Well, that's new. We've been waiting a while for this.
EDIT: $429?? Yeah, probably not.
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XDuoo XD-05 Portable Dac/Amp Introduction - Impressions
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EDIT: $429?? Yeah, probably not.
headphone hound
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Answering my own question:
Foobar2000 will. Highlight the files you want to add replaygain data to, and right click them. Replaygain will be one of the options.
runssical
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We need an explanation as to why the specs at Linsoul and HiFiGo list identical output power numbers @32ohms for both SE and Balanced jacks.
This absolutely makes no sense and no one should order this product until there's a clarification. The exact nature of the amplifier output stage needs to be explained. Is this a true balanced design?
Remember we're dealing with ChiFi company and ChiFi product. Look what happened with Topping and their L30 controversy. These chinese companies are dodgy and untrustworthy.
EDIT: I emailed Xduoo support for an explanation. I'll report back if I learn anything.
This absolutely makes no sense and no one should order this product until there's a clarification. The exact nature of the amplifier output stage needs to be explained. Is this a true balanced design?
Remember we're dealing with ChiFi company and ChiFi product. Look what happened with Topping and their L30 controversy. These chinese companies are dodgy and untrustworthy.
EDIT: I emailed Xduoo support for an explanation. I'll report back if I learn anything.
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runssical
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hi..
I had an XDUOO-05 . (old version..) some thing happened wierd on updating firmware and device can not be connect to usb anymore..the xmos chip or some firmware problem made it brick on only in usb section.. the xduoo support team asked me if I could change the xmos chip, they will send me one.. but they did not ofcourse
the man named SAM.. we talked by mail a few times, gave me fake numbers to follow on cargo ..etc..
finally I had an 05 + burson vivid6 classic opamp moded beaty but no usb
is there any possible way to bring it back?..
thanks by now..
This is one of the drawbacks of buying an imported ChiFi product. Unless it was absolutely necessary you shouldn't have done a firmware update. Like what could have possibly changed in the world of USB drivers to warrant an upgrade?
Burson V6 vivid is much much improvement over the muses02 and v5i
I love my set up
Micro is so clean and clear sound stage is also way better not wide but has more depth layerings
Overall sound is natural to bright
The low frequency is not fun the muses02 though
And is it portable? Yes it is but you need some mods
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FyxeHexyz
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Nice mod. Did you make a hole and use the extender? Hmm I'm thinking whether the mod is worth it or if I should buy a new amp instead 
I'm using it at home anyways 
I'm interested in the topping stack (A50s & D50s) or I could just get the A50s and use the xd-05+ as dac
runssical
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Burson discretes are snake oil like most discretes. Sparkos, a competitor, has published AP measurements of the Burson vs the Sparkos equivalent vs some of the top ICs from TI as well as NJR. Burson has the worst measurements. Additionally, Amir has tested some discretes from Sparkos and Sonic Imagery Labs. Their products are better than Burson's rubbish but even so they measured worse than the TI OPA1612. I've also seen an independent unbiased comparison of various boutique discretes on the major audio Diy forum, complete with side by side graphs. Burson was the worst there as well. That roundup measurement review was exhaustive and tested several popular ICs as a control.
People need to do their research before shelling out money.
runssical
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Topping is done after the L30 debacle. Even members of the ASR forum and redditors have called for a boycott. You must not be keeping up with current events. Sheesh
FyxeHexyz
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Ah I heard about it here and there but never really looked into the specifics haha I'll look into it 
Well I don't have any measurements to back up my claim and I only have 3 op amp to compare
I do trust my ears
runssical
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Well I don't have any measurements to back up my claim and I only have 3 op amp to compare
I do trust my ears
It's not really about the ears, but the brain. #Psychoacoustics
Nah
Just swap op amp again
Still hear the esp the heart Mirror and tanchjim hana
The v6 makes HZ bright and too much detail
Hana sounds best with v6
I have done this mod so I can easily and quickly change the op amp
Maybe tomorrow if my friend has time I will do blind tests with him
Hope his ears hear don't trick him
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runssical
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You have an earbud clam case glued to the top of your amp??
runssical
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It appears that the Xduoo's new balanced XD05 product has finally launched. The product page finally appeared on their website today. Here's the link:
https://www.xduoo.net/product/xd05-bal/
The official specs contain a curious oddity. The output power is identical for both balanced and single-ended. This is a big red flag and doesn't make sense from an electrical engineering standpoint. But I'm no expert so I hope more knowledgeable people weigh in with explanations for why the BO is not stronger than SE for this device.
