In this review, the Sendy Audio KYLIN desktop headphone amplifier and DAC/Amp is compared to 5 other amps across a wide range of headphones.
The Sendy KYLIN is a class A headphone amplifier with a built-in DAC, featuring 3 analog inputs as well as 3 digital inputs: USB, coax, and Toslink. There are 3 headphone outputs: 4-pin XLR, 4.4 mm, and 6.35 mm. It also has a preamplifier RCA output and some very nice looking VU meters.
MAIN TAKEAWAY
- Excellent performance across a wide range of headphones with a clean, authoritative and slightly warm sound
- More powerful than the specs indicate
- Great selection of inputs and outputs
- Very good built-in DAC
- Background hiss with too sensitive gear
ANALOG SECTION
First, it is a Class A output stage. This is quite normal with headphone amplifiers because the power consumption is relatively small. However it is a good thing.
Sendy Audio put real effort into designing a good analog headphone amplifier section, and they share a lot of details about the design and the components used.
The power supply is servo-regulated and designed to give very little noise in general, and it also importantly suppresses AC noise. This should enhance soundstage clarity, and deliver cleaner, more detailed audio.
The volume is regulated by a Japanese ALPS potentiometer. According to Sendy, the preamp circuit adopts the premium CS 3.5 design from Xindak. The preamplifier stage further features two Burr-Brown OPA604 FET mono op-amps. The pre-amp design is claimed to deliver ultra-low noise, great detail level, and a smooth, tube-like musicality.
The output stage features matched pairs of Japanese Hitachi B649/D669 bipolar transistors. High-quality audio capacitors from German WIMA and Japanese Nichicon are used in the amplifier stage, components designed for high-end audio systems. The capacitors have a combined capacity of 9400 uF, and when used to power the post-amplifier circuit, they should ensure great dynamics and control.
Further, all resistors in the audio signal path are precision 0.5 W and 2 W metal-film types, claimed to result in long-term stability while enhancing tonal richness and dynamic authority.
DIGITAL SECTION
The digital section uses an XMOS USB solution and the ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip. It supports native DSD512 over USB. There are also optical and RCA coax inputs.
SENDY KYLIN SPECIFICATIONS
- Headphone jack outputs: XLR, 4.4mm balanced, 6.35mm single-ended
- Analog inputs: RCA x 3
- Digital inputs: USB-B / Coaxial / Optical
- Line outputs: RCA pre-amp
- Output power: 200 mW (600 ohms) / 300 mW (300 ohms) / 1 W (30 ohm)
- DAC chip: ES9038Q2M
- Amp: OPA604 x 2 (FET-input operational amplifier from Texas Instruments)
- DAC resolution: PCM 768 kHz / 32 bit, DSD 512
- THD <0.1% (1 kHz, rated power)
- Channel Separation ≥85 dB
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio ≥90 dB
- Dimensions: 245 x 225 x 50 mm /9.7″ x 8.9″ x 2″
- Power inputs: AC230V/AC115V
- Weight: 3.1 kg/6.83 lbs
IN THE BOX
- Kylin Amplifier
- User Manual
- Dual RCA Cable
- Optical Cable
- Lightning to USB-B Cable
- USB-C to USB-B Cable
- USB-A to USB-B Cable
- Power Cable
Current price and availability:
- AliExpress: Sendy Audio KYLIN
BUILD – DESIGN – FUNCTIONALITY
The Sendy Audio KYLIN looks great, in my opinion. You immediately notice the VU meters, which light up in a discreet red light, the same color as the indicator LEDs on the volume wheel and the input selector. The chassis is made of black anodized aluminum, with nice gold accents on some details. In other words, the color scheme is black, gold, and red.
On the front are the headphone outputs: 4-pin XLR, 4.4 mm, and 6.35 mm. There is also an input selector, which is a bit small in my opinion, and a gain selector. I did not find that the gain switch made much change to anything, which I found a bit strange.
On the back there are three analog inputs, three digital inputs (USB, RCA, and optical), as well as a preamplifier output.
