Khadas Tea Pro Ultra-Slim Magnetic DAC & Headphone Amplifier

The Khadas Tea Pro is an ultra-slim magnetic DAC and headphone amplifier designed to bring high-resolution wired and wireless audio to smartphones, tablets and computers without adding unnecessary bulk.

Built around a compact MagSafe-style design, the Tea Pro attaches magnetically to compatible iPhones using 19 strong N56SH magnets. For Android devices or older iPhones, a magnetic ring can be attached so the Tea Pro can sit neatly against the back of your device. At just 7.85mm thick and 96g, it is made to slide into a pocket alongside your phone without the straps, stacking or cable mess often associated with portable DAC/amps.

Inside, the Tea Pro combines an XMOS XU316 USB processor, ESS ES9039Q2M DAC and Qualcomm QCC5181 Bluetooth platform. This gives it serious wired USB audio performance, high-quality Bluetooth playback and broad compatibility with phones, tablets, Macs, PCs and portable devices.

For wired listening, the Tea Pro supports up to PCM 768kHz / 32-bit and native DSD512 over UAC 2.0 USB. It also supports UAC 1.0 for wider compatibility, with up to PCM 96kHz / 24-bit in that mode. For wireless listening, it supports SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD and LDAC, with Bluetooth playback up to PCM 96kHz / 24-bit.

Both 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs are included, making the Tea Pro suitable for a wide range of IEMs and headphones. The 4.4mm output offers up to 5.0Vrms in high gain, while the 3.5mm output offers up to 2.5Vrms in high gain. Khadas rates the 4.4mm output at up to 180mW into 16.5Ω and 165mW into 33Ω, while the 3.5mm output delivers up to 100mW into 16.5Ω and 120mW into 33Ω.

The audio circuit is built for clean, low-noise playback, with THD+N as low as -118dB from the 4.4mm output, signal-to-noise ratio up to 122dB, and dynamic range up to 121dB. The internal design includes TI OPA1612 operational amplifiers, Ricore RT6863 buffers, NJU72315 volume control chips and an ultra-low-noise ESS ES9311Q LDO power supply.

A 0.95-inch colour AMOLED display makes it easy to check volume, connection status, EQ and playback settings. Physical buttons for power, menu, volume up and volume down keep everyday control simple, while the Khadas Audio app adds deeper control over gain, EQ, filters, language settings, firmware updates and more.

The Tea Pro includes seven EQ presets — Default, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, Bass and Blues — plus a custom 10-band EQ with adjustable gain from -12dB to +12dB. This makes it easy to keep the sound neutral, add warmth, lift vocals or tune the output to match different headphones.

A built-in 2100mAh battery helps keep the Tea Pro independent from your phone’s battery. Battery life is rated at up to 11 hours over Bluetooth AAC and at least 8 hours via USB-C at 44.1kHz, with a full charge taking around 2 hours.

The chassis combines CNC-machined aluminium, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and a premium wear-resistant leather back panel. The result is a slim, pocketable DAC/amp that feels closer to a phone accessory than a traditional stacked portable audio rig.

Available in two connection versions:

• Tea Pro C2C — includes USB-C to USB-C cable for USB-C phones, tablets, Macs, PCs and other compatible USB-C devices

• Tea Pro C2L — includes USB-C to Lightning cable for compatible Lightning iPhones and iPads

Please note: Tea Pro is a Bluetooth receiver and USB DAC/headphone amplifier. It is not compatible with wireless earphones as an output device.

Product Specifications

• Product name: Khadas Tea Pro
• Product type: Ultra-slim magnetic DAC and headphone amplifier
• Bluetooth chipset: Qualcomm QCC5181
• USB chipset: XMOS XU316-1024
• DAC: ESS ES9039Q2M
• I/V conversion: TI OPA1612 × 2
• Low-pass filter: TI OPA1612 × 2
• Buffer: Ricore RT6863 × 2
• Volume control: NJU72315 × 2
• Ultra-low-noise LDO: ESS ES9311Q, 1.3μVrms
• Apple MFi: Apple Authentication 3.0 Coprocessor
• Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.4
• Bluetooth codec support: SBC / AAC / aptX / aptX Adaptive / aptX HD / LDAC
• USB audio mode: UAC 1.0 / UAC 2.0
• UAC 2.0 sampling support: Up to PCM 768kHz / 32-bit, native DSD512
• UAC 1.0 sampling support: Up to PCM 96kHz / 24-bit
• Bluetooth sampling support: Up to PCM 96kHz / 24-bit
• EQ presets: Default / Classical / Jazz / Rock / Pop / Bass / Blues
• Custom EQ: 10-band EQ, -12dB to +12dB adjustment
• Screen: 0.95-inch colour AMOLED
• Display resolution: 120 × 240 RGB
• Buttons: Power, Menu, Volume Up, Volume Down
• Headphone outputs: 3.5mm single-ended / 4.4mm balanced
• USB port: USB-C for audio input and charging
• Microphone: Built-in analogue microphone, SNR approx. 59dBA
• App support: Khadas Audio app
• Battery: 2100mAh
• Battery life: ≥11 hours Bluetooth AAC / ≥8 hours USB-C 44.1kHz
• Charging time: Approx. 2 hours
• Materials: CNC-machined aluminium chassis, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, premium wear-resistant leather back panel
• Dimensions: 102.7 × 64.0 × 7.85mm, excluding button height
• Weight: 96g

Audio Performance

4.4mm Balanced Headphone Output

• THD+N: 0.000126%, -118dB, 1kHz no load
• Max noise: <3.5μVrms
• SNR: 122dB, 1kHz no load
• DNR: 121dB, 1kHz no load
• Max output at 600Ω: 41.67mW, 5.0Vrms
• Max output at 150Ω: 167mW, 5.0Vrms
• Max output at 33Ω: 165mW, 2.33Vrms
• Max output at 16.5Ω: 180mW, 1.72Vrms

3.5mm Single-Ended Headphone Output

• THD+N: 0.000158%, -116dB, 1kHz no load
• Max noise: <2.5μVrms
• SNR: 120dB, 1kHz no load
• DNR: 119dB, 1kHz no load
• Max output at 300Ω: 20.8mW, 2.5Vrms
• Max output at 150Ω: 42mW, 2.5Vrms
• Max output at 33Ω: 120mW, 2.0Vrms
• Max output at 16.5Ω: 100mW, 1.28Vrms

Gain Levels

High Gain

• 4.4mm output: 5.0Vrms at 0dB
• 3.5mm output: 2.5Vrms at 0dB

Low Gain

• 4.4mm output: 2.5Vrms at 0dB
• 3.5mm output: 1.25Vrms at 0dB

Compatibility

• iOS / iPadOS: Natively supported, MFi certified
• Android: Plug and play
• macOS: Natively supported
• Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11: Requires Khadas USB ASIO driver
• Linux: Compatible with UAC 2.0-compliant kernels