ЦАПы — ONYX Mystic XP1

The Mystic XP1 is a battery-powered converter and headphone driver in the ONIX line from Shanling. It runs from a built-in battery or an external supply, accepts USB, digital, analogue and Bluetooth sources, and plays files from a microSD card, all in a CNC machined aluminium unibody with a gold-plated volume dial and a dot-matrix OLED display. The launch price was USD 1,499.

Key specs that matter

Digital to analogue duties fall to a pair of AK4499EX chips from AKM, paired with AK4191 modulators, with an XMOS XU316 USB interface. PCM is supported up to 32 bit and 768 kHz and DSD up to DSD512. Frequency response spans 20 Hz to 40 kHz within 0.5 dB, with 0.0005 percent THD+N, 120 dB signal to noise ratio, 120 dB dynamic range and 101 dB channel separation. Headphone output impedance is 4.7 ohm. On battery the single-ended outputs deliver 2.6 V into 32 ohm and the balanced output 4.9 V, rising to 5.1 V and 8.7 V with an external power supply. The 7,000 mAh battery gives up to 10 hours of use. The unit measures 160 x 92 x 30 mm and weighs 583 g.

Engineering and use context

Splitting the converter into separate AK4191 modulators and AK4499EX DAC chips follows the AKM scheme that keeps digital processing apart from the analogue conversion stage. The headphone amplifier is built on the TPA6120A2, while a MUSES8920 circuit serves the balanced line output and preamp function. Inputs cover USB-C, a combined coaxial and mini-Toslink optical socket, a 3.5 mm analogue jack and a microSD slot, and Bluetooth 5.0 accepts LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, SBC and AAC. Outputs are a 4.4 mm balanced line out, a 4.4 mm balanced headphone socket, a 3.5 mm single-ended socket and a 6.35 mm single-ended socket. The external power mode lets the XP1 run as a desktop unit with higher output voltage while leaving the battery untouched.

Pairing

The 6.35 mm socket and higher voltage in external power mode suit full-size headphones, including high-impedance models, while the moderate output impedance is worth keeping in mind with low-impedance multi-driver in-ear monitors. The balanced line output can feed a powered speaker or an amplifier, and the optical and coaxial input accepts a CD transport or TV. With music loaded on a microSD card, the XP1 plays with no phone or computer attached, and the Bluetooth receiver lets a phone stream to it wirelessly while it stays in a bag or on a desk.

Alternatives

The ONIX Alpha XI1 is the brand's small USB dongle DAC, using two Cirrus Logic CS43198 chips in a 63.8 x 32 x 14 mm body.