Xduoo XD-05 Plus
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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:
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
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
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
- 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
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
Gustavo1976
Great review thanks. Sorry but against balance version what do.yoy think, is it a big difference?
Dobrescu George
@Gustavo1976 - I plan on reviewing it as well once available... Balanced usually is a bit better for everything, but I haven't had the chance to listen to this one in particular, so I can full recommend the XD05Plus, especially if you don't have balanced cables already 
Gustavo1976
Thanks. Now Im between xd05 bal and ifi xdsd gryphon:$
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:
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)
- USB (PCM): 16–32bit / 44.1–384kHz
- 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
- 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
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
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)
- 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 $289 of XD05 Plus. Therefore, if balanced output is not that important for you – we are still considering XD05 Plus a better bargain for its lower price.
DJ LP
Excellent review. I have one question though. What kind of torx screws are they. I have purchased 2 screwdriver kits, 1 a 60 piece and none of them fit. Driving me crazy because I just got the Burson 5vi and I want to put it in. You know, new toy.
The xDuoo XD-05 Plus is a mobile DAC/Amp that can work separately as each option and provides 1W of pure power through the headphone output. It is priced at 289$.
Sound quality for the price
Build quality
Value
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.
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
Firstly I would like to thank xDuoo for sending me this sample, it has been a while since I last reviewed one of their products.
*disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of writing a review, no incentive was given to write a favourable review. All opinions expressed are my own subjective finding
Gear Used:
PC > XD05 Plus > HiFiMAN HE-500 / various IEM's
Pixel 3a > XD05 > HiFiMAN HE-500 / various IEM's
Tech Specs:
Compliant operating systems: Windows XP/7/8/10, Mas OS X, IOS, Android
DAC chip: AK4493EQ
USB chipset: XMOS XU208
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
Battery: 3.8V / 5000mAh
Battery life: ≥13 hours (USB in), ≥21 hours (SPDIF in), ≥40 hours (aux in)
Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories:
The XD05 Plus comes in a simple white box with outlines of the product on the outside and information on the back. It's quite a simple but good looking box, inside you have the XD05 Plus sat tightly in foam inserts to keep it safe during shipping, with accessories underneath.
The build quality is excellent, the casing is well finished and feels solid, the connections are all tight and the small switches on the front are low profile and are not at risk of breaking. The volume knob is smooth to operate, the unit can be easily opened if you need to change the battery at a later date and also allows op-amp rolling due to the socketed design. Overall it is a very well built little DAC/Amp.
Accessory wise you get a 6.3 to 3.5mm adaptor, a normal long USB-C cable, a short Type C to Type C otg cable, a short micro-USB to Type C and also some rubber feet. There are also little socket savers to prevent dust getting in the rear sockets when not in use, overall you get plenty of extras and everything you need to get up and running.
Features:
The XD05 Plus is a transportable DAC/Amp, it has a built in battery which depending on use can last up to 40hrs (Aux in - headamp only mode), and roughly 13 hrs via USB input. On the back you have the USB inputs (USB-in and Charge use separate ports) as well as an Aux in and S/PDIF input. The Aux in can also be used as an output to an external amplifier so it is used as a DAC only.
On the front you have a boost switch that allows for more power out of the headphone socket, you have 3 stages of gain and also a bass boost switch. This means the XD05 can power a wide range of headphones easily, and the bass boost is quite effective but can be a little overpowering on most headphones.
This little unit packs quite a lot of features in for the price, and makes it a very versatile addition to any collection.
Sound:
Firstly I will start with the bad, sadly this isn't suited to sensitive IEM's, there is a level of background noise/hiss that is quite distracting when in use. However, this is more geared to powering harder to drive full size headphones anyway so it's not much of an issue in my opinion. Most DAP's will power most IEM's with ease, so this kind of device is more reserved for those harder to driver over ears, and this it does so with ease.
For a battery powered unit the sound I managed to get out of it with the HiFiMAN HE-500 was very enjoyable, with a powerful and engaging sound that is perhaps a little warm and full. The 6.3mm output almost hints at the fact that it is designed for full-size headphone use, it will power your typical Sennheiser HD600 series very well and the sound is nuanced, clean yet ever so slightly smooth which allows for hours of fatigue free listening. You get 1000mw at 32Ohms, that should drive most headphones without any kind of problem, and in practice the XD05 Plus handled all but the hardest to drive with ease.
There is a sense of control and drive behind the XD05 Plus, it wants you to listen but without throwing anything out of balance. It is highly enjoyable and pleasant to listen to and punches above its price when it comes to refinement and detail levels. Perhaps where it is lacking is the soundstaging, being fairly average, but the headphone choice is always going to be more important here anyway.
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a versatile and transportable DAC/Amp for a low price the XD05 Plus is a no-brainer. I feel you have to go to something like the iFi Micro iDSD Black Label to get any real improvement over this, and that is twice the price. The XD05 Plus can power the majority of headphones with ease and sounds really fun yet balanced when doing so.
Sound Perfection Rating: 8/10 (hiss prevents use with sensitive IEM's)
*disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of writing a review, no incentive was given to write a favourable review. All opinions expressed are my own subjective finding
Gear Used:
PC > XD05 Plus > HiFiMAN HE-500 / various IEM's
Pixel 3a > XD05 > HiFiMAN HE-500 / various IEM's
Tech Specs:
Compliant operating systems: Windows XP/7/8/10, Mas OS X, IOS, Android
DAC chip: AK4493EQ
USB chipset: XMOS XU208
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
Battery: 3.8V / 5000mAh
Battery life: ≥13 hours (USB in), ≥21 hours (SPDIF in), ≥40 hours (aux in)
Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories:
The XD05 Plus comes in a simple white box with outlines of the product on the outside and information on the back. It's quite a simple but good looking box, inside you have the XD05 Plus sat tightly in foam inserts to keep it safe during shipping, with accessories underneath.
The build quality is excellent, the casing is well finished and feels solid, the connections are all tight and the small switches on the front are low profile and are not at risk of breaking. The volume knob is smooth to operate, the unit can be easily opened if you need to change the battery at a later date and also allows op-amp rolling due to the socketed design. Overall it is a very well built little DAC/Amp.
Accessory wise you get a 6.3 to 3.5mm adaptor, a normal long USB-C cable, a short Type C to Type C otg cable, a short micro-USB to Type C and also some rubber feet. There are also little socket savers to prevent dust getting in the rear sockets when not in use, overall you get plenty of extras and everything you need to get up and running.
Features:
The XD05 Plus is a transportable DAC/Amp, it has a built in battery which depending on use can last up to 40hrs (Aux in - headamp only mode), and roughly 13 hrs via USB input. On the back you have the USB inputs (USB-in and Charge use separate ports) as well as an Aux in and S/PDIF input. The Aux in can also be used as an output to an external amplifier so it is used as a DAC only.
On the front you have a boost switch that allows for more power out of the headphone socket, you have 3 stages of gain and also a bass boost switch. This means the XD05 can power a wide range of headphones easily, and the bass boost is quite effective but can be a little overpowering on most headphones.
This little unit packs quite a lot of features in for the price, and makes it a very versatile addition to any collection.
Sound:
Firstly I will start with the bad, sadly this isn't suited to sensitive IEM's, there is a level of background noise/hiss that is quite distracting when in use. However, this is more geared to powering harder to drive full size headphones anyway so it's not much of an issue in my opinion. Most DAP's will power most IEM's with ease, so this kind of device is more reserved for those harder to driver over ears, and this it does so with ease.
For a battery powered unit the sound I managed to get out of it with the HiFiMAN HE-500 was very enjoyable, with a powerful and engaging sound that is perhaps a little warm and full. The 6.3mm output almost hints at the fact that it is designed for full-size headphone use, it will power your typical Sennheiser HD600 series very well and the sound is nuanced, clean yet ever so slightly smooth which allows for hours of fatigue free listening. You get 1000mw at 32Ohms, that should drive most headphones without any kind of problem, and in practice the XD05 Plus handled all but the hardest to drive with ease.
There is a sense of control and drive behind the XD05 Plus, it wants you to listen but without throwing anything out of balance. It is highly enjoyable and pleasant to listen to and punches above its price when it comes to refinement and detail levels. Perhaps where it is lacking is the soundstaging, being fairly average, but the headphone choice is always going to be more important here anyway.
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a versatile and transportable DAC/Amp for a low price the XD05 Plus is a no-brainer. I feel you have to go to something like the iFi Micro iDSD Black Label to get any real improvement over this, and that is twice the price. The XD05 Plus can power the majority of headphones with ease and sounds really fun yet balanced when doing so.
Sound Perfection Rating: 8/10 (hiss prevents use with sensitive IEM's)
Hi friends!
Our introduction to xDuoo brand audio continues. Today, our guest is their new creation, or rather, the reincarnation of the already familiar to many portable DAC / headphone amplifier XD05.
The device added to the name "Plus" and fully justifies this change with its filling: there are improvements in circuitry and in components. So, the device, unlike its predecessor, which had the AK4490 on board, is built on the basis of the new AK4493EQ DAC chip from Asahi Kasei. In addition, the device provides for the replacement of op-amp/operational amplifiers (without soldering).
In terms of sound, it’s difficult for me to compare these two devices, since my acquaintance with the XD05 was long and too fleeting, but what we now received as a result of the update definitely deserves all praise. Why, in the process of testing new items from xDuoo, I almost became an alchemist and did not find a philosopher's stone! However, let us do it in order.
Text: Alexey Kashirsky aka Hans Barbarossa
We thank the hifigo.com online store for the test sample provided.
SPECS
DAC chip: AK4493EQ
USB chipset: XMOS XU208
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
Battery: 3.8V / 5000mAh
Battery life: ≥13 hours (USB in), ≥21 hours (SPDIF in), ≥40 hours (aux in)
Sampling Rate Support
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)
Compliant operating systems: Windows XP/7/8/10, Mas OS X, IOS, Android
Appearance and kit
XD05 Plus arrived in a small white box, on the front of which are placed diagonally the name of the model and a graphic drawing of the device. Detailed specifications are expectedly printed on the back.
Open the box and take out a black casket from it, which fits the set “there is everything and a little more”: the XD05 Plus, three cables for all possible cases (USB-C / USB-A, USB type-C / USB type-C and microUSB / USB type-C), silicone feet, silicone sticker / gasket for making an “audio sandwich”, additional screws (if you lose the existing ones for any reason), 6.3 / 3.5 mm adapter, plugs for audio outputs and warranty instructions.
As I mentioned, the device has the ability to replacement op-amp (Dip-8 connector). By default, OPA1612 is installed in XD05 Plus, and with them we will study the habits of our experimental subject. But let's take a closer look at it outside for now.
Externally, in comparison with its predecessor, the XD05 Plus has not undergone major changes. The rectangular case (139 x 75.2 x 22.8 mm) in silver with rounded sides and protruding "cornices" is made of aluminum and weighs 276 grams. There are no complaints about the assembly: nothing loosens and hangs.
