[Ben86]

How does it sound compared to midrange dap's like ibasso dx160 or shanling m6 or fiio m11?

 

[KienDre]

I have a concern to any "xd-5 bal" owner, with sensitive iem like 10ohms + 110db sensitivity, even on low gain what is the maximum listenable volume level it can reach? or even with level 1 that already too loud? With the after, would something like IFI iematch would help extend the range of volume? I'm currently with the EST 112 and looking for a dac/amp would live with me for quite long time and xd-05 bal is on my short list. I'm in between Fiio KA3 or Xd-05 basic (potentially upgraded to some opamps like burson v5id) or ifi hip dac 2.

 

[Johnfg465vd]

I'm interested in a comparision between XD-05 BAL and other portable DAC or DAP too. Any feedback would be of much help. Thanks.

 

[Ben86]

Hi all. Recently got some Burson V5i op-amps for my amp. Thought I'd give some feedback compared to the Muses02 that I've been using since I got the XDuoo early this year.



A little background to start: I've been in this hobby since about 2005, and have had the opportunity to listen some truly remarkable systems in that time. Living just over an hour from Tokyo helps. I can audition some amazing gear in the city.

Prior to getting into the hobby I was a professional guitarist and studied jazz performance at university, and following that, at Humber College in Toronto. So, I'd like to think I have a pretty good ear for things music related.

Having said that, I'm 54, and while my hearing tests show no significant loss yet, I do have some tinnitus in my right ear from years of playing beside a piccolo-snare-drum-hammering-lunatic of a drummer.

Now generally, I think it's pretty tough to A/B gear, especially something like op-amps, when it takes 10 minutes or so to change them, so take this with a grain of salt, but I'll do my best to give you my honest opinion. And, just a disclaimer, I was provided with the Bursons free of charge in exchange for my thoughts.



I have been mostly satisfied with the Muses and didn't necessarily feel the need to upgrade. They offer excellent clarity, very good instrument separation, but I feel that they only provide a very slight improvement in soundstage over the original op-amps that come with the XDuoo. And, this is where I feel the Burson excel over the Muses.

Listening to Glenn Gould's Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, the presentation is slightly wider, not so much taller, but there is certainly more forward presence, which I don't really notice with the Muses. And listening to something like Yosi Horikawa's Spaces is absolutely sublime.



Instrument texture feels similar with both op-amps. They both offer excellent presentation of guitars and pianos, which is critical for me. Acoustic guitars sound dynamic with excellent attack and decay with both op-amps, but if I had to pick one, I'd probably go with the Burson. It could be the newness of the sound over the Muses, but if you listen to a lot of guitar music, I don't think you can go wrong with either.

Electric guitars also sound fantastic on the Burson. Jealous Man, by The Marcus King Band really never sounded better on my setup. Actually, this is a fantastic track to test out gear: well recorded, amazing horns, simple but present bass, beautiful B3 pads laid down by the keyboardist, great snare sound, smoking guitar, and of course Marcus' ridiculously amazing vocals. There's a ton going on, and on some setups, it can come across as a muddy mess. Not so on this setup. Everything sounds great.

I don't listen to a ton of female vocals, but I compared Joni Mitchell's Morning Morgantown. With the Muses, it occasionally sounds a little bright to me. Not necessarily sibilant, but If you know the track, you'll probably know what I mean. I found it to be only slightly less problematic on with the Bursons. Apart from this very small issue though, I would say the recording still sounds wonderful. So nice in fact, that I just kept listening to the album with the Bursons installed.

I love bass, although I don't consider myself a bass-head. I would never sacrifice overall presentation for the sake of increased bass. To test out the bass response I listened to Alain Caron's live album "In Concert". One word, TIGHT. Bass control is sensational, never bloated, and just as with guitar sounds, attack and decay have a very realistic feel.

So, I'm definitely going to keep the Bursons installed. For my listening tastes, they certainly offer an improvement in a couple of areas over the Muses. But as mentioned previously, I think most people will be more than satisfied with either op-amp.

With the addition of quality op-amps like the Burson V5i, the XDduoo BAL has to be one of the best offerings in its price range, although after now having tested these op-amps, I'd love to compare it to the Burson Playmate 2, which is around the same price. But, extremely satisfied with the XDuoo driving my Sundaras, so I'm in no rush to upgrade.

Can you compare it to any midrange DAP like ibasso dx160, fiio m11 or shanling m6 in terms of sound quality? Need to decide what is better to buy a midrange DAP or XD05Bal + 2xv5i-D

 

[rlanger]

Can you compare it to any midrange DAP like ibasso dx160, fiio m11 or shanling m6 in terms of sound quality? Need to decide what is better to buy a midrange DAP or XD05Bal + 2xv5i-D

I don't have a mid-range dap.

