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Xerox Duplex Combo Review

A very run-of-the-mill scanner that is relatively fast, while still providing a flatbed for scanning larger objects
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xerox duplex combo scanner review
Credit: Xerox
Price:  $310 List
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Manufacturer:   Xerox
By Matt Spencer and Benjamin Hickok  ⋅  May 27, 2022
70
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#5 of 10
  • Scanning Performance - 35% 7.1
  • Speed - 30% 7.4
  • Software - 20% 6.5
  • User Friendliness - 15% 6.7

Our Verdict

The Xerox Duplex Combo is a fairly run-of-the-mill scanner that doesn't offer much more performance or ease of use than many scanners at a similar price point. While it sits in the average to the above-average range, it simply can't compete with the incredible speeds and almost-perfect scanning quality of the most premium models on the market today. However, a flatbed style design does allow you to scan larger objects, like book pages, while also incorporating a feed tray, making larger multipage documents a much easier task to handle with auto-feeding. It may not be the best of both worlds, but it will get most jobs done satisfactorily. To see how it ranks next to competing products, see our best scanner review.
REASONS TO BUY
Scans bigger objects
Auto-feed
REASONS TO AVOID
Large footprint
Nothing unique
No wireless scanning

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Price $310 List
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Bottom Line A flatbed scanner with auto-feed and does an average job all-aroundWe love this scanner for its speed, user-friendliness, and also it's all-around performance at a fair priceGreat performance from a portable scanner that isn't to bad on the walletWhile not the fastest, it excels in every aspect at a relatively low priceYou can give it a try without any risk, and packs a lot of performance into a phone app, but isn't great for longer documents
Rating Categories Xerox Duplex Combo Canon ImageFORMULA R40 Epson WorkForce ES-60W Brother DS-640 Scanner Pro App
Scanning Performance (35%)
7.1
9.4
8.3
8.2
7.1
Speed (30%)
7.4
8.3
6.8
3.7
3.4
Software (20%)
6.5
9.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
User Friendliness (15%)
6.7
9.0
8.0
6.7
7.7
Specs Xerox Duplex Combo Canon ImageFORMULA R40 Epson WorkForce ES-60W Brother DS-640 Scanner Pro App
Paper Sizes Max: 8.5" x 118"
Min: 3" x 5.9"
Max: 8.5" x 14"
Min: 2" x 2.1"
Max: 8.5" x 72" Max: 8.5" x 32" Any size
Weight 5.9 lbs 6.2 lbs .7 lbs 1.0 lbs N/A
Resolution 600 dpi 600 dpi 1200 dpi 600 x 600 dpi N/A
Simplex/Duplex Simplex/Duplex Duplex Simplex Simplex Simplex
Scanning Modes Color, Grayscale, Black and White Color, Grayscale, Black and White Color, Grayscale, Black and White 24-bit color, 8-bit (256 levels) gray scale, 1 bit monochrome Color Document, Black and White, Color Photo, Grayscale Photo
Automatic Document Feeder 35-page 60-page No No No
Windows Compatible Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A
Mac Compatible Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A
Measured Pages Per Minute 25 40 15 4 3

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Xerox Duplex Combo is a flatbed style scanner with average to above-average performance. It incorporates an auto-feed to perform more like non-flatbed style scanners. Everything about this model is about what you would expect to get when you purchase a scanner, performing better than most scanners we've tested overall but nowhere near as great as the best devices we've tested.

Performance Comparison


xerox duplex combo scanner review - the duplex is an average to above-average choice in a market full of...
The Duplex is an average to above-average choice in a market full of options.
Credit: Chris McNamara

Scanning Performance


Because an illegible scan is useless, we weighted scanning performance to account heavily for the overall score of the Xerox Duplex Combo. In order to measure scanning performance, our testers focus on black and white scanning and color photo scanning separately, each with their own subset of tests.

When it comes to black and white scanning, we perform tests to determine receipt quality, text clarity, and handwriting quality. The Xerox Duplex Combo exhibited average to above-average performances in those tests. Its ability to scan blotchy receipt ink and printed text with high clarity and quality weren't the best. It certainly wasn't horrible and will get the job done, but it did not exhibit the more impressive performance of the top models we tested.

xerox duplex combo scanner review - black and white scans, specifically handwriting, receipts, and...
Black and white scans, specifically handwriting, receipts, and document text were average to above-average.
Credit: Matt Spencer

The Xerox Duplex Combo performed even better in our color and photo scanning tests than it did on black and white tests. This model excels when it comes to color accuracy. The brightness and sharpness accuracy were also above average, although not as good as the best devices. Scans looked very similar to the originals, but the brightness of white areas increased during scanning.

Above-average scanning results represent sharpness, brightness, and...
Above-average scanning results represent sharpness, brightness, and color accurately, but not quite as well as the best models in our product lineup.
These photos did not come out as vibrant as we would have liked.
These photos did not come out as vibrant as we would have liked.

Speed


The Xerox Duplex Combo could not compete with top models in our speed test. It is very fast for single-page scanning on a 600 dpi duplex setting, but it only averages about 10 pages per minute in 10-page duplex and simplex tests. While that is fast enough for most tasks, it is all relative. The fastest model in our tests can turn out a task four times as large in the same amount of time. Overall, the performance of the Xerox Duplex Combo was average in speed tests.

xerox duplex combo scanner review - this model is a flatbed design, but also speeds things up with an...
This model is a flatbed design, but also speeds things up with an autofeed.
Credit: Chris McNamara

Software


The software included with the Duplex Combo includes optical character recognition, which works, but is not as accurate as the best performing models. This scanner automatically turns everything, including pictures, into a PDF. This function is less than desirable as some users may want other options. However, changes in settings can be made to change output file types.

xerox duplex combo scanner review - the xerox software for the duplex combo is straightforward and easy...
The Xerox software for the Duplex Combo is straightforward and easy to use. It is fairly run-of-the-mill and doesn't offer anything exceptional or inferior to many other models.
Credit: Matt Spencer

User Friendliness


Setting up the Xerox Duplex Combo was a bit confusing at the start, and we ran into an error in the process. From start to completion, we were ready to start scanning in 15 minutes, much slower than the most setup-friendly models we tested.

The overall interface could also be better. The app is pretty simple and can do two types of scanning, which are one-sided and two-sided. An auto-feed and an output tray make larger jobs easier than devices without one. Unfortunately, there is no one-button scanning on the Mac operating system. All around, this model is very average in terms of user-friendliness.

xerox duplex combo scanner review - although it is a flatbed scanner, it also has an autofeed.
Although it is a flatbed scanner, it also has an autofeed.
Credit: Chris McNamara

Should You Buy the Xerox Duplex Combo?


The Xerox Duplex Combo is fairly run of the mill. It does okay when it comes to scanning speed, especially at lower dpi, but that's really about it. It also takes up a large footprint and is only slightly cheaper than faster, more capable scanners.

What Other Scanners Should You Consider?


We would recommend taking a look at a scanner like the Canon ImageFormula R40, over the Xerox Duplex Combo. It is similarly priced, but its performance makes it one of the best models on the market today. To get the absolute best all-around performance, take a look at Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600, but you'll have to increase your budget quite a bit.

Matt Spencer and Benjamin Hickok