XDUOO XA-02 Balanced DAC Headphone Amplifier

The xDuoo XA-02 is a high-performance DAC and headphone amplifier based on audiophile components. It features an ESS ES9039Q2M DAC chip that supports sampling rates up to PCM 32bit 384kHz, native DSD up to DSD256 and MQAx8. It also features a Class A headphone amplifier circuit and a balanced headphone output capable of delivering an output power of up to 2000mW. It also has Bluetooth functionality, enabling it to support the high-definition codecs aptX, aptX LL, aptx HD and LDAC for reliable, stable wireless transmission. As for connectivity, there's a USB-C input, a coaxial input and a Toslink optical input, while on the output side there's an RCA line output and, of course, two headphone outputs on the front panel: unbalanced 6.35mm jack and balanced 4.4mm jack. An attractive 1.3-inch OLED display and a digital volume control complete the package.

xDuoo XA-02: balanced architecture

The XA-02 benefits from a balanced architecture that considerably reduces the noise level at its RCA line and headphone outputs. This is reflected in its performance, with a THD+N announced at 0.0005%, an SNR of 121dB and a crosstalk level of 118dB.

xDuoo XA-02: digital volume control and OLED display

The front panel of the XA-02 features an attractive 1.3” OLED display showing various operating mode information. In addition, a large red backlit potentiometer controls the output volume. The XA-02's volume control is digital. This avoids any problems of imbalance in the event of low volume.