There’s no way to turn the unit on and off from the front panel; the power switch is on the back. There is no remote control either.
Anyway, the Sendy Audio KYLIN feels and looks like a high-quality product, and I have nothing of significance to hold against it.
HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER PERFORMANCE
Below I will test a wide selection of headphones with the Sendy Audio KYLIN, using only the headphone amplifier section – in other words with an external DAC. This way I can easily compare the amplifier section to other amplifiers, using the same source, the RME ADI-2 DAC FS (1999 USD).
I will compare the KYLIN to some other amps, mostly these four, all of which I hold in high regard:
- Mytek Liberty THX AAA (1499 USD / €1495),
- Violectric VHA-222 (1599 USD / €1399),
- Bryston BHA-1 (2695 USD / €3049),
- Burson Conductor Voyager – amp section (4299 USD).
GRELL OAE2
Impedance: 38 Ohms – Sensitivity: 100 dB
The Grell OAE2 is very refined and resolving for its 499 USD price tag. The Sendy KYLIN drives it very well: detailed, dynamic, and with a hint of warmth.
I’ve reviewed the OAE2 here.
Comparing the OAE2 across the five amplifiers, with tracks I know very well, it becomes clear that the difference is very small. There are very subtle changes in tonal character and dynamics, but they are so small that it is not worth recommending one amp over another. However, the KYLIN demonstrates a suitably warmish touch compared to some. In conclusion, it is great and it doesn’t stand in the shadow of any of the others.
- Audio46: Grell OAE2
HIFIMAN HE600
Impedance: 28 Ohms – Sensitivity: 94 dB/mW
The HiFiMAN HE600 launched in August 2025, and as the name suggests, aims to build on the heritage of the legendary HE6. It uses a completely different driver that is much easier for the amplifier than the original HE6 or HE6SE, so this is more of a tribute than a successor.
The Sendy KYLIN works very well with the HE600. Tonality is great, with a slight touch of warmth that is very nice. Detail level and dynamics are also great.
Comparing the HE600 across the other amplifiers, the KYLIN and BHA-1 are very similar, both with that nice warmth that I really enjoy. They still have plenty of detail and dynamics. The V222/V226 and Burson Conductor Voyager sound more open but less warm. The Mytek THX AAA is somewhere in between, neutral in the best possible way.
- Amazon: Hifiman HE600
- AliExpress: Hifiman HE600
HIFIMAN HE1000SE
Impedance: 35 Ohms – Sensitivity: 96 dB/mW
The HE1000SE launched all the way back in 2018 but is still going strong. There are rumors of silent revisions. My set is from 2025.
The KYLIN seems to have a tendency to add a slight bit of warmth while retaining a high level of detail. In the case of the HE1000SE, I personally find this to be a very good thing.
Comparing the five amplifiers, the differences again aren’t huge, but they’re still not identical. The KYLIN is the warmest sounding, which is a good thing with the HE1000SE. It’s followed by the BHA-1, Mytek THX AAA, Burson Conductor Voyager, and the V222/V226, in that order. The Conductor Voyager might deliver a bit more detail; the KYLIN is maybe the least articulate. However, they are all very close and all very good. The sweet spot for me might be the BHA-1 and the Mytek.
HIFIMAN HE6SE
Impedance: 50 Ohms – Sensitivity: 83.5 dB/mW
The HE6SE was an attempt at a revival of the legendary HE6. It has a slightly different driver but is similarly demanding on the amplifier’s power and voltage resources, being extremely low in terms of sensitivity. I might add that recently HiFiMAN launched the HE6 Remastered, which is claimed to be a true replica.
The HE6SE is rated at 50 ohms. The KYLIN is rated at 1 W at 30 ohms, and I have no way to know the exact performance at 50 ohms; both current and voltage output are important. However, given that the numbers are a bit on the lower side, it sounds surprisingly good.
