Douk Audio Nobsound P10 Pro Amplifier Review – Infinitum Slew Rate
Douk Audio Nobsound P10 Pro is a $109 USD Portable Tube Headphone Amplifier, with a customizable design, and built for convenience and durability. Today we review the P-10 Pro and explore how it fits in today’s market.
Introduction
In the beginning there were just a couple of mini portable headphone amplifiers made by FiiO. This is exactly how this hobby started, where everything began for portable hifi listening so today we get closer to the roots with the P10Pro as this is a portable tube amp with a low price tag. Douk Audio P-10 Pro is available for purchase in a multitude of shops, including amazon, aliexpress and on the Douk Audio webshop.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4rBbWZS
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4LtSJlv
Build Quality – Design
It might come as a bit of a shocker but back when FiiO was just growing in popularity, I did not get to experience their first headphone amplifiers, so i still get a bit of new excitement when checking out the P10 Pro. At its core, P10 Pro is a tube amplifier for headphones, with a rather complete modern design internally, featuring long-lasting batteries that are easy to replace, Usb Type-C charging and a classic JAN6418 tube combo for amplification.
Using two 14500 lithium batteries, P-10Pro can deliver up to 10 hours of playback, with 8 hours being more of the typical you can expect from it. P 10 Pro supports charging while playing, and if you’re just charging it, it will fully top in around 3 hours, which is one of the longest charge times for a portable tube amp, but fairly typical for the 14500 batteries used.
Douk Audio gave the Nobsound p10pro a bit of charm, as it has a visible tube and visible op-amp at the front, which we caught quite a bit in our photos. You can swap everything and fine tune the amp. Tubes are replaceable with CK6418, CK548DX, etc. Default Op-Amps used are NE5532, which we’ve seen in Burson PlayMate3, NeoHipo DC10, Fosi Audio V3, and AIYIMA A07 PRO. As this is a popular OP-AMP, we have a rough idea what we can expect from the P-10 Pro
While not immediately obvious, behind the tubes are a series of LED lights that light up showing how much battery P10 currently has. P10p also has high-quality, if a bit industrial craft, with a CNC machined body, WIMA capacitors, and matching aluminum volume wheel. It works with smartphones, but would be ideal for a DAC of some sort, as it does not have any DAC inside.
Subjective Usage
Usage is simple and convenient, but there are a few tricks that you need to keep in mind when using P10Pro. First off, it does not like a max output at the source level, so regardless of the quoted max input and output, it will distort if the source is trying to output a max line signal. Also, because a lot of folks won’t use this one with a dedicated DAC that has a line out, it will have a dirty power input, which I want to mention it filters really well.
For volume, it is best to keep the DAC at minimum volume and P10 Pro at a higher volume, but a balance between the two, half half seems to produce the best sonic quality. It is quite microphonic and touching or especially plugging the headphones in and out, will produce the tube specific ping sound in P10.
Charging is fast, and convenient, it has a long battery life, and has a high driving power. There is audible hissing with IEMS, but thanks to its very high power, and the hiss being limited, you will not notice it. Distortion noise is actually low and it does not increase with volume, so you can crank it up as much as you want without fear of distortion, keeping in mind that if the signal line in is too hot, so volume at the DAC level is too high, it will distort.
Unit does not get hot or even warm during usage, it looks cool and is reliable. I wish there was some kind of case that you could purchase for P 10 Pro because it will eventually wear and scratch and I like how it looks brand new, but I feel like it has a bit of cyberpunk charm which will only become cooler as the unit ages with your usage. One little word of caution about compatibility though, both 3.5mm jacks sit recessed, so if your cable has a thick plug, or rather the jacket around the 3.5mm jack is too large, it won’t fit with P10Pro. So far, it worked with all the cables that I have around the house, including the default cables of Westone Mach 80 and ThieAudio Cipher, but some interconnects from 3.5mm to 3.5mm did not work, especially thinner ones but with an L angled jack.
