Xduoo XD-05 Plus

102,776
Versatility Ultimate – xDuoo XD-05 Plus DAC & Amplifier


It is time to look into the most versatile of the midrange portable DAC/AMPs, namely the xDuoo XD-05 Plus. This one sports almost an entire WATT of power, and it will be compared to iFi xDSD, FiiO Q5s, Earmen TR-AMP, and paired with HIFIMAN Deva, FiiO FA9, and iBasso SR-2. Let’s go with the insanity of this one amazing DAC/AMP!

---

Introduction

Today’s review sample is provided by XTENIK, an amazing shop. They are the ones who introduced xDuoo to us westerners, and their main man, Mr. Steven is a true music lover. They bring those products under an awesome warranty, cover every bit of support we may require, and are there to help, creating an index of reviews, and even self-written articles to help people pick the product that suits them best.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with xDuoo or Xtenik. I’d like to thank XTENIK for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with the xDuoo XD-05 Plus. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in xDuoo XD-05 Plus find their next music companion. Since I reviewed many competitors as well, this review isn’t trying to sell the XD-05 Plus to you, but rather trying to help you decide on what is the best choice for you, based on pairings, comparisons and descriptions.



Product Link

You can get the XD-05 Plus from XTENIK here: https://www.xtenik.com/product/xduoo-xd-05-plus-amp/



Packaging

First things first, let’s get the packaging out of the way:








And finally, a complete Package, the young writer said to himself while writing this article. We have everything, except for a case, but as I present in every single one of my reviews, cases with DAC/AMPs are not very useful.



All the cables you may need, including short angled cables to strap the XD-05 Plus to your phone, a 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter, a silicone separator, and rubber feet are all included in the XD-05 Plus.

This is the whole list of contents:

• XD05 Plus DAC/amp
• Short angled USB type-C -> micro USB cable
• Short angled USB type-C -> type-C cable
• Long USB A -> type-C cable
• 2 special pins for 3.5mm input/output protection
• 10 pairs of silicone stand offs
• silicone pad
• 6.3mm -> 3.5mm jack
• 4 spare screws
• user manual and warranty card

A long cable for connecting XD-05 Plus to your computer is also included, and all the USB inputs, both the charging and the USB input are in Type-C, so Mega cool stuff for the XD-05 Plus.



Technical Specifications

1. Compliant operating systems – Windows XP/7/8/10, Mas OS X, IOS, Android
2. Screen – 0.91″ OLED
3. Buttons – Input, Source, Filter
4. Switch – Boost, Bass, Gain
5. DAC chip – AK4493EQ
6. USB chipset – XMOS XU208
7. Coaxial/optical chip – CS8422
8. FPGA – Altera-EPM240T
9. Signal AMP – OPA1612
10. Circuit AMP – BUF643U
11. USB (PCM) – 16–32bit / 44.1–384kHz
12. DSP – DOP / NATIVE mode, DSD64–256 (1bit / 2.8M–11.2M)
13. DXD – 24–32bit / 352.8K–384kHz
14. OPT/COA (PCM) – 16–24bit / 44.1–192kHz
15. DSD – 1bit / 2.82 Mhz (DOP)
16. Output power – 1000mW at 32 ohms
17. Frequency response (amp) – 10Hz~100kHz (±0.5 dB)
18. Frequency response (USB/SPDIF) – 20Hz~20kHz (±0.5 dB)
19. THD+ N (USB/SPDIF in) – 0.0016% at 1kHz
20. THD + N (aux in) – 0.0009% at 1kHz
21. S/N – 117dB
22. Crosstalk – ≥75dB
23. Inputs – Coaxial/optical 3.5mm, Aux 3.5mm SE, USB type-C
24. Outputs – Headphones 6.3mm, Aux 3.5mm SE
25. Charging port – USB type-C
26. Battery – 3.8V / 5000mAh
27. Battery life – ≥13 hours (USB in), ≥21 hours (SPDIF in), ≥40 hours (aux in)
28. Size – 139.5*75*23mm

Build Quality/Aesthetics/Functionality

The build quality of the XD-05 Plus is insane. This is a really well-thought device, it has ventilation, and if you’re the daring type, you can even open it up and change the OP-AMPs inside to something different. You can literally tune it, you can listen to it however you like, and you can even enjoy it in the basic configuration.


It has vents to cool off, because when you provide almost a watt of power at 32 OHMs, you really need vents and to be careful with your power. It even has a smol OLED Display at the front, along with a full fledged volume wheel. There’s just a bit of channel imbalance at the beginning of the volume wheel.

There are separate USB Type-C ports for charging and data on the XD-05 Plus, just like on Earmen TR-AMP. There’s an Aux In / Out, which means a Line Out, and a Line In, so XD-05 Plus can act as a standalone AMP too. Digital input, in the shape of Optical is also there.


The output is a single 6.3 mm Single Ended Output jack with an adapter to 3.5mm included in the package. We also got three switches at the front, for bass, gain and boost. Gain is useful this time around, as at max it has too much power to be controllable with medium powered headphones like Ultrasone Signature DXP, or Verum One. On the other hand, it also has a grainy control for IEMs like Campfire Atlas.

