XDuoo MT-602

amazon XDuoo MT-602 reviews

Although the MT-602 is not the first xDuoo product to own a Hybrid Tube Amp design (formerly with the TA-05), it is also not the first xDuoo head-amp model we have ever reviewed. When holding the MT-602 model, the feeling is still very new for a Hybrid Tube Amp.

BOXING AND ACCESSORIES

Recently xDuoo has focused more on the box’s design instead of using the familiar white background boxes. The company has taken more care from outside the box, with its logo printed very airy.

Inside, our main character is very well protected.

Accessories included with the xDuoo MT-602:

Power cord

Adapter 12V DC

Adapter 6.3mm to 3.5mm

User manual

Guarantee card

LOOK AND DESIGN.

The design and design of the MT-602 compared to its predecessor, the TA-05, has changed dramatically. The first is that it is more compact, with a gray aluminum body that has been meticulously sanded. Except for the light tube plug on the top, the red volume button has contributed to the fresh and youthful design style of the MT-602. Honestly, I’m not a fan of bright colors, but with the xDuoo MT-602, it’s a very stylish design, especially when combined with the color of the tube as it heats up in use.

On the back, we have two pairs of RCA connectors. The leftmost pair is the line-in from the DAC to the AMP; the other pair plays pre-amp output. That’s right, unlike the TA-05 when it comes with 2 RCA line-ins, through the MT-602, we only have 1 RCA line-in, and instead, the RCA line-out acts as a Tube Pre-amp to output to another head-amp. The familiar 12V DC powers the MT-602 with the Adapter included in the available box.

On the front, we have a power button in the style of up and down, volume buttons, two 3.5mm and 6.3mm headphone output ports. There is also a little surprise that we will have an additional 3.5mm line-in port in the right corner of the volume button. Specialized settings such as from DAC to AMP by RCA can connect quickly from the 3.5 line-out ports of the DAP or smartphone right before the MT-602 for a faster experience.

What is a Hybrid Tube Amp?

As mentioned above, the xDuoo MT-602 is a Hybrid Tube Amp. It uses the tube as the pre-amp while still using the class A amp circuit as the amplifier circuit. That is how many head-amp products on the market today use to keep the warm, thick, natural sound of the light tube but still not lose the power to pull high-impedance headphones thanks to the circuit amp class A. As announced by xDuoo, the capacity of the MT-602 reaches 1300mW at 32 Ohm with 15dB Gain and is suitable for pulling all headphones from 16 to 600 Ohm. In theory, it is very impressive, but whether it is true or not, we will move on to the next section.

SOUND QUALITY.

So what should we expect from xDuoo MT-602? Is a familiar warm bass full of tube lights? It’s probably true, but it’s not just tube-specific sound across all frequency bands, but only a few of them.

Bass

The amount of bass and body is significantly increased. The xDuoo MT-602 surprisingly complements the shortcomings in the amount of bass and the bass’s body. The bass tail is no longer stretched, but it doesn’t break too quickly either. Overall, the bass is quite round. And the important thing is that the bass detail does not disappear like pure tube head-amps. The vibrating and pulling notes of the piano’s bass make the barrel bass shown clearly, not missing.

Mid

Fortunately, the detail in the mid-range is still maintained like the bass range. In the upper-mid, the detail through the saxophone or acoustic guitar tracks is very comfortable and pleasant. We have both a thick mid-range for the vocals and are still airy with the instrument. But to talk about the most point, the upper-mid will probably be more advanced than the rest of the mid when it is said to be quite neutral and natural. Of course, the company has handled this part very well to avoid the situation that the upper-mid will be harsh and uncomfortable listening to the whole song.

Treble

Compared to traditional head-amp tube lights, the treble strip will often roll off early, lose detail, or lack the necessary thorns; the treble strip of the MT-602 is very clean and clear. The pulled treble is quite easy to hear, but with treble-heads, this treble strip is certainly not enough to satisfy the listener when it just stops at just enough.

Overall dynamic range, xDuoo MT-602 performed quite well, nothing to complain. But this is not a head-amp line in the direction that will lift all the bands, but rather in the direction of gentle hitting, leaning towards comfort and more enjoyment.

Soundstage

Compared to the current price, the soundstage of the xDuoo MT-602 is said to be quite commensurate with the price. The width is just enough, but the depth is not very impressive, and especially the instrument space is only moderate. As for the sound, the arrangement is quite comfortable between the instruments.

Coordination

According to the company announcement, the MT-602 can be combined with most headphones from low to high. Still, it does not mean that the MT-602 will be suitable for some electrostatic ears that are difficult to pull or produce disproportionate sound quality (of course, for those thinking about using MT-602 to pull things like LCD-3, it’s best to stop before regretting it). In general, apart from the headphones tend to be too bright, too much treble, it probably won’t be suitable for the MT-602, then most of the rest will mix with the MT-602 quite easily.

As for IEMs ears, there will be a little background noise; the background is not clean when paired with MT-602. That is also a common disease of low-range head-amps with high power, such as in the case that the MT-602 can pull up to 600 Ohm when combined with IEMs; it will be difficult to avoid background noise. In addition, with a large capacity, increasing the volume with IEMs may lead to a rather large increase in capacity, easily affecting both headphones and ears. So the MT-602 will probably be more suitable for headphones than IEMs.

COMPARISON WITH XDUOO TA-05 AND TOPPING L30.

xDuoo TA-05 is also a Hybrid Tube Amp combined with a class A amp circuit released before MT-602, but clearly, the sound quality of TA-05 is tuned very differently from MT-602. Bass is richer and thicker, mid-bass and mid are quite warm and forward, while treble is too gentle and roll-off early. It is suitable for those who like to listen to warm, thick, smooth sounds according to the typical sound quality of light tubes. MT-602 is the opposite, tends to be more balanced in the bands, more detailed, and the treble is clearer.

Topping L30 is a typical solid capacitor amp model. The sound is very clear, fast, and accurate.

Bass hits very neatly, bounces, and does not pull the tail. The sound is even clearer than the MT-602. But on the other hand, the smooth, thick, and detailed in the mid, the xDuoo MT-602 does much better. If you often listen to slow, gentle, smooth, detailed music, many acoustic instruments, the MT-602 is the right choice. On the contrary, if you need precision, fast, vibrant music with solid bass lines, the L30 is your choice. In addition, the L30 has a plus point over the MT-602 because the background of the L30 is extremely clean, even when combined with highly sensitive IEMs.

SUMMARY

To tell the truth, when in the hands of xDuoo MT-602, there is a little thought that we will review a warm, thick and flattering head-amp again. But this time, xDuoo has suddenly turned to a different tune direction, and it will certainly give users an extremely worthy experience. With a neat design, it is both sophisticated and a bit classic and innovative. In terms of P/p ratio (Price/Performance), it’s great, and if you don’t intend to use it with IEMs but aim for a headphone setup, there’s no reason to skip the MT-602 your setup at all.

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