Review : xDuoo XD-05 – Right on

A good combo with the xDuoo XD-05

Starter : FiiO M6 + xDuoo TXD-05 + Fearless Audio Crystal Clear
Enthusiast : FiiO M11 + xDuoo XD-05 + Shanling ME-500
Audiophile : xDuoo XT10ii + xDuoo XD-05 + Audeze LCD-X

Honestly, the best match I could try with the xDuoo XD-05 was the Shanling ME-500 (review incoming), everything sound clean and even, as if those two were made by the same team.

If you have another suggestion, feel free to add it in the comments section !

Power and drive

The xDuoo XD-05 is quite powerful, thanks to its various gain settings.

It drove the Sennheiser HD-800S without too much hassle, even if the definition seems lacking, the experience is still very pleasant. I stuck to the mid-gain as the high-gain seems to compress the dynamic in my experience.

Apart from that, there is not much to be said : it’s able to drive all major headphones/earphones without hassle.

And yes, no balanced output, so keep that 4.4mm Pentacon away !

Conclusion

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.

The soundstage is wide, the overall signature superbly detailed with a good blend of musicality and linearity, xDuoo giving you a bass-boost option in case you want more… tremor. I liked it straight out the box, and that’s still true after a full month of listening.

Build quality is excellent. Even if the design looks a bit plain and bulky, it’ll be able to withstand harsh usage like a champ, and that alone makes up for it. Totally worth the (low) price in my opinion, even more, if you’re new to the amp/DAC world. Or… you can wait for the xDuoo XD-05 plus.