Hello,

This review will be dedicated to the latest DAC from Zorloo, the ZuperDAC-S.
First of all I would like to thank Andy from Zorloo for his patience (I had quite a lot of questions and comments) and the gratitude of providing me with the review sample.

Introduction

I do not consider myself as an audiophile. I try to listen to the music, and not to the equipment, and the best equipment to me is the one that will provide the most natural sound, that I like the most. The base needs to be able to get really low, and stay controlled. Mids should sound clear and natural, female vocals and guitars should be enjoyable, and highs should not pierce into my brain. I am giving this introduction, in order to let you better understand my comprehension of the ZuperDAC.

Part 1 - Physical and Compatibility



Here you can see the user manual, which you can also download from the official website.



Here is the unit itself. I got a shiny red one (there is also a silver and grey option), I think this is a good color for such a small device, as it will be a bit easier to find .
No quality issues, it's really tiny and light.



The DAC arrives with cables that will allow to connect it to a mobile phone (both older type - B and the newer type-C) and to a PC as well. The cables are short, wrapped and have a nice quality feel, there is a good amount of metal there.


Some size comparison with FiiO X3-II and Sandisk Clip Sport Plus.

Some interesting facts:

• The unit consumes between 0.46-0.56W (0.9-0.11A) from the USB socket it's connected to. It gets really slightly warm, regardless of the volume and connection status of the headphones.
• The volume buttons work differently from any audio device I ever used. When you keep them pressed, the volume does not change, you need to keep clicking in order to change the volume.
• The unit features a blue LED. It lights up when the DAC is initialized, and lights up steady when the unit is plugged in.
  
• When connected to Android devices, there is nothing you need to do in order to get it working, real plug and play, it works on the fly, without even restarting the audio application.
• The unit works well also with Amazon Kindle HD 10 2017. I am writing it because there is not much information regarding connecting external DAC's to Amazon devices (I am aware that the OS they are running is actually an Android, but it is heavily customized and I was unsure if the device will be supported).

Unit operation, sound

Well, when I got the unit I connected it to my PC that had the following setup : PC was connected to a DELL monitor's internal USB hub with a meter-long cable, and there was another meter long USB cable from the monitor's USB hub to the ZuperDAC. Well, the unit successfully initialized, worked but from time to time (every 1-2 minutes) I got a sudden eruption of static at some random songs, not reproducible at the same parts of the songs. I was a bit angry, as my first thought was that the unit was faulty, or had some other problem. Well, lucky for me I was wrong, when I connected the device with the bundled short cable, without the HUB, I never had any problem, with 3 different computers. Connection with Samsung Galaxy S5 and Kindle HD 10 was also flawless.

Volume - only 32mW ???

One of my concerns about the unit was the output power, of "only" 32mW. Well, it may look modest compared with my 200mW FiiO X3-II, but we must have proporsions. My first DAP, the Cowon G3 had 5mW, and it was enough at the time.
So ... Is it enough?
Yes.., depends.
What?
Well, when I connected Audio-Technica ATH-M50X to Samsung Galaxy S5 - the volume was almost enough o really enjoy the music. But with the Zuper ... well, it gets them ridiculously loud, you start feeling them move on your head, I would say it feels much much louder. The same situation with the Amazon Kindle HD 10.
But, when I plugged in the Koss TBSE1 (headphones that I enjoy listening the best) I could get to the max volume, and sometimes could ask for more. FiiO X3-II does not have any problem with those, and I never ever got to the High amp setting.
So, if you intend to plug in some low sensitivity and/or high impedance headphones you might want an amplifier after the ZuperDAC.

Sound

I can tell you this, the DAC does not disappoint. I really enjoy it, and it might be an ideal device for me. The bass gets lower than the build in DAC in SGS5 and in the Kindle HD 10, no harshness in the mids and really nice highs. If I would need to point some thing that I would like to be improved it would be the high frequencies - I think there is some harshness there. But from the other side, as I do not own an audiophile reference grade components for comparison, the DAC-S sound may be the "right" sound, and it is me who needs to adjust.
I did not do too much tests, but from my point of view the device has better bass (lower and better controlled) than the FiiO X3-II, but some harshness in the high frequencies that FiiO does not have. But I will repeat myself, I may be wrong, the sound is really enjoyable and the differences are not apparent.
Compared to the sound of SGS-5 and Kindle, ZuperDAC sounds clearer, across the frequencies, with much higher max volume.
I listened to the unit for about a week, and could not find a genre where the unit fails or excels, it's universal fro m what I can tell.

