An overview of the player xDuoo X10 — water wears away the stone

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 what does not concern «the main part» — the filling of the 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, saving on «skins» leads to the fact that the company's products are usually cheaper than competitors, the same (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.

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specifications

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• Processor: JZ4760B
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• DAC: AK4490
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• OU: MUSES8920 + LMH6643
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• frequency Range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (±0.5 dB)
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• the Ratio signal/noise: ≥112дБ
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• Division: >70 dB for headphone output >100 dB line output
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• Total harmonic distortion: 0.0016 inch%
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• output power: 240 mW @ 32Ω
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• line out: 1.7 Vrms
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• Battery: 2400 mAh
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• charging Time (2A from memory): <4 h
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• Time: >9 h
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• Screen: TFT, 240*320 262K colors
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• memory Card: 2 x 128 GB
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• Entrance: MicroUSB
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• Outputs: 3.5 mm naushnikov support CTIA headsets format; 3.5 mm line-in, combined with coaxial
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• Support format: AIFF, AFE, FLAC, WMA, WAV, MP3, AAC, OGG
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• Max resolution: 24-bit/192 kHz
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• Weight: 141g
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• Dimensions: 53*107,5*16,5

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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.

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Design and control

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 panel («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.

Top 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, «brought».

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 panel 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 «hearts». 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 sub-menu item My Music.

Folder. Browse music by folder, similar to the sub-menu 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 «less is the best».

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 .

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.

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Sound

To listen To the device used the following headphones: , , , Noble Kaiser Encore, Campfire Audio Andromeda , and others.

I do Not know, accidentally 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 is more «not bright».

Low — medium 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 — average.

The mid-range, perhaps the strongest side of this player is transparent, clean, very musical presentation with the easy addition of emotions — that's 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 sounding...