Conclusion
I wasn’t sure what to expect with the Xuelin Clear, in fact I wasn’t really expecting much at all.
Would it be worth bothering with a player that lacks streaming or a touchscreen? To my total surprise the answer is a resounding yes!
It’s difficult to put into words why the Xuelin sounds so impressive for such a tiny gadget. Awesome bass is part of it, but that’s not the full story. There’s a calmness to Clear’s presentation that lets me relax when I listen, whereas something about the sound of delta-sigma Android players puts me on edge.
Ironically, relaxed is the last word I’d use to describe the Clear’s sound. No, it’s far too toe-tapping for that. There’s a naturalness however which was the last thing expected from ESS DACs – I still have no idea how Xuelin pulled that off.
The elephant in the room is Clear’s interface and non-Android quirks, is it worth the trouble or would a small Android DAP be a better choice? My Astell & Kern SR35 has been gathering dust since Clear arrived which probably tells you something, but you’ll need to find your own answer.
I’ve changed my mind about non-Android players, and will pay a lot more attention to them in future.
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