The company xDuoo continues to please fans of quality sound, experiencing financial difficulties. After a couple of players X2 and X3, as well as a variety of amplifiers, the company decided to continue the line of devices with an incredible price-quality ratio. So the light has appeared portable DAC-amplifier XD-05.
In xDuoo, it was decided that if you were to make a portable DAC / amplifier, it was already to its fullest. For starters, we decided to equip it with a maximum of inputs: optics, coax, USB with support for mobile devices and even a line-in. Of course, I would like for the sake of completeness of sensations and the wireless interface, but demanding this would be insolence taking into account the price. The next step was easy management: there is a small screen for information display, switches, analog volume control. Added to this one of the most popular DACs AK4490 and a powerful amplifier with BUF634 as a current buffer. In the role of USB-controller put modern XMOS, which supported not only the signal with a resolution of up to 384 kHz and 32 bits, but also DSD up to DSD256. Well, to completely destroy the buyer, spiced it all at a pleasant price, . The case when you want to say after the device acquaintance that it was successful, but I will restrain myself and tell you more.
Specifications
- DAC: AK4490
- USB interface: XMOS
- Optical and coaxial interfaces: CS8422
- Output power: up to 500 mW @ 32Ω
- Recommended load impedance: 8Ω ~ 300Ω
- Signal to noise ratio: 112 dB
- Distortion: 0.0025% @ 1 kHz
- Frequency range in amplifier mode: 10 Hz - 100 kHz (± 0.5 dB)
- Frequency range in D / A converter mode: 20 Hz - 20 kHz (± 0.5 dB)
- Support for formats: PCM up to 384 kHz / 32 bit, DXD up to 384 kHz / 32 bit, DSD to DSD256 in native and DoP modes
- Gain: +3 dB, +6 dB, +15 dB
- LF gain: 0 / + 6 dB
- Battery: LiPol, 4000 mAh, 3.7 V
- Charging time: up to 5 hours with 2A charger
- Operating time on one charge: > 11 h USB,> 16 h SPDIF,> 23 h AUX
- Dimensions: 139.5 mm × 75 mm × 23 mm
- Weight: 270 g
Packing and delivery kit
Here everything is quite traditional for xDuoo, the outer box is made of glossy white paper, inside it is an inner box of black cardboard. It is located on top of the player, and under it everything that is included in the package. In addition to the device, you will get 2 USB cables (one for charging, the second for connecting to a PC), 5 pairs of self-adhesive legs, a pair of rubber bands for attaching to a signal source, a mini CD with drivers and various paper.
In general, taking into account the price, both the delivery kit and packaging are more than good.
Design and management
Over the appearance of the company worked well. XD-05 received a black aluminum case with silver inserts. There is also a completely black version, but it looks, in my opinion, not so interesting. The shape of the case is very thought-out, since the main scenario of using this device is a portable connection to the source, the XD-05 is made as long as possible and thanks to a moderately small width and thickness it makes it possible to build "sandwiches" that can even be considered portable. Although I still do not really understand connoisseurs of bundles of two devices, too much solution is obtained. The case is made very reliably, the level of performance and assembly also does not cause any criticism.
There are a lot of control elements, so they were dispersed at different ends. Behind are the main interfaces: a combined coaxial / optical input, a microUSB charging connector, a line input, also a part-time output, and a USB connector. The funniest thing is that the latter is not made in the form of a nest, but in the form of a plug located in the recess, it is apparently done to simplify the use with mobile devices. For example, Apple CCK has this kind of connector, and Android has made a lot of adapters "for flash drives." Naturally, instead of the usual USB cable, you need to use a USB extension cable with a socket at one end. The complete wire, by the way, I occasionally caused a loss of connection, so it may have to be replaced with something better. On the same side there are two indicator LEDs, one shows charging, the second - connection of a digital signal source.
The front panel serves for information and control. On the left is a 6.3 mm headphone jack, to the right - a volume control, combined with a power switch. The main place in the center is occupied by OLED-screen, it is placed at a small angle, so it is convenient to look at it even when the device is on the table. The screen displays the selected input, information about the signal and the active filter, and the battery status. Under the screen there are three switches. The first, three-way, serves to select the input (USB, coaxial / optics and line input), the second activates the bass enhancement, the third, as well as the three-position input, serves to select the gain factor.
Some of the buttons did not fit on the front side, so they were placed on the side. These buttons are responsible for: turning the display off and on, controlling the built-in sampler and selecting one of the digital filters. The upsampling button allows you to select one of the following values: off, 48 kHz, 192 kHz and 196 kHz. In addition, you can select one of 4 digital filter modes for PCM and 3 for DSD. In general, the inclusion of a reampler does affect the sound, the HF becomes purer, but at the same time sound more emasculated. Also, traditionally, the effect of different filters is noticeably very small, so much so that it borders on auto-suggestion.
Despite the presence of a sufficiently powerful battery, a device with similar characteristics can not have a record autonomy. In my tests in the USB DAC mode, the XD-05 worked for 10 hours 35 minutes, the full charge time was 5 hours 10 minutes from the 2A charging for the iPad. By the way, a separate port for charging makes the device a bit inconvenient in stationary use, since in this case it will be necessary to acquire a separate power supply for recharging the battery.
Sound
To listen to the device used the following headphones: ZMF Omni, Oppo PM-3, Titan 3 and Titan 5, Lear LHF-AE1d, Ambient Acoustics AM10, VE Monk and Asura v2, HiFiMan HE-400S, Audio Zenith PMx2. As a source of figures used MacBook Pro Retina 2013.
