# Xduoo XD-05 BASIC (new release update)



## Katholm

I am looking to upgrade my BTR3K, and I bumped into this piece 
Does anyone know what the main differences or have made a comparison of the Xduoo xd-05 plus vs the new basic model?

The new basic version supports Bluetooth 5.0 which was missing on the plus, I know the plus gives more power. but no info regarding codecs (LDAC? it doesn't mention which BT chip is inside)

I'm wondering why is the plus prices at 260 and the basic is 140$. maybe the lower pricing is to be competitive since the plus was released almost 2 years ago?

I'm inclining to get the basic one.
Links:
https://www.xduoo.net/product/xd05-basic/ - BASIC
https://www.xduoo.net/product/xduoo-xd-05-plus/ - PLUS


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## PurpleAngel

The basic uses a cheaper (but i guess still decent) DAC chip and less powerful headphone amplifier.
Guess there might be other differences.


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## Turkleton

Katholm said:


> I am looking to upgrade my BTR3K, and I bumped into this piece
> Does anyone know what the main differences or have made a comparison of the Xduoo xd-05 plus vs the new basic model?
> 
> The new basic version supports Bluetooth 5.0 which was missing on the plus, I know the plus gives more power. but no info regarding codecs (LDAC? it doesn't mention which BT chip is inside)
> ...



Been having a look at the XD-05 Basic too, thinking of upgrading from my Fiio Q1.

Apart from the supposed bluetooth 5.0 connectivity (highly doubtful), seems to me it's almost 90% the same as the old XD-05 (only difference is the XMOS chip and OP Amps (BUF634 in original, unknown in the Basic) which is still selling for $200 on their site. Strange why they'd undercut their own product.. 

Seems like a smart marketing strategy to get rid of old XD-05 stock. The original XD-05 came out years ago... Its price is 210 and for just a bit more you get the Plus. Discounting a 4 year old product? Booringgg, water is wet. 

Call it a new product and sell at a much cheaper price.. Like moths to a flame.. I'm not too bothered tho, I like the new pricing and have read lots of great reviews for the XD-05.

I'm gonna wait for 11/11 and get this at a better price


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## Smoker65

If you are interested in the "Basic" model, DROP has it for 135.00 US - https://drop.com/buy/xduoo-xd-05-basic-dac-amp


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## Turkleton (Sep 16, 2020)

Not that great of a deal tbh, I can get it on Aliexpress for $129 (but you need some coins)... If I add some coupon-fu, I can get it down to $120

https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0oJT1t

Edit: Thanks for sharing, though. I don't live in the States so drop wouldn't really make a difference with delivery times


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## Turkleton

I just noticed a good deal on Aliexpress

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mqtbRkf
You have to follow the store (one simple tap/click) to get the Fans Exclusive Discount - selling for $120!

The store has a $5 coupon for purchases over $109 and an extra 10% off if you have enough coins (575 to be exact) which brings it down to $103.

There's gonna be a sale about 3 days from now which will let you get another $6 off, but I don't think the store will offer the same price, normally these guys jack the price up then give a huge discount during their "sales".


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## Metalingus

Turkleton said:


> I just noticed a good deal on Aliexpress
> 
> https://a.aliexpress.com/_mqtbRkf
> You have to follow the store (one simple tap/click) to get the Fans Exclusive Discount - selling for $120!
> ...



Just placed an order and thanks to you i saved a lot. I paid full price on drop now i cancelled it and saved almost $40 thanks to coupons and store discount. Shipping was free too.


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## Turkleton

Nice! Happy to help a fellow Head-Fi'er save some money!


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## IEMmasterRace

Do these thing works with sensitive IEM pretty well? (without hiss/noise)


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## Metalingus

IEMmasterRace said:


> Do these thing works with sensitive IEM pretty well? (without hiss/noise)



Wait till i get them and try with IEMS. The store linked above already shipped them in the same day.


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## Jobbing

Pricing strategy fits the upcoming xDuoo XD-05 *BAL* version, expected to be released end of December. 

So that would be BASIC -> PLUS -> BAL
With so many competitive products with 4.4mm in recent months the BAL has to be a) positioned at a reasonable pricepoint compared to other brands and b) at the maxxed out price level within the XD-05 definite line-up


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## ChevyMonsenhor (Dec 30, 2020)

I received mine a few days ago.
Everything about it is great, except one thing, sometimes when unpausing any type of media, it lets out this very distorted signal from whatever is playing, it lasts just about one second and then comes back to normal.
In direct mode it happens almost all the time the bitrate changes.
Any idea what this is? Did i get a defective unit?
Otherwise its awesome, it sounds great and very detailed, but this nuisance kind of ruins the experience.


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## antenorhs

ChevyMonsenhor said:


> I received mine a few days ago.
> Everything about it is great, except one thing, sometimes when unpausing any type of media, it lets out this very distorted signal from whatever is playing, it lasts just about one second and then comes back to normal.
> In direct mode it happens almost all the time the bitrate changes.
> Any idea what this is? Did i get a defective unit?
> Otherwise its awesome, it sounds great and very detailed, but this nuisance kind of ruins the experience.


hey, @ChevyMonsenhor , I'm experiencing the same issue here... every time my Tidal change tracks, there is 1s of an annoying distortion. I tryied to update drivers and software, but nothing changed. Did you manage to improve this? Thanks!


