Khadas Tea DAC Bluetooth Headphone Amplifier Review
Summary
Khadas Tea can be a good choice for iPhone owners who want to improve their audio quality. The app could have been much more. We hope that the app launches with a significant improvement. This will hopefully address any minor complaints and give the app a more human touch.
The pros
- The slim, lightweight design of the MagSafe connection makes it easy for iPhone users to have a portable DAC.
- LDAC is superior to Bluetooth for sound quality
- People will enjoy a warm and soothing sound.
Cons
- Problems with connectivity using wired connections Android
- LDAC of superior quality is prone for popping/interference
- Audiophiles will find it a bit warmer.
- No App (yet)
Khadas’ Tea is a brilliant new ultra-slimline high-resolution headphone amplifier designed to work seamlessly with an iPhone 12 or higher.
Specification
- Type: USB DAC + Headphone Amplifier + Bluetooth
- Model: Khadas
- Chipset: Sabre ESS ES9281AC Pro
- Bluetooth: Qualcomm QCC5125
- Amplifier: Amplifier RT6863D (Buffer Stage)
- Frequency range: 20 – 40 000Hz
- Compatibility: PCM up to 32bit/768kHz – DSD up to DSD512
- SNR: 112dB / 116dB
- THD: < 0.0007%
- Output impedance: < 0.3dB
- Lithium Polymer Battery Battery 1160 mAh
- Battery life up to 8 hours
- Size: 95.5mm (l) x 63.8mm (w) x 6.25mm (t-min) / 7.95mm (t-max)
- Weight: 73.5g
- Socket: USB-C
Design
Tea, a blue steel device measuring only 6.25mm in thickness, is sleek and elegant. The minimalistic design of the Tea is in perfect harmony with its iPhone counterpart. This is because the Tea bears the Made for Apple logo, which means it was specifically designed for these devices. This can be easily attached to any Apple device that supports MagSafe technology.
Khadas somehow managed to pack a 1160mAh battery into the Tea. You can enjoy the tea for up to 8 hours. This is just enough to make it through an entire workday.
As part of its impressive design, the Tea can automatically adjust to the resistance of the headphones you’re using. So you’ll always be getting the right power and perfect sound from your headphones.
I was a little sad to see there’s no app to accompany the Tea. Forums confirm that Khadas has been working on an app and claimed in August they were testing it. It isn’t there yet, even though I am writing this at the beginning of October.
For complex devices like these, a companion app is available. This app can be used to fine tune the audio and allow users to customize the buttons on the device. I have also seen smaller devices with all of these functions.
Connectivity
Although it may seem obscure at first, its distinctive profile could resemble a pharmaceutical scale or sci-fi cop notepad. Tea, an ultra-slim headphone amplifier that supports bit-perfect MQA as well as Lossless Audio playback, is a high-resolution and slim model.
Khadas’ Tea can be connected to a device of choice by one of two methods. You can connect to Khadas’ Tea via Bluetooth or wired using one of two 10cm cable. Both compatible Android Apple devices and USB Type-C/Lightning cables.
Within Bluetooth settings on the connected device, users can change between two LDAC playback settings: “Optimised for quality” and “Balanced audio and connection quality.” I found the latter option to be the only viable setting, unfortunately. The connection was easily distorted when using the “Optimised for quality setting,” I tested this in an area with low wifi traffic and wifi disabled on the connected device. This setting would be a problem in homes with many wifi-enabled devices.
Some additional features can be accessed by users who use a wired connection. When plugged in via the USB Type-C wire, users can charge the Tea via the host device; this feature, sadly, isn’t supported when using the lightning cable. The Tea will also display which audio format of the lossless music you’re listening to via the LED.
The loud crackling distortion that would suddenly play in seemingly random moments prevented me from testing the tea’s wired connection. It could be an issue with the Huawei phone. Android This type of connection can sometimes cause devices to be temperamental. The issue may be firmware-related. It’s possible the update could fix the issue when the app launches.
The wired connection was not available for long, but I noticed an improvement in sound quality and some clarity. However, I don’t believe it was a significant enough increase to warrant the inconvenience of having the Tea directly tethered to my phone – the Bluetooth connection is surprisingly good.
Controls & Feedback
There are three buttons on either side to operate the Tea and one LED that displays feedback. One smart button is located on the left. It can be used to power on or off, answer and decline calls, connect Bluetooth, and even reconnect with Siri. This button can be combined with other buttons that work mainly like volume rockser switches.
By holding down the smart button on the volume button while simultaneously pressing the volume button, you can switch the volume buttons to rewind or skip. Alternately, users can also activate/deactivate smart charging features by pressing the smart button along with the volume down key.
To skip a song, I find it excessively cumbersome to have to press two buttons. The lack of audio feedback from the Tea makes the entire process even more annoying.
Tea makes no other sounds than the announcement that Bluetooth has been successfully connected to a device. Tea can also provide feedback via the tiny LED located on the front for low battery, power on and Bluetooth pairing mode. The Tea is designed to be mounted to the rear of users’ phones, making this an interesting design choice, for sure.
It will only flash red for a short time before it turns off, then it will go silent. Also, it automatically turns off after being paused for some time, and it won’t tell you that either.
Prices and other options
The Khadas Tea is available to buy now on Amazon, priced at just under £200.
This puts it a little bit higher than the popular iFi GO Blu , which is currently around £175 or the Qudelix-5K at around £170.
Khadas Tea has a number of advantages, including its design and MagSafe connectivity.
Sound
Firstly I’d like to be transparent and say I’m not an expert on audio technology. I am an average user of this product and can give my opinion.
The tea had a tendency towards bass and low frequencies. Typically, this wouldn’t bother me as a bassy sound accompanies my usual music taste. The ESS ES9281AC DAC Pro DAC was a great tool. I listened and analyzed different genres to get the most from it.
First, it was very loud. It seemed to penetrate the middles and create a murky sound. This was more apparent in complex songs. This also gave it a slightly unveiled sound. This basically means that the high-end sounds muted or taper. This was the only way I could identify it when comparing two different DACs. For the average listener this seems perfectly acceptable.
Moreover, I found the Tea to lack good sound staging, making everything sound very close, like you’re in a box. Combining this with low clarity at the high end makes it a very dense sound.
The portable DAC can drive any IEM that has a max output of 165mW at 32 ohms. This is a major advantage. This DAC should be capable of driving some headphones that are less demanding.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I don’t mind Khadas’ Tea. Maybe I’d have gotten along better with an iPhone 12 or greater. It does what it does well.
This iPhone’s sound is warm and unbalanced. The sound is great for the average iPhone user who wants to try higher-end audio. However, people with more critical ears and a more neutral taste may not like it.
An app that has an EQ would be a great addition to this DAC. It will allow users to adjust the sound to their liking.
Updated on December 16, 2016 / Affiliate Links / Images From Amazon Product Advertising API
