Xduoo XD05 plus

[chaotic_angel]

Dear member, any information / impression with regards Xduoo XD05 plus that recently released?

 

[raif71]

Have you seen Z review on this device?

 

[Angstrom]

I picked one up to be my portable amp, I like the build of the product, outstanding sounding with a wide range of headsets, I can fall back enjoy the music with rich enough detail, and separation.

The volume potentiometer has an excellent range to deal with a wide range of headsets. There are three levels of gain and loudness switch + bass boost.

On paper it looked ok, we have to wait for review

• DAC chip. AK4493EQ.
• Note there is Altera FPGA
• USB chipset. XMOS XU208.
• Output power. 1000mW at 32 ohms.
• S/N 117dB
• Crosstalk ≥75 dB
• Frequency response (amp) 10Hz~100kHz (±0.5 dB)
• Frequency response (USB/SPDIF) 20Hz~20kHz (±0.5 dB)
• THD+ N (USB/SPDIF in) 0.0016% at 1kHz.

I have a range of Classical, Han Zimmer Movie Scores, Opera, Rock, Alternative, Blues, Jazz, and EDM song, which I test the amp again 6 Moderately cost headsets ( $699 or less), and one low mid-priced IEM.

On Thermals, it stays cool to touch even driving the HE-560 at moderately loud volumes.

I tested it with:

• Beyerdynamic DT-880 600 Ohm 96 dB SPL
  • Sound good at Gain Level 2, but open up more at Gain Level 3. This sound good, was detailed, but it needs an amp that can give it more voltage to open it up more.
• Focal Elex 80 Ohms 104 dB SPL ( easiest to drive )
  • Similar to the HD-6xx in that they can be operated at all Gain Level, but open up at Gain Level 3 up to about 1 o'clock. For classical pieces, but other pieces, you won't use this much gain. Move to Gain Level 2 due to the dynamic range of the headset.
  • Elex just sounds stellar with this amp.
• Sennheiser HD-6xx 300 Ohms 107 dB SPL
  • Gain Level 1 is enough to drive the headphone, Gain Level 2 really opens up the headphones to bring in more detail, staging, separation, and bass. Gain Level 3
  • It brings HE-6xx is brought to life, Guitars, Trumpets, Vocals, Bases.
  • If your looking for that missing kick in the bass on HE-6xx, the bass boost bring bass you can feel
  • This headphone just did not feel alive before,

Planner Headphones

• Hifiman Ananda 25 Ohms 103 dB SPL ( second easiest to drive)
  • Good match, these headphones are relatively flat, they have enough room to use all three gain ranges and respond to it, Opening up more and more
• Hifiman HE-560 45 Ohms 90 dB SPL ( Magic combo, it was the biggest surprise )
  • Bring great richness and detail out of the HE-560 which are not the easiest headphones to drive
  • You will need to be at gain level 3 get them to open up, but then open and vibrant, with amazing detail and dynamic range. Pianos are beautiful.
  • Summertime with Elia Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, the trumpet just pulls you in, there vocal vibrant and bright.
  • You can get plenty of volume out of it.
• Dan Clark Aeon X 13 Ohms 94 dB ( Magical amp for this headphones )
  • I think people are fooled due to the low Ohm nature of these headsets they do not need a more powerful amp. The AEON loves current ( milliamps ) so they can breathe. This is a great amp that opens where sound rich and luxurious.
  • Found best playing back best on Gain Level 3 to open up the headset.
  • John Cash Hurt just is so intimate which guitar bright, vibrant, and detailed.
  • Sonny Boy Williamson Bring It Home, his quick burst of harmonica on a lesser amp/DAC is muddled, it is clear and detailed, just fantastic separation drums, guitar, vocals, and harmonica. 3/4 way thought the song there they lightly bring in a Harmond organ

IEM

• Noble X IEM no background hiss with IEM's, clean background,
  • The Nobel IEM's open up sound stage, give them more punch in the low end and mid-range, Treble is crisp
  • Gain Level 1, never need to go beyond 50% volume on darker recordings

 