Sound Quality
Pairings – I have paired the sturdy Douk Audio Nobsound P10 Pro with a selection of headphones and IEMS, including Lily Audio Genesis One, Raptgo LEAF D01, Palma DHS-1, KBEar Cepheus, Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced, Erzetich Thalia, TinHIFI T7, NFAudio NE4, Sivga Peng, Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced, Tangzu TianPeng, Soundz Flame, YanYin Canon PRO, Dunu Vulkan 2, Letshuoer Mystic 8, Moritz Aura, HarmonicDyne Romantic, HIFIAN HE600, HIFIMAN Audivina LE, HIFIMAN Ananda Unveiled, Westne Mach 80, BQEYZ Winter II, Fosi Audio IM4, Aune AC55, Oriveti Bleqk PureCaster and Noble Knight
P10 Pro has quite a bit of driving power, sounds full and clean with all sources, except for the situation in which you’re driving an input signal that is too hot. Overall, driving power will be plenty for headphones like HIFIMAN Ananda nano, even Westone Mach 80 is driven really well, and Palma DHS-1 or HE600 will pose no threat to P10Pro as it drives all of them with ease.
Overall Signature – P10Pro has a fairly warm, but vivid sound with a bright treble extension, and the tube characteristic richer harmonic at the midrange level. It is quite what you’d expect from a tube AMP, and delivers exactly the type of tuning people dream about when looking for a portable tube amp, pleasing, but detailed, rich and drawing in the magic of the tubes at the back.
Bass – Bottom end reaches 20 Hz really nicely, but has an emphasis that puts in more backbone between 40 Hz and 60 Hz and then between around 80 Hz and 120 Hz, giving music both warmth but also kick and depth. This helps all of the entry-level headphones and IEMs I tested with P10P and it also works beautifully with Westone Mach 80 which otherwise is quite linear and has less bass, with p10 at the back giving it more punch and kick. This helps a lot with Ananda Unveiled and He600, all headphones and IEMS match really well with the deeper and punchier bass of the P10 Pro.
Midrange – Vocal range is natural, relaxed, but also rich and has a bit of added THD, due to the tube characteristic distortion. This type of sound works best for acoustic music and real instruments, as it adds a texture that was not there for electronic music and synths, but it can work ok for those too, if you know what you’re getting and looking forward to it. Basically, everything has micro vibrations baked in, and this creates a more natural and even presentation especially for guitars and acoustic instruments, but can make very clean and lean synths feel a bit distorted.
Treble – Top end is bright and sharp, extends nicely up to 20 kHz and has no audible roll off. Coloration is minimal, and it seems to inherit the extra THD less than the midrange does. You will get a fairly transparent top end, so music that is naturally a bit fatiguing like infant annihilator will sound as such, but in general it is likable and does not make music harsh out of nowhere.
Dynamics And Textures – Dynamic range is natural towards extended, while textured are expressed, detailed and crisp. Characteristic tube presentation is present which makes edges of textures a bit watery, splashy, which makes music less harsh and a bit metallic, so despite having a bright top end, it never really ends up sounding harsh.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – While P10Pro can handle high volumes really well, it is sensitive to source DAC noise and will amplify it. While its own control is exceptional, if your DAC has any kind of noise, you will hear that in the sound of the P10 Pro, to the point where I feel compelled to mention it. Most sources can have a bit of noise, especially through the 3.5mm output, be it line out or 2X RCA or even worse, headphone output. P10 Pro can hold its cool up to max volume, and it generally will sound better if it is kept at max volume and if you turn the DAC lower to control the volume.
Soundstage – P10 Pro has a natural-wide soundstage with medium scattering, so not a strong instrument separation but instead it blends music naturally, creating the feeling you’re listening through speakers even if you’re using IEMs or headphones. It is wider than it is deep or tall, but it is fun, and for this price point all dimensions are bigger than you’d expect, but width is clearly the one that overdelivers.
Value – Conclusion
Douk Audio Nobsound P10 Pro is a really good headphone amplifier, and currently the most affordable option for those using a 3.5mm DAC and headphones / IEMS to get a bit of tube going on. I see it as a hybrid desktop / portable option, great for fine tuning your sound, has long battery life and is generally a high value product.
For a product I reviewed for the first time from a company, Nobsound P10 Pro really sounds interesting, delivers the warmth, depth and textures of a tube without missing on the treble sharpness and brightness that a tube can deliver. P10 Pro is a top choice if you want to amplify and tubefy your current setup.
PROs
- Small and portable, but sturdy and ergonomic
- Long battery life and rather fast charging times
- Good built quality in general
- Beautiful aspect where you can see the tubes
- Deep and warm sound with a powerful bass
- Vivid midrange with the characteristic tube harmonics and tone
- Bright and sharp treble with exceptional extension
- Clean and fun for all music styles
- High driving power, can handle even hard to drive headphones and IEMs
- High value and low price for the performance
Cons
- Quite sensitive to source noise
- Has its own noise floor audible with sensitive IEMs
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4rBbWZS
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4LtSJlv
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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