XDuoo XD-05 Portable Dac/Amp Introduction - Impressions
Aug 25, 2016 at 5:46 PM Post #406 of 2,100
Just received mine from gearbest.  2 things
1) is there a way to force usb1 mode?  my work computer does not except new drivers. 
2) how do you remove the volume knob to take off the front plate?
 
Aug 25, 2016 at 9:24 PM Post #407 of 2,100
No, for the Burson v5i no further modifications on the case of the CD-05 were necessary...

Thanks for that!
 
   
If you want a coaxial connection of Fiio X3K to XD-05 or Chord Mojo, be careful, use the following  kind of coaxial cable. Then 4-pole 3.5mm jack is for Fiio X3K(X5K), the 3-pole jack to XD-05 or Mojo. You can DIY one or ask someone do it for you.   The old Fiio X3(X5) and some other DAPs like iBasso DX80 use 3-pole jack for coaxial out.
 

 
I don't know where to buy it. Maybe you can DIY one.

Ah looks interesting, thanks for the info. I tried a normal interconnect but didn't work.
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 Is this from Taobao?
 
  Just received mine from gearbest.  2 things
1) is there a way to force usb1 mode?  my work computer does not except new drivers. 
2) how do you remove the volume knob to take off the front plate?

I think you gotta unscrew both front and back plates. Seems like the PCB is attached to the front plate. 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/689557/toys-for-boys/75#post_12793573
 
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:59 PM Post #409 of 2,100
Just got my Xd-05 from Gearbest as well.  All seems well for the most part.  A couple of issues though.  
 
First, I can't seem to set playback at 32-384 on my PC laptop sound device control, nor can I select it through the xmos software.  Is there anyway to get around this.  Of course, 24-192 is pretty damn excellent but would like to be able to use its full capability.
 
Second, the setup for playing DSD natively through Foobar is a pain and if you use updated SACD plugins, it won't work.  You'll have to use the iteration that is packaged on the mini CD or available through the Xduoo site.  Bummer.

Other than that, the sound quality is great and has more than enough power to drive my hard-to-drive Fostex T50rp Mk3s even on low gain to satisfying loudness.  High gain might lead to permanent hearing loss hahaha.
 
 
Aug 27, 2016 at 5:24 AM Post #410 of 2,100
  Just got my Xd-05 from Gearbest as well.  All seems well for the most part.  A couple of issues though.  
 
First, I can't seem to set playback at 32-384 on my PC laptop sound device control, nor can I select it through the xmos software.  Is there anyway to get around this.  Of course, 24-192 is pretty damn excellent but would like to be able to use its full capability.
 
Second, the setup for playing DSD natively through Foobar is a pain and if you use updated SACD plugins, it won't work.  You'll have to use the iteration that is packaged on the mini CD or available through the Xduoo site.  Bummer.

Other than that, the sound quality is great and has more than enough power to drive my hard-to-drive Fostex T50rp Mk3s even on low gain to satisfying loudness.  High gain might lead to permanent hearing loss hahaha.
 

 
 
The problem is with windows10. For window 7/8 and Mac OS, it's doing well. I think it can be fixed in the future, from windows10 or Xduoo. Or use Macbook.
 
Aug 27, 2016 at 6:49 PM Post #411 of 2,100
   
 
The problem is with windows10. For window 7/8 and Mac OS, it's doing well. I think it can be fixed in the future, from windows10 or Xduoo. Or use Macbook.




Damn you Windows 10!!!  *Angrily shakes fist at Windows 10* laptop.  

Thanks for the info, though.  I appreciate it.  Hopefully they'll fix it.
 
Aug 30, 2016 at 4:48 AM Post #416 of 2,100
Got my XD-05 a week ago, brought from eBay. There's not enough impressions/reviews of this nice "little" device on Head-fi
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This is my first impressions post...so excuse any novice mistakes
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I left the unit playing for 3 -4 days before some testing.
Hearing them for around 5 minutes a day during that period of time, the sound does get slightly better, and opens up a little.
 
Features:
Before diving on about the sound, I plan to use this as a DAC for my Android phone (Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro), running Android 6.0.
Using PlayerPro, works great, no configs or other installs. Just works!
 
I have tried all input methods except optical in, and all work great. No fuss.
On Windows 8.1, after installing drivers, you will need to select 24bit from the drivers if you want to use 24bit.
 
There seems to have been some comments on the USB data port. I just use any USB extension cable, and it seems to work just fine.
USB extension cables are easy to get, and as a bonus, you can just use any standard USB OTG cable without any other adapters or cables.
I see this as a great design decision!
 
Build Quality
Short version: Great! Amazing for the price! 
Long version: A very solid chuck of metal. Feels sturdy. Volume knob and switches feels very nice.
The entire exterior feels it's made of metal. I really like the design, the screen makes it look more expensive then it actually is.
 
Testing Genres:
I mainly listen to classical (piano and symphonies), 70 - 90s pop, and anime music.
So my impressions are valid ONLY for the listed genres. Your mileage will very for other genres...
 
Testing Method:
All tracks are play from a Fiio X5(first gen),  digital coax to the digital coax input of the XDuoo XD-05.
No upsampling, and PCM3(filter) was used. The filter was just the default selected one, and was not selected based on testing or preferences although I did give all 4 a try.
All headphones are tested on the lowest gain (left most position).
 