[velasfloyd]

it has been said here that you should listen to the minimum gain level that you could relative to the volume you want. A mayor gain will give you nothing but more volume at the cost of more noise. I think your description in this regard is not quite real. Am I mistaken? (this post has no intention to troll the answer, but to learn and confirm the knowledge in this topic)

This xd-05 looks great on paper, I wish a review could be made

 

[Angstrom]

Above was more subjective, What I was trying to convey is amp has the ability to deliver and to drive this broad range of headsets with diverse needs across broad spectrum of music. Since it was subjective this is really personal taste ultimately does it make music enjoyable to you, finally, with two of my more problematic headphones it was ; ) I did few hours of listening testing A/B headsets.

Next, I was looking at can drive headset to where does headsets, each of them has unique activation energy to create a given volume of sound. So each headset behaves differently on how the amp can respond to voltage and current delivery needs. Hence Focal Elex in that list is easiest to drive to HE-560, Aeon X and Even DT-880 give the amp a workout. For example, Aeon I have seen interesting behavior on smaller amps like CEntracne Dacport HD and Universal Audio Arrow, and few other amps.

On the Current need to hit 85 dB, for example, Aeon needs 10x the current of the Elex at about the same voltage 0.03-.04 Vrms, HE-560 need 3 x the Voltage of an Aeon, but the AEON need 1.15x more current then HE-560 to hit the same dB. Remember Headphone have different dynamics since they are electromechanical devices and are built with different materials, they also have dynamic properties that interact with an amp. Aeon X is a great example of a low Ohm headset that sounds like a mud if an amp is underpowered. I believe Aeon has some interesting peak current behaviors based on what I can hear. But I need to build a jig and get an Ocsiiscope on it to see.


Yes, I understand the need to go to minimum gain possible to get to the best Single to Noise ratio and introduction of noise at higher gain levels. I am an engineer by training. This has the second set of variables the Headsets themselves, i was looking at from DAC/AMP ability to interplay with them.

For me, it will be interesting to see what number is on the Dac/amp combo since they choose what seams to be nice DAC and decent op-amps which you can change out.

I know there better AMP's and DAC's in the market, but for what I can tell it is a solid combo for $200 dollars, I have a pre-order on a Tom Christiansen Audio HPA-1 Headphone Amp which I know will have much better S/N and power delivery.

Update: here is a great whitepaper from TI on dealing with lower Ohm headphones in Op Amps and there special current needs, After looking at number Op Amps I now understand what going on at the circuit level.

" Parallel INA1620 Headphone Amplifiers for Higher Output Power " http://www.ti.com/lit/an/sboa352/sboa352.pdf



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[Angstrom]

Here is like to measured data on the unit https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ts-of-xduoo-xd-05plus-portable-dac-amp.10515/

 

[Illtrick]

• Dan Clark Aeon X 13 Ohms 94 dB ( Magical amp for this headphones )
  • I think people are fooled due to the low Ohm nature of these headsets they do not need a more powerful amp. The AEON loves current ( milliamps ) so they can breathe. This is a great amp that opens where sound rich and luxurious.
  • Found best playing back best on Gain Level 3 to open up the headset.
  • John Cash Hurt just is so intimate which guitar bright, vibrant, and detailed.
  • Sonny Boy Williamson Bring It Home, his quick burst of harmonica on a lesser amp/DAC is muddled, it is clear and detailed, just fantastic separation drums, guitar, vocals, and harmonica. 3/4 way thought the song there they lightly bring in a Harmond organ

How sensitive is the volume knob with the Aeon X's? Meaning is it like my shower where I give it the gentless nudge it either way and it goes from iceburgs to volcanos?

 

[Angstrom]

How sensitive is the volume knob with the Aeon X's? Meaning is it like my shower where I give it the gentlest nudge it either way and it goes from icebergs to volcanos?

The Volume has a nice large range, also you have three levels of gain so it works with a wide range of headphone, but it can get Mount Saint Hellens loud on, for example, Rosson Audio Rad-0 at gain level 0, I listen to it a little bit less than noon on gain knob ( Volume)

Rad-0 is pretty easy to drive. So it a good test do you have a range on gain knob.

