# xDuoo XD05 Plus: an interesting update



## DeBilbao

xDuoo recently presented the XD05 Plus, an update of its successful XD05, a very versatile amplifier and DAC that not only works as a portable solution, but can also perform perfectly as a complement to a desktop amplifier like the xDuoo TA-20 that I recently reviewed. Unlike the TA-10, the TA-20 doesn't have a DAC and you can get it from the XD05 Plus.







For those who already the xDuoo XD05, the XD05 Plus update offers quite a few goodies:

Twice the power, going from 500wW to1000mW (a full watt) for a 32 Ohm load.

The operational amplifier OPA1612 is still the same, but now it can be replaced by the user without any soldering required.
New DAC AKM AK4993EQ instead of AK4990
USB input with USB-C connector instead of microUSB.
New USB XMOS XU208 receiver instead of XMOS U8
Now it supports DSD 64 (DOP) in the optical output.

THD goes down from 0.0025% to a lower 0.0016%
Dynamic range increases from 112dB to 117dB
Bigger battery capacity, from 4000mAh to 5000mAh, for 13 hours lifetime.
I'm only missing a Bluetooth input, as nowadays wireless connection with mobile devices is really usual and convenient. Anyway, if you want the best quality, wired is the way to go and you can use one of the shorts cables included to link your device. xDuoo announces compatibilty with the XD-05BL module, but I would have preferred an integrated receiver, selectable as an additional source.

As any other xDuoo devices that I've been testing, it has been provided by Steven from Xtenik Audio, in exchange for my unbiased opinion in some Internet forums. If you're interested, it's available at https://www.xtenik.com/product/xduoo-xd-05-plus-amp/ for 259,90 USD (235 EUR). 






The equipment comes well protected in the classic Chinese cardboard box, but lately I see that they are evolving and is better presented, with a silkscreen on the inner box with the same design as on the outside. I suppose that in other markets it will be available in physical stores, and the competition there is on the shelf.






Inside the xDuoo XD05 Plus you'll find a bunch of accesories:

USB-C to USB-A cable to connect it to your computer.
OTG USB-C to USB-C cable, to connect it to a USB-C device.
OTG USB-C to micro USB cable, to connect it to a micro USB device.
Rubber feets to protect the base of the unit and your desk from scratchs
Rubber pad to place comfortably your mobile over the unit.

6,3mm to 3,5mm stereo jack adapter.
There's no USB-C to USB-C cable to connect it directly to a MacBook Pro, and there's no USB-C to Lightning cable to connect it to your iPhone. Be aware that Apple product compatibility requires buying separate cables.






The size is relatively compact and can be moved easily, but it is not a pocketable device. You can carry it in your backpack with your laptop, but it's more oriented to be used over your desktop.






On the back of the unit you'll find:

*USB-C input*, my usual preference because it can process almost signal. It will receive the digital signal from our source with a XMOS XU208, supporting:
PCM stereo 16-32bit/44.1-384kHz
DSD native mode or DOP (DSD Over PCM) 1 bit (2.8MHz - 11.2MHz)
DXD up to 24-32bit and 352.8kHz - 384kHz.

*Optical digital input*, that will be processed by a Cirrus Logic CS8422 chip, more limited in formats supported:
PCM stereo 16-32bit/44.1-384kHz
DSD native mode or DOP (DSD Over PCM) 1 bit (2.8MHz - 11.2MHz) (new from XD05)

*3,5mm stereo dual* jack that can act either as line input or line output.
*USB-C charging* for the battery, as the device can be used as a portaple unit. If you want to use it connected to your computer, it will get power from the USB port.






On the left side there are three buttons with no labeling, but you can guess their functions by turning the unit upside down:

*INPUT*, to select the source. It's wisely located closer to the front as you'll probably use it the most.

*SRC*, only applicable to the optical digital input, and serves to forrce the signal upsampling to 48kHz, 96 or 192kHz
*FILTER*, to choose between different sound filters. Sincerely, I haven't been able to discern any difference between them. There are 4 filters for PCM signals plus 2 more for DSD signals.
PCM1 is Sharp roll-off,
PCM2 is Slow Roll-off,
PCM3 is short delay Sharp
PCM4 is short delay Slow
DSD1 adjusts to 39kHz DSD64, 78kHz DSD128, and 156kHz DSD256 signals and,

DSD2 adjusts to 76kHz DSD64, 152kHz DSD128, and 304kHz DSD256 signals.