 

[ccrys]

How it's sq xd-05 plus vs balanced?

On the paper they have same power output.

I'm using Quad Era 1 hp (94 dB/mW @ 20ohm).

I'm not interested for bt.

Worth it 60% diference?

Maby at this difference can make upgrade to burson opa's.

 

[calcatreppola]

just rolled my xd05 bal with opa627ap (hopefully original...) what a change!
I am using it with NiceHCK ebx21 balanced. I have to get used to it. First impressions: soundstage is completely different than with the original opamp, it seems much more natural and huuuuuuuge; and everything is rather more detailed...
I think I will try it also with muses02. Definitely a great opportunity.
I am really enjoying it. My hiby w3 saber might be better when a warmer sound is needed, and sometimes is more detailed than xd05 bal (but with orchestral works, when it is a bit confusing). With the new opamps I have much more choices.
It seems I am fine with portable devices now. Only waiting for a desktop solution (thinking to Burson and xduoo tubes).

 

[ArkNerevar]

Hello everyone, as a XD05-bal owner and heavy daily user of the unit ive spent quite a bit of time rolling different opamps on my unit, want to share some of my results so it can help anyone thinking about doing such a thing, I dont have a lot of experience with reviewing audio gear so I apologies in advance for the quality of my words and will try my best to explain the differences objectively.

I originally bought the unit just for portable use with my UM 3DT IEMs but I found that when using my headphones that the quality was actually higher than the setup I was using on my desk, a schiit modi 3 DAC to a cambridge audio azur 640A integrated amp using the headphone out, the headphone is a ZMF verite open which can sound pretty different depending on the pads used (pad rolling) when I started opamp rolling I put on the Auteur perforated suede pads as they are the most neutral/linear pad for the verite, these pads I left on for all the testing, each set of opamps were tested for atleast 2 weeks with daily use and with burn in when I wasnt using it.

The primary music I listen to is Metalcore (modern heavy metal) with some other Metal & Rock derivatives (Numetal, posthardcore, swedish deathmetal, dreamwave & such) the other genre I listened to is film score music (Hans Zimmer, John Williams), so my opinions should be taken with that in mind, on a subjective level I value a more linear active sound without rolling off at the bottom or the top, excellent transients with slam and some euphony in the mids, I believe I have a higher tolerance for brightness than the stereotypical audiophile...atleast thats what I think, they seem to like a much darker sound than what I would prefer, so take from that what you will.

My audio chain is: Deezer HIFI/PC - silver plated USB - BRZHIFI DDC (digital to digital converter/clocker) - silver plated AES - XD05-Bal (BRZHIFI external linear powersupply) - ZMF stock OFC balanced cable (4 pin bal to 4.4 bal converter) - ZMF verite open (Auteur suede perf)

Ti OPA1612 (stock chips): The chips the unit comes with, I found them to be above all dark and laidback, the detail was good, resolution was average, you could hear everything but it was so...damped, such a mellow and non-forward sound with pretty mediocre extension on both ends, I think they deliberately choose such a non-offensive sound because it wouldnt offend anyone..and it wont (and lets face it they are very cheap chips) but I really felt it held the unit back a lot.

MUSES8920D: WOW what a difference, clarity/imaging/sound stage shot up, detail and resolution noticeably improved, sound became linear with more energy and actually sounded like well music again, timbre went up (sounded more natural), now I was actually hearing what the unit could do, signature went from this mellow lifeless sound to actually feeling like it had life in it, definitely a huge improvement for me and encouraged me to continue getting more opamps.

MUSES8820D: Quite a lot like the 89 ones with the relevant resolution and soundstage, main difference I heard was it was bit brighter, the highs were more extended and with some added sparkle, this gave it over the 89 a step up in clarity and bit more detail, I preferred it with the treble detail but it wasnt exactly hugely different.

V4i-D Golden: Was recommended on this thread as a more linear and cheaper alternative to the burson V5i (which I never bought as its generally regarded as a dark chip), very rich type of a sound, euphonic even, the resolution and detail went above the 2 muses and the sound stage improved dramatically, it felt like I was listening to a whole new amp. It was linear but without any of the muses treble emphasis which made it sound really balanced, thats the main conclusion I had at the end of listening to these chips, a very balanced sound, with high technical qualities across the board, bass was solid and textured, mids were pleasingly rich and the treble went decently high. Not a very laid-back sound but definitely not forward, closer to the laid back but what I would call neutral, above all smooth, very smoooooth, very good if you want that kind of smooth sound.