On the front panel there is a 6.3 mm headphone jack (usually I use the supplied 6.3 / 3.5 mm adapter), an OLED screen that displays all the information we are interested in (input, signal frequency information, digital filter, battery charge), three toggle switches (boost, bass, gain) and a volume control that turns the device on and off.
The left end accepts three buttons: digital input control, upsampling mode and switching between four digital filters. Their designations (Input, SRC, Filter), so that you do not get confused, are located on the back of the case.
At the rear end there are AUX, USB type-C input / output connectors, through which the device is charged, USB type-C digital input, 3.5mm S / PDIF (combined optical / coaxial) and two LED indicators: the first shows charging, the second - connection of a digital signal source.
To control the XD05 Plus over the air through the Bluetooth protocol, xDuoo has a pretty nice and technologically advanced 05BL stray, but it is bought separately.
The stated duration of one battery charge varies quite a lot depending on the type of connection (13 hours - USB, 21 - SPDIF, 40 - SPDIF), but it is impressive in any of the options! The device charges in about three and a half hours.
Summing up the first part of our review, I would like to say that xDuoo XD05 Plus would definitely suit a man of the Renaissance, because it reflected the distinctive external individualism and internal universality, so characteristic of the Renaissance. Speaking less pathetically, the device’s functionality is really impressive. It can be connected without problems to a stationary PC / laptop, smartphone or tablet, or to an audio player with digital output.
Next, the most interesting part of the review begins - listening.
Sound
As sources of a digital transport were used xDuoo X10t II (optics / coaxial / USB), Huawei P20 Pro (USB), PC (USB). There were no problems with connecting to the XD05 Plus all of the above sources or signal interruption.
Listening (audio testing) was conducted with: 64 AUDIO A18, 64 AUDIO A12t, Vision Ears VE8, Vision Ears VE4.2, FIR M5, BGVP DMS, Custom ART FIBAE4, InEar PP8, Beyerdynamic DT250/250 Оhm.
With all the IEM/CIEM/Headphones, the device played properly, I did not notice any genre deviations.
I suppose I'm not mistaken if I say that the handwriting of xDuoo devices is fairly recognizable. No, of course, each of the players or DAC / amplifiers of this brand has its own shades, nuances, especially the XD05 Plus, where you can juggle op-amps. But in general, the manner of sound and its character, passing from device to device, is recognized. And this, I think, is wonderful. Continuity is an important thing, it is it that allows you to create a style anywhere. Well, in this case, in the processing of xDuoo sound, you can clearly hear their very highlight, which I personally really like.
The sound of the xDuoo XD05 Plus is well balanced, peppy, with a slightly boosted area in the low-frequency / low-mid area, a smooth and detailed mid and a comfortable, harmonious, sparkling, high-frequency range. The musical picture is drawn in a neutral-darkened manner, harmoniously, with a commensurate drawing of micro and macro nuances.
Despite its “light weight category” (more specifically about the price, let us later), the device sounds more than serious, in an adult way. On the XD05 Plus, you can easily stick a nameplate from some Hi-End manufacturer, draw a much higher price tag and boldly sell without fear of complaints.
The device has remarkable power and easily, even on Low Gain, rocked my Beyerdynamic DT 250 (250 ohm). Especially for IEMs.
The virtual stage is more than average, it is quite harmoniously lined up both in width and in depth. Sound sources are precisely placed in space.
The good news is that in the voice of the device competently combines such qualities as technicality, sound continuity and melody. Thanks to this, the sound does not feel artificiality, pumping up space and buzzing, but there is a detailed and at the same time dense manner of performance, where everything is pretty clear and articulate.
The blow is accurate and powerful, it sounds massive, energetic, with good articulation and a good study of depth, without encroaching on the middle. After switching back and forth the bass gain toggle switch, I returned it to the “off” position. Once again, I was convinced that personally in the listening compositions I had enough bass that was originally written there, especially since the bass in the XD05 Plus and by default is quite enough, both qualitatively and quantitatively. But, I’m sure that this function will undoubtedly be useful to someone.
The mids is even, smooth, contrasting and detailed. Despite its neutral "habits", XD05 Plus is well able to convey the emotional component of the composition. Electric guitars are lit with drive, and vocal parts and string busts sound lively, rich and naturalistic. There is pressure and a game with contrasts, and good detail - everything is clear, accurate and to the point. As a result, we get a rather clever symbiosis of neutrality and emotions. And that is wonderful.
High frequencies do not excite the ear with sharpness, they are transmitted very smoothly, legibly and in detail, but, as it seemed to me, slightly simplified. Although in general they have a good resolution, they are served comfortably and lingeringly, adding contrast and airiness to the overall picture and contribute to long listening to music. In general, I like this style.
It is also worth not to forget that the device has the ability to fine-tune the sound to your taste by replacing operational amplifiers. So the user can take advantage of this option and give the XD05 Plus voice new shades.
The bottom line
Lows - neatly forced, with a tight and accurate impact. The bass is thick, well articulated, served mannered and delicately, without hum and daub.
Mids - even, smooth, detailed, without disturbing ear escapades, with decent resolution and texture transfer.
Highs - clean, smooth, with a slight amount of simplification. They do not pamper us with exquisite manners and after-tones, but at the same time they are transmitted clearly and without any obvious flaws.
Conclusion
Returning to reminiscences of the Renaissance, we can say that the XD05 Plus may not be a philosophical stone that turns anything into gold, but it’s exactly that retort that can skillfully melt sounds and notes into beautiful and captivating music.
Well, the xDuoo device has a number of advantages over competitors: an abundant kit, remarkable design, extensive functionality, interesting and high-quality sound and, importantly, a reasonable price. Which side do not look - XD05 Plus is very good.
The hifigo.com xDuoo XD05 Plus online store can be bought for just $259.99. Responsibly declare that this is one of the most profitable options for converting money into high-quality sound.
All the Best!
Our introduction to xDuoo brand audio continues. Today, our guest is their new creation, or rather, the reincarnation of the already familiar to many portable DAC / headphone amplifier XD05.
The device added to the name "Plus" and fully justifies this change with its filling: there are improvements in circuitry and in components. So, the device, unlike its predecessor, which had the AK4490 on board, is built on the basis of the new AK4493EQ DAC chip from Asahi Kasei. In addition, the device provides for the replacement of op-amp/operational amplifiers (without soldering).
In terms of sound, it’s difficult for me to compare these two devices, since my acquaintance with the XD05 was long and too fleeting, but what we now received as a result of the update definitely deserves all praise. Why, in the process of testing new items from xDuoo, I almost became an alchemist and did not find a philosopher's stone! However, let us do it in order.
Text: Alexey Kashirsky aka Hans Barbarossa
We thank the hifigo.com online store for the test sample provided.
SPECS
DAC chip: AK4493EQ
USB chipset: XMOS XU208
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
Battery: 3.8V / 5000mAh
Battery life: ≥13 hours (USB in), ≥21 hours (SPDIF in), ≥40 hours (aux in)
Sampling Rate Support
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)
Compliant operating systems: Windows XP/7/8/10, Mas OS X, IOS, Android
Appearance and kit
XD05 Plus arrived in a small white box, on the front of which are placed diagonally the name of the model and a graphic drawing of the device. Detailed specifications are expectedly printed on the back.
Open the box and take out a black casket from it, which fits the set “there is everything and a little more”: the XD05 Plus, three cables for all possible cases (USB-C / USB-A, USB type-C / USB type-C and microUSB / USB type-C), silicone feet, silicone sticker / gasket for making an “audio sandwich”, additional screws (if you lose the existing ones for any reason), 6.3 / 3.5 mm adapter, plugs for audio outputs and warranty instructions.
As I mentioned, the device has the ability to replacement op-amp (Dip-8 connector). By default, OPA1612 is installed in XD05 Plus, and with them we will study the habits of our experimental subject. But let's take a closer look at it outside for now.
Externally, in comparison with its predecessor, the XD05 Plus has not undergone major changes. The rectangular case (139 x 75.2 x 22.8 mm) in silver with rounded sides and protruding "cornices" is made of aluminum and weighs 276 grams. There are no complaints about the assembly: nothing loosens and hangs.
On the front panel there is a 6.3 mm headphone jack (usually I use the supplied 6.3 / 3.5 mm adapter), an OLED screen that displays all the information we are interested in (input, signal frequency information, digital filter, battery charge), three toggle switches (boost, bass, gain) and a volume control that turns the device on and off.
The left end accepts three buttons: digital input control, upsampling mode and switching between four digital filters. Their designations (Input, SRC, Filter), so that you do not get confused, are located on the back of the case.
At the rear end there are AUX, USB type-C input / output connectors, through which the device is charged, USB type-C digital input, 3.5mm S / PDIF (combined optical / coaxial) and two LED indicators: the first shows charging, the second - connection of a digital signal source.
To control the XD05 Plus over the air through the Bluetooth protocol, xDuoo has a pretty nice and technologically advanced 05BL stray, but it is bought separately.
The stated duration of one battery charge varies quite a lot depending on the type of connection (13 hours - USB, 21 - SPDIF, 40 - SPDIF), but it is impressive in any of the options! The device charges in about three and a half hours.
Summing up the first part of our review, I would like to say that xDuoo XD05 Plus would definitely suit a man of the Renaissance, because it reflected the distinctive external individualism and internal universality, so characteristic of the Renaissance. Speaking less pathetically, the device’s functionality is really impressive. It can be connected without problems to a stationary PC / laptop, smartphone or tablet, or to an audio player with digital output.
Next, the most interesting part of the review begins - listening.
Sound
As sources of a digital transport were used xDuoo X10t II (optics / coaxial / USB), Huawei P20 Pro (USB), PC (USB). There were no problems with connecting to the XD05 Plus all of the above sources or signal interruption.
Listening (audio testing) was conducted with: 64 AUDIO A18, 64 AUDIO A12t, Vision Ears VE8, Vision Ears VE4.2, FIR M5, BGVP DMS, Custom ART FIBAE4, InEar PP8, Beyerdynamic DT250/250 Оhm.
With all the IEM/CIEM/Headphones, the device played properly, I did not notice any genre deviations.
I suppose I'm not mistaken if I say that the handwriting of xDuoo devices is fairly recognizable. No, of course, each of the players or DAC / amplifiers of this brand has its own shades, nuances, especially the XD05 Plus, where you can juggle op-amps. But in general, the manner of sound and its character, passing from device to device, is recognized. And this, I think, is wonderful. Continuity is an important thing, it is it that allows you to create a style anywhere. Well, in this case, in the processing of xDuoo sound, you can clearly hear their very highlight, which I personally really like.
The sound of the xDuoo XD05 Plus is well balanced, peppy, with a slightly boosted area in the low-frequency / low-mid area, a smooth and detailed mid and a comfortable, harmonious, sparkling, high-frequency range. The musical picture is drawn in a neutral-darkened manner, harmoniously, with a commensurate drawing of micro and macro nuances.
