I recently got the Xu09 Hifi Headphone Amplifier from Lazada for SG$25, shipping is free. It's a very basic amplifier that is pretty decent, doing what I expect it to.
I had wanted to get an amplifier for my desktop, since the maximum volume is so low. Then, I thought it'll be cool if I could use it with my phone as well. (Since I listen to music on it quite a lot), so I went for a portable one.
Packaging
The packaging is pretty bleh and looks cheap. I know the packaging have got nothing to do with the performance but since I do consider the unboxing experience, it counts.
Here is what is included in the box:
- 3.5mm to 3.5mm male to male cable
- micro USB cable for charging
- XU09 Hifi Headphone Amplifier
The specification of the amplifier.
Quick observation: It's height is about 2/3 of iPhone 7 plus. Width, is about 4/5 of iPhone 7 plus.
The Design and Build
The design of the amplifier is very simple and looks almost as cheap as its packaging. But at least the casing is solid metal (Aluminum I would guess). The sides and joints are nicely aligned and it's quite lightweight. The cables provided are quite long (at least 30-40cm), long enough for most use. But if you want to connect it from your CPU that is say under your desk, then you might need an extension.
I love the design of the "large" volume knob, I just have this thing that I want to turn it! LOL. But then the knob is pretty loose, so beware of accidental swipe, turning the volume up! (And yes, the max volume could make your ears hurt!)
Yes, you didn't see wrongly, it does saying "Gharging"... -_-
Light indicator to show the amplifier is on. There is another light indicator at the back (at the charging port area) which will change according to the charging status.
Experience with the Product
Well, I only have this baby for a few days. I've tested it on my desktop running a cheap external sound card adaptor, Orico SC1. The sound card does nothing other than add a volume control, it does nothing to improve the sound quality in anyway nor does it boost the volume.
The first thing I did was to check if the XU09 could increase the maximum volume of the output and it did! And it increases it by quite a lot. But my speakers were really average, turning up the volume leads to quite some distortions!
A pity I couldn't test out the real power of the amplifier. I usually just leave it at around 4-5.
I've also used it with my iPhone 7 plus with that STUPID lightning to 3.5mm adaptor which is so prone to intermittent or just simply not work at times. (I'll post about this in another post) But to be fair, I feel the 7 has slightly better music quality than the 6. Give and take, I guess.
Anyway, after a few, removing and replugging, I was able to get the amp to work with the iPhone. And then I realise ... I actually don't really need the amplifier for my phone ... I usually just leave the volume at about 40-60%.
Uh-oh...
Battery life wise, it's as advertised, able to last around 8 hours, maybe a little more but definitely not more than 8.5 hours.
Charging time is about 2-3 hours.
After using the XU09 amp, I could tell a slight improvement in the bass and overall sound quality but it's mainly just boosting the volume. Afterall, it's something less than $30.
Overall Score:
thanks for this review!
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