Khadas Tea Professional DAC & Headphone Amplifier Overview

My brother Ted beforehand reviewed the Khadas Tea DAC Bluetooth Headphone Amplifier nearly three years in the past.

Ted highlighted a number of weak spots of the Khadas Tea, with criticisms of the dearth of a companion app and a heat bass bias sound. I personally desire a hotter sound as I’m delicate to high-pitched noises, however the restricted customisations clearly held the Tea again.

It took Khadas over a yr to launch the Khadas Audio app, which provided a variety of customisation choices, together with acquire, equaliser, and filter settings. Whereas I didn’t use the Khadas Tea after the app launch, I’d assume the EQ customisations would permit customers to tweak the sound to be extra impartial and analytical (if that’s what you want).

Khadas have now launched the Tea Professional, which, as you’ll count on, is an upgraded moveable DAC and headphone amplifier that provides an intensive set of options geared toward customers in search of high-quality moveable audio. Its design, element choice, and connectivity choices are tailor-made for music fans, commuters, and inventive professionals who require each versatility and dependable audio efficiency.

I’ve been utilizing it for the previous few weeks to see whether it is well worth the worth premium over the unique.

Associated Content material

Khadas Tea Professional vs Khadas Tea Specification

Options

• Extremely-slim type issue with a 7.85 mm thickness and a weight of 96 g. The unit has a CNC-machined aluminium chassis, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the entrance, and a premium wear-resistant leather-based again panel. Magnetic mounting permits it to connect on to MagSafe-compatible iPhones and instances, with help for a magnetic ring for different telephones.
• Twin headphone outputs: commonplace 3.5 mm (supporting full CTIA headset controls and microphone when related through Bluetooth) and a balanced 4.4 mm jack for higher-end headphones. The 4.4 mm output supplies balanced audio transmission for improved noise rejection.
• Digital-to-analogue conversion is dealt with by an ESS ES9039Q2M DAC, with a Qualcomm QCC5181 chipset for Bluetooth and an XMOS XU316-1024 USB controller. This permits help for USB PCM audio as much as 768 kHz 32-bit, and native DSD512 playback through USB.
• Intensive Bluetooth codec help, together with SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, and LDAC. Bluetooth model 5.4 is offered, with bitrates as much as 96 kHz 24-bit for wi-fi streaming.
• Excessive output energy with low distortion: through the 4.4 mm output, as much as 5.0 Vrms and 180 mW (into 16.5 ohms); through the three.5 mm output, as much as 2.5 Vrms and 100 mW (into 16.5 ohms). Each outputs provide low whole harmonic distortion and noise, with SNR as excessive as 122 dB on the balanced output.
• Inside 2100 mAh battery presents as much as 11 hours of playback over Bluetooth and as much as 8 hours over USB-C with steady use.
• 0.95-inch color AMOLED show (120 x 240 RGB) supplies reside standing, EQ mode, battery degree, playback format, and lets customers navigate menus for capabilities similar to pairing, acquire adjustment, and EQ management.
• Seven EQ presets (Default, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, Bass, Blues) and a ten-band user-adjustable graphic equaliser through the Khadas Audio app, with acquire adjustable from minus 12 dB to plus 12 dB per band.
• The Khadas Audio app (iOS, Android, macOS, Home windows) allows customers to regulate EQ, acquire, filter choice, change languages, replace firmware, and set gadget preferences.
• Full compatibility with iOS (MFi licensed), macOS, Android, and plug-and-play operation for many trendy techniques. Home windows help requires the Khadas USB ASIO driver; Linux is supported for UAC2.0-compliant kernels.
• CTIA four-pole headset help on the three.5 mm output, offering name microphone and inline button performance when related by Bluetooth. The built-in microphone additionally permits direct voice enter for calls.
• Whole cost time is quoted between two and three hours, relying on the ability supply and methodology.
• {Hardware} quantity management is applied with an impartial NJU72315 chip, and energy administration is dealt with through a devoted low-dropout regulator and MPS energy administration chip for optimum effectivity and low noise operation.

Unboxing / Design

The Khadas Tea Professional has the identical design philosophy as the unique Tea, however with some vital enhancements.

Essentially the most noticeable is the brand new 0.95″ AMOLED color show, which provides you vital info such because the battery life, connection mode, audio format and pattern fee.

The Professional has extra buttons, and these are vital as the mixture of those and the show permits you to management many of the DAC’s capabilities with out the companion app.