⚠ Note the spec for the AUX line-level output is only 2.0v. As another Head-fi'er pointed out a couple of posts after mine, this does not meet the 4.0v industry standard for balanced output. This is infact normal standard single ended output. In other words, this product is fraudulently designed and marketed with the intent to mislead and scam buyers. It lacks both headphone and line-level balanced output. The 4.4mm pentaconn jack functions as a secondary single-ended output.
Here's more marketing graphics from the product page:
The casing looks nicer than the XD-05+
Note the wording in the above graphic. They say the device is "fully balanced from digital to analog circuit...". This leads me to believe that they mean it's topology is only balanced *up until* the amplification section. Notice how the graphic depicts a dual mono configuration for the digital section with doubled parts running in parallel for the Left and Right channels. When the signals reach the amplification section it's just one big rectangle blob, no longer parallel. Doesn't look like a true end-to-end balanced topology to me. Compare this to an iFi xCan or xDSD and those devices have a clear dual mono amplification section with doubled parts for the film caps, amps and buffers.
Here we go again with the output power issue. xDuoo seems to think it's a selling point that the balanced output is the same level as the SE. The marketing team putting lipstick on a pig
They placed the Alps potentiometer back further in the case. Now accessible from the side. This seems like it should help with audio signal and reduce distortion. Some desktop amps place the volume puts closer to the analogue input stage to shorten the signal path. But the setup looks rickety.
Look how crowded the output stage is. Caps appear to be in the signal path and there's no clear organization. Some caps are bent over relays. Other are bunched together randomly like bushes in a yard. There's a blue cap in one corner that looks like it was just thrown in last minute and sits at a haphazard angle. Doesn't look elegant. This resembles a diy project
The DAC section looks better thought out and less cluttered. It's as if a meticulous person designed the DAC section and a disheveled hoarder handled the amplification.
They brought back the power switch from the older XD05 model. Should spare the battery unnecessary wear and tear when using it as a desktop DAC. One of the few bright spots about this product.
They certainly didn't skimp on included accessories. Looks like extra opamps are included and an AES cable. How useful these things are is debatable.
Conclusions:
Last summer xDuoo teased social media followers that they had a new balanced version of the XD-05 coming out soon. As prospective customers awaited it's release the launch date kept getting pushed back. First to October. Then to November. Then again to December. Details on the device remained elusive right up to it's much beleaguered February release. Xduoo didn't utilize AKM DAC chips for this product so the delays can't be attributed to the AKM plant fire and resultant chip shortage. xDuoo will never tell us but my guess is that the company originally planned to do a balanced dac/amp but couldn't muster the technical and engineering wherewithal to design a balanced topology in a transportable form factor. So last Fall they had switch midstream to a single-ended amplification stage which caused delays . New boards had to be ordered and populated. But they were probably stuck with the original case design. Looks like a lot of the budget was sunk into the revamped case with it's beveled edges, side volume cutout, and machines surfaces. This is speculation on my part. Or maybe xDuoo had no good intentions. It wouldn't be the first time a sketchy company from Shenzhen, China slapped a balanced jack on a product that *wasn't* balanced. SMSL notoriously did this before. When the inevitable consternation came SMSL tried to spin the jack as a "convenience feature". Of course you and I both know the real reason to do something like this is to decieve the consumer. To lend the appearance that an amplifier or DAC is balanced when it in fact is not.
https://www.xduoo.net/product/xd05-bal/
The official specs contain a curious oddity. The output power is identical for both balanced and single-ended. This is a big red flag and doesn't make sense from an electrical engineering standpoint. But I'm no expert so I hope more knowledgeable people weigh in with explanations for why the BO is not stronger than SE for this device.
