Luxsin X9

The Ultimate Headphone Amplifier For Enthusiasts Who Love To Tinker

I first spotted the X9 at Munich High End, shown alongside several products from its sister company Eversolo. At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate all that it offers. But having spent the last few months with it, I feel the X9 offers something I didn’t really see anywhere else in Munich: a proper headphone tinkerer’s dream, wrapped in a highend package.

Its features make audible, meaningful differences without leaning on the usual “high‑end” tropes like boutique cables or exotic power supplies. This is high‑end done the way I think it should be—visually polished, technically capable, and scientifically grounded.

Over the past few months I have been fortunate enough to review more than 20 headphone amplifiers. Here are a few of them setup in my listening area:

And while the Luxsin X9 is the most expensive of the bunch, and not the most powerful, it offers (for headphone nerds like me), the most features and the broadest set of tools that, in my opinion, actually matter to the sound you get from your headphones. I like it so much it now doesn’t sit with these other amplifiers, it has managed to get pride of place in the centre of my headphone listening setup, so it is now the first amplifier I try with new headphones, here it is with the new Yamama YH4000:

The Luxsin X9 is also the most fun I’ve had with a headphone amplifier in a while. The screen, especially the VU meters are excellent, and the number of ways to experiment with headphone audio is extensive. This review was delayed as I loved it so much I wanted to make sure I had integrated it with my devicePEQ project which is available on a few Cringraph / Squig.link databases on the internet.

Easy access to options

The remote control is good and makes switching options easy. And there is a companion mobile app, but I think what set the X9 apart from even the best of the other headphone amplifiers (like the excellent FiiO K17), is that you really do not need to use the companion app at all, as the one-screen menu offers all the configuration you need, including a massive database of headphone profiles for PEQ purposes.

Here is a quick video of the X9 switching on:

Anyway, I finally feel I have enough impressions to share in this review. While I do love the X9, I do have a few niggles I’ll highlight within the review. Before we get to those, here’s the unboxing:

Unboxing and Build Quality

The X9 arrives in neat, protective packaging.

Inside, the unit is well-supported with secure foam padding.

Lifting the top layer reveals the X9 nestled in its tray.

Underneath, the accessories are organized in separate compartments.

Here are the included cables and the remote laid out.

Even the USB cables are good quality and better than the typical ones provided:

The remote has a simple, sensible layout for quick control.

In the box:

• Luxsin X9 unit
• Remote control
• Power cable
• USB cable(s)
• Bluetooth/Wi‑Fi antenna(s)
• Quick start documentation

Design and Build

The front panel is clean with a 4‑inch touch display, rotary control, and front headphone outputs placed for easy access. These pictures do not do the quality of the build justice, I love the feel of the metal finish, and the slightly angled screen is a lovely touch:

Round the back, connections are clearly labeled and there’s ample spacing for thicker cables.

There are dedicated RCA outputs including a subwoofer out if you’re running a 2.1 setup.

Balanced XLR and single‑ended RCA line outputs cover most desktop chains.

A look inside the chassis at the main boards and layout.

The internal power supply is neatly implemented.

Underside view of the chassis.

Features

The X9 is a single-box desktop hub that rolls DAC, preamp, and headphone amplification into one elegant chassis. On the input side you get USB-B/USB-C for computers and mobiles, optical and coaxial for legacy transports, plus HDMI ARC so your TV can slot neatly into a headphone or 2.1 living-room setup (though its not as flexible as other options for a 2.1 setup). On the output side there’s balanced XLR and single‑ended RCA for speakers or downstream amps, along with a dedicated subwoofer output that makes 2.1 integration painless.

System friendliness is a clear design goal: 12V trigger in/out allows clean power sequencing, and the internal ultra‑low‑noise linear power supply keeps cabling simple without resorting to external bricks. Day-to-day control can happen entirely on-device via the bright 4-inch touch display and a responsive rotary control, or from the couch with the included remote and companion app (the app is functional today and continues to improve with firmware updates).

For headphone use specifically (which I feel is it real purpose), the X9 provides both 6.35mm single‑ended and 4.4mm balanced front outputs with automatic impedance detection that adjusts gain for quick swaps. In practice, this means you can cycle through a few pairs without menu diving, yet still dial things in when you want to experiment.