*** Listening via PC was done using Foobar2000, 24 bit 192 Hz mode (also in driver), WASAPI (event) setting. Music - really different genres, from metal to 80's, Enigma, Enya and so on and so on, lossless flacs.

Conclusion

Well, I think the device is great, it does what it claims to do well, it is universal and really easy to get liked.

Greetings,
 
This review will be dedicated to a pair of interesting earphones from Xiaomi. As usual I will provide a small background, and get to the actual review later.
 
First , what does that "hybrid" mean, and why Xiami?
Well, there earphones feature two types of transducers - the usual dynamic, and balanced armature. In theory, this should provide better high frequency response. Prior to those earphones no other manufacturer offered balanced armature, or a hybrid design for less than 20$, so this is a game-changer in a way.
The earphones (like other Xiaomi headphones) are actually manufactured by 1MORE, and I will compare these earphones with another, much more expensive model from 1More.

 

Part 1 - design and physical impressions

 
 

 

 

 

 

 
The earphones arrive in a very small carton white box. You can see the back side of the earphones and their technical specifications.
 
 

 
The box has some kind of seal, so you"ll be able to ensure that you are the first one to use them.
 

 

 
There is not much that comes with the earphones, only earphones and some additional eartips (average quality, slightly thin rubber is used).
 

 
And.. here they are
 

 
The plug is gold-plated, and made mostly from metal.
 

 
The cable has black fabric coating, and feels pretty thin. Interestingly - it is very durable, I unintentionally tested it. While burning in the phones I rolled with a chair over and over the cable but it did not affect the sound quality, it held the misuse pretty well.
 

 
The remote control. It's made from metal, but the buttons are made of plastic. It controls android devices, but not IOS.
 

 

 

 

 
And.. here they are. Well, the earphones are mostly made of metal, but don't feel very massive or heavy.
 

 
There is small laser-engraved HD Audio writing, and you can also see the bass port on the side of the earphones.
 

 

 

 
The Y-split is made of plastic and carries the XiaoMI logo.
 
 

 
This is a comparison with 1More hybrid earphones
 

 
The remote on the 1More is plastic with metal buttons, opposite of Xiaomi's metal with plastic buttons remote.
 

 
The Y split is also very different, metal vs plastic.
 

 

 

 
1More earphones look much more expensive, and are much bigger in size than the Xiaomi earphones.
 

 

Part 2 - Real life usage and sound

 
Well, first of all the fit. Those are very comfortable earphones. I didn't feel the need to fit any other eartips that the ones that were initially installed. The earphones are being mounted very securely inside the ears, much better than Xiaomi Piston 2 or the 1More hybrids.
Sound isolation - it is great with these earphones, even without turning on the music most of the outside sounds are blocked.
 
The sound - well, it was not exactly what I expected. The sound can be described as U shaped, with a lot of bass, great highs and not much mids. Surprisingly, this is not necessary a bad thing - those earphones are very forgiving to the mastering quality, and provide a great soundstage. Certain music genres that have plenty of bass sound just fantastic with those phones. and even others, that have more accent on mid frequencies sound good, just not as you would expect them to sound.
The bass is deep and fast, I did not feel it affect other frequencies.
Mids - are recessed, but not colored. You hear what the recording has to offer, just not as loud as the bass and the highs that those earphones provide.
Highs - are great, clear, maybe even crystal clear. The mids quantity only put more accent on the excellent highs.
 
HD Audio - I don't think that the sound of those earphones could be the real HD Audio that you would have hoped to get, but they are really enjoyable, While testing the earphones, and afterwards I found myself reaching to those earphones more and more, just in order to enjoy the music - while I could hear other, more analytic earphones.
 
The audition was made using FiiO X3 II DAP and lots of lossless music.
 
 

Final thoughts, conclusion

 
Those are nice earphones. I don't know if they really have competition in the sub 20 dollars segment and will be a great ticket to BA earphones. While the sound can hardly be described as audiophile or analytic, the earphones are very easy to enjoy, and provide a surprising sense of width to the recordings. The earphones are very well made, and have a very strong cable.
 
 
The earphones were provided for review by www.gearbest.com

Greetings,
 
This review will be dedicated to a hybrid (1 BA + 1 dynamic) earphones from 1MORE (the guys that make Xiaomi headphones). I'd like also to state that the earphones reviewed are very different from Xiaomi hybrid earphones, both in sound and in bundled extras.
 
I will first describe my physical impressions, and get to the sound later.
 