The front panel sports a lot of useful controls:

*6,3mm headphone input jack*, that can be converted to 3,5mm with the included adapter.

*Volume control* knob, that offers good feeling and some resistance so you don't move it without intention.
*Gain switch *with 3 different positions. I've tested it with my Sennheiser HD 650 in the tree settings and I've found no difference between first and second position, and the third distorts easily. Testing it with IEMs you can feel the difference between the two first.
*BOOST* selector that acts as an impedance switch. Off for headphones lower than 150 Ohm and on for headphones over 150 ohms. In my testing with the Sennheiser HD 650 there are no differences between them.
*BASS* selector to hump bass. Very subtle increase with the HD 650, very noticeable with IEMs.






Opening the xDuoo XD05 Plus is very easy, and you only need to unscrew the four front screws with the help of a Torx T6 screwdriver.






DIYers will like the ability of this xDuoo XD05 Plus to change the OPA1612 operational amplifier without soldering. Similar to the tube change, the opamp change is interesting for those who like to try and draw their own conclusions. 

I'm tempted to try the Burson v5i at https://www.bursonaudio.com/products/supreme-sound-opamp-v5i/






Looking the PCB from the back, we can see a pair of interesting chips. The biggest is the CPLD from Altera, the MAX II, where all the logic has been programmed. To the right you can see the DAC AK493EQ from AKM, with great responsibility of the sound profile of the device.






The sound offered by the xDuoo XD05 is good, detailed, energetic and a bit aggressive for my taste. Using its line output and connected to the amplification of the TA-20, the sound becomes sweeter and loses that speed and aggressiveness to approach the memory I have of the analog sound of my youth with vinyl, which is what I'm looking for in terms of sound profile.

In this configuration, using the line output only as DAC, I have compared it with the iFi iDSD nano that I usually use and the difference between the two is remarkable, especially in terms of detail. The AK493EQ of the XD05 Plus offers a more detailed sound, while the Burr Brown of the iFi iDSD nano is much more relaxed and for my taste "more analog".

But it all depends on what music you listen to and how you like listening to it. Close, intimate, delicate recordings of Jazz, Folk, Country or R&B, improve a lot with the amplification of the TA-20. For rock and other genres it also goes well, and listening directly with the XD05 Plus, I feel that it has that point of speed, of claw, that goes well with guitars and rock in general.

It's not the same listening to a Jazz/Soul album, with its seventies sound, full of instruments and a lot of groove.







```
https://open.spotify.com/album/0rVJ8sRQ4M3Un2cDo3kKAB?si=5CNdbIlzT4Sz7lmJUXN1Mg
https://tidal.com/browse/album/75659446
```

Or a Jazz quartet like that from Joshua Redman, exquisitely recorded that asks for concentration with every instrument.







```
https://open.spotify.com/album/38R4DeasP4tqHhfiiShLVE?si=kw1U_CRiSnak2u4mGDrsFQ
https://tidal.com/browse/album/105875792
```

Or Radiohead and their Pyramid Song in Amnesiac. An album with a myriad of sonic details, demanding space, air and resolution.







```
https://open.spotify.com/album/6V9YnBmFjWmXCBaUVRCVXP?si=87QkN1VcTD2Q3lYfIXACjQ
https://tidal.com/browse/album/58990535
```

Or the latest from the Pixies and their British rock. Guitars and drum beat the tempo in This is My Fate and demand fast response from your setup.







```
https://open.spotify.com/album/4XUtkoya9Ai7VeG4a1yYWN?si=l2xPZuzmSgyz1-TVqaGg3g
https://tidal.com/browse/album/116484469
```

Or the delicacy of Alexander Desplat in the movie soundtrack The Shape of Water. A warm, calm, relaxing sound that I revisit often.







```
https://open.spotify.com/album/058fiqH1NYYmur8cicws4l?si=h25HzEJtQgeklAZvXu_Ovw
https://tidal.com/browse/album/81356130
```

Or Beyoncé's energy in the new Lion King soundtrack, modern R&B, full of details and demanding powerful bass reproduction.







```
https://open.spotify.com/album/552zi1M53PQAX5OH4FIdTx?si=92ZuVf1sQ1GhTe9NLiJmOQ
https://tidal.com/browse/album/113655822
```

Every genre or style requires a different ideal sound profile, and everyone of us are different in terms of taste, so trying to give an universal advice that serves to anyone is mission impossible. Everyone has to find his own way, and reviews like this one only serves as a guide to get a clue in terms of how it is, but you can like what I don't and viceversa.