Despite its “light weight category” (more specifically about the price, let us later), the device sounds more than serious, in an adult way. On the XD05 Plus, you can easily stick a nameplate from some Hi-End manufacturer, draw a much higher price tag and boldly sell without fear of complaints.
The device has remarkable power and easily, even on Low Gain, rocked my Beyerdynamic DT 250 (250 ohm). Especially for IEMs.
The virtual stage is more than average, it is quite harmoniously lined up both in width and in depth. Sound sources are precisely placed in space.
The good news is that in the voice of the device competently combines such qualities as technicality, sound continuity and melody. Thanks to this, the sound does not feel artificiality, pumping up space and buzzing, but there is a detailed and at the same time dense manner of performance, where everything is pretty clear and articulate.
The blow is accurate and powerful, it sounds massive, energetic, with good articulation and a good study of depth, without encroaching on the middle. After switching back and forth the bass gain toggle switch, I returned it to the “off” position. Once again, I was convinced that personally in the listening compositions I had enough bass that was originally written there, especially since the bass in the XD05 Plus and by default is quite enough, both qualitatively and quantitatively. But, I’m sure that this function will undoubtedly be useful to someone.
The mids is even, smooth, contrasting and detailed. Despite its neutral "habits", XD05 Plus is well able to convey the emotional component of the composition. Electric guitars are lit with drive, and vocal parts and string busts sound lively, rich and naturalistic. There is pressure and a game with contrasts, and good detail - everything is clear, accurate and to the point. As a result, we get a rather clever symbiosis of neutrality and emotions. And that is wonderful.
High frequencies do not excite the ear with sharpness, they are transmitted very smoothly, legibly and in detail, but, as it seemed to me, slightly simplified. Although in general they have a good resolution, they are served comfortably and lingeringly, adding contrast and airiness to the overall picture and contribute to long listening to music. In general, I like this style.
It is also worth not to forget that the device has the ability to fine-tune the sound to your taste by replacing operational amplifiers. So the user can take advantage of this option and give the XD05 Plus voice new shades.
The bottom line
Lows - neatly forced, with a tight and accurate impact. The bass is thick, well articulated, served mannered and delicately, without hum and daub.
Mids - even, smooth, detailed, without disturbing ear escapades, with decent resolution and texture transfer.
Highs - clean, smooth, with a slight amount of simplification. They do not pamper us with exquisite manners and after-tones, but at the same time they are transmitted clearly and without any obvious flaws.
Conclusion
Returning to reminiscences of the Renaissance, we can say that the XD05 Plus may not be a philosophical stone that turns anything into gold, but it’s exactly that retort that can skillfully melt sounds and notes into beautiful and captivating music.
Well, the xDuoo device has a number of advantages over competitors: an abundant kit, remarkable design, extensive functionality, interesting and high-quality sound and, importantly, a reasonable price. Which side do not look - XD05 Plus is very good.
The hifigo.com xDuoo XD05 Plus online store can be bought for just $259.99. Responsibly declare that this is one of the most profitable options for converting money into high-quality sound.
All the Best!
Cat Music
With what headphones do you think there is a better synergy? Can you say that the XD-05 + has a warm or colored sound signature? Would headphones with thin or dry sound benefit?
XDUOO XD-05 PLUS REVIEW :
SOUND: 8.5/10
AMPING: 9/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.5/10
DESIGN: 8/10
FEATURES: 9/10
VALUE: 8.5/10
I’ve been waiting for this, unconsciously, I wish Xduoo make another similar but better XD-05 model.
Why?
Because the first one was near perfect and I enjoy it intensely daily for more than 3 years.
Until now.
The PLUS crualy stole its place with its better battery life, more accurate sound, more versatile connectivity and most of all….2 time more powerfull audio output.
I don’t know how Xduoo achieve to put as much power in this little semi-portable DAC-AMP, but they did and its a power beast that can honnestly drive demanding 300ohm earbuds or headphones as well as higher impendance one when on high gain. I underline this because sometime audio company state that an amp with lower than 500mW output can drive 600ohm headphones, wich is a lie. Near anything can ‘’drive’’ non properly high impendance headphones, but the goal of an amplifier is to drive them properly and effortlessly so you don’t need to push volume to maximum to get loud sound, wich again, do not mean great sound.
The XDUOO XD-05PLUS is not just about power tough, the AKM AK4493EQ dac in it is a very capable one that deliver near reference sound with a refined timbre as well as great imaging and clarity. Again, in term of total harmonic distortion, the PLUS beat the XD-05 with a blacker noise floor. The use of USB-C make it more versatile for hooking on any device too.
So, let’s see in this review if this marvelous DAC-AMP worth the little 50$ more investment over its slightly cheaper little brother.
The XD-05PLUS can be buy for 260$ from XTENIK HERE
DISCLAIMER: I wanna thanks Xtenik for sending me this review sample free of charge, as well as thanking them for their patience. Unlike some other seller that try to put pressure on me to get positive review, Xtenik let me full freedom of toughs and i will not get punish if i write my honnest toughs. This is a relieve because I can collaborate with this great honnest store without being afraid of getting punish so thanks for that too Xtenik!!
SPECS :
Specification
Size: 139 x 75.2 x 22.8mm
Weight: 276g
Compliant OS: Window XP/7/8/10, Mac OSX, IOS, Android system
Output power: 1000mW(32Ωload)
Frequency response
AMP:10Hz-100kHz(±0.5dB)
USB/SPDIF: 20Hz-20kHz(±0.5dB)
Sampling rate support
USB: PCM: 16-32Bit/44.1-384kHz
DSD: 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/2.82mKz(DOP)
THD+N
USB IN/SPDIF IN: 0.0016%@1kHz
AUX IN: 0.0009%@1kHz
S/N: 117dB
Crosstalk: ≥75dB
Battery: 3.8V/5000mAh
Battery life: ≥13H(USB IN), ≥21H(SPDIF IN), ≥40H(AUX IN)
ACCESSORIES, CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN:
UNBOXING is very similar to the one of old XD-05 but it have a new boxd esign that make it moreappealing and perhaps suggest a new direction from Xduoo. What impress is the good number of accessories included so you will not need to buy extra cable or material, everything is takein charge. You have 3 cable, one micro-C to micro C, one micro usb to micro C and one micro C to USB. The Xduoo cable are thinked for easy hooking, and of great quality. As well, you have a neoprene sticker to stick you DAP on the XD-05PLUS, or to use as you want because its a very practical accessories. You have rubber feet wich is a most if you dont want to scracth the metal body. You have extra screws, wich can be usefull if like me you open the DAC-AMP a lot to change Opamp (and loose screws time to time). You have a 6.3 to 3.5mm jack and instruction manual and warranty card.
CONSTRUCTION is exact same than old XD-05 if we talk about the alloy body, but it differ in some aspect in term of features for the switch and butons. It’s a very durable and sturdy construction, not the most appealing for they eye and the screen isn’t the brightess one in bright environment, but its compact and well built, with an all metal construction,and nice quality volume knob. The real difference is inside, were construction seriously differ from old XD-05 as you can see in this pictures.
DESIGN was a little rethinked due to the adding of BOOST option. I can’t say I prefer it, but this is surely due to the fact I was use to XD-05 interface. Now, you have to use buton to change the input modes were it was a useless Display buton on old XD-05. I think they choose to put the BOOST switch in front so you do not press it by error wich can lead to serious ear or earphones damage. All in all, interface is intuitive and well done.
POWER OUTPUT is just crazy for its size and will easily drive near everything up to 600ohm, this time, its not a joke: the 1000mW per channel amping power is really muscular and most of all stable too, so no distortion or hissing due to ackward amping here wich the old XD-05 can do at high gain.
USB connection is excellent and a work and play. I try it on allmy laptop and table as well as my phone and it all work without flaw or any clicking noise or disconnection issue. Even the pricier TA-10 do not have an as good USB signal stability and would cut off time to time.
BATTERY LIFE is seriously improved, wich is a relieve cause it was one of biggest drawback of basic XD-05, not I can have up to 12H of play time. Charging time is okay and take about 2H to fully charge.
FEATURES:
AUDIO IN/OUT is for using the XD-05 as a standalone amplifier or as standalone DAC (line out), you can use normal input from your DAP or DAC line out, I do not suggest using it directly from power out of DAPor PHONE because it will higher harmonic distortion, even if its subtle it not suggested. Using this with my Ibasso DX90 line out, sound is clean and free of any hissing or unwanted electrostatic noise. It work as it should as well as audio out, wich is clean and will gain coloration from the other amp you use with it. There no limit to audio file quality with audio in because it amplify the stock signal.
DIGITAL IN is for pluging coaxial or optical cable, whats interesting is that you can resample audio signal, to my ears, this can sometime improve sound by extracting more textures nuance but it can affect the background by making it more saturated too cause overall sound became slightly thicker. You use SRC buton for this, upsampling up to 192kHz (SRC192).
BOOST switch is a feature I do not use a lot, due to the fact I do not own very high impendance headphones (I will perhaps update this section once I receive the Hifiman Sundara). This features is to use carefully, because its for high impendance headphones, not iem as I discover by making explode the drivers of my Nicehck NX7.
BASS switch is for bass gain, or more likely mid bass gain as it do give more slam to midbass, not so much for sub bass. I like this features for U shape or not enough bassy earphones or headphones. With right pairing it can give very interesting result, making punch thicker and more weighty, to the cost of warming lower mid range a little more sometime. But unlike other bass boost I try, it do not create distortion or ackward unbalanced sound. Anyway, I think its the very same bass boost than XD-05 so if you don’t like it with the first model, you will not use it more with this one.
GAIN switch is very usefull and have same 6db/9db/15db gain than basic model but with more power to back it up. As well, its very clean and more stable than basic model wich can cause hissing sometime at high gain.
FILTER side buton is for SOUND FILTERS. Its an interesting features, it have 4 of it. To be honnest, I do not hear serious difference and never use this option.
INPUT buton is to select between USB in, AUX in/out, coaxial in and optical in.
CHANGEABLE Opamp is a very nice feature wich I use ALOT with the Basic model, now it have been improve so you can use dual Opamp. I try it with various Opamp and it work perfectly, but as my collection is rather small I still prefer using either stock Opamp or the Burson V5i wich is my favorite. With basic model, I encounter issue at high gain with the V5i, I’m relieve to say that now it work perfecly and will not go in ‘’Protect’’ mode at high gain.
SOUND:
I was afraid to not like the sound of XD-05+ due to my bad experience with the disapointing Zishan T1 DAP that use dual AK4493. As we know, implementation is more important than DAC chip and Xduoo sure implement perfectly the dac with its excellent clocking and latest Xmos usb receiver. My first impressions was: man, it sound seriously better than basic XD-05 model, especially in term of imaging and neutrality. From all DAP and DAC-AMP using AK dac, this is the more refined one I heard to date. Its natural, refined, revealing, slightly warm in timbre and very transparent. Its like supreme neutrality with extra muscle and mellow timbre.
