In Barn for Review: THX Onyx Portable DAC

The dongle DACs just keep comin’.

The THX Onyx Portable DAC Headphone Amplifier comes with a price tag of US$199.99, putting it squarely in AudioQuest DragonFly Red territory (the Red is 4 cents less). I admit I just couldn’t pass up a review of THX Onyx in part because its, you know, THX.

THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier (THX AAA™)

THX AAA™ technology enables the world’s highest fidelity audio and maximum dynamic range with the capacity to support power-hungry, audiophile grade headphones. Crank it up and enjoy satisfyingly loud volumes and ultra-clean sound.

  • Patented feed-forward error correction topology that nulls conventional distortion mechanisms
  • Reduction of harmonic, intermodulation, and crossover distortion by up to 40dB, resulting in a realistic and fatigue-free listening experience
  • Enables maximum output power for greater dynamic range and sound pressure level (SPL)
  • A convenient modular solution which includes power supply, and can operate from a single 3.6V battery
  • Minimal bias current and highly efficient power management to optimize and extend device battery life
  • Scalability that allows incorporation into any headphone or in-vehicle amplifier design, with the flexibility to match the required fidelity, output power, and price point
all PCM and MQA files are upsampled to 705.6/768kHz

That picture is worth a lot of words. The company specs out the Onyx with 118dB of dynamic range, a 0.25 Ohm output impedance, and 180mW of output power (per channel/22 Ohms, <1% THD). Sexy. The unit also ships with a USB-C to USB-A adapter.

If your itchin’ to read some dongle DAC listening impressions, head on over to my Dongle DAC Survey, where I compare the Clarus CODA DAC ($300), Helm Audio BOLT DAC ($99.99), iBasso DC03 DAC ($69), AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt ($299.95), and the aforementioned DragonFly Red ($199.95).

Company Website: THX