Why is that in quotes lol, could that possibly not be the case? You may keep both lol
I have a friend back home that has been droooooling over the Elex but would cost him as much as 1000$ with import costs and such. Would be much easier to take both with me. Also i got the HD660s new for 350$ so i kind of want to keep them on principle 
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Side not EDIT. This is going to become another expensive hobby for me i feel itā¦ This forums is above and beyond active and that alone will keep me intrigued.
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Who you calling intriguingā¦ Lol
It is intriguing to me how dynamically some hardware can be heard based upon ones personal sound biases, preferences and physical limitations.
From the last 18 years of guns blasting into my ears from games iām pretty sure i have the initial signs of tinnitus.
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Because I apparently canāt go a week without a new toy, I just bought a ānew to meā XDuoo TA-20 amp. I will compare it to the Vali 2 and see who stays.
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Curious to see what stays and what leaves lol 
You and me both.
TA-20 looks cooler, has more power and is balanced.
Vali 2 has a large following and a proven track record.
I love my Schiit Loki. I also love my SMSL SU-8 and am getting pretty infatuated with my SMSL SP200. Shenzhen and Schiit to the death.
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https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=302&cp_id=30203&cs_id=3020301&p_id=2671&seq=1&format=2
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=301&cp_id=30107&cs_id=3010707&p_id=5434&seq=1&format=2
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=302&cp_id=30201&cs_id=3020106&p_id=9724&seq=1&format=2
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=301&cp_id=30109&cs_id=3010903&p_id=659&seq=1&format=2
order placed 
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you can say what you want about ifi ā¦
all monoprice stuff you ordered is included with xDSD and iDSD micro BL 
the RCAĀ“s in purple though
what will you use the connections for?
One of the most underrated amps out there IMO. Itās been a champ for me, and the right tubes on this make a world of difference. Got a lot of comments from Aeolus owners when I took it to a meet.
The seller said that he already upgraded the tubes. What are you using?
I also donāt feel like spending $400-600 for another device and the shit I just bought.
The S/PDIF female Toslink to male Mini Toslink will go in the digital in on my XD-05, allowing me to connect it via optical cable to my Taotronics bluetooth adapter.
The USB A male to female 10ā cable will be left at my computer set up in my dorm room so I can have the XD-05 up underneath the monitor on the left side, and still be able to USB in. Stock cable isnāt even close to long enough to be able to do this, and 10ā ensures I can plug into either my laptop or desktop. 6ā HDMI cable canāt reach from the monitor to desktop without coming out the front, so I have to go with the next length up for anything I want to be able to connect to the desktop.
The OTG cable is (obviously) to use the DAC in the XD-05 with my phone, cause itās a cheap piece of shit, but itās what i could afford at the time, and have had other priorities since then.
The RCA (would have preferred these, but current budgetary constraints said no) is so I can move my TA-10 from the top shelf above where the monitor is down to where I place my laptop. As the only RCAs i have right now are 3ā, thatās not nearly long enough, and the monitor is too low and thick for me to fit the TA-10 underneath it, or have to move my iLoud Micros (would cause issues with length of RCA cables again, and they donāt support aptX).
sounds perfect! the XD-05 I am a fan of the DAC and it has power for ages
I hope you are not angry about my comment - this was just a fun one, cause the exact things ā¦ ah forget it please ā¦ wanted the conversation just keep running and not be the asā¦
IĀ“m with you on this - with all the stuff, included cables are to short or the external power bricks need a space to be hiddenā¦ if one wants a clean desktop and all connected ā¦ there is no way, you have to order so much stuff after the purchase
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Youāre fine. I had to go pick up a new student from the airport yesterday with one of the security staff, and their flight was late. We picked him up at 12:15am, then he felt the need to stop for coffee and a smoke break on the way back, but get mad if either of us tried getting out of the van. I didnāt get back to my room till 2am, and even then it was 3:30-3:40 before I finally crashed and had to get up at 6am. Even with a couple cups of coffee, Iām still rather tired and irritable, so please forgive me.
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Martin, what Xduoo DAC do you refer to?
The XD-05 is a DAC/AMP
hmmmā¦for some reason I was thinking of a stand alone DAC that he paired with the TA-20.
Ok that sounds hard like a hard time/night
I tend to get mad without any or not enough sleep
What I like about the xDuoo DAC AK4490 and Amp is it is not as overly clynical or harsh soundwise
it is similar to the xDSD for relaxed listening, though you get all the detail, you need
I use my SMSL SU-8 not often, cause I prefer the xDSD as DAC to the THX AAA 789 or more often without the 789 as DAC/Amp.
and you can connect the Xduoo to anything you want.
Other mobile DAC/Amp solutions are less connect-friendly.
And the display is way cooler, than the LEDs with different colours on my xDSD or the Chord Mojo.
@Marzipan
I refer to the -05. I donāt know the + version yet
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Cool you skipped the Xduoo BT connect thing and use the taotronics BT adapter.
I found with aptx on the xDSD (no LDAC) Iām fine
most of the time I use the original OTG cable by ifi for 12$ with my Android phone
But it is so super short
So I bought a stand for the cell phone for a few bucks and now I donāt have to stretch so much, as the phone is angled towards me and not flat on the table
Do you use USB Audio Pro Player on your android?
Theyāre realatively cheap to ātryā different sounds. Great tood tubes will cost more though but you can get pretty sweet sound for relatively cheap. I wound up with three sets, one old 1960s GE matched pair, but wound up loving these so I bought six of them so I could have spares. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sylvania-12AU7A-PLATINUM-GRADE-Preamp-Tubes-Matched-Pair-ECC82-6189/161760603956?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
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