Thx Onyx Portable Dac Headphone Amplifier: High Resolution Audio Dac For Smartphone/Pc/Home Audio -
THX Onyx Portable DAC Headphone Amplifier: High Resolution Audio DAC for Smartphone/PC/Home Audio - THX AAA - MQA Renderer - Direct Stream Digital (DSD) - ES9281PRO DAC - Magnetic Cable Management
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- THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier (THX AAA): THX AAA technology enables the world’s highest fidelity audio and maximum dynamic range with the capacity to support power-hungry, audiophile grade headphones. Crank it up and enjoy satisfyingly loud volumes and ultra-clean sound
- Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) Renderer: The THX Onyx MQA renderer can reproduce digital Master Quality Audio recordings from services like Tidal or USB Audio Player Pro
- ESS ES9281PRO DAC: This digital-to-analog converter provides best-in-class dynamic range and lowest distortion, with direct rendering of MQA files in the DAC - enjoy the studio quality of Tidal Master Quality files on-the-go
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: THX Onyx connects to any USB/USB-C port and works on Android, iOS, Windows 10, and Mac without the need for any drivers or installation (USB-C to Lightning adapter not included)
- Magnetic Cable Management: A built-in magnetic clasp enables quick and convenient cable management, ensuring there are no messy headphone wires dangling around
- Qobuz studio quality streaming subscription free for three months when you purchase a THX Onyx
Brand : Razer
Category : Electronics,Headphones, Earbuds & Accessories,Amplifiers
Rating : 4.2
Price : US $199.99
Review Count : 202
SalesRank : 0
THX Onyx Portable DAC Headphone Amplifier: High Resolution Audio DAC for Smartphone/PC/Home Audio - THX AAA - MQA Renderer - Direct Stream Digital (DSD) - ES9281PRO DAC - Magnetic Cable Management
- At first I didn\'t notice any sound quality difference between my built in DAC/Amp on my PC and phone aside from the additional power. But over a week, I started to notice the small differences in clarity and detail and OMG I\'m never listening to music without it! Even when playing games, I noticed so many smaller details that I previously never heard. If I had to recommend this to a friend, I\'d do it in a heart beat.
- Tl;Dr: Great portable amp and DAC. Makes any pair of headphones sound even better, but it eats up battery life like crazy on your cell phone.A more in depth review: I originally got the Razer THX Onyx to pair with my KZ zs10 Pro IEM\'s (in ear monitors) because I wanted something that can take advantage of the full range that those earbuds offer (7hz-40khz). The THX Onyx did not disappoint at all, especially with a sound range to match (10hz-40khz). Both go beyond the normal sound range the average human can hear. Because of that it definitely enhances the sub bass range and adds more punch and \"feel\" to music that is bass dominant like \"Barbie Dreams\" by Nikki Manaj or \"Freaks of the Industry\" by Digital Underground. Mids and highs sound just as wonderful. Listening to jazz or blues, you can hear all the subtle nuances In a raspy voice or the crash of the cymbals. Listening to an artist like Massive Attack sounds really good.Because of the zs10 Pro\'s low impedance (24ohms), I had to turn the volume down by almost 1/2 of my normal listening volume. The amplifier in the THX Onyx is wonderful. I tried it with a pair of generic earbuds and they made those sound even louder too. Lastly, I tried it with my wife\'s Razer Kraken headphones because those are notoriously low sounding when using them with a cell phone. It definitely brought the volume up considerably for those.The DAC circuit decodes at higher sampling rates (32bit/384khz) then just your average USB C to 3.5mm adapter (24bit/96khz). Listening to Master Tracks on Tidal opens up a fuller range of sound to enjoy. Unfortunately Tidal\'s Master Tracks are not encoded that high (32bit), So although they are MQA certified, it is still at the lower 24bit level. So I have yet to enjoy the THX Onyx to its fullest extent with true MQA sound files.My one and only problem with the THX Onyx is that it eats up the battery life on my cell phone rather quickly when it\'s plugged in, even if I am not listening to any music. On my Google Pixel 6, I can literally watch the battery percentage drop at a rate of 1% approximately every 2 minutes. If I am watching a movie, which this is absolutely wonderful for, and start off with a full charge, my battery is around 50% when the movie is finished. That prevents me from binge watching any series unless I have a USB C splitter which I have yet to find out if it would even work with the THX Onyx and have my phone plugged in charging.To be fair, I tried it with my wife\'s OnePlus 9 and my daughter\'s Galaxy S21. Both had the same high battery drain while using the THX Onyx. It is to be expected though when using a portable amplifier/DAC that draws its power off of the USB port. Plugged into a computer, it would not be a problem at all since a computer it\'s usually plugged in. I have not checked the battery drainage on a laptop that is unplugged from its power supply.All in all, it is a great and wonderful addition to anyone meeting a portable amplifier/DAC. A little pricey for some people but it is still less expensive than some other portable high end amplifier/DAC\'s out there, not to mention the frequency range it encompasses.
- It’s an interesting product. It definitely works, although I didn’t get huge volume at a very low level. Normally listening to music, the volume slider is pretty close to max or at max depending on my headphones. With the THX ONYX the slider is about 4/5 of the way and it’s very satisfying. The sound is a bit clearer with bass response being the most impressive improvement in sound.I’m just not sure that I’m getting $200 worth of improvement on my cellphone.On a computer with USB drive it’s a bit of a different story. It absolutely slaps on your PC.
- Disclaimer: I am not an audiophile, musician, or sound engineer. My review is for general users.Received on December 24th. Have been using for only one day.Since Apple Music has introduced Hi-Res Lossless music, I want to fully experience the marvel. I bought this mainly for Apple Music. I use Sony IER-M9, iPhone SE (2020), and MacBook Pro (16 inch, 2019).Healthy:If you read simplified or traditional Chinese, you can see that at the end of the instruction manual, there are two tables indicating the level of harmful substances in Onyx. The level of lead exceeds the safety limit in the circuit board, but I will never open up Onyx to touch the circuit board, so I am fine with this. All externals of Onyx, including the package, paint, metal case, rubber wire, etc. are under the safety limit for all harmful substances. I am happy to see this. (I tried FiiO Q3. The accessories of Q3 had a high level of lead exceeding the safety limit. I assumed that accessories referred to the supplied cables. I returned it.)Size:I love Onyx because it is the smallest DAC I have tried with THX. I intend to use Onyx mainly with my iPhone. It is important to have a small size. Of course, Apple’s lightning to 3.5 mm adaptor is also smaller than Onyx, but it can only do 24-bit 48 kHz sampling without THX. I find a few smaller dongles from Amazon that can also do 24-bit 384 kHz sampling, but again they do not have THX. Most importantly, some reviews say that these dongles have crosstalk between channels.Crosstalk:None. It is absolute silent in the other channel when I test one channel with low and high volume setting. Furthermore, the electronic static noise is zero when there is no music. (I tried iFi hip-dac2. The crosstalk was so severe that I returned it.)Sound quality:Ironically, when I listen to a lossless music with M9/THX Onyx vs the default, build-in speakers of my MacBook Pro, I can hear more details with the default speakers (set at 24 bits, 96 kHz) than M9/THX Onyx (set at 24 bits, 192 kHz, yellow LED). For example, I can hear the unintentional background noise in the studio during recording with the build-in speakers but not with M9/THX Onyx. When the musician slides his fingers on the strings of a guitar, the sliding is also more pronounced with the build-in speakers than M9/THX Onyx. Perhaps THX Onyx filters out some details?I then unplug M9 from THX Onyx and plug M9 directly to the 3.5 mm audio out (set at 24 bits, 96 kHz) on my MacBook Pro and got similar results. The default, build-in speakers of my MacBook Pro still provide more details than M9. Perhaps the 3.5 mm audio out loses some details?Just to be fair with M9, the bass of M9 is stronger than the build-in speakers.Lastly, I plug M9/THX Onyx to my iPhone. Yes, I have a lightning to USB camera adapter from Apple. THX Onyx LED changes color according to the sampling rate of different songs. M9/THX Onyx performs similarly as the two forementioned conditions.THX:Onyx has THXAAA-78. It is the highest level within the Frontier series. Frontier series is for mobile, audiophile devices. For comparison, FiiO Q3 also has THX, but it is THXAAA-28, the lowest level within the same series.Conclusion:I am happy with this purchase.
- First able I used iem with low impedance 8ohms and the amplification it\'s not five times as they say, but what bother me the most was the crackling noise that happened when I was walking with it in my building Isle, also when connected to my gaming laptop it would make my mic makes like pink noises.
- I use this with my iPhone and Beats over the ear, noise canceling headphones. I also use as audio source for vacuum tube amp and Klipsch Khorns. I use Apple Music to get lossless audio and with the THX Onyx I get amazing sound stage and high resolution audio. Very happy with the THX Onyx DAC, pricey but good:)
- works great, I use it on my headphones & with my Mac book pro!
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