SOUNDSTAGE is more dependant to amping output, wich suddenly open up your high impendance headphones or low sensitivity earphones, this give extra head room, tallnest and deepnest, but really, the DAC have very little to do with soundstage.
IMAGING in other hand, benefit from DAC and Amping quality, I will not lie by saying the AK4493 is the clearest DAC out there, but it really is good for instrument separation wich have good space between them. Layering have good transparence too even if timbre is thick.
CLARITY is good, not End Game great….i’m still obsess to find supreme clarity, wich for now only my Ibasso DX90 deliver but without an as high power output than XD-05+. Definition have some warmnest too it and while you can hear lot of microdetails, its not super crisp. This is due to thick sound presentation that can stole air between instruments.
BASS have good body and average separation, its not pumped up and have smooth timbre. Its thick, warmish and not particularly fast or tigh. Definition of sub bass line can sometime lack transparency for my taste. It have more about weight than punch, so its better for aggressive V shape headphones-iem than mellow U shape ones. Texture is pure ‘’velvety’’ AKM signature, its lush, gently textured, like a cute curly puppy (hum, yeah).
MID RANGE is were the lush AKM sound please me the most, even if I would prefer some extra presence, the mids are very appealing and a big step above the AK4490 DAC used in basic model. Vocal are super clear and well define, with just enough thickness to give extra body. Its neither organic or bright, and offer a good resolution with smooth natural timbre. Dynamic isn’t the snapiest but have weighty impact wich benefit piano more than violin.
TREBLE feel less flat than bass and mids, with extra push to extract more micro details from the thick sometime opaque mix of sounds. This give extra sparkle to highs, and its were I feel the attack is the more energic. The XD-05PLUS is quite revealing with its treble, especially in 10-15khz region. Percussions are very easy to hear, as well as some type of instrument texture. All this do not tend to make the sound unbalanced, just more lively.
EXTRA IMPRESSIONS WITH BURSON V5i Dual OPAMP:
If I adore the XD-05 basic model, its because of this excellent high end Opamp wich really inject new life in whole sound. Improvment is even WAY better with the PLUS cause strangely I cannot use high gain with basic model as it would always go in protect mode, as well, background noise was higher than with stock TI OP1612 opamp.
To simplify, it really improve EVERYTHING!
SOUNDSTAGE feel it extend in both widness and deepnest due to a more airy presentation and probably better amping stability with lower harmonic disortion.
IMAGING gain in separation distance and layering is way clearer, in fact, this is surely the biggest improvement and it was already good with stock Opamp.
CLARITY gain in definition too, timbre is fuller, with better texture and rounder presentation.
BASS is more bodie and impactfull, the slam have more weight and authority and yet better control as well. Now, the separation between sub bass and mid bass is more agile and faster.
MIDRANGE became thicker, slightly more forwards, with more bodied vocal that feel wider and more transparent...man, its as much transparent than thick and lush, wich really improve whole imaging from 1khz to 8khz.
TREBLE is now less aggressive and more sparkly, while it was sharper with OP1612. It make the whole sound more balanced with natural decay to highs attack.
All in all, the improvement in sound is seriously intense with the V5i upgrade and transform a good DAC-AMP into an excellent one.
PAIRING :
With DITA FIDELITY(midgain, mid volume) :
These TOTL single dynamic earphones aren’t as easy to drive as they look and benifit good amping as well as a not too bright, cold or agressive DAC-AMP. Here come the XD-05PLUS, wich perfectly complement the energic vivid mid centric soundsignature of FIDELITY. Everything sound natural, transparent but gain in thickness and smoothness. Bass is still slightly recessed but mkore bodied and due to powerfull amping, it tend to dig lower in extension. IMAGING is as clear but with wider layering that gain transparence and extra deepness compared to less powerfull DAP like the Xdoo X20 that tend to make the mid range colder and sharper. MID RANGE sound effortless and natural, vocal gain in presence and female signer tend to sound lusher. Piano notes are weighty, more organic than with less powerfull DAP. This do not mean treble became rolled off, quite the contrary, its more sparkly and present while being less harsh and shouty.
With MEZE RAI PENTA (Low gain, low volume):
These are easy to drive iem, and quite sensible in fact, when paired with too powerfull amp or DAP, bass can go crazy and loose control. No problem with bass here, its full bodied, have fast controled slam and gain in texture. SOUNDSTAGE expend notably, both in widnest and deepnest, wich affect positively IMAGING too. BASS control is fabulous, with warm but textured tone, fast pace and great transparence that do not bleed on lower mids. The overall sound is mellow, muscular, natural and never peaky. MID RANGE is still slightly recessed, but better centered and cleaner. TREBLE isn’t pushed more fowards, wich keep its liquid cripsness without affection slight V shape tuning balance. AK4493 DAC being slightly warm, thick but with a neutral linear revealing dynamic, it complement the PENTA like tigh glove, without changing much to overall technicalies with the exception of timbre and attack, wich gain in thickness, transparence and weight.
With TINHIFI P1 (High gain, mid volume) :
These Planar earphones are notoriously hard to drive, but for the XD-05+ it’s a child play. In fact, it’s the only DAC-AMP I own that can drive them effortlessly. SOUNDSTAGE gain in widness and deepness, as well as IMAGING became clearer and sharper in attack without loosing its addictive transparence. BASS became more bodied and compared with less powerfull dap, it do not sound as dry and recessed. MID RANGE sound more coherent and spacy, and vocal have extra presence added. TREBLE too sound more balanced and on line with rest of spectrum. Too my ears, this pairing give extra liveliness to musicality as well a more attack and weight to instrument. Yep, the P1 needed this DAC-AMP to achieve a better transient response.
With ISK HF2010 (mid-gain, mid volume) :
SO, these are 60ohm impendance with low 95db sensitivity open back headphones that benifit from good amping and man, the PLUS sure make them shine like no other DAC-AMP do! SOUNDSTAGE is quite gigantic and airy now, way bigger than pluged direcly into my powerfull Ibasso DX90. IMAGING is where the magic happen, it wasnt bad before but now it just dont understand how accurate it is….imean, its 40$ (bargain) headphones and i can pin point every instrument easily and they are out of my head and have lot of space between them. Delicious. BASS is very controled, but as the PLUS isnt a sub bass champion the roll off sub still is shy, but the mid bass kick gain in control, weight and impact making it very W shape now. MIDS that are slightly recessed gain in presence and clarity, but again, its only vocal that feel less fowards than all other instruments. TREBLE is more detailed, and the HF2010 became more lively and energic.
COMPARAISONS :
VS XDUOO XD-05 (210$) :
Okay, this is the real battle here and let’s be clear, even if the XD-05 is suppose to be 2 times less powerfull than the PLUS, its not night and day difference….until you push the sound to Maximum...wich will only occur with 300 or 600ohm headphones i don’t have. So, yeah, the difference is translate in stability of gain mostly even if YES the PLUS is way more powerfull. An example is that the XD-05 will sometime go in protect mode at high gain with some Opamp, as if it struggle too much to deliver power, while the PLUS will never do that.
Battery life is way better with the PLUS, near the double in fact, i never get more than 6H with the XD-05 while I get 10-12H with the PLUS.
CONSTRUCTION is the very same, nothing to say here appart from different butons placement.
CONNECTIVITY is more versatile with USB C than particular USB of XD-05.
Now, for the SOUND, again, its not night and day as it use similar DAC from same AKM company. AK4493 is an upgraded AK4490 and yes, its shown in how the sound is more nuanced.
IMAGING is improved slightly, especially with the space between instrument and more transparent layering. Here, the XD-05 was more opaque and coloured while the PLUS is more neutral and refined.
TIMBRE is softer and thicker with XD-05, while the PLUS have more texture.
BASS is more controled with the PLUS, we have slightly more mid bass, but this is due to softed mid bass presentation of XD-05.
MIDS are more articulate and resolved with the PLUS, while the XD-05 are warmer and less detailed.
TREBLE is very similar, but slightly sharper with the PLUS.
All in all, the PLUS upgraded about everything possible from old model, delivering more stable and powerfull amping output as well as more refined, balanced and articulate sound.
VS XDUOO TA-10 (290$) :
This amp is great, and pricier….but certainly not portable because its not battery powered and weight 1.5kg.
Sure it win in term of (deskop) construction as well as numerous connectivity that include XLR output.
It win too in term of power output, wich is 2000mW against the impressive 1000mW of the PLUS.
But did it win in term of sound rendering with its AK4490 dac against the more refined AK4493? Well, Yes and No….perhaps if i change the tube as I change the Opamp it will, but, hum, okay, let’s compare them with both stock configuration then.
SOUNDSTAGE is sure bigger with the more powerfull TA-10, as well IMAGING gain spacial freedom because of this out of your holographic presentation. Forme its where the sword hit against PLUS wich have notable less deepnest and airy in spaciality.
BASS is thicker and a little less well controled with the PLUS, TA-10 have more transparent in sub bass wich give better articulation and more natural extension.
MID RANGE is again more detailed and refined with the TA-10, especially in imaging and accuracy, wich make vocal more centered and clearer. Its really about transparence here, wich some will confuse with thinnest, texture is smoother little dryer than PLUS too.
TREBLE is more extended with the PLUS and deliver more microdetails, mellow tube flavor tend to stole some treble so its nothing surprising, still, loer treble tend to be more revealing with the TA-10.
All in all, for plain deskop use I would choose the more powerfull TA-10 for its incredible soundstage and more transparent and refined sound, but the XD-05PLUS win in versatility of use, as well for its bass and gain switch and easy portability.
CONCLUSION :
Yes, XDUOO done it right with the new XD-05PLUS version and upgraded everything that we can dream off without changing the small size of the device.
We couldn’t ask for more, I mean we got 2 times more output power, near 2 times more battery life, a more refined, neutral and detailed sound as well as the possibility to play with dual Opamp wich I can’t wait to explore further.
With this very capable DAC-AMP, I feel XDUOO is back on the track for ultra competitive audio product in term of overall value.
If you are searching for an all-in-one DAC-AMP solution that you wish to carry around at work, school or even in your car or public transport, i’m pretty confident the XD-05PLUS will surpass your need in term of amping power, battery life and most of all sound. I suggest you to upgrade Opamp to get the best of it, for me my end game Opamp is the Burson V5i, but who know what it would be for you!
SOUND: 8.5/10
AMPING: 9/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.5/10
DESIGN: 8/10
FEATURES: 9/10
VALUE: 8.5/10
I’ve been waiting for this, unconsciously, I wish Xduoo make another similar but better XD-05 model.
Why?
Because the first one was near perfect and I enjoy it intensely daily for more than 3 years.
Until now.
