Short answer
Both are portable amplifiers, $599 against $499.
The xDuoo XD05 Bal reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here, the iFi xDSD Gryphon on 565.
| Specification | iFi xDSD Gryphon | xDuoo XD05 Bal |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 320 mW | 1.0 W |
| Power into 150Ω | 73 mW | 213 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 40 mW | 107 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 20 mW | 53 mW |
| Output impedance | 1.0 Ω | not published |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Price | $599 | $499 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 565 | 566 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | iFi xDSD Gryphon | xDuoo XD05 Bal |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 4.4mm | 4.4mm |
| Power into 32Ω | 1.0 W | 1.0 W |
| Power into 300Ω | 125 mW derived | 107 mW derived |
| Output impedance | 1.0 Ω | not published |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 566 | 566 |
Through the balanced sockets the two are level on the same test: each reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | iFi xDSD Gryphon | xDuoo XD05 Bal |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. iFi xDSD Gryphon publishes at 32 Ω and at 300 Ω; xDuoo XD05 Bal at 32 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
So the two columns are not equally firm row by row: at 300 Ω only the iFi xDSD Gryphon figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
1 headphone reaches 100 dB on the xDuoo XD05 Bal but not on the iFi xDSD Gryphon — Moondrop PARA.
565 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the Shure SE846: xDuoo XD05 Bal has +38 dB of headroom there against +34 dB. 5 dB is about 3.1 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for iFi xDSD Gryphon and xDuoo XD05 Bal because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | iFi xDSD Gryphon headroom | xDuoo XD05 Bal headroom | iFi xDSD Gryphon hiss | xDuoo XD05 Bal hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +34 dB | +38 dB | not published | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +14 dB | +18 dB | not published | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +23 dB | +28 dB | not published | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +19 dB | +23 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +15 dB | +20 dB | not published | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +12 dB | +16 dB | not published | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +8 dB | +12 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +5 dB | +10 dB | not published | not published |
The iFi xDSD Gryphon costs $100 more than the xDuoo XD05 Bal, and on these three axes the money buys nothing: among the 567 models here there is not one that the iFi xDSD Gryphon handles and the xDuoo XD05 Bal does not — not on power, not on the one-eighth rule, not on hiss. The traffic runs the other way: the cheaper xDuoo XD05 Bal drives one model to 100 dB that the iFi xDSD Gryphon does not.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: iFi xDSD Gryphon and xDuoo XD05 Bal.