Physical

 

 

 

 
The earphones arrive in a huge box. It is just the largest earphones box I have ever seen, in fact you could fit in headphones with ease. I've taken a picture of the package with Iphone 6S and a package of Xiaomi hybrids in order to have some proportions of the package.
 

 

 
The box has a paper seal that you have to tear in order to open it.
 

 

This is the view you first get after opening the box. It reminds me of an expensive car, looks really fancy.
 

 
The box has two "levels", this is what is sitting below the initial view.
 

 
Here are all the goodies that come with the phones. An airplane adapter, a box with eartips, hard carrying pouch, and some paperwork.
 

 

 

 
Looks really expensive to me.
 

 

 

 

 
The box is great. The black stitching makes it look classy. The box is hard and has artificial leather coating and magnetic closing.
 

 
Here are the earphones, the reason we are here today.
 

 
The plus is very similar to other Xiaomi/1MORE headphones plugs, gold plated and made from metal.
 

 
The cable is wrapped in a white fabric up to the Y-split.
 

 
The Y-split, metal with the same finish as the plug. From the Y-split to the earphones the cable is not coated, just simple cable. The cable does not feel too fancy.
 

 
The remote control/microphone unit. Unlike the Xiaomi unit, this one control both IOS and Android devices (including volume).
 

 

 

 

 
And here are the phones. Well, they are mostly metal and look and feel fancy. The color is not exacly gold, it's more like rose gold.
As you can see there is a small venting hole.

 

Part 2 - The sound and real life

Prior to auditioning I performed an extensive burn-in to the earphones. I've mostly used the earphones with FiiO X3 II and a broad array of music genres. Mostly lossless formats were used.
 
I'd describe these earphones as neutral, maybe a bit cold. I could not find any music genre that the earphones cold not handle, and really enjoyed the auditioning. Even difficult recordings like the early Metallika albums sounded good with those earphones.
 
Bass - it's fast and well controled, without affecting other frequencies. I didn't feel the low end too extended.
Mids - those are nice, the vocals sound nice and clear, really close and intimate. I found enjoying male vocals more than usual .
Highs - due to usage of the BA units the highs have a lot of details, and some of the recordings really sound special with those (especially Hi-Res).
 
Soundstage - not too wide, but there is good instruments separation and a sense of space.
 
The earphones are very forgiving, I had no problem enjoying a majority of my music.
 
The fit is good, but in order to hold the earphones securely I had to use the largest ear-tips that come with the earphones. If you intend to do sports activity with those I'd suggest getting earhoocks/better ear-tips, because of the weigh and the shape of those earphones.
 
 

Final thoughts, conclusions

 
I really liked those earphones. They look and feel classy, they do so much things just right. The packaging and the stuff that comes with the earphones are just exceptional, so if you intend to provide them as a present you won't be forgotten for sure.
 
 
The earphones were provided for review by www.gearbest.com

Greetings,
This review will be dedicated to a pair of earphones, one of the newest models from DUNU.
I will describe why I chose those earphones, and my opinion about them.
 

Why them?

 
Well, I read a lot of good opinions regarding DUNU earphones, and one model that seemed to be exceptional was the DUNU Titan1. But that model has some features (according to what I read, I had no chance to listen to the phones) that make them less desirable for me. According to what I read they do not isolate much, because of the venting holes that they have, and they are pretty large and heavy. Another thing is that some people complain about the accented highs.
And then I noticed the new model, Titan 1es. It seems that all the issues were addressed - they have less holes, made of plastic and considerably lighter. Ah, and they are much cheaper - they can be purchased for less than 50$. They still have the titanium coated driver, so I could not resist.
 
 

Part 1 - the Physical

 
 

 

 

 

 
The earphones arrive in a small but stylish black box. By examining the box you can know just about everything about the earphones.
 

 
The box has two stickers, that will allow you to make sure that the box was not opened during the postage.
 

 
This is the view you get when you open the box the first time.
 

 
The headphones arrive with a lot of bundled extras
 

 
Over ear hooks
 

 

 
Clip
 

 

 
6 pairs of earphone tips (one more pair comes installed on the earphones)
 

 

 
A massive plug (the chrome part is metal). Note the DUNU logo on the side.
 

 

 

 
The splitter, also made of metal. The brand and mode name are a nice touch.
 

 

 

 

 
 
And here are the earphones. Well, they look very generic, only the cable loop seems unusual.
There are two small venting holes, and the signature DUNU sound guide withoud metal mech.
 