The PLUS crualy stole its place with its better battery life, more accurate sound, more versatile connectivity and most of all….2 time more powerfull audio output.
I don’t know how Xduoo achieve to put as much power in this little semi-portable DAC-AMP, but they did and its a power beast that can honnestly drive demanding 300ohm earbuds or headphones as well as higher impendance one when on high gain. I underline this because sometime audio company state that an amp with lower than 500mW output can drive 600ohm headphones, wich is a lie. Near anything can ‘’drive’’ non properly high impendance headphones, but the goal of an amplifier is to drive them properly and effortlessly so you don’t need to push volume to maximum to get loud sound, wich again, do not mean great sound.
The XDUOO XD-05PLUS is not just about power tough, the AKM AK4493EQ dac in it is a very capable one that deliver near reference sound with a refined timbre as well as great imaging and clarity. Again, in term of total harmonic distortion, the PLUS beat the XD-05 with a blacker noise floor. The use of USB-C make it more versatile for hooking on any device too.
So, let’s see in this review if this marvelous DAC-AMP worth the little 50$ more investment over its slightly cheaper little brother.
The XD-05PLUS can be buy for 260$ from XTENIK HERE
DISCLAIMER: I wanna thanks Xtenik for sending me this review sample free of charge, as well as thanking them for their patience. Unlike some other seller that try to put pressure on me to get positive review, Xtenik let me full freedom of toughs and i will not get punish if i write my honnest toughs. This is a relieve because I can collaborate with this great honnest store without being afraid of getting punish so thanks for that too Xtenik!!
SPECS :
Specification
Size: 139 x 75.2 x 22.8mm
Weight: 276g
Compliant OS: Window XP/7/8/10, Mac OSX, IOS, Android system
Output power: 1000mW(32Ωload)
Frequency response
AMP:10Hz-100kHz(±0.5dB)
USB/SPDIF: 20Hz-20kHz(±0.5dB)
Sampling rate support
USB: PCM: 16-32Bit/44.1-384kHz
DSD: 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/2.82mKz(DOP)
THD+N
USB IN/SPDIF IN: 0.0016%@1kHz
AUX IN: 0.0009%@1kHz
S/N: 117dB
Crosstalk: ≥75dB
Battery: 3.8V/5000mAh
Battery life: ≥13H(USB IN), ≥21H(SPDIF IN), ≥40H(AUX IN)
ACCESSORIES, CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN:
UNBOXING is very similar to the one of old XD-05 but it have a new boxd esign that make it moreappealing and perhaps suggest a new direction from Xduoo. What impress is the good number of accessories included so you will not need to buy extra cable or material, everything is takein charge. You have 3 cable, one micro-C to micro C, one micro usb to micro C and one micro C to USB. The Xduoo cable are thinked for easy hooking, and of great quality. As well, you have a neoprene sticker to stick you DAP on the XD-05PLUS, or to use as you want because its a very practical accessories. You have rubber feet wich is a most if you dont want to scracth the metal body. You have extra screws, wich can be usefull if like me you open the DAC-AMP a lot to change Opamp (and loose screws time to time). You have a 6.3 to 3.5mm jack and instruction manual and warranty card.
CONSTRUCTION is exact same than old XD-05 if we talk about the alloy body, but it differ in some aspect in term of features for the switch and butons. It’s a very durable and sturdy construction, not the most appealing for they eye and the screen isn’t the brightess one in bright environment, but its compact and well built, with an all metal construction,and nice quality volume knob. The real difference is inside, were construction seriously differ from old XD-05 as you can see in this pictures.
DESIGN was a little rethinked due to the adding of BOOST option. I can’t say I prefer it, but this is surely due to the fact I was use to XD-05 interface. Now, you have to use buton to change the input modes were it was a useless Display buton on old XD-05. I think they choose to put the BOOST switch in front so you do not press it by error wich can lead to serious ear or earphones damage. All in all, interface is intuitive and well done.
POWER OUTPUT is just crazy for its size and will easily drive near everything up to 600ohm, this time, its not a joke: the 1000mW per channel amping power is really muscular and most of all stable too, so no distortion or hissing due to ackward amping here wich the old XD-05 can do at high gain.
USB connection is excellent and a work and play. I try it on allmy laptop and table as well as my phone and it all work without flaw or any clicking noise or disconnection issue. Even the pricier TA-10 do not have an as good USB signal stability and would cut off time to time.
BATTERY LIFE is seriously improved, wich is a relieve cause it was one of biggest drawback of basic XD-05, not I can have up to 12H of play time. Charging time is okay and take about 2H to fully charge.
FEATURES:
AUDIO IN/OUT is for using the XD-05 as a standalone amplifier or as standalone DAC (line out), you can use normal input from your DAP or DAC line out, I do not suggest using it directly from power out of DAPor PHONE because it will higher harmonic distortion, even if its subtle it not suggested. Using this with my Ibasso DX90 line out, sound is clean and free of any hissing or unwanted electrostatic noise. It work as it should as well as audio out, wich is clean and will gain coloration from the other amp you use with it. There no limit to audio file quality with audio in because it amplify the stock signal.
DIGITAL IN is for pluging coaxial or optical cable, whats interesting is that you can resample audio signal, to my ears, this can sometime improve sound by extracting more textures nuance but it can affect the background by making it more saturated too cause overall sound became slightly thicker. You use SRC buton for this, upsampling up to 192kHz (SRC192).
BOOST switch is a feature I do not use a lot, due to the fact I do not own very high impendance headphones (I will perhaps update this section once I receive the Hifiman Sundara). This features is to use carefully, because its for high impendance headphones, not iem as I discover by making explode the drivers of my Nicehck NX7.
BASS switch is for bass gain, or more likely mid bass gain as it do give more slam to midbass, not so much for sub bass. I like this features for U shape or not enough bassy earphones or headphones. With right pairing it can give very interesting result, making punch thicker and more weighty, to the cost of warming lower mid range a little more sometime. But unlike other bass boost I try, it do not create distortion or ackward unbalanced sound. Anyway, I think its the very same bass boost than XD-05 so if you don’t like it with the first model, you will not use it more with this one.
GAIN switch is very usefull and have same 6db/9db/15db gain than basic model but with more power to back it up. As well, its very clean and more stable than basic model wich can cause hissing sometime at high gain.
FILTER side buton is for SOUND FILTERS. Its an interesting features, it have 4 of it. To be honnest, I do not hear serious difference and never use this option.
INPUT buton is to select between USB in, AUX in/out, coaxial in and optical in.
CHANGEABLE Opamp is a very nice feature wich I use ALOT with the Basic model, now it have been improve so you can use dual Opamp. I try it with various Opamp and it work perfectly, but as my collection is rather small I still prefer using either stock Opamp or the Burson V5i wich is my favorite. With basic model, I encounter issue at high gain with the V5i, I’m relieve to say that now it work perfecly and will not go in ‘’Protect’’ mode at high gain.
SOUND:
I was afraid to not like the sound of XD-05+ due to my bad experience with the disapointing Zishan T1 DAP that use dual AK4493. As we know, implementation is more important than DAC chip and Xduoo sure implement perfectly the dac with its excellent clocking and latest Xmos usb receiver. My first impressions was: man, it sound seriously better than basic XD-05 model, especially in term of imaging and neutrality. From all DAP and DAC-AMP using AK dac, this is the more refined one I heard to date. Its natural, refined, revealing, slightly warm in timbre and very transparent. Its like supreme neutrality with extra muscle and mellow timbre.
SOUNDSTAGE is more dependant to amping output, wich suddenly open up your high impendance headphones or low sensitivity earphones, this give extra head room, tallnest and deepnest, but really, the DAC have very little to do with soundstage.
IMAGING in other hand, benefit from DAC and Amping quality, I will not lie by saying the AK4493 is the clearest DAC out there, but it really is good for instrument separation wich have good space between them. Layering have good transparence too even if timbre is thick.
CLARITY is good, not End Game great….i’m still obsess to find supreme clarity, wich for now only my Ibasso DX90 deliver but without an as high power output than XD-05+. Definition have some warmnest too it and while you can hear lot of microdetails, its not super crisp. This is due to thick sound presentation that can stole air between instruments.
BASS have good body and average separation, its not pumped up and have smooth timbre. Its thick, warmish and not particularly fast or tigh. Definition of sub bass line can sometime lack transparency for my taste. It have more about weight than punch, so its better for aggressive V shape headphones-iem than mellow U shape ones. Texture is pure ‘’velvety’’ AKM signature, its lush, gently textured, like a cute curly puppy (hum, yeah).
MID RANGE is were the lush AKM sound please me the most, even if I would prefer some extra presence, the mids are very appealing and a big step above the AK4490 DAC used in basic model. Vocal are super clear and well define, with just enough thickness to give extra body. Its neither organic or bright, and offer a good resolution with smooth natural timbre. Dynamic isn’t the snapiest but have weighty impact wich benefit piano more than violin.
TREBLE feel less flat than bass and mids, with extra push to extract more micro details from the thick sometime opaque mix of sounds. This give extra sparkle to highs, and its were I feel the attack is the more energic. The XD-05PLUS is quite revealing with its treble, especially in 10-15khz region. Percussions are very easy to hear, as well as some type of instrument texture. All this do not tend to make the sound unbalanced, just more lively.
EXTRA IMPRESSIONS WITH BURSON V5i Dual OPAMP:
If I adore the XD-05 basic model, its because of this excellent high end Opamp wich really inject new life in whole sound. Improvment is even WAY better with the PLUS cause strangely I cannot use high gain with basic model as it would always go in protect mode, as well, background noise was higher than with stock TI OP1612 opamp.
To simplify, it really improve EVERYTHING!
SOUNDSTAGE feel it extend in both widness and deepnest due to a more airy presentation and probably better amping stability with lower harmonic disortion.
IMAGING gain in separation distance and layering is way clearer, in fact, this is surely the biggest improvement and it was already good with stock Opamp.
CLARITY gain in definition too, timbre is fuller, with better texture and rounder presentation.
BASS is more bodie and impactfull, the slam have more weight and authority and yet better control as well. Now, the separation between sub bass and mid bass is more agile and faster.
MIDRANGE became thicker, slightly more forwards, with more bodied vocal that feel wider and more transparent...man, its as much transparent than thick and lush, wich really improve whole imaging from 1khz to 8khz.
TREBLE is now less aggressive and more sparkly, while it was sharper with OP1612. It make the whole sound more balanced with natural decay to highs attack.
All in all, the improvement in sound is seriously intense with the V5i upgrade and transform a good DAC-AMP into an excellent one.
