[cbellevie]

The DAC hasn't changed in the v2 version. As @BadgerRivFan said, both versions sport the ES9038Q2M chips. The volume control is relatively stiff to turn but the location is actually quite handy. It's never going to get knocked or changed whilst you're on the move, which is nice.

I have the v1 and think it's an excellent DAC/amp for the money. I think the Shanling H7 as a significant step up, albeit in a higher price bracket.

I received mine (55 hours from ordering to having in hand, that's pretty amazing from China to the US).

Mostly the same, which is fine with me as I loved v1 as it handled everything I used daily (computer, CD player and record player). Front looks a little nicer, but no real changes. No noticeable change on the volume switch, which was fine for me. The bass boost seems more prominent to me, but I did not regular use on v1 so maybe I am imagining that.

I actually came very close to replacing my ruined v1 with the Shanling H7, but had read a couple negative reviews in regards to the RCA inputs. As I would use those for my record player quite a bit, I ended up going with the XD05 Bal2, which was a safe choice as I'm happy with the sound and line in worked fine for my record player.

 

[KaiFi]

Does this amp work with USB-C/C cables? I noticed a warning on the H7 saying it had to be USB-A/C. I honestly don’t understand that on a physical/technical level, but I guess it’s true.

 

[cbellevie]

Does this amp work with USB-C/C cables? I noticed a warning on the H7 saying it had to be USB-A/C. I honestly don’t understand that on a physical/technical level, but I guess it’s true.

Yes, this works with USB C/C. It actually comes with two different USB C/C cables, a short one to be used with connecting to a DAP/phone and a longer one.

 

[quaddac]

The bass boost seems more prominent to me, but I did not regular use on v1 so maybe I am imagining that.

The V1 has no bass boost, only a boost switch to change the op-amp voltage from ±8V to ±13V. Is the BT connection stable? Users wrote that they had problems with coverage.

 

[cbellevie]

The V1 has no bass boost, only a boost switch to change the op-amp voltage from ±8V to ±13V. Is the BT connection stable? Users wrote that they had problems with coverage.

I guess that is why I noticed nothing with the boost on v1...

Tested out BT by putting the phone in the bathroom and then steaming to my office, which is about 20 ft down the hall, with 2 walls between the devices. Played without issue for around 10 minutes. Also put downstairs from the office, probably around the same physical distance between the devices and again, just the floor between them, no issues. I'm personally satisfied with the BT, although I do rarely use and my usage would be limited to the same sort of scenarios I tried out.

 

[quaddac]

My short impression after a few days with v2:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/xduoo-xd05-bal2-vs-bal1.968780/post-17621729

 

[Moris Renar]

Apologies for asking this here. Anyone who owns both the XD05 Bal and the Cayin Ru7?

My current portable is a Questyle M15. I was planning to upgrade to the Cayin when i stumbled upon a deal on the marketplace: A used Xd05Bal that already had Burson op amps installed for 200 dolans.
Tempting deal. Should i cancel my order of the Cayin and get the Xduoo? My headphones are Senn HD650.

 

[quaddac]

Apologies for asking this here. Anyone who owns both the XD05 Bal and the Cayin Ru7?

My current portable is a Questyle M15. I was planning to upgrade to the Cayin when i stumbled upon a deal on the marketplace: A used Xd05Bal that already had Burson op amps installed for 200 dolans.
Tempting deal. Should i cancel my order of the Cayin and get the Xduoo? My headphones are Senn HD650.

I don't have the RU6, but the xd05 bal clearly shows the characteristics of a decent stationary amplifier and has a lot of power. Some people claim that some dongles are better than daps, but I have never come across a claim that they are better than good dacamps. Personally, I think that daps are also better than dongles. The XD05 bal is a great device and $200 for the v5i version is a very good price. I'm just wondering if the bursons will catch the synergy with the hd650. I also wonder if the RU6 will change much compared to the m15. I would choose XD05 instead of a dongle for many reasons. Of course, everyone has their own criteria. Think about what you care about and compare the possibilities of xd05 and dongle, then it will be easier for you to make a choice. The choice I made is shown in the photos (xd05 bal2 +Hiby R6 2020).

 

[LinstantX]

I don't have the RU6, but the xd05 bal clearly shows the characteristics of a decent stationary amplifier and has a lot of power. Some people claim that some dongles are better than daps, but I have never come across a claim that they are better than good dacamps. Personally, I think that daps are also better than dongles. The XD05 bal is a great device and $200 for the v5i version is a very good price. I'm just wondering if the bursons will catch the synergy with the hd650. I also wonder if the RU6 will change much compared to the m15. I would choose XD05 instead of a dongle for many reasons. Of course, everyone has their own criteria. Think about what you care about and compare the possibilities of xd05 and dongle, then it will be easier for you to make a choice. The choice I made is shown in the photos (xd05 bal2 +Hiby R6 2020).

Oh you have bal2. Do not tell me if there is at least some difference from the usual bal?

 

[quaddac]

Oh you have bal2. Do not tell me if there is at least some difference from the usual bal?

I wrote a bit about it:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/xduoo-xd05-bal2-vs-bal1.968780/

 

[LoneFurrow]

Apologies for asking this here. Anyone who owns both the XD05 Bal and the Cayin Ru7?

My current portable is a Questyle M15. I was planning to upgrade to the Cayin when i stumbled upon a deal on the marketplace: A used Xd05Bal that already had Burson op amps installed for 200 dolans.
Tempting deal. Should i cancel my order of the Cayin and get the Xduoo? My headphones are Senn HD650.

I have an XD-05 BAL with the same Burson V5iD op amps, and also have a Cayin RU6. I haven't heard the RU7 although I tested the N7 DAP fairly extensively a couple of months ago. Whilst the N7 is in a very different price bracket, the RU7 uses a similar 1-bit DAC architecture, I believe. Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of the N7, feeling it was a little soft and lacking clarity and impact. Vocals were beautifully rendered, but that was the best aspect, imho.

To some extent, which you choose depends on your needs. The XD-05 BAL is more powerful, more flexible in terms of features, and significantly larger / heavier. If you want / need a dongle, I'm not sure how much of a true upgrade an RU6 or RU7 would offer over the M15. They will offer different "flavours" in terms of presentation - perhaps more analogue in character, a little smoother and warmer. The XD-05 BAL will be cleaner, crisper, and more neutral. The current mode of the M15 should already pair well with your HD650s; I've certainly found amps offering a current mode output work beautifully with Sennheiser headphones.

For the price you've indicated, I think the XD-05 BAL could be a good complement to the M15. However, if you're looking for a warmer, more analogue character, I'd suggest the RU7 or an alternative DAC/amp. The Quloos MUB1 is quite excellent, offering the flexibility and power of the XD-05 BAL, but in a smaller package and with the warmer tonality of Cayin's offering. However, I appreciate it's significantly more expensive.

 

[concordus]

Hi,

Does anyone know if I can use this amplifier as Phono preamp to pass signal to main amplifier from turntable with phono out?

 

[Moris Renar]

I have an XD-05 BAL with the same Burson V5iD op amps, and also have a Cayin RU6. I haven't heard the RU7 although I tested the N7 DAP fairly extensively a couple of months ago. Whilst the N7 is in a very different price bracket, the RU7 uses a similar 1-bit DAC architecture, I believe. Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of the N7, feeling it was a little soft and lacking clarity and impact. Vocals were beautifully rendered, but that was the best aspect, imho.

To some extent, which you choose depends on your needs. The XD-05 BAL is more powerful, more flexible in terms of features, and significantly larger / heavier. If you want / need a dongle, I'm not sure how much of a true upgrade an RU6 or RU7 would offer over the M15. They will offer different "flavours" in terms of presentation - perhaps more analogue in character, a little smoother and warmer. The XD-05 BAL will be cleaner, crisper, and more neutral. The current mode of the M15 should already pair well with your HD650s; I've certainly found amps offering a current mode output work beautifully with Sennheiser headphones.

For the price you've indicated, I think the XD-05 BAL could be a good complement to the M15. However, if you're looking for a warmer, more analogue character, I'd suggest the RU7 or an alternative DAC/amp. The Quloos MUB1 is quite excellent, offering the flexibility and power of the XD-05 BAL, but in a smaller package and with the warmer tonality of Cayin's offering. However, I appreciate it's significantly more expensive.

Thank you so much for your valuable insights. I could see myself using any of the two with no issues. As long as it is not stationary on desk/AC mains powered it's good.

The Questyle M15 does have decent synergy with HD650 but i'm chasing a lush and smooth experience with a bit more bass. M15 is very neutral/clinical in that regard. Some aspects of the M15 i do not like such as the small soundstage and its bright nature. There are times when it causes fatigue. That's why i was looking into the Ru7.

 

[Moris Renar]

Tried the Xduoo Link2Bal (dongle) few weeks ago. I really liked it. It had the smoothness i was looking for but at the cost of many other things (resolution, technicals, extension etc). Also tried the Xduoo Xd05 Plus (stock) from a friend many many years ago so can't remember lol.

 

[LoneFurrow]

Thank you so much for your valuable insights. I could see myself using any of the two with no issues. As long as it is not stationary on desk/AC mains powered it's good.

The Questyle M15 does have decent synergy with HD650 but i'm chasing a lush and smooth experience with a bit more bass. M15 is very neutral/clinical in that regard. Some aspects of the M15 i do not like such as the small soundstage and its bright nature. There are times when it causes fatigue. That's why i was looking into the Ru7.

In that case, I'd advise against the XD-05 BAL. In my experience, it's a neutral to perhaps slightly bright DAC. The V5iD opamps perhaps contribute to this so you may be able to tweak the signature with different opamps. I think it pairs best with slightly warmer headphones or IEMs though. The XD-05 BAL and Plus are quite different in character due to different DACs and overall design, so I wouldn't necessary use the latter as a baseline.

It's interesting you mention the Link2 Bal. This uses the same Cirrus Logic DAC as the Quloos MUB1, but in a less flexible / technically competent package. If you can audition the latter, it would be worth a try. However, I also appreciate there's a significant difference in price.