Your thoughts on xdsd vs btr5. I have both ND like both. Feel xdsd is a little more warm, perhaps musical, but also love the btr5.
After a week of using it and based on your question I decided to do my first and last direct comparison with xDSD and I actually I forgot how much I like my xDSD.
My comparison is based only on the usb input from my iPhone and a balanced connection to my 58X (s-balanced from my xDSD.)
To answer my question this is not a giant killer as far as difficult to drive headphones that scale considerably is conserned. Contrary to the mainstream belief I find that 58x like the rest of the 6 series scale considerably and that the ifi devices are scaling quite uniquely the senns. For example, I find them quite muddy with my es100 which makes me some times not to like them at all.
In solo instruments music passages like acoustic guitar music there is not a lot of difference, the treble and the highs are quite good in the btr5.
It is the low registers and the more convoluted loaded music passages where the xDSD is clearly superior to me. Especially, the dynamics are better and the bass more controlled with better separation of instruments. Is one category above as its size and the more than 4x price suggest.
However, what difference exist in critical listening is only attributed to the physical limitations of this device as clearly there must be some limitations given this small size and not in the actual quality of the dac implementation and only for special and difficult to drive headphones. Not sure if it is worth to spend more with easy to drive headphones that do not scale much as my Meze 99.
I consider the btr5 in the same size category with the es100 and dragonfly and as such some limitations are inevitable, nothing to criticize.
Acctually, for this price the btr5 is almost perfect and has the best value for money proposition to me currently in the market.
If I had to buy one device and considering the cost btr5 is what I would buy. I find it more user friendly even than es100. It reconnects immediately with my iPhone, has small qute screen that can make the phone app redundant at times and the sound quality is great given the price and the size of this device.
From now on, for the vast majority of my time and for convenience reasons, I will listen in Bluetooth mode (which sounds great even in AAC mode) with this device and with the vast majority of my headphones and budget iems, even with movies before I sleep. And if it breaks I can buy another one without sweat.
5 stars from me, no hesitation. I hope it will prove durable and stand the use of time. My only request for the new model after two years is if fiio can manage to make it more energy efficient from the usb input like the dragonfly so to be able to use it without its internal battery.
Congratulations, well done fiio!!!