On-Screen Navigation (Videos)

Rather than go through all the on-screen navigation options, I thought it would be better to just show a video:

On-device navigation with the touch screen is quick and intuitive. Here are a few short clips showing the menus and the animated VU meters in action and the very cool impedance detection feature:

Complimenting the touch screen is both a simple, remote control that allows you to quickly switch between modes and change settings. The screen is large enough that makes this remote control more effective as you can mostly read all the settings from a few meters away. I have many devices with tiny screens where you need to be infront of the device to read its values, making the remote control pointless.

Mobile Companion App

Over the course of this review the App has been updated significantly and mostly works very well now. You effectively get the same controls as the touch screen:

The launch screen:	The Home screen:

Switching inputs:	Audio settings:

As you can see above, the XLR / RCA output selection options mean the Luxsin X9 also acts as a pre-amp. So paired with, for example, powered speakers and a subwoofer you get a nice little 2:1 speaker setup, but the pre-amp nature of the X9 is not as advanced as the other Eversolo ‘family’ of products or even the WiiM Ultra, specifically I think it is missing room correction and subwoofer management.

EQ / PEQ and devicePEQ

There are some simple EQ options to begin with:

The Bokeh sounded exceptional from the X9 with the PEQ profile I picked:

We’re in a golden age for desktop headphone amplifiers because more units now include features that actually matter to how your headphones sound—chief among them, on‑device PEQ with a usable UI. The Luxsin X9 nails this. You can browse a large built‑in headphone profile library, apply profiles, and then fine‑tune with fully parametric filters right on the touch screen or via the app—no laptop required.

PEQ, AutoEQ, and DevicePEQ

I’ve been building out my DevicePEQ open source tool which I have now integrated support for the Luxsin X9. I feel my devicePEQ tool compliments the built in library of measurements as instead of the device pulling whatever it finds from the internet, DevicePEQ lets me carefully select and tweak a set of PEQ filters and then push carefully normalised filters derived from matching measurement/target pairs across popular databases like Crinacle’s graph.hangout.audio and Super* Review’s squig.link/device-peq repository. Here are a few screenshots of the integration into devicePEQ:

First you need to connect to the device to the devicePEQ tool: |

Note: You can get the IP address of your Luxsin X9 from the “About” screen on the device or via the mobile App.

Once connected, you get a simple drop down with the current PEQ profile and the ability to pull or push the PEQ filters from the Luxsin X9 into the list of available filters and you can render the effect of the filters on the graph, for example one called “Profile 1” in this screenshot:

Alternatively, you can design your own filters for your headphone model and pick a target curve and then push that those PEQ filters to the Luxsin X9.

Note: if you have problems connecting, I added a ‘Test Connection’ option which will show a popup if successful with given ipaddress and display some ‘raw data’ from the Luxsin X9, similar to the following:

Note: once you see this, it has connected correctly, and you can close this popup.

While my support for the Luxsin X9 is basic for now I plan over the next few releases of devicePEQ, to refine the connectivity with the Luxsin X9, but I felt it was useful to get this basic integration done before finally finishing my review.

I still like and often use the X9’s built‑in PEQ, but I feel DevicePEQ adds another dimension for those of us who obsess over tweaking the sound of their headphones.

Subjective Listening (Default Settings)

To fully test the X9 I felt I should get some with the X9 left at its default settings so no PEQ, no profile tweaks and using a of my headphones, so I mainly used my HD600, the new FiiO JT7, the ZMF Bokeh Closed and the new Kiwi Ears Orchestra II IEM for these listening tests.

But the executive summary is that the X9 is transparent, quiet, and confidently powerful.

Bass

On James Blake’s Limit to Your Love, sub‑bass swells hit with appropriate weight and control without sounding rounded off or over‑damped. There’s no bloom added by the amp; what your headphones can reach, the X9 will deliver cleanly. Kick articulation on modern pop and electronic tracks remains tight at low and high volumes.

Midrange

Vocal clarity is natural and unforced. Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams has that familiar midband ease—Stevie Nicks sits forward without edge, while acoustic guitars and backing vocals layer cleanly. Elton John’s Your Song shows piano tone that’s even and lifelike, with no glaze or added warmth; it’s exactly as your chain presents it.

Treble

Pink Floyd’s Time can expose splashy treble when an amp is grainy; here cymbal hits and clock chimes are crisp but not brittle. Extension feels complete without pushing presence forward. Detail retrieval is excellent in the sense that nothing is masked, yet nothing is hyped.

Soundstage & Imaging

Spatial cues are as your headphone dictates. With open‑backs like the JT7, stage size feels unconstrained; center image is stable and panning moves are precise. Micro‑imaging on densely mixed passages remains intact, with no sense of smearing across the stereo field.

In other words, the X9 provides a neutral baseline that lets your headphones and music do the talking. And that’s partly the point: you can choose transparency and leave it at that—but most X9 buyers will probably lean into the plentiful tools to tailor the sound. Having those options on tap is half the fun, and a big reason this unit stands out.

Comparisons

We really are in a golden age for desktop headphone amplifiers—especially for features that matter like PEQ. I love the JDS Labs Element IV I reviewed at the start of the year: it’s still a favourite thanks to its gorgeous, oversized volume dial and no‑nonsense usability. The Topping DX5 II is astonishingly good for the price, with its neat display and very strong measurements; the built‑in PEQ and overall power are amazing at what it costs. And then there’s FiiO’s K17 (and even the K15), which are superb all‑in‑one “do‑a‑bit‑of‑everything” units with niceties like playing local music from USB storage and showing album art.

But for pure headphone nerds, the Luxsin X9 edges these for me. Its screen is better, the headphone‑tweaking options are deeper, and the overall UX feels that next level. As a Pragmatic Audiophile, that’s what justifies the X9’s higher price if you can afford it. Is it four times better than the Topping? Certainly not. But the X9’s larger screen and on‑device workflow make configuration easier than on the DX5 II, without launching a separate desktop application.

Specifications and Measurements

Technical Specifications

These are mostly excellent specifications, I would have hoped for slightly more power as for example 3W from 32Ohm while perfect for 99% of headphones, is not as much power as some other cheaper amplifeirs like the Aune N7 that I have reviewed recently.

Note: the Aune N7 focuses only on clean power as it has none of the technical capabilities of the X9.

Measurements

For measurements, I recommend reading Amir’s excellent review on AudioScienceReview, which includes comprehensive data: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/luxsin-x9-smart-stereo-dac-preamp.63563/

But for those who don’t want to click here are a few of those measurements.

First the Balanced output measurements

For those who want to run the X9 as their central hub, here are some measurements of the XLR output:

And finally here are some measurements of the Multitone performance which IMO is the most relevant measurement to playing actual audio:

But there are many more measurements available on ASR so please check out that link above.

Firmware Updating

It is definitely worth updating the firmware to the latest available version, initially I found a few bugs especially with the companion app, you can update directly from the App or from the X9 itself:

And I believe if something goes wrong uou can also load firmware from USB on the back:

Rating

This is one of the rare products that earns a 5 pragmatic rating even at its price. It offers something genuinely unique, a feature‑complete, scientifically grounded playground for headphone enthusiasts delivered in a cohesive, everyday friendly package. Measured transparency, ample power for 99% of headphones, and decent connectivity meet a mature UI with on‑device PEQ and a sensible remote. My only quibbles are with the pre-amp aspects of the X9.

Crucially, though, the X9 isn’t just “a lot of features.” It’s features that matter and are easy to use: from ARC and triggers to profile‑free EQ you can set without an app, to DevicePEQ for those who want rig‑consistent AutoEQ. The result is a desktop centerpiece that looks the part and performs like lab gear when you need it to.

Conclusion

The Luxsin X9 is a capable and flexible desktop hub that’s genuinely easy to live with. The touchscreen is responsive and readable at a desk distance, the remote makes switching inputs/outputs and on‑screen views (including those lovely VU meters) effortless, and the menu structure keeps most settings within a tap or two. Automatic headphone impedance detection adjusts gain for quick swaps—great for rotating through a collection. Software quirks are mostly completely fixed now and the firmware works extremely well.

If you want a single box that handles DAC, preamp, and headphone duties while inviting you to explore and tinker, the X9 should be at the very top of your list.