I do not know what moves Cozoy in their approach to the product line, but certainly not modern marketing trends. By releasing a compact but expensive portable Rei DAC , they almost instantly introduced the more affordable Takt Pro, which has almost the same sound at a much lower price.
If in the case of Rei the developers kept and continue to keep the secret about the filling, then Takt Pro knows at least that it is made on the mobile ES9018Q2C, supplemented with a proprietary jitter-suppression scheme and competent binding. An additional "cherry on the cake" is MFi-certification, which allows using this miniature device not only with computers and smartphones on Android, but also with iOS devices without an adapter. However, according to Cozoy, at the moment Takt Pro does not work with the iPhone 8/8 + / X, but the updated version of their cable fixes the situation.
The price of Takt Pro is quite high, about $ 290 is requested, but compared to Rei, which will have to pay more than 500, this is a pleasant step forward.
Specifications
- DAC: SABRE9018Q2C
- Output voltage: 1.5Vrms @ 32Ω
- Signal to noise ratio: 120 dB
- Power: from USB
- Maximum resolution: up to 384 kHz / 32 bit, DSD to DSD256
Packing and delivery kit
Box Takt'a simple enough: white cardboard, minimalist polygraphy, nothing superfluous. Inside, on the velvet lodgment there is the DAC itself, next to it there is a brief instruction in the paper envelope, and three wires are stored in a separate box:
- Usual USB to connect to computers
- MicroUSB for Android devices
- Lightning for iOS users
As you can see, for a "full coverage" only a USB-C cable is missing. Cozoy established production of USB-C- and Lightning-wires of increased quality, but they will have to be bought separately, however, their price is low.
Design and management
Perhaps this will be the simplest description of the design of the device in the history of reviews. Very small, about with a pinky size, only thinner, the aluminum case looks more like an adapter or adapter. Of the decorative elements, there are only small protrusions with one side and the buttons on the top side of the device. These buttons do not do anything, just send to the source of the team, which the latter must perform. One of the buttons "orders" to start playback or pause, two more - send commands to change the volume. Since the DAC itself does not support volume control, you will need a source that can change the volume of the digital signal.
The use of this miracle device is just like slippers and is about as convenient. On the one hand we connect the required USB cable, on the other - we turn on the headphones, connect it to the signal source, and that's it. Since its battery does not have this DAC, it is powered by the source battery, which can not but affect its operating time. According to approximate measurements on my old iPhone 6 Plus, the battery with Takt Pro is consumed 20 percent faster than normal music listening, I think this is a very tolerable fee for a tangible increase in quality.
I promised that this would be the shortest section describing the design? Yes, I forgot to say that everything is done "on the level", the body is reliable, the buttons are well clicked, the build quality - also corresponds to expectations.
Sound
To listen to the device used the following headphones: iBasso IT03 , Meze 99 Classics , Audio Zenith PMx2 , Noble Kaiser Encore , Campfire Audio Andromeda , 64 Audio U12 , HUM Pristine and others.
I do not know what the secret of Cozoy is, but the fact remains that there are a lot of DACs on the 9018Q2C market, but only solutions from the "goat" are noticeably distinguished by the sound quality at the general level (at least from what I heard). Unlike the neutral Rei, Takt Pro offers a slightly darker pitch, but in fact the difference is in very small nuances. I do not know what the logic of a company that produces two almost equally good devices with a twofold difference in price is, but as a consumer it pleases me.
Bass is slightly accentuated by adding LF mass, but it practically did not affect the speed. "Bottom" here is fast, has good texture transfer, and bend in most cases, it is worthy (if headphones allow). The bass is well controlled and does not muffle the MF, despite its very decent depth.
MFs are given in a slightly smoothed manner, but since this is not expressed strongly, the resolution has not practically decreased, but the ability to play with not very high-quality recordings has improved, which is especially important for use with mobile streaming services. The "middle" here is alive, emotional, without care for sharpness and microcontrasts. The imaginary scene is another strong point of this device, of course, it's not Rei, but still the volume of Takt Pro builds very well, perfectly sharing the plans and reliably transmitting the real dimensions of the instruments.
The RFs are also quite detailed, they have a good resolution, attacks and attenuations are slightly shorter than they should be, but this can hardly be considered a big problem. Takt Pro slightly adds HF "visibility", but without busting, which could lead to sharpness and unnecessary accentuation of the "top". This additive gives the sound of airiness and allows the DAC to simulate the "layering" of HF, which is typical for expensive devices.
I will not compare comparisons, since the hero of this review, in terms of sound quality, despite small sizes, perhaps bypasses all players in its price category and even looks normal against the background of mid-segment devices, which allows it to be viewed not only as an accessory to the smartphone, but also as an addition to the player, which can output audio via USB. Although, perhaps, it is with mobile phones Takt Pro it makes sense to use first.
Compatibility
On the one hand, one and a half volts of RMS is a bit for some isodines, on the other - for IEM this is enough with a large margin, and without a source that can adjust the volume of a digital signal, Takt Pro will not work - with sensitive models it will be "too loud ". Also, the "exhaust" of the device is quite enough for many full-sized headphones with normal sensitivity. An additional bonus this microcombe receives for almost complete absence of background noise, which will appreciate the owners of sensitive models.
The genre of the DAC is completely universal and has no clearly expressed propensities. To the quality of the record, it is moderately sensitive, on a 10-point scale somewhere around 6 points.
Of course, it will not do without several examples
Rhapsody of Fire - Knightrider of Doom. When the grass was green, the trees were higher and the metal was less monotonous, Rhansody of Fire released a beautiful, but badly recorded track (and the whole album). After many years they decided to re-record the main hits and got the result, which is no longer a shame to recommend to a good DAC: high-speed percussion, choral singing, guitar solos - all this Takt Pro wins without problems and stress.
Jacky Terrasson - Sous le Ciel de Paris. And now sharply slow down the pace and change the mad metal to a quiet (but no less saturated with nuances) jazz. Jackie Terrasson always combines in his work an incredible quality of performance and a decent level of recording, and what, in fact, still want an audiophile (except money for new toys)? Takt Pro perfectly presents this melody, reliably communicating all its nuances.
Arp Frique - Ijo Ya. Electronic music is a very rare guest in my compilations, but for such a spectacular mix of genres as in this track, I'm always ready to make an exception. A little extra warmth of Takt Pro literally enliven the bass line of the composition, and the beautiful MF and surround scene contribute to immersion in nuances, which are very many.
conclusions
I do not know how Cozoy does it, but they manage it over and over again: an excellent sound in a compact package is exactly what you need for those who can not imagine life without a smartphone, but dreams of getting a sound worthy of high-end headphones from it. Although, of course, only smartphones, the application area of Takt Pro is clearly not limited.
Comments
Post a Comment