Speaking of it, I couldn’t notice too much hissing going in the background, despite searching pretty badly for it. With Campfire Atlas, it is noticeable, but for the kind of power it has, I was expecting much worse. If I was to describe the hissing, it depends on how loud you have it turned, and if you’re going really loud, it is almost like a whisper, where music will sound like a rocket taking off.


Battery life is insane, with me getting as much as 18 hours on a single charge of mixed usage. There’s also a module available from XTENIK that allows you to add Bluetooth to XD-05 Plus, if you want to keep it perfect, but as a single piece.

I loved the Bass Boost, it is the perfect feature to have on a DAC/AMP if you want to color your listening experience.



Video Review









Sound Quality

In terms of power, I was able to run HIFIMAN Arya, Audeze LCD-2C, and even Rosson RAD-0 from XD-05 Plus. Describing it as perfectly neutral but with a lot of meat and impact behind would be most accurate. It has excellent control, but the soundstage is not the widest ever, giving the impression of a sound that’s warmer than it actually is. There’s a slight warmth in the midrange, but the treble has a smooth texture, and a mellow presentation. The bass is hard and hits deep, everything quite characteristic of the AK DAC chip inside the XD-05 Plus.


The bass has good separation and above mediocre detailing for the price point. The bass is slightly elevated by default, with the intimate soundstage contributing to the feeling of warmth and increasing the impression about the bass. You can easily distinguish multiple basslines, but the presentation tries to be as neutral as possible. Fails, but laughs on it, I’m into this stuff.

The midrange is neutral, with a hint of warmth. The presentation is intimate, but not much more intimate than most other DAC/AMps at this price point. The detail is crazy good, and so is the overall dynamic, XD-05 Plus being a really dynamic DAC/AMp. If you want to pepper in a wider soundstage, the OP-AMPs are removable and you can totally change the signature a lot. I like the overall presentation for rock, metal and think it works well for EDM and Pop too. It is not ideal for classical, especially orchestral, since the smaller stage doesn’t compliment those styles much. The midrange can be described as quite light despite the bass being a bit warm tonally.

The treble is smoother in texture, and is well extended. I can hear a lot of air and the extension goes really high, but it is never fatiguing or harsh. It lacks the last few smidgens of sparkle to be perfectly to my taste. It is made for those who love a relaxed top end, and won’t bother anyone in the process. Given the excellent extension, it won’t fail or lose fans either, because you won’t ever feel bored with the XD-05 Plus.



Comparisons

The main comparisons for the XD-05 Plus are with iFi xDSD, FiiO Q5s and Earmen TR-AMp. There are a few others, but those are the biggest players in the DAC/AMP range for under 500 USD.


If you’re curious about how it competes with something else, please let me know in the comments, and I’ll do my best to help!

xDuoo XD-05 Plus vs iFi xDSD (250 USD vs 400 USD) – Comparing the XD-05 Plus with XDSD I figured that the midrange is more colorful on xDSD, and the treble has more sparkle and energy. This being said, XD-05 Plus has more driving power and sounds more controlled, especially at really loud volumes, although both distort a bit when taken to their maximum loudness. XD-05 Plus is smoother in textures and shows less detail, but also a bit more background noise. If you can find it at almost half the price of xDSD, it is a perfect DAC/AMP, and I totally recommend it if you need versatility, driving power, and if you prefer a more intimate presentation.

xDuoo XD-05 Plus vs FiiO Q5s (250 USD vs 350 USD) – Q5s is generally more detailed and cleaner than XD-05 Plus, with a better treble, more sparkle, and more extension. XD-05 Plus, on the other hand, sounds more controlled, has more authority, and the bass can be larger in both amount and impact than Q5s. XD-05 Plus tends to distort more at maximum volume, where Q5s doesn’t have a weakness in that sense.

xDuoo XD-05 Plus vs Earmen TR-AMp (250 USD vs 250 USD) – Earmen TR-AMP is actually the one people most often want to compare to XD-05 Plus, and I honestly think that you could get either and be happy, but with the recent scandal about TR-AMP and Earmen products in general having a huge failure rate, I actually really recommend XD-05 Plus much more. In fact, XTENIK will be there for you and support you, while Earmen is flaky when it comes to honoring warranty, and at this moment I recommend high caution when purchasing their products.



Pairing

The main pairings I picked are with Deva from HIFIMAN, SR-2 from iBasso, and FA9 from FiiO.