What is clear to me is that once a few minimums are exceeded, quality leaps are more subtle and proportionally cost more money. The xDuoo XD05 Plus is a device that by itself can satisfy many, is like a Swiss Army Knife that offers you everything in a compact format, which you can use on the move thanks to its built-in battery.

I have thoroughly tested the xDuuo XD05 Plus connected to my iPhone directly and I can assure you that it gets a very good sound from my Sennheiser HD 650.






Although if I connect it to the xDuoo TA-20, the sound improves noticeably. But that has a lot to do with the Sennheiser HD 650, which has a surprising ability to improve with amplification.






Hope you liked the reading.


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## AndroidL

Thanks for the very nice and informative review. Any idea how it is compared to Fiio Q5s or mojo?


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## DeBilbao

AndroidL said:


> Thanks for the very nice and informative review. Any idea how it is compared to Fiio Q5s or mojo?




I haven't tested the FiiO Q5s yet, but as the Chord Mojo, price wise they are playing in a different league.

Here in Europe, the Chord Mojo has a MSRP of 525 EUR (580 USD) and can be easily found for 375 EUR (415 USD), near the usual list price of 399 EUR of the FiiO Q5s. The Xduoo XD05 Plus is available for 235 EUR (260 USD), almost half the price.

The Mojo is a bit outdated in terms of specs and isn't as powerful as the XD05 Plus (300mW vs 1000mW), but it's a very well know and respected DAC, with a neutral response that many fans like.

The Q5s offers Bluetooth 5.0 support and the full array of codecs including aptX low latency, aptX HD and LDAC, so you can get the most out of any of your wireless devices. It also has a balanced design, with dual AKM AK4993 DACs, and balanced output. Near half the power (560 mW) of the Xduoo XD05 Plus on the balanced output, and a quarter (220 mW) in the single ended.

xDuoo devices are powerful. No doubt about it. But it would be nice to have the opportunity to test all of them and draw my own conclusions.


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## AndroidL

DeBilbao said:


> I haven't tested the FiiO Q5s yet, but as the Chord Mojo, price wise they are playing in a different league.
> 
> Here in Europe, the Chord Mojo has a MSRP of 525 EUR (580 USD) and can be easily found for 375 EUR (415 USD), near the usual list price of 399 EUR of the FiiO Q5s. The Xduoo XD05 Plus is available for 235 EUR (260 USD), almost half the price.
> 
> ...


Appreciate the analysis. I knew how they are compared spec wise, it would just be nice to learn how they sound against each other


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## newtophones07

How is the noise on this device running otg type c, off a smartphone? I owned the previous version, and the power was intoxicating, but a tad too noisy for me.  Wish this had a 4.4mm jack.


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## DeBilbao

newtophones07 said:


> How is the noise on this device running otg type c, off a smartphone? I owned the previous version, and the power was intoxicating, but a tad too noisy for me.  Wish this had a 4.4mm jack.




I've tested it only with my iPhone X and the Camera Connection Kit from cable and a USB-A to USB-C cable.

The sound is free of any hiss, either with my Sennheiser HD 650 or with a simple Soundmagic E10C in-ear headphones.

And definitely, intoxicating is a good adjective to describe its sound.


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## AlexCBSN

Funny, I freaked out when I got mine cause the boost button didn’t do anything, according to a xduoo representante, the boost button up scales the power for the opamp from 8v to 13v, I think that if you get 2 v5’s from burson, it will make the difference


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## Ynot1

Maybe bassheads can tell the difference. Power supply voltage increase might give bass a bit more oomph. Just guessing though.


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## hellfire8888

Just wondering should i get 2 unit of Burson V5i-S or 1 unit of V51-D? Any difference in sonic?


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## jmills8




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## hellfire8888

is there any firmware for XD-05 plus? what is the latest version?


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## redrol

I got the XD05 plus a week ago.  Just swapped the Muse 02 Opamp into the unit.  Drastic change in sound.  I do like it better than the stock TI.