Testing Equipment:
DAC/Amp: Fiio X5, ASUS Essence One (stock non-Muse), Grace Design m920
Headphones: Audio Technica A700 (HM5 angled pleather pads), Denon D7000, Fostex X00 (E-MU Ebony + MH5 lamdskin angled pads), Sennheiser HD800 (early batch), STAX SR-009 (with 727A w/Feedback mod) from HP out, Sony XBA-4
 
How to read/interpret the impressions, and where I am testing from:
I am going to try put the XD-05 to where I think it belongs in the ocean of other stuff out there. This is not a headphone review, nor a full-on DAC/Amp review.
Just my impressions...I believe that to get a good impression of DAC/Amps, one should use the best headphones available to you and this is what I have done. Realistically, you are most likely not going to (primarily) use the XD-05 with HD800 or sr-009. At least I hope not, they deserve something much much better! 
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But for testing purposes, they are revealing enough to find any issues, and anything less than perfect is going to stand out like a sore thumb, just consider them a more accurate tools for testing. 
 
In terms of subjective opinions, one can only compare it to things that that have heard before. This will be different for everyone.
I prefer a detailed sound, some consider it a bright sound, but I personally do not agree with that statement
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Lastly, everything I write is only MY PERSONAL opinion, you do not need to agree with anything...
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Sound :
Here goes
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Treble:
There is quite a bit of treble roll of, making recording lose a bit of the "sparkle". 
On higher volumes, the really high trebles make a comeback and can cause a little sibilance on certain tracks.
There's not a lot, and headphone pairing comes into play on things like this. This is much less apparent on the X00 then the A700.
That said, it does not sound harsh.
 
Mids:
Not offensive is probably the best description I could give. It's not the fullest of sounds, but it's nice and smooth. The bass and treble roll off might give the impression of an emphasized mids. Basically, all the mids "are there" and seems pretty flat...
 
Bass:
Things get interesting here. There is some huge roll off towards the end of the spectrum...
I don't get any sub-bass attack with any of my headphones
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And by sub-bass attack I am referring to the slam, increase in sound pressure, or the feeling of a hammer hitting your eardrums. I think some people refer to this as bass extension. But hopefully you get the idea.  Everything else is there, if a little recessed? The control is also rather loose, giving the impression of slightly swampy.
 
Detail:
I would not consider this to be a detailed sound, this is most apparent in the bass section where things seem to be a bit blurred. If this was a painting, the outlines are not clear...
I cannot find a way around this, detail is just not the XD-05's strong point.
 
Comparison with Fiio X5
Detail level is slightly lower then the the X5. However, things sound more engaging and fun on the XD-05 then on the X5.
I personally find the X5 lacking in power, the XD-05 has too much.  On the HD800, lowest gain, I cannot turn it over 12o'clock.
This comes at the price of slight less control, which also helps making the music sound more engaging. 
Which you prefer is entirely up to your preference, I consider them close enough in terms of sound that either sounds good
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Other Stuff:
 
Bass Boost:
I was somewhat disappointed since it did not give me any sub-bass, but it did increase everything from lower-mids downwards on what it already had.
 
Filters:
There are some very slight differences between them. I don't think it will suddenly make you hate it or love it if you don't already.
 
Up-sampling:
Similar to filters, I didn't notice any major changes.
I have heard some changes on other devices. Likely the analog section of a device this price is not going to be transparent enough to show much differences.
 
Line-Out:
I have not tested the line out of the unit to see how much the amp is contributing to the sound.
 
Gain:
I must admit I am somewhat confused about the gain switch.
There are three levels. The difference between the left most and the middle position appears to be minimal.
 
Conclusion:
The most important questions first:
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Do I like the XD-05? Yes
Do I think it's worth the price? Yes
Does it pair well with the HD800? No. (There's no longer version of this answer
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, if you are limited to this price point you'll have to keep hunting)
Going be sound alone, how much would I think the device is worth? somewhere between $150 - $200 (USD)
Would I recommend others to get it ? Yes
 
Overall, the XD-05 is the kind of DAC/Amp I would use to just enjoy music with. It does not make a big fuss about flaws in the recording, and everything I tested it with sounds inoffensive and smooth. Great for some background music listening and occasional critical listening. Sounds a lot better then the headphone out on my phone. I find it to be an n shaped DAC/Amp, whether you like it or not is up to your personal preference.  At it's current price point, it is packed with features with relatively little compromise. I think it sounds better then other devices in a similar price range.
 
Some recommendations/comments:
Pair it with a slightly warmer/brassier headphone will give better results.
Brighter headphones might sound slightly thin depending on what else you have heard.
 
Stating the obvious: it'll drive headphones the level of the X00 to a satisfactory sound quality.
Anything under, you'd likely enjoy and not notice much issues.
Anything over, the XD-05 will be a serious limiting factor, you will start to notice things missing, and the lack of control, detail and sub-bass will start to worry you once you have something to compare it with
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Shop around, prices very.
 
The bad:
Too much power? For me, the volume is almost always too loud
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But on the bright side I have not noticed any channel imbalance.
On higher gain, the sound signature seems to get more n-shaped. i.e. only the mids seems to get louder with everything else staying about the same...
Not the most detailed. Bass can be more controlled. (see "What happens after?"
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)
 
The good:
Everything else?
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What happens after?
My Burson v5i arrived today, and I have just put it in.  It was very easy, however, I did have to slightly bend the caps slightly outwards for the opamp to fit.
Initial impressions are very positive! Does not seem to fix the roll-off issues, but detail and control has improved dramatically.
 
Aug 30, 2016 at 5:19 AM Post #418 of 2,100
I find them to improve slightly with burn-in.
What do you drive your M50X with at the moment?
 
Aug 30, 2016 at 5:50 AM Post #419 of 2,100
anyone have experience using xduoo xd-05 with ath r70x?

i just received the xduoo xd-05 last week from jaben and so far i liked it, using it with msr7 and soundmagic e10s for now, and aiming to get r70x maybe next month
 

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