DeBilbao
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 20, 2003
- Posts
- 149
- Likes
- 185
All-in-one devices are very interesting because they allow you to simplify your setup and an uncluttered desk is always welcomed. And if those devices are capable of running on battery, they are even more interesting because you can take them from your desk to wherever you want on-the-go, and turn your mobile phone into a real high quality portable player, offering exactly the same mobile experience than in your desk.
This is the idea behind the xDuoo XD-05 BAL, the device I want to tell you about today.
My HiBy R3 Pro seems to me a perfect portable player when I go to the couch to listen to a particular album, but its screen is very small and though it has a TIDAL cliente, the interface is not comfortable to handle when searching for new music proposals. It's perfect to access an offline CD library, but many times you want to listen to the latest album you read about and it's not up to the task.
There are tons of alternatives in the world of portable players, but if you want something capable to move headphones like my all-time favourite Sennheiser HD 650, you have to go up in the market lineup, with crazy expensive equipment, often bulky, heavy and that force you to use an interface that is not the one you are used to work with.
I understand the advantages of having a standalone device, but for my occasional use, I prefer to be able to enjoy music with my iPhone connected to a device like this xDuoo XD-05 BAL, which I can connect with a simple Lightning to USB-C cable and which offers plenty of juice through the balanced 4.4mm output to drive my Sennheiser HD 650 headphones.
I'm a big fan of double bass as a solo instrument, and I find it quite difficult to reproduce its sound faithfully, but when you get a good album and the right audio gear, a smile comes always to your face. Besides the classics, there are great musicians today and the current Italian Jazz scene has me hooked.
This Woodtales by Jacopo Ferraza is a good example and the combination of the Sennheiser HD 650s with the xDuoo XD-05 BAL offers very good bass extension, with notes suspended in the air as in the Blackbird track that opens the album, or an exquisite reproduction of the bow strumming as in the second track Waiting, which reminds me of Yesterdays from Paul Chambers's Bass on Top album. Woodtales is an album that changes from track to track, like the autumn weather around here. Another example is Little Song for You that flirts with evocative vocals creating a spectral atmosphere.
https://album.link/es/i/1548111857
What I like most about a device like the xDuoo XD-05 BAL, is that once the session is over, wherever you have taken it, that same device returns to your desk to be the heart of your audio system, and yo can use it as a single device or as a DAC to feed a solid state, hybrid or pure tube amplifier like the xDuoo TA-26 that I reviewed this summer, a very interesting combination.
It is equipped with all kinds of inputs and outputs, so it is very easy to integrate in any installation.
I like to talk more about sensations than about cold technical data and this time I have chosen one of my favourite albums, which would certainly be on my short list of those I would take to a desert island.
This session of Bill Evans' mythical trio at the Village Vanguard, the last he recorded with the great bassist Scott Lafaro before he died in an accident, along with Paul Motian's drums, is one of the most beautiful things you can hear in the Jazz universe. The degree of cohesion and intimacy that the trio achieves is wonderful, and they connect with me in a very special way. When I listen to this, I am unable to do anything but turn down the light and let myself go.
I have worn out the triple CD with the 5 sessions they offered on June 25, 1961, two in the afternoon and three at night, and the recording is quite good. My only complain is that the audience is too present, and with equipment with DACs as resolute as this one with the ES9038Q2M DAC, I end up more than once turning my head thinking that someone from home is talking to me.
There is a single CD version called Sunday at The Village Vanguard, but I like to go through the different versions of the tracks in the various sessions, which I have them converted to FLAC and ALAC, and uploaded to the Apple cloud with iTunes Match.
https://album.link/es/i/1440926338
Also, that edition does not include any version of the classic Waltz for Debby, and the first take on the green disc, is wonderfully delicate, and a perfect example of what I'm telling you about "connecting" with the music.
This is not the first time I've used a piece of equipment from xDuoo's XD-05 series. Some time ago I got the xDuoo XD-05 Plus, an interesting update of the xDuoo XD-05, an amplifier and DAC that many of us called "the Swiss Army knife of audio" because it was capable of doing everything in a compact format, both as a desktop and portable device thanks to its integrated battery.