Those all show exactly how well matched XD-05 Plus is with everything, and what it does best.

xDuoo XD-05 Plus + HIFIMAN Deva (250 USD + 300 USD) – With Deva, I always feel that I need more power. XD-05 Plus puts my mind to ease when it comes to powering Deva, as it has more than enough power, authority, and punc, making Deva truly shine their best. The soundstage is natural in size, since Deva had a really extensive stage, and the more intimate presentation of XD-05 Plus narrows that down a bit.



xDuoo XD-05 Plus + iBasso SR-2 (250 USD + 500 USD) – With SR-2, I was once again surprised by the bass! It is so nice and natural, with excellent reach and depth. I always wanted to give SR-2 a bit of punch, and XD-05 Plus helped a lot with that, and even took me by the hand to show me what SR-2 can do. It transformed a natural sounding headphone, to a basshead one, without ever distorting the sound, and all while having excellent detail.

xDuoo XD-05 Plus + FiiO FA9 (250 USD + 500 USD) – The pairing with FA9 is actually superb, if you don’t mind the slight hiss that’s always audible. Unless you like to listen extremely quiet, you won’t hear it, but you will hear the nice dynamics and punchy sound, colorful and warm midrange, and the excellent detail XD-05 Plus can pump into FA9.


Value and Conclusion

XD-05 Plus has an excellent value, and with the added help and support for XTENIK and Mr. Steven, it is sure to impress and make you fall in love.

The package is so complete, I have to add XD-05 Plus to Audiophile-Heaven’s Hall Of Fame just for it. Of course, the other aspects compelled me to, but we need to give respect where it is due.


The build quality is also respectable, and having removable OP-AMPs makes XD-05 Plus a true champ. Holes to cool, being able to work as an AMP too, available add-ons to make it bluetooth, everything just falls right into place with XD-05 Plus to consider it perfect.

Even the sound is perfect, really dynamic, punchy and authoritative, especially if you enjoy a slightly smaller soundstage and if you’re looking for a personal experience, it should be perfect for you.


At the end of the day, if you wanted to get yourself a very versatile DAC/AMP that can drive pretty much anything, has a ton of dynamics, is easily serviceable, has a nice design, volume wheel, bass boost function, and is supported by the XTENIK shop, I totally recommend you to check out XD-05 Plus, an awesome option in its current price range.



Product Link

You can get the XD-05 Plus from XTENIK here: https://www.xtenik.com/product/xduoo-xd-05-plus-amp/



— Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!—







Full Playlist used for this review

We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality are all revealed by those songs. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music!

If you have a dime to spare (donate), it would make my day much brighter, as it would help me improve things around the website and increase the frequency of my posts.

Youtube Playlist



Tidal Playlist

https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b



— Contact Us —

---

---

BASS BOOSTBRIGHTDRIVING POWERGAINNEUTRALOP-AMPSSOUNDSTAGEXTENIK

Welcome the new adept of xDuoo portable DAC/amp series Just can’t stand sharing the overall impression pertaining to the conclusion at the beginning of the article. Some companies deserve the appreciation for their remarkable product with outstanding combination of clever R&D, functionality and smooth performance. Like with xDuoo XD lineup – it is the love from the first sight – starting with the design and ending with the feel of a great bargain.

Short note about xDuoo company:

Shenzhen xDuoo Technology Co., Ltd. is a professional company specializing in the development, design and sales of high-end audio products. We have a strong technical team with professional knowledge background and unique tune tuning audio method, and we have been given many well-known brands ODM for many years and won good reputation and trust. While developing and growing, the company has carefully created its own brand and successfully launched it to the market, which has won wide acclaim. Our products involve headphone amplifiers, audio decoders, USB interface audio decoders (PCHiFi), various types of power amplifiers, audio players, etc. The total number of products designed is more than 100 models, and we have a number of patented technologies that can meet the needs of users.

Click to expand...

This is not the first experience with xDuoo for us – we have been playing with very popular X series DAPs several years ago. First DAPs were so popular for its price/performance/functionality ratio that has grown the community and driven some individuals to develop third-party firmware that pushed the functionality and sound quality even further. Yep, such builds were also addressing some initial software flaws in first iterations of the product as well as weak technical support, but at the end – the hardware part was functional, allowing end-user modifications and software enhancements. Later DAP models, according to the end-user feedback, granted the expected maturity and polished performance by utilizing more common operating system and market standards.

With XD series of DAC/amps everything is other way around – you get a perfect product from the box with the possibility of further customization if you would dare to make one. XD05/XD05 Basic/XD05 Plus are so widely used that those are very frequently spotted in feeds of various Facebook audio communities, on forum pages and articles, in sound quality test and comparisons and listed in almost every single online audio equipment store worldwide. Integrated to home audio systems, used as shelf or portable DAC/amp for headphones, earbuds and IEMs, aiding smartphones, laptops, PCs and tablets – XD05 run good in most scenarios, make these possible, left as it is or being heavily modified by users. The good thing is that xDuoo constantly monitors such feedback and takes it into consideration for their future products which is apparent from the functionality and convenience of operation.


Back to the topic – xDuoo XD05 Plus – which is the flagship in the lineup of portable DAC/amps for now.

