In his straightness company xDuoo sometimes reminiscent of the terminator from the first part of the famous series. It is necessary to eliminate Sarah Connor? Well, take a phone book and start killing them all on the list. So xDuoo — need to create a player? Take processor, just one DAC is now popular Packed together. About and appeared X10.
XDuoo approach is interesting because they spend minimal efforts on something that does not concern the “core” — stuffing player. The design is done as a residual, the firmware is also subject to common criteria of minimalism. However, progress forward at all of them still there, X10, for example, was very convenient. If you look on the other hand, the savings on the “skins” leads to the fact that the company’s products are usually cheaper than competitors, the same xDuoo X10 can be bought for 9,000 rubles (at least at the time of the article) making it one of the cheapest players with the stuffing. But let’s understand that this gives in practice.
Specifications
- CPU: JZ4760B
- DAC: AK4490
- OH: MUSES8920 + LMH6643
- Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (±0.5 dB)
- The ratio signal/noise: ≥112дБ
- Channel separation: >70 dB output for earphone, >100 dB linear output
- Total harmonic distortion: 0.0016 inch%
- Output power: 240 mW @ 32Ω
- Linear output: 1.7 Vrms
- Battery: 2400 mAh
- Charging time (2A from memory): <4 h
- Working time: >9 h
- Screen: TFT, 240*320 262K colors
- Memory card: 2 x 128 GB
- Input: MicroUSB
- Outputs: 3.5 mm naushnikov support CTIA headsets format; 3.5 mm line-in, combined with coaxial
- Formats supported: AIFF, AFE, FLAC, WMA, WAV, MP3, AAC, OGG
- Maximum resolution: 24-bit/192 kHz
- Weight: 141 g
- Dimensions: 53*107,5*16,5
Packing and delivery
Using the principle of sufficient minimalism, xDuoo did not bother with the packing, the player is sold in the usual two-layer box. The top layer of heavy paper with printing and description of the model, inner made of thick cardboard, which protects the filling from damage.
In addition to the player package contains: microUSB cable, a pair of replacement protective films on the screen (one is glued from the factory), adaptor optical out, and a short wire interconnect with 3.5 mm plugs. Of course, I would like to get from the case, though silicone, but without it the package is good enough.
Design and management
Let xDuoo X10 not destined to win prestigious design awards, but the company itself is a big step forward. The interface and ease of use finally ceased to resemble the randomness of the dots on the wall after being hit by a chocolate fan. The case of the hero of our review are made of aluminum, and in xDuoo even provided a chamfer that gives the front panel a bit of gloss. Also, the company remained true to himself, trying to make as many hardware buttons and krutilki, for posting used completely all the facets of the player except for the back side (“well, not shmogla I do not shmogla”).
Left to put the lock switch that will appreciate the owners especially tight pants. On the right side — two slots for memory cards, two volume control buttons and a tiny vent hole. xDuoo claims that it supports memory cards up to 128 GB, but, I think, a greater volume must also be perceived by the player. Although I personally have not verified it.
The upper side instead of the power button, it also turns on/off the screen and a MicroUSB connector, which is used mainly for charging, as the USB DAC, unfortunately, “not delivered”.
On the bottom placed headphone output, line output, traditionally sharing a socket with optical and dip switch gain. The headphone output somehow made with a metal ring and line — of ordinary plastic. Probably the metal 3.5 mm socket that allows you to make the optical output, just no.
On the front of almost all traditionally. In the top of placed screen, it is not enough stars in the sky, but their tasks well, and even retains some readability in the sun, however, the viewing angles and color depth give it the budget. Under the screen placed as much as 4 buttons. Side serve to navigate and rewind tracks, one button is used to return back, and one purely need to bring up the context menu on the playback screen. Under the buttons there is a wheel to navigate inscribed in it the confirmation button selection, it is also used for play/pause. The wheel is fairly good, with comfortable ledges, and pronounced clicks when rotating. Don’t know how it will behave, say, a year from now, but right out of the box to control the player convenient: the menu is scrolled without unnecessary alarms and any other failures. On the playback screen, the rotation of the wheel according to tradition causes a list of all tracks in the current playback session. Don’t know who came up with this replicated in many players feature, but I hope he will IQNet once for each read this review.