HDAM9988: Very solid kind of a sound, technical capabilities like the detail and resolution were on the muses level, decent sound stage, very warm, especially in the mid range extending into the bass, gives a very...thick nature to the notes, that "fat" sound if your looking for that sort of thing, with my already thick nature headphones it didnt bring anything to the table really, just wasnt particularly impressive.

OPA627 (2 single channel SMD chips soldered onto a DIP board): Now this was an interesting one, technical capabilities were high, V4i level with more detail, brighter with added non frequency effects which I will explain. The sound was not as rich as the V4is and did this...effect, it was like the sound was separated into 2 parts, the lower part being the bass and lower mids, the upper part being the treble and upper mids (think electric guitar) and the upper part kind of...leapt at you, no seriously it was like it crashed into you, listening to heavy metal was almost...intoxicating, like a drug. It wasnt what I would call very bright, because thats talking about the frequency response, this was the delivery, as in laid back or forward, this was aggressive, REALLY aggressive. Not gonna lie, I greatly enjoyed it but it isnt what I would call a normal sound, it was also pretty track dependent, some songs it worked and some it didnt, after a while I felt like the chips were lacking in resolution and the bass could have been better textured, like there was still more that the amp was capable of in the other aspects, like I said it was interesting but still felt like it was lacking.

After these chips I continued to test and have some more I will write on but it takes time to put it all together mentally so I will continue in a follow up post, I hope this helps anyone picking chips and will be happy to answer related questions.

 

[calcatreppola]

Hello everyone, as a XD05-bal owner and heavy daily user of the unit ive spent quite a bit of time rolling different opamps on my unit, want to share some of my results so it can help anyone thinking about doing such a thing, I dont have a lot of experience with reviewing audio gear so I apologies in advance for the quality of my words and will try my best to explain the differences objectively.

I originally bought the unit just for portable use with my UM 3DT IEMs but I found that when using my headphones that the quality was actually higher than the setup I was using on my desk, a schiit modi 3 DAC to a cambridge audio azur 640A integrated amp using the headphone out, the headphone is a ZMF verite open which can sound pretty different depending on the pads used (pad rolling) when I started opamp rolling I put on the Auteur perforated suede pads as they are the most neutral/linear pad for the verite, these pads I left on for all the testing, each set of opamps were tested for atleast 2 weeks with daily use and with burn in when I wasnt using it.

The primary music I listen to is Metalcore (modern heavy metal) with some other Metal & Rock derivatives (Numetal, posthardcore, swedish deathmetal, dreamwave & such) the other genre I listened to is film score music (Hans Zimmer, John Williams), so my opinions should be taken with that in mind, on a subjective level I value a more linear active sound without rolling off at the bottom or the top, excellent transients with slam and some euphony in the mids, I believe I have a higher tolerance for brightness than the stereotypical audiophile...atleast thats what I think, they seem to like a much darker sound than what I would prefer, so take from that what you will.

My audio chain is: Deezer HIFI/PC - silver plated USB - BRZHIFI DDC (digital to digital converter/clocker) - silver plated AES - XD05-Bal (BRZHIFI external linear powersupply) - ZMF stock OFC balanced cable (4 pin bal to 4.4 bal converter) - ZMF verite open (Auteur suede perf)

Ti OPA1612 (stock chips): The chips the unit comes with, I found them to be above all dark and laidback, the detail was good, resolution was average, you could hear everything but it was so...damped, such a mellow and non-forward sound with pretty mediocre extension on both ends, I think they deliberately choose such a non-offensive sound because it wouldnt offend anyone..and it wont (and lets face it they are very cheap chips) but I really felt it held the unit back a lot.

MUSES8920D: WOW what a difference, clarity/imaging/sound stage shot up, detail and resolution noticeably improved, sound became linear with more energy and actually sounded like well music again, timbre went up (sounded more natural), now I was actually hearing what the unit could do, signature went from this mellow lifeless sound to actually feeling like it had life in it, definitely a huge improvement for me and encouraged me to continue getting more opamps.

MUSES8820D: Quite a lot like the 89 ones with the relevant resolution and soundstage, main difference I heard was it was bit brighter, the highs were more extended and with some added sparkle, this gave it over the 89 a step up in clarity and bit more detail, I preferred it with the treble detail but it wasnt exactly hugely different.