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## jmills8

redrol said:


> I got the XD05 plus a week ago.  Just swapped the Muse 02 Opamp into the unit.  Drastic change in sound.  I do like it better than the stock TI.


Which you put in ?


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## Harold999 (Dec 17, 2019)

Have it connected to a Samsung A50 smartphone over USB and the display on the Xduoo constantly says 192khz.
Does this mean the Samsung upscales everything to 192khz?
I checked the settings in the Samsung menu but the UHQ upscaler is off.


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## recca

Most Android phones do not output bit perfect right out of the box. You have to use USB Audio Player Plus. (UAPP) to get bit perfect audio to a USB DAC from Android.


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## jmills8

recca said:


> Most Android phones do not output bit perfect right out of the box. You have to use USB Audio Player Plus. (UAPP) to get bit perfect audio to a USB DAC from Android.


 it seems many people are too focus on numbers than in trusting ones ears. It seems most minds are focus on finding faults. I have been using UAPP for years and just cause its bit perfect does not mean its sounding better than the other music apps.


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## recca

jmills8 said:


> it seems many people are too focus on numbers than in trusting ones ears. It seems most minds are focus on finding faults. I have been using UAPP for years and just cause its bit perfect does not mean its sounding better than the other music apps.



That might be true but I was just trying to explain why his XD05 plus kept saying 192.


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## Harold999

recca said:


> Most Android phones do not output bit perfect right out of the box. You have to use USB Audio Player Plus. (UAPP) to get bit perfect audio to a USB DAC from Android.



Got an old Galaxy S5 still laying around, tried this one instead of the A50 and this one sends 44khz to the Duoo.


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## recca

Yeah i think my Note 10 outputs 48khz.  Once I got the paid version of UAPP the bit depth / rate changed based on the file.  I'm using Tidal hifi w MQA on and iFi xDSD.  UAPP also shows the bit rate of the files being played.


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## Harold999

recca said:


> Yeah i think my Note 10 outputs 48khz.  Once I got the paid version of UAPP the bit depth / rate changed based on the file.  I'm using Tidal hifi w MQA on and iFi xDSD.  UAPP also shows the bit rate of the files being played.



Okay, so we have the Note outputting 48khz, the S5 44khz, and the A50 192khz.
What the f is Samsung doing?


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## recca

Harold999 said:


> Okay, so we have the Note outputting 48khz, the S5 44khz, and the A50 192khz.
> What the f is Samsung doing?



Honestly, this is more on Google than Samsung.


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## Harold999

recca said:


> Honestly, this is more on Google than Samsung.



I have ordered the Xduoo Bluetooth device, curious what this will do for the samplerate.


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## Harold999 (Dec 18, 2019)

Noticed something which sucks. I heard a story that you can only use the usb-c to c cable which Xduoo provides, you can't use aftermarket cables.

I didn't believe this story and i just bought an aftermarket usb-c to c cable but omg, it indeed doesn't work.
xDuoo did something to the pin layout.
OMG.

Edit: you will need this otg adapter: https://www.amazon.com/Basesailor-T...otg+adapter&qid=1576446929&sprefix=otg&sr=8-7

and a usb A to C cable to your phone.


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## recca

Harold999 said:


> Okay, so we have the Note outputting 48khz, the S5 44khz, and the A50 192khz.
> What the f is Samsung doing?



Check out this thread.  I just found it today and messed around with it.  I still use UAPP for Tidal but podcasts and other stuff this is good info to have.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ana...-measurements-on-galaxy-note-8-exynos.873550/


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## Harold999 (Dec 18, 2019)

recca said:


> Check out this thread.  I just found it today and messed around with it.  I still use UAPP for Tidal but podcasts and other stuff this is good info to have.
> 
> https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ana...-measurements-on-galaxy-note-8-exynos.873550/



Well, in my case (Samsung A50 phone) it seems that UHQ is always on and i can't put it off (like i said earlier it always sends 192khz to the xDuoo).
The toggle on the UHQ setting in the Samsung menu doesn't change anything, the xDuoo display keeps telling the incoming signal is 192khz wether the UHQ toggle is on or off.