Undoubtedly a good piece of equipment, but with some problems derived from a manufacturing and quality controls that could not be described as first class.
The xDuoo XD05-BAL is the same concept, but takes a huge leap in terms of build quality and updates its design to be in line with current trends, except for the MQA support, which is not present in the device, so you will have to do it by software. It's not something I'm worried about as long as I'm able to play TIDAL files.
As I say, the step up in quality is very big and you only have to hold it in your hand to know that they have taken great care in materials, design and manufacturing. The price has also risen, and we jumped to 429 USD (about 370 EUR at the exchange rate), to which I've added 30 EUR of customs in a fast shipment managed by DHL, so we are talking about a final prices around 400 EUR.
You have all the data on the manufacturer's website at https://xduoo.net/product/xd05-bal/ but I summarize and comment the main features of the device:
At the bottom we find the accessories, which are distributed in 3 boxes and we have everything we need to connect the xDuoo XD-05 BAL to any equipment. Two short USB-C to USB-C cables, a short Lightning to USB-C cable, a long USB-C to USB-A cable, a USB-C to USB-A converter, an AES cable, a 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter and a screwdriver to open the unit and change the op-amps.
Unlike what we might expect, the volume control is not on the front with the typical potentiometer, but on the side with a system that at first may seem strange, but that handles comfortably and prevents you from accidentally turning the volume up or down when using it on the move.
It is an ALPS analog potentiometer located in a less usual position, and offers a good level of resistance to prevent sudden volume increases. After using it for a while, I see that it is a successful design for mobile use, but it will depend on whether you are going to use it more in that mode or if you will have it regularly on your desk.
Continuing in the tone of the musical session, I choose one of the masters of the double bass, danish Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, accompanied in this delicious Duo 2 by the great Kenny Drew. Here there are no drums and the magic of the classic trio disappears, but the individual interpretations gain strength, for my taste much better than their previous Duo recording.
SteepleChase's recordings are as always very good, and the piano is another instrument that I find very difficult to reproduce correctly and what I hear convinces me.
https://album.link/es/i/82944180
On the left side there are three push buttons. The one closest to the front is the input selector, which allows you to switch between USB, Bluetooth, coaxial, optical and AES input. The middle one allows you to choose one of the 7 filters that again, sound the same to me, but that is not unique to xDuoo and also happened with the Topping DX7 Pro when I tested it. Finally, we have a button to enable or disable the Bluetooth connection.
On the front we have the two headphone outputs, single-ended 6.3mm and balanced 4.4mm, the power switch, another to activate a bass boost that can come in handy in certain anemic recordings, and the gain switch to increase from +6dB to +15dB.
And on the back, from left to right we have the analog auxiliary input/output which I used to connect it to the xDuoo TA-26 amplifier, the switch for battery or external power use, the USB-C input, the balanced AES digital input, the 5V USB-C power jack for an external charger (not included), and the coaxial and optical digital input.
As you can see, this is a fine pice of equipment with a good set of connections, very well finished and with an excellent sound that put in a single device everything you need to enjoy quality sound both at the table with the computer, use it in mobility with your mobile device or connected to a speaker system to improve its source, the options are multiple.
I'm considering making it the only device connected to my iMac, simplifying the rig, but I'm not 100% sure. The Topping D10s DAC could be replaced perfectly, but the sound I get from the Rega EAR MK II amp is pretty special and has "something" that I'm not sure I want to lose.
But certainly, this xDuoo XD-05 BAL is very competent device.
This is the idea behind the xDuoo XD-05 BAL, the device I want to tell you about today.
My HiBy R3 Pro seems to me a perfect portable player when I go to the couch to listen to a particular album, but its screen is very small and though it has a TIDAL cliente, the interface is not comfortable to handle when searching for new music proposals. It's perfect to access an offline CD library, but many times you want to listen to the latest album you read about and it's not up to the task.
There are tons of alternatives in the world of portable players, but if you want something capable to move headphones like my all-time favourite Sennheiser HD 650, you have to go up in the market lineup, with crazy expensive equipment, often bulky, heavy and that force you to use an interface that is not the one you are used to work with.