XD05 Plus specifications:

• Compliant operating systems: Windows XP/7/8/10, Mas OS X, IOS, Android
• Screen: 0.91″ OLED
• Buttons: Input, Source, Filter
• Switch: Boost, Bass, Gain
• DAC chip: AK4493EQ
• USB chipset: XMOS XU208
• Coaxial/optical chip: CS8422
• FPGA: Altera-EPM240T
• Signal AMP: OPA1612
• Circuit AMP: BUF643U
  • USB (PCM): 16–32bit / 44.1–384kHz
    • DSP: DOP / NATIVE mode, DSD64–256 (1bit / 2.8M–11.2M)
    • DXD: 24–32bit / 352.8K–384kHz
  • OPT/COA (PCM): 16–24bit / 44.1–192kHz
    • DSD: 1bit / 2.82 Mhz (DOP)
• Output power: 1000mW at 32 ohms
  • Frequency response (amp): 10Hz~100kHz (±0.5 dB)
  • Frequency response (USB/SPDIF): 20Hz~20kHz (±0.5 dB)
  • THD+ N (USB/SPDIF in): 0.0016% at 1kHz
  • THD + N (aux in): 0.0009% at 1kHz
  • S/N: 117dB
  • Crosstalk: ≥75dB
• Inputs: Coaxial/optical 3.5mm, Aux 3.5mm SE, USB type-C
• Outputs: Headphones 6.3mm, Aux 3.5mm SE
• Charging port: USB type-C
• Battery: 3.8V / 5000mAh
• Battery life: ≥13 hours (USB in), ≥21 hours (SPDIF in), ≥40 hours (aux in)
• Size: 139.5*75*23mm
• Weight: 276g

Couple of words about the difference between XD05 / Basic / Plus versions: Plus, as already mentioned, is the most expensive and most advanced option. Main (but not all) differences of Plus with other two are:

• More advanced AK4403EQ DAC chip (instead of AK4490)
• Type-C ports for USB input and charging (instead of micro USB and type A)
• XMOS XU208 chip (instead of U8)
• DSD 64 (DOP) support over Optical/Coaxial input (new feature)
• Double DIP-8 Op-amp sockets, easy swappable, comes with single Op-amp OPA1612 in socket adapter
• 1000mW @ 32Ohms (instead of 500mW)
• 5000mAh battery (instead of 4000mAh)
• Better THD+N and SNR specs

Therefore, Plus version is quite better than both of its predecessors, especially by its outstanding output power, playback time and possibilities to change Op-amps for custom sound experiments easily. Although, we should state that there is one significant (but not vital) drawback – Plus version, in contrary to Basic or initial XD05 does not feature External / Battery power source switch any longer. It means that if you would use it as a shelf DAC/amp with permanent connection to wall outlet – it would lead to fast battery deterioration (since it would be constantly left on charge, which is very bad for any type of battery).



Packaging and design:

xDuoo XD05 Plus comes in a beautifully designed box with shiny schematic device outlines in blue (outer cover) and glossy black (main box) with lots of product information imprints. Inner box compartment consists of two levels with the amp resting in special cutout of the soft insert on top and rest of the product accessories located underneath.



Box contents consist of the following:

• XD05 Plus DAC/amp
• Short angled USB type-C -> micro USB cable
• Short angled USB type-C -> type-C cable
• Long USB A -> type-C cable
• 2 special pins for 3.5mm input/output protection
• 10 pairs of silicone stand offs
• silicone pad
• 6.3mm -> 3.5mm jack
• 4 spare screws
• user manual and warranty card

Unfortunately, haven’t found any rubber band to hold the sandwich together when you want to use DAP and XD05 on the go. Neither there are coaxial, audio or optical cables included. Glad to have silicone legs and spare screws in this package since shelf usage and experiments with Op-amps are definitely among our intentions in future.



Design of XD05 Plus is the first virtue you would love it for. It is clean, modern and functional – perfectly fits its purpose. We would also call it military – it reminds us of a weapon: burnished metal appearance, cold feel of a gun and AK47 style barrel vents on the edges. Really appealing to men, either looking at or holding it. Feels very solid and rigid, thanks to the excellent build quality, rough surface finish, choice of material and precise manufacturing process.



The shell is made of a single piece of aluminum profile with front and back covers held by 4 torx-type screws. Top, bottom and right side are free of any controls but have some imprints: logo on top and left side button label at the bottom.



Back side includes all communication ports (3.5mm Coaxial/Optical input, Aux 3.5mm input/output, type-C USB input, type-C USB charging port) and status LEDs (red for charging, blue for USB data reception).



Facing side consists of 6.3mm headphone output, 0.91″ OLED screen, volume knob with integrated power switch, two 2-position switches (Boost, Bass) and one 3-position switch (Gain). SRC, Filter and Input buttons are located on the left side. Vent openings on both sides are designed to dissipate heat produced by the board elements, therefore – should not be covered.



Now, let’s take a look at the internals.

Easy to open – just unscrew 4 screws on the front panel and pull out the entire board from its shell. Shell has guiding slides for the board while the board has one springy ground pin at the bottom and similar pin at front. Be careful not to damage the bottom pin when sliding it back in place.