PAIRING :
With DITA FIDELITY(midgain, mid volume) :
These TOTL single dynamic earphones aren’t as easy to drive as they look and benifit good amping as well as a not too bright, cold or agressive DAC-AMP. Here come the XD-05PLUS, wich perfectly complement the energic vivid mid centric soundsignature of FIDELITY. Everything sound natural, transparent but gain in thickness and smoothness. Bass is still slightly recessed but mkore bodied and due to powerfull amping, it tend to dig lower in extension. IMAGING is as clear but with wider layering that gain transparence and extra deepness compared to less powerfull DAP like the Xdoo X20 that tend to make the mid range colder and sharper. MID RANGE sound effortless and natural, vocal gain in presence and female signer tend to sound lusher. Piano notes are weighty, more organic than with less powerfull DAP. This do not mean treble became rolled off, quite the contrary, its more sparkly and present while being less harsh and shouty.
With MEZE RAI PENTA (Low gain, low volume):
These are easy to drive iem, and quite sensible in fact, when paired with too powerfull amp or DAP, bass can go crazy and loose control. No problem with bass here, its full bodied, have fast controled slam and gain in texture. SOUNDSTAGE expend notably, both in widnest and deepnest, wich affect positively IMAGING too. BASS control is fabulous, with warm but textured tone, fast pace and great transparence that do not bleed on lower mids. The overall sound is mellow, muscular, natural and never peaky. MID RANGE is still slightly recessed, but better centered and cleaner. TREBLE isn’t pushed more fowards, wich keep its liquid cripsness without affection slight V shape tuning balance. AK4493 DAC being slightly warm, thick but with a neutral linear revealing dynamic, it complement the PENTA like tigh glove, without changing much to overall technicalies with the exception of timbre and attack, wich gain in thickness, transparence and weight.
With TINHIFI P1 (High gain, mid volume) :
These Planar earphones are notoriously hard to drive, but for the XD-05+ it’s a child play. In fact, it’s the only DAC-AMP I own that can drive them effortlessly. SOUNDSTAGE gain in widness and deepness, as well as IMAGING became clearer and sharper in attack without loosing its addictive transparence. BASS became more bodied and compared with less powerfull dap, it do not sound as dry and recessed. MID RANGE sound more coherent and spacy, and vocal have extra presence added. TREBLE too sound more balanced and on line with rest of spectrum. Too my ears, this pairing give extra liveliness to musicality as well a more attack and weight to instrument. Yep, the P1 needed this DAC-AMP to achieve a better transient response.
With ISK HF2010 (mid-gain, mid volume) :
SO, these are 60ohm impendance with low 95db sensitivity open back headphones that benifit from good amping and man, the PLUS sure make them shine like no other DAC-AMP do! SOUNDSTAGE is quite gigantic and airy now, way bigger than pluged direcly into my powerfull Ibasso DX90. IMAGING is where the magic happen, it wasnt bad before but now it just dont understand how accurate it is….imean, its 40$ (bargain) headphones and i can pin point every instrument easily and they are out of my head and have lot of space between them. Delicious. BASS is very controled, but as the PLUS isnt a sub bass champion the roll off sub still is shy, but the mid bass kick gain in control, weight and impact making it very W shape now. MIDS that are slightly recessed gain in presence and clarity, but again, its only vocal that feel less fowards than all other instruments. TREBLE is more detailed, and the HF2010 became more lively and energic.
COMPARAISONS :
VS XDUOO XD-05 (210$) :
Okay, this is the real battle here and let’s be clear, even if the XD-05 is suppose to be 2 times less powerfull than the PLUS, its not night and day difference….until you push the sound to Maximum...wich will only occur with 300 or 600ohm headphones i don’t have. So, yeah, the difference is translate in stability of gain mostly even if YES the PLUS is way more powerfull. An example is that the XD-05 will sometime go in protect mode at high gain with some Opamp, as if it struggle too much to deliver power, while the PLUS will never do that.
Battery life is way better with the PLUS, near the double in fact, i never get more than 6H with the XD-05 while I get 10-12H with the PLUS.
CONSTRUCTION is the very same, nothing to say here appart from different butons placement.
CONNECTIVITY is more versatile with USB C than particular USB of XD-05.
Now, for the SOUND, again, its not night and day as it use similar DAC from same AKM company. AK4493 is an upgraded AK4490 and yes, its shown in how the sound is more nuanced.
IMAGING is improved slightly, especially with the space between instrument and more transparent layering. Here, the XD-05 was more opaque and coloured while the PLUS is more neutral and refined.
TIMBRE is softer and thicker with XD-05, while the PLUS have more texture.
BASS is more controled with the PLUS, we have slightly more mid bass, but this is due to softed mid bass presentation of XD-05.
MIDS are more articulate and resolved with the PLUS, while the XD-05 are warmer and less detailed.
TREBLE is very similar, but slightly sharper with the PLUS.
All in all, the PLUS upgraded about everything possible from old model, delivering more stable and powerfull amping output as well as more refined, balanced and articulate sound.
VS XDUOO TA-10 (290$) :
This amp is great, and pricier….but certainly not portable because its not battery powered and weight 1.5kg.
Sure it win in term of (deskop) construction as well as numerous connectivity that include XLR output.
It win too in term of power output, wich is 2000mW against the impressive 1000mW of the PLUS.
But did it win in term of sound rendering with its AK4490 dac against the more refined AK4493? Well, Yes and No….perhaps if i change the tube as I change the Opamp it will, but, hum, okay, let’s compare them with both stock configuration then.
SOUNDSTAGE is sure bigger with the more powerfull TA-10, as well IMAGING gain spacial freedom because of this out of your holographic presentation. Forme its where the sword hit against PLUS wich have notable less deepnest and airy in spaciality.
BASS is thicker and a little less well controled with the PLUS, TA-10 have more transparent in sub bass wich give better articulation and more natural extension.
MID RANGE is again more detailed and refined with the TA-10, especially in imaging and accuracy, wich make vocal more centered and clearer. Its really about transparence here, wich some will confuse with thinnest, texture is smoother little dryer than PLUS too.
TREBLE is more extended with the PLUS and deliver more microdetails, mellow tube flavor tend to stole some treble so its nothing surprising, still, loer treble tend to be more revealing with the TA-10.
All in all, for plain deskop use I would choose the more powerfull TA-10 for its incredible soundstage and more transparent and refined sound, but the XD-05PLUS win in versatility of use, as well for its bass and gain switch and easy portability.
CONCLUSION :
Yes, XDUOO done it right with the new XD-05PLUS version and upgraded everything that we can dream off without changing the small size of the device.
We couldn’t ask for more, I mean we got 2 times more output power, near 2 times more battery life, a more refined, neutral and detailed sound as well as the possibility to play with dual Opamp wich I can’t wait to explore further.
With this very capable DAC-AMP, I feel XDUOO is back on the track for ultra competitive audio product in term of overall value.
If you are searching for an all-in-one DAC-AMP solution that you wish to carry around at work, school or even in your car or public transport, i’m pretty confident the XD-05PLUS will surpass your need in term of amping power, battery life and most of all sound. I suggest you to upgrade Opamp to get the best of it, for me my end game Opamp is the Burson V5i, but who know what it would be for you!
Attachments
airil
I have an xd05 + v5i. I am indifferet now;
Between xd05 plus + burson v5i vs mojo.
Which one do u think is btr? Mojo is a bit old but xd can swap opamps.
Between xd05 plus + burson v5i vs mojo.
Which one do u think is btr? Mojo is a bit old but xd can swap opamps.
IEMmasterRace
Is the hiss/noise bad for sensitive IEM?
PoorBastard
Thank you for comparing it with TA-10! After reading your review I decided to order TA-10 and compare it against XD-05 and I liked TA-10 more! Fortunately, I was able to return the XD-05 Plus. I really liked XD-05 though, great portable device!
But I'm happy with my TA-10 Now!
But I'm happy with my TA-10 Now!
Disclaimer: The XD-05+ was provided by Xtenik for this review at my request. I have owned the XD-05 for several years now and think it may well be the best product Xduoo has released to date. As such, when Steven told me the XD-05+ had become available, I was anxious to review it and requested that he send me a unit for review. I do not have a financial interest in Xtenik or in Xduoo. Should you want more information or to purchase an XD-05+, give Xtenik a try.
Unboxing / Accessories:
I normally try not to imbalance the importance (or lack thereof) of the packaging by having a ton of photos of it, but this is just a cool box. The outer packing has the line drawing of the XD-05+ (the Plus) that wraps around the box in blue and gray. The box rear has all the spec information in a well organized and easy to read layout. Remove the outer box, and the inner box has the line drawing again, but this time in satin black in contrast to the flat black finish of the rest of the box. Again, the graphic wraps around the box and gives the box a very distinct look. Lifting the cover of the box reveals the unit in a foam surround with all other accessories hidden in a box underneath it. The kit has two usb interconnects (micro to C, and C to C), a USB-C to USB-A cable for computer connection or charging, a neoprene pad to place between phone and the XD-05+, extra screws, feet, and a 6.3 to 3.5mm jack adapter. A fairly complete manual and a warranty card round out the package.
Build:
Those familiar with the previous generation unit will recognize the form factor of the Plus immediately. Other than its silver exterior, the externals of the unit have not changed much. The entire unit is metal cased, with thick face plates. The biggest external difference other than color is the Logo and position of it as the original had two lines of text near the rear of the unit, while the Plus has a logo and model name a bit to the right of center and a bit further forward. The front face plate remain the same from the previous generation as does the volume control. The front face still has the three switches on the front, but the input funtion from the original is now the boost function of the Plus with the input switch being moved to the side. The rear face plate is a bit remodeled with the auxiliary and digital 3.5mm inputs remaining in the same position, but gone is the USB-A input and the Micro-USB charge port, replaced with a pair of USB-C ports for charging and input respectively. Buttons on the Side, are now input in place of display, SRC, and filter (More on those later).
Internals:
Those familiar with the XD-05 will be most interested in what changed and the answers are a lot more apparent on the inside than on the exterior of the unit. Starting from the inputs, the USB duties are now handled by the Xu208 which allows for PCM up to 32/384 and Native DSD256 support. Optical and coaxial inputs are still limited to 24/192 if one can realistically call that a limit. DAC duties are now handled by the AKM4493EQ in place of the 4490 used in the previous generation. Not all of the features of the chip are usable as the input limits it below its 32/768 PCM maximum and DSD 22.4 mhz max. Clocking is handled by two oscillators at 22 and 24 Mhz respectively. One plus is DSD64 is now supported over coax input unlike the original.
The Op-amp is still seated in a Dip-8 socket to allow for easy swaps, but now the socket is designed to allow use of either One Dual op-amp or two Single Op-amps. TI OPA1612. I did my listening with the stock op-amp (still OPA1612) and then promptly swapped in a pair of Muses03 and later a single Burson V5i to see what impact they had on sound quality.
Power:
Power is provided by two 5000 mAh lithium polymer cells stacked in the center of the unit. Battery life is listed at >13 hours for USB input, >21 hours for Coaxial input, and >40 hours if bypassing the dac portion and only using the amp section of the unit. I had no trouble getting over 12 hours on USB and 18 on Optical so find the provided numbers to be believable and not overly optimistic as they often are.
