[Lolito]

ok

 

[rmsanger]

Any updates/inputs on this unit? $200 for a balanced DAC that measures this well is quite the value... I'm interested if it passes the SQ sniff test as some units measure well but don't actually sound that good subjectively. I don't always buy into the pure ASR stats cool aide they pump but it's still a valid data point to consider.

 

[khoihd]

I had one and compared to Chord Mojo And Khadas tone board. It’s is darker sounding than KTB and somewhat less dynamic. I personally much prefer KTB but the Soncoz might work well in a bright system.

 

[DesignTaylor]

Has anyone put this up against the SMSL SU-8 or M300?

 

[LazyJab]

I had one and compared to Chord Mojo And Khadas tone board. It’s is darker sounding than KTB and somewhat less dynamic. I personally much prefer KTB but the Soncoz might work well in a bright system.

What did you think relative to the mojo? I am currently using my mojo as line level dac with a thx789 which I am enjoying but, you know...always looking

 

[khoihd]

Ok so I had 2 Mojos so was able to listen to it many times. I have McIntosh MA352 amplifier with Harbeth speakers. Also I really wanted to like the Soncoz since I was very surprised by the KTB (when fed with the largest Anker battery pack). The Mojo is much better than the Soncoz. I was surprised to hear that the Soncoz was somewhat dark, dull, veiled, limited dynamically and overall not very musical. Didn’t sound expensive or impressive in any way. The Mojo is much better in every way I can think of. I happen to like the KTB even more than the Mojo though since I find the KTB more natural, dynamic, airier and more expressive with much better bass. That being said the Mojo is very musical, fat and robust sounding, nuanced, warm, and not bright. A touch “metallic” on top for my tastes compared to KTB which is more natural. I tried the Soncoz for many days and eventually returned it with no regrets whatsoever

 

[Lolito]

Glad to hear this review, in audio science review they just do the measurements, measurements that are actually not good, and not always the same, which is so weird. If measurements are not always the same means they are not precise, meaning not so important if it is not reliable data. Soncoz dac gave different numbers in different tests in that website... weird... they also had to correct some neumann speakers measurements recently, since they were also wrong...

I own a KTB, very happy with it. Only complaint is that is disconnects literally very often when I use my espresso machine or coffee grinder... very annoying, ordered a double usb cable, so I can separate usb data from usb power, and maybe even use a battery for it. Or update to an XLR balanced DAC, but it has to sound good, otherwise I stick to KTB.

 

[khoihd]

I wish measurements correlated perfectly to what you hear. I really do. But after experimenting with Topping E30 and now the Soncoz, it obviously is not and it has nothing to do with bias and subjectivity. So measurements are not everything. It’s just a fact. Especially I really wanted to like this Soncoz DAC (It’s made by the designer of the KTB) and had high hopes since I was so pleasantly surprised by the KTB. But this Soncoz just sounds veiled, dull, not really musical and somewhat “cheap” to my ears. Nowhere near KTB, Chord Mojo, Border Patrol, Lite Dac Ah or a Schiit Modi Multibit for example. As a comparison, I would never say the Chord Mojo sounds cheap. System synergy matters though so could sound somewhat better in another system. I did not try headphones.

By the way, the transport matters. I use Sonos Connect and Allo DigiOne signature and they sound different.

Also for the KTB:
- I found the sound is optimal with 1) supplied USB power cable or Anker power cable and 2) Anker Powercore 26,800 (there are 2 versions and I prefer the older model).
- The sound is beefier and smoother with those tweaks. More meat on the bones.

 

[Lolito]

Thanks a lot for the tips, I appreciate it. Unfortuantely I am currently using the usb for data+power, to a usb hub... so there might be the power issue, when the coffee machine takes the power from another power plug in the other corner of my room... quite weird, although this is a old house... Hope the doble usb cable fix this issue.

In any case, what DAC with XLR outputs would you recommend that you have tested and you like the sound?? for 200€ aprox. I use ADAM A7X speakers + jds atom + hd6xx and hd25. It has to be black on the outside. Not many decent options out there really. They all have their flaws. It is getting more popular the balanced DAC thing, but still not there yet.

 

[khoihd]

I don’t have any DACs with XLR outputs unfortunately. With RCA outputs, for $200, I like:
- KTB: very dynamic and very expressive, modern sound, great soundstage, neutral with a bit of warmth. In my view, the KTB must be battery operated
- Modi Multibit with latest firmware: overall very good, good timbre, natural and pleasant, less extroverted than the KTB but more body to the sound and darker tonal balance, sound is between modern and more “old school”, much less neutral than KTB, kind of Schiit “house sound”
- Lite DAC Ah: very warm and analogue sounding, forgiving of poor recordings, excellent timbre and tone, kind of woody, lots of body to the sound, not the most dynamic though, dark sounding (in a good way), sound is very “old school”

Right now, I use mostly the Modi Multibit.

 

[Lolito]

Thanks again for the input. I have no complaints with the Khadas really, apart from the disconnecting thing. If you are running it from a battery, are you using the coaxial as digital input? or you have splitted the usb cable? or maybe exist an adapter somewhere to split it into data and power...

I would appreciate the XLR outputs, the optical toslink input, since I could make my apple airport as digital source only for airplay, and skip its own dac which is much worse than khadas. Gonna have to wait for the right option. SMSL SU8 it's silver, has the ess hump... probably I would not notice that, but anyways, gonna wait a year or two. I guess the KTB can't be beat for the price, and the available cases for it are great, I have the transparent one.

Would be great to compare also the Schitt Modius, the new SMSL, the old SMSL, other new models coming... not gonna buy a topping d90 anytime soon.

 

[khoihd]

I’m using coaxial. You can power the KTB directly from the board too:

https://forum.khadas.com/t/tone-board-external-powering/3051

 

[LazyJab]

Thanks a lot guys - after reading this stuff I felt compelled to buy a KTB (and case). Naturally, now that I have it set up I need a good way to A/B test with other inputs so I bought a source selector switch too

 

[khoihd]

Let us know your thoughts, and use a good power source. I use this model after testing quite a few:

https://www.anker.com/products/variant/powercore-26800/A1277011

 

[Lolito]

Let us know your thoughts, and use a good power source. I use this model after testing quite a few:

https://www.anker.com/products/variant/powercore-26800/A1277011

That battery can work at the same time as charging? I do already have a USB battery, xiami, 10 mega ampers I think... Hope it can charge at the same time, I think so.
But the khadas is definitely giving me issues with power, it might be my usb hub too, gonna have to do some testing, but any time I unplug something, say the coffee grinder or one of the active speakers, there seems to be a change in the electrcity current catched up by the khadas which goes to silence. I have to reconnect the usb-c cable to make it work again.

Waiting for the Y split cable, I do not want to alter the khadas, rahter make it work without mods, otherwise sell it intact and get another DAC.

Anyone else out there that has tested the Soncoz properly?? thanks a lot