You then get a brand new 4.4 mm headphone jack for elevated headphone compatibility.

One gripe in regards to the design is that I discovered the button structure unintuitive. You have got two buttons on the proper for quantity. Then two on the left, one bigger and one smaller.

I assumed the bigger one was a rocker button and the smaller one was the ability button. However the bigger one is the ability button, and the smaller one is the menu button. I ended up having to have a look at the directions to work out which was which.

Internally, there are lots of modifications with improved chipsets for each Bluetooth and the DAC, plus a brand new USB chipset.

Past that, the basic design is similar because the earlier mannequin. This can be a small ultra-thin DAC that comes with a small MagSafe case, much like a card case, that permits you to preserve the Tea Professional connected to your iPhone (or Android telephone with a Magnetic case, or the Pixel 10 Professional XL).

Set Up and Khadas Audio App

The Khadas Tea Professional works like another Bluetooth gadget; you energy it up, and then you definately pair it to your telephone or PC like regular.

Alternatively, you possibly can join it on to your telephone or PC with a USB-C cable. For one of the best audio high quality, you’ll want to use a USB with UAC2.0, which provides you help for DSD512 or  PCM 768 kHz.

As soon as paired, you could have user-friendly controls over the DAC together with:

• Audio Management
  • Adjustable acquire ranges for various headphones 
  • Choose EQ modes and bands (7 presets + 10-band customized EQ)
• System Settings
  • Language choices: Chinese language / English / Japanese / Korean
  • Customizable gadget identify for straightforward Bluetooth identification
• Gadget Administration
  • Constructed-in Fast Begin Information for quicker setup

Made for iPhone however works with Android and Home windows

Whereas that is designed for the iPhone, it really works completely nicely with Android and Home windows.

For Android, you possibly can obtain the Khadas Audio app and customise all of the settings simply the identical because the iPhone.

For Home windows, it’s technically plug and play, however you will have to put in the Home windows drivers to have the ability to modify the bit fee and sampling fee. You are able to do this from the downloads web page below merchandise > Tea Professional > drivers.

For Android, you too can plug the Khadas, and the telephone will detect this as a wired headphone (at the least on my Pixel 9 Professional XL).

Audio Efficiency

To check the audio codecs, I needed to obtain some check information. OPPO has a web page itemizing some high-quality DSD and FLAC information. Over Bluetooth, the Tea Professional helps as much as PCM 96 kHz/24 bit, whereas with USB and UAC2.0 it helps as much as PCM 768 kHz or DSD512 (Native).

The core audio efficiency of the Khadas Tea Professional is a transparent step up from its predecessor and from the standard audio output of a smartphone. The usage of the ESS ES9039Q2M DAC chip, mixed with high-precision resistors and a devoted low-noise energy provide, ends in a clear, detailed, and highly effective sound output.

Essentially the most fast distinction is heard when evaluating wired USB operation to plain Bluetooth streaming. When related through USB-C and taking part in a high-resolution supply file, the Tea Professional delivers a major enchancment in readability, element retrieval, and dynamic vary. The soundstage is wider, and instrument separation is extra distinct. That is significantly noticeable with high-quality headphones and lossless audio information.

Bluetooth efficiency is excellent for a transportable gadget, supporting high-bitrate codecs like LDAC and aptX Adaptive. Nevertheless, as with every Bluetooth transmission, there’s a perceptible lack of positive element and a slight compression of the soundstage in comparison with a wired connection. The distinction shouldn’t be delicate to a skilled ear; Bluetooth introduces a slight veiling and a extra distant presentation, whereas the wired connection is sharp, fast, and extra participating. For informal listening on the go, Bluetooth is completely enough, however for important listening, the wired connection is the clear selection.

The balanced 4.4mm output is a standout characteristic. It supplies extra energy and a decrease noise flooring in comparison with the single-ended 3.5mm jack. This makes it supreme for driving higher-impedance headphones or for getting one of the best efficiency from delicate in-ear displays. The distinction is usually heard as a blacker background, permitting extra micro-details to emerge, and a better sense of management over the headphones’ drivers.

The ten-band equaliser and varied filter settings (Linear Quick, Linear Part, and many others.) present intensive tuning choices. The EQ is efficient and might dramatically alter the sound signature to go well with private choice or the traits of particular headphones. The filter variations are extra delicate and can doubtless solely be appreciated by skilled listeners. The power to make these changes both on the gadget itself through the display screen or by way of the great app is a significant benefit.

