xDuoo XD-05 Plus Portable DAC / Headamp Review and Measurements

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by purr1n, Jul 29, 2020.

  1. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    If you’re going to buy one of these definitely buy it from Apos Audio. Check out the email I just got.


    Hi Whitney,

    This is Bob from the Support team @ Apos Audio. Thank you very much for your order earlier. We are only able to do what we do with support from awesome customers like yourself.

    In light of the current global pandemic, we've noticed an elevated occurrence of shipment disruptions within the international shipping network.

    As an effort to mitigate and alleviate the potential risk of shipping delay for your order, we've upgraded the shipping speed of your order to the fastest (and the most expensive) one available for you. With this complimentary shipping upgrade, it is rather likely that you'll receive your order a few days earlier than our guideline of 7 business days transit time.

    In the meantime, we appreciate your understanding and patience. Please stay safe and healthy, and I hope you have a great rest of the week.

    Sincerely,
    Bob
     
  2. Vatnos

    Vatnos New

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    My experience with the XD-05 (just the regular one, not the +) was that the USB DAC was a bit lacking but the amp itself was quite good for the price range. Op-amp rolling was also good fun with it. I still use it as a portable amp for my laptop when I travel.

    Note that on the original, they hilariously used a male USB-A port on the back. This thing was impossible to use walking around (ignoring how big it was) since no cable ever wanted to stay put in that socket.
     
  3. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    @purr1n i can’t find where you mentioned your favorite filter setting. You said you can’t hear much difference but just for peace of mind. ;)
     
  4. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I got mine today :). I was pretty quick to open it up and put in 2134. Which was much more difficult than I remember. Maybe I had a higher IQ before. I just kept bending the pins and had to keep bending them back straight.

    then I realized I was trying to do it in a room lit with a single light bulb. I turned on a flashlight and got it in a few minutes later. You have to kind of pinch the pins a bit when inserting because they’re wider than the holes. But easy to line up if you can see it. :rolleyes:

    unfortunately there’s a pretty significant whine with both stock opamp and 2134 with og Solaris. It’s loud enough that it ruins the amp. :(

    but I’m enjoying the increase in dynamics compared to the iFI Nano. I kept feeling like the Solaris was a bit boring sounding but couldn’t figure out what it was because I got the FR nailed down with my tip combo. I think it was the Nano.

    if Purrin’s unit doesn’t whine maybe there’s something wrong with mine. It’s loud. You’d definitely hear it when music isn’t playing or between every song and subtlety in quieter passages even in rock music.
     
  5. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Hmmm no whine or buzz at all out of my iPod touch 7. The whine was when plugged into MacBook running Audirvana. Will have to investigate
     
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I got barely audible whining from Android when using USB Audio Player app. No whining with Qobuz. It's a mystery. I use filter 2.
     
  7. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    @purr1n I don't know anything about upsampling so I'm out of my depth here, but if my XD05 Plus reads 44.1khz on the front while playing from the Tidal app on my iPod touch 7 does that mean it's not upsampling to 48khz as you reported yours was?

    I'm still using opamp 2134 and trying to resist swapping in the 627 until I get a feel for the 2134. I think it sounds significantly better than the iFI Nano. More resolving and dynamic.

    The battery lasts way longer than the Nano too. Listening for a long time yesterday and the battery indicator didn't reach half-way even. Another smart design aspect of the XD05 is that it has separate USB C ports for charging and input, which Apos Audio told me was to prevent the device from pulling power from the source ie a smartphone or iPod. This is very smart because the Nano definitely pulls power from my iPod touch, it's battery is consumed much faster with the iFI Nano. Xduoo also makes a USB C to lightning adapter, which saved them a ton of space inside the unit compared to iFI who fit a huge female usb 3 jack into the back, leaving less room for MOAR or bigger circuitry or a bigger battery. Really a head smacker of a choice that they keep making on their devices, because they could fit 2 USB C ports like the XD05 Plus and still probably have more space inside. And no power pulling issues, and it would be chargeable whiile playing from a mobile device. Head-smack.