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## rlanger

I just ordered one. Hopefully, I won't have the same issue. 

I also picked up the Bluetooth module. Will update with impressions when I get it, but current delivery date is between Feb 4th and 15th so it will be at least a couple of weeks yet.

It's been quite a few years since I've had full-sized cans and recently picked a set of Hifiman He-4xx so I figured I needed an amp to go with it. The He-4xx are acceptable straight out of my PC, but really looking forward to hearing them amped with this little guy.


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## Katholm

ChevyMonsenhor said:


> I received mine a few days ago.
> Everything about it is great, except one thing, sometimes when unpausing any type of media, it lets out this very distorted signal from whatever is playing, it lasts just about one second and then comes back to normal.
> In direct mode it happens almost all the time the bitrate changes.
> Any idea what this is? Did i get a defective unit?
> Otherwise its awesome, it sounds great and very detailed, but this nuisance kind of ruins the experience.


Mine is exactly the same, im wondering if its only with the basic version or the plus too.


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## ChevyMonsenhor

antenorhs said:


> hey, @ChevyMonsenhor , I'm experiencing the same issue here... every time my Tidal change tracks, there is 1s of an annoying distortion. I tryied to update drivers and software, but nothing changed. Did you manage to improve this? Thanks!





Katholm said:


> Mine is exactly the same, im wondering if its only with the basic version or the plus too.


One of the solutions i came up was to set up the Windows format to 32bits @192kHz (for compatibility with some software) and crucially, turn on the DAC _after_ i turn on my computer, that seems to help a bit.
Since i got my unit xDuoo has updated the Xmos driver (from 4.86 to 5.0), but that didn't seem to yield a lot of difference.
There's also some people on xDuoo's forums complaining about similar issues on their Basics as well, hopefully that warrants a firmware update.


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## Duxxy

I think I got a dud with my basic. At one point it decided to stop working and windows defaulted back to my speakers and the xduoo disappeared as an audio source. That was pretty annoying, but not the last bug. Yesterday was the last straw. I got up and noticed that stereo seemed to not be working anymore. I tried my speakers and tried a different dac/amp (fiio q1 that I keep around), and audio seemed fine.

I don't really care to try and troubleshoot any longer. I haven't experienced this many issues with a dac or amp before. Even my original XD-05 didn't have this many issues. It sucks because I really liked my old XD-05.


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## Aramaki (Feb 6, 2021)

My first external DAC/Amp, connected to my Moto E4 and listening for about 1/2 hour no problems so far, SQ using my Westone W40 Gen 2 no EQ is 😮


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## rlanger

Been using my Basic for a few days now with my HiFiman HE-4XX and I'm extremely pleased with the performance.

Also got the BT module but haven't tried that yet. I've just been running it straight out of my laptop. One issue I ran into today though, I picked up a short usb-c to usb-c cable from Amazon to replace the long one that comes in the box, but it won't power the unit from my laptop? I get a few seconds of power, then the unit shuts down.

Anyone know if I need a specific type of cable for this application?


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## rlanger (Feb 6, 2021)

rlanger said:


> I picked up a short usb-c to usb-c cable from Amazon to replace the long one that comes in the box, but it won't power the unit from my laptop? I get a few seconds of power, then the unit shuts down.
> 
> Anyone know if I need a specific type of cable for this application?



Ok, after some experimentation, The cable will work to transfer data from my usb-c port, but not power. So, I'm powering from the regular usb port and using the usb-c for data. Still don't know why though the included cable will charge from the usb-c port on the laptop, but the one I bought won't. Neither will the included short OTG cable.


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## rlanger

Katholm said:


> Mine is exactly the same, im wondering if its only with the basic version or the plus too.



I don't have this issue on my unit.


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## Aramaki




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## TooPoorForHiFi

Hello Hello, Some questions as I'm interested in this device for my Desk


Is there any channel imbalance with IEMs at the lower volume?
Does the BT Adapter have a charging passthrough? E.g you can Change and use the BT at the Same time?
Does it play well with Sensitive IEMs?
Does anyone happen to own both the Basic and Plus model? Are the Plus a major upgrade in term of SQ?
Thanks!


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## rlanger

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with this amp so far. I do have an issue though with static noise coming from the volume pot when I make adjustments. It seems to be pretty random though, not occurring every time I use it.

Thought it might be caused by the LED ring so I turned that off, but it didn't fix the issue.


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## ChrisOc

I have been seriously considering getting the XD-05 Basic, but having read the issues some of you are having I am now not so sure.....someone please tell me whether I to bother to get it.


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## TooPoorForHiFi (Mar 6, 2021)

rlanger said:


> Overall, I'm pretty pleased with this amp so far. I do have an issue though with static noise coming from the volume pot when I make adjustments. It seems to be pretty random though, not occurring every time I use it.
> 
> Thought it might be caused by the LED ring so I turned that off, but it didn't fix the issue.