Codec Efficiency Comparability

 Testing varied Bluetooth codecs revealed anticipated variations:

• SBC: Fundamental high quality, noticeable compression
• AAC: Improved over SBC, good for iPhone customers
• aptX: Higher than AAC, extra detailed
• aptX HD: Noticeable enchancment in decision
• LDAC: Greatest wi-fi high quality, approaching wired efficiency
• aptX Adaptive: Variable high quality primarily based on connection stability

The inclusion of aptX Adaptive is welcome, because it adjusts bitrate primarily based on connection circumstances. In observe, this supplies extra constant efficiency than fixed-bitrate codecs.

Battery Life

The built-in 2100 mAh battery is rated for as much as 11 hours of Bluetooth playback and as much as 8 hours of wired USB playback. In real-world use, these figures are typically correct, although they will differ relying on the quantity degree, acquire setting, and the codec used for Bluetooth. The battery life is ample for a full day of use for many commuters or travellers. The gadget additionally helps pass-through charging, so it may be used whereas plugged in, although this may occasionally generate some warmth. A full cost takes roughly two hours.

Value and Various Choices

The Khadas Tea Professional has an RRP of $199 and the older Khadas Tea is offered for $109.

Within the UK, the Khadas Tea is offered on Amazon UK for £100.

The FiiO has a wide range of moveable DACs, none of that are magnetic. The FiiO BTR15 or FiiO BTR17 are most likely the closest opponents, as they work over Bluetooth or USB-C and are priced at £115 and £180 respectively.

iFi GO blu presents a special method with a concentrate on analogue heat, priced equally to the Tea Professional at £199 within the UK.

The Qudelix-5K is presumably the most suitable choice at a cheaper price level. This can be very nicely reviewed and solely £101 on Amazon.

Total

The Khadas Tea Professional is a considerable improve over the unique Tea mannequin. It addresses earlier shortcomings and provides a number of recent options that make it a way more compelling and versatile product. The enhancements will not be simply incremental; the addition of a color show, a balanced 4.4mm output, a extra highly effective and higher-quality DAC chipset, and Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Adaptive help remodel it from a distinct segment product right into a extremely aggressive moveable audio resolution.

The ultra-thin, light-weight type issue with MagSafe compatibility is ideal for iPhone customers. It turns the DAC from an adjunct it’s a must to carry into one which turns into a seamless a part of your telephone. The construct high quality, with its aluminium chassis, Gorilla Glass, and leather-based again, is superb and feels premium.

The audio efficiency is top-tier for a tool of its dimension. The wired output, significantly through the balanced connection, is clear, highly effective, and detailed, able to driving all kinds of headphones and revealing the standard of high-resolution audio information. The Bluetooth efficiency is among the many greatest accessible, although it naturally can not match the constancy of a wired connection.

The companion app is first rate and presents a superb degree of customisation, from system settings to a really efficient equaliser. The on-device controls and display screen additionally imply you aren’t at all times depending on the app for modifications.

There are minor drawbacks. The button structure shouldn’t be intuitive and requires consulting the guide. The shiny surfaces are fingerprint magnets. The app, whereas highly effective, can typically be sluggish to mirror modifications made on the gadget itself.

For iPhone customers annoyed by the dearth of high-resolution codec help, the Khadas Tea Professional is arguably among the best options in the marketplace. It bypasses the iPhone’s Bluetooth limitations totally when used wired and enhances wi-fi listening when Bluetooth is critical. For Android and laptop customers, it stays a wonderful, extremely moveable DAC/amp with an awesome characteristic set.

I’m James, a UK-based tech fanatic and the Editor and Proprietor of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Obsessed with all issues expertise, my experience spans from computer systems and networking to cell, wearables, and good house units.

As a health fanatic who loves operating and biking, I even have a eager curiosity in fitness-related expertise, and I take each alternative to cowl this area of interest on my weblog. My various pursuits permit me to carry a novel perspective to tech running a blog, merging way of life, health, and the most recent tech developments.

In my educational pursuits, I earned a BSc in Info Methods Design from UCLAN, earlier than advancing my studying with a Grasp’s Diploma in Computing. This superior examine additionally included Cisco CCNA accreditation, additional demonstrating my dedication to understanding and staying forward of the expertise curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has persistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of many prime expertise blogs within the UK. With my dedication to expertise and drive to share my insights, I purpose to proceed offering my readers with participating and informative content material.

Final replace on 2025-09-29 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photos from Amazon Product Promoting API