 

Part 2 - The fit

Those are the most comfortable earphones I have ever used. Usually I have to immediately install the largest ear-tips, or else the earphones don't hold their place inside my ears. This is not the case with the Titans - once installed they firmly hold in at the ear, and don't fall even if you shake the head. I jogged, and did some sports stair-climbing with those without any hint of a problem - they hold inside the ear really well. And the understated looks is also something that I like. Of course you can choose the silver or the red version if you want something more flashy.
 

Part 3 - The sound

The most interesting part. Well, they sound great - this is the short version.
 
The longer one:
 
The earphones provide a balanced sound, with a tight bass, a bit forward mids and crist highs (the titanium driver at it's best). If the music is too saturated with hights it will be difficult to enjoy with those earphones, but besides that it's a pleasure to listen. The music instruments sound we ll separated, with a lot of air.
I listened to those earphones with FiiO X3II, Clip Sport, Iphone 6s and Ipad Air2. Clip is no match to those earphones, the sounstage suffers, as well the total "airiness". Besides that, they sound the best with FiiO, and not bad at all with the I-devices.
Most music I listened to was FLAC's, from various gendres. From 80's to modern pops, it's a pleasure to listen.
 
The bass isn't bloated, extending really low.
The mids are a bit forward, without colouring.
Highs are really shiny, without being harsh.
 
Sounstage is wide, not fantasting - but still wide. Even the early Metallika albums sound great with those earphones, that's quite an achievement - in many cases the instruments blend, but not with those Titans.
 
The earphones sound very open, like open over/on ear headphones. And they leak sound, If you listen on high volume in a quiet room your roommates will hear the music with you. And the isolation is not great, definetely less than avarage (just like in open earphones).
 
Final words, conclusion
 
I really like those earphones. I didn't know such combination existed - great fit, and very open sound from in-ear earphones.

Greetings,
This review will be dedicated to another budget friendly headphone from China, the Takstar HI 2050.
I will divide the review to two parts, one will be dedicated to my impressions of the physical built and the package, and the other one will be devoted to the sound.
 

Part 1 - Physical

 
,
 

 

 

 
The headphones arrive in a big colored carton box. I think it looks good, without being too flashy. The box has tech specs of the headphones, as well as other technical descriptions.
 
 

 
But wait, inside the outer box is another one, made from black carton.
 

 
When I first opened it I was really surprised. It looks ... expensive and deluxe. I would never think that the price of the phones is below 50$, judging by how the headphones and the box looks.
 

 

 

 
Here is the user manual. Unusually it even contains the frequency curve of the headphones, that look surprisingly good.
 
 

 
The grey stuff is some soft fabric, looks like the one used on the earpads.
 

 
Some of the stuff that comes with the headphones.
 

 
Extension cable? Sure, even looks decent.
 

 

 

 
And... here they are. The headphones are very light (more on use of metal later). No quality issues were found, they dont squeak or have any loose parts.
 
 

 

 
The headphones are single-corded. Each earpad is connected with a short cable covered in some sort of fabric that has minimal microphonics.
 

 
The earpads are oval shaped, and are circumaural, meaning that they completely cover your ears and don't actually sit on them.
Meaning? Well, the fact that the headphones are light, the headpads are covered in fabric and the headphones are open makes comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The pressure on the head is moderately light.
 

 

 
The earpads can be easily removed.
 

 
The headphones also have a cloth protecting the membrane (and most probably affecting the sound). This one is thinker than the one that is used on the earpads.
 

 

 
I think that the headphones will fit best people with smaller heads. Im minimal extension mode the headphones are really compact, and in the extended they aren't too big. I have a rather big head (XL skiing helmet) and I had to open the headphones to the maximal position, a thing that I never did before with any other headphones.
 
 

 

 
The "arms" are made from aluminium. They are not too massive, but do not bend or look unreliable.
 

 
Here is a picture showing what is actually made from metal in those phones.
 
 

Part 2 - Sound, usage

 
Well, I think the headphones sound really good. I like natural sound, not bright or too dark, with fast bass and without ear-piercing highs.
The HI 2050 are almost perfect to me. They have the right bass, sub bass and don't have a hole in mids like a lot of popular headphones have these days. I'd describe the sound signature as flat, with a slight empasize on high frequencies.
I listened to the headphones with various artists and kinds of music, and really enjoyed the experience. There is a lot of air in the sound, and the musical instruments really sound isolated from each other. Actually it is the first time I enjoyed Metallika's earliest albums.
I used FiiO X3 2nd generation, and it drove those phones with ease on low gain setting. A song I really enjoyed was Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York", as it sounded really clear and transparent.
I tried to listen to the headphones with iPhone 6S. It drove them well, but I had to use 80%-100% of the volume to really enjoy the music.
 