I understand the advantages of having a standalone device, but for my occasional use, I prefer to be able to enjoy music with my iPhone connected to a device like this xDuoo XD-05 BAL, which I can connect with a simple Lightning to USB-C cable and which offers plenty of juice through the balanced 4.4mm output to drive my Sennheiser HD 650 headphones.
I'm a big fan of double bass as a solo instrument, and I find it quite difficult to reproduce its sound faithfully, but when you get a good album and the right audio gear, a smile comes always to your face. Besides the classics, there are great musicians today and the current Italian Jazz scene has me hooked.
This Woodtales by Jacopo Ferraza is a good example and the combination of the Sennheiser HD 650s with the xDuoo XD-05 BAL offers very good bass extension, with notes suspended in the air as in the Blackbird track that opens the album, or an exquisite reproduction of the bow strumming as in the second track Waiting, which reminds me of Yesterdays from Paul Chambers's Bass on Top album. Woodtales is an album that changes from track to track, like the autumn weather around here. Another example is Little Song for You that flirts with evocative vocals creating a spectral atmosphere.
https://album.link/es/i/1548111857
What I like most about a device like the xDuoo XD-05 BAL, is that once the session is over, wherever you have taken it, that same device returns to your desk to be the heart of your audio system, and yo can use it as a single device or as a DAC to feed a solid state, hybrid or pure tube amplifier like the xDuoo TA-26 that I reviewed this summer, a very interesting combination.
It is equipped with all kinds of inputs and outputs, so it is very easy to integrate in any installation.
I like to talk more about sensations than about cold technical data and this time I have chosen one of my favourite albums, which would certainly be on my short list of those I would take to a desert island.
This session of Bill Evans' mythical trio at the Village Vanguard, the last he recorded with the great bassist Scott Lafaro before he died in an accident, along with Paul Motian's drums, is one of the most beautiful things you can hear in the Jazz universe. The degree of cohesion and intimacy that the trio achieves is wonderful, and they connect with me in a very special way. When I listen to this, I am unable to do anything but turn down the light and let myself go.
I have worn out the triple CD with the 5 sessions they offered on June 25, 1961, two in the afternoon and three at night, and the recording is quite good. My only complain is that the audience is too present, and with equipment with DACs as resolute as this one with the ES9038Q2M DAC, I end up more than once turning my head thinking that someone from home is talking to me.
There is a single CD version called Sunday at The Village Vanguard, but I like to go through the different versions of the tracks in the various sessions, which I have them converted to FLAC and ALAC, and uploaded to the Apple cloud with iTunes Match.
https://album.link/es/i/1440926338
Also, that edition does not include any version of the classic Waltz for Debby, and the first take on the green disc, is wonderfully delicate, and a perfect example of what I'm telling you about "connecting" with the music.
This is not the first time I've used a piece of equipment from xDuoo's XD-05 series. Some time ago I got the xDuoo XD-05 Plus, an interesting update of the xDuoo XD-05, an amplifier and DAC that many of us called "the Swiss Army knife of audio" because it was capable of doing everything in a compact format, both as a desktop and portable device thanks to its integrated battery.
Undoubtedly a good piece of equipment, but with some problems derived from a manufacturing and quality controls that could not be described as first class.
The xDuoo XD05-BAL is the same concept, but takes a huge leap in terms of build quality and updates its design to be in line with current trends, except for the MQA support, which is not present in the device, so you will have to do it by software. It's not something I'm worried about as long as I'm able to play TIDAL files.
As I say, the step up in quality is very big and you only have to hold it in your hand to know that they have taken great care in materials, design and manufacturing. The price has also risen, and we jumped to 429 USD (about 370 EUR at the exchange rate), to which I've added 30 EUR of customs in a fast shipment managed by DHL, so we are talking about a final prices around 400 EUR.
You have all the data on the manufacturer's website at https://xduoo.net/product/xd05-bal/ but I summarize and comment the main features of the device:
- 100% balanced design, which seems to be the new holy grail of the audio gear brands.
- Dual DAC ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M, the same as my Topping D10s, which I know quite well. Previous xDuoo XD05 used AKM's, and this one is noticeably more detailed.
- Dual operational amplifier, interchangeable to look for different sound profiles. It comes standard with two Texas Instruments OPA1612s, and includes two more JRCA034As for testing.