This is my headphone amp/dac I take on the road now. ( when we still could travel )

 

[Illtrick]

The Volume has a nice large range, also you have three levels of gain so it works with a wide range of headphone, but it can get Mount Saint Hellens loud on, for example, Rosson Audio Rad-0 at gain level 0, I listen to it a little bit less than noon on gain knob ( Volume)

Rad-0 is pretty easy to drive. So it a good test do you have a range on gain knob.

This is my headphone amp/dac I take on the road now. ( when we still could travel )

Thanks for the response. It's one of those critical features of an amp that rarely gets discussed. Those volume knobs that only has 15 degrees of use are a huge usability hindrance. Sounds like the different gain levels make a big difference here too.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Really enjoying my xDuoo XD-05 Plus + 05BL Pro. As noted by @WolfX-700 in his review there is a very minor channel imbalance (favoring the right channel on mine) from 9 o'clock to 9:30 on the pot... however, that is well below any listening level at any gain setting with any of my earbuds. There is absolutely no background noise to be heard at the low and medium gain settings... though on high gain I can hear a faint hiss beginning @ 2 o'clock. This lil' amp is surprisingly powerful... listening volume is between 11 and 1 o'clock at low gain with any of my earbuds. Fortunately for me the 6.35mm jack is very nice on my unit so no complaints there. Bluetooth functionality has worked flawlessly with both my PC and smartphone; range is well over 10 meters. Both the XD-05 Plus and 05BL Pro were recognized immediately by WIN10 with no drivers required. Very well made headAMP with solid and smooth feeling switches, inputs, and volume pot.

 

[Illtrick]

@WoodyLuvr I see you’re also all over that L30 thread too. I’ve been considering the XD-05 Plus instead of a L30/ some dac combo because it will likely be cheaper in the end and give portability/ Bluetooth. What makes you so keen on the L30?

 

[WoodyLuvr]

@WoodyLuvr I see you’re also all over that L30 thread too. I’ve been considering the XD-05 Plus instead of a L30/ some dac combo because it will likely be cheaper in the end and give portability/ Bluetooth. What makes you so keen on the L30?

The large volume knob (me like! ); AC power instead of battery (for easier desktop use); and of course...

With that said I am indeed really liking my xDuoo so I will have to definitely really justify the L30 when it debuts... I'll surely figure out a good reason why !

 

[Illtrick]

The large volume knob (me like! ); AC power instead of battery (for easier desktop use); and of course...

With that said I am indeed really liking my xDuoo so I will have to definitely really justify the L30 when it debuts... I'll surely figure out a good reason why !

Thanks! Toys like these have a special way of justifying themselves for sure.

 

[Objectivist01]

There are no measurements available?

 

[Veri]

There are no measurements available?

There are actually full measurements by WolfX Check it out here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ts-of-xduoo-xd-05plus-portable-dac-amp.10515/

 

[WoodyLuvr]

XDuoo XD-05 Plus Black Edition + 05BL Pro (DAC HeadAMP w/ Bluetooth Module)... earbuds are the newly released Smabat ST-10S Black-Gold (150Ω).

 

[Veri]

XDuoo XD-05 Plus Black Edition + 05BL Pro (DAC HeadAMP w/ Bluetooth Module)... earbuds are the newly released Smabat ST-10S Black-Gold (150Ω).

View attachment 67844

no signal

 

[WoodyLuvr]

no signal

Power saving feature. The bluetooth module (05BL Pro) has a 15-minute battery saver shut-off feature. The "no signal" message will also appear within 5 seconds or so if no media is playing (no signal being fed to the XD-05 Plus)... a second power/battery-saving feature.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

I have now used all possible available inputs and am very pleased with all. Currently, using the AUX IN option straight from my motherboard's Realtek ALC1150 DAC driven 3.5mm line output. No issues at all. Excellent battery life more than 36 hours with earbuds.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

XD-05 Plus has landed on Headfonia's best DAC/AMP list:
https://www.headfonia.com/xduoo-xd-05-plus-review/