In general, the sound of XD-05 company is very, very successful. A good supply of power makes it possible to use it almost without any problems with any headphones, and slightly tinted to increase the energy, the sound is perceived quite pleasantly. In general, the supply of the XD-05 seems a little "artificial", but not in terms of synthetic sound, but in the sense that it was specially tuned, achieving a certain effect. Judging by the reviews, the device is easily amenable to modification with the replacement of the op-amp, which allows you to adjust the sound "for yourself," but I did not do it and listened to the device in the drain.
In general, if you take into account the price, the device sounds just fine - tightly, cheerfully, with a nice underlined middle and a little free-flowing HF, but there are no global problems with it. If you listen to the XD-05 without looking at the price, you can note a few points, which are not "problems", but "features", and are made, apparently, specifically.
The bass of this combine is a little dry, but thanks to the density sounds very good, if the headphones have problems with bass, this device is able to partially level it. In addition, there is a small pumping effect of the bass, so sometimes the drums are too attracting attention, although after a little getting used to the manner of filing this beginning I even like it. In the rest, LF are good, there is also the necessary texture, and fast enough attacks in combination with the resolution.
Medium frequencies are neatly accented. There is an accent on VCH, allowing to achieve the effect of "coming out" of the vocals to the foreground with respect to other instruments, and this is in favor of building an imaginary scene, especially in depth. Otherwise, MF is traditional for modern devices: detail, speed, emotions - all this is there. The feed is rather slightly smoothened, the XD-05 does not try to portray the monitor. The imaginary scene is medium in width, but the instruments have a good volume and are perfectly separated.
The upper frequencies are probably the moment that gives out the budget essence of the device most of all. They lack a gloss and refinement, they are slightly simplified, they lack the resolution and ease of attenuation. I suspect that this was done specifically to create a not tiring sound, but in good headphones (especially top-end multi-turn fittings) this simplification is well audible. Although it is worth considering that we are talking about the device at a price a little more than $ 200, so demanding from him the same that from the $ 500 dollar is unreasonable. Despite the coarsening, HF does not cause rejection, they do not have a quantitative excess, and they are not inclined to cut the rumor.
A few comparisons.
CEntrance DACPort HD. Of course, DACPort is deprived of a number of features XD-05 (only USB-input, no battery, no screen, worse compatibility with mobile devices), but it also has a number of advantages, for example, compact size and sound. Creation of the CEntrance sounds more neutral, but it involves more into the melody due to the natural sound. In general, someone can more like the way xDuoo, but I personally support a more low-key filing.
Fiio E18. The eighteenth model Fiio came out a long time ago and still remains in the shadow of its more successful colleagues, but it is its filing that is closest to the hero of today's review. Massive, though not very dark sound with a slightly smoothed and musical middle. On the side of xDuoo, the best way to work out the imaginary scene, while the E18 is slightly better than the HF.
Audinst HUD-MX2. Of course, Audinst released a newer model, the DX1, but the more expensive flagship does not really leave a chance for competition, so for comparison I chose the middle model. MX2 - the device is not portable (for whom it is important), so Audinst managed to make the amplifier more powerful and provide its device with a more even feed. The MX2 also has a slightly softening effect, but it's less pronounced than the XD-05, so it sounds more natural.
Oppo HA-2. Of course, in terms of design and other non-audio features, HA-2 is beyond competition, but it is the sound that determines the device, and with this, the HA-2 has some features, it depends very much on the selection of headphones and with many models it greatly simplifies the midrange. Because of this, xDuoo sounds both drive and natural.
Compatibility
In terms of compatibility with headphones, there are no special problems. A three-position gain switch makes it possible to use both IEMs without problems, and the full-size models, which are very difficult to expand. Of course, with the now popular sensitive multi-driver headphones there will be small problems (the volume grows too fast), but 90 percent of the headphones for the XD-05 are not a problem.
Genreally, this harvester is more suitable for brutal and driving styles, its elements - fire and energy. That is, from the musical variety it is the best suited for metal, rock, electronic music. Jazz and instrumental melodies will sound worse, you can also listen to classics, but this is clearly not the strongest side of this model. Muddling to the quality of records I would rate somewhere around 7 points out of 10.
As usual, a few tracks for an example.
Robert Plant - Anniversary. This track typical for the solo career of Planta bribes with its code with unusual electronic effects and non-standard sound. xDuoo thanks to its "depth" well emphasizes this sound, focusing on it, which allows the song to unfold in its entirety.
Haken - The Architect. What can not be found in the work of this collective! The basis of all, of course, is quite modern progressive metal, but there are electronic inserts, noise effects, and almost ambient inserts, and much more. XD-05 quite well wins this music, passing not only the drive of heavy fragments, but also the volume of "lyrical digressions".
Hoff Ensemble - Vesle, rare bygdeunge. Not surprisingly, the cold and harsh nature of Norway has an impact on local jazz bands. A very melancholic thing, calm as a frozen lake, is gaining an even larger volume thanks to the manner of the hero of today's review to take the vocals to the fore.
conclusions
In general, xDuoo XD-05 turned out to be a folk device. Delicious, slightly tinted sound, a lot of interfaces and possibilities, good build quality and a very humane price raise the ratio of cost and quality to an unattainable height.
The article is based on materials .
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