Does this issue occur when you use either External USB Power & Internal Battery Power? There's a switch in the back of the unit.


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## rlanger

TooPoorForHiFi said:


> Does this issue occur on both External Power & Internal Power? There's a switch in the back of the unit.


That's a good question. I've only been using it on external power. I'll run it off of battery power today to check.


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## rlanger (Mar 6, 2021)

Yup, it's there even on battery power. 

Not really a deal breaker though, just a little annoying. Otherwise, the amp sounds great, the bass boost feature works really well, and it's more than powerful enough to push my Sundaras.


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## rlanger

Ok, I think I resolved the static issue on my volume pot. It seems to only happen when the amp is set to high-gain mode.

Since I'm using it with Sundaras, this isn't an issue as they are driven fine in low-gain mode, so I'll stick with that.


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## TooPoorForHiFi

rlanger said:


> Ok, I think I resolved the static issue on my volume pot. It seems to only happen when the amp is set to high-gain mode.
> 
> Since I'm using it with Sundaras, this isn't an issue as they are driven fine in low-gain mode, so I'll stick with that.



seeing as you're in Japan and assuming you have access to many Audio gears. what's the reason(s) you choose the xDuoo XD05 Basic over the other stuff?


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## rlanger

TooPoorForHiFi said:


> seeing as you're in Japan and assuming you have access to many Audio gears. what's the reason(s) you choose the xDuoo XD05 Basic over the other stuff?


Price / performance, size (I need a very small portable unit that can function as a desktop amp) and convenience of ordering from Amazon Japan. I live in a rural part of Japan and I'm not willing to go to Tokyo at this time. At any other time, I'd be on my way to e-Earphone in Tokyo to sample a variety of amps.


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## rlanger

Ok, now I'm experiencing the static noise on low gain too. Annoying. 😒

Ordered some contact spray from Amazon. Hopefully, that will resolve the issue.


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## rlanger

Just rolled in a AD827SQ op amp, and wow, what a nice upgrade. I've also got a Muses2 on the way in so really looking forward to hearing what improvements that brings too. But right, now, just really loving my set up.


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## IEMmasterRace

rlanger said:


> Just rolled in a AD827SQ op amp, and wow, what a nice upgrade. I've also got a Muses2 on the way in so really looking forward to hearing what improvements that brings too. But right, now, just really loving my set up.


Do the xduoo xd05 basic sufficiently enough to drive the sundaras?


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## rlanger (Apr 24, 2021)

IEMmasterRace said:


> Do the xduoo xd05 basic sufficiently enough to drive the sundaras?


Yes, more than enough. I sent mine back because I was having issues with the volume pot, and decided to upgrade to the Balanced. 

I haven't received it yet, but I'm hoping that the Boost on the Balanced, which increases the current output, and the much better dual Sabre DACs, will provide a nice improvement over the Basic.

The Basic is probably tough to beat though for $150 for the Sundaras.


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## antenorhs

ChrisOc said:


> I have been seriously considering getting the XD-05 Basic, but having read the issues some of you are having I am now not so sure.....someone please tell me whether I to bother to get it.


I had XD-05 before having the basic version an I think XD-05 delivers more SQ.

For first, there is this annoyng distortion everytime the sample rate changes, and sometimes when i just press pause and play again the distortion appears for a sec. and goes off.

And the XD-05 presents better transients, yielding to good detal retrieval and nice punchier bass.

I think this basic version maybe has a cheaper circuit, with cheaper components, or maybe I was just unlucky.


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## ChrisOc

antenorhs said:


> I had XD-05 before having the basic version an I think XD-05 delivers more SQ.
> 
> For first, there is this annoyng distortion everytime the sample rate changes, and sometimes when i just press pause and play again the distortion appears for a sec. and goes off.
> 
> ...


Thanks @antenorhs, I appreciate your response. As I had not heard from anyone, I came to the conclusion that some on this thread were not prepared to recommend the XD-05 Basic.

I then made the decision to buy the HAAFEE HA11. The HA11 has not disappointed. It has niggles, some of which require getting used to, but all taken into account, the HA11 is not bad.


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## Aramaki

I like mine, no issues.


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## ChrisOc

Aramaki said:


> I like mine, no issues.


I will have to consider the Xduoo range for my next purchase. There have been some great reviews especially for their musical presentation, so I do want to make that leap at some stage in the future.


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## ChevyMonsenhor (Jun 7, 2021)

antenorhs said:


> For first, there is this annoyng distortion everytime the sample rate changes, and sometimes when i just press pause and play again the distortion appears for a sec. and goes off.


I have the same symptom on my unit, unfortunately seems to be a quirk of the model or at least of some batches (mine is from around November 2020).


antenorhs said:


> maybe I was just unlucky.


Not at all, heard many complaints about the same issues, also have them myself.

I ordered a cheaper (US$100) Breeze Audio table DAC with similar specs to see where its at, hopefully it doesn't have the same vices as the XD05 Basic does.


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