However, I can hear that the HE6SE isn’t quite up to its absolute best potential; the tonality is very nice, but the instrument separation and the microdynamics are a bit lacking compared to the best options. My speaker amp rig, consisting of the 200 W Schiit Vidar 2 and an HE adapter, sounds punchier and cleaner, but equally rich and warm. That said, I still think the KYLIN does a good enough job for me to say that if you already own it or plan to own it, the HE6SE is actually worth owning.
Comparing the five, or six amplifiers when the Vidar 2 is included, is interesting. If I were to pick two amplifiers specifically for the HE6SE, the Burson Conductor Voyager and the Vidar 2 would be my top picks. The Conductor Voyager is slightly more refined, the Vidar 2 slightly more punchy. The others are not too far behind, though. I think the least capable in this regard is the KYLIN. The Bryston is quite warm and nicely in control, the Mytek THX AAA is very neutral and very impressive. The V222/V226 is good, on the same level as the Mytek, but lacks a bit of punch and dynamics in comparison to the best options.
- AliExpress: Hifiman HE6SE
SENNHEISER HD800/HD800S
Impedance: 300 Ohms – Sensitivity: 102 dB/V
My personal Sennheiser HD800 is slightly modified. I used to own the HD800S too, but my modified HD800 sounds better to me. However, when it comes to amplification, they are basically the same. If an amplifier is good for the HD800, it’s good for the HD800S. They have the same driver, and it’s all about controlling it in the best possible manner.
The Sendy KYLIN drives the HD800/HD800S excellently. It’s really, really good. Spectacular. It is detailed and dynamic, and most of all, it has that nice touch of warmth that the HD800/HD800S needs, IMO. To my ears, the KYLIN is among the best solid-state amplifiers I have heard with the HD800/HD800S.
Comparing the five amplifiers, the Burson Conductor Voyager is the brightest sounding, the KYLIN is the warmest sounding. The Violectric is closer to the Burson, the Mytek THX AAA is in the middle, and the BHA-1 is the second warmest. I prefer the Mytek THX AAA, BHA-1, and KYLIN over the Burson and Violectric. Detail level and technical performance are pretty much equal, but the two brightest don’t offer more detail than the other three. The KYLIN might be the best of the bunch in all aspects to my ear.
- Amazon: HD800S
AUDEZE LCD-X (2021)
Impedance: 20 Ohms – Sensitivity: 103 dB/mW
The LCD-X is not a very difficult headphone to drive. My version is from 2023; there was a slight revision in 2024 making the headphone slightly brighter, but those changes are reportedly very subtle and should not affect amplifier considerations.
The KYLIN works well with the LCD-X, but it has a very slight hiss, even on the lowest gain setting. It’s nothing that bothers me, but it is there.
Comparing the five amplifiers, they all do a good job, and the differences are extremely small. However, some sound more dynamic and weighty than others. The KYLIN and BHA-1 are maybe my favorites when it comes to tonality and dynamics; the V222/V226 is very close, and so is the Mytek THX AAA. Even though it is just a very subtle difference, I find, interestingly, the Burson Conductor Voyager to be the least dynamic and flattest sounding. That said, I must mention that both the Mytek and the KYLIN have a slight background hiss. It does not bother me, and you cannot hear it when music is playing, but if you are very sensitive, it might bother you knowing it’s there.
- Amazon: LCD-X
FOSTEX TH-900
Impedance 25 Ohm – Sensitivity 100 dB/mW
The TH-900 is usually very sensitive to amplifiers with background hiss, and this is no exception. It is just too much. On paper, you might expect it to be less receptive to hiss than the LCD-X. However, measurements of impedance and sensitivity are almost always done at 1kHz, but that is not where the hiss is at. For some reason, the TH-900 is the most hiss-prone headphone in my collection, and my go-to test for this. The KYLIN obviously wasn’t made for headphones that are very sensitive in the frequencies where the powerful PSU is a bit noisy.