Board is accurately populated with high-quality elements, all are well-aligned, soldering is neat, no signs of flux spills. Here you would find all declared chips of dac, amps, and processors. Single OPA1612 op-amp uses 2 slots with the adapter and can easy be swapped to other model, either single or paired. Great that the battery is not soldered to board and uses 4-pin connector instead. This is a peculiar thing: it is labeled as 3.8V (seems to be LiHV type of cells) 5000mAh but consists of 2 cells (in parallel, 4 wires connection). Usually, each cell have similar label or a set of cells has the summarizing label. In first case we would get 3.8V, 5000mAh X 2 (since in parallel) = 3.8V, 10000mAh. Or, if it means the set, we should have 3.8V, 2500mAh/cell but the label should state “2P”. Since xDuoo declares that XD05 Plus has 3.8V, 5000mAh battery – than, it is the second case but “2P” was not stated.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Back to the warning that there is no external / battery power switch: since there is no switch – shelf use with constant charging cable connection would cause fast battery deterioration. We doubt that xDuoo has implemented smart charging circuit when the device is powered from the external source which would omitt battery charging when the charge gets full. Neither XD05 Plus works when the battery is removed. Therefore, the only way to get rid of the battery is to make power source + capacitors with 4 pin adapter and supply voltage directly to battery connector.



Op-amps: for now we have stock dual TI OPA1612 and we are pleased with the resulting audio quality. But people report that they are even more pleased with Burson V5i or 2 x single Muse 03 op-amps.

Device in use:

First of all, the battery should be charged. Since XD05 Plus comes with no wall charger – you can use stock USB -> type-C cable with any 5V adapter. It would take about 4.5H to fully charge XD05 Plus battery. xDuoo states 4.5H fast charge and 11H for regular charge. Not sure what do they mean by that but in our understanding it is not about fast charge technology, but the output power of the charger. If it takes 4.5H than the charger should be able to supply ~1.5A for 5000mAh battery. Fortunately, XD05 Plus can take charge and function simultaneously. Red LED on the back would be lit throughout the charging process and gets off when done, no matter XD05 Plus is powered on or off. If it is in ON state – it would also indicate charging process with on-screen battery level. No excessive heat of the shell is spotted during charging, thanks to large aluminum chassis and enough room inside.



Further steps would depend of the main usage intentions. There are lots of scenarios XD05 Plus can be used at, some requiring the additional cables and some are good to go with the stock bundle. Let’s consider each one:

• Using it as external DAC/amp for DAPs / Android smartphones & tablets / Windows based PC / laptops with USB A or USB type-C ports for headphones/IEMs/earbuds: no additional cables needed. Only ASIO driver in Windows environment for the best audio quality (can be downloaded from HERE).
• Using it as external DAC/amp for iOS smartphones & tablets / MAC based PC / laptops for headphones/IEMs/earbuds: additional Type-C -> Lightning cable needed. (can be purchased on the official product page together with XD05 Plus or separately HERE).
• Using it as external DAC/amp for any source over Optical/Coaxial for headphones: additional Coax/optical -> 3.5mm Coax/optical cable is needed
  • To use with active speakers or as preamp for home amplifier: you would need one more 3.5mm Lineout -> active speakers/amplifier cable
• Using it as external amp for any source with 3.5mm line out -> XD05 line in -> headphones out: additional 3.5mm -> 3.5mm cable is needed
  • Using it as external amp for any source with other types of analog line out -> XD05 line in -> headphones out: additional corresponding line out -> 3.5mm cable is needed

Therefore, the main usage scenarios cover most of the types of use, including DAC function of XD05 Plus or excluding it and running it in amplifier mode alone. In this case, the output is possible only to headphone port since the Line out and Line in are combined and occupied by the input from a source. We wish that those outs were separated to a different ports to be able to use XD05 Plus as preamp for a DAC in home setup. It still can be used this way by feeding headphone signal to home amp, but this requires accurate tuning of volume level and care about the position of front switches.



Android-based smartphones and tablets, as well as most of the DAPs won’t have any problems with connecting XD05 Plus as external DAC/amp over USB. It would be better to use some applications such as HiBy Music that are capable to provide bit-perfect data stream directly to USB device while omitting OS audio processing. DAPs would do the same with its DTA architecture or proprietary OS builds. In Windows environment, it is better to use the ASIO driver provided by xDuoo to fully utilize the device features. Although, native Windows 10 driver detect xDuoo correctly and allows 32bit/384kHz as well. Both drivers have virtually no audio lag while watching videos. Perfect.

• 
• 
• 
• 

To summarize this section – every single tested scenario went smooth, with not a single hiccup from XD05 side. DAPs, smartphone and laptop didn’t hang even once during the tests despite large amount of reconnections during the tests, different types of interfaces used and fast swaps of tracks with different audio quality and formats. Perfectly polished user experience and reliable, glitch-free performance.

