Douk Audio X1 tube power amplifier

Despite a heroic effort by Tyler from TC Tubes and Audio Repair to revive my Minneapolis-based Croft amp, it was recently declared dead. R.I.P. The Croft was one of the few pieces of audio equipment I was genuinely fond of – dare I say, loved. Fortunately, I still have one at the Desert Sessions.

In Minneapolis, we have two ways to listen to music. We live in a two story condo that has an open concept. On our first level, we have a stereo for background music. In our loft is where I do my serious listening almost exclusively via headphones. This is where the Croft lived. Listening to music out loud is challenging without disturbing your neighbors and, more importantly, your spouse. I don’t want to spend a lot of money to replace the Croft, given I mostly listen with headphones, so I have come up with an alternative, albeit janky, solution.

First, I am moving my old Jolida FX1 up to the listening loft (more about this later). Second, I have acquired, what appears to be too good to be true, a Douk Audio X1 tube power amplifier for $150.

Per Amazon, the “Douk Audio X1 tube power amplifier is the fully upgraded version in all aspects, using JAN5654 vacuum tube to improve the sound quality, TDA7498E amp IC that can max output 160W+160W to drive all home speakers, integrating the function of phono preamp and amplifier to support MM phono turntables input, and adding a low-frequency output that can connect an active subwoofer to build 2.1 channel audio system.”

The Douk Audio X1 checks a lot of boxes for our application: it’s cheap, tube-enhanced, small, has a phono preamp, and has Bluetooth. It had good reviews on Amazon (see below). The 5-star reviews (73%) are from verified purchasers, and the 1-star reviews (8%) are mostly related to the Bluetooth crapping out and packaging missing parts. Now I have no expectations of this being an audiophile product. I just need it to play background music at a low volume. Reliability and decent sound are all I am looking for.

The Douk (my understanding is it is pronounced “duke”) is not a true tube amplifier but rather a solid-state amplifier with a “tube buffer.” A tube buffer is not amplifying the sound but rather adding tube textures to the sound – sort of like how an equalizer adds texture to an amplifier’s tone. This is a common method in low-cost so-called tube amps. You can still do things like tube rolling (replacing the current tubes with different tubes to enjoy the unique tonal textures of various tubes). Tube buffering is a legitimate way to partake in the joy of tube audio.

So how does the Douk sound and perform? I am not an audiophile with technical knowledge. I am merely a music fan who has been enjoying tube audio for over a decade. I feel like I have a discriminating ear, but I would not go so far as to say I have a golden ear. My review is subjective and technically ignorant.

I am using a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (Ortofon 2M Red moving magnet cartridge) turntable for vinyl and my iPhone/Tidal/Bluetooth for streaming. Output is to some vintage 1980s Klipsch KG2 speakers that I bought in the mid 80s with my first ever work bonus. I am not using the Douk’s subwoofer output.

My first impression is the Douk sounds great: it has nice tone and plenty of volume. I set the bass and treble to the halfway point, and that sounded even better. You can bypass the tube buffer – for my ears, the tube buffer sounds much better. It provides that classic tube warmth.

The build quality is decent for $150. But the device is so small that the toggle switches are itty bitty – so a bit hard to use. The volume tone controls are well-made and easy to use. Inputs and speakers outputs are good quality too.

The vinyl sounds great, and the tube warmth sticks out. Bluetooth is ok – but that is my least favorite way to stream – so I can hold that against the Douk. Again, this is just for background music. There is an additional input if you want to use an external steaming device or DAC.

Overall, I am fully satisfied with the $150 investment. Hopefully, the Bluetooth doesn’t crap out, as reported in the 1-star reviews. This is a low-cost way to dip your toe in the tube audio world. Seems perfect for new vinyl people who are just beginning their audiophile journey. And it is a great option for someone like me who is using it for passive listening in a secondary listening space.

I was not able to find out much about Douk as a company beyond they are Chinese audiophiles who are dedicated to bringing low-cost audiophile solutions to market. They have a extensive product line.

My only complaint is the package the Douk and accessories came in was not sealed. Parts like the tubes could have easily been lost in shipping. Now I know the source of this frequent complaint in the 1-star reviews. Fortunately, my unit arrived intact.

Nice video review from Cheap Audio Man:

Now my janky Jolida FX10 setup. As I stated earlier, most of my Minneapolis listening is done via headphones: Sennheiser HD 6XX headphones (Drop) and the Schiit Audio Valhalla headphone amp.

To use the Valhalla, you need to either directly connect the input device (e.g., turntable, DAC/streamer, CD player, etc.) or use the outputs on your amp. Many amps don’t have an output – the Croft did, and the FX10 does not. Since the FX10 doesn’t have output, I have my turntable (which uses a Bellari phono amp) and streamer hooked to an A/B switch that is, in turn, hooked up to the Valhalla. So I am good at headphone listening. I then have the output on the Valhalla output hooked into the aux input on the FX10 for out loud listening. The FX10 is powering my speakers (Klipsch R-51M). I have not listened enough through the speakers to say how well it sounds, but it works. My first impression is it sounds decent; that is, good enough. An LP goes through a lot of components that impact the sound: the phono cartridge (Audio-Technics VM540ML), the Bellari phono amp, the Schiit headphone amp, and finally, the FX10 amp – that’s a lot of tubes! So I am on tube warmth overdrive!