Welcome to my review of the Xduoo XD-05 Bal, Xduoo’s fully balanced headphone amp DAC that retails for $429.

The Key Features / Specs

– fully balanced circuit
– Sabre ES9038Q2M x 2 chips
– Adopts CPLD for data reshaping, reduces jitter
– External power or battery to act like a tabletop amp
– DSD up to DSD512
– Support PCM/DXD format
– Sampling rate up to 32bit/768kHz
– THD up to 0.0009%
– Signal to Noise up to 117db, virtually inaudible
– Coaxial, USB, AES, Optical and Bluetooth inputs
– Bluetooth SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX LL, aptX HD & LDAC
– Cirrus-Logic CSR8675 Bluetooth 5.0 chip
– Easy change OP Amps chips
– 1000mW in balanced and unbalanced at 32ohms
– 5 hours to charge
– Battery life USB 9 hours, SPDIF 15 hours, Aux in 24 hours
– Aux out level 2.0 vrms

Video Review Time Index

00:00 Intro
00:30 In the Box
06:30 Device Close up & Functions & Usability
08:35 Sound Quality & Key Features
12:09 Sound Quality using Sivga Phoenix headphones
14:02 Sound Quality using Sennheiser HD 600 headphones
15:27 Sound Quality using HiFiman Arya headphones
16:13 Op Amps and other headphones

Audio Tracks used for the Review

– Roxy Music – True to Life (Remastered)
– Leonard Cohen – In My Secret Life
– Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy (2012 Mix Master)
– Eric Clapton – Layla (Acoustic Live at MTV Unplugged)
– Axel F – From Beverly Hills Cop
– Natalie Merchant – Ophelia
– CeeLo Green – Bright Lights Bigger City
– Stevie Ray Vaughan – Tin Pan Alley
– K.D. Lang – Constant Craving
– Nigel Kennedy – The New Four Seasons
– Hans Zimmer – Mountains

Video Review

Conclusion

The Xduoo XD-05 Bal is an astonishing piece of kit. The included accessories are extensive, the ability to change the Op Amps is fantastic, as is the sound quality. Add to the fact it has huge amounts of power on tap. Highly recommended. 9.3/10.

Useful Links

Xduoo Website https://xduoo.net/product/xd05-bal/

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/XDUOO-Bluetooth-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B08X9JLML5/