Like you, all my music is on iTunes. I use a Mac for this (I'm not sure if you are a Mac or PC user) and in the Music folder on Finder on a Mac, music is filed (by default) by artist name, then by album of that artist. Can you elaborate on how easy it is to (a) copy these files onto the SD card (I only have 400 GB), and (b) when using the X5, how many steps to find artist or album name from, say, a home screen? Thanks

I actually use both - a Mac Mini as my media server in my entertainment room and my PC to burn and manage the media for convenience. The biggest problem that I have with iTunes is no syncing option between libraries and a network that chokes on large library transfers between the PC world and the MAC world. 
 
My copying is mainly from a PC using a usb/microsd adapter to create a file by the name of my playlist, select a playlist within my iTunes interface and from the menu chose > edit > select all, then I drag and drop into the folder. My assumption is that it would be the same for working with the Mac. I have 5 32GB cards with different playlist that I rotate as I update which thankfully isn't too often.
 
Please keep in mind that the iTunes links rather than embeds the album image so unless you purchase or import from another source, your album art will not likely show up. This can be corrected with a the suggestions in this article: http://techland.time.com/2012/02/23/how-to-auto-embed-album-art-in-your-itunes-tracks/
 
If you want to retain your folder structure, you could select all the artist folders you are interested in directly within the iTunes music folder and drag and drop the same way. I usually select a batch and check properties to see if the selection would fit and adjust until it does.
 
So testing the steps required from the home screen on my playlist only folder structure that has been indexed by the X5, these are the steps:
1) Rotate the jog wheel to play by category and select.
2) Rotate the jog wheel to select album, artist, or genre.
3) Rotate the jog wheel to scroll through list and select desired option.
 
Keep in mind that one of my ergonomic issues was that you are scrolling through a to z which can take a while on a long list. However, the firmware changes page that Joe just created shows that they are implementing a scroll bar of some sorts to assist with this.

I think I can have it replacing my ipc..

How much better would one of these sound compared to a Dragonfly 1.2, Audioengine D3 or something like that? Since these new DAPs double as DACs, I was thinking of replacing my D3. Will I see a sound quality upgrade, or do I need to spend more (DX90, etc.) for that?

That's hard to say as I don't have either to compare. But I think it would depend on the use. If you are listening through the X5 headphone out you are going to have trouble beating that sound. It is the case of one plus one equals ten as a magical match up between the internal amp and dac. However, if you are paying through speakers or adding an amp then your guess is as good as mine. I should mention that the one place my DX50 sounded better was playing line out to my car stereo in my Acura MDX. The muted sound of the under powered DX50 pushed the mids forward when playing in a noisy car so that the bass and treble were not overwhelming when the volume is turned up to compensate. Car noise seems to muffle the mids the most. The authoritative neutral signature of the X5 lost the mids to the car/wind noise and got too much treble and bass when the volume was turned up to compensate. So again, it probably depends on your usage.

Yes...again, take the lead from Sony with the hard side controls for the basic functions...
 
works well when walking out in the cold too.

Thanks for the detailed answers, Barra.

so in your opinion, is the x5 better than a ipod 6th gen paired with a fostex hp p1 or paired with sony pha 1 or 2?

I would love to hear either pairings with my iPod 6th gen, but haven't so I couldn't say. My SQ rating for the iPod/iPhone was directly from HO. Both of your pairings bypass the iPod's internal DAC and AMP using it purely as a transport so the signature/implementation would be completely different. From what i have read here in Head-Fi, they are supposed to sound wonderful.
 
Having said that, I tend to be a minimalist and appreciate something that I can easily slip into my pocket and control without looking at it. I would probably get strange looks if I tried to slip either of the suggested iPod combos in my pocket. Even with my current DX50/BH2 stack, it would be difficult to put into my pocket and unwieldy to operate if I did.
 
Bottom line, if my iPhone by itself had the X5 sound quality, my search would be over, even with the storage limitations.

Ah, Barra, that is exactly how I feel!

@whereas And what exactly is wrong with a mid-90s Aiwa CD player? Just sayin!

Barra, I have had great luck and enjoyment after discovering an iPod Classic and iPhone with CD's ripped in iTunes to Apple Lossless and listening to it all through WESTONE W4 IEM's. It sounds like the X5 could be in my future. With my iPhone 5S, I have kind of gotten away from the enjoyment of JUST MUSIC, too many distractions on that phone!

I thought I had reached "good enough" with my DX50/BH2 stack as it sounded great, but now after hearing the X5, I am having trouble listening to my old setup any more. With the X5, I was really enjoying listening to the music again as it sounded so right. I am really having troubles waiting for the US release, I want it now. 
 
What was the most surprising was that all my headphones were being held back by the old setup as well and sounded so much better through the X5. I bet it would really make your W4's sing.

I believe that the 2D sound is due to the flat frequency response of the iPod's, iPad's, iPhone's.
 
Personally, I like. Since, who decides how it is going to be the sound are the headphones, not the source. 
 
In a musical sense, I think that it can be boring for many. And, precisely, the X 5 "colors" the sound, maybe not so much like other players, but to do so makes it... At least in comparison to a iDevice.
 
The underappreciated iPod touch 5G has come a friend apparently sounding just as well as he, but with more memory, and that is the X 5, I think

The wonderful thing about music appreciation is that what makes you happy is all that matters. If the iPod touch 5G presents the music correctly to you, then that is the DAP you should use. I certainly started my journey using apple products including each iPod Classic and each iPhone. However, I have never heard the touch line to compare. I thought my DX50/BH2 stack was good enough to stop looking until I heard the X5 tour unit. Now I can hardly listen to it any more waiting for the X5 launch.
 
That being said, for me - the X5 gets me closer to the speaker or in person experience than I have ever been with a portable device. It is effortless so the blaring sounds go away and black space forms between the instruments with a realistic, full life sized presentation feeling like the singer is there in the room with you. I didn't realize that my earlier devices sounded blaring until i heard it go away with the X5. I never understood the description "wall of sound" until the black space appeared with the X5 allowing me to see what I was missing. But this is still all my opinion.
 
In the end, I cannot tell you which you will like better, you will have to compare the two yourself. I can only tell you that it is worth you time to make the effort to make the comparison.

Yeah, that is. The X5 is the only DAP that are also good or better than a desktop system.
And, with 512GB, for 350$, is a winner from FiiO.

After this thing and the iPod touch 5G -you need to try this -, now no one will want to be glued to his tedious desktop system.

I want this so bad!!! Waiting

Have you heard the iPhone 4S?, the 5G sounds very similar, just slightly better.

If you have heard, can compare the 4S to the x5 please?

My wife is using the 4S, but I no longer have the X5 tour unit to compare directly. Now I am on the sideline with everyone else eagerly awaiting the US launch so I can get my own.

Can this player go extremely loud? Or am i better off with the Fiio E18?

Power output is not one of the X5's weaknesses but I guess the answer depends on what headphone you are trying to drive. However, the X5 is not kind to poor recordings so higher volumes can sound somewhat blaring with poorly mastered songs. So the right amp pairing might help it be kinder. 
 
The LCD2 and X both sounded great without an additional amp, but sounded even better with a higher quality amp such as my Mjolnir which isn't exactly portable. Amping with my BH2 was a step down in quality from the internal amp. So it will take a significant amp to beat the internal amps quality and its excellent pairing with the DAC. Not having the Fiio E18, I cannot comment about it directly.