Regarding comfort - those headphones have plenty of it, you just don't want to put them off, as the almost not felt on the head. The ears almost not being heated inside the cans, because of the earpads material and the fact that the headphones are of the open type. The headpones leak sound (as you might have expected, because they are open).
 
I think that the Takstars are best for acoustic music, guitars, vocals and will not fit well trance. They do have bass and sub-bass, but they will not make a heavy impact you'd like for that kind of music. Female and male vocals sound very clear, as well as subtle details.
 
Music that I used for the review (partial list, FLAC's):
 
Apollo 440, Eminem, Die Antwood,Garbage, Manowar, Magic Affair, Nightwish, Metallika, Madonna.....
 
Conclusion
 
The headphones really impressed me. For the price (and much above) I did not hear anything that is comparable. I'd recommend trying those, before buying any other cans.
 
The headphones were provided for review by www.gearbest.com

Hello,
 
I am very excited to write this review, because the headphones are very special, and I hope to be able to explain why.
 
I read some of the available reviews for those headphones, but when I got them I still was surprised by some of the features, and I will also write about that.
 
Let's start
 
Xiaomi? Headphones?
 
Yes, the Chinese brand is producing a lot of products, and headphones are among it's products. Actually, it is not completely true, there is another company "one more design" which is responsible for headphones, but at the end it's Xiaomi logo in the headphones.
 
What's good and special about those headphones?
 
1. Open design. It is not a definite advantage, because such headphones leak sound more considerably and have less sound isolation, but sound-wise open back headphones usually provide more open sound.
2. Several earpads, that provide different fit and sound (more on that later)
3. Special "retro" looks, a lot of metal in construction
4. Berillium 50mm diaphragm - not something you meet every day
 
Personally, I don't think I am a basshead, I prefer a neutral but enjoyable sound presentation. So when you read about my description of sound of those headphones, have that in mind.
 
Go
 

 

 
The headphones arrive in a little white carton box. It is very compact, considering all the stuff inside.
 

 

 
The first thing you see inside the box are the over the ear earpads.
 

 

 

 
Then you meet the instruction manual, that has a special drawing telling you how to change the earpads, in order not to harm them. On a personal note - I did a lot of switching, and did not see any damage to the earpads and to the headphones.
 

 

 

 

 
Another "goodie" that you find inside the white boxes are the carrying bag and the foam earpads. The leather bag will be useful when you carry the over-the ear earpads, because when you fold the headphones they don't get inside the hard carrying case. Hard case?
 

 

 

 
Here is the case, and headphones folded inside. Please note that headphones come with the pleather on-ear earpads attached.
 

 
Besides the headphones the hard case carries 6.3 adapter, aircraft adapter and silica gel.
 

 

 

 
A, wait there is also the cable. The cable feels extremely well made, light and of very high quality. Please not the tension relief points. All the connectors are made from metal. There is one button on the remote control - it's the play/pause, no volume keys.
 

 

 
Ah, and there are the headphones. They feel very sturdy and well made. There is enough padding on the headband to wear them for a considirate amount of time. I don't think there is memory foam inside, but rather ordinary one.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
The headphones have a removable cable, that has to be plugged to each of the earcups separately. You can know where the right and the left headphones re by the color of the socket, by writings on the earcups or on the headphones.
 
 


 
Regarding the materials and the quality. It is outstanding. Sturdy. all held in place really well. There is a lot of metal involved - as you can see at the picture. One of the reviewers told that his pair had a not even headband adjustments, well, mine did not have such problem (in fact any problem).
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
In life the headphone look really well, a bit flashy but bearable. The "gold" finish is mostly matte, so they actually look good.
 

 

 

 

 
There is some tight cloth/mesh between the grille and the headphone cushions, to avoid dust and other particles to reach the driver. I see it for the first time and like the idea a lot. The diaphragm has some metal on it (hope it is the berillium stated at the specs), but not all the diaphragm has it, only the center part.
The white arrow is being used do align the headphone pads.
 

 

 
Ah, regarding the pads.
 
