Khadas Tea PRO Ultra-Slim Magnetic DAC & Headphone Amplifier

The Khadas Tea Pro is an ultra-slim magnetic DAC and headphone amplifier that sticks to the back of your phone, bringing high-resolution wired and wireless audio wherever you go. Just 7.85mm thick and 96g, it combines an XMOS XU316 USB processor, an ESS ES9039Q2M DAC and a Qualcomm QCC5181 Bluetooth 5.4 chip, with 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone outputs, a 0.95-inch AMOLED screen, a microphone for calls and its own 2,100mAh battery for up to 11 hours. THD+N as low as −118dB and a 122dB signal-to-noise ratio meet, Khadas says, the standards of a professional recording studio.

It sticks, magnetically

Nineteen strong N56SH magnets lock the Tea Pro onto a MagSafe iPhone, a design Khadas pioneered: the original Tea was the first portable DAC/amp to attach to an iPhone with built-in magnets. For Android phones or iPhone 11 and earlier, add a magnetic ring and it is ready to stick. No more straps, bulk or rattling stacks: just slide phone and DAC into your pocket together.

Feels as good as it looks

Sleek lines, rounded edges and a soft metallic glow share the design language of your iPhone. The smooth aluminium body resists fingerprints, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 adds a clean finish, and a premium, wear-resistant leather back is gentle on your phone, leaving no scratches, and gentler still in your hand.

Microscopic detail, a darker background

Subtle details, like a gentle breath or an instrument’s overtones, come through crisp and clear: THD+N is as low as −118dB, and sample rates reach PCM 768kHz and DSD512. With a 122dB signal-to-noise ratio, each note stands out against a pitch-black background, and instruments are placed in a three-dimensional soundstage with clear direction and depth.

Premium chips and careful engineering

The XMOS XU316 gives ultra-low-latency, bit-perfect USB audio with low jitter and high bandwidth, the ESS ES9039Q2M reaches 121dB of dynamic range, and the Qualcomm QCC5181 removes the compressed, glitchy feel of wireless audio. A 100fs femtosecond clock keeps timing precise to reduce jitter, and a split-board design separates digital and analogue circuits, giving the analogue stage a clean ground free of digital interference. Four Texas Instruments OPA1612 op-amps (two for I/V conversion, two for the low-pass filter) work with 32 ultra-precise (±0.1%) resistors for stability and accuracy, two Ricore RT6863 buffers drive the outputs, and two NJU72315 chips control the volume in the analogue domain. An ultra-low-noise ESS ES9311Q regulator (1.3µVrms) and an independent MPS power-management chip keep the power clean.

3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs, for IEMs and big headphones

The 4.4mm balanced output gives up to 5Vrms on high gain: 180mW into 16.5Ω, 165mW into 33Ω, 167mW into 150Ω and 41.67mW into 600Ω. The 3.5mm output gives up to 2.5Vrms: 100mW into 16.5Ω, 120mW into 33Ω, 42mW into 150Ω and 20.8mW into 300Ω. Low gain halves the voltage (2.5Vrms balanced, 1.25Vrms single-ended), so the Tea Pro suits both sensitive in-ear monitors and high-impedance headphones. The 3.5mm socket supports four-pole headsets: CTIA headsets get full function (audio, microphone and inline controls), OMTP headsets audio only. The 4.4mm output is audio only.

Wired or wireless

Over USB in UAC 2.0 mode it plays PCM from 44.1kHz to 768kHz/32-bit and native DSD64 to DSD512; UAC 1.0 mode adds compatibility with more devices, up to 96kHz/24-bit. As a Bluetooth 5.4 receiver it takes SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD and LDAC at up to 96kHz/24-bit, with wide dynamics, accurate detail and a stable connection.

Fine-tune on either screen

The 0.95-inch colour AMOLED screen and four buttons (power, menu, volume up and down) handle everyday control. The Khadas Audio app adds gain, filters, a custom device name for Bluetooth, language and firmware updates, seven EQ presets (Normal, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, Bass and Blues) and a custom 10-band EQ with ±12dB per band. Volume is controlled in analogue, in more gradual steps, so it is easy to find the right level for late-night listening.

8 to 11 hours of listening

The 2,100mAh battery powers the Tea Pro independently, so it won’t drain your phone: up to 11 hours over Bluetooth (AAC) or 8 hours over USB (44.1kHz), and about 2 hours to charge, with JEITA-compliant charging. If the Tea Pro runs flat, your phone can charge it, so the music never has to stop.

Answer calls with Tea Pro

A built-in microphone picks up your voice, so you can tap the menu button to answer a call without reaching for your phone. If you connect a 3.5mm headset with its own microphone, the Tea Pro uses that instead.

Good to know

• Choose your cable version: USB-C to USB-C for USB-C phones, tablets and computers, or USB-C to Lightning for Lightning iPhones and iPads.
• It is plug and play on iOS, iPadOS, Android and macOS; Windows needs Khadas’s USB ASIO driver.
• It is a Bluetooth receiver and USB DAC for wired headphones; it cannot send audio to wireless earphones.
• Android phones and iPhone 11 or earlier need a magnetic ring to attach it.
• In the box: Tea Pro, 10cm USB cable (your chosen version), user guide and warranty card.
• Compared with the Khadas Tea, the Pro adds a 4.4mm output, an AMOLED screen, Bluetooth 5.4 and higher sample rates.