The Emotiva XDA-2: A capable DAC/amp with a large form factor

What features does it have?

The XDA2 is actually a very capable dac/headphone amp, with USB, 2 optical and 2 coax inputs, and a AES/EBU jack. It has a decent AD1955 DAC, that can manage 24/192.

The headphone amp section has a high current circuit and 0.1 ohm output impedance. It can power most headphones with ease, except highest-impedance models.

It has RCA and XLR pre outs, so you can run your active speakers. There's also a button on the remote that allows the XDA2 to upsample everything it receives to 24/192.

For the price it has a ton of cool features -- a display, a digital volume control, and even a remote that is built very solidly.

What does it sound like?

The sound is pretty transparent, minimally favoring brightness. There is zero noise floor except with the most sensitive IEMs (and even then just a barely noticeable amount).

So what's not to love?

First, the fatal flaw is that the XDA2 is huge. Check the dimensions and see if it works for you -- it may not for many. It is full size, and bigger than most personal audio gear I have seen. Did I mention, it is huge?

Second, the blue LEDs are irritatingly bright, even when dimmed (and when at full blast they can light up an entire city block).

Some folks don't like the lack of a potentiometer they can physically turn (no knob feel!). I'm fine with button-clicking instead of knob-turning, but my biggest issue with the XDA2 is that it takes forever to cycle up and down the digital volume scale by clicking.

In sum

The XDA-2 is actually great value for money, with a slew of features that allow it to be used as a DAC (with multiple inputs), a headphone amp, and as a preamp for powered speakers. It is solidly built, and includes some features (like a digital display, a remote, etc.) that you would expect from models at a much higher price point. The current model is being closed out, and consequently a bargain at this time.

If you have the space, the XDA-2 should certainly be on the shortlist for folks assembling a setup on a budget.