In this feature, James reviews the ONIX Waltz XM10 Ltd, a new high-end slimline DAP with open Android 13, DSD1024 decoding, and up to 877 mW of balanced output power. It is currently priced at $899.00.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or status. I thank ONIX and Shanling for their support.
Click here to learn more about the ONIX products we previously discussed on Headfonics.
Note that this article follows our current scoring guidelines, which you can read here.
Not so long ago, ONIX released the ‘Miracle’ desktop combo, which included an older version of the XM10 and the XP10 pre-amp dock.
Now, ONIX has refashioned the XM10 as a standalone DAP called the Waltz XM10 Ltd, priced at $899. The new version now includes an upgraded flagship AKM DAC with enhanced amping circuitry, nearly doubling the output power.
Not only does it look like a nice upgrade for Miracle owners, but the XM10 Ltd also seems to be a capable and unique player in its own right.
Given its sub-$1k pricing, it’s not the most expensive DAP, which is welcome. However, it’s in quite a competitive tier with ONIX’s XM5 and Shanling’s M8T providing viable alternatives to the Waltz XM10 Ltd.
How does it perform and compare against those two? I found out in my full review below.
Features
The ONIX Waltz XM10 Ltd upgrades from XM10’s AK4493SEQ to the AK4499EX + AK4191 combo, supporting up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD 1024 decoding. The player supports ISO, DXD, and common DSD formats except DST.
When used as a USB Decoder, the XM10 Ltd’s low-latency XMOS XU316 solution can support up to DSD 512 decoding and PCM decoding at the same rate as local playback.
It also integrated wireless features, including WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 with decoding up to LDAC and DLNA and AirPlay support.
The XM10 Ltd is equipped with open Android 13, and powered by a Snapdragon 665 controller, 6GB RAM, and 128GB ROM. The experience is quite similar to operating a phone, with the hardware enabling a smooth experience when navigating through a huge music library or multitasking with different apps.
The Waltz XM10 Ltd has decent output power at a maximum of 877 mW on a high-gain, 32Ω load balanced, dropping down to 227 mW on the same load and gain in single-ended mode.
The output impedance on both 3.5mm and 4.4mm is decent at 0.6Ω and 1Ω, respectively. On its 4.4mm output, the SNR goes up to 124 dB, which is pretty good.
Design
The Waltz XM10 Ltd has a beautiful, reflective dark-chrome finish, which is consistent with the brand’s design language. The top of the player will light up, showing the Onix logo when powered on, which is a cool way to display the brand’s identity.
The body design is incredibly sleek at 11.5mm only, with a large screen-to-body ratio featuring a 6″ 2160×1080 FHD screen. Pixel density is high, and the screen feels very sharp and responsive.
Onix puts the button in a slightly recessed area, which makes the controls less likely to be accidentally pressed and allows for a firmer grip.
Turning to the back, it is one big piece of glass panel with Onix’s logo in the middle. Everything looks premium so far, but it is easy to get your fingerprints on the body, so it is recommended to use the leather case.
The overall build feels solid, and although it uses stainless steel for the frame, it is thin enough and doesn’t feel as hefty as I presumed it would.
The XM10Ltd increases the battery size to 4300mAh, allowing 8.5 hours of playback time per charge. It also supports 18W PD and QC fast charge protocols, so even when the battery drops to zero, you can quickly charge it over lunchtime for more than a few hours’ additional playback time.
I/O
The USB-C port, micro-SD card slot supporting up to 2TB extension, and a specially configured 3.5mm jack are placed on the bottom of the XM10 Ltd.
This allows conversion into a 4.4mm output with a converter cable that comes with the package. All ports are neatly, horizontally aligned, similar to the buttons on the sides.
Controls
With 6GB RAM inside and the Snapdragon 665 MCU inside, swiping actions on the Waltz OM10 Ltd touchscreen are very smooth, without delays, even when multiple apps are running in the background.
The XM10 Ltd can also be controlled single-handed with the navigation buttons placed on the left and the on/off button, as well as the volume button placed on the right side.
Everything feels intuitive physically, with the bonus of being able to use the Synclink OS feature with the Eddict Player app on your phone to control local playback.
Packaging & Accessories
The Waltz XM10 Ltd comes in a small package with gold imprints. Taking off the sleeve, the inner box is nicely textured, and inside you will find the player along with extra screen protectors, a user manual, a USB cable, and the converter cable for 4.4mm output.
The optional leather also looks very sleek, and at the back, there is a metallic insert for better heat dissipation, which looks cool. Even after adding the case, the XM10 Ltd is still incredibly thin.