Controls:

Really love volume knob on XD05 Plus. We’ve seen it one that someone has reported channel imbalance on low volume level but our unit is free from that flaw. Tangible power ON/OFF click, tight rotation, precise position, no rattling whatsoever. Volume starts from almost quiet to full, increases smoothly, utilizing ~90% of rotation. No harsh popup sound when the power is turned on/off. Just to mention 1W of power: for example, AudioTechnica ATH-M50 (38Ohms impedance, 99dB sensitivity) is driven loud with 50% of volume knob rotation (Gain and Boost switches at minimum position). Gain Mid / High can damage such overheads easily at max volume. More sensitive headphones/IEMs and earbuds with lower impedance might be burnt easily even in Gain Low at high volume levels. Therefore, be careful with Gain switch and do not change its position accidentally.



Front switches also feel nice and tight to operate. Boost stands for 2 position impedance switch (low = <150Ohms, high = >150Ohms), Bass is responsible for boosting lows/midbass and Gain does what expected in 3 significant changes in its level. Left side buttons serve to scroll through inputs (Input), upscale coaxial/optical input stream (SRC) and to change PCM/DSD filters (Filter):

• Sharp roll-off (PCM1 on screen)
• Slow Roll-off (PCM2 on screen)
• Short delay Sharp (PCM3 on screen)
• Short delay Slow (PCM4 on screen)

Filters in DSD:

• 39Khz = DSD64 at DSD1 (on screen)
• 78kHz = DSD128 at DSD1 (on screen)
• 156kHz = DSD256 at DSD1 (on screen)
• 76kHz = DSD64 at DSD2 (on screen)
• 152kHz = DSD128 at DSD2 (on screen)
• 304kHz = DSD256 at DSD2 (on screen)

Filter, source as well at the sample rate would be indicated on screen. The screen, on its turn, is quite small but totally good for its purpose and bright enough to be seen in shady conditions. Having the screen in such device is not that necessary imbut adds to the functionality and convenience. Not saying that it also adds to the overall value and satisfaction of using XD05 DAC/amp series.



There is one more thing that makes XD05 Plus even better – possibility to connect add-on Bluetooth module XD05 BL (fits Plus and XD05) that would turn your device into Bluetooth receiver with SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-LL, aptX-HD, LDAC codecs on board. This module would occupy Coax/optical and line 3.5mm input ports.

Sound test:

Our sound setup during the test: HiBy R5 Sabre DAP + xDuoo XD05 Plus + AudioTechnica ATH-M50 + ArtMagic DH3 IEMs + Edifier M1100 active speakers.



xDuoo XD05 Plus feels quite linear in its delivery throughout the entire range, not showing significant peaks or accents until requested with bass boost or gain switches. At lowest switch settings, sound feels well-balanced with quite deep, contoured, energetic lows and good amount of textures, great midbass control, power and dynamics. With the bass boost this portion gets brought forward, the increase is evident but lows loose contours and become quite moody.



Even rendering of male and female vocals in mids, free of peaking notes and harsh presentation. Mids also exhibit quite high level of resolution, pleasing thickness, excellent instrument separation and legible mix. Treble part is not accented, neither underpowered. Enough of clarity, good extension, great amount of tiny details. Sounds impressive when paired with BA/piezo driver IEMs. With higher gain settings treble might get a little bit harsh, resulting in unwanted sibilance with low impedance IEMs.



Furthermore, changing Bass boost and Gain switch settings to anything from low, to our liking, makes sound worse than XD05 Plus is capable of. When set to min – it sounds very balanced and delicate. And of course, those switches have no impact on line output. Another great aspect of XS05 Plus sound is the stage size – it builds a perception of large and especially wide imaginary stage with large distance between the instruments.



In overall, the sound of XD05 Plus is mature, full-bodied and balanced, slightly leaning towards warmer presentation. The closest DAP that we once tested is HiBy R6Pro but the amount of power and driving ability is much higher with XD05 Plus. It sounds very good across the entire range, reveals lots of details and renders large stage. Perhaps, experimenting with other Op-amps might make it sound even better but we are pleased with the stock combination.



In comparison to Hidizs Sonata DH1000:

DH1000 has many things in common concerning the usage scenarios and sound quality. It is not that advanced as XD05 Plus since less powerful, doesn’t allow Op-amp change, doesn’t act as pure amplifier, cannot accept data through coax / optical inputs. But it has balanced circuit and output and sounds quite close with the same headphones. Similarly balanced and detailed, brighter, though. xDuoo XD05 Plus is just a better bargain if to consider all of its features and specs.



In comparison to Tempotec Serenade iDSD:

iDSD is designed for shelf usage only. It doesn’t have battery, better to be used as a DAC/preamp for home system for its limited power headphone output. But it also gives the possibility to experiment with other op-amps and delivers balanced and detailed sound. We would say that if the will is to have shelf DAC/preamp only – iDSD would do. But again, it is not a competitor to XD05 series versatility, power and functionality.