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## Harold999

Harold999 said:


> Noticed something which sucks. I heard a story that you can only use the usb-c to c cable which Xduoo provides, you can't use aftermarket cables.
> 
> I didn't believe this story and i just bought an aftermarket usb-c to c cable but omg, it indeed doesn't work.
> xDuoo did something to the pin layout.
> ...



Received the otg adapter and can confirm it works and you can use aftermarket cables now.
It still sucks though, there is an adapter hanging on the phone now. No problem with desktop use but on the go you'll definately need the bluetooth device.


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## Wiljen

Harold999 said:


> Received the otg adapter and can confirm it works and you can use aftermarket cables now.
> It still sucks though, there is an adapter hanging on the phone now. No problem with desktop use but on the go you'll definately need the bluetooth device.




I think USB-C OTG cables should become more common as more devices take advantage of them.  I don't think this is a case of Xduoo proprietary, but more being on the leading edge of the curve for that tech.


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## Harold999 (Dec 20, 2019)

Wiljen said:


> I think USB-C OTG cables should become more common as more devices take advantage of them.  I don't think this is a case of Xduoo proprietary, but more being on the leading edge of the curve for that tech.



I don't see the point in changing the pin lay out of the standard usb-c socket so people have to buy an extra OTG adapter to make it work with aftermarket cables.


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## AlexCBSN

Been toying around with this amp for a couple of weeks, I’m totally happy with its dac capabilities, today I received the Bluetooth dongle, paired with my Apple TV and damn... so happy, love how low latency is with this pairing, power it’s quite amazing on this, overall I can’t complain about this device, figured out that it didn’t work with usb c to usb c since my iPad charger didn’t work, have been using with the usb a to c cable that came with the hiby and A converter to c when requiered. 

will definitely sell my d50 and atom, portability in this device is the main reason I like it so much. Hope that battery life length doesn’t diminish so fast. So fast it has surprised me a lot,  Pulling so much power with a battery it’s quite outstanding (like the hiby r6 pro and the cayin n6II

I can’t recommend enough this piece of equipment


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## Harold999

Anyone who tried a different opamp and did it really matter or is it snakeoil?
In double blind tests people can't hear any difference between a 100 and a 1000 dollar amp let alone different opamps, hahaha.


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## Wiljen

Harold999 said:


> I don't see the point in changing the pin lay out of the standard usb-c socket so people have to buy an extra OTG adapter to make it work with aftermarket cables.



My understanding is that the standard USB-C allows for bi-directional power sharing which was part of what OTG did for 2.0, but still does not incorporate the features of OTG that allow for switching between host and device modes and thus still requires the use of an OTG cable for those instances.  It may be more a matter of it could have been wired without OTG in the case of the XD-05 as I am not sure in what circumstance it would be serving data back to another device, but maybe there is a use-case for it that made Xduoo consider it instead of just using a device only connect.


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## Harold999

Harold999 said:


> I have ordered the Xduoo Bluetooth device, curious what this will do for the samplerate.



Received the bluetooth dongle today. Plug & play, really nice. Can't hear any difference with wired streaming, awesome.
And the Samsung A50 phone now finally sends 44khz instead of 192khz to the Xduoo. 
No wire hanging on your phone is really nice.


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## Harold999 (Dec 23, 2019)

Harold999 said:


> Received the bluetooth dongle today. Plug & play, really nice. Can't hear any difference with wired streaming, awesome.
> And the Samsung A50 phone now finally sends 44khz instead of 192khz to the Xduoo.
> No wire hanging on your phone is really nice.



I just noticed when i activate the best bluetooth setting (Ldac) the Samsung A50 upscales to 96khz.
They can't leave the signal alone can't they. 
For Spotify you don't need Ldac anyway so i leave that off.


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## Harold999

Harold999 said:


> I just noticed when i activate the best bluetooth setting (Ldac) the Samsung A50 upscales to 96khz.
> They can't leave the signal alone can't they.
> For Spotify you don't need Ldac anyway so i leave that off.



For those who are interested: in the Samsung/Android developers menu you can select the codec/frequency/samplerate etcetera.
I have set it on Ldac/48khz/24bits which seems to be the original way Spotify streams.


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## Harold999

How do i get this thing play well in Windows 7? Got a driver from Shenzen audio website and now the Xduoo plays, but with pauzes. Two seconds sound, stop, two seconds sound, stop, etcetera.

