P-10 Pro

Well, the P10 PRO now looks like a muscle car, with a massive supercharger (blower) sticking out of it's bonnet, waiting for all the other amps to challenge it to an aural drag-race!!!!! It's now twice as tall haha!! I LOVE the look though (I always wanted a muscle car........insert sad face.......) I won't keep you in suspenders folks but, BLOODY NORA!!!!! With the Muses02 (upgraded from the stock NE5532 op amp), the sound was clean, full, rich, deep, wide, and powerful. I have spent time with metal, rock and dance genres for the Burson V7 Vivid comparison but I have focussed on some Ava Max and Alan Walker tracks. Kill It Queen on the V 7 Vivids is a significant step up from the Muses02. The detail and resolution is noticeably better. Snaps of drums (synth haha) are faster and cleaner, Bass is definitely deeper and better controlled. On Void by ALan Walker, Serena is where the real magic is happening. Piano starts with rain in the background. On the V7s, it's more detailed and I can hear the drops more clearly than on the Muses. But the soundstage is the big difference here. Serena's vocals are all around me, holographic. On the Muses, they were nicely out wide but not nearly as round and fat like......never mind. This is an awesome song on the P10 with the V7s - it's huge! Dynamics are punchier, more exciting and again bass slams harder and faster than with the Muses. Shoutout to Hifiman too - these Ananda UVs are a DAMN good pair of cans!!!!! More Alan Walker (w/Isabella Melkman and Katharine O'Ryan) with Strings. Again staging is all around my head and imaging and separation is a huge step up over the Muses. The Muses weren't claustrophobic by any means but the V7 Vivids are expansive, they're huge in their presentation. I had to finish with my staging test song, One by Metallica. Even before the helicopter flys through me, I can tell the staging on the V7s is huge!!!! Gunfire is some of the best I have hear on this song. But the helicopters, geez. On the Muses, they're out wide, left to right. On the V7s, they are out approximately 15cm out left, all the way behind AND through me and out the same on the right. This is one of the first times, it has actually sounded like I was in a cinema, watching a war movie. It was almost surreal, and the difference between the 2 op amps is nothing short of huge! The resolution is a real step up but the P10 has still retained it's organic sound and texture. It's not thick or gooey at all but it still sounds natural. It's just a lot tighter, punchier and more exciting. Thanks to Burson for this opportunity. Despite sticking out like dog's b........these will be remaining in the Douk P10 PRO. Now folks, keep reading for the original review.

Preamble: (HUGE but stay with me folks, it’s worth it!!) Huan at Douk Audio has kindly sent out the Douk Audio P10 Pro portable tube amp for review with no expectations of a positive review – and that’s exactly what he’s getting. On the linked website, it states Nobsound P10 Pro but my unit states Douk Audio P10 Pro. Douk Audio and Nobsound are essentially the same company (Shenzhen Cavins), with Douk Audio often serving as the parent brand and Nobsound and One Little Bear as popular sub-brands, both focusing on budget-friendly, feature-packed HiFi gear like mini amps, preamps, and DACs. This little bad boy retails for $109.99 USD and excitedly allows for the customisation of op amps AND tubes!! It comes stock standard with NE5532 op amps and JAN6418 tubes. Straight away I ordered a Muses02 op amp from Lim at Fosi Audio, and once it arrived I swapped it out……and bent it………..and lost the original somehow (I reckon my puppy ate it!!!!!!!!). Anyway, I had a fun little amp with no way to play with it. I ordered a 2nd Muses02 and when it came I was SOOOOO careful to put it in correctly. I was sweating, using my phone as a microscope and praying to the op amp rolling Gods that this time I had succeeded……… The next bit is completely embarrassing……… No sound. I kept trying but nothing….I let Huan know I was having trouble. Many weeks had passed now but he was VERY patient with me. I waited to see my mate Lachlan (Passion For Sound) and showed him. He tested it. He said “Andrew, you %^^%$#@ *&*&^%#$#$%%%, it works perfectly”……… I was used to USB connections from Daps and other portables, this was aux……..the USB was for charging only…………….Oh op amp rolling Gods, I’m DUMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I plugged it via aux to my Fiio M23 Dap and put some 3.5mm headphones on (it only offers single ended output). Ahhhhhhhhh, it sounded bloody good!!!!!! I like to add on all my reviews – I’m listening with my ears, not yours. I’m listening with my gear, not yours. I’m listening with my love of audio, and not yours. YMMV….. For the review, my portable gear consists of my trusty Fiio M23 DAP, and this beast!! I will be predominantly be listening on my bloody wonderful 300 ohm Sivga SV023s – they LOVE tubes! With these, I will also be using a special bespoke cable form Hiep ( a DAMN good cable maker) – find him here: https://www.facebook.com/ngoduyhiep1994 I’ll add my ZMF Verite Opens too and use Marco’s special Prometheus Reference Hybrid cable (dual mini XLR