Conclusion:

We are in love with xDuoo XD05 Plus, its features, specs and possibilities it delivers. Excellent design and decent build quality, connectivity options with full processing power on all inputs, good set of accessories, high power output… And last but not the least – excellent sound with good resolution and wide soundstage. All of that makes the impression of having mature and highly functional device that builds a confidence in a great bargain among other options. Add here op-amp customization feature for the most conscious fans – and you are getting the ultimate device, able to initiate a whole new movement, that would definitely settle down for long in various setups.

xDuoo Xd05 Plus available at the official store: HERE
More of reviews from me: HERE



PS: xDuoo has announced the launch of XD05 BL DAC/amp with 4.4mm balanced output along with 6.3mm SE output, revised controls, more decoding power (32bit/786kHz, DSD512) and, probably, inbuilt Bluetooth module. It also would have external/battery power switch back. But the expected price is ~$429 which is significantly higher than $289 of XD05 Plus. Therefore, if balanced output is not that important for you – we are still considering XD05 Plus a better bargain for its lower price.

The xDuoo XD-05 Plus is a mobile DAC/Amp that can work separately as each option and provides 1W of pure power through the headphone output. It is priced at 289$.

Sound quality for the price
Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Build quality
Rating: 10 out of 10.

Value
Rating: 9 out of 10.


Introduction

xDuoo XD-05 Plus – A raw power and bass that pushes to the back.

The bigger portable DACs are losing a little interest compared to the small Bluetooth DACs. But still, the regular-sized devices without a big screen or BT connections offer the highest value, and it isn’t otherwise this time. The xDuoo keeps its place high in all rankings for a reason, and by reading the following paragraphs, you’ll know why.

Packaging

All you need and more.

Inside the well-designed box with an outline drawing at the front and the sides, you’ll be able to find a lot of useful accessories and, of course, the XD-05 Plus itself.
The whole list of accessories inside:

• Spare screws (you may ask why do you need them, I’ll explain that later)
• Ten rubber feet
• 6,3 jack adapter of excellent quality, with low impedance, compared to cheap ones
• One long USB-A to USB-C cable,
• One short USB-C to USB-C cable,
• Second short cable, but this time it is USB-C to USB micro,
• The warranty card
• A small rubber pad used to use the XD-05 with the phone as a sandwich.

That’s an enjoyable set of accessories, but I wish there would be one extra USB-A to USB-C cable for stationary usage. Luckily, the battery is excellent, so you don’t have to charge it often.

Build quality

xDuoo takes care about every single detail.

The handcrafting also stands at the highest level. It’s a pretty heavy DAC, especially for the mobile one, but the weight isn’t such a big problem thanks to the accessories. The whole device is made of metal, painted with powder coating in this space gray-ish color.
Talking about the front, you’ll find there the 6,3 jack output, three switches, and the potentiometer.
The last thing is the screen where you can check the battery status, selected mode, sampling rate, and filter. It is placed pretty deep, so it looks insanely beautiful in real. Between the outside and the screen stays a thick piece of glass.
At the rear part, you can find the AUX in/out, USB-in, USB charging port (both USB-C, lovely), and digital input.
Finally, on the left side, you can find three buttons. The first one is a simple input. The second one, SRC, works only for digital input, and it is there for resampling, 48, 96, and the 192KHz. The third one stands there for filters. PCM1 is “Sharp Roll-off,” PCM2 is “Slow Roll-off,” PCM3 is “Short Delay Sharp,” and PCM4 works as “Short Delay Slow.”
All attached accessories are of excellent quality. Short cables look similar to those made by FiiO, but these that come with xDuoo are relatively stiffer. Rubber feet are significant, with strong glue. They can easily hold the DAC at the set position.
The rubber band is sticky, so it gets dirty pretty fast, but you can wash it under running water, and it will keep its functionality.

The control is simple.

Functionality & Battery Life

Rubber feet are big and make the xDuoo stable on every surface.

The list of functionalities isn’t the longest one, but almost all the necessary things are there.

Beginning with the front of XD-05 Plus. There are free switches, the first one is named “boost.” It provides extra power through the headphone output if the standard wouldn’t be enough for you. I checked this using IEMs, and well, it scared me a little. The second one is a bass boost. It works as well as the one in iFi iDSD Signature, so that’s a solid point. It doesn’t only boost subbass but also makes the texture better and makes the midrange a little warmer. The third one is a three-grade gain.
The potentiometer launches the device and works linearly in the fundamental frequency without a problem.

I love that display.

The next important thing is the fact that you can swap the OPAMPs to change the sound quality and the signature. That’s why there are separate screws in the box. They are tiny, so if you’re not into DIY in the electronic world, you might not have proper stuff and lose some of them.
The screen doesn’t have brightness settings, but it is readable in daylight and doesn’t irritate at night. This color reminds me of old Technics that my father had when I was a child. I think many of you had something with the screen like that for your own.

Battery life is another excellent part. The producer promises 40 hours of work as an amplifier and 13 hours as a DAC/AMP. In mixed mode, I achieved about 20 hours on mid gain. The only thing I’m missing is the auto-ff function. You have to remember to switch off the device.
Oh, I’d like to mention the wireless connection that’s possible to have by buying an extended module, the xDuoo 05BL Pro, that provides BT 5.0 and LDAC. After buying, the only thing you have to do is pin that to the rear part and select the source. You can get one for 69,99$.

Sound

Which pair would you choose?