The firmware of the player is made based on Linux with MPlayer in the role of the “heart of everything”. The developers took into account the experience of the X3 and very modified the firmware in General and the interface in particular. The main menu consists of 6 items, some of which are duplicated.
My Music. Traditional media library — browse your music by albums, artists and styles, file browser, return to the playback screen and a separate menu item with the CUE-lists. Scans files player moderately fast, but the record is still lagging behind.
Playing. Return to the playback screen, similar to the submenu item My Music.
Folder. Browse music by folder, similar to the submenu item My Music.
Favourite. Favorites favorite tracks group Cock and Ball Torture.
Music Settings. Various playback settings: order playback, memory volume, the DSD gain compensation, a choice of digital filters and enable the transition to the next folder when playing. As you can see, the excesses of EQ and playback without pauses are absent here (although particularly annoying fans can still spin frequency, though it will have to Tinker). Also I don’t know why 5 built-in filters 4490 there were only 2, but on the other hand, it’s better than nothing.
Setting. System player settings also do not affect diversity: the choice of language (the great and powerful available), manual and automatic updating of media libraries, brightness control, timer off, highlight, formatting memory cards, and system updates.
Despite some austerity, firmware X10 is quite stable, no major issues with the player not spotted (except characteristic of the players xDuoo rare otkusyvanija the first second or two at the beginning of the track). X10 well digesting a variety of formats, mostly friends with diacritical, so here in full the principle “better less but better”.
As you can see, excess settings player not happy. Fortunately for fans pokorezhit sound, I found a craftsman (on the forum player.Roux, known under the nickname xVortex), managed to get the built-in MPlayer to read options from a file. And since MPlayer is a typical Linux program, the settings of her car and small truck, including the EQ, but not limited to them. In General, fans to do with the device, something dedicated to this link.
Despite austerity, we have to admit that the player is working steadily, and because of its simplicity even your grandmother will be able to revive youth song Bulbul oglu. Or Cola Beldy, how does she like it.
Sound
To listen to the device used the following headphones: iBasso IT03, 99 Meze Classics, Audio Zenith PMx2, Noble Kaiser Encore, Campfire Audio Andromeda, 64 Audio U12, HUM Pristine and others.
Not sure by accident or on purpose, but the developers of the player made him quite painted flow with little emphasis on medbase and smooth treble. However, I can’t call the player dark, he would rather “not bright”.
Bass is average speed, not perfectly crafted, but the blur they also successfully avoided. The accent in the area of mid bass deeper bass at times difficult to read, and it seems that they are few, but when the midbass pulls the blanket over himself, “subcostales” fully present. Bass is enough of a shock, but hlestkost he still is not enough. Study of textures — also average.
Mid-range, perhaps the strongest side of this player is transparent, clean, very musical presentation with the easy addition of emotions is exactly what you want to hear at the low-cost player in the first place, and xDuoo to cope with the task. It is this flow MF and saves the player from sliding into the dark, seemingly inevitable, with emphasis on medbase and cleaned of HF. The level of detail is good, although not extraordinary that, in principle, not bad for a cheap player is often taking a for not the most audiophile of recordings, sometimes limping as. An imaginary scene — the average depth and less than average in width, because of this there is a slight effect of elongation and crowding of instruments, but in this price range expect the best is still not worth it.
But vernacularly range, on the contrary, is the most controversial point in the sound of the player. Of course, I wasn’t expecting a perfect study of the attacks (and even more so — attenuation) in the device initial segment, but then the developers additionally “smoothed” vernacularly range so that it occasionally be memories. Of course, if you track the drummer struggled pounding the cymbals — are you clearly hear, but if the percussionist lightly with chopsticks for some pieces of iron hanging — the maximum that will get the listener’s rustling, signifying those moments. Also such tricks with HF have a negative impact on the high female vocals (but who will listen to Opera X10?) and sometimes on the overall aggressiveness of the filing. On the other hand, the RF cut here not effeminate hearing (with very rare exceptions, require particularly painstaking selection of headphones and track). So people, critical to this part of the range will be happy, and to please everyone at once, of course, possible, but as the developers say A&K and Lotoo, very very expensive.