⚠ Note the spec for the AUX line-level output is only 2.0v. As another Head-fi'er pointed out a couple of posts after mine, this does not meet the 4.0v industry standard for balanced output. This is infact normal standard single ended output. In other words, this product is fraudulently designed and marketed with the intent to mislead and scam buyers. It lacks both headphone and line-level balanced output. The 4.4mm pentaconn jack functions as a secondary single-ended output.
Here's more marketing graphics from the product page:
The casing looks nicer than the XD-05+
Note the wording in the above graphic. They say the device is "fully balanced from digital to analog circuit...". This leads me to believe that they mean it's topology is only balanced *up until* the amplification section. Notice how the graphic depicts a dual mono configuration for the digital section with doubled parts running in parallel for the Left and Right channels. When the signals reach the amplification section it's just one big rectangle blob, no longer parallel. Doesn't look like a true end-to-end balanced topology to me. Compare this to an iFi xCan or xDSD and those devices have a clear dual mono amplification section with doubled parts for the film caps, amps and buffers.
Here we go again with the output power issue. xDuoo seems to think it's a selling point that the balanced output is the same level as the SE. The marketing team putting lipstick on a pig
They placed the Alps potentiometer back further in the case. Now accessible from the side. This seems like it should help with audio signal and reduce distortion. Some desktop amps place the volume puts closer to the analogue input stage to shorten the signal path. But the setup looks rickety.
Look how crowded the output stage is. Caps appear to be in the signal path and there's no clear organization. Some caps are bent over relays. Other are bunched together randomly like bushes in a yard. There's a blue cap in one corner that looks like it was just thrown in last minute and sits at a haphazard angle. Doesn't look elegant. This resembles a diy project
The DAC section looks better thought out and less cluttered. It's as if a meticulous person designed the DAC section and a disheveled hoarder handled the amplification.
They brought back the power switch from the older XD05 model. Should spare the battery unnecessary wear and tear when using it as a desktop DAC. One of the few bright spots about this product.
They certainly didn't skimp on included accessories. Looks like extra opamps are included and an AES cable. How useful these things are is debatable.
Conclusions:
Last summer xDuoo teased social media followers that they had a new balanced version of the XD-05 coming out soon. As prospective customers awaited it's release the launch date kept getting pushed back. First to October. Then to November. Then again to December. Details on the device remained elusive right up to it's much beleaguered February release. Xduoo didn't utilize AKM DAC chips for this product so the delays can't be attributed to the AKM plant fire and resultant chip shortage. xDuoo will never tell us but my guess is that the company originally planned to do a balanced dac/amp but couldn't muster the technical and engineering wherewithal to design a balanced topology in a transportable form factor. So last Fall they had switch midstream to a single-ended amplification stage which caused delays . New boards had to be ordered and populated. But they were probably stuck with the original case design. Looks like a lot of the budget was sunk into the revamped case with it's beveled edges, side volume cutout, and machines surfaces. This is speculation on my part. Or maybe xDuoo had no good intentions. It wouldn't be the first time a sketchy company from Shenzhen, China slapped a balanced jack on a product that *wasn't* balanced. SMSL notoriously did this before. When the inevitable consternation came SMSL tried to spin the jack as a "convenience feature". Of course you and I both know the real reason to do something like this is to decieve the consumer. To lend the appearance that an amplifier or DAC is balanced when it in fact is not.
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mattris
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I had high hopes for the XD05 BAL. But the inclusion of a mini-AES input is truly puzzling, especially considering that it has a (combo) optical/coaxial digital input. What a waste of real estate on the back of the portable unit on an input that will be used by a relative few.
Without a 4.0V 4.4mm balanced line out and greater power from the balanced headphone out, this unit will be a pass for me.
Without a 4.0V 4.4mm balanced line out and greater power from the balanced headphone out, this unit will be a pass for me.
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