The xDuoo XD-05 Plus has a sound signature that isn’t the most popular. It is similar to the RHA DACAMP L1. Warm, with delicate treble and narrow soundstage. It matches excellently with all the bright headphones but also doesn’t ruin the warmer ones.
Most of the time, I was using the Bqeyz Spring 2, a neutral-bright earphone with cruelly fast bass that doesn’t get to the front. The XD-05 Plus frees the bass. Now, the Spring 2 is a little beast that can strike hard and rumble with subbass, providing a lot of fun.

Unfortunately, if you do own sensitive IEMs, you can have a problem. The XD-05 Plus has a slight hiss and background noise with higher volume levels. On low gain, it isn’t the problem, mostly if you do listen quietly. The noise rises with volume.

I’ll do two paragraphs in the sound description. The first one will be standard-length, and the next will be shorter, describing the xDuoo XD-05 Plus when it works only as a DAC, enjoy! I decided not to do a separate paragraph for the Amplifier function because it sounds very similar to the XD-05 as a DAC/AMP.

Thanks to the big battery you can take xDuoo wherever you want.

The bass is one of the most powerful basses I’ve heard at this price. It’s a swift punch, that rises quickly but linearly, being very smooth at that part. Don’t think that the bass is slow, it surely can strike unexpected to show the more technical way. The smoothness is very delicate when it comes to the texture because XD-05 can roar and it does it often. I can easily hear the bass guitar strings when they’re shaking, but not every single bounce. It’s truly great, but I wouldn’t match it with FiiO FH3 for example, unless you have the FiiO LC-C cable. With the LC-C, feel free to match those.

As far as I know, you can fix that little unruliness by changing the OPAMPs, but I hadn’t a chance to do this. If I get some, I’ll update this part, so for now – to be continued…
The midrange is relatively neutral, with natural smoothness. Male or female vocals aren’t offensive or pushed to the front. They stand in the same lane but can fade through each other. Dave Gahan doesn’t have the most potent vocal with the Bqeyz Spring 2, but he sounds excellent with the Campfire Audio Vega 2020. The vocal gains a lot of body with that earphone, but using any brighter headphones ends with too delicate low mids. Female vocals have a more fulfilled body. Katy Perry’s voice is thicker, with the possibility to drench the listener, on both earphones.
Dynamic is decent, it isn’t like jumping on the trampoline, but it definitely can let you feel the music and start a solo party at home. When I started listening to alternative polish music, I couldn’t stop singing. Thank God I was home alone. My family would kick me out of the house if they heard that.

The decision about the earphones isn’t easy…

The treble, as mentioned before, is the most delicate part. It’s very soft, but detail reproduction is outstanding, even if the highs are not set in the first place. There’s no chance of any sibilances, harshness, or slicing your ears — just a pleasant and calm presentation, similar to most of the tube amps. If you do know DACAMP L1, try to remind that with the treble set at -1, that sounds very similar to XD-05, which is more classy and has better details and texture.

…because all of them sound wonderful with XD-05 Plus.
The soundstage is an eternal problem for portable DACs. The only one that shocked me is the EarMen TR-Amp.
With XD-05 Plus, everything is placed near the head, slightly moved to the front. The distances are slightly changing, but it isn’t a big difference. Height is constant, but the width is trying to imply something to the front and backward, so with AKG K702 or Craft Ears Four it can run away a little, but still, it is a dog on the leash. In gaming, that was problematic too, determining the direction isn’t the easiest. As a good thing, I can tell you about the separation. That’s wonderful. Nothing sounds like a one, massive sound.

As a DAC
The xDuoo XD-05 isn’t mainly the stationary DAC, but if there’s a possibility to use it in only DAC mode, why shouldn’t I try?
XD-05 Plus used as a DAC shows a more neutral playstyle, without such an offensive bass, but it keeps its advantages. The midrange with tube amps gets amazing, the thickness of vocals is wonderful also with the bright headphones, not only the bassy ones. The texture is still here, the treble isn’t such delicate anymore. Still, it isn’t the FiiO Q5S level in the technicality of treble.
Also, the soundstage is better with other AMPs, but it still doesn’t shine. Matched with other amplifiers it is way easier to hear the sound from all around.

Summary

Basshead recommendation.

The xDuoo XD-05 Plus is an excellent portable DAC/Amp with a warm sound signature, outstanding detail reproduction, build quality and battery. The build quality, design, and a lot of driving power make it a fantastic choice for everyone looking for a portable DAC/AMP. It’s a well-thought device from top to bottom, and it surely deserves all the attention it has gotten in the past few months.

Recommended.

Gear used during this review for the sake of comparison and as an accompanying equipment:

• Headphones – Philips Fidelio X2HR, Audeze LCD-3, Bqeyz Spring 2, Craft Ears Four, Hifiman HE400i 2020, AKG K702, Campfire Audio Vega, Audeze LCD-3
• Sources– SMSL M300+SP200, Chord Mojo, iFi iDSD Neo, Topping DX3 Pro, EarMen TR-Amp, iDSD Signature, Topping D50s, FiiO Q5S, DACAMP L1