Controls:
All controls are either on the front of the unit or down the side nearest the headphone jack. On the front are three switches for boost, bass, and gain. Boost is listed as an increased thrust switch which isn't a particularly useful definition. More accurately, boost is the Impedance matching switch with the off position for headphones at or below 150Ω and the on position for things exceeding that same value. For the other two switches, differences are readily seen on FR so, I have paired the XD-05+ to my measurement laptop and then to a Brainwavz B400. The FR graphs below show the output of the unit with and without the bass switch engaged to show what frequencies are pushed forward or pulled down. Likewise, I did the same for gain to show the amount of gain applied by each setting. The initial measurement is deliberately low to allow headroom for the high gain in the later as no adjustment to volume was made in order to maintain a valid comparison.
Buttons on the side of the unit allow the user to select input type, src, and filter. Input type gives the options for USB, Coax, Optical, or Auxiliary in. On the display, these are shown in the lower left to indicate which input is in use. The Src button only works with Coaxial/Optical input and allows the user to select to force resampling to 48,96, or 192kHz. Settings are displayed on the left of the screen above the Coaxial or Optical indicator and will show SRC48, SRC96, or SRC192 respectively. If none of those is shown, resampling is off. The last of the buttons is filter and this one is a bit more involved. For PCM, 4 possible settings are available and are listed on the lower right under the charge indicator. PCM1 is Sharp roll-off, PCM2 is Slow Roll-off, PCM3 is short delay Sharp, and PCM4 is short delay Slow. When using DSD, it is a bit more complex with 2 settings. Setting DSD1 will result in 39kHz for DSD64 files, 78kHz for DSD128, and 156kHz for DSD256. DSD2 will result in 76kHz for DSD64 files, 152kHz for DSD128, and 304kHz for DSD256. There is also an undocumented function that by holding all three side buttons in brings up the menu to default the unit. Once that menu is activated, input allows for selection of yes or no, and filter acts as the enter/return key. Choosing no and hitting enter will return the unit to normal operational mode.
Sound:
Bass: Without the bass switch active, the bass has good slam and rumble without being overly assertive or bloated. With the bass boost enabled, bass below 400Hz does get considerably more forward but at the cost of quality. Bass boost is rarely something that performs well and unfortunately the bass boost on the Plus carries all the hallmarks of stereotypical bass boosts. The best thing about the Plus with nearly a full watt of power available to it, the low end is more potent and more dynamic than its predecessor and with all but the most demanding headphones, the Plus has the ability to drive them to full capability.
Mids: The Plus does a good job of presenting the mids without coloration as it does not seem to elevate the upper-mids or attempt to push vocals to the front. If anything, vocals could use a bit more thickness than they are presented with. This is not to say they are overly lean, just that the sound is not as full as it could be. I did find this improved when going to the Muses03 op-amps so this may be more of function of the op-amp in play than the device itself. The Plus does a good job with vocals as they are well rendered without the grain that comes through on some other amplifiers in this price range.
Treble: Here again, the Plus does a good job of presenting what is there without introducing its own slant on it. Treble is well extended with good energy, but not pushed forward or exaggerated. I did find that the difference in mid and high gain seems to alter the signature more at the bottom and makes the treble seem a bit recessed by comparison to lower gain settings. This is not to say the treble is recessed but the gain applied seems to be from 1kHz down when moving from mid to high gain and effectively becomes a form of low-end boost.
Output Power:
The XD-05+ is not lacking in power either. Specs show a full 1 Watt output power into a 32Ω load. I found it had no trouble powering things like the Fostex T50rp or He560 to levels above those safe for average listening. Noise floor is fairly low on low gain, but some sensitive iems will still have some hiss as the XD-05+ is really not designed with ultra-sensitive iems as its target audience. I found that something like the ie-match could be used in conjunction with the XD-05+ and sensitive iems to reduce noise floor to inaudible levels.
Bluetooth:
The unit does not support Bluetooth by itself, but does have an add-on, the 05BL that adds this functionality. I have an 05BL that I had previously used with the original XD-05 so transferred it to the Plus to test out its compatibility. The unit works well but looks a little less at home as the matte silver Plus stands in contrast to the polished black 05BL. My biggest complaint on the Bluetooth unit is the fact that it obstructs the input ports so must be removed in order to charge the unit, and with having a separate battery for the Bluetooth module, it has to be charged independently as well. My take away is while the Bluetooth add-on works well, the XD-05 Plus is really at its best with full sized wired headphones and those looking for a Bluetooth solution can likely find more user friendly solutions for the same spend (even in Xduoo's product line - see XQ23 or XQ25).
Comparisons:
I have attempted to compare other similar devices in the market. These are all within a $100 of each other and all are DAC/Amp combinations although feature sets will vary.
Fiio Q5 $299 list + $159 list for AM5 module
(At time of this writing Fiio has updated the Q5 with the Q5s which comes with the AM3e module as opposed to the Q5 with the Am3a - Hopefully we will have a review sample of it to put through it's paces one day soon).
The Q5 uses dual AK4490 chips compared to the Pluses single 4493 and both support 32/384 PCM. DSD support to 256 is also built into the Q5 so both stay within striking distance of each other on that front. The Q5 does package Bluetooth into the base device for those who want it and offers interchangeable amplifier modules to suit the users choice of headphones. That is the good news, the bad news is, in order to equal the output power of the Plus, you'll need the AM5 amplifier which adds another $150-200 to the cost depending on where you get it, and then expect battery life on the Q5 to be considerably diminished as the AM5 draws considerably more power than the default AM3A that comes packaged with the Q5. The AM3a does support balanced output and is better suited to high sensitivity iems than the Plus as its noise floor is a bit lower. Realistically, the Q5 does its best work with iems while the Plus is more targeted to full sized cans. You can force either of them into the others lane, but neither is able to show off its full capability by doing so.
iFi xDSD $399 list
The xDSD is iFi's swiss army knife of an audio device and offers a ton of features in a very small package. Size is about two-thirds that of the Plus but weight is more closely matched. The xDSD has the capability to play higher resolution files (768kHz PCM and DSD512) than the Plus for those that have sources in those ranges and also supports MQA. The plus exposes more of the filters where the X offers only two. Bass Boost is better on the x while the Plus offers the ability to selectively resample coax or optical input. The X fires back by including Bluetooth in the base unit rather than requiring an add-on. Battery life favors the Plus with the xDSD falling to about 2/3 the runtime of the Plus before needing a recharge. Both offer great sound, but the Plus brings a bit more potency for those running hard to drive cans. Both units score enough points that calling a winner is tough, for those wanting more battery life and a bit more power the Plus will get the call, for those with MQA, the xDSD is perhaps a better option.
Sony PHA1A $300 list
This really isnt a fair fight and does a lot to show the age of the Sony device. The PHA1A was great when introduced but now the WM8790 is starting to show its age. The PHA1A only supports USB input, and tops out at 24/192 with no DSD support. The Amplifier in the PHA1A is an LME49860 design and while fairly potent struggles to come near the Plus in overall output power. Topping off the hits, battery life on the PHA1a is a mere 6 hours compared to the Plus. Sony is due to release a refreshed line-up soon, maybe that model will have the features to compete on a more even footing.
Chord Mojo $500 list
At double the price, it is hard to call the Mojo a direct competitor, but with it's overwhelming popularity, I would be remiss not to include it. That extra money, gets a 32/768 USB or coaxial input while the optical on Mojo is actually more limited than the Plus (96/24). Mojo's battery life is considerably less at 8 hours and many including myself have had issues with the Mojo getting outright hot while charging, (especially while charging during use). Output power on Mojo is about 3/4 of the Plus so its noise floor is lower, but its not quite as capable with heavy cans. The fact that Mojo splits its output between two 3.5mm outputs also calls into question how much of that output is really available to either jack if both are in use. One of the big upsides to Mojo is that rather than using a dedicated DAC, it uses a microprocessor (Xilinx Artix 7) thus can be re-programmed to support newer standards rather than being hardware limited. With the current firmware, DSD playback is limited to the same options as the Plus, but in theory could be improved upon with a flash update. Both are aluminum shelled with the Mojo being a bit more artistic while the controls on the Plus are a bit more easily understood and the display makes more sense than the Mojo's colored buttons arrangement. Mojo is starting to show its age with micro-USB ports instead of USB-C. Having been several years since release, it is possible that a Mojo2 could be on the horizon, but to date no announcement has been made that I am aware of.
Conclusion:
I am going to start my conclusion by reminding the user that I said at the outset that I thought the XD-05 was probably the best product Xduoo has released. The good news is the XD-05 Plus does nothing to change my mind. It retains all of the things that made the original model a hit and adds some welcome new options. The ability to swap op-amps was nice on the original but the plus opens the door to using either a double to two singles without having to use adapters that are too tall for the case to close. Tonality is good as it neither tries to add anything nor does it particularly detract from any single element. The option of USB-C, coax, optical, or analog input makes it a truly versatile travel companion, and the nearly full Watt output power makes it capable of replacing many desktop rigs. The downside is bass boost is still clunky and best avoided, and bluetooth functionality is added by an external module rather than being baked in as is now pretty common. The XD-05 Plus is a great device with a lot of capability, not a perfect one for every use case. I can live with that, my bet is you probably can too.
Unboxing / Accessories:
I normally try not to imbalance the importance (or lack thereof) of the packaging by having a ton of photos of it, but this is just a cool box. The outer packing has the line drawing of the XD-05+ (the Plus) that wraps around the box in blue and gray. The box rear has all the spec information in a well organized and easy to read layout. Remove the outer box, and the inner box has the line drawing again, but this time in satin black in contrast to the flat black finish of the rest of the box. Again, the graphic wraps around the box and gives the box a very distinct look. Lifting the cover of the box reveals the unit in a foam surround with all other accessories hidden in a box underneath it. The kit has two usb interconnects (micro to C, and C to C), a USB-C to USB-A cable for computer connection or charging, a neoprene pad to place between phone and the XD-05+, extra screws, feet, and a 6.3 to 3.5mm jack adapter. A fairly complete manual and a warranty card round out the package.
Build:
Those familiar with the previous generation unit will recognize the form factor of the Plus immediately. Other than its silver exterior, the externals of the unit have not changed much. The entire unit is metal cased, with thick face plates. The biggest external difference other than color is the Logo and position of it as the original had two lines of text near the rear of the unit, while the Plus has a logo and model name a bit to the right of center and a bit further forward. The front face plate remain the same from the previous generation as does the volume control. The front face still has the three switches on the front, but the input funtion from the original is now the boost function of the Plus with the input switch being moved to the side. The rear face plate is a bit remodeled with the auxiliary and digital 3.5mm inputs remaining in the same position, but gone is the USB-A input and the Micro-USB charge port, replaced with a pair of USB-C ports for charging and input respectively. Buttons on the Side, are now input in place of display, SRC, and filter (More on those later).
