Cocktail Audio X45 Pro Music Player/DAC

[mevdinc]

I'm currently on the look out for a new DAC with DSD 512, Streaming etc.
I had never heard of this DAC before but there's a very impressive review here:
https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/06/14/cocktail-audio-x45-pro-music-player-dac-review/

I had my eyes set on the latest Denafrips Terminator DSD 1024 but the reviewer thinks Coctail is better!
And the price is the same as Terminator with loads of extras like CD Play/Ripping and phono stage too (not that I need it).

This looks like another great DAC alternative.
Anyone with any thoughts/experiences with Coctail DACs especially with the latest 45Pro?
Thanks. 

[opus101]

I can't help but be skeptical of the subjective sound when the manufacturer feels the need to feature the opamp (OPA627BP) in its check list of features. Opamps are very sensitive to the power supply quality - I'd mention that I'd given the opamp a particularly conducive environment to work in if I were writing the ad copy.

[Cyrus]

Given the reviewer's stated preferences as well as his history of audio components/systems (evident in the review as well as his bio, etc.) I'm unsure of how much value I would put in his findings (and comparisons) of a modern 'all-in-one' digital component.  My comfort level (for example) would be much higher had this been a vintage SET amp review for an analog based system.

[Cyrus]

If you haven't already, take a look at the review by Aron Garrecht of SoundStageUltra. Might help with your choice. 

[rmoyers]

I recently purchased a Cocktail X45 from Audio Advisor.
I successfully installed the 'MusicX Neo' Android app on my Galaxy S21+ 5G smartphone.
I successfully connected the X45 via Ethernet to a 1Gbps network. Speed test shows speeds at least 800Mbps - more than enough to stream even lossless 192/24.
I successfully installed a 4TB SSD drive (WD Blue) into the X45. I performed a 'Format Storage', and assigned 'HDD1' to the Music DB.
I have a subscription to both Tidal HiFi and Qobuz Studio Sublime.
I use the RCA analog outputs connected to a Krell Showcase processor. I plan to use the XLR outputs in the future.

 

Overall, the X45 sounds much better than my Oppo 105.

I really like the CD ripping feature. It's fast and accurate. I can't tell the difference between ripped and original CD.

Hi-Res like 96/24 albums sound awesome on my Krell/Martin Logan system.

I am having some problems streaming Qobuz in Hi-Res format. It seems to stream Qobuz only MP3/320K. Tidal streaming is fine. Am working with Novatron to fix this.