Before i installed drivers, Windows recognised the Xduoo well (Windows showed Xduoo xd-05 plus in the device manager). After installing drivers Windows changed the name into "XMOS XS1-U8 DJ".

So something went wrong here...


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## Harold999 (Dec 25, 2019)

Harold999 said:


> How do i get this thing play well in Windows 7? Got a driver from Shenzen audio website and now the Xduoo plays, but with pauzes. Two seconds sound, stop, two seconds sound, stop, etcetera.
> 
> Before i installed drivers, Windows recognised the Xduoo well (Windows showed Xduoo xd-05 plus in the device manager). After installing drivers Windows changed the name into "XMOS XS1-U8 DJ".
> 
> So something went wrong here...



Took it out of the usb port 3.0 and put if in a 2.0 and the pauses are gone now, playing well.
Next issue: i'm playing a Tidal Master song now from the Windows 7 desktop which is supposed to be 96khz but the Xduoo shows 44.1 khz in the display so no hi-res.
What could be the problem here?


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## Harold999

Harold999 said:


> Took it out of the usb port 3.0 and put if in a 2.0 and the pauses are gone now, playing well.
> Next issue: i'm playing a Tidal Master song now from the Windows 7 desktop which is supposed to be 96khz but the Xduoo shows 44.1 khz in the display so no hi-res.
> What could be the problem here?



Solved, a setting in the Tidal Windows desktop app, "disable MSQ sotware rendering".


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## redrol

Harold999 said:


> Anyone who tried a different opamp and did it really matter or is it snakeoil?
> In double blind tests people can't hear any difference between a 100 and a 1000 dollar amp let alone different opamps, hahaha.



Yes Ive swapped op amps, went from the TI stock to a Muse 02.  The difference is not subtle to me.  VERY easy to hear with good gear.  Highly recommended imo.


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## Harold999

redrol said:


> Yes Ive swapped op amps, went from the TI stock to a Muse 02.  The difference is not subtle to me.  VERY easy to hear with good gear.  Highly recommended imo.



Is that Muse 02 a dual or two single amps?


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## redrol

its a Dual


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## Wiljen

Memory serves the only Single op-amp in the Muses line-up is the 03.


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## redrol (Dec 28, 2019)

So ive been swapping between the stock TI and the Muse 02 and I greatly enjoy the 02 more.  Strictly speaking I think the TI is probably more accurate, it has more thick lows and highs.  Still, the Muse 02 sounds more 'musical' to me.  Bass is slightly reduced but I swear more textured and extended.  Maybe its just less of it which makes it seem better.  The highs though, the Muse 02 seems better.  Better sound stage specifially.  It's possible there is less overall energy but it sounds better to my treble sensitive ears.

I think what gets me most is the differences are not subtle to my ears.


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## muths66

What opamp have best neutral sound?


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## Andreeww

What are the recommended amps to swap in? Thanks!


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## redrol

In my opinion the Muse 02 is more neutral than the Stock TI opamp.  Having said that its the kind of thing that is very personal.  You should try at least a few.


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## Andreeww

AlexCBSN said:


> Been toying around with this amp for a couple of weeks, I’m totally happy with its dac capabilities, today I received the Bluetooth dongle, paired with my Apple TV and damn... so happy, love how low latency is with this pairing, power it’s quite amazing on this, overall I can’t complain about this device, figured out that it didn’t work with usb c to usb c since my iPad charger didn’t work, have been using with the usb a to c cable that came with the hiby and A converter to c when requiered.
> 
> will definitely sell my d50 and atom, portability in this device is the main reason I like it so much. Hope that battery life length doesn’t diminish so fast. So fast it has surprised me a lot,  Pulling so much power with a battery it’s quite outstanding (like the hiby r6 pro and the cayin n6II
> 
> I can’t recommend enough this piece of equipment



Does anyone know if there is any way to make the DAC work with a c to c cable? It seems this could be a common problem with DACs, because my Beyerdynamic Fox microphone wouldn't work with c to c( it has a DAC inside). Also, does anyone know if there is a way to make it charge through USB in so I don't have to plug in 2 cables.


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## Harold999

I used to see the battery percentage of the Bluetooth dongle on my smartphone screen (Samsung SmartThings screen), but it's gone and don't know how to get it back. Anyone?