DAN CLARK AUDIO ETHER 2
Impedance: 16 Ohms – Sensitivity: 92 dB/mW
This gem of a headphone is sadly discontinued, but it is beloved by many owners. It is still available secondhand and even seems to be available new via the link below. It is a planar magnetic headphone, known for its slightly dark tuning.
The KYLIN works excellently with the DCA Ether 2. It has a slight warmth, but it does not make the Ether 2 sound dark or thick and lacking in detail in any way.
Comparing the five amplifiers, they all do the job with the DCA Ether 2. Differences are very small. The Burson and V222/V226 are very similar. The Mytek is very close but maybe a tiny tad fuller sounding; the BHA-1 and KYLIN are even a small tad meatier. But again, the differences are minuscule in the big picture, and I could recommend all five amplifiers wholeheartedly for this headphone.
Audio Sanctuary: DCA Ether 2
DCA/MR. SPEAKERS ETHER CX
Impedance 23 ohms – Sensitivity 92 dB/mW
This headphone was a very popular closed-back planar magnetic option from Massdrop/Drop.com, and there should be plenty of these around. They demand quite a bit of power to shine.
Comparing the five amplifiers, they all do the job in terms of technical abilities; there is no big difference in detail level and soundstage, but tonality is a bit different. The Burson is the “brightest,” or the least warm and the least weighty, then the V222/V226. The Mytek THX AAA sits in the middle, while the BHA-1 and KYLIN offer a bit more meat, which I quite like with these headphones.
FOCAL CLEAR MG
Impressive 55 Ohms – Sensitivity 104 dB/mW
The Focal Clear MG is a dynamic driver headphone that followed in the footsteps of the very successful Clear.
The KYLIN sounds very good with the MG. There’s some added warmth and fullness that suits the MG very well. It is a bit rich without losing detail.
Comparing the five amplifiers, the Burson Conductor Voyager might be the airiest, followed by the V222/V226. The Mytek THX AAA is very close. The BHA-1 and KYLIN have slightly more warmth. All deliver plenty of detail.
- Amazon: Focal Clear MG
FOCAL UTOPIA
Impedance: 80 Ohms – Sensitivity: 104 dB/mW
The Utopia was released as a statement piece from Focal and marked their entry into the serious realm of headphones. It is a true top-of-the-line headphone. I have the original version, not the 2022. The original is a bit brighter and more picky about amplifier matching, but when it gets the right pairing, I personally think it might be even better than the warmer-sounding 2022 revision. They are, however, very similar.
The Sendy KYLIN sounds excellent with the Utopia; it is very detailed and has a very nice tonal character. However, oddly enough, there is some background hiss. Pushing the gain button does not change anything. It is strange because the Utopia is not super sensitive. Such hiss can vary from setup to setup and varying power conditions, but nonetheless, I cannot directly recommend the KYLIN for the Utopia because of this. Other users might have different experiences, and this might be a very special incident that happens for me, but I cannot say anything else other than that I find it strange.
LILY AUDIO GENESIS ONE
Impedance: 300-800 Ohms
The Genesis One is a very special new headphone that employs a new type of driver. That driver is basically just a strip of material that expands and contracts according to the audio signal passing through it. The impedance is extremely high and very variable, ranging from 300 to about 800 ohms. The Genesis One requires an amplifier with high capability for voltage swings, above 10 V, but does not need much current.
The KYLIN mostly sounds very good with the Genesis One, typically with the volume knob set to 1-4 o’clock. However, on some tracks it distorts, like the piano on “In The Mountains” by Espen Eriksen Trio. I sadly cannot recommend the KYLIN for the Genesis One. That said, the fact that it is mostly very good with this especially demanding headphone is an indication of the excellent qualities the KYLIN has, even though it’s not quite powerful enough in this case.
SENDY AUDIO APOLLO PRO
Impedance: 27 Ohms – Sensitivity: 93 dB/mW
Sendy Audio is first and foremost a headphone manufacturer, and it is safe to assume that the KYLIN should work well with the company’s own headphones.