Internals:
Those familiar with the XD-05 will be most interested in what changed and the answers are a lot more apparent on the inside than on the exterior of the unit. Starting from the inputs, the USB duties are now handled by the Xu208 which allows for PCM up to 32/384 and Native DSD256 support. Optical and coaxial inputs are still limited to 24/192 if one can realistically call that a limit. DAC duties are now handled by the AKM4493EQ in place of the 4490 used in the previous generation. Not all of the features of the chip are usable as the input limits it below its 32/768 PCM maximum and DSD 22.4 mhz max. Clocking is handled by two oscillators at 22 and 24 Mhz respectively. One plus is DSD64 is now supported over coax input unlike the original.
The Op-amp is still seated in a Dip-8 socket to allow for easy swaps, but now the socket is designed to allow use of either One Dual op-amp or two Single Op-amps. TI OPA1612. I did my listening with the stock op-amp (still OPA1612) and then promptly swapped in a pair of Muses03 and later a single Burson V5i to see what impact they had on sound quality.
Power:
Power is provided by two 5000 mAh lithium polymer cells stacked in the center of the unit. Battery life is listed at >13 hours for USB input, >21 hours for Coaxial input, and >40 hours if bypassing the dac portion and only using the amp section of the unit. I had no trouble getting over 12 hours on USB and 18 on Optical so find the provided numbers to be believable and not overly optimistic as they often are.
Controls:
All controls are either on the front of the unit or down the side nearest the headphone jack. On the front are three switches for boost, bass, and gain. Boost is listed as an increased thrust switch which isn't a particularly useful definition. More accurately, boost is the Impedance matching switch with the off position for headphones at or below 150Ω and the on position for things exceeding that same value. For the other two switches, differences are readily seen on FR so, I have paired the XD-05+ to my measurement laptop and then to a Brainwavz B400. The FR graphs below show the output of the unit with and without the bass switch engaged to show what frequencies are pushed forward or pulled down. Likewise, I did the same for gain to show the amount of gain applied by each setting. The initial measurement is deliberately low to allow headroom for the high gain in the later as no adjustment to volume was made in order to maintain a valid comparison.
Buttons on the side of the unit allow the user to select input type, src, and filter. Input type gives the options for USB, Coax, Optical, or Auxiliary in. On the display, these are shown in the lower left to indicate which input is in use. The Src button only works with Coaxial/Optical input and allows the user to select to force resampling to 48,96, or 192kHz. Settings are displayed on the left of the screen above the Coaxial or Optical indicator and will show SRC48, SRC96, or SRC192 respectively. If none of those is shown, resampling is off. The last of the buttons is filter and this one is a bit more involved. For PCM, 4 possible settings are available and are listed on the lower right under the charge indicator. PCM1 is Sharp roll-off, PCM2 is Slow Roll-off, PCM3 is short delay Sharp, and PCM4 is short delay Slow. When using DSD, it is a bit more complex with 2 settings. Setting DSD1 will result in 39kHz for DSD64 files, 78kHz for DSD128, and 156kHz for DSD256. DSD2 will result in 76kHz for DSD64 files, 152kHz for DSD128, and 304kHz for DSD256. There is also an undocumented function that by holding all three side buttons in brings up the menu to default the unit. Once that menu is activated, input allows for selection of yes or no, and filter acts as the enter/return key. Choosing no and hitting enter will return the unit to normal operational mode.
Sound:
Bass: Without the bass switch active, the bass has good slam and rumble without being overly assertive or bloated. With the bass boost enabled, bass below 400Hz does get considerably more forward but at the cost of quality. Bass boost is rarely something that performs well and unfortunately the bass boost on the Plus carries all the hallmarks of stereotypical bass boosts. The best thing about the Plus with nearly a full watt of power available to it, the low end is more potent and more dynamic than its predecessor and with all but the most demanding headphones, the Plus has the ability to drive them to full capability.
Mids: The Plus does a good job of presenting the mids without coloration as it does not seem to elevate the upper-mids or attempt to push vocals to the front. If anything, vocals could use a bit more thickness than they are presented with. This is not to say they are overly lean, just that the sound is not as full as it could be. I did find this improved when going to the Muses03 op-amps so this may be more of function of the op-amp in play than the device itself. The Plus does a good job with vocals as they are well rendered without the grain that comes through on some other amplifiers in this price range.
Treble: Here again, the Plus does a good job of presenting what is there without introducing its own slant on it. Treble is well extended with good energy, but not pushed forward or exaggerated. I did find that the difference in mid and high gain seems to alter the signature more at the bottom and makes the treble seem a bit recessed by comparison to lower gain settings. This is not to say the treble is recessed but the gain applied seems to be from 1kHz down when moving from mid to high gain and effectively becomes a form of low-end boost.
Output Power:
The XD-05+ is not lacking in power either. Specs show a full 1 Watt output power into a 32Ω load. I found it had no trouble powering things like the Fostex T50rp or He560 to levels above those safe for average listening. Noise floor is fairly low on low gain, but some sensitive iems will still have some hiss as the XD-05+ is really not designed with ultra-sensitive iems as its target audience. I found that something like the ie-match could be used in conjunction with the XD-05+ and sensitive iems to reduce noise floor to inaudible levels.
Bluetooth:
The unit does not support Bluetooth by itself, but does have an add-on, the 05BL that adds this functionality. I have an 05BL that I had previously used with the original XD-05 so transferred it to the Plus to test out its compatibility. The unit works well but looks a little less at home as the matte silver Plus stands in contrast to the polished black 05BL. My biggest complaint on the Bluetooth unit is the fact that it obstructs the input ports so must be removed in order to charge the unit, and with having a separate battery for the Bluetooth module, it has to be charged independently as well. My take away is while the Bluetooth add-on works well, the XD-05 Plus is really at its best with full sized wired headphones and those looking for a Bluetooth solution can likely find more user friendly solutions for the same spend (even in Xduoo's product line - see XQ23 or XQ25).
Comparisons:
I have attempted to compare other similar devices in the market. These are all within a $100 of each other and all are DAC/Amp combinations although feature sets will vary.
Fiio Q5 $299 list + $159 list for AM5 module
(At time of this writing Fiio has updated the Q5 with the Q5s which comes with the AM3e module as opposed to the Q5 with the Am3a - Hopefully we will have a review sample of it to put through it's paces one day soon).
The Q5 uses dual AK4490 chips compared to the Pluses single 4493 and both support 32/384 PCM. DSD support to 256 is also built into the Q5 so both stay within striking distance of each other on that front. The Q5 does package Bluetooth into the base device for those who want it and offers interchangeable amplifier modules to suit the users choice of headphones. That is the good news, the bad news is, in order to equal the output power of the Plus, you'll need the AM5 amplifier which adds another $150-200 to the cost depending on where you get it, and then expect battery life on the Q5 to be considerably diminished as the AM5 draws considerably more power than the default AM3A that comes packaged with the Q5. The AM3a does support balanced output and is better suited to high sensitivity iems than the Plus as its noise floor is a bit lower. Realistically, the Q5 does its best work with iems while the Plus is more targeted to full sized cans. You can force either of them into the others lane, but neither is able to show off its full capability by doing so.
iFi xDSD $399 list
The xDSD is iFi's swiss army knife of an audio device and offers a ton of features in a very small package. Size is about two-thirds that of the Plus but weight is more closely matched. The xDSD has the capability to play higher resolution files (768kHz PCM and DSD512) than the Plus for those that have sources in those ranges and also supports MQA. The plus exposes more of the filters where the X offers only two. Bass Boost is better on the x while the Plus offers the ability to selectively resample coax or optical input. The X fires back by including Bluetooth in the base unit rather than requiring an add-on. Battery life favors the Plus with the xDSD falling to about 2/3 the runtime of the Plus before needing a recharge. Both offer great sound, but the Plus brings a bit more potency for those running hard to drive cans. Both units score enough points that calling a winner is tough, for those wanting more battery life and a bit more power the Plus will get the call, for those with MQA, the xDSD is perhaps a better option.
Sony PHA1A $300 list
This really isnt a fair fight and does a lot to show the age of the Sony device. The PHA1A was great when introduced but now the WM8790 is starting to show its age. The PHA1A only supports USB input, and tops out at 24/192 with no DSD support. The Amplifier in the PHA1A is an LME49860 design and while fairly potent struggles to come near the Plus in overall output power. Topping off the hits, battery life on the PHA1a is a mere 6 hours compared to the Plus. Sony is due to release a refreshed line-up soon, maybe that model will have the features to compete on a more even footing.
Chord Mojo $500 list
At double the price, it is hard to call the Mojo a direct competitor, but with it's overwhelming popularity, I would be remiss not to include it. That extra money, gets a 32/768 USB or coaxial input while the optical on Mojo is actually more limited than the Plus (96/24). Mojo's battery life is considerably less at 8 hours and many including myself have had issues with the Mojo getting outright hot while charging, (especially while charging during use). Output power on Mojo is about 3/4 of the Plus so its noise floor is lower, but its not quite as capable with heavy cans. The fact that Mojo splits its output between two 3.5mm outputs also calls into question how much of that output is really available to either jack if both are in use. One of the big upsides to Mojo is that rather than using a dedicated DAC, it uses a microprocessor (Xilinx Artix 7) thus can be re-programmed to support newer standards rather than being hardware limited. With the current firmware, DSD playback is limited to the same options as the Plus, but in theory could be improved upon with a flash update. Both are aluminum shelled with the Mojo being a bit more artistic while the controls on the Plus are a bit more easily understood and the display makes more sense than the Mojo's colored buttons arrangement. Mojo is starting to show its age with micro-USB ports instead of USB-C. Having been several years since release, it is possible that a Mojo2 could be on the horizon, but to date no announcement has been made that I am aware of.
Conclusion:
I am going to start my conclusion by reminding the user that I said at the outset that I thought the XD-05 was probably the best product Xduoo has released. The good news is the XD-05 Plus does nothing to change my mind. It retains all of the things that made the original model a hit and adds some welcome new options. The ability to swap op-amps was nice on the original but the plus opens the door to using either a double to two singles without having to use adapters that are too tall for the case to close. Tonality is good as it neither tries to add anything nor does it particularly detract from any single element. The option of USB-C, coax, optical, or analog input makes it a truly versatile travel companion, and the nearly full Watt output power makes it capable of replacing many desktop rigs. The downside is bass boost is still clunky and best avoided, and bluetooth functionality is added by an external module rather than being baked in as is now pretty common. The XD-05 Plus is a great device with a lot of capability, not a perfect one for every use case. I can live with that, my bet is you probably can too.
Attachments
Wiljen
My reply got a bit involved so I sent it via PM.
vlad335
Sorry if this is extremely late but you mentioned swapping opamps to compare sound quality. Did you do this? Just got the Xd-05 plus and trying to decide between the muses02 vs the Burson.
Wiljen
I very slightly prefer the muses but could live happily with either so I'd grab whichever is less expensive and easier to get a hold of.
