In this article we take a look at the xDuoo X5, the brand’s latest DAP selling for just $209 USD.
Disclaimer: Shenzhen Audio sent us the x5, free of charge, for the purpose of this review. In exchange, we’re going to give our honest opinion, as always.
xDuoo
Founded in 2013, xDuoo has become one of the most popular chi-fi brands over the years. First known as an ODM manufacturer, they quickly raised to fame thanks to their prolific range of headphone tube amps, all aggressively priced despite their performances, and admirable craftsmanship.
A range that kept evolving – sometimes even a bit too quickly for me – now covering all and every genre, from the funny-looking xDuoo Poke II, to the impressive Drop + xDuoo TA-84 hybrid amp, or the XD-05 BAL – one of my favorite portable DAC/Amp, which aged like fine wine.
Still, while the company initially gained traction through its amplifier range, on the sideline xDuoo kept on producing quirky, portable devices, like the link2, or the X10Tii – a portable digital transport(!), aimed at audiophiles looking for cheap, high-fidelity music player.
And today, the brand finally crossed the bridge, delivering a full-fledged Digital Audio Player, packing all of the brand geekiness, in an affordable package: the xDuoo X5.
Is it any good? Time to find out.
xDuoo X5
Casing
As usual with the brand, build quality is absolutely flawless – which always impress me considering the asking price.
No gaps, premium materials everywhere your eye can see, and your hand can touch, thanks to the same aluminium unibody case found on higher end device, topped by tempered glass panel front and (upper) back.
Add to that an symmetrical design, where each side reverse mirror the other one, flush outputs, a titanium grey metal anodized aluminium case, and you get a very nice looking player – obviously paying tribute to Astell&Kern SR35, or the Shanling M2x / M1 Plus
A design simple, yet brillant, that gives a good sense of sturdiness, greatly helped by the excellent weight-size ratio offered by the small player. It never feels cumbersome, nor does it feel cheap to handle, which isn’t always the case with player in this price range.
The FiiO JM21 for example is absolutely brilliant on the go, but out of its pocket sleeves, it does feel a bit clunky compared to the xDuoo X5, with its plasticky body and back.
Size-wise, this new player sits right between the X10Tii and modern player like the Shanling M1 Plus: 104 mm tall, 60mm wide, and 15 mm thick, with a total weight of just 116g.
Dimensions that should allow you to carry it on the go without to much hassle, even if the sheer thickness might be an issue on the long run – especially in a jean pocket.
It’s not entirely perfect though – nothing is in this cruel world – the X5 display suffering from unbearably large bezels, in an era where brands like Apple boasts razor-thin margin, across the screen.
But, that’s clearly me nit-picking and, in this price range, it really gives the JM21 and M1 Plus a run for their money.
A very nice build, for a nice player, so let’s dig in dipper.
Layout
Unlike your typical xDuoo amp, the X5 remained modest in terms of IO, displaying a minimalistic setup, which should still cover almost every user.
At the bottom you get:
- an USB-C port, used for charging, data transfer, and USB-DAC function
- a 3.5mm dedicated line output, so you can connect your amp of choice
- a 3.5mm headphone output, for all of your single-ended options (headphones or IEM)
- a 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced headphone output, to connect a balanced headphone
On the right side:
- a power on/off button, doubling as a sleep option
- volume up/down buttons, to raise or lower the sound level
And finally on the left-side:
- a micro-SD port, to extend your storage
Strangely enough, the xDuoo X5 doesn’t gain access to play/pause/next/previous track control buttons, meaning that you won’t be able to handle the player from another place than the 3.5” LCD touch screen.
Talking about that, let’s carry on and check the screen.
Screen
Looking at numbers only, the xDuoo X5 screen’s isn’t impressive by any mean. It’s 3.5” wide only, sports an antique 480p resolution and isn’t really bright even when pushed to the max.
The only player that I tried recently showing equal specs being the Hidizs AP80 Pro-X and Shanling M1 Plus, so no need to say that I wasn’t very enthusiastic at first.
To make matters worse, my review unit came with not one, but three rows of dead pixels – because apparently, my lifelong curse with digital displays now extends to DAPs too.
Nothing that should worry you though, as none other than me seemed to encounter that specific issue…
Thankfully though, responsiveness was exceptionally good, thanks to linux-hifi and a good CPU. A good software/hardware integration, that shaved off my fears and allowed me to handle the player like a champ, even if sometimes I encountered random sluggishness during my navigation.
Contrast is ok, logos are crisp (even if I’m not very fond of the color schemes) and album cover looks equally nice, when correctly tagged – and for the price, I’d be awfully picky to ask for more, this ain’t a Nothing phone or a Xiaomi!
Bundle – Inside the box
The xDuoo isn’t really well-dotted, so you’ll get the bare minimum.
Inside, you will find :
- 1x xDuoo X5
- 1x USB-C to USB-A cable
- 1x screen protector
- some documentation
- and… that’s it
Sadly, the device only comes with a sole USB-C to USB-A cable and not USB-C to USB-C cable, but bearing in mind that this kind of cable only cost a few bucks nowadays, I understand.
A third party case would have been a nice touch though…
The article continues on Page two, after the click here, or after the jump
Page 1: About xDuoo, design and build quality
Page 2: UI & Usage, specifications
Page 3: Sound performances, Conclusion, Summary