By comparison, in the last time, will include mostly comparable players, to compare the X10 with anything I don’t see the point.
xDuoo X3. Oddly enough, sometimes you can even prefer the older Junior model. Yes, the middle of the X10 have a much better bass, despite the accent, too, but even rustic and rough treble from time to be better than the version from “big brother”.
iHiFi 800. I don’t know whether to write about the obvious, but 800 less bass, more scathing, if less physical, midrange player from iHiFi takes the land and monitorna and RF from him and more, and they are served better.
iHiFi 990. But this fellow like xDuoo on the pitch, the same accent, “down” and “pripadnost” on the upper frequencies. There is some difference in the flow midrange, xDuoo they are more emotional, and iHiFi takes the best detail, but here the choice will be more taste. And, of course, price will play an important role here.
Shanling M1. More neutral and “smooth” sound, with no obvious distortions. Of course, there is a bold midrange, and the emphasis on bass is not done, and the overall flow is “simpler”, but for a smaller improvement in the supply of M1 is much to forgive. But you can not forgive, this is at your discretion.
Cayin N3. I’ll leave the suspense to review this baby. Although really I just haven’t had time to compare them.
Hidizs ‘ AP100. Only some 900 rubles xDuoo separated from its main enemy. Despite many years without updates, the AP100 is still able to please lovers of dark sound. From Hidizs ‘ better things with the treble, but the midrange from xDuoo get a little more spectacular in terms of emotion (but the difference is not great).
Fiio X3-2. If xDuoo is a Prodigy who loves science and a receiving trio in the Humanities, the Fiio is a “solid b+”, clearly working on his four. I think this will be enough to understand the differences of these players.
Compatibility
Player powerful enough to uncover most headphones (of course, from among those used in portable), but to use it with models more expensive than the average makes no sense, since the potential of the headphones will remain undisclosed. Also, purely for my taste, you should avoid models with overly headphones clamped or, conversely, accentuated treble. The most popular models of the IEM price segment “under $ 100” just in time for this player: VSonic, Ostry, and so on “standard list”.
Adjusted for taste the serve, the player more or less universal styles, but for complex music type orchestral classics I would not recommend it. Also for my taste, it doesn’t have enough attacks to RF to display the rich percussion styles, from metal to progressive rock of the 70s. the quality of the record player are quite tolerant, on a 10 point scale I would rate it somewhere in the 6.
Traditional tracks are examples
Mr. Bungle — Quote Unquote. If you think that the impossible task is to bite your own elbow, you are deeply mistaken. The most impossible task in the observable universe is to categorize the music of this group. This is rape of the brain famously interferes in one track everything from metal reefs to the light salsa. For nearly 7 minute track the music changes the style, speed, and tune 20 times, while remaining interesting. Unfortunately, the quality of the recording is far from audiophile level, but the nature of supply the X10 slightly negates the disadvantages, allowing you to fully dive into this abyss of madness.
Perturbator — Weapons for Children. “The sky above the port was the color of TV screen that is configured on the empty channel.” Those who know the quote, I think is easy to understand, what music is playing James Kent, many of the familiar soundtrack of “Hotline Miami”. A second fun facts: began his career James as the second guitarist in several black metal bands. And, despite the total change of style, in his disturbing and frightening electronic music still heard a hint blakesley misanthropy. The older model xDuoo well suited to this music with accentuated bass that adds weight to the track. “Night City is not a place of return, the artist, — he said, wiping a dirty rag rack in front of the carrying Case; pink manipulator rat squeaked plaintively”
Westwind — Warsaw Child. For 20 minutes I was going through my library in search of another track, able to complement the previous two. After thinking a bit, decided to choose the song, the right spirit, and not in fact. The first track of our mini-collection is chaos, the second is the destruction, and the calm contemplation of ruins. Kind of martial tradition, Westwind written quite dirty, maintaining a shared lo-fi style. And here again comes to the aid of the way X-10, bringing to the fore exactly what contributes to immersion in the composition.
Insights
No matter how dreamed about it, the miracle did not happen, to outdo all at once — did not work. But we have another good player, playing exactly at the level of their counterparts in price. Interesting flow, two memory slots, simple and convenient operation — all this speaks in favor xDuoo X10, because the player and finds its admirers. However, competitors are not asleep, and rivals X10 spilling from a cornucopia.
An overview of the player xDuoo X10 — water wears away the stone
Pavel Dmitriev