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## jmills8

I connected a Hugo 2 with this amp with rca plugs. Using the hugo as dac , and this as the amp. Sounded good on a 80 ohm planar.


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## Harold999 (Jan 3, 2020)

Harold999 said:


> I used to see the battery percentage of the Bluetooth dongle on my smartphone screen (Samsung SmartThings screen), but it's gone and don't know how to get it back. Anyone?



Got it back with switching SmartThings off and on again.


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## Andreeww

Hi I wonder if swapping the opamp will affect the sound from the aux or phone port or both. Also, should I connect everything that does not have an amp the the phone port and everything with an amp to the aux port? Or it doesn't matter and it's just a matter of taste.


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## muths66

Does this device will have hiss or pick
up floor noise?
Anyone experience and can i use dual v5i s on it?


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## Wiljen

My top picks would be the Muses02 and the Burson v5i although the stock setup is pretty darned good to begin with.  I tried the vaunted OPA627s and really didn't think they were any better than the stock or if they were, it certainly wasn't enough to justify the spend.


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## muths66

Wiljen said:


> My top picks would be the Muses02 and the Burson v5i although the stock setup is pretty darned good to begin with.  I tried the vaunted OPA627s and really didn't think they were any better than the stock or if they were, it certainly wasn't enough to justify the spend.


v5is or v5id?


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## Wiljen

muths66 said:


> v5is or v5id?


V5iD  in mine - not sure I think the singles would fit - it would be really tight if they do.


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## redrol

I've decided Im really not a fan of the stock TI OPA1612 opamp.  Not at all.  It sounds unlike other devices I own.  I have only one IEM that pairs well with this opamp and overall, still not as good as a Muse 02.


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## Harold999

I'm a guy who can't hear a difference between Ldac Bluetooth and wired, let alone opamps. I'm happy with how the Xduoo xd-05 plus sounds stock, so i will pass the opamp stuff.
And you can't compare fast (switching opamp takes time), which makes it impossible to hear a real difference anyway. 
I'm sceptic here.


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## redrol

impossible?  Maybe for you.


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## Harold999

redrol said:


> impossible?  Maybe for you.



Untill someone passes succesfully a double blind test with 2 Xduoo's, one with the stock opamp and one with an exotic opamp, i remain sceptic about the subject.

I have seen experienced audiophiles failing in double blind tests with $100 vs $10.000 amplifiers let alone that people can hear a difference between opamps.


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## redrol

Oh we are going down that road.. Have fun with that.  I could A/B this any day, super easy man.


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## jmills8

redrol said:


> Oh we are going down that road.. Have fun with that.  I could A/B this any day, super easy man.


Best to leave it at that. If you like a sound like it and enjoy it. If you wanting to buy something new then start believing something is wrong so you can easily buy something new.


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## redrol

So getting back to awesome Opamps.  I ordered the OPA2227 (@crinacle 's favorite) and the OPA2228 because why not.


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## Harold999

My main complain about the bluetooth add-on was that it blocks the charging port and analogue out. 
But i noticed you can point the bl05 up so it doesn't block those ports anymore.
I'll bet most know this tip but for who who don't, voila.


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## jmills8




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## singingbee

jmills8 said:


>


 how this compare to chord mojo. thanks!


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## jmills8

singingbee said:


> how this compare to chord mojo. thanks!


The mojo is very nice but: with iems and iems/headphones that are closer to neutral sounding. For headphones this is a lot better especially if you mod it (burson). The mojo is great with iems and this is great with both iems and headphones. On the go well the mojo is half the size of this.


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## gadadgo

How does xDuuo 5 plus compare to ifi micro black label? I am mainly wandering about sound quality as micro easily wins in functionality.


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## jmills8

gadadgo said:


> How does xDuuo 5 plus compare to ifi micro black label? I am mainly wandering about sound quality as micro easily wins in functionality.


I has the ifi bl , I kept this.


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## trufunk (Jun 6, 2020)

Bought in December, dead today, laptop won’t recognize and won’t hold a charge...contacting the seller to see if I can get a replacement. Bummer!! How much does it cost to send back to China?


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## jpierre

xduoo xd05 or fio e12 (or a5) for a fostex th 900 in sedentary listening. which will have the most impact in the grave your opinion thank you


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## trufunk

I really like the Xduo, but it died At about 6 months so not sure if another option would be better, fyi. Never had an issue with anything  Fiio.