1. I thought that I could use pads from other headphones with the Xiaomi's, and discovered that it is a mistake. The earpads are of proprietory design, and won't fit other headphones, anyway not without a heavy modding.
2. The leather earpads are made of artificial leather, not genuine. In this case I am not sure that it is a bad thing, as the leather is very soft and comfortable. The over-the ear earpads are super-comfortable, the most comfortable I ever used (something like HD5800/HD600 class). They really hardly touch the ears and lie completely around them, creating a very comfortable experience. I wore them at work even without music (we have an evil air conditioning at times).
3. Each earpads affect the sound considerably. I will try to describe the sound:
 
On-ear pleather - The sound is very close to a sound of most headphones today. I mean a lot of bass and treble, and not too pronounced midrange. The sound is fun, but if you like to enjoy a female vocals they are just not for you.
Over the ear leather earpads - Like. Like it a lot. A lot of space, and that thing called soundstage. A Metallika, Nightwish suddenly sound even more exciting. The bass is not getting to a thunder level low, but it is there, controlled and enjoyable. The highs are crisp and maybe a little bit too pronounced.
On ear foam pads - a very different sound from most that I know of. Maybe it is the Grado signature sound, I don't know. There is bass, but you hear it, without feeling it's impact. The mids are more transparent that with any of the other earpads, and so the highs. Maybe the highs fade a bit too quickly with those earpads.
 
 

 

 

 
Someone said Grado ? Please note the additional padding added betweenthe diaphragm and the ear, I am sure is affect the sound, and it was added for a good reason.
By the way, regarding the design of the headphones - I think a proper description would be "half open" , and not open. They don't leak sound like a real open headphones leak. If you hold you hand near the metal grille while hearing music, bass disapears, and the sound in general worsens considerably.
I'd say that the sound is the sound of Sennheiser PX100, but with much more details, kind of a seriosely upgraded PX100. I am talking about the first PX100, not the dark PX100 - II.
 

 

 
Those are the over the ear pads. A super comfy option, the sound has less bass compared to the on-ear pleather, but more soundstage and less congested mid-range.
 

 

 
The default option - on-ear pleather pads. The sound of those has the most bass and treble, and the least mid-range. It can fit a lot of music styles, and the headphones look really good with those.
 

 

 
Here is a comparison with the Pistons. You can definitely see some design similarities.
 

 

 

 
Koss Tony Benett Special Edition. Till I got Xiaomi I enjoyed those Kosses a lot. Well, now they are resting. No doubt about it, Koss give a more "reference" sound, with much more pronounced mids, and the sound feels more balanced. But sometimes in order to just enjoy the music the Xiaomi are better.
I am sure I will come back to Kosses for certain songs/artists, but will use Xiaomi more.
 

 

 
Most of the times I used the Xiaomi with FiiO X3 II, but also tried it with Ipad Air 2 and Nexus 5.
As you can expect, FiiO provides the best sound with a much more controlled bass and soundstage, but the Ipad does not sound too bad. Nexus eats the details that those headphones can reproduce. At volume 58-60 (high gain) FiiO provided enough power to really enjoy my music. Nexus needs to be almost maxed, and the Ipad gets to 60-70% .
 
 
Final thoughts, conclusion
 
I really liked those. You actually are getting 3 headphones for a price of one - which is not a bad deal at all. And build quality wise those are too great.
 
 
The headphones were provided for review by www.gearbest.com

First of all I would like to thank FiiO for choosing me as part of the world tour of the new X3 DAP. I am pretty new in reviewing audio devices, and I feel really grateful for including me.
 
About me
 
I am not considering myself as an audiophile. I like enjoying my music, and if I don’t like it, I change it. I used to own several players from Cowon that did not deliver, and ended up selling them. Same with headphones, if the sound is not right for me – I try to sell or simply don’t use them. My preference is as natural sound as possible, I don’t want it to be pretty, bright, dark or anything else. As natural as possible, for as sane price as possible. Last month I visited BH Camera in NY, and listened to Audeze LCD-3, Fostex th500rp and Sennheiser HD800 headphones (hooked up to high-end rack as well), so I think I know what is a really high quality natural sound. Out of the three I really liked the Fostex.
 

Unboxing, package, physical impressions

 
I received the unit after it was reviewed by some other reviewers before me,and the unit is from pre-production batch that may have differences with the units becoming available in stores. The review was conducted with the unit running on version 1.0 firmware, the same as the production units should have.
 


 
 
 
The box itself looks really good, colored red and black. You can note that you see X3K on the box, it was one of the preliminary names given to the unit before it became simple 2^nd generation. The box also has a sticker that should assist to avoid buying counterfeit units.
 