to 4.4mm with a 3.3mm adapter): https://www.marcocustomcables.com.au/product-page/prometheus-reference It’s a dual 3.5mm to XLR, which I adapted to a 3.5mm for the P-10 Pro. It’s stunning and DAMN good quality. Unboxing and first impressions: It’s a nice enough experience. It comes with a manual and a card advertising all the brands under the Douk umbrella. It comes with a usb a-usb c cable, a 3.5 aux to aux cable and 2 bands to strap it to a Dac/Dap. It looks fantastic. The open design, the information painted on the unit, the recessed volume control. It just looks smart. It’s also very well built from metal and has a nice heft to it, just like aunty Donna’s left……….nevermind. The battery level is indicated with the led lights under the open area. As they lessen, the battery life is reducing. I love it’s looks and build – top marks!! The Important Stuff: Well well well, said the 3 holes filled with water……………………I set the volume to max (120) on the Fiio M23, but the P10 distorted at medium volumes. So I set the M23 to 80 and the P10 had full (deafening) volume range with 0 distortion. But how did it sound? This little thing sounds full, rich, deep, wide, and powerful. There, end of review. But seriously, the combo with the (already smooth) Sivga SV023s is really mid and mid-bass rich. Treble is certainly there, and on EDM, Dance, Rock and Metal, there is plenty up top and it’s clean and clear, but those with treble issues, will no doubt love the P10. There is no crispness, sibilance or crunch. It’s a smooth but detailed treble. I LOVE and NEED treble but I don’t feel I’m missing out. Diesel Power by The Prodigy has plenty of detail with percussion claps, bangs, synth but it’s never harsh. And bass, well that’s covered well too!! The P10 SV023 combo really digs deep. There’s no bleed and it’s all well controlled. Magnetar (feat. Adam Deitch and Shaun Martin) from Mark Lettieri is again clean, detailed, powerful and fun! The bass is well managed, and the mids are prominent on this instrumental track. Funky guitar and synths are forward and there are instruments all around. Staging is wide and round. Placement is excellent too. Free Tibet by Highlight Tribe tests any gear for fun, excitement, power and bass punch and control. And guess what, the P10 gobbled this track up. The bass is deep but it’s also clean and visceral. This is an exhilarating song on the P10/SV023 combo. I change headphones now to the new Fosi I5 planars. An inch less depth in the bass but an inch more detail and resolution, and not in a bad way. Staging has increased too. Mids may even be a touch more forward here. I like this combo too and it’s a little different but still enjoyable so far. On California by CMAT is again, not crisp, crunchy or sibilant. It’s rounded, as in treble will suit so many people with it’s slightly relaxed presentation. Bass is lean on this track. As it’s not a bass-focussed track. It’s more about the mids and actually, if anything, the mids seem a bit too forward on this track. The start of the track is fine but near the end when there’s lots going on, it does get a bit shouty for me. Vocals are there but everything together is pushed right in my face. Not pleasant at all. Could be just the track, as this has not happened before. Ok, Atlas by Battles is presenting too forward again. It must be the I5 Planar/P10 Pro combo. I’ll try another pair of high ohmers, my beloved ZMF Verite opens with Marco’s awesome cable. Ok, well Chocolate Chip Trip was made for the P10 Pro!!! The clarity, detail, bass is outstanding, but the staging is one of the best I have heard. I kid you not. Separation is next level. Verites are 300 ohms so already love tubes but the sound I am hearing with a $109 USD portable tube amp has me gobsmacked to be honest. I am NOT a shill, I am not afraid to give average or bad (well, point out the negative issues) reviews or critique things. I’m a happy bloke who does look for the best, but there’s no need for that here. Chocolate Chip Trip through the ZMF VOs and Douk P10 Pro is something that needs experiencing! The Sivgas were an excellent combo, the Fosi’s just didn’t match (fair enough, they are huge planars), but the Verites with this little guy are………….GUSHABLE!!! Next is Seashell by Their Dogs Were Astronauts and again, bass is DEEP, extremely well controlled and sharp. Mids are just right and treble is smooth too but there’s gobs of it and the resolution is excellent. But again, staging and placemen is one of the best features. Now this is due to the quality of the Verites, but if the P10 Pro was rubbish, then the VOs would still sound ordinary. You can’t polish a turd folks……….. And there’s no poo jokes in this review, trust me!! I don’t have to listen to any more music (but I will as I type up these notes!). Ok, one more – Return to the Sauce by Infected Mushroom….OMG, the visceral powerful bass, the clarity and staging are all just simply amazing!!! I’m sure Marco’s cable is helping too, as did Hiep’s. I can confidently say this little guy was made for all types of music but not all types of headphones. High impedance cans will match beautifully in general and I imagine most dynamics will too. Planars (again, in general), not so much.