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## newworld666 (Jan 3, 2021)

I was using a Xduoo XD-05plus for  6 to 8 months (not intensively and only at home)  .... and now little by little it's totally unusable => scratching a lot when touching the volume knob and the 6.5mm plug almost dead with impaired balance 90% of the time now.

I would consider it as a typical low-cost Chinese made... looks nice on paper, seems to do the job rather well for a while, but with such cheap components it's getting "destroyed" in a really short time in real life home use.


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## jmills8

newworld666 said:


> I was using a Xduoo XD-05plus for  6 to 8 months (not intensively and only at home)  .... and now little by little it's totally unusable => scratching a lot when touching the volume knob and the 6.5mm plug almost dead with impaired balance 90% of the time now.
> 
> I would consider it as a typical low-cost Chinese made... looks nice on paper, seems to do the job rather well for a while, but with such cheap components it's getting "destroyed" in a really short time in real life home use.


Sounds bad , in my case I have been using it on the go for over 7 months with no problems.


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## JTTT

6 months of use, that's real bad.

How about claiming for warranty? Have you tried? Would they replace the bad unit or anything?


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## DJ LP

redrol said:


> Yes Ive swapped op amps, went from the TI stock to a Muse 02.  The difference is not subtle to me.  VERY easy to hear with good gear.  Highly recommended imo.


I just purchased the unit and I was wondering what kind of op amps can I purchase for it?


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## DJ LP

Wiljen said:


> My top picks would be the Muses02 and the Burson v5i although the stock setup is pretty darned good to begin with.  I tried the vaunted OPA627s and really didn't think they were any better than the stock or if they were, it certainly wasn't enough to justify the spend.


What's the difference in sound signatures?


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## Wiljen

DJ LP said:


> What's the difference in sound signatures?


Muses02 and v5i are both a bit more linear compared to stock that I think has a little non-linearity in the upper-mids/lower treble.  The V5i is a little more assertive but also tends to distort a bit more than the Muses02 at high volume.  That was my reason for Muses > v5i   at low volumes the two are probably equal.


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## DJ LP

Wiljen said:


> Muses02 and v5i are both a bit more linear compared to stock that I think has a little non-linearity in the upper-mids/lower treble.  The V5i is a little more assertive but also tends to distort a bit more than the Muses02 at high volume.  That was my reason for Muses > v5i   at low volumes the two are probably equal.


Thank you for the info.


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## Harold999 (Mar 8, 2021)

After 14 months of use here my first serious problem: contact problems between the bluetooth dongle and the xduo. Often no sound, have to wiggle the dongle to get sound. Cleaned the inside of the connectors but doesn't help.

A seperate dongle which you'll have to take off each time you want to charge the xduo takes it's toll.


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## UltraHiDeaf (Mar 24, 2021)

hello!
i have been using this for a year, mostly happy times (with SeinH and AKG, battery, power, etc..), sometimes not so much (no use with sensitive HP (too loud), volume imbalance..)..

now i have more serious problems, if anyone can help, i would be grateful.

AUX OUT on the back - how does it work? does it even work? i would like to input USB and output AUX 3.5 to RC on AMP via AUX OUT on the back. it does not work. what am i doing wrong?

front jack - a bit wiggly after a year, loose contact (left channel drops). did anyone already had to repair it at home? how it went?

cheers!
mj


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## KevinS2020

I have the XDuuo XD05 (Original), XD05 Basic, and TA-20. Needless to say, I am a fan.


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## Tony-S

Hi guys,

maybe someone has an idea here....it seems as if I have managed to brick my XD05-Plus. I normally run it on a Win10 laptop.

I recently updated the firmware to V6C6 (which is to my understanding the correct version) and if my memory is not wrong it worked for a bit shortly afterward but stopped (maybe after on off/on cycle, but not sure).

The device powers up, I can see it as connected in the xDuoo Device Panel with the correct FW, The little blue light for "link" on the back of the device lights up and the device display shows it connected too - but no sound is coming out. 

I get the same behaviour on a second Win10 laptop and also on a MacBook - the device shows it's linked, it shows up in the system (and is selected as output device) but it stays silent.

Sometimes I even think I get the foint klick for when eg a video starts playing, but no sound.....any ideas what is wrong? Am I missing smth?

BR
Andreas


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