The Apollo Pro planar magnetic certainly sounds very good with the KYLIN. It’s clean and clear, punchy and dynamic. Switching to the Mytek Liberty THX AAA and Violectric V222/V226, these two sound very similar, and all three are great. If there is a difference, I might find the KYLIN a tad warmer, but the differences are very small.
- AliExpress: Sendy Apollo Pro
SENDY AUDIO AIVA 2
Impedance: 32 Ohms – Sensitivity: 96 dB/mW
The Sendy Aiva 2 is a compact planar magnetic headphone, and the KYLIN certainly does a great job. It’s very dynamic and detailed, with great instrument separation and imaging.
Switching to the Mytek Liberty THX AAA and Violectric V222/V226, these two sound very similar and both are great. However, I think the Aiva 2 sounds even a tad better on the KYLIN, if anything, but there are no big differences.
- AliExpress: Sendy Aiva 2
SENDY AUDIO EGRET
Impedance: 24 Ohms – Sensitivity: 95 dB/mW
The Egret is the larger sibling of the Aiva 2, with a bigger driver and larger cups but the same headband. It also sounds excellent on the KYLIN.
Switching over to the Mytek Liberty THX AAA and Violectric V222/V226, this time the Mytek and the KYLIN sound as good as identical, while I think the V222/V226 is a tiny bit clearer. The difference, however, is very small; they’re all very, very close.
- AliExpress: Sendy Egret
HEDDPHONE TWO GT
Impedance: 41 Ohms – Sensitivity: 88 dB
The HEDDphone TWO GT is one of a very few sets of headphones that use AMT drivers, a special folded diaphragm with electrical tracing. It requires some oomph to sound at its best, but the KYLIN handles it impressively well. As mentioned before, the KYLIN is a lot more powerful in practise than it is on paper.
Comparing the KYLIN to the other amps, there’s surprisingly little difference. They’re all powerful enough to drive the HEDDphone TWO GT and, at least with the lambskin pads on, which are my definitive favorite pads for this headphone, there is little difference in tonality as far as I can tell.
DAC PERFORMANCE
So far in this review, I have spent a lot of time testing the KYLIN as a standalone analog amplifier and comparing it to several relevant headphone amplifiers. The reason I used an external DAC was to make sure that all the amplifiers in my comparison had the same source.
But the KYLIN, of course, has a built-in digital section, a DAC, which also deserves some attention.
I must admit I did not go about things as thoroughly, but I still spent a good amount of time just listening to the KYLIN using the internal DAC, in other words, as a standalone DAC/Amp.
In short, I still find the KYLIN sounds excellent. The DAC is detailed, and the overall tonal character is very good and plays well together with the analog amp section.
I did some brief A/B comparisons to my trusted RME ADI-2 DAC FS, and the difference was very small. In general, I tend to find differences between DAC units often quite minuscule as long as they are above a certain level. I think the DAC built into the KYLIN is above that level. In other words, it is quite capable, and you need to put some real money on the table to get a significant upgrade.
CONCLUSION
The Sendy Audio KYLIN is an impressive package. It is well designed, with its VU meters. Build quality feels solid throughout, and there is an excellent choice of inputs and outputs.
Sonically, the KYLIN is detailed and dynamic, and slightly warm without sounding soft or slow.
Across the wide range of headphones tested, it consistently held its own against amplifiers costing significantly more, and with several pairings, it was among my favorites of the bunch.
The KYLIN is more powerful in action than on paper, and I was surprised how well it could drive demanding headphones, like the HEDDphone TWO GT. There can be slight background hiss with headphones that are particularly sensitive in the frequencies where the power supply is a bit noisy, but for the vast majority of the more than 15 headphones tested, the KYLIN was a great amp.
I actually think the KYLIN might be worth its price as solely a dedicated amplifier, and the fact that you get a high-quality built-in DAC in addition is a bonus. The number of inputs and outputs, the sleek design, and of course the elegant VU meters, make it a very compelling package.
I can highly recommend the Sendy Audio KYLIN.
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- AliExpress: Sendy Audio KYLIN
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