    My biggest complaint so far is the stupid easy to push buttons on the side, which should be switches or something. They're exactly where you grab the amp to hold it or move it, and then you wind up switching the source to aux in or changing the filter setting. Gawd.

    I have to disagree about the chassis though other than the buttons, I think it's pretty sexy and the screws go in very solidly, it's not gong to be super easy to strip.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2020
  8. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    It’s not the Xduoo that was upsampling to 48 kHz, it’s the audio stack on Android phones. An iPod won’t do that.
     
  9. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    hmmm Apple takes home the win for once with something iike this. Go Steve-sie.
     
  10. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Another important thing to know about this is that (maybe because of the 4 ohm output impedance?) the usable volume range with og Solaris (super sensitive iem’s) is the same as the iFI BL Nano in ieMatch mode. They both get channel balanced at just about my listening level or just below and I would like more volume range on both. But my point is that this is equal to the best competition for dac/amps for use with sensitive iem’s.

    Separately, I find it sounds a bit better with boost turned on. Not sure why anyone would want to limit the current anyways. It’s very subtle but it sounds a bit more open to me. Boost “on” also seems to reduce bass quantity a bit for whatever reason. I would think MOAR power would equal MOAR bass but that’s not my experience.
     
  11. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    So I continued my investigation of the whine.

    when connected to my MacBook Air 2014 era running Catalina, there’s a pretty significant whine/high pitched buzz. It’s there with Audirvana, and with the Tidal app. It shows up when I start playing a track but is not there when not playing anything. roon (I currently have free trials of Audirvana and roon) wouldn’t connect to the XD05+ and I don’t know why. It recognized it but couldn’t connect. For people wanting to use this with a Mac computer, this is a deal breaker.

    BUT I didn’t try it with the music app as I have no music in it at the moment and no subscription. And I couldn’t try it with roon. And maybe newer Macs are different I don’t know.

    zero noise with iPod touch 7 using Tidal app. I assume me the same with iPhones.

    can any other apple users with the XDOO DOO corroborate this?
     
  12. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    Can you try with Audirvana in exclusive Access Mode and laptop on battery disconnected from charger? This may resolve the issue.
     
  13. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Just tried it, no change. :(

    I oontacted Apos about it, I'll report back what they say.
     
  14. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Just FYI, if you first turn on the iFi Nano, then plug it in via USB to a portable device, it'll function in "battery power" mode and won't drain off the device. If you plug in the iFi Nano via USB then turn it on, it'll function in "USB power" mode and it'll drain off the device.
     
  15. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I do that and am now super paranoid about it and even do it with the XD05+ but my iPod still doesn’t last as long with the nano compared to its headphone out or the XD05+. Who knows God works in mysterious ways
     
  16. loadexfa

    loadexfa MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I've found the iFi iDSD drains my iPhone battery faster than I would expect for playing even though I turn the iFi on before plugging it in. From loose memory it drains noticeably faster than when I've used the Modi Multibit with my iPhone.
     
  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The XMOS chips used for USB suck a lot of current.
     
  18. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Really needs a damn charge/input switch like @purr1n said about the micro and a dedicated port for usb signal input alone with a second for charging. @iFi audio are you listening? :)
     
  19. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Anyone with one of these ever charge it long enough to get the red led to turn off like it says it does in the manual When it’s done charging? Mine’s never turned off and I’ve never been patient enough to wait. But today I’m determined to see if it ever will.

    it also just stayed on the first few times I charged it and only after falling asleep with it on and fully draining the battery did it start blinking while charging like it says in the manual.
     
  20. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    On my singxer SU-1 (has internal PSU), the XMOS chip by itself pulls only 50mA from the USB input :D guess it boils down to implementation.
     

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