- Bluetooth input, so you can connect to your cell phone without cables. It works great with my iPhone via AAC, but also supports SBC, aptx, aptx LL, aptx HD and LDAC, the whole arsenal for talking to Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. No complaints here.
- USB-C input, which you can connect to a personal computer running Windows, macOS or Linux, or your mobile or tablet running iOS or Android. All cables are included. USB input can handle PCM stereo signals between 44.1 and 768 KHZ, and DSD between 64 and 512, another of the Hi-Res music inventions that will have its fans, although I still prefer a good 44.1 and 16-bit stereo. I found no difference but the huge amount of space required by HiRes files.
- AES balanced digital input, something unusual that you could use for example to connect to xDuoo's portable transport, the X10T II Turntable.
- 1watt of power at 32ohm, the same as the xDuoo XD-05 Plus, capable of moving my Sennheiser HD 650 with authority. It has a gain selector that allows you to adjust from +6dB to +15dB to adapt to harder or more sensitive headphones.
- 4.4mm balanced headphone jack, in addition to the traditional 1/4" (6.3mm) single-ended.
- 5000mAh battery along with a selector switch for internal battery or external power supply operation. This is great to avoid damaging the battery, and it's very convenient to have it connected to an external USB-C charger when using it on the table. I use the same one I use to recharge my MacBook Pro. The battery has good autonomy, less if you use the USB-C or Bluetooth input than if you use the optical SPDIF or the analog one. I've been using it a lot and it's been hard to drain the battery, so I don't think it's a problem in terms of battery life.
At the bottom we find the accessories, which are distributed in 3 boxes and we have everything we need to connect the xDuoo XD-05 BAL to any equipment. Two short USB-C to USB-C cables, a short Lightning to USB-C cable, a long USB-C to USB-A cable, a USB-C to USB-A converter, an AES cable, a 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter and a screwdriver to open the unit and change the op-amps.
Unlike what we might expect, the volume control is not on the front with the typical potentiometer, but on the side with a system that at first may seem strange, but that handles comfortably and prevents you from accidentally turning the volume up or down when using it on the move.
It is an ALPS analog potentiometer located in a less usual position, and offers a good level of resistance to prevent sudden volume increases. After using it for a while, I see that it is a successful design for mobile use, but it will depend on whether you are going to use it more in that mode or if you will have it regularly on your desk.
Continuing in the tone of the musical session, I choose one of the masters of the double bass, danish Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, accompanied in this delicious Duo 2 by the great Kenny Drew. Here there are no drums and the magic of the classic trio disappears, but the individual interpretations gain strength, for my taste much better than their previous Duo recording.
SteepleChase's recordings are as always very good, and the piano is another instrument that I find very difficult to reproduce correctly and what I hear convinces me.
https://album.link/es/i/82944180
On the left side there are three push buttons. The one closest to the front is the input selector, which allows you to switch between USB, Bluetooth, coaxial, optical and AES input. The middle one allows you to choose one of the 7 filters that again, sound the same to me, but that is not unique to xDuoo and also happened with the Topping DX7 Pro when I tested it. Finally, we have a button to enable or disable the Bluetooth connection.
On the front we have the two headphone outputs, single-ended 6.3mm and balanced 4.4mm, the power switch, another to activate a bass boost that can come in handy in certain anemic recordings, and the gain switch to increase from +6dB to +15dB.
And on the back, from left to right we have the analog auxiliary input/output which I used to connect it to the xDuoo TA-26 amplifier, the switch for battery or external power use, the USB-C input, the balanced AES digital input, the 5V USB-C power jack for an external charger (not included), and the coaxial and optical digital input.
As you can see, this is a fine pice of equipment with a good set of connections, very well finished and with an excellent sound that put in a single device everything you need to enjoy quality sound both at the table with the computer, use it in mobility with your mobile device or connected to a speaker system to improve its source, the options are multiple.
I'm considering making it the only device connected to my iMac, simplifying the rig, but I'm not 100% sure. The Topping D10s DAC could be replaced perfectly, but the sound I get from the Rega EAR MK II amp is pretty special and has "something" that I'm not sure I want to lose.
But certainly, this xDuoo XD-05 BAL is very competent device.
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