 
 
Inside the red/black outer box sits another black carton box. It is hard and has a nice texture to it, great at making you expect something special within.
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
There is a lot of usefull stuff bundeled with the player.
There are 3 sets of stickers to be applied to the player, wood, graphite and American flag styled. There is usb to micro usb cable (same as most of smartphones use now) and line out coax cable (please note, that the default setting for the line out mode is coax, if you will connect it to a regular car stereo or and amp you will not hear a thing, you need to change the setting to Line Out).
There are two additional screen protectors (the player comes with one pre-applied)
And there is the silicone cover, more about it soon…
 
 

 
 


 
 
While the unit is inside the cover you have acess to all the necessary buttons and outputs. Line out has an integrated cover that you can open at time of need. The memory card (up to 128 Gb at the moment) is covered, but you can always cut a hole in the cover if you happen to swap those cards often. I intentionally did not clean the silicone cover to show how it looks like in real life. While protecting the player, it is also great at collecting dust particles as well.
 

 
 


 
 
 
 
As you can see from the pictures, the built quality is excellent. The whole unit is made from aluminum. The scroll wheel has a higher quality feel than X1 and X5. Still, one click does not mean one move in the menus/one item scroll. I got used to it, and don’t think it’s much of a problem.
The unit has a status LED that lights blue when the unit is one, green while it’s charging and red when it’s being charged. Pleae note that you can operate it while charging, just make sure you don’t connect it to a PC but to charger (or to PC with charging only cable, no data leads).
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
Well, now I hope that you have a better understanding of the size of the unit. I was not surprised when I saw it at first, because of previous short experience with X1. But X1 surprised me at the time, it was much more compact than I expected. I think the size of the new X3 is just right, not too bix and not too tiny. At the pictures, you see it compared with Sandisk Sansa, LG Nexus 5 and a standard sized gift card. Ah, and my hand
 

Let’s Play?

At first I will describe the headphones used and my impressions, and give overall conclusion at the end.
 

 
Those are my best headphones, the Koss Tony Benett Special Edition 1. I sold ATH-M50’s in order to get those, and can’t be happier. Very natural sound.
Well, at first I thought that there is something wrong in the match between those headphones and X3. I heard a lot of high frequencies and a very weak bass. After hearing several albums I figured out that there is nothing wrong with the setup, it only plays what’s on those recordings. If it was poorly mastered, your ears will suffer. And if mastering was well done, it’s a joy joy joy.
 

 
As much as I like Koss KSC-75, they are just not a match for X3. A lot of information is just lost, and after listening with better phones you just don’t want to go back.
Of course X3 drives those 64 ohm headphones with ease, and the titanium coated drivers are great for metal.
 

 
 
 
Those are two earphones from Chinese smartphone companies – the Xiaomi Pistons 2^nd generation and the OnePlus silver bullet.
Usually I just can’t use Pistons – the sound signature is too V shaped. I was really surpriced but with X3 they sounded very different that I remember from trying them with the Clip+. They are actually usable. Not great, but still.
The OnePlus give a more balanced sound, but mid frequencies are somewhat distant sounding.
 
 

 
Now that’s a match. Those are Sennheiser PX 80. Actually those are PX 100 first edition, reissued. Same sound, with slightly different (still steel-enforced) headband.
Wow… Deep bass, sparkly teble. Mids are not the strongest part of those headphones but with most music they sound so good …X3 really makes you smile when you put them on, and keep on smiling…
 


 
 
That was an experiment. The Sennheiser HD 580 have 300 ohms of impedance, that’s twice the maximum rated supported impedance of X3. Well, actually they did sound nice, compared to the same headphones connected to AMC pre-amp (at about quarter of it’s max volume). While being driven decently, I had to crank up the volume of the X3 to 90-100% (High Gain setting), so if you really intend to use those, getting more powerful DAC or an amp would be a great idea.
 

About the sound

 
I would describe the sound of X3 as open, detailed and airy. I like the sound of X3 more than of the X5, because a slightly less piercing high frequencies, without that metal feel.
I cannot point at any property of the sound of X3 that I did not like, it’s great. It’s definitely not slow, and I like it. While testing I went from classical to metal, and enjoyed every second.
If you like laid back sound – this is not the DAC for you. If you like a heavy coloration – also, I could not find it in X3. I heard a very fast sound, great control of low frequencies, sweet mids and details in high frequencies area. The power is enough for me, any of my headphones can be driven to a volume above ridiculous with ease. I usually listen to flacs, and while enjoying the so-called hi-res tracks, not sure if I could notice a difference in blind test.
 
