Review of xDuoo X20 - Hi-Fi player for all occasions

XDuoo has adopted a simple and straightforward strategy for success, offering music lovers sophisticated musical devices at humane prices. The recipe worked: today all audiophiles know about these guys from China. Thanks to their excellent value for money, xDuoo players are immensely popular among those people who cannot or do not want to spend fortunes on their sound experiments.

Xduoo X20 is a relatively new player that was released about six months ago. It is priced at $ 250 and is the company's flagship device. The life hacker figured out where such an impressive price came from and how justified it is.

Specifications

DAC	ES9018K2M
OU	OPA1612
Supported formats	APE, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, AAC, MP3, OGG, WMA, ISO, DSF, DFF, DSD256
output power	210 mW @ 32 Ohm headphone impedance
Frequency range	20 Hz - 20 kHz
Signal to noise ratio	114 dBA
entrance	USB Type-C
Outputs	3.5 mm - for headphones, 2.5 mm - balanced, 3.5 mm - linear, combined with coaxial
Bluetooth	4.1 with aptX and Hiby Link
Screen	2 inches, 240 × 320 pixels, TFT
Memory	microSD up to 256 GB
Battery	2 400 mAh
Battery life	8-10 hours depending on volume, source and other parameters
Charging time	about 3 hours
Dimensions (edit)	110 × 56 × 16.6 mm
The weight	138 g

The filling of the xDuoo X20 is serious. A professional ESS ES9018K2M chip from ESS Technology is used as a DAC, which can produce studio quality sound. The output is two OPA1612 chips manufactured by Texas Instruments. It is a two-channel operational amplifier with SoundPlus technology, which provides low signal distortion and low noise.

This hardware allows the device to play almost all known audio formats, including DSD256. In addition, the player is equipped with a Bluetooth 4.1 module with AptX and HiBy Link proprietary technology. Thanks to this, the xDuoo X20 can even be used as a wireless DAC, which we will discuss in more detail below.

Completion and appearance

The xDuoo X20 comes in a nice white cardboard box. On the front side there is a photograph of the device, and on the back - its main technical characteristics.

Inside the outer packaging is a very sturdy black box that contains the player. It is located on a black porous substrate, under which additional accessories are hidden: two screen protectors, silicone self-adhesive feet for stationary use, a USB cable, a coaxial cable, two 3, 5 mm plugs and an instruction manual with texts in Chinese and English.

In addition, the kit includes a wonderful red leatherette cover, which, in our opinion, is in great harmony with the appearance of the gadget.

During the design of the xDuoo X20, the company's designers were apparently on vacation. Therefore, the player looks like a simple black brick. It turned out not too impressive, but practical and convenient.

The body of the xDuoo X20 is made of metal. We haven't had a chance to test its durability, but the player looks solid and reliable enough. All parts are tightly fitted, there is no backlash and rattling of buttons.

There is only a screen on the front panel. Users spoiled by IPS displays in smartphones may be horrified by its quality, which sometimes makes album covers look strange. However, this is a player for listening to music, and not for viewing pictures, so we will not write it down as a disadvantage.

All control buttons are located on the side faces. On the right, there are buttons for playing and switching tracks, calling options and returning to the previous menu level. On the left - the red player power button and volume control keys. A little lower on the same side there is a slot for an external memory card.

The bottom edge is reserved for connectors. This is a headphone output, as well as line and coaxial outputs. On the opposite side of the device is a USB-C connector that can be used for charging or connecting an external signal source.

The back side is completely blank. In its upper part, a plastic insert stands out slightly, which serves to accommodate Bluetooth antennas.

In general, the appearance and layout of the controls deserve a positive mark. The austere minimalistic design emphasizes the seriousness of the device and the quality of its filling: this is not some cheap Chinese squeaker trying to attract attention with colored lights and catchy colors of the case.

It is quite convenient to work with the player even blindly, you just need to get used to the location of the buttons a little. Information from the screen is easy to read, it is not distorted at an angle, the maximum brightness is sufficient for use even in direct sunlight.