V4i-D Golden: Was recommended on this thread as a more linear and cheaper alternative to the burson V5i (which I never bought as its generally regarded as a dark chip), very rich type of a sound, euphonic even, the resolution and detail went above the 2 muses and the sound stage improved dramatically, it felt like I was listening to a whole new amp. It was linear but without any of the muses treble emphasis which made it sound really balanced, thats the main conclusion I had at the end of listening to these chips, a very balanced sound, with high technical qualities across the board, bass was solid and textured, mids were pleasingly rich and the treble went decently high. Not a very laid-back sound but definitely not forward, closer to the laid back but what I would call neutral, above all smooth, very smoooooth, very good if you want that kind of smooth sound.

HDAM9988: Very solid kind of a sound, technical capabilities like the detail and resolution were on the muses level, decent sound stage, very warm, especially in the mid range extending into the bass, gives a very...thick nature to the notes, that "fat" sound if your looking for that sort of thing, with my already thick nature headphones it didnt bring anything to the table really, just wasnt particularly impressive.

OPA627 (2 single channel SMD chips soldered onto a DIP board): Now this was an interesting one, technical capabilities were high, V4i level with more detail, brighter with added non frequency effects which I will explain. The sound was not as rich as the V4is and did this...effect, it was like the sound was separated into 2 parts, the lower part being the bass and lower mids, the upper part being the treble and upper mids (think electric guitar) and the upper part kind of...leapt at you, no seriously it was like it crashed into you, listening to heavy metal was almost...intoxicating, like a drug. It wasnt what I would call very bright, because thats talking about the frequency response, this was the delivery, as in laid back or forward, this was aggressive, REALLY aggressive. Not gonna lie, I greatly enjoyed it but it isnt what I would call a normal sound, it was also pretty track dependent, some songs it worked and some it didnt, after a while I felt like the chips were lacking in resolution and the bass could have been better textured, like there was still more that the amp was capable of in the other aspects, like I said it was interesting but still felt like it was lacking.

After these chips I continued to test and have some more I will write on but it takes time to put it all together mentally so I will continue in a follow up post, I hope this helps anyone picking chips and will be happy to answer related questions.

thank you very much for this detailed review!

 

[Darkeye999H]

Hello everyone, as a XD05-bal owner and heavy daily user of the unit ive spent quite a bit of time rolling different opamps on my unit, want to share some of my results so it can help anyone thinking about doing such a thing, I dont have a lot of experience with reviewing audio gear so I apologies in advance for the quality of my words and will try my best to explain the differences objectively.

I originally bought the unit just for portable use with my UM 3DT IEMs but I found that when using my headphones that the quality was actually higher than the setup I was using on my desk, a schiit modi 3 DAC to a cambridge audio azur 640A integrated amp using the headphone out, the headphone is a ZMF verite open which can sound pretty different depending on the pads used (pad rolling) when I started opamp rolling I put on the Auteur perforated suede pads as they are the most neutral/linear pad for the verite, these pads I left on for all the testing, each set of opamps were tested for atleast 2 weeks with daily use and with burn in when I wasnt using it.

The primary music I listen to is Metalcore (modern heavy metal) with some other Metal & Rock derivatives (Numetal, posthardcore, swedish deathmetal, dreamwave & such) the other genre I listened to is film score music (Hans Zimmer, John Williams), so my opinions should be taken with that in mind, on a subjective level I value a more linear active sound without rolling off at the bottom or the top, excellent transients with slam and some euphony in the mids, I believe I have a higher tolerance for brightness than the stereotypical audiophile...atleast thats what I think, they seem to like a much darker sound than what I would prefer, so take from that what you will.

My audio chain is: Deezer HIFI/PC - silver plated USB - BRZHIFI DDC (digital to digital converter/clocker) - silver plated AES - XD05-Bal (BRZHIFI external linear powersupply) - ZMF stock OFC balanced cable (4 pin bal to 4.4 bal converter) - ZMF verite open (Auteur suede perf)

Ti OPA1612 (stock chips): The chips the unit comes with, I found them to be above all dark and laidback, the detail was good, resolution was average, you could hear everything but it was so...damped, such a mellow and non-forward sound with pretty mediocre extension on both ends, I think they deliberately choose such a non-offensive sound because it wouldnt offend anyone..and it wont (and lets face it they are very cheap chips) but I really felt it held the unit back a lot.

MUSES8920D: WOW what a difference, clarity/imaging/sound stage shot up, detail and resolution noticeably improved, sound became linear with more energy and actually sounded like well music again, timbre went up (sounded more natural), now I was actually hearing what the unit could do, signature went from this mellow lifeless sound to actually feeling like it had life in it, definitely a huge improvement for me and encouraged me to continue getting more opamps.

MUSES8820D: Quite a lot like the 89 ones with the relevant resolution and soundstage, main difference I heard was it was bit brighter, the highs were more extended and with some added sparkle, this gave it over the 89 a step up in clarity and bit more detail, I preferred it with the treble detail but it wasnt exactly hugely different.

V4i-D Golden: Was recommended on this thread as a more linear and cheaper alternative to the burson V5i (which I never bought as its generally regarded as a dark chip), very rich type of a sound, euphonic even, the resolution and detail went above the 2 muses and the sound stage improved dramatically, it felt like I was listening to a whole new amp. It was linear but without any of the muses treble emphasis which made it sound really balanced, thats the main conclusion I had at the end of listening to these chips, a very balanced sound, with high technical qualities across the board, bass was solid and textured, mids were pleasingly rich and the treble went decently high. Not a very laid-back sound but definitely not forward, closer to the laid back but what I would call neutral, above all smooth, very smoooooth, very good if you want that kind of smooth sound.

HDAM9988: Very solid kind of a sound, technical capabilities like the detail and resolution were on the muses level, decent sound stage, very warm, especially in the mid range extending into the bass, gives a very...thick nature to the notes, that "fat" sound if your looking for that sort of thing, with my already thick nature headphones it didnt bring anything to the table really, just wasnt particularly impressive.

OPA627 (2 single channel SMD chips soldered onto a DIP board): Now this was an interesting one, technical capabilities were high, V4i level with more detail, brighter with added non frequency effects which I will explain. The sound was not as rich as the V4is and did this...effect, it was like the sound was separated into 2 parts, the lower part being the bass and lower mids, the upper part being the treble and upper mids (think electric guitar) and the upper part kind of...leapt at you, no seriously it was like it crashed into you, listening to heavy metal was almost...intoxicating, like a drug. It wasnt what I would call very bright, because thats talking about the frequency response, this was the delivery, as in laid back or forward, this was aggressive, REALLY aggressive. Not gonna lie, I greatly enjoyed it but it isnt what I would call a normal sound, it was also pretty track dependent, some songs it worked and some it didnt, after a while I felt like the chips were lacking in resolution and the bass could have been better textured, like there was still more that the amp was capable of in the other aspects, like I said it was interesting but still felt like it was lacking.

After these chips I continued to test and have some more I will write on but it takes time to put it all together mentally so I will continue in a follow up post, I hope this helps anyone picking chips and will be happy to answer related questions.

Muses8820D or Muses02/01?

 

[ArkNerevar]

Muses8820D or Muses02/01?

It was the Muses 8820D & 8920D, they are the equivilant chips with slightly lower performance at a (much) cheaper price, good if you just want to check that sound out.

 

[Darkeye999H]

It was the Muses 8820D & 8920D, they are the equivilant chips with slightly lower performance at a (much) cheaper price, good if you just want to check that sound out.

Yeah I just ordered some 8820Ds. Did ever try the 01 or 02 ones?

 

[ArkNerevar]

Yeah I just ordered some 8820Ds. Did ever try the 01 or 02 ones?

Actually no, I seriously thought about it but after the 8920D/8820D brothers I moved on, tried other manufacturers and then found the manufacturer/house sound that I really liked, its not in the first post here, I need to make the followup post at some point that gets into the brand I went towards, just been bit busy but honest it will come at some point soon.

 

[Darkeye999H]

Actually no, I seriously thought about it but after the 8920D/8820D brothers I moved on, tried other manufacturers and then found the manufacturer/house sound that I really liked, its not in the first post here, I need to make the followup post at some point that gets into the brand I went towards, just been bit busy but honest it will come at some point soon.

I just got the xDuoo XD05 Bal and I'm finding its sound too mellow, blunt and thick, even with clearer IEMs. I'm more into an energetic, sharp, clear and tight sound signature. I even swapped the stock op amps for those cheap replaceable ones that came together, at least they are not blunt and messy as the Ti OPA1612s.

 

[ArkNerevar]

I just got the xDuoo XD05 Bal and I'm finding its sound too mellow, blunt and thick, even with clearer IEMs.

That is EXACTLY the sound of the stock op-amps, the problem is this unit was obviously designed with the op-amp rolling in mind, so xDuoo just went for a very cheap bland stock chip, I mean I understand WHY its like this but it doesnt remotely show what the unit is capable of.

You have made a good decision on the 8820Ds, they are a great example of more of what the unit is capable of and you will like their house sound Im pretty sure, I didnt even bother with the provided alternates, just went straight to proper op-amp rolling which I strongly advise everyone to do with this unit.