Usage,menu,additional
 
If you are a perfectionist, not ready to settle for nothing X3 might not fit you. The menus are far from being perfect, I don’t really understand why it’s divided the way it’s divided right now. Sometimes the screen does not refresh instantly after you skip to next track. And the screen itself can be called average at it’s best. The resolution is low, viewing angles are low, and the brightness at maximum … low. I don’t see it as a problem, as it’s not a video player and it’s acceptable. Switching to next song is instant, never had such a fast response in any player.
DAC function (using the unit as external USB sound card) works really well, after installing drivers for windows. In order to install the drivers for Windows 8/8.1 64 bit you have to do some additional actions besides actually running the setup, because the driver is not signed.
When I used integrated sound card, only 3/5 was my grade at Tidal test (blind testing if you can spot lossless vs 320 k audio). With X3 as DAC – 5/5.
The unit never got stuck, I never had the need to restart it or use the reset hole. At first it accepted 32GB Kingston memory card from Sandisk Sansa, and later a brand new 128 GB Sandisk memory card. Transfer rate is about 7 mbyte/sec, I consider it good enough for transferring several albums at once (an initial load would better be done using card reader).
The equalizer is implemented in a very unusual way, if you like playing with equalizer, I’d recommend to read forums or better ask owners about the implementation. It is difficult for me to explain, just trust me – it’s something completely different from what what you are used to.
The inline remote works for both earphones I tested the player with.
Before I got the unit I was warned that it’s a pre-production model that might have problems, and higher level of hiss could be one of them. Well, I did not hear that hiss, and I tried really hard with “silence” mp3 and maximum volume setting on all headphones I could find.
 
Final words
 
I really liked the unit, very sad that I have to return it. It is not perfect, what it does good it what I am looking for at the moment, and the other stuff I can live with.

Hello,
I own the current Sansa for about 3 years, so I can say I am very familiar with it.
 
Bad start
 
 
So...
When I happened to own Cowon Iaudio 9 I took this guy for a minute and thought to myself - what a simple sound, it's far less powerful and enjoyable than the Cowon, I must not forget that the Cowon is a premium player and this guy is just cheap and tiny. But time passed, J3 replaced my Iaudio and at some point of time magically disappeared. When I looked for a new DAP immediately I thought about the Sansa, with all the god reviews it's getting. So sansa was bought and I was very happy with it. At one stage I found a bargain on Cowon D2, so I sold the Sansa and tried to enjoy the Cowon, but could not, in spite of it having much more powerful amplifier, battery and touchscreen as well as buttons. So D2 was sold, and I bought another Sansa that I am enjoying still.
 
What I like about my Sansa?
 
Obviously the sound. The sound is great "as is" without any manipulations whatsoever. And it's with many decent headphones.
Format support - this thing can process so many formats, that it's really hard to find unsupported ones for it.
Rockbox - this thing is just absurdly good. Many many options (not just equalizer and crossfeed) that make life so much easier
Reliability - my player have fallen so much and there are hardly any scratches on it
 
What I don't like ?
 
Recently it started to develop problems with being recognized by PC in order to transfer music. I have to turn it on and off several times.
Volume - there are almost no reserves. I am using Koss KSC-75 and Sennheiser PX80 (re-issued PX100 first edition) and at the gym I almost have to max it. Also with Koss TBSE1 at home I have to listen at 90-95% from the maximum volume.
Batery life - only about 10 hours, not so great
 
 
Bottom line
 
Iconic player, one of the best at it time. I think now there are better options around (for budget-conscious audiophiles) but this one surely is exceptional, mainly because of Rockbox. I know it's not ideal player, but considering it's price and features it's very close.

Hello,
I owned a J3 32GB player for 2 or three years, so I got to know all it's advantages and disadvantages.
 
The good
 
This thing has much more output power than most non-audiophile players around. I never maxed it out, and the sound remained controlled at most volume levels. The battery life is simply outstanding, about 50 hours with that magnificent OLED screen. Also, the video playback and SWF's played smoothly. There are a lot of audio-enhancements, millions of sound settings combinations to choose. 
 
The bad
 
The sound at default settings (without using equalizer and the various enhancements) is pretty much dead, lifeless with undefined bass, and highs not very defined. It improves a lot after proper equalizing, but at the end you end up with non-realistic sound that you can like, but feels too plastic. It's a shame, because is a ~30$ Clip can sound good, no reason for premium product to fail in such a basic thing as play unequalized music.
 
Bottom line
 
I would consider it only if fantastic battery life is needed. For any other purpose there are other players that cost less and deliver more.