The Loxjie P20 is a Hybrid Tube balanced (and unbalanced headphone amp).
Price: $100
Available in black or red
PCB shot:
Stock tubes are 6N3-compatible
Soldered in Op-Amps (factory ones are JRC NJM5532 D) (output stage?)
Main Amp-Chip is a JRC NJW1195 (apears to function as the input selector and buffer stage before the tubes)
Input voltage of 12V looks to be formed into +7 and -7 V rails using LDO’s, input filtering is present but lacks a common mode choke (in case you have crackling on the output).
Unknowns
This chip next to the NJW1195 appears to form the unbalanced input into balanced, as I don’t have a part number, I can’t confirm this.
This here seems to be a controller (to switch the relays and cotnroll the switching of the NJW1195) As it is connected to the ribbon cable, it probably also controlls the display. Again, no datasheet, can’t confirm.
It’s aight from my experiences, although you really want to get better tubes in there and a better power supply to get the most. Also it’s single ended output is very meh
FWIW It has ludicrously high output impedance for a hibrid.
Something like 47 Ohms SE and half that balanced.
Which takes away a lot of the reason to use a hibrid in the first place.
Pretty much yeah, I would only really suggest these with headphones over 150 ohms or balanced planar, and even then perhaps consider the vali 2 or something instead
I owned this for a while. My first shot at a hybrid tube amp. I bought the Russian tubes from the Ukraine. It was always just meh. Very cheap, but a glowing example of “you get what you pay for”. You could get a much better hybrid, buying used. I did. I picked up a used Vali 2 for only a few bucks more. And a used Xduoo TA-20 for a few more than the Vali 2.
Yes. And its “most” is so-so. It’s also not very powerful. It’s digital volume goes from -60 to 0 and with my dac volume maxed I always had to crank the volume to at least -25 to get usable volume from 6XX and to around -18 for my 4XX (both balanced). With an upgraded power supply cord it didn’t distort at that number but that also just didn’t leave much headroom. I also just preferred the sound of my Nobsound/Douk tube buffer through an Atom. This was a purchase based on Zeos’ glowing review and an early disagreement with him.
I got this today. I got rid of my DarkVoice even though I really liked it because it’s massive and was just taking up way too much space on my desk lol, but I still wanted a tube amp. I had an order for the Valhalla 2 that was going on 5 weeks and most of the reviews were so-so, so I talked myself out of it, canceled and decided to try this out instead. It had pretty good reviews and the balanced output really intrigued me.
I followed the advice here as well as from some reviews and upgraded the power supply (3A, 12v) as well as got a pair of matched tubes just to try, with another pair of JJ tubes on the way.
I haven’t been listening long but first impressions connected my Bifrost 2: I think it sounds great. I definitely need another pair of high-impedence Senns to get the most out of this I think. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten rid of them as the 6XX on tubes is one of my favorite combinations ever for alternative / psychedelic rock.
This amp won’t be nearly as hungry to power high-impedance headphones as your DV, and lower-impedance cans will play with it MUCH better than the DV.
I have one of these and still need to do both of the tweaks you’ve mentioned.
I got a pair of these JJ E88CCs with an adapter and they sound good but pretty clean to me. Call me crazy but when I go for tubes I want something really tubey - warm, distorted, gooey-sounding.
The Loxjie isn’t really about the warm gooey tube sound, it is a pretty clean amplifier in general. Most hybrids won’t really get the warm gooey sound anyway, due to the SS amplification stage, they are just a “hint” of tubes.
I will check my records to see which tubes I have in the P20 now, which I really like but are still not very exaggerated.
For a more “tubey” sound, my rec would be a full tube amp rather than a hybrid.
Yeah, makes sense. I just didn’t know if there were any tubes that could have an impact on it. It’s still a nice sounding amp and I like the balanced input/output.
I really enjoy my P20 with 64’ Reflektor 6N3P-DR tubes in it (other years of Reflektor 6N3P-DR tubes also work very well!).
I’m using a Cambridge DacMagic Plus DAC feeding it a balanced signal.
For some headphones (like Allesandro Grado MS-1’s with Yaxi pads) it’s my favorite and I also own a Feliks Audio Echo MK2.
Somehow, there’s just a kind of magic synergy there…
6XX’s and DT880/600’s sound better on the MK2 with '74 Reflektor 6N23P SWGP Silver Shields but the P20 is a very good amp for the price and tubes are cheap for it.
By chance has anyone given this a go with balanced Grados?
Typically Grado headphones do not need to be balanced, but I figure it might do well on this to take advantage of the XLR output instead of the single ended which I have read is meh.
No Grado headphones for me, unfortunately. Although I can confirm the XLR output (with better tubes) sounds pretty damn good and yes, better than the SE which is kinda meh.
Anyone who has this amp or any other 6N3/5670/2C51 compatible tube amp needs to try Reflector 6N3P-DR tubes. The “DR” variants are considered super tubes of their time and they sound tighter, faster, more detailed than any standard 6N3 or 6N3P. I have tried every available (to my knowledge) 6N3 variant and the Reflector 6N3P-DR are THE BEST. I have ordered here before:
