[LoneFurrow]

you think the modded rs6 beats the rs8?

also, speaking of npaudio mods, he also mods the wm1a and i think he offers even more extensive mods for it over the rs6, although the wm1a has the unique sony class D amp so no opamp rolling done there

No, sorry, I wouldn't say the modded RS6 beats the RS8 but they seem close in performance. What I meant was I think the amp sections of both RS6 and RS8 are not the best in stock form. The DACs in each are excellent, but the upgrades to the amp section of the RS6 certainly helped improve the sound quality.

The NPAudio mods to my RS6 are below:
Op-amps
1 x OPA1642 changed to 1 x ADA4625-2
3 x OPA1612 changed to 3 x OPA1656 (but with a change to the pull up resistors to reduce current draw a little)
Capacitors
4 x Audio Note Kaisei 16v 100uf
2 x Audio Note Kaisei 16v 50uf

NPAudio does great work - highly recommended.

 

[LoneFurrow]

Yes, sparkos won't fit in a bal, so I wanted to make sure what your comparison method was. The xd05 pro is really a lot of options to customize the sound signature, I know it takes time to do all of that. I think muses02 in xd05 bal is a more analytical and strong sound in the low end, but this is at the expense of the stage and detail in general, maybe it would be better to compare pro and bal with burson v5i? Sparkos and muses02 are different worlds though. What do you think about it?

Hi... I've just been comparing the PRO and BAL again, leaving the SS3602s in the PRO and with Burson V5iDs in the BAL. The overall sound is now closer between the two but the PRO still wins for me.

Bass and drums still carry more weight and depth. Separation is better on the PRO and the stage feels wider. The BAL feels more congested and messy with complex rock tracks that have lots going on. It's still good but I think there's a noticeable improvement by moving to the PRO. For me, the only reasons I'd choose the BAL over PRO are cost and portability. In which case, I'd choose the Quloos MUB1.

 

[quaddac]

I agree the op-amps all sound different. I wasn't trying to do a scientific a/b comparison of every component, just trying to share some initial impressions. I was also particularly interested in seeing if the SS3602s would (a) fit; (b) sound good.

I only have one set of V5iDs so trying to a/b will be tricky. By the time I've swapped op-amps back and forth multiple times, I'm likely to have forgotten the precise differences. I may be able to borrow some V5iDs but not for a week or two. I guess there's also the question of how the BAL2 compares to the PRO, which would be a more relevant assessment than using the original BAL. I don't have the BAL2, but can get my hands on one if needed.

Thanks for the answer. I realize that due to the opamps the comparison is complicated. I have bal1 and bal2 and I like them a lot. I wrote a bit about it: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/xduoo-xd05-bal2-vs-bal1.968780/. I think the bal 2, in addition to many additional features and more power, generally controls the sound better than the bal1. This is a sound presented directly, with great weight, mass and detail and it can be easily compared to a stationary amplifier. But in general they are similar to each other in the sound concept. I like this way of presentation. I wonder if pro is the same school or rather a radical change. Indeed, some daps may be more glamorous in some aspects, but my feeling is that what matters in overall sound reproduction is the overall score of a given signature, and daps simply failing at the low end are never as good as a decent dac/amp. However, I am not an experienced dap user. I have recently hiby r6 2020 and I noticed that as a transport it sounds interesting with bal2, but this is due to the EQ and the bass boost bal2 function (does the pro have a bass boost?). You can get quite interesting results here. I also have lg v20 and v30. However, Daps are technically just superior to LG in terms of SQ. What do you think about the class A in xd05 pro? Thanks for your commitment and sharing your experiences. This is a really big challenge in the case of xd05 pro .

 

[quaddac]

Hi... I've just been comparing the PRO and BAL again, leaving the SS3602s in the PRO and with Burson V5iDs in the BAL. The overall sound is now closer between the two but the PRO still wins for me.

Bass and drums still carry more weight and depth. Separation is better on the PRO and the stage feels wider. The BAL feels more congested and messy with complex rock tracks that have lots going on. It's still good but I think there's a noticeable improvement by moving to the PRO. For me, the only reasons I'd choose the BAL over PRO are cost and portability. In which case, I'd choose the Quloos MUB1.

Thank you. Bal2 can be powered from the wall (then it also works without batteries). This is its big advantage.

 

[wojtekmarchewka1981]

Hi... I've just been comparing the PRO and BAL again, leaving the SS3602s in the PRO and with Burson V5iDs in the BAL. The overall sound is now closer between the two but the PRO still wins for me.

Bass and drums still carry more weight and depth. Separation is better on the PRO and the stage feels wider. The BAL feels more congested and messy with complex rock tracks that have lots going on. It's still good but I think there's a noticeable improvement by moving to the PRO. For me, the only reasons I'd choose the BAL over PRO are cost and portability. In which case, I'd choose the Quloos MUB1.

Did you listen to the pro on the original opamps? What can you say about this. Do you need to think about the change right away (I was thinking about 2x MUSES02)

 

[Ben86]

Based on positive reviews I ordered these op-amps: Burson V5i-D, Muses8820, OPA1656, OPA2211. Will compare them all when reiceive my XD05PRO, it should come in about 2-3 weeks. Ordered from amazon.de in the future i plan to try 4 pcs single opamp "muses03" via dip8 adaptors with open hood

https://www.mouser.lt/ProductDetail/Nisshinbo/MUSES03?qs=G/5vCLrg9vzIpmwYxc4nng==

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/soic...8-pin-to-stereo-aop-5532d-on-pcb-p-11794.html

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/opa/...a-silver-plated-copper-35mm-pair-p-15782.html

 

[quaddac]

Based on positive reviews I ordered these op-amps: Burson V5i-D, Muses8820, OPA1656, OPA2211. Will compare them all when reiceive my XD05PRO, it should come in about 2-3 weeks. Ordered from amazon.de in the future i plan to try 4 pcs single opamp "muses03" via dip8 adaptors with open hood

https://www.mouser.lt/ProductDetail/Nisshinbo/MUSES03?qs=G/5vCLrg9vzIpmwYxc4nng==

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/soic...8-pin-to-stereo-aop-5532d-on-pcb-p-11794.html

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/opa/...a-silver-plated-copper-35mm-pair-p-15782.html

I was also thinking about muses03. I'm curious if double tables adapters for 4 single muses03 would fit in the pro (to close the housing) Maybe the opamp pcb table will be redesigned for a better opamp application in the future.

 

[LoneFurrow]

Based on positive reviews I ordered these op-amps: Burson V5i-D, Muses8820, OPA1656, OPA2211. Will compare them all when reiceive my XD05PRO, it should come in about 2-3 weeks. Ordered from amazon.de in the future i plan to try 4 pcs single opamp "muses03" via dip8 adaptors with open hood

https://www.mouser.lt/ProductDetail/Nisshinbo/MUSES03?qs=G/5vCLrg9vzIpmwYxc4nng==

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/soic...8-pin-to-stereo-aop-5532d-on-pcb-p-11794.html

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/opa/...a-silver-plated-copper-35mm-pair-p-15782.html

Have you considered the Sparkos SS3602s as well? Or are they too expensive?

 

[LoneFurrow]

Did you listen to the pro on the original opamps? What can you say about this. Do you need to think about the change right away (I was thinking about 2x MUSES02)

I hadn't tried the stock op-amps because the loan unit already had JRC5532DD op-amps installed. I installed the TI OPA1612s, which I believe are standard. They're pretty decent as stock op-amps go. Bass notes feel a little thick and ill-defined compared to the SS3602s. Treble has a slightly curious metallic quality on tracks like Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. Personally, I'd probably swap the OPA1612s but they will certainly do the job effectively.

Muses02 seems a little brighter and more analytical than the OPA1612s; I'd say they're a step in the wrong direction for my music / tastes. There's too much high-end and not enough bass impact for me. They just feel a bit too lean overall.

Burson V5iDs work well and would be my choice alongside the SS3602s, depending on budget. They're my preferred choice with the XD-05 BAL as they fit easily and sound great. They are fairly clean but also feel quite natural in terms of presentation. They seem to pair better than the Muses02 but don't give quite the clarity and depth of the SS3602s.

 

[LoneFurrow]

I was also thinking about muses03. I'm curious if double tables adapters for 4 single muses03 would fit in the pro (to close the housing) Maybe the opamp pcb table will be redesigned for a better opamp application in the future.

I don't think you'll have the space for two pairs of Muses03s. I'm pretty sure those adapters wouldn't fit in the op-amp cavity. Below is a view with the SS3602s installed.

Given how long it's taken xDuoo to launch the PRO, I really can't see them redesigning the op-amp section any time soon. I'd suggest you find an alternative option that meets your needs, but I'm just a consumer so know nothing about xDuoo's product roadmap.

 

[elira]

I hope they start selling modules soon.

 

[KaiFi]

I’m waiting for the modules to go on sale before I order this thing. I really want that AKM DAC.

 

[quaddac]

I don't think you'll have the space for two pairs of Muses03s. I'm pretty sure those adapters wouldn't fit in the op-amp cavity. Below is a view with the SS3602s installed.

Given how long it's taken xDuoo to launch the PRO, I really can't see them redesigning the op-amp section any time soon. I'd suggest you find an alternative option that meets your needs, but I'm just a consumer so know nothing about xDuoo's product roadmap.

Thank you very much. Let me ask one last question. These muzgaudio jfet opamps have a good reputation: https://muzgaudio.com/produkt/wydajny-wzmacniacz-diskretny-jfet/ They are 24mm without a table, is there a chance they will fit?

 

[LoneFurrow]

I hope they start selling modules soon.

I believe the ROHM DAC will be released in early September, possibly the AKM too.

 

[justsomesonyfan]

I’m waiting for the modules to go on sale before I order this thing. I really want that AKM DAC.

the akm is possibly the most interesting out of these, tied with the r2r.

I've tried rohm before with the dx320 and it didn't really do it for me, maybe the implementation here will be better.

surprised they're releasing a cirrus logic card and not something from burrbrown