In this review we take a close look at the xDuoo XD-05 Plus, selling for $259 USD.
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Disclaimer: the xDuoo XD-05 Plus was sent to us, free of charge, by Xtenik in exchange for our honest opinion. You can find it directly on their website or xDuoo official store.
About xDuoo
Based in ShenZhen, China, xDuoo is a good Chi-Fi representative. Proudly designed and made in China Mainland, almost every product we received from the brand was a pleasant surprise.
As for now, we previously reviewed the TA-10 (DAC/AMP), the TA-20 (full-tube amplifier), the X10T / X10Tii (portable digital transport), and even the XD-05 (portable DAC-AMP).
And now, it’s time to take a look at the upgraded version, the xDuoo XD-05 Plus.
The xDuoo X Series
If the T-Series from xDuoo were entirely made of desktop amplifiers, the X-Series only beholds portable devices. As usual, let’s take a quick tour.
xDuoo X10Tii
The xDuoo X10Tii is a portable digital transport. Like those ultra-high-end CD player only carrying a digital stream up to the DAC, but (very) much more affordable and (very) much more portable. Small and light, this device can stream up to 384kHz / 32bit files or even DSD256 to your DAC.
You have the usual Coaxial / Optical combo port, but you can also use the USB Type-C port or even a mini-XLR output, for professional listeners needing an AES port. Yes, it’s that quirky.
xDuoo X20
The xDuoo X20 is a portable player, or a DAP if you’d prefer. If the X10Tii only purpose is to transfer digital signal, the X20 appears to be less quirky: it’s a true player only. No Wi-Fi, no streaming support, but thanks to bi-directional Bluetooth connection, there is HiBy Link support.
The DAC? A good old Sabre ESS 9018 K2M chip, supported by a dual-oscillator and a fully balanced circuit, for good measurements. Not as nerdy as the usual stuff, but we’ll have to see for ourselves.
xDuoo Nano-D3
The xDuoo Nano-D3 is a portable audiophile player. Like the FiiO M3 pro or Shanling M2X, it only weighs 70g and measures 83mm on its larger side. A good option for those of us who do not want to carry a heavy player, in addition to their smartphone.
The design is not astounding, but it still boasts impressive specs: 20h battery life, full DSD support up to 256x, and a conservative 250mW output power @32ohms.
xDuoo XD-05
The xDuoo XD-05 is a portable DAC/AMP, following the usual path of battery-powered DAC. The embedded chip is provided by Asahi Kasei, a good old AK4490, while the amp section was able to output 500mW@32ohms.
We’ve already reviewed the XD-05, and we liked it, a lot.
“The xDuoo XD-05 is a great DAC/Amp, hiding awesome audio prowess in a meh box. It supports almost every source, thanks to its wide array of inputs, and is able to drive almost every headphone on the market.”
xDuoo XD-05 Plus
The xDuoo XD-05 Plus is an upgraded version of the previous XD-05. If visually the difference isn’t striking, the brand gifted the DAC/AMP a lot of small optimizations. Both inside and outside.
And now, it’s time to go deeper into the review, shall we?
The review continues on Page Two, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.
Scott Wells
Great review NanoTechnos!
I am also very pleased with my XDuoo XD-05 Plus Black Edition + 05BL Pro Bluetooth Module. 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. With this additional module one has nearly all unbalanced inputs/outputs imaginable.
As mentioned, there is indeed very minor channel imbalance (favoring the right channel) 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 and typical to some level with most analog volume pots. 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/headphones ranging from 32 to 300 ohms.