Functions

The main function of a portable music player is to play music, what could be easier? However, take your time. The developers have endowed xDuoo X20 with several interesting features, which need to be discussed in more detail.

In addition to the standard listening to music using wired headphones, it is possible to use the xDuoo X20 as an external DAC. This means that you can connect the player to a computer or laptop to receive a pure digital signal from it, which, after decoding and amplification, will be sent to headphones or speaker system.

If you take care of finding an adapter, then the exact same operation can be performed with a smartphone. At the same time, you don't need to install any drivers or special programs: you just connect the xDuoo X20 to the desired device, and the sound goes through it.

The built-in Bluetooth module is responsible for the player's wireless capabilities. Its appearance in a device that claims to be of high quality sound may cause confusion, because everyone knows that this method of transmission uses compression. In some cases, however, compromises have to be made. For example, while exercising in the gym, while jogging - and in general in all situations where wires are inappropriate.

But the most interesting thing is that the Bluetooth-module in xDuoo X20 can work in both directions. You can not only connect wireless headphones to the player, but also use the player itself as such. In this case, a smartphone is used as a music source, and xDuoo X20 decodes and amplifies the signal, that is, it is used as a wireless DAC. This makes it possible (if someone has such a desire) to listen to music on streaming services and even FM radio.

It is equally convenient to use the xDuoo X20 in the car. To do this, just connect it to the on-board power supply system and the standard speaker system, and then activate the special "Car" mode in the menu. In this mode, the player automatically turns on when USB power is supplied and turns off when it is turned off.

Software

Other Chinese wizards, Hiby, are responsible for developing software for the xDuoo X20. These guys specialize in creating firmware for Cayin, Questyle, Shanling, FiiO, and now xDuoo players.

The main screen of the player contains six tiles, each of which serves to access the corresponding section of the firmware. Moving between them is done with the buttons for switching tracks; to enter, you need to press the play button once.

The built-in file manager allows you to view the folders of an SD card or a drive connected via OTG. Right from here you can start playback of any track, add it to your favorites or delete unnecessary files and folders.

Music Library lets you browse your music collection, organized according to tag information. As usual, there is a division by genre, album, artist and so on. During testing, no problems with reading and displaying tags were noticed. The xDuoo X20 handles all data formats with confidence, including CUE. And he even understands the names of songs in Russian without any effort.

The xDuoo X20 settings are presented in three sections. System options allow you to set the interface language (there is Russian), adjust the screen brightness and automatic shutdown time, activate the memorization of the position of the last track and change many other parameters. Music settings are responsible for the sound quality. Everything related to the wireless interface is concentrated in the Bluetooth section, including the aptX mode, which provides high quality playback.

In general, cooperation with Hiby was beneficial to the player. During testing, we did not find any significant problems in the software, with the exception of a crooked translation into Russian.

Sound

The combination of the ESS ES9018K2M DAC and the OPA1612 amplifier is not new and has already been used in many musical devices. It delivers decent sound on its own, but xDuoo engineers have managed to jump over their heads and squeeze the best out of it.

The X20 has a natural, detailed and rich sound that is almost devoid of any characteristic coloration. The presentation is very musical, with a wide stereo base and detailed frequencies. Lovers of low frequencies will like this player due to the accented bass, which at the same time sounds quite elastic and accurate. Because of this, the sound of the xDuoo X20 looks a little "dark", but without unnecessary drama.

The middle frequencies are perceived as one and are pushed forward a little. Best of all, such a presentation is suitable for modern heavy and electronic music, in which the ideal separation of each part is not so important as the drive and general mood. High frequencies sound intelligible, but slightly softened. There is no shortage of this, it is rather a plus: even listening to music for many hours does not cause fatigue and the characteristic ringing in the ears.

Outcomes

Not everyone dares to buy a pocket player for almost $ 250.

But if it can simultaneously act as a digital-to-analog converter, amplifier, stationary music center, wireless player and car radio, then this is a completely different matter!

The developers relied on versatility and, in our opinion, they did not lose. It is doubly pleasant that the abundance of possibilities did not go to the detriment of the sound quality. The player plays exactly as good as its "classmates", and maybe even better.