Software
Performance Numbers
Running AnTuTu v10.4.4, the Waltz XM10 Ltd scores 222,795, which is similar to other DAPs running on Android 13 OS and with 6GB RAM.
I would call it satisfactory unless you want to run some graphics-intensive games on the player, which is not comparable to the experience on phones.
Nevertheless, this is still one of the smoothest DAPs with the latest DAP-centric Android OS running quite stably throughout the testing process.
Navigation
With Android 13 onboard, the UI/UI is a step up. You can toggle between different work modes from the drop-down menu. Icons are customized and intuitive; it is easy to find what I need without the need to look up in the user manual.
The Waltz XM10 Ltd is also preloaded with apps, including the Play Store, as well as APKPure, which is handy if you don’t want to log in to Google Play or have a region-specific lockout for certain apps like Tidal.
Features
Multiple Working Modes
As mentioned, it is easy to switch between different working modes from the drop-down menu, such as Prime mode, Bluetooth receiver, and AirPlay mode.
Switching to Prime mode will force stop all other apps, with users only able to use the built-in player app. You will still be able to access the drop-down menu and change gain and filter settings.
The other modes include Bluetooth Receiving, USB Decoding, and AirPlay receiving modes, which all can be switched to within a few seconds. Just like the Prime mode, you can still change the filtering and gain settings.
Media Management
With the inbuilt Onix Player app, the experience is similar to Shanling’s DAPs, which cover various tagging options, Wi-Fi song transfer, NAS connection, and Synclink Remote. There are also some cool features, such as VU Meter visualizers, and multiple skins to select from.
While the inbuilt player app is satisfactory, you can try other apps on the device, as it allows global SRC bypass for bit-perfect output.
Sound Impressions
I have given the Waltz XM10 Ltd a week of run-in and mainly testing it with sensitive gears in the impressions below, including the Westone Audio Mach 80, DUNU’s Falcon Ultra, and the HiBy Zeta.
Summary
Since the Waltz XM10 Ltd is very thin, I expected it not to be as powerful as some of the competitors, and I do find it sensitive to pairings during my test. Still, the output power on paper, when switched to higher gain, is sufficient for most IEMs that aren’t high in impedance or very insensitive.
In practice, it has nice punch and coloration to the mids, and there is sufficient power in the upper vocal range, and it doesn’t feel like it is lacking in raw power or definition.
The tuning is euphonic and favorable for vocal works as it smoothly presents the mids and has the upper end nicely rounded off, skillful in balancing the perceived musicality and resolving power under power constraints.
Despite this, it does struggle to sound defined, stereophonic, and precise, though it lacks depth when pushed with higher impedance IEMs, which is quite an expected trade-off. However, with sensitive IEMs, it is much more competitive.
Timbre
The Waltz XM10 Ltd displays a clear hint of warmth and moderately resolving in the mids when pairing with various IEMs on both 3.5mm and 4.4mm connections.
There is more power in the balanced 4.4mm output, which could help open up the perceived stage for IEMs that are not very sensitive, and the resulting timbre is quite engaging, full in the mid-range frequencies for pop and R&B, and with the vocal clearly positioned and separated.
When it comes to instrumental notes, the transients are slightly smoothened, maintaining an adequate level of dynamics. It sounds pretty engaging and detailed with smaller ensembles, piano works, or with orchestra works that don’t involve a lot of drums and a complex, prominent bass line.
With larger ensembles, it may feel slightly compressed in layering, which is more obvious when listening indoors, due to the stronger focus in the mids.
Generally, the coloring is suitable for streaming content and trending pop songs; it doesn’t overly push the two ends for higher resolution or sharpness, which is good if you like listening to relaxing tunes of a slower tempo.
The rounded but smoothly extended treble helps maintain sufficient dynamics when it comes to sharper voices. Somehow, it also reminds me of Shanling’s M8 but with the resolution stepped up.
Staging & Dynamics
The Waltz XM10 Ltd gives the treble a rounded treatment. So, while being forgiving with sharper voices, it also takes away a bit of air.
It sounds like listening in a lecture hall-sized space with good lateral expansion and with sufficient depth. There is more stress on the bass, giving a good sense of stereophonic listening experience with its full-bodied tonal character.
Since the mid-bass is pushed for lushness, it may as well point your focus more towards the lower end, as well as giving the vocal and instruments across the mids a bolder image and fuller body.
The punchy bass, despite not kicking very deep, sounds elaborated in decay and quite airy, and it helps maintain good dynamics without bleeding to the mids and dragging down the definition.
The transients in the upper register are subtly presented, giving an impression that it is stressing more on vocal coloration than resolution. This is great for those who don’t want the coloring on their gears to be clinical.
Click on page 2 for my recommended pairings and selected comparisons.
