market is oversaturated and, in my opinion, causes OEMs to find a niche in that oversaturation. As a result, products don't always hit the mark. Keeping reviewer's comments at a distance and listening to people who have actual cash in the game is a better indicator if the newest products are worth